Chapter 664: Scattered Assembly

Radiating an ominous aura, Li Huowang slowly led his horse into the capital city, his red Daoist robe appearing even more blood-red. Along his path, no one dared to approach, with everyone instinctively giving him a wide berth.

His striking appearance naturally drew the attention of the capital's scouts, but this was not the first time they had witnessed such a sight; they had grown accustomed to it. *He's the Emperor's man; don't investigate if you don't want trouble.*

Li Sui, now wearing Princess Anning's former flesh, sat sideways on the saddle. She looked a little tired, her small head bobbing with the rhythm of the horse's hooves.

Ox Heart Village was quite far from the capital, but Li Huowang had traveled everywhere to clear out the Buddhist sect's strongholds, and the area around Ox Heart Village was no exception. Taking advantage of that opportunity, she had gone back to retrieve the flesh, inform others of her safety, and relay the tragedy of the Lu family troupe.

Upon entering the capital, Li Huowang went nowhere else; he headed straight for the Bureau of Celestial Supervision.

"Are there any other places where the Buddhist sect is openly rebelling?" Li Huowang asked the man behind the counter.

"Uh, uh, uh... Please wait, my lord," stammered Nangong Yun, his forehead beaded with sweat, as he quickly consulted the records. *He was very well-informed. This person before him had risen to imperial favor; his status was no longer what it used to be.*

"My lord," Nangong Yun continued, "almost all the troublesome elements of the Buddhist sect who dared to show their faces within the six prefectures of Great Liang have been eliminated, thanks in no small part to your great contributions. Oh, and I'll settle the payment for this mission for you right away."

Hearing this, Li Huowang waved his hand, turned to leave, and said, "Forget about it." His frequent movements lately were not for the Bureau of Celestial Supervision's longevity pills. This Buddhist sect, which worships the Child God, must absolutely not be allowed to develop; otherwise, Great Liang would suffer the same fate as Great Qi.

After leaving the Bureau of Celestial Supervision, Li Huowang decided to go to the palace to inquire about the situation from Gao Zhijian. Having dealt with the Bureau of Celestial Supervision many times, he naturally understood that the missions they publicly issued were not exhaustive. He would not rest until the Buddhist sect was completely eradicated to prevent any future troubles.

Just as Li Huowang walked out, an unexpected person appeared before him. It was Lu Xiucai, with a copper coin sword on his back. His eyes were bloodshot, and he stood there unkempt, leading two horses that foamed at the mouth and swayed unsteadily.

"Master, where's my father?" Lu Xiucai's voice was hoarse and filled with exhaustion; it seemed he already knew something.

Li Huowang did not speak, but led him towards his small house. Just as he pushed open the main gate but before he stepped inside, Lu Xiucai heard the familiar sound of opera singing, a sound he had heard countless times.

Lu Xiucai trembled as he walked further inside. Finally, through an inner room secured with welded iron bars, he saw the deranged Lu Zhuangyuan. Confined within the room, Lu Zhuangyuan, like a general on stage, was majestically singing opera.

"Whom can I lean on, thinking of my mother and wife? I gaze at my homeland, the path is long; in the mortal world, I have led astray my youth from Wuling."

Although there was no musical accompaniment, his decades of experience allowed Lu Zhuangyuan to still sing skillfully.

"Father!" Lu Xiucai gripped the iron bars with both hands and cried out in a choked voice towards the inside. However, the white-haired Lu Zhuangyuan showed no reaction and continued singing.

Just then, an old eunuch came down from the second floor, carrying Xiuer. When he saw Li Huowang had returned, he immediately knelt before him. "Your humble servant greets my lord," he said. "During your absence, Master Lu has been well, eating and sleeping soundly."

Li Sui reached out and took Xiuer from his arms, gently teasing her with her tentacles, but Xiuer still refused to speak a single word.

"Master, where's my elder brother? And my sister-in-law?" Lu Xiucai, his eyes red, turned around and asked through gritted teeth.

Following Li Huowang's gaze, Lu Xiucai saw two white ceramic urns, each adorned with a red paper, on the cabinet. Lu Xiucai walked over, embraced the two urns, and burst into tears. He used to have a home. He hadn't liked that home—his stubborn father, his timid elder brother, his harsh and stingy sister-in-law—but now they were all gone. He only disliked it, but he never wanted the family to fall apart.

After weeping for a long while, Lu Xiucai asked again, "Master, what about my nephew? Lu Tongsheng?"

"I don't know," Li Huowang answered concisely. "He was likely with your father before. When your father went mad, he disappeared. I performed a divination but couldn't find him; he probably died in that chaos."

Hearing this, Lu Xiucai suddenly stood up, pointing at Li Huowang, and loudly cried out through tears, "You! It's all your fault! And Gao Zhijian! Why did you bring them to this place? Why did you give him a theater? Why did you send them here to enjoy themselves?! If they had stayed in Ox Heart Village, they wouldn't have died!"

Li Huowang stood rooted to the spot, remaining cold and unresponsive. After complaining about Li Huowang and then Gao Zhijian, the despairing Lu Xiucai wailed and collapsed onto the ground, continuously slapping his own face. The slapping sounds continued, his hand striking harder and harder. He didn't stop, even when his mouth began to bleed from the blows.

Watching Lu Xiucai's face swell from the slaps, Xiuer, who was nearby, struggled free from Li Sui's arms and jumped down, throwing herself into Lu Xiucai's embrace. The slapping stopped. Lu Xiucai held his only niece in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Witnessing the scene before him, Li Huowang turned around and walked towards the Imperial City. It wasn't that he was cold-blooded; it was just that he had witnessed such tragic events countless times recently. If the Buddhist sect wasn't completely dealt with, then such painful events would only continue to occur.

Li Huowang once again entered the Imperial City. This time, no one stopped him, but he could still feel gazes from all directions. The hidden sentries were all watching him, but Li Huowang didn't care; he had long grown accustomed to being watched.

The path was clear. Li Huowang arrived inside the great hall. When he saw Gao Zhijian was holding morning court, he immediately used his displacement invisibility and quietly waited for the court session to end.

"Your Majesty, there is a severe drought in Gyeongsang Province; the land is barren for a thousand *li*."

"Your Majesty, the granaries in Hedong Province are on fire, and the disaster victims from Great Qi are facing severe food shortages."

Sitting on the dragon throne, Gao Zhijian pressed his temples, his head aching. "These matters have already been presented in memorials," he said. "Is there nothing else today?"

No sooner had he spoken, a military official holding a crescent-shaped tablet below cast a glance in Li Huowang's direction, then stepped forward and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the envoy from Later Shu committed suicide by swallowing gold yesterday at the guesthouse. This is his last will and testament, written in blood—every word a drop of blood, every sentence a tear. We humbly request Your Majesty to dispatch troops to save Shu."

After he finished speaking, another man standing behind him stepped forward. "Your Majesty," he said, "the envoy from Qingqiu has brought the Qingqiu Khan's token, the enameled golden saber, and requests an audience."

"Ah..." Gao Zhijian let out a deep sigh, stood up, waved his hand dismissively, and walked towards the rear. "Court dismissed."