Mutated Tao

Li Huowang sat on his bed for several hours. Eventually, he let out a long breath and finally calmed down.

Qian Fu was dead. He had known Qian Fu the longest, and his death made Li Huowang sorrowful. Still, the dead couldn’t come back to life, so thinking about him was useless now.

At the moment, the issues concerning Qing Wanglai that came to light after Qian Fu’s death were more important.

Li Huowang had always thought Qing Wanglai was just somewhat self-righteous and stubbornly believed his ideas were always right. Now, it was clear Li Huowang’s impression of him had been wrong.

Something was very off with Qing Wanglai. The most troubling aspect was his emotions.

When faced with someone’s death, even the death of someone he knew, he showed no concern. Qian Fu’s death mattered to him even less than a helmet left on the ground.

Li Huowang had never seen such behavior in the psychiatric hospital, so he didn’t know what kind of illness Qing Wanglai had.

Perhaps Qing Wanglai’s projection was the most complete, as he was an existence that very closely resembled a Siming.

Someone like that, with no emotional fluctuations, would never act impulsively. If given the opportunity, Qing Wanglai would probably sell out Li Huowang without hesitation for his own benefit. He would abandon his useless companions without a second thought. Cooperating with such a person was undoubtedly a recipe for disaster.

Li Huowang remembered what Ban Nanxu had said. He had been skeptical before, but now mostly believed it.

A question arose: if he didn’t cooperate with the Three Pure Ones, would he have to face the invading Simings of the Baiyu Capital on his own?

Li Huowang clearly couldn’t handle it by himself. However, blindly following Qing Wanglai could lead to him being betrayed without even realizing it.

Li Huowang thought of the Ba siblings and the woman named Zhao Shuangdian. They weren’t aligned with Qing Wanglai, yet they came to help.

“Seems like the Simings within Baiyu Capital have different factions,” Li Huowang murmured to himself.

After some thought, he concluded it wasn’t the right time to cut ties with Qing Wanglai. Instead, he should use this period to reach out to the other Simings, whom Qing Wanglai had said were unwilling or unable to collaborate.

He couldn't just take Qing Wanglai's words for granted. If he did, he might get sold out.

After careful consideration, Li Huowang realized his earlier reaction had been excessive. At least for now, he was still an ally with the Three Pure Ones.

He couldn’t disregard Qing Wanglai just because he was cold-hearted. Fortunately, Qing Wanglai wasn’t an emotional person. He didn’t react at all when Yang Na slapped him, so he probably wouldn’t mind losing face.

Li Huowang took out his phone and dialed Qing Wanglai’s number. It rang a few times, then he answered.

—Hello? Li Huowang?

Qing Wanglai’s voice was as casual as ever, with a hint of warmth even. However, Li Huowang now knew what lay behind it.

“Sorry, I acted impulsively earlier. Please apologize to Zhao Shuangdian for me. My girlfriend was really shaken by seeing someone die up close for the first time, so I had to take her away.”

—Miss Zhao isn’t that petty. Is your girlfriend okay? As her boyfriend, you need to comfort her.

“She’s much better now. I’ll make sure she stays home next time and doesn’t come along.”

He looked down at his injured hand and continued, “I’m not available today. I need to handle my injury, but can we meet tomorrow to discuss your findings?”

Qing Wanglai’s expression hadn’t been fake, so he must have obtained very valuable information. Since Qian Fu was dead, they could only hope his death wasn’t in vain.

—Sure, tomorrow at noon, same place. I’ll bring Zhao Shuangdian and the others to meet you.

“Zhao Shuangdian...” Li Huowang frowned and recalled the woman with the single ponytail. If Qing Wanglai was the Three Pure Ones, what Siming was Zhao Shuangdian?

Her talk about the blind men and the elephant theory indicated she was indeed one of the Simings, but which Heavenly Dao did she govern?

Forget it, no point in guessing now. I’ll learn more when we meet tomorrow.

After some thought, Li Huowang replied, “Alright. I’ll hang up now.”

—Hold on. Remember to bring the bulletproof vest tomorrow. After today’s incident, some of the inserts might be damaged and need to be replaced.

There was a knock on the door.

Li Huowang tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder as he walked to the door, “Maybe Sister Wu should come tomorrow. It might cause trouble if I go to the hospital with my injuries.”

He opened the door and saw six tall orderlies before him.

Li Huowang had just made out the red crosses on their chests when the men rushed in. They surrounded him and put him into a straitjacket.

“What are you guys trying to do?” Li Huowang tried to resist, but his injuries had weakened him greatly. “Why are you restraining me? Who sent you?

“I’m cured! The hospital even issued a certificate. Or are you all their people?”

The worst-case scenario crossed Li Huowang’s mind, and his expression turned extremely wary.

While he was wondering who these men were, a familiar face appeared. It was Yi Donglai, his doctor whom he had not met for a while. He was still wearing a white coat and frameless glasses.

“I sent them,” Yi Donglai said.

Li Huowang was confused. “Why? Doctor Yi, I’m cured. My illness was cured!”

“Is that so? Your girlfriend says otherwise. She said you haven’t been taking your medication recently.”

Li Huowang saw Yang Na emerge from behind the door with her head down. He stared at her dumbfoundedly as the orderlies lifted him onto a stretcher and took him out.

As they passed each other, Li Huowang asked a single question in a trembling voice filled with anger and sorrow.

“Why?”

Yang Na suddenly cried. “Because you’ll die! This isn’t a game. People really can die! This time, it was Qian Fu. Next time, it could be you!

“I used to go along with you, but not anymore! Even if we can’t be together, I’d rather you be in a psychiatric hospital! I don’t want you to be used as a tool! I don’t want you to die!”