Chapter 415: Red Middle

“Now you know why we eunuchs are so close to the compassionate Buddhas of Zhengde Temple, don't you? So, you came to the wrong people from the start; there's no chance, unless you can also give us sons.”

After saying this, the stout man turned to get back into his sedan chair. Just as he was about to bend down, he seemed to remember something and looked up at the people before him.

“Oh, right, Godfather also said that his people definitely won't get involved when you make your move. But if you truly have the ability to make the Empress Dowager return to the inner palace, then Godfather will certainly join forces with you.”

The eunuch left, leaving the others with grim expressions.

Li Huowang originally didn't want to concern himself with the affairs of Great Qi, but after some thought, he couldn't help but approach Zhuge Yuan and whisper, “The strength difference between us and the enemy is too vast. It feels like hardly anyone in Youdu is on your side; it's completely like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot.”

“Don't panic. In this court, don't view allegiances too rigidly. Who is whose ally, who is from the same hometown, who is whose student—the relationships here are complex.”

Zhuge Yuan raised the folding fan in his hand. “What's more, there's the integrity of scholars. Even if we seem weak, we stand on the side of divine justice.”

“The Empress Dowager's seizure of power is fundamentally against natural law. Everyone in the court knows they are in the wrong, so they won't make things difficult for us.”

Li Huowang listened, nodding thoughtfully, as if contemplating something.

Zhuge Yuan looked at Li Huowang, asking with a hint of curiosity, “Brother Li, are you alright? You've seemed so distracted these past few days.”

“I'm fine, I'm perfectly well,” Li Huowang quickly replied.

“If you need my help with anything, please don't hesitate. I can still spare some time for minor matters.”

Looking at the red paper-cut window decorations in the distance, Li Huowang shook his head. “No need, it's nothing. Let's finish resolving Great Qi's matters first; your situation is more urgent.”

“Thump-thump-thump~” Hoofbeats continuously echoed, as if a thousand horses were galloping towards Liang Mansion. The oppressive war drums grew louder with each beat.

“Why is the Vanguard Camp in Youdu?! Weren't those killers supposed to be guarding the borders?!” Hearing the panicked shouts outside the gate, the atmosphere throughout Liang Mansion grew incredibly tense.

“Don't panic,” Zhuge Yuan's calm voice quieted everyone. He picked up several scrolls of calligraphy and paintings and strode towards the door.

Seeing the distant window decoration suddenly split into four, with the Supervisor's face flashing within, Li Huowang's brow furrowed slightly. He immediately stepped forward to follow.

When Li Huowang reached the street, he saw rows of soldiers before him, unmoving like mountains.

The murderous aura emanating from them had almost solidified. All around them were ordinary citizens who hadn't had time to escape, scared to death on the spot.

“Heh heh,” Zhuge Yuan calmly sat down on the ground, unrolled a scroll, and a dark guqin appeared before him.

“Ding~” Zhuge Yuan lightly plucked a string of the guqin, and the anxious war drums were gradually dispelled by the music.

“Hah!!” With a low roar, the distant Vanguard Camp began to advance step by step, their pace quickening.

Just as their towering killing intent reached its peak, a stench of blood seeped from beneath the ground, quickly dissolving Zhuge Yuan's guqin.

At that very moment, buildings in the four cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north—began to shed their wood and tiles, revealing four altars covered in talismans.

Several Daoist priests, uniformly dressed in purple robes, raised their swords and began their rituals.

Concurrently, a low Buddhist chant emerged from an unknown source, covering everything nearby like a dome.

“Brother Li, don't you find this very interesting?” Zhuge Yuan flipped his hand, and an old, tattered almanac appeared in his grasp.

He took out a wolf-hair brush and tapped its tip on the four altars. The four Daoists vanished instantly, and the wolf-hair brush in Zhuge Yuan's hand was now stained with something, ready for writing.

