Chapter 481: Conditions That Cannot Be Refused

On the bustling street, just as Li Huowang was intently staring at the plump woman on the third floor, a polite waiter rushed out of the tavern and approached his carriage. With a deferential smile, he said, "Sir, someone has prepared a grand banquet for you on the third floor of our tavern. Would you...?"

There was no escaping fate; since the other party was approaching him so openly, Li Huowang had no intention of hiding.

When he brought Li Sui up the wooden stairs to the third floor of the tavern, the plump woman was already standing by a lavish banquet table, waiting.

She wasn't the only one on the third floor; other diners were also present.

"Come, come, let me toast you. What a formidable young man, indeed!" the plump woman exclaimed, raising her wine cup, tilting her head back, and pouring the contents into her mouth.

Li Huowang and Li Sui casually sat down on the stools and simultaneously removed the bamboo hats from their heads.

A horrifying charred head and a skinned dog covered in writhing tentacles suddenly appeared before the other people.

Such a terrifying sight made the other diners freeze instantly. After a few brief moments, screams and cries of horror erupted, and soon after, they all fled, leaving no one behind.

Li Huowang did this, naturally, to demonstrate his power to the other party.

The plump woman naturally sensed Li Huowang's hostility and immediately began to explain. "Oh, you child! I'm old enough to be your mother. Why would I harm you? I just want to discuss something properly with you."

"I know that out in the desolate wilderness, whatever I said, you couldn't put your mind at ease. You were afraid I had ill intentions, right?"

"But here, you should be able to relax, shouldn't you? Look, the Prefectural Yamen is just across the street. If you shout, the city's Censorate will rush over."

Li Sui had just picked up a pig's trotter when Li Huowang promptly knocked it away. He stared at the plump woman in front of him and said calmly, "You're pestering me like this because you want the Pure Lifespan, right? My answer remains the same: I'm not selling."

As soon as Li Huowang said this, the plump woman's expression instantly changed, and she began to pour out her sorrows to him with great sadness.

"Oh, it hasn't been easy for me, dear. I never had a father since I was little. My poor, unfortunate mother, she worked so hard to raise me, and I had hoped she could enjoy a peaceful life, but who knew her lifespan would come to an end?

Ah... I remember during the drought years, there was nothing to eat or drink. My mother even fed me her own blood to keep me alive..."

Hearing her words, a hint of annoyance appeared on Li Huowang's face. He could have simply gotten up and left. But her "Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings" indicated that her words were true, or at least, the sorrowful emotion was genuine.

"I feel deeply sympathetic about your mother's plight," Li Huowang said, "but I'm sorry, I also have someone who needs their lifespan extended."

Seeing that Li Huowang was about to leave, the plump woman immediately grew anxious. "I can exchange things for it!" she exclaimed. "Just tell me what you need! Anything, as long as you give me that Pure Lifespan!"

Li Huowang stood up. "I don't need anything at the moment. I'm sorry, but please stop pestering me."

"If you keep following me, and something else happens, it won't be good for either of us!"

Watching Li Huowang walk step by step towards the stairs, a sudden remark from the plump woman made his hand, which was reaching for the railing, freeze in mid-air.

"The young woman in your carriage is a God-Jumper, right?" she called out. "Being a God-Jumper is very difficult! If you give me five years of that Pure Lifespan, I'll help you remove the immortal entity from her!"

Li Huowang immediately turned around and stared intently at the woman. Her "Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings" indicated that she was not lying; she truly had a way to get rid of the immortal entity.

Back on the road, Bai Lingmiao had become a God-Jumper after being entangled by an immortal entity, which had always been a minor, yet persistent, hidden danger.

Adding five years to Bai Lingmiao's lifespan and freeing her from the immortal entity—this was a very difficult choice between two options.

Just as Li Huowang was hesitating, Ershen suddenly walked up from the bottom of the stairs. She leaned in and whispered something into Li Huowang's ear.

"What did you say?!" Li Huowang blurted out instantly. "Why didn't you tell me about something this important sooner!"

He looked back at the plump woman in front of him, his expression no longer indifferent. "Alright! It's a deal. Once we reach Shangjing, the five years of Pure Lifespan from the reward will be exchanged for you to remove the immortal entity from Miaomiao!"

The immortal entity had actually started threatening Bai Lingmiao and forcing her to perform the God-Jumping ritual. They had kept such an important matter hidden from him for so long.

If it weren't for this sudden opportunity today, heaven knew how much longer the two of them would have kept it hidden.

Hearing this, the plump woman immediately beamed with joy. Fearing that Li Huowang might refuse, she quickly agreed. "Good! It's settled then!"

Li Huowang had initially thought the other party would set off for Shangjing first and wait for him there. But unexpectedly, as if afraid he would run off, she followed him the entire way.

This made Li Huowang restless during the journey. However, fortunately, nothing went wrong during their travel, and their group safely returned to Shangjing City.

The journey wasn't entirely without benefit; at least Li Huowang's injuries had healed considerably. One could now recognize him by his face.

"I'll leave the carriage at home. You go wait for me at the yamen gate." After such a long period of acquaintance, Li Huowang had learned her name: Lian Zhibei.

"No worries, I'll go with you. I don't know my way around the capital. I'll need you to guide me," Lian Zhibei said. Fearing Li Huowang might run off, she stayed inseparable from him.

Li Huowang was too lazy to bother with her transparent excuse. He turned to Bai Lingmiao and Li Sui and said, "You two go home first; I'll be there shortly."

With that said, the four split into two groups, going their separate ways.

As Li Huowang walked into the Censorate hall, carrying the wooden box containing the spiritual anomaly, Nanguong, from a distance, immediately spotted both Li Huowang and Lian Zhibei. "Oh? Have the two of you joined forces?"

"You could say that," Li Huowang replied, straightforwardly pushing the box he was holding forward. "The item is here; settle the payment."

But Lian Zhibei, who was beside him, quickly pulled it into her embrace. She then said to Nanguong, "Wait, this is an imperial assignment. We must personally hand it over to the eunuch."

"Leaving it with me is the same; I'll hand it over to the imperial eunuchs," Nanguong explained. "Once they provide the reward, I'll transfer it directly to you. It just might take a little longer."

"Don't give me that nonsense!" Lian Zhibei retorted fiercely. "As if I don't know! It passes through you, then through the eunuchs! Heaven knows how much will be skimmed off!"

After saying this, she turned to Li Huowang and said, "Listen to me, it's safer to hand it directly to the palace. Otherwise, if even a little of the Pure Lifespan is embezzled, it might not be enough for five years!"

Seeing the helpless expression on Nanguong's face and his lack of rebuttal, Li Huowang knew that what she said was likely true. He immediately reached out and snatched the wooden box back. "Alright," he said, "then we'll deliver it directly to the palace."

As long as the trouble with the immortal entity on Bai Lingmiao could be resolved, nothing else mattered.