Chapter 80: Guzi

Li Huowang shook his head, declining the frost-covered persimmon cake offered to him.

"Don't eat too much. We'll be ordering good food at the inn later, and you won't have room for it."

Li Huowang's warning, however, did not slow their eating pace.

"It's fine, I'll still have room for dinner after these."

"Exactly, exactly! We'll eat even if we burst! Being hungry is damn uncomfortable, hey, Senior Brother Li, aren't you hungry?"

Li Huowang smiled without a word, leading his horse forward. The inn was not far ahead.

"Senior Brother Li, I bought you some ready-to-wear clothes. Would you like to try them on?"

Li Huowang shook his head again. "No thanks, I'm used to my Taoist robe. Just change the inner layers. Also, you should cover your eyes, or they'll start hurting again."

The two carriages slowly made their way through the dense crowd, finally reaching the inn.

An excited Gouwa, clutching golden beans in his hand, was the first to burst inside.

"Waiter! Get Grandfather Cao Cao the best room upstairs! And bring us braised pork belly—only the fatty parts, no lean meat! Four large bowls!"

Li Huowang pushed him aside and entered. He observed the townsfolk eating and chatting around them, then told the approaching waiter, "No need for a private room. We'll eat right here in the main hall. I like the lively atmosphere."

"Senior Brother Li, we have money now, why eat in this noisy hall? It's so loud and—"

Li Huowang shot him a stern look, and the usually boisterous Gouwa instantly deflated like a frostbitten eggplant.

As he settled at a wooden table, the surrounding conversations began to fill Li Huowang's ears.

"Baowen's mother, you should be careful. Your mother-in-law was truly badmouthing you behind your back."

"If you ask me, if someone's trying to take advantage, just fight back! We in Siqi have never feared anyone in battle. Even though I've retired, if a general's order came down, I'd return to camp without a moment's hesitation!"

"Hahaha, Brother Ziqi, my apologies, my apologies. My wife nagged a bit, so I was delayed. I'll punish myself with three cups right now."

"Hey! Look, that Taoist priest is quite odd; his robe is actually red..."

Even after the waiter served the food, Li Huowang hadn't overheard the information he was seeking.

He had expected that, given the nunnery's proximity, it would surely have some influence, good or bad, on the local townsfolk.

Yet, judging by the townsfolk's reactions, the nunnery seemed to have a surprisingly low profile.

If this approach didn't work, Li Huowang had other options.

"Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl~ Three Suns Bring Prosperity~ Fish Leaping Over Dragon Gate~ Heh heh! All the dishes are here~ Esteemed guests, please enjoy!"

The waiter, having announced the dishes, was about to leave when Li Huowang stopped him.

"Oh, Daoist master, you can see how busy the inn is. I really can't—"

Before the waiter could finish his sentence, Li Huowang pressed a golden bean into his hand.

"Do you know about Henghua Mountain over there?"

"Yes, I do!"

"There's a nunnery on that mountain. I heard its incense offerings are very prosperous, and their Bodhisattva is quite efficacious. Is that true?"

The waiter's face showed a flicker of confusion at his words. "Prosperous incense offerings? No, not at all. The Anzi Nunnery receives fewer offerings than even the local Earth God."

"Hmm?" Li Huowang glanced at Xiaoman, who was eating. This contradicted what she had told him.

"My neighbor said it was very prosperous," Xiaoman said, awkwardly putting down her chopsticks.

"Ha, your neighbor must have been exaggerating then. The Bodhisattva statue at Anzi Nunnery is covered in dust. If there were any incense offerings, I'd be a ghost."

"Daoist master, trust me, I'm not mistaken. My second sister's nephew's village's widow became a nun at Anzi Nunnery."

Li Huowang immediately perked up. "Oh? Why did she become a nun there? Are there any requirements to join?"

The waiter looked around, his expression somewhat hesitant.

When Li Huowang slipped another golden bean into his hand, the waiter leaned closer and deliberately lowered his voice.

"Her husband died, and her family was very far away. Plus, she couldn't bear a son, so the villagers seized all her property. She had no other options, which is why she became a nun. Who would choose that life if they had any other way to survive?"

"Oh... I see," Li Huowang murmured, nodding thoughtfully.

Based on the information gathered so far, these nuns seemed relatively normal, consistent with what Li Zhi had said before his death.

"Then do you know why those nuns wear black robes?" Li Huowang pulled out another golden bean.

"Ha, those aren't black robes! The nuns' robes are actually dark blue. I don't know if there's no well on the mountain or what, but they never bathe or change their clothes. So their robes just turned black from being worn constantly."

As he spoke, the waiter's face contorted in disgust.

"The other day, a few nuns came down to sell pigs, and I saw one of them rub her neck. Get this! She actually scrubbed off a black ball of grime the size of a date!"

At the waiter's words, people nearby grimaced and reluctantly put down their chopsticks.

*Slap!* A hand cuffed the back of the waiter's head.

"Our esteemed guests are eating! What are you blathering about, boy? Are you trying to ruin the reputation of my Penglai Inn?"

"Master, it's not like that! The Daoist master asked, and I merely answered!"

As the stout innkeeper forced the waiter to apologize and then dragged him away, Li Huowang picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

"Senior Brother Li, if you want to ask anything, we can help."

Gouwa said, picking up a large, greasy piece of fatty pork and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Enough. What could *your* mottled face possibly uncover? Don't scare people to death. Baolu, after you finish eating, go to town and ask about the Anzi Nunnery."

Of all his companions, only this man appeared completely normal.

Sun Baolu, who had remained almost unnoticed, paused, then silently nodded.

Li Huowang glanced at him and continued eating. A normal appearance didn't necessarily mean he *was* normal.

This man never slept without his clothes on. He even hid from everyone, men and women alike, when he needed to use the latrine.

Under his clothes, he undoubtedly concealed the reason Danyangzi had chosen him as a 'medicine ingredient'.

But Li Huowang didn't press the issue. He understood, based on his own experience, that one wouldn't want others to discuss their mental state.

For the next period, Li Huowang settled into the inn.

He dispatched the Taoist children and Baolu separately to gather information about the Anzi Nunnery.

Li Huowang did not want a repeat of what happened at Zhengde Temple.

After some time spent gathering information, and especially after sending Baolu to scout the mountain, Li Huowang was cautiously confident that the nuns posed no significant threat.

What the townspeople most often said about the nuns was that they were dirty, lazy, and fat.

"If I'm not back by tomorrow, you must leave this place immediately. Understand?"

Li Huowang stood before the dirt road leading up the mountain, giving instructions to his companions.

"Senior Brother Li, let us go with you."

"Go for what? To be a burden? Do you truly think this is a leisurely outing?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Huowang felt he had been too harsh, but he offered no explanation. He turned and began climbing the mountain alone.

Watching his figure disappear into the distance, Bai Lingmiao bit her lip, her eyes welling up as if she wanted to say something.

But she waited until he had vanished into the mountains, and still, no words came out.