Just as Zhuge Yuan was about to write, Li Huowang's body shifted rapidly, and an invisible right hand snatched the old almanac from him.

The moment he had it, Li Huowang used all his might, flipping and maneuvering in the air, moving closer to the window decoration.

“Li Huowang!!” Zhuge Yuan's voice was filled with boundless fury, even causing the surrounding roof tiles to tremble.

“Don't just stand there! Stop him for me!!” Li Huowang shouted loudly.

Various members of the Sky-Monitoring Department emerged from different places, surrounding Zhuge Yuan.

However, they were clearly no match for Zhuge Yuan. Meanwhile, the 'Mahjong-faced' figures from the Vanguard Camp rushed towards Zhuge Yuan, radiating their sky-high murderous aura.

Li Huowang, fleeing desperately, couldn't see what was happening behind him. All he could hear were continuous screams.

The closer the sounds got, the harder Li Huowang ran.

When he reached the house with the window decoration, the Supervisor was already waiting, mounted on a tall horse.

At this moment, he had few people left beside him; they had all been sent to stop Zhuge Yuan.

“Quick, give me the Six Luminaries Almanac!” the Supervisor stretched out his hand towards Li Huowang.

“Okay!” Li Huowang immediately handed over the old almanac in his hand.

A skinless hand and an aged hand met.

The next moment, a cold gleam shot out from the almanac, stabbing towards the Supervisor's neck.

The Supervisor froze. The jade pendant at his waist flashed, shattering into four pieces. White smoke instantly drifted out from the jade, coiling around Li Huowang's dagger-wielding arm.

In a mere two breaths, Li Huowang's dagger-wielding hand corroded, leaving only a stub of bone.

But that wasn't the end of it. Li Huowang opened his mouth, and several molars flew out, tumbling, striking the Supervisor's chest. Unexpectedly, they didn't penetrate. The Supervisor's official robe looked ordinary, but its defense was astonishingly strong.

“How dare you!!” The Supervisor's eyes widened in fury.

Li Huowang stomped one foot on the ground, leaping onto the Supervisor. The stub of bone in his hand plunged fiercely into the Supervisor's neck.

This time, it finally pierced through. Crimson blood spurted from his mouth and neck, staining the Supervisor's goatee red.

Li Huowang leaned forward, pressing his full weight onto the Supervisor, and brought his mouth close to his ear. “How dare I? I'm Li Huowang, a Red Middle of the Sitting Forgetfulness School. Did you really think I'd be all lovey-dovey with you Sky-Monitoring Department folks?”

With another forceful stab, the Supervisor's head tilted, and he instantly dropped dead.

“Hahahaha!!! What a thrill!!” Li Huowang, holding up his severed arm, turned to look at the Sky-Monitoring Department members near Zhuge Yuan.

“Hahaha!! You were all played by me! You never expected me to be from the Sitting Forgetfulness School, did you?”

Li Huowang violently peeled back the barely healed scar on his face, revealing his mangled, blood-soaked face to everyone.

But that wasn't all. Black tentacles writhed, burrowing under the flesh of Li Huowang's head.

Tentacles of various sizes continuously bulged and pushed, forcibly reshaping his head into a square.

Then, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, Li Huowang's features also began to deform.

“Dad.”

“Do as I taught you a few nights ago! Quickly!!”

Li Sui complied. Li Huowang's features began to twist and stretch.

As his two eyeballs were forcefully squeezed out, Li Huowang's facial features on his square face finally contorted into the large character "中" (zhōng).

Witnessing this scene, the Sitting Forgetfulness School disciples disguised as the Vanguard Camp whistled and cheered.

“Hahaha! Boss Red Middle is truly amazing! I never guessed you could disguise yourself as that kid!!”

“Boss Red Middle, that was a brilliant move!”

“Boss Red Middle! Invincible under heaven!!”

Li Huowang listened to these voices, laughing maniacally, as he swung the Supervisor's corpse back and forth towards them.