Chapter 555: Shangguan Yuting

Li Huowang had previously traded with the Upper-Level Guankou. Upon witnessing the anomaly before him, he realized something was definitely wrong. What Shangguan Yuting had said earlier—about him being a "secret" used for trade—was merely an excuse, a lie to deceive him.

Everything changed in an instant. A sinister wind, composed of various swirling characters, emerged from the cracks in the clay statue, forming a funnel shape as it drifted upwards toward the sky. The moment Li Huowang saw it, he instantly understood its nature: it was the Upper-Level Guankou, and he glimpsed some intimate details within it.

The Upper-Level Guankou was attempting to escape, but the Bureau of Celestial Phenomena was clearly prepared. At some unknown point, the sky above had transformed into a mirror, reflecting an inverted image of everything on the ground. When the Upper-Level Guankou floated upwards, it directly collided with a mass of black shadow on the ground. What should have been the shadow of the clay statue began to shrink and expand erratically.

"This isn't a trade; this is a snatch," Zhuge Yuan stated. The words had barely left his lips when the black shadow on the ground instantly expanded, transforming into a dense cluster of eyes.

The surrounding environment began to shift, sometimes twisting, sometimes condensing, giving Li Huowang the unsettling sensation of being about to return to the hospital. Sensing something was amiss, he immediately retreated to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Li Huowang had already witnessed the methods of the Bureau of Celestial Phenomena and had no desire for a repeat experience. As for helping the Upper-Level Guankou, Li Huowang had no such intention. From his perspective, the situation didn't affect his plans, so he had no reason to intervene.

Once Li Huowang had withdrawn, the small earth temple completely collapsed. Various illusions flickered in and out of existence, making Li Huowang, who was watching from the sidelines, feel dizzy and disoriented. He now fully understood: it seemed the Bureau of Celestial Phenomena had never intended a fair trade with the Upper-Level Guankou from the beginning; they had always planned to take it by force.

"Not only can secrets be exchanged, but can they also be snatched directly like this?" Li Huowang asked Zhuge Yuan, who was watching beside him.

Zhuge Yuan gazed into the distance, a hint of hesitation on his face. Finally, he sighed and began to answer Li Huowang's question. "Ordinary people certainly couldn't do it; they probably couldn't even touch the Upper-Level Guankou. But the Bureau of Celestial Phenomena managed it with just an illusion. Their origin is likely extraordinary."

"They can use bizarre illusionary arts to drag people into illusions without their notice, and even inject illusions into someone's vicinity. Brother Zhuge, in your opinion, what is the origin of this Bureau of Celestial Phenomena?"

"Hmm... to be so peculiar, it's likely no ordinary illusionary art. I believe it's something that cannot be spoken of."

"Cannot be spoken of, again?"

Zhuge Yuan looked at the distant chaos and gently shook his head. "No, the name of this sect cannot be uttered by mortal mouths, nor can it be recorded by pen and ink. That's why they are called 'Unspeakable'."

"Unspeakable," Li Huowang mused to himself, pondering the term.

"I'm not omniscient; I only learned a little about them when I was traveling overseas, from a decaying bamboo scroll I retrieved from the water," Zhuge Yuan continued. "Legend has it that the Unspeakable are born from the void, hide in the void, and die in the void. Ordinary people who wish to see them can only glimpse them from afar by chance during moments of life-and-death confusion or when weeping faint at a gravesite."

"For an ordinary person to even catch a glimpse of them is incredibly difficult, let alone becoming their disciple to learn their powers. It must be that the Bureau of Celestial Phenomena had some extraordinary encounter in the past."

Li Huowang looked at the bizarre spectacle in the distance and hesitantly asked again, "So, this 'Unspeakable'... is it a Si Ming? Which Heavenly Dao does it oversee? Why are its abilities so strange?"

Zhuge Yuan thought for a moment, then gently shook his head. "It was only mentioned once in the waterlogged bamboo scroll, in Baiyue script. I don't know much more."

"It seems the Bureau of Celestial Phenomena's position is well-earned; they are certainly not undeserving of their reputation. This is good; at least with the Bureau's background, the chances of ambushing Dice should be high."

As Li Huowang spoke with him, the commotion in the distance gradually subsided. A large, continuously blinking black shadow began to spread from the collapsed earth temple towards him. There seemed to be hundreds of these eyes. Li Huowang remembered them; there was one in the brow of his own reflection in the water.

This sight made Li Huowang's scalp tingle. However, what happened next was even more horrifying. Shangguan Yuting, who had previously entered the shadow, now re-emerged from it as if stepping down invisible stairs. Her body was still as graceful as before, but her head had completely transformed. Her previously delicate face was now covered with eyes of various sizes, constantly blinking and spiraling. Gazing at her, Li Huowang felt as though he was looking into a double kaleidoscope, an inexplicable wave of nausea washing over him.

Shangguan Yuting, with her swollen head covered in eyeballs, nodded at Li Huowang. A soft voice emerged from the multitude of eyes: "Elder Er, I'm ready. Let's go back."

"Why do you need so many secrets? Is there truly that much to know?" Li Huowang averted his gaze and drew his spinal sword.

A silvery, bell-like laugh rang out from Shangguan Yuting's face again. "You'll have to ask Lord Si Tianjian about that. I only follow orders; I know nothing else."

With the task completed, Li Huowang had no reason to remain in Daqi. He immediately passed through the rift he had created, returning to Daliang. The surroundings instantly changed. Seeing the harvesters cutting wheat in the golden fields before him, Li Huowang had a fleeting sensation of time's vast passage.

"Can you now inform Lord Si Tianjian that I've completed the task he assigned?" Li Huowang said, his back turned, to Shangguan Yuting behind him. Now, everything was ready, lacking only the final push. It was time to deal with Dice.

"Don't worry, you head to Shangjing first. I'll find a way to inform Lord Si Tianjian, and he'll return as soon as he's finished."

"Once Dice is dealt with, perhaps I can find another way to exchange a secret with the Upper-Level Guankou and rescue the trapped Bai Lingmiao!" With a determined expression, Li Huowang quickened his pace towards the village ahead.

Upon reaching the village, Li Huowang found a wealthy family and purchased a strong horse. Although he hadn't brought much money with him this time, fortunately, he still had a jade pendant he'd carried since his time at Qingfeng Temple. He didn't know the value of this jade pendant, which had originally come from Senior Brother Xuanyang. However, when he offered it in exchange for the horse, the family nodded in eager agreement, not daring to waste a single moment.

Li Huowang's injuries were still severe, with charred skin mixed with everted granulation tissue. Fortunately, with Li Sui's support, his body didn't collapse.