Chapter 534: Upper Extreme Irrigation Mouth

"I'm awake," Li Huowang murmured, opening his eyes in the pitch blackness. He looked around nervously. When he realized he was lying in his home in Shangjing, not in a hospital bed, he let out a long sigh of relief. Li Huowang struggled to sit up, shaking his groggy head forcefully, and the world before him swayed violently.

Ever since he returned to Daliang from Daqi and found himself in a stuffy woodshed, Li Huowang immediately headed to the Directorate of Celestial Observation and reported the matter of King Ren colluding with the Dharma Sect. The Directorate's reaction was as expected. When Li Huowang learned from Nanguan that someone else had already taken over King Ren's assignment, he knew Ji Lin's task was complete, and all he had to do was wait.

During this brief period, Li Huowang needed to rest well, recover his depleted energy, and alleviate the persistent headache. It seemed that his previous forceful cultivation of Zhuge Yuan had not only affected him physically but also mentally and spiritually.

This feeling was not only extremely uncomfortable, but more importantly, it could cause the innate 'Yi' within him to lose control, forcing him back to the White Pagoda Prison, which he disliked. After a quick wash, Li Huowang walked to the table and picked up a bun that hadn't risen.

The bun was, of course, Li Sui's masterpiece. Although dead dough couldn't make proper buns, only hard lumps of dough, it was much better than before; at least the bottom wasn't burnt.

Hearing Li Sui's continuous chanting practice from downstairs through the floor, Li Huowang sat down at the table and enjoyed his breakfast. After slowly finishing his meal, Li Huowang asked Zhuge Yuan, who was in the distance, "Brother Zhuge, I have a thought in my heart; could you help me with it?"

"Speak freely." At this moment, Zhuge Yuan had returned to his calm and composed demeanor, as if the Zhuge Yuan from Daqi was not him.

Li Huowang pondered his words for a few moments, then asked with a solemn expression, "Brother Zhuge, despite being hunted by the Directorate of Celestial Observation, the False Son still sent people to interfere in the struggle for entropy. Does he have other plans for the Dragon Vein?"

After learning about the importance of the Dragon Vein and being reminded by that doctor, Li Huowang inevitably thought along these lines.

Although Li Huowang was very repulsed by Yi Donglai, he had to admit that what he said earlier made some sense. If he wanted to deal with the False Son, he couldn't let Ji Lin ascend the throne as the False Son wished.

Zhuge Yuan did not immediately answer Li Huowang's question. He held his fan, tapped his palm four times lightly, and then slowly began, "That is true, but Brother Li, how could the officials and the Directorate of Celestial Observation not think of what you've thought of?"

"Brother Li, you must understand one thing: while the Dragon Vein is crucial, it doesn't mean it's so weak that it needs protection. The Dragon Vein is kept in the imperial ancestral temple not to protect it, but quite the opposite—to have the Dragon Vein protect the imperial family. In other words, the saying 'the emperor is the true son of heaven' is not just flattery. Inside the imperial palace, the False Son cannot contend with it."

"The Dragon Vein is so powerful that even the False Son can't contend with it?" This was the first time Li Huowang learned that the Dragon Vein's power was so immense.

Thinking about it, it made sense. If the Dragon Vein was an anchor point in history, then this anchor point couldn't be too fragile.

"Brother Zhuge, then according to you, if the Dragon Vein is so powerful, why did Daqi's Dragon Vein break before?"

Li Huowang's question made Zhuge Yuan's expression a little grim. After a moment, he slowly shook his head. "This junior does not know."

"You don't know?"

"This junior has been dead for some time. Before I died, Daqi was still flourishing. There was no news of any Dragon Vein back then. As for what happened to Daqi after my death, there are too many possibilities to say."

Silence fell over the room. The two stood there without speaking.

After a while, Zhuge Yuan spoke first. He said, "Brother Li, we don't need to ponder what the False Son wants to do. Instead, we should think about how to eliminate future troubles. If you want to deal with him, we need to quickly complete what I told you about before."

"Now?" Li Huowang immediately remembered what Zhuge Yuan told him that day—that there was a way to find the False Son's whereabouts in Daqi!

"Now that the disaster has manifested, who knows what will happen next in Daqi? If we don't act soon, what if something goes wrong with Daqi?"

At this point, Zhuge Yuan paused noticeably. "If something goes wrong with Daqi, finding a way to locate the False Son will become much more difficult."

This statement sent a shiver down Li Huowang's spine. Zhuge Yuan had finally offered a breakthrough, and he couldn't give it up easily. This was far more urgent than helping Ji Lin secure the throne. "Brother Zhuge, what should I do next?"

"Go to Daqi and find the Supreme Guankou. They have a way to find the False Son."

"Really?" The topic of finding the False Son's location, which seemed so difficult, was spoken so lightly by Zhuge Yuan that Li Huowang was momentarily skeptical.

"That's the False Son! Even the Directorate of Celestial Observation, with all their people, couldn't find him. And the Supreme Guankou can find him just like that? If it's that simple, why doesn't the Directorate of Celestial Observation seek help from the Supreme Guankou?" Zhuge Yuan looked at Li Huowang with a hint of surprise. "Brother Li, that's because the Supreme Guankou only exists in Daqi. Daliang doesn't have it."

Li Huowang's face immediately showed a look of sudden understanding. He promptly walked towards the weapons placed under his pillow. "So that's it. Then we must not delay; let's go quickly!"

"Don't rush, Brother Li. Let's leave the city first. If we travel from here directly to Daqi, we might appear within Youdu territory, where there are many people and complications. There could be trouble."

"Understood!" Li Huowang grabbed his red Daoist robe, flung it over his back, picked up his two weapons, and hurried downstairs. "Brother Zhuge, what kind of sect or school is this Supreme Guankou you mentioned?"

"It cannot be spoken of."

"Cannot be spoken of? Why not?" Li Huowang asked, gesturing for Li Sui to put on his clothes.

"In some people's eyes, they are human; in others, they are evil. And in the eyes of some, the Supreme Guankou is a mountain gate."

"So mysterious?" Li Huowang felt a sudden unease. "Then, will we have to pay something to ask for their help in finding the False Son?"

"Rest assured, Brother Li, you don't need to worry about that. Leave it to me. Although this junior is dead, I still have some connections in Daqi." The confident Zhuge Yuan had returned!

"Charge!" Li Huowang flicked the reins, urging the carriage to speed out of the gate.

"However, Brother Li, although the Supreme Guankou can find the False Son's location, they cannot help you fight him. You will need to find your own helpers."

"I understand," Li Huowang said with newfound confidence and determination.

Finally, there was hope of defeating the False Son. No matter how difficult the process, he had to give it his all!

Liked the novel *Dao Gui Yi Xian*.