Chapter 407: Arrival of Visitors

Li Huowang quickly spurred his horse and soon found a group of people on the street. The so-called Qi people blended seamlessly with the Liang people; there was not the slightest sense of incongruity, and no one around them seemed to notice any change.

When he caught up again and rejoined the Qi people, looking once more at the others who were whispering, Li Huowang had a very peculiar feeling.

It was as if everyone before him was merely an actor, playing a game around Zhuge Yuan.

"Brother Li, where did you go again?" Zhuge Yuan asked with some curiosity. He then cautioned with a hint of worry, "This place is bustling and full of various people. You must be careful; you never know who might have become a Forgotten Daoist."

"Don't worry, I know. It's not my first day dealing with the Forgotten Daoists. Brother Zhuge, where are we heading?"

Despite the cold weather, Zhuge Yuan continued to fan himself with a folding fan. "Let's first go to Lord Liang's residence. Tonight, Master Qin's disciples and others from the Jiangnan faction will gather. After we collectively decide on a core strategy, we'll make further plans."

Li Huowang nodded in understanding. A hint of pity appeared in his eyes as he looked at Zhuge Yuan. Zhuge Yuan seemed so powerful, but when it came to his own issues, those involved are often confused, and he still couldn't distinguish things clearly, just like Li Huowang himself used to be.

Li Huowang knew that as an outsider, he couldn't help with such matters. Unless Zhuge Yuan figured it out himself, anything he said would be futile.

The carriage proceeded along the main road towards the city center. When they were almost at the imperial palace, their carriage stopped in front of a grand residence flanked by two black stone lions. The plaque above the entrance bore two large characters written in gold sand: "Liang Residence."

A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, dressed in official robes with a small patch of black beard above his chin, had been waiting for a long time with several attendants.

Upon seeing them, he immediately bowed deeply to Zhuge Yuan, tears welling up in his eyes from excitement. "Mister Zhuge! I can't believe you've come too!"

"As a mere commoner, I cannot accept such a grand bow. Lord Liang, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go inside to discuss."

The so-called Lord Liang then walked over to Master Qin. After calling him "Master," he helped him into the grand residence. Li Huowang, standing aside, appeared entirely like a bystander.

They hurried through the portico, crossed the courtyard, and finally arrived at the reception hall. Without even pausing for tea, they began to discuss heatedly.

The core of their discussion was nothing more than comparing the strength disparity between their side and the enemy, and how to turn the perilous situation of the Great Qi around.

However, this had nothing to do with Li Huowang. With nothing to do, he stared at the side profile of the so-called Lord Liang, his thoughts wandering.

"What is this Lord Liang's status in the Great Liang Kingdom? If I leave Zhuge Yuan's vicinity now, will they take me for an assassin? Wait, could this guy be a Forgotten Daoist?"

As Li Huowang's mind wandered, the sun began to dip towards the west. Officials in robes swiftly gathered in the reception hall, arriving by sedan chairs and carriages.

Eventually, the hall was so crowded that there was no room to stand. Li Huowang also lost interest in listening further, so he simply stepped outside to get some fresh air.

"Dad, what are they talking about? I don't understand," Li Sui's voice chimed in from beside Li Huowang.

"It's fine if you don't understand; it has nothing to do with us anyway." Li Huowang noticed that Li Sui was becoming increasingly active. Previously, she would only whine for him to buy things, but now she was even asking questions about things she didn't understand.

"Dad, you're hungry." Li Sui wrapped her tentacles around Li Huowang's shrinking stomach. She used to hide inside his stomach, but now she had emerged and covered his entire body.

Hearing Li Sui's words, Li Huowang added another thought to his mind: she was starting to care about people now.

Although he felt a warmth in his heart, Li Huowang knew it wasn't a good sign. It meant she was gradually maturing.

Thinking of this, Li Huowang's mood soured considerably. If he couldn't find North Wind and extract the method to escape his delusions before Li Sui fully matured, he feared he would once again fall into hallucinations.

He had never imagined that he would one day yearn so desperately for the Forgotten Daoists to appear.

A "tap-tap-tap" of footsteps sounded. Li Huowang turned his head and saw an old man carrying a square lantern walking up to him. Li Huowang had seen him before; he seemed to be the steward of the so-called Lord Liang.

"Lord Li, dinner is ready. Please follow me." Li Huowang listened carefully and realized the once lively room had become quiet. They had all left while he was distracted.

"They're almost starting a rebellion, yet they still have time to eat," Li Huowang muttered. He stood up and followed him towards a side door.

Soon, Li Huowang sat down before a table laden with exquisite dishes. In his foul mood, he couldn't be bothered to listen to Master Qin's toast. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

This so-called Master Qin had such immense prestige within the court; why would he risk his life at the Directorate of Celestial Observation? He must have nothing better to do.

At Li Huowang's impolite behavior, the others at the table glared at him, but that was the only action they took.

When the speech ended, everyone in the room raised their cups simultaneously and began to eat. By then, Li Huowang had almost finished his meal.

Li Huowang stood up and went to Zhuge Yuan's side, asking, "How are your discussions with these people going? When will you act? Who are we killing?"

Perhaps the Forgotten Daoists were waiting in the shadows. Maybe stirring up some big trouble on their end could lure them out.

Zhuge Yuan used his long sleeve to cover the lower half of his face. Then, he tilted his head back and poured the wine from his cup into his mouth.

After slowly lowering his sleeve, Zhuge Yuan whispered, "Don't panic, Brother Li. Such a major undertaking won't happen quickly. Many unyielding officials who would rather die have been imprisoned, and many more have been banished to remote areas."

"Furthermore, those eunuchs have made Youdu a complete mess. Many people are already discontent. We need to take more time to win over some fence-sitters. They are all citizens of Great Qi; the fewer who die, the better."

"What's the point of winning over these people?" Li Huowang's expression was grim, and his brows furrowed tightly. Ever since he understood the true situation, he had lost all interest in matters concerning Great Qi.

"Among these fence-sitters, there are many military commanders. Do you think that's useful?"

After saying this, Zhuge Yuan seemed to sense Li Huowang's mood and continued to whisper, "Don't worry, Brother Li, I've taken your matter to heart. Once this matter is resolved, I will personally arrange for Great Qi to help you search for that cultivation technique."

As the two exchanged whispers, suddenly, a high-pitched, reedy voice announced from the distant doorway, "The Emperor arrives!"

"The Emperor?" Li Huowang's expression at that moment mirrored the shock of everyone around him. If he had heard correctly before, the young emperor of Great Qi was supposed to be... a walking corpse?