Chapter 264: Master

"You old fossil! Just you wait, the day will come when you won't be able to move anymore," Scholar Lu muttered under his breath as he bent down to pick up firewood.

Doggo came over and nudged him with his arm. "Hey, you've got guts, stealing Senior Brother Li's sword."

Scholar Lu glanced at him scornfully. "What a joke. Holding a sword? What's the big deal? What, you don't dare?"

"No, I don't. That sword reeked of blood. Just being near it made me feel sick."

Hearing this, Scholar Lu's face grew even more smug. "Afraid of that? Let me tell you, I only pulled that thing out because I saw how much it reeked of blood. If I want to, I still dare!"

"Haha, impressive, impressive."

As they chatted, they carried their firewood and set it down by the iron pot, then turned to fetch water.

"Scholar Lu, come here for a moment." Li Huowang, sitting on a tree stump with Top Scholar Lu, looked at the thin young man in the distance.

With Doggo's gloating expression, Scholar Lu lowered his head and walked over.

Scholar Lu looked up at the one-eyed young man before him, his heart pounding, and quickly lowered his gaze to his straw sandals.

"Don't look down. Look up at me."

Hearing this, Scholar Lu finally raised his head again.

"How have you been feeling lately? Is your personality still the same?" Li Huowang asked calmly.

Scholar Lu shook his head. "Much better. It's almost back to how it was before I held the sword."

Just then, the grinning Doggo walked up to Li Huowang and repeated their entire conversation, word for word.

Hearing what his son had said, Top Scholar Lu sighed deeply, exhausted, raising and lowering the lit pipe in his hand.

"You damn...! You..."

Just as Scholar Lu was about to unleash a torrent of insults on Doggo, a slap landed across his face.

It was Li Huowang who struck him. Seeing Scholar Lu stare at him with those cannibalistic eyes, he turned to Top Scholar Lu and said, "Master Lu, it's been so many days, and there's been no change in him. It seems he'll be like this for the rest of his life."

"Daoist Master, is there really no way?" Top Scholar Lu asked unwillingly.

Although he had always complained about his younger son's clumsiness and cowardice, compared to the younger son he now faced, the previous one was infinitely better.

"If you're afraid that Scholar Lu's violent nature will cause major trouble in the future, you could also put an end to it now."

At these words, not only was Scholar Lu startled, but Top Scholar Lu was also shocked. A hint of fear appeared in both their eyes simultaneously.

"No... no need for that, really no need."

Top Scholar Lu forced a smile, grabbed his younger son, and pulled him away from Li Huowang.

Although Scholar Lu showed a hint of disgust as his father approached, seeing the pipe in his father's other hand, he didn't dare to pull away.

Just as they were about to leave, Li Huowang's voice from behind suddenly called out to him.

"Wait, I just thought of a way. It might be able to change Scholar Lu back, but it depends on whether you're willing to take the risk."

When Scholar Lu and Top Scholar Lu turned around simultaneously, they saw Li Huowang holding several pieces of parchment covered in writing.

What Li Huowang held was none other than the cultivation method for controlling the copper coin sword, which he had forced out of Han Fuyuan's nascent soul.

If Li Huowang's guess was correct, the abilities of any sect were all about the application of certain things.

Since Scholar Lu was now possessed by malicious energy, it would be a good opportunity to use the Luo Sect's cultivation method to cleanse it.

Regardless of what the Luo Sect cultivated or what it absorbed after practice, as long as it could replace the malicious energy currently within him, that was enough.

Furthermore, Scholar Lu could help him test if the cultivation method had any hidden dangers, killing two birds with one stone.

While Top Scholar Lu was still hesitating, Scholar Lu immediately knelt before Li Huowang, burying his forehead in the dirt and bowing three times with loud thuds.

With red mud imprinted on his forehead, Scholar Lu's eyes were now filled with an intense craving for power.

"Master! Please accept your disciple's bow! I am willing to learn divine powers!"

Li Huowang looked up at Top Scholar Lu, awaiting his reply.

Looking at his son on the ground, Top Scholar Lu hesitated with difficulty for a moment, then finally nodded.

With the hope of his son returning to normal, Top Scholar Lu ultimately decided to take the gamble. The Daoist Master had also said the risk wasn't high.

Moreover, if it succeeded, his younger son would truly rise to great prominence.

"Alright, let's give it a try. Maybe it will work."

Under Scholar Lu's fervent gaze, Li Huowang handed the parchment to him.

As soon as Scholar Lu got his hands on it, he devoured it eagerly.

But seeing him like that, Li Huowang sighed in exasperation. He rubbed his throbbing temples with his fingers, his expression one of helplessness. "Scholar Lu, haven't you noticed you're holding it upside down?"

"Master, but I can't read."

Scholar Lu held the stack of parchments in his hands, looking at Li Huowang in bewilderment.

"Oh... you really live up to your name."

Li Huowang reached out, took the parchments back, and translated them for him sentence by sentence.

This was tiring work, especially when dealing with someone who couldn't even write his own name.

Fortunately, Li Huowang had nothing pressing for the time being, and Scholar Lu was very dedicated to the divine powers. No matter how tired or hard it was, he persevered.

By the day they arrived in the county town, Scholar Lu had just learned the beginning.

Although Li Huowang's group was large, there were also many other tenant farmers from the village heading to the county to sell goods. The well-trodden dirt road became lively.

Looking at Scholar Lu, who was tirelessly reciting the incantations beside him, Li Huowang asked him, "Don't you want to kill me?"

"Master, what are you talking about? Why would I want to kill you?"

Scholar Lu's reply was very frank. Li Huowang could tell he wasn't lying, otherwise, given his cunning, he would have already revealed it.

"I hit you before, and I even intended to persuade your father to kill you. I'm very surprised that with your current personality, you don't hold a grudge."

"My temper just got a little worse, I didn't turn into a madman. Besides, you're teaching me divine powers, that more than makes up for it," Scholar Lu said matter-of-factly.

Li Huowang nodded in understanding and patted the cart-pulling ox on its rump.

"Moo~" The ox bellowed, raising its head, and pulled the cart towards the city gate.

Entering the city was a bit difficult due to the constantly squirming Black Grand Elder on the cart, but the experienced Top Scholar Lu managed to pass safely using some silver pieces.

Stepping onto the bluestone ground once more, and seeing the bustling market in the town, everyone seemed to come alive again.

As usual, they found an inn, enjoyed a delicious meal, and then, after settling in, everyone began to move.

The local, Bai Lingmiao, took Chun Xiaoman to find a map and inquire about the location of Ox Heart Mountain.

Doggo, Zhao Wu, and Gao Zhijian went to sell the sheep and buy enough food.

As for Li Huowang, he went to search for any possible traces of the Directorate of Celestial Observation in the lively county town.