Chapter 455: Trouble

"Yes, overly bustling places are a nuisance, so I wanted to find a remote place to settle down."

"It's no big deal. Considering our relationship, rest assured that since you've claimed this area, once I go back and explain, this land and this village will be yours. No one will be able to object."

"That's right. After all, that whole nest of White Lotus Cultists was burned to death by you. Since you killed them, it's only right that their territory belongs to you."

Although Liu Zongyuan seemed to be trying to give Li Huowang face, his words sounded a bit grating to Li Huowang's ears.

Liu Zongyuan cautiously glanced at the doorway, leaned slightly towards Li Huowang, and lowered his voice deliberately. "Hey, have you heard about that incident in the capital? Morale within the department is quite unstable right now."

"Yes, I heard. It seems the Forgetful Dao played a trick on us."

"It's more than that. I heard they fought fiercely in the palace for three days and three nights! Our emperor was gravely wounded by the Forgetful Dao and is on the verge of death. There might not be enough time to build his mausoleum now. However, the Forgetful Dao didn't fare well either; more than half of them died, and even one of their 'Dice' perished!"

"Oh? Is the news reliable?"

"Why do you ask that? Are you looking down on me? Have you forgotten I'm from the Moon Gate? Who in Jiangnan Dao has more reliable information than me?"

Li Huowang's brows furrowed slightly. It seemed that after he left the capital, the two factions hadn't ceased their conflict; instead, they had fought a life-and-death battle.

Seeing Li Huowang's troubled expression, Liu Zongyuan quickly reassured him, "Don't worry. It's nothing serious, just an emperor dying. The Crown Prince is already waiting; as soon as he dies, the succession will be seamless. We'll continue as before."

"Brother Liu misunderstands. I'm not worried about those important figures; their lives or deaths have nothing to do with us. I just feel that the world is chaotic." Li Huowang said, taking another sip from his teacup.

"Yes, it's chaotic. It's all caused by people stirring up trouble. What do these important figures even think? Can't they just live a peaceful life? One word from above sends people running ragged below. If it weren't for the few perks I get from the Bureau of Celestial Supervision, I would have quit long ago."

"Er Jiu, you're so open-minded. You just hole up in this remote village, don't take any assignments, and don't even check in. The new registrar probably doesn't even know you exist."

After quickly considering his options, Li Huowang immediately felt the need to curry favor with this person from the Bureau of Celestial Supervision. Having a friend in the Bureau would be beneficial, not harmful. It would be good to have this connection ready in case he ever needed it.

"Brother Liu, hearing about the heavy casualties among the Forgetful Dao is truly gratifying. Don't leave yet, I'll treat you. We won't stop until we're drunk!"

"Alright, I'm just getting hungry! I wasn't planning on being polite, I was just waiting for you to say that."

Upon Li Huowang's instructions, Yang Xiaohai pulled out all the stops, even bringing out a jar of 'Zhuangyuan Hong' wine. Liu Zongyuan ate and drank to his heart's content.

By the end of the meal, a drunken Liu Zongyuan had his arm around Li Huowang, looking ready to swear brotherhood by sacrificing a chicken and burning paper offerings.

However, Li Huowang noticed that the "Ten Passions and Eight Sufferings" on Liu Zongyuan's body didn't match his outward appearance.

The Forgetful Dao always believed that everyone had several faces, some activated, some not.

Li Huowang was indifferent to Liu Zongyuan's two-facedness; he himself was no different.

Liu Zongyuan, having drunk heavily, rose early and once again urged Li Huowang, who had come to see him off.

"Brother Er, this is far enough, you should go back now. Are you really not planning to take on any more assignments? If you don't take assignments for a long time, your rank on the waist token will drop."

Li Huowang shook his head slightly. "Think about how many people have died recently. The outside world is very chaotic right now, it's better to lie low for a while. Brother Liu, I still want to advise you, don't push yourself too hard. Your life is your own; once you're dead, you'll have nothing left."

Liu Zongyuan seriously considered this, then solemnly cupped his hands towards Li Huowang. He reached into his embrace and pulled out several curved bamboo slips, engraved with phases of the moon from crescent to full.

"Brother Er, take these. If you need to contact me, tie these to a homing pigeon, and it will definitely find me. The fuller the moon, the faster it will fly."

"Alright, I'll be in this village for the foreseeable future. If you want to find me, just come directly."

Watching Liu Zongyuan flip and leap into the forest, vanishing from sight, Li Huowang once again took out his Bureau of Celestial Supervision waist token and examined it.

It seemed this identity was still useful, otherwise, today's situation might not have been so easy to resolve.

"The Emperor of Daliang is dead again? This must be the second one, right? They're changing emperors so frequently."

Li Huowang's mind flashed to the Emperor of Daliang, whose face he had never seen. He had seemed so noble and majestic at the time, yet he had died so quickly.

But the thought quickly vanished, and Li Huowang turned and walked towards Niuxin Mountain.

He genuinely didn't care about the lives or deaths of others in this world. He only wanted to protect his own small plot of land in this mad world and live a stable life.

Li Huowang wasn't even interested in the immortality that everyone in this world yearned for, although as a 'Heart-Elemental,' there were no restrictions on him consuming 'Yang寿 pills'.

But if it meant endless pain and torment, what was that kind of immortality different from the eighteen layers of hell?

What if he was still alive, but everyone he cared about had died? That situation would be even more terrifying than death itself.

Shortly after Li Huowang left, Bai Lingmiao, accompanied by Er Shen, peeked out from a house and said with relief, "Thankfully Li Huowang was here. If he hadn't been, it wouldn't have been so easy to fool the Bureau of Celestial Supervision."

"But it looks like he has significant connections within the Bureau of Celestial Supervision. Should we tell him about the threat the 'Immortal Families' pose to us? Perhaps he could find a solution through his connections in the Bureau. What do you think?"

At Bai Lingmiao's words, the red veil on Er Shen's head swayed from side to side as she shook her head.

"What? Are you still worried about bothering him? If we wait until things get big before telling him, that's when it'll be a real bother! Some things don't need to be kept secret."

"Then what about your eyes?"

Er Shen's words startled Bai Lingmiao. She gently raised her hand and gazed at her fair, jade-like palm with her pink-tinged white pupils.

In her vision at that moment, she could only see three of her fingers; the rest was obscured by a vast expanse of white fuzz.

Bai Lingmiao's tone was very calm. "My parents consulted others in the past. They said that a 'White-Haired Fiend' like me will eventually go blind in both eyes, and our lives are generally not long."

"My parents tried many methods back then, but none of them worked. Perhaps this is my fate. What can I do if my fate is not good?"