Chapter 645: Helping Out

For some reason, whenever Li Huowang spoke with Jizai, he felt an unquenchable fire ignite within him.

"I don't care whether you know or not! We cannot let Daliang repeat Daqi's mistakes! I need your help! Don't forget, when you asked for my help, I didn't say a single unnecessary word!"

"Then how should I help you?"

"Aren't you a Siming? Make me stronger! Use your abilities to keep me constantly in the ascended state of Ba's Cangqiang. This is all to fight the God Yuer!" Li Huowang clenched his fists as he spoke.

"I can't do that. After all, I control Delusion. But I did help you."

"You helped? Bullshit! How did you help? I don't know anything about it!"

"Exactly."

"What do you mean by 'Exactly'? I'm asking you where you helped!"

Listening to Jizai's nonsensical and irrelevant remarks, a fire suddenly flared up in Li Huowang's heart. "I should have chosen to become Ba Ji's Heart Soul! That would have been far better than being your Heart Disc!"

"Ba? That's not a good idea. Being her Heart Disc is very painful." Jizai's tone remained unhurried.

Upon hearing this, the enraged Li Huowang suddenly calmed down, glaring menacingly at his own reflection.

"Jizai, you claim to be my future self, but your words and actions make me doubt if your goals truly align with mine."

Jizai sighed softly. "Would you believe me if I said anything else? Since Zhuge Yuan deceived you, have you trusted anyone at all?"

"Don't you dare mention Zhuge Yuan! Aren't you a Siming? If you have the power, bring Zhuge Yuan back to life!"

"—I can't do that. In the mortal realm, the dead cannot become living again. Therefore, such a heavenly rule doesn't exist in Baiyujing."

A long silence fell between them. After a long while, Li Huowang took a deep breath. "If this isn't possible and that isn't possible, then I ask you, how are the others in the future? The people from Niuxin Village? What about Daliang? Did my future self truly protect them?"

"The future depends on your present actions. You know this world is alive; it's constantly changing."

Li Huowang looked at Jizai very seriously. "Stop with this evasive talk. I have no other demands. I've sacrificed myself; I just want to protect the people I care about and ensure they can survive in this strange world. Answer me! Can you guarantee it?"

Seemingly sensing the seriousness in Li Huowang's words, Jizai nodded very affirmatively this time. "As long as you are my Heart Disc, I can guarantee it." Hearing this, Li Huowang finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. If the other party couldn't guarantee anything, he would truly have to consider finding another path.

"Alright, enough with the other topics. Let's talk about the immediate problem. The crisis of the God Yuer is upon us, and I need to improve my strength. In the past, cultivating Immortality carried hidden dangers because the true and false Heavenly Ways were controlled by Doumu. Now that the true Heavenly Way is yours, can I resume cultivating Immortality?"

"Some things you don't need to ask me about. If you think you can, then you can."

As soon as Jizai spoke, Li Huowang's heart tensed. He suddenly felt his thoughts aligning with the other's rhythm.

Just as he hesitated, about to ask for confirmation again, an eagle flew down from the sky and dropped a scroll of paper before Li Huowang.

When Li Huowang opened it, his eyes widened in shock. Throughout all six paths of Daliang, from large cities to small villages, numerous Dharma sects had risen in revolt. The Dharma sect was in full rebellion.

"The God Yuer is using his powers to stir up trouble here! You are also a Siming; don't just stand there spouting nonsense, do something!"

"I have done something. I've exerted my influence."

"What have you done?! I sent people to hunt down the Dharma sect a long time ago, and I told my Heart Disc that these Dharma sect uprisings are merely a smokescreen. This time, they intend to 'catch the ringleader first,' and their target is Shangjing."

"What?! Their target is Gao Zhijian?"

Li Huowang's pupils immediately constricted. He no longer paid attention to Jizai and rushed toward his horse.

As he hurried on his way, Li Huowang quickly contacted Liu Zongyuan, instructing him to relay the message to Shangjing City as soon as possible.

Li Huowang departed, but his swaying reflection in the water remained, standing there and watching him gradually disappear into the distance. A trace of daze then appeared on his face, as if he were recalling something.

Shortly after Li Huowang relayed the message through Liu Zongyuan, Shangjing City quickly contacted him.

"Lord Er, His Majesty already knows. He said you don't need to worry; he will handle it properly," a one-legged black-feathered crow said to him in a hoarse voice, perched on Li Huowang's horse's head.

"Don't just mention His Majesty. Does the Imperial Observatory know this news?" Li Huowang continued, questioning the crow. Gao Zhijian's assurance that he would handle it properly didn't truly reassure him, as he had been emperor for less than half a year, and the extent of his actual power within the court remained questionable.

"They know. Both the Imperial Advisor and the Director of the Imperial Observatory are aware. They will surely take precautions." Hearing this, Li Huowang finally felt a slight sense of relief.

The enemy intended to lure them away; the greatest fear was falling into their trap. Since he had fully informed his allies of the enemy's intentions, their plan was already halfway foiled.

After being Jizai's Heart Disc for so long, this was the first time the other party had truly helped him.

"Tell them to take strict precautions. Just in case, I'm heading there now!" To his surprise, the crow immediately replied, "There's no need, Lord Er, please return. The Imperial Bureau of Celestial Observation will absolutely not allow last time's situation to recur."

"What do you know? Get away!" Li Huowang reached out and waved the crow off his horse's head, then spurred his horse toward Shangjing.

Since he now knew the Dharma sect's true objective from Jizai, he naturally felt he had to go and personally oversee the situation to be at ease. At this moment, protecting Gao Zhijian was far more critical than simply clearing out scattered Dharma sect remnants. Even if this trip proved to be in vain, he had to go. Daliang absolutely could not end up like Daqi. The few surviving refugees from Daqi could come to Daliang, but if Daliang were gone, there would be nowhere left to go.

"Lord Er, there's truly no need. Please return, please return," the one-legged crow repeated, circling above Li Huowang instead of leaving.

"This is so annoying! Get lost!" Li Huowang, lying on his hospital bed, roared at the voice outside his window. However, the voice didn't disappear. "What is 'mental illness'? Who defined it, and who gave them the right? I believe this label is wrong; 'mental illness' doesn't exist. It's merely a false label defined by external political, economic, or cultural factors! It's nothing more than a tool to maintain the existing social order!"