Mutated Tao

Inside the dark cave, Lu Xiucai lay limply on the ground. He could barely move his single remaining arm to prop his body up.

He felt the weight of an actual donkey on his back, pressing him down. The white light coming from his back was as heavy as steel.

“Im… impossible! Heavenly Mater, why are you stopping me? Those are evil entities that eat humans! They are evil!”

Lu Xiucai felt his world collapsing around him.

As Lu Xiucai struggled to get up, one of the twitching centipedes regained its strength and lifted its head. Nearly the size of a carriage, it pounced toward Lu Xiucai.

Even Lu Xiucai’s new body would be reduced to meat paste if he was hit by it.

At the last possible moment, the huge centipede miraculously twisted and missed Lu Xiucai. It slammed into the ground just in front of Lu Xiucai.

Both of them glared at each other.

Lu Xiucai only noticed the details of the centipede when it was close to his face.

There was a white donkey tattoo on the centipede's forehead. It had the same rank as he did!

Both of them stopped and looked at each other incredulously.

Only then did Lu Xiucai and the centipede understand why the Heavenly Mater had helped both sides. The Heavenly Mater did not want her disciples to fight amongst themselves.

As the white light on his back dimmed, Lu Xiucai struggled to stand up. He looked around and stared at the eyes in the darkness as well as the mangled centipede’s body.

He was in disbelief. “So all of you are in the White Lotus Sect? How can this be? You guys ate people! How dare you pray to the Heavenly Mater?”

In Lu Xiucai's memories, the black cloth and white headscarf used by the Dharma Sect had now been replaced by the tattoo of the White Lotus Sect.

The evil entities did not answer Lu Xiucai. Seeing that the Heavenly Mater they revered did not allow them to kill the person in front of them, they slowly disappeared into the darkness.

Once the last centipede disappeared, the entire cave was as desolate as Lu Xiucai's heart.

***

Gao Zhijian sat on his throne while listening to Li Huowang's report. “So that’s what the people of the Qi Kingdom said? That they will ally themselves with us?”

“Yes. If you don’t believe me, you can send some eunuchs to talk to them in the Qi Kingdom.”

Li Huowang took out the spine sword in the hall, putting all the guards and eunuchs on high alert.

“No need. I trust that you won’t lie to me.”

Gao Zhijian's face, once filled with worry, brightened with joy upon hearing the news.

Since the Qi Kingdom wanted the Dragon Vein from the Tianchen Kingdom, there was no way they would ally with each other anymore. Gao Zhijian no longer needed to worry about the Qi Kingdom betraying them.

The Liang Kingdom could feel more at ease with the Qi Kingdom at the vanguard.

“That’s good. With the Liang Kingdom and the Qi Kingdom working together, we can defeat the Tianchen Kingdom without fail.”

Li Huowang replied, “it won’t be simple. We cannot block off the Tianchen Kingdom with just the Qi Kingdom. Remember what I said about the strength of the Unspeakable army?”

Gao Zhijian's smile faded. Li Huowang had indeed described them to him. He would have dismissed the information as a mere rumor if Li Huowang hadn’t been the one reporting it.

Li Huowang said, “I am certain there won’t be just hundreds of them. They couldn’t even defeat Doulao with just a hundred of them together. I doubt they could’ve stripped the Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Mater with so few of them.”

Li Huowang said, "I am certain that there will be more than just a few hundred of them. They couldn’t even defeat Doulao with a hundred of them together. I doubt they could have stripped the Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Mater with such a small number."

He continued, “Even with the army of Unspeakable aside, which was birthed by the Heavenly Mater, we still don’t know who the grandchildren of the Heavenly Mater are.”

Li Huowang had only won a minor skirmish, so he was treading carefully instead of celebrating.

Gao Zhijian frowned again. “You’re right. The people of the Tianchen Kingdom are very strange. I can’t believe that they could touch a Heavenly Dao.

“Senior Li, don’t worry. The Liang Kingdom will fully help its allies. Not only that, I will persuade the other Emperors to help us out too.”

“No, sending resources is not enough. We need people. A lot of people in the Qi Kingdom died this time. Ask the Surveillance Bureau to prepare some men. If the Tianchen Kingdom attacks us, we can use them to stave them off.”

“Hmm… The people from the QI Kingdom cannot come here, but can we cross over to the Qi Kingdom?”

“Of course. Even if that’s the case, we can shroud our men with Dragon Qi before sending them. The Dragon Vein won’t be affected no matter which history they go to. Gao Zhijian, I know that the Dragon Qi is precious, but now is not the time to save it. Against the Tianchen Kingdom, we need to burrow the power of the Simings.”

While the other Simings wouldn’t help them, at the very least, Ji Zai would.

“Hmm…” Gao Zhijian was worried. He could agree with the other conditions, but the Dragon Vein was, quite frankly, the lifeline of the Liang Kingdom.

The Dragon Qi had been accumulated by countless generations of Emperors. The only way to replenish it would be for him to die and become affixed to the Dragon Vein. Otherwise, the Dragon Qi would not replenish in the slightest. Using the Dragon Qi was essentially a permanent expenditure.

“Don’t be stingy. Once we take over the Tianchen Kingdom, we can get as much Dragon Qi as we want. We can even recover some of the divisions the Liang Kingdom lost.”

Even so, Gao Zhijian didn’t want to mess with the Dragon Vein. He could only accept it for now.

“Alright, but I will have to discuss it with the others first.”

“Hurry up and get it approved. The attack from the Tianchen Kingdom might’ve been foiled this time, but it won’t stop them for long. I fear that they will go all out next time.”

“Alright. I understand, Senior Li.”

“Once you finish your discussion, tell Xuan Pin to contact me.”

Li Huowang turned to leave.

“Senior Li, why don’t we have a meal first?”

“That’s alright. I’m not used to your meals.”

Li Huowang walked out of the hall and took out his spine sword. He was getting ready to go back to the Qi Kingdom.

The Tianchen Kingdom could attack any time, so he needed to stay in the Qi Kingdom to guard it.

As he was about to move, a large procession entered the palace. Several consorts and eunuchs swiftly moved past Li Huowang.

“Are you Li Huowang?” A haughty and arrogant voice came from the middle of the procession.

Li Huowang turned and saw a charming lady with a crown slowly stepping down from a palanquin.

Two eunuchs trailed behind her, holding onto her long dress. They quietly followed their Mistress towards Li Huowang.