Chapter 78: Aftermath

On the reedy shore of Reed Island, Li Huowang stood holding a bamboo slip reeking of blood. The others stood not far away, their faces pale, huddled together as they watched him, still recovering from the recent ordeal.

Li Huowang's expression was hesitant. If he threw it now, the profoundly evil bamboo slip, repulsive to merely look at, would sink into the lakebed and never see the light of day again. This seemed like an excellent choice. Regardless of who wrote it, the power of Bahui was not to be borrowed lightly; if it remained in the world, it would only bring endless suffering to others.

After standing there in thought for a long time, Li Huowang finally tucked the blood-stained bamboo slip back into his embrace. The methods recorded within were extremely brutal, yet undeniably effective. Even a common water bandit like Yuan Er could use them, let alone himself. Such a thing was good to have as a precaution; he might truly need it in an extreme situation. If he didn't want to completely transform into Dan Yangzi, then in future dangers, he would need to find an alternative, even if the cost of using it was incredibly high.

Li Huowang turned his head back to face the others. "Push the boat over, and get the dead and the gold ready. We're leaving this wretched place." The trouble had been resolved in an unexpected way, and there was no need for him to stay in a place full of corpses.

The small skiff used by the water bandits for their raids was pushed to the shore by Sun Baolu, who was good at swimming. The others boarded, carrying the bodies of their companions and the gold jewelry.

"Get in the boat, row, and take us to the other side of this big lake," Li Huowang threatened, staring fiercely at the young boy in front of him.

"I... if I take you out, will you not kill me?" the fearful boy stammered timidly. When he saw Li Huowang reach for the hilt of the sword behind him, the boy scrambled into the boat in terror.

As the boy sculled, the small skiff turned and headed deeper into the reeds. The others stumbled as they began to row, following behind.

The entire dense reed marsh was quiet; no one spoke, save for the sound of oars cutting through the water. Everything that had happened on the island earlier left everyone shaken and pale-faced.

"Esteemed... Esteemed One, my name is Yuan Fu," the rowing boy suddenly spoke. Li Huowang, his brows furrowed, did not reply. His eyes, like an eagle's, scanned the dark surroundings.

"Esteemed One, um, actually, I know that robbing and killing on the water is bad. I never went when my dad laid traps," the boy, his face tense, tried to explain something. "I actually wanted to pass the imperial examinations, go to the capital, and become a high official. I've long been tired of this place, and I know it very well. Esteemed One, where are you going? I can guide you."

This finally caught Li Huowang's attention. He looked down at the rowing boy. "What do you know about the nunnery on Mount Henghua?" This was their next destination. Perhaps he could learn something from this person. Mount Henghua shouldn't be far from the lake.

"Nuns? I know about them. Once, when my second brother and I were working, we ran into them. We had already scouted the details of the 'crops' on their boat, but at the last minute, my second brother said we weren't doing that job." He continued, "He told me it was Grandfather's will: nuns in black, bald men with birds, and great gods with drums. These are the 'three unrobbables.'"

"What do those nuns look like? Is there anything special about them?"

"They're fat, very fat. One of them could be three of me. And they're lazy; they'll never stand if they can sit, and never sit if they can lie down." The boy grimaced. "And they're smelly, very dirty. Once, a nun took off her shoes, and I could smell it from across the boat." He then added, "Esteemed One, are you looking for those nuns? I can guide you."

Fat, lazy, dirty—it was hard to associate these words with the Buddhist term 'nun.' "Li Zhi said they were barely good people? But are there really any 'good people' left in this world?" After experiencing this series of events, Li Huowang harbored serious doubts.

After the small boat wound its way through the reed marsh for a long time, the vast lake surface reappeared before them. By the time the small boat reached shore again, dawn was already breaking. They had spent an entire night on that island, from sunset to sunrise.

As the sunlight touched everyone's faces, their heavy hearts finally eased. Exhausted from rowing all night, they collapsed, gasping for breath.

Li Huowang told the others, "Don't rest yet. Go find firewood in the woods and burn these three dead bodies, or they'll start to stink soon." Seeing their three drowned companions on the boat, the others laboriously got up, forcing themselves towards the nearby woods.

Li Huowang stopped Xiaoman, who was clutching her arm. A large patch of skin on her right arm had been torn away, exposing raw, blood-red muscle to the air. "How is it? Are you okay?" Li Huowang took out a pill from his waist and offered it to her.

Xiaoman didn't take the pill. "It's fine. It's a miracle to be alive. This small injury can just be covered with some plant ash later." Having spent these days together, Li Huowang knew her stubborn nature and said no more.

Soon, three large bonfires rose on the shore. Li Huowang carried the three deceased bodies and tossed them into separate fires. Everyone watched as their companions, who had been full of life just yesterday, were gradually enveloped by the flames.

As the sun climbed high, the flames gradually died down. Li Huowang poked through the ashes with his long sword, breaking larger bone fragments into smaller pieces, then collected them with the ashes into ceramic jars. Looking at the urns of ashes before him, Li Huowang felt heavy-hearted, his mind disoriented by the events of the previous night.

At that moment, Bai Lingmiao, her eyes already blindfolded, reached out with both hands and gently tugged at his sleeve. Sensing his mood was off, she leaned in and pressed herself against Li Huowang's back.

"I'm perfectly fine, you don't need to comfort me," Li Huowang said, bending down to place the three urns into the fool's embrace.

Yuan Fu, like a sycophant, stood beside Li Huowang and said, "Esteemed One, do you want to rest? If not, I can take you to find the nuns; I know the way."

A calm Li Huowang flicked the ashes from his sword, then swung it sharply in the direction of the voice before sheathing it with a backhand motion. "Take the ashes. Let's go."

Yuan Fu's eyes widened in disbelief as he clutched his bleeding neck. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something to Li Huowang's retreating back, but could only manage coughing sounds. Finally, he stumbled a few steps, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, the light in his eyes gradually fading.