Mutated Tao

Chapter 25: Path in the Forests

Clang!

The longsword and the sacred text collided, giving off an extremely piercing collision sound. Everyone else within the vicinity subconsciously covered their ears and took a few steps back.

“It couldn’t even leave a mark. Isn’t Chang Ming a swordsman? His sword can’t even cut it… however, this sword shouldn’t be something ordinary.” Li Huowang raised the sword and contemplated for a while. Then, he grabbed the hilt with both hands and swung it down heavily once again.

He gritted his teeth and hacked the sword several times before there were any changes in the situation. However, this change was not in the so-called sacred text, but the longsword in Li Huowang’s hands.

Clang!

The force of the impact caused the blade to break apart, ruining the sword.

He looked at the broken blade, feeling a little stunned. The weapon he had just come into possession of was gone just like that.

He looked around and took a few quick steps toward Chang Ren’s dead body, pulling out his sword. “Thankfully there’s a spare.”

He sheathed the sword, and circled the sacred text, pondering what his next move should be.

He had planned to destroy this so-called sacred text, but from the looks of it, it was indeed worth something, and might even be a treasure of sorts.

Since he had made the decision not to give up on living, something so valuable couldn’t be simply left behind like that.

No matter what, I have to take it out of here first. Then we might even be able to pawn it for some money if needed.

Li Huowang had completely abandoned the unrealistic hopes of using this thing to turn into an Immortal. He had seen the aftermath of those who had tried it before, and he did not wish to suffer the same fate.

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While Li Huowang struggled to lift the stone tablet which was far heavier than he had imagined, he was still able to manage somehow.

After he wrapped the stone tablet in a cloth and placed it on his back, Li Huowang turned toward the others waiting outside, “Let’s get out of here.”

They dumped the oil lamp inside Dan Yangzi’s smelly cave, setting it ablaze. The flames soon spread, igniting everything that was flammable, including the bodies of Chang Ming, Chang Ren, and Xuan Yuan.

The flames grew quite rapidly, and Li Huowang got to witness just how naturally combustible human corpses were.

As they walked back along the original path, they began to set fire to all the rooms. The blazing flames danced and came together. They burned anything and everything they could within the Zephyr Temple.

The thick smoke started to make them cough, and so they quickened their pace.

After three incense sticks worth of time, everyone was standing under the sunlight and silently watching the smoke billowing out of the Zephyr Temple’s entrance.

The heavy smoke rose upward, carrying with it all of the Zephyr Temple’s darkness and evil, and dispersing it all into the bright skies.

Li Huowang looked up and chuckled before turning toward the distant path in the forest. He gazed at it with a sword and a stone tablet hanging on his back. “Let’s go.”

The rest of the group followed suit while carrying food. Unknowingly, Li Huowang had become their leader.

As they gradually approached the distant path in the forest, Li Huowang was no longer as gloomy.

This place seems special. I’m quite looking forward to the people or the events that the future will bring.

The sunlight illuminated his face, and his mood brightened as he breathed in the fresh air.

“Senior Li, please slow down… my eyes hurt.”

Li Huowang turned back to find that Bai Lingmiao was covering both of her eyes under the sunlight.

He walked over and held up her face to examine it. To his surprise, he could see the blood vessels behind her eyeballs through the center of her pupils. As her dark-red blood vessels were illuminated by light, it became slightly pink in color.

This… should be some kind of defect?

He was not a medical expert, but he could at least guess at this. He recalled that elderly people suffering from albinism that helped with fortune-telling and massages were mostly blind.

It seemed that Bai Lingmiao’s disease would cause her eyes to have some defects, and render them much weaker than that of the average person.

This won’t do.

Li Huowang tore off a piece of cloth from his green Taoist robes, and then gently covered her eyes. “From now on, cover your eyes in the daylight.”

“But… I won’t be able to see anything.”

“It’s okay, I’ll guide you.” Li Huowang grabbed Bai Lingmiao’s soft right hand before leading the rest toward the path in the forest.

While Bai Lingmiao stumbled initially, she soon began to run together with Li Huowang.

——————————————

Dududu~

The old and wrinkled Lu Zuangyuan forcefully tapped his smoking pipe on the side of his theatrical trunk.

After tapping out all the black tobacco that was stuck within, he replaced it with some fresh tobacco from his smoking pouch, and lit it with his tinderbox.

He took a satisfying puff before turning in the direction that the horses were facing and asking, “You skinny boy, are you done?”

“Almost!” A youthful voice replied.

“You lazy boy, why does it take so long for you to relieve yourself. Others might end up thinking that I’m mistreating you by making you eat soil,” Lu Zuangyuan smoked while grumbling discontentedly about his younger son.

He looked behind his carriage, at the entire troupe that was standing on the forest path. Aside from one horse-drawn carriage that carried costumes and musical instruments, there was his older son, and two distant nephews from the village. While their troupe was small, these were his hard-earned assets that he had spent years gathering.

It was this troupe’s work that allowed his entire family to eat well during these difficult times.

“Dad, have some water and buns.” Lu Juren passed some food and a gourd of water to his father.

“Why are we eating when it’s not mealtime yet?! Do you think this food is free? Do you know just how much food costs now? Your daughter is already two years old, but why are you still acting like such an immature child?!”

Despite the scolding, Lu Juren wasn’t angry; he just smiled innocently while moving away, and passed the food back to his wife.

“You got scolded again? You were just asking for it.” Luo Juanhua placed the food back into the cart, and then playfully poked their baby daughter, who was sitting on the trunk.

“Being scolded won’t take any skin off my back. Ever since Mom passed away, Dad’s temper has just been like that.”

“Have you spoken to Dad about what I told you last night?”

“Let’s bring it up again next time. There hasn’t been a good chance, and he is tight on money right now.” Lu Juren said as his face soured.

“Tsk~ Is he so tight on money that he cannot even buy some fabric for his own granddaughter’s clothes? She’s always wearing these costumes.”

“Well, the costumes can also-”

“Ahh! Ahh! Ghost!” A terrified shriek interrupted their conversation, at the same time causing the atmosphere around the troupe to stiffen.

Not long after, the others saw a half naked young boy shouting at the top of his lungs and dashing out from the forests, straight into Lu Zuangyuan’s embrace.

“What ghost?! How can there be any ghosts in broad daylight?! Hurry and put on your pants!”

Even though Lu Zuangyuan berated his own son, he still stepped before Lu Xiucai, shielding him. He gripped his smoking pipe tightly and looked warily toward the forest.

At that moment, some figures could be seen moving, and it seemed like some people were approaching them.

Chacha and Char’s Thoughts

Sweet, we finally get to see the outside world! If you haven’t already, bookmark this novel folks!