Chapter 410: Mahjong

"Is this North Wind? The North Wind I've been searching for all this time?" Li Huowang felt as though he was dreaming, his mind buzzing like he'd been drinking, as he gazed at the dying man on the ground before him.

Ever since he learned that North Wind possessed a method to dispel illusions and control the innate Qi within his body, Li Huowang had spent countless days and nights imagining what it would be like to finally find him.

Yet, he never anticipated that when North Wind finally appeared before him, it would be under such circumstances.

"Him? Is he really North Wind?! Brother Zhuge, are you sure you haven't made a mistake?" Li Huowang asked, startled, looking at Zhuge Yuan.

"Yes, that's right. This person is North Wind. He was hiding among those eunuchs, and I spotted him, but..."

Li Huowang's hands trembled as he clasped them firmly towards Zhuge Yuan, declaring gravely, "Words cannot express my gratitude for this great favor!"

After speaking, he immediately crouched down and carefully helped North Wind up. He then pulled out his dagger and began to peel back the man's skin.

After peeling back several layers, when the bloody mahjong tile carved with the character "North Wind" appeared before Li Huowang, he was so emotional he was almost in tears.

As Li Huowang's trembling fingers brushed over the fleshy tile, the character "North Wind," pieced together from flesh and blood, twisted and began to speak.

"Heh heh heh, look how happy you are. What's the matter? Are you my long-lost son?" North Wind's voice was ancient and hoarse.

Li Huowang took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and said with a tremor in his voice, "North Wind, oh North Wind, I've searched so hard for you."

"Oh? You've searched so hard for me? Well, it seems I won't die yet, at least not until you've dug out whatever's in my belly."

Li Huowang seemed not to hear. Clutching the blood-dripping dagger, he leaned closer, looked into North Wind's eyes, and continued speaking to himself.

"Brother North Wind, could you do me a favor? Please tell me how you, as a Heart-Sage, managed to get rid of those illusions. If you can tell me the method, I'll even consider letting you go immediately!"

Regardless of whether North Wind agreed or refused, Li Huowang had already planned his next move. However, the other man's reaction completely caught him off guard.

"Heart-Sage? Heh heh heh, who told you I'm a Heart-Sage? I am North Wind, true, but I'm merely a disguised one. Only 'Fourth Brother' is a true Heart-Sage; I am not."

The moment he heard this, Li Huowang's pupils contracted to pinpricks. "Fourth Brother?"

This simple nickname, like a stealthy ghost, caused the hope in Li Huowang's heart to plummet into an unseen abyss.

Seeing Li Huowang's expression, a hint of smugness appeared on North Wind's face. "What, young man, haven't you ever played mahjong? Isn't it perfectly normal for a set of mahjong tiles to have four North Wind tiles?"

"Four North Winds? Does that mean there are four 'Fortune' tiles? Four... 'White Boards'? Four 'Red Dragons'?!" Li Huowang's mind exploded with a resounding boom.

The next moment, a distorted-looking Li Huowang abruptly lifted him into the air. The dagger in his hand was already plunged into North Wind's lower abdomen, slowly beginning to twist.

"Impossible! At a time like this, you still dare to lie to me! I'm telling you! Since you've fallen into my hands, if you don't reveal that method, death itself will be a luxury for you!"

Just as Li Huowang was about to recount all his experiences to North Wind before pressing him further, Zhuge Yuan, standing nearby, spoke with a somewhat awkward tone.

"Um, Brother Li, this man really isn't lying. I actually hadn't finished speaking. Although this person is North Wind, he's not a Heart-Sage. He may have pretended to be one, but I could see through his disguise right away."

Zhuge Yuan's words felt as though they had ripped out Li Huowang's spine, instantly draining all color from his face.

He looked at Zhuge Yuan, speechless for a moment.

Li Huowang nearly gasped for breath. If there was anything more agonizing than having nothing, it was seeing something within reach, only to lose it again.

"You love telling stories so much. Why didn't you tell me about something as important as there being four North Winds?"

Zhuge Yuan tapped his forehead regretfully with the folding fan in his hand. "Ah, I thought Brother Li already knew. I didn't realize you were unaware of this. It's not too late for me to tell you now."

"Actually, you know, these Forsworn Cultists are masters of disguise. To outsiders, they always present only one face. But behind the scenes, that one face is actually shared by four different people. That's why outsiders always assume there's only one person for each suit of the Forsworn Cult."

"By constantly rotating identical suits, the Forsworn Cult has deceived many people with this trick."

After finally capturing North Wind, he became worthless in an instant. A surge of hot blood rushed to Li Huowang's head, making him pull the dagger upright from North Wind's abdomen and thrust it tremblingly towards the man's heart.

Blood trickled continuously from the corners of North Wind's mouth, his features contorted in pain, yet he seemed utterly unconcerned. Instead, he looked at Li Huowang with disdain. "Heh heh heh... Fire Worship Cult, is it? A bunch of self-righteous fools."

"Brother Li, you mustn't kill him. I left him for you; perhaps he knows something."

Seeing North Wind's arrogant smile, the fire in Li Huowang's heart refused to be extinguished. However, he ultimately forced himself to suppress that furious rage.

The True Scripture of Fire Robes was picked up from the ground, and Li Huowang began to treat North Wind's wounds.

Seeing Li Huowang's actions, North Wind's laughter grew louder. "Oh? Not killing me anymore? So you need something from me, hm? Ha ha ha."

Once North Wind's abdominal wound was covered with a layer of cauterized scar tissue, Li Huowang looked at the captive before him again. North Wind now resembled an ordinary old man.

Since things had come to this, further disappointment or anger would be useless. Instead of wasting time on it, he should think about how to mend the situation.

"Since you are one of the North Winds, and all four of you share one face, then where are the other three North Winds? You must know, right?" Li Huowang asked.

"Heh heh heh, it seems I guessed correctly. Since you're looking for 'Fourth Brother,' then you must be a Heart-Sage, right? You want him to tell you how to escape the Heart-Sage's confusion?" This North Wind had already deduced Li Huowang's purpose.

Seeing that North Wind remained silent, Li Huowang meticulously laid out one torture instrument after another in front of him.

"I despise you Fire Worship Cultists the most. You only ever use the same trick over and over. You don't use your brains at all. Fine, I can tell you what you asked, but..."

At this, North Wind's lips curled into a slight smile, and he cast a sidelong glance at Li Huowang. "But, can you, young man, dare to believe what I say? Don't forget, I'm a Forsworn Cultist, heh heh heh."