Chapter 891: Reward

In the village surrounded by forest, Li Huowang was eating bamboo rice under the gaze of the women.

A crescent-shaped bamboo piece, like a spoon, scooped up the bamboo rice, and he chewed it heartily.

As he ate, Li Huowang's internal conversation with Li Sui continued, "Sui Sui, what do you think?"

"Not much to think. They should just be ordinary citizens of Tianchen. They probably don't know much."

After finishing the bamboo rice in a few bites, Li Huowang wiped his mouth and returned the bamboo tube to the woman in front of him. "Thank you for your hospitality, elder sister. If it's convenient, do you have a spare room where I could stay for a night?"

"Of course, I'll pay for the room." Li Huowang reached into his sleeve, and a few darkened silver fragments appeared in his palm.

"It's just for one night, no need, no need." The woman seemed very enthusiastic and pulled Li Huowang forward.

"Are the people of Tianchen all so kind?" Li Huowang couldn't help but wonder internally.

It was hard to imagine that these people were once followers of the Unborn Mother and had ultimately betrayed her, seizing her Dao.

"Elder sister, this place is quite remote," Li Huowang said, looking at the low houses around him. He noticed the houses were all made of wood or woven bamboo.

"Yes, it's better to be remote. The crops we grow are all our own, no one can steal them."

"Are they all yours? Doesn't the imperial court collect taxes?" Li Huowang began to steer the conversation toward the information he sought.

"Imperial court? What's an imperial court?"

Hearing this, Li Huowang realized that Tianchen actually had no imperial court. If there was no court, then there was no emperor. This further increased the possibility that the golden dragon was a dragon vein.

Noticing the surprise on her face, Li Huowang quickly changed the topic, "Nothing. It's just a common thing from my hometown."

Staring at the back of the woman leading the way, after a moment, Li Huowang cautiously asked again: "By the way, elder sister, when I was on my way here, I saw some people in opera costumes walking on stilts, floating over the rooftops."

Before Li Huowang could finish, she immediately turned back and said with a look of surprise: "What? What did you say you saw?"

Li Huowang observed her ten emotions and eight sufferings, as well as the expressions on her face, very carefully, trying to find any clue.

"What are you talking about? Don't trick me. There's no such thing."

To his great disappointment, she genuinely didn't know about the Unspeakable Army.

Following that, Li Huowang asked some simple questions, but still received no answers.

Tianchen was on the verge of war, yet in her eyes, everything was peaceful and nothing had changed.

"Could it be that this location is too remote? These villagers are all frogs in a well. Never mind, I'll ask them about things they do know."

Li Huowang then casually inquired about the general layout of Tianchen. It was clear that Tianchen was vast, incredibly vast.

According to the woman's description, Li Huowang judged it to be larger than Daliang, but she couldn't specify by how much.

In her very simple worldview, this village was essentially where she had lived her entire life.

In her mind, Tianchen wasn't divided into circuits or provinces. The upper half of Tianchen was mostly flat with many large rivers, and people from there were called Northerners.

The lower half of Tianchen had many mountains and forests, and people from there were called Southerners.

As for anything else, she knew nothing. She naturally didn't know what the Unspeakable Army was, nor what the golden dragon was. She just lived her life in ignorance.

Probably, if no drastic changes disturbed her, she would spend her entire life within a hundred *li* of this village.

"The dice really did trick me," Li Huowang said to Li Sui in his mind. "People like this, let alone touching heaven or the Dao, probably can't even read."

Based on what he learned from this person, Li Huowang found that Tianchen was not as terrifying as the dice had suggested, implying that one could easily manipulate the Dao of any randomly chosen person.

Tianchen, like Daliang and Daqi, had only a minority of people who could use divine abilities. Most common folk lived out their lives, ignorant of the world, from birth to death.

Thinking this, Li Huowang finally let out a slight breath of relief. The oppressive feeling he had about Tianchen finally lessened a bit.

"Father, the dice didn't trick you. She truly can, she just hasn't learned."

"Not having learned is the same as not being able to. It's too late to learn now. Shh, be quiet. We're almost there. Once she leaves, we'll quietly slip away in the dark and head to the county town she mentioned."

Since people in such small villages wouldn't have useful clues, there was naturally no need to stay.

To learn more about Tianchen, he would at least need to find a scholar.

Although there was no imperial court or emperor, at least there should be administrators throughout Tianchen, even if their titles were different.

After the two wound through the village, a small wooden hut, supported by timbers, soon appeared before Li Huowang.

"You'll stay here tonight. Don't mind that it's dilapidated." Seeing her climb up a ladder, Li Huowang followed, intending to knock her unconscious.

But as soon as he climbed up, Li Huowang froze. The woman had already removed her upper garments.

"Come, lie down." She reached out and pulled Li Huowang toward her.

Li Huowang quickly dodged her hand. He suddenly understood why there were no men in this village, and why the villagers had been so kind to him. It turned out there was a price for everything.

"What's wrong? Do you think I'm old? Then I'll call my youngest daughter over."

"No need to trouble." As Li Huowang swept his hand across her face, she instantly stiffened in place.

Li Huowang quickly descended the ladder, and, following the previously indicated direction, quickly ran off, shrinking distance with each step.

"Father, did I inconvenience you? Don't worry, I won't tell Mother."

Hearing this, Li Huowang's scalp tingled. "At a time like this, you still have time to joke? Don't forget what we're here for."

He truly hadn't expected Tianchen's customs to be so peculiar.

"Father, don't be so tense. You should still smile when appropriate. If you keep being so tense, that string will break one day."

"Alright, I don't need you to teach me. Let's go quickly."

"Father, are you really not tempted? That woman looked quite good."

Hearing Li Sui say this, Li Huowang felt uncomfortable all over. He really didn't want to discuss this topic with his daughter.

In the past, he always thought Li Sui knew too little. Now, he felt she knew too much.

"If you say another word, do you believe I'll throw you back?" When Li Huowang gripped the hilt of his spinal sword, Li Sui finally quieted down.

The rustling of leaves and branches constantly sounded, as Li Huowang left them behind, continuing along the forest path.

When the hourglass illusion inverted once more, the ground before him opened up, and a county town appeared before Li Huowang.