Chapter 331: Going to the Banquet (Debt from the Day Before Yesterday)

Feeling the sky outside the window gradually darken, Li Huowang, his mouth parched, slowly came to a halt. He touched his stomach, recalling how Hei Taisui had genuinely helped him when he fought the human ghoul earlier. Reflecting on recent events, he mentally strategized how to coexist with Hei Taisui.

Although Hei Taisui was steadily taking over his body, it didn't appear malicious. Since there was no ill will, he realized he didn't need to treat it like he had treated Danyangzi. After all, he had once struggled with all his might to break free from Danyangzi. But with Hei Taisui, not only could he not escape it, he absolutely depended on it. Since it resided within him, a good relationship between them could only bring benefits. Perhaps once they became more familiar, he might even convince it to stop eroding his body.

"Dad?"

Li Huowang took a calming breath and again touched his stomach. "Listen, from now on, you'll be called Li Sui. Until we find a solution to the Xinsu problem, let's try to coexist peacefully. We're in this together. As long as you help me, I won't abandon you. Let's strive for a mutually beneficial outcome."

"Okay."

Li Huowang was surprised by the response. The entity could say "Okay," indicating that the "enlightenment books" it had been reading these past few days were not in vain; it could now understand what he was saying.

"Coo coo~" A familiar sound made Li Huowang instinctively glance up at the ceiling beam, where a pigeon was perched, observing him.

"Alright, behave yourself later when it's time to eat." Li Huowang stood, slung his two swords onto his back, and headed out of the inn.

It was the same old place, and as usual, the voice preceded the person. "Hahahaha~ Ah, Brother Erjiu, it's been a long time, I've missed you dearly!" Tuoba Danqing entered, his kind, round face beaming, followed by a line of maidservants bearing delicacies and fine wine.

Having interacted so many times, Li Huowang was well aware of the man's routine. He sat down and began to eat and drink alongside him. He wondered if it was just this man's peculiar habit, or if all Sijian officials were the same—they seemed unable to speak without first consuming some food and drink.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, feeling the atmosphere had been sufficiently set, Tuoba Danqing reached into his robe, pulled out a waist token, placed it on the table, and slid it across.

"Come, come, Brother Er, look at this! You did an excellent job this time; I doubt I could have done it so well myself."

Li Huowang picked up the token and examined it. The "Ren Wu" characters on it immediately sparked a fervent excitement in him; he was one step closer to success.

"Come, come, what's so interesting about a mere token? Eat, eat. Brother Erjiu, tell me, what exactly happened this time? Let your elder brother hear the details."

There was nothing to conceal about the matter. Li Huowang slipped the token into his robe and slowly began to recount the events to Tuoba Danqing. After explaining the incident, Li Huowang then voiced the confusion he'd felt earlier. "Brother Tuoba," he asked, "what exactly was that Daoist human ghoul? Why was it so bizarre?"

"Oh, there's nothing strange about it. If someone lives too long and doesn't achieve immortal enlightenment, they naturally transform into an evil entity. After all, birth, aging, sickness, and death are the fundamental ways of heaven and earth. Defying fate and heaven isn't so simple. Your elder brother has seen countless cases like this. They're always stubborn cultivators who forcefully extend their lives with Yangshou Pills, eventually becoming human ghouls. I just didn't expect such a commotion. A human ghoul, and a human ghoul *raising* another human ghoul—that's truly a first."

"Forcibly extending life with Yangshou Pills always leads to becoming a human ghoul?" Li Huowang was stunned. "Then aren't these Yangshou Pills utterly useless?"

"Not quite. Under normal circumstances, 120 years is a critical threshold. The closer one gets to 120, the weaker the Yangshou Pill's effect becomes. And once you pass 120, you absolutely *must* find a way to dispel the obsessions in your heart; otherwise, forcefully using the pills will only transform you into a human ghoul. All sects and schools have their methods, some good, some bad. But don't expect them to reveal anything for free; they guard such knowledge fiercely. However, there are also some widely known methods, but these are typically difficult to achieve. For instance, using Xinsu's bewilderment to dispel obsessions is considered the simplest and most effective."

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang's fingers subtly twitched, imperceptibly to others.

"But just think, how dangerous is a living Xinsu? And once you have it, you'd constantly have to guard against others trying to steal it. That method is as good as useless, wouldn't you agree?"

With that, Tuoba Danqing continued to ramble and complain, much like an old friend engaged in casual conversation. While drinking, Tuoba Danqing suddenly remembered something, slapping his forehead. "Ah, my memory! Brother Er, since you've achieved Ren Wu, you should go to Shangjing and sign up for a post. From now on, when you visit the Ministry of Rites, you can exchange Yangshou Pills for items within the Sijian. Not only is there a wide variety, but some things simply aren't available in the outside ghost market. Just remember, they *must* be Yangshou Pills earned within the Sijian; external ones are useless."

"Shangjing?" The mention of the Sijian's headquarters immediately made Li Huowang nervous. "No worries. I haven't earned much yet; I'll exchange them once I have more."

"Hehehe, you're truly different, Brother Er. Others rush to Shangjing the moment they find out, but you always seem to avoid it. Hehehe."

Tuoba Danqing raised his wine cup, emptied it, and with hazy eyes, shifted his stool closer to Li Huowang. "Brother," he slurred, "since we're so familiar, it wouldn't be too much for your elder brother to ask something, would it?"

"Brother Tuoba, please speak freely."

He chuckled, pointing at the copper coin mask on Li Huowang's face. "Why do you always wear that thing? Are you hiding something behind it?"

Just then, Hongzhong suddenly appeared beside Li Huowang. "This old man has been probing you since he arrived. Be cautious."

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere immediately grew tense. Li Huowang understood that no matter how pleasant the conversation, if his identity were exposed, everything would be over.

Seeing Li Huowang's silence, Tuoba Danqing immediately patted his own cheek. "Oh, oh, I talked too much. I spoke out of turn from drinking. Don't mind me, Brother Er, don't mind me. I'll drink three cups as a penalty."

Li Huowang recognized this as a tactic of feigned retreat designed to advance. If he didn't resolve the issue now, he would face even more trouble later. Various thoughts raced through his mind. Li Huowang pressed his stomach and began to dry heave. "It's fine, Brother Tuoba, if you want to know, I'll tell you. It's because some things tend to emerge from me, so I need to keep them sealed."

Moments later, two black, viscous tentacles slowly extended from either side of the mask. Even more bizarrely, two double-pupiled eyeballs were wrapped around these tentacles.

This sight made Tuoba Danqing's eyes twitch. "Alright, alright, please put them away quickly." Taking a bite of food to steady himself, Tuoba Danqing looked at Li Huowang with an unsettled expression. "Brother Er, I won't inquire about what you're cultivating, but isn't it truly dangerous to cultivate in such a diverse and mixed way? Won't you suffer a qi deviation?"

Li Huowang used his fingers to stuff the tentacles back into his mouth, then, suppressing his nausea, swallowed them down. "It's manageable."