Chapter 311: Madman

After leaving Niuxin Mountain, the silent Li Huowang walked on and on along the muddy path.

His paper clothes and skin, washed by the rain, gradually softened, disintegrated, and fell to the ground.

Under the cold rain, Li Huowang's scorched skin, interspersed with newly grown granulation tissue, was gradually exposed. Every drop of rain landed on the tender granulation tissue. At this moment, Li Huowang understood what it felt like to be cut into a thousand pieces, but he did not deliberately try to avoid anything, silently enduring it in the rain.

The rain gradually lessened, and the sky also began to lighten. Li Huowang stopped at a dilapidated temple. He hadn't slept for days and nights; he was truly exhausted. He looked up, first at the half-missing plaque, then at the moss-covered couplets on both sides. Although the characters had faded considerably, with careful recognition, they were still discernible.

Upper couplet: Human effort shapes affairs; do not say all is fate.Lower couplet: Circumstances arise from the mind; a step back brings natural ease.

Li Huowang walked in without a word. The temple wasn't large; there was only a clay statue with half its body remaining, everything else having been removed. Moreover, the roof leaked, and the accumulated water on the ground was almost as much as outside. Dripping wet, he stood in the only corner where it wasn't raining, gazing blankly at the rainwater falling through the holes in the roof.

"Are you stupid now? Have you become a lone wolf? I told you long ago to listen to me; disregarding elders' advice leads to immediate trouble." Hong Zhong circled Li Huowang continuously, his face full of schadenfreude.

The Monk walked over, his brows drooping, and consoled him, saying, "Daoist, don't be too sad. This isn't your fault; you didn't want to kill them. In the future, do more good deeds and chant Amitabha Buddha more often. The Buddha won't blame you."

Li Huowang completely failed to comprehend the two hallucinations beside him. His mind was filled with the image of his other self, from the hallucination, having completely turned into a beggar, and Bai Lingmiao's cold gaze from yesterday. His own family didn't want him, and he had also caused Bai Lingmiao to lose her family. He was a disaster, a jinx who brought misfortune to anyone who crossed his path.

"Clang!" The Purple Tassel Sword, emitting faint malevolence, was drawn. Li Huowang carefully examined his half-reflection on the cold, gleaming sword blade. As he thought, a question arose in his mind: "What is the purpose of living? Since I live in such torment, what's the point of me being alive now?"

In an instant, the surroundings fell silent. Jin Shanzhao, Peng Longteng, the Monk, and Hong Zhong positioned themselves on four sides, encircling Li Huowang.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing, Li boy? Calm down!" A flustered Hong Zhong quickly came over to persuade him.

"That's right, Daoist, what are you doing? If you find life meaningless, you can become a monk; why do you have to seek death?"

The silently standing Peng Longteng moved. Her body armored, she made a dismissive, disdainful gesture.

Jin Shanzhao, who had been standing with his mouth open and silent, closed it. He stared at Li Huowang's profile with a worried gaze.

Li Huowang ignored them. He merely examined the sword before him, thinking deeply about something. He had never scrutinized his life with such seriousness before.

"Oh, come on, it's just a woman anyway. A true man need not worry about finding a wife. Even though you've lost them, you still have us!" Hong Zhong grinned mischievously as he leaned closer, pointing to his own chest as he spoke.

Hearing this, Li Huowang's stiff expression instantly became extremely ferocious. "Swish!" The sharp longsword slashed through Hong Zhong's body, splitting the clay statue behind him in two. Cold light danced in the rain. The almost insane Li Huowang swung his sword repeatedly at the face-less, eye-less Hong Zhong, the headless Peng Longteng, the lower-body-less Jin Shanzhao, and the Monk, free from malice.

But no matter how sharp the Purple Tassel Sword was or how much force Li Huowang put into his swings, he still couldn't harm them in the slightest.

"You! It's all because of you! What exactly are you?! Why do you constantly follow me?!" Li Huowang's furious voice exploded within the dilapidated temple. "Why am I the only Xinsu?! Why am I the one who got sick?! Why me?! What did I do wrong?! Why not someone else?! I just want to live a peaceful life! Why is it so difficult?!"

After repeated slashes, Li Huowang staggered and fell to the ground. The sword in his hand flew several meters away. Lying on the ground, he no longer moved. He was tired, truly exhausted. Yet, even though he was clearly very sleepy, he couldn't fall asleep at all. His mind throbbed continuously, expanding and contracting.

Hong Zhong leaned closer, squatting on the ground to console him, saying, "It's alright. From now on, just listen to me. However many women you want, I'll trick them for you."

Li Huowang had no further strong reactions to this. He just lay silently on the ground, his eyes unblinking. Suddenly, his surroundings began to distort and change rapidly. When Li Huowang regained his senses, he found himself lying under a cold, damp bridge archway.

Looking at all this, Li Huowang opened his mouth in a silent, bitter smile. Gradually, the laughter became audible. "Heh heh....."

As he laughed, he suddenly felt thirsty, intensely thirsty. Li Huowang stood up and walked towards the water's edge. Due to the rain, the water level had risen significantly. Li Huowang simply knelt down, plunging his head into the water and drinking deeply.

After drinking his fill, Li Huowang felt hungry again. He stood up, wiping his face with a hand, and walked out from under the bridge archway. The sky was clear after the rain, and the air was very fresh. There were quite a few people on the sidewalk next to the road.

As the ragged and dirty Li Huowang emerged, his body seemed to emit a barrier. No one dared to approach within five meters of him.

"It's that lunatic again... What are the city managers doing? They're not doing anything."

"Shush, don't let him hear you. That lunatic has sharp ears."

"He's a pitiful person, alas."

Li Huowang paid no attention to their reactions. He searched for something among the streets. He finally stopped beside a trash can. He reached out and opened the green trash can, lowering his head to diligently search for something to eat. People nowadays tend to be wasteful with food. Li Huowang quickly found two unfinished cups of milk tea and a vegetarian bun that had been bitten once.

"Click!" A flash went off. A man nearby, with a cigarette in his mouth, put down his phone. His thumb moved rapidly as he typed a line on his Moments feed: "Look! It's the new Brother Sharp!"

When Li Huowang found a few more cold skewers of BBQ, he walked towards the bridge archway, eating as he went. Just then, several teenagers ran past. They stood at a distance, laughing and pointing. Suddenly, a small stone was thrown and hit Li Huowang. "Hahahaha! Lunatic! Come here, want a cigarette?"

Li Huowang suddenly split his mouth into a grin. "Hahahaha!! That's right! I'm crazy! I am a lunatic!! Hahahaha!!"