Mutated Tao

Chapter 986: Treatment

Li Huowang opened his eyes. The sunlight coming from the window made him wince.

He waited several days before returning, but he didn’t slack off. He had been clearing out the influences of the Three Ancient Ones.

Li Huowang vowed to stop any schemes hatched by the Three Ancient Ones in the Baiyu Capital as long as he drew breath.

As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, Li Huowang noticed his surroundings had changed.

Qing Wanglai’s beautiful mansion has been replaced with a dingy old house. The scenery outside of the window indicated that he was in the countryside.

Looking down, Li Huowang noticed someone had tightly bound him with some cloth.

He turned his head to the side, finding a disheveled Yang Na asleep beside him. She had been tending to him.

“Yang Na,” he murmured.

She woke up at the sound of her name. She untied his bindings, kissed him gently, and promptly drifted back to sleep.

The scent of breakfast greeted him as he found Yi Donglai and the others eating together.

“You’re up? Here, have some food.”

A bowl of porridge, a salted egg, and two fried dough sticks were all they had for breakfast.

As he ate, Li Huowang asked, “Why are we here?”

“The elephant on the other side used the Laws to ambush us, so we moved base preemptively,” Zhao Shuangdian replied, typing on her laptop while everyone else was enjoying their meal.

Li Huowang’s heart sank. Their enemies were still trying to kill them.

This time, they’d evaded the danger. Next time, he was sure their luck would run out.

“You predicted their movements on the other elephant? What else can you predict?” Li Huowang asked, glancing at her laptop.

If Zhao Shuangdian could predict the movements of Fu Shengtian’s Simings, they’d have a chance to plan accordingly.

“I’m still observing them. I’m not sure if my model is correct or if there are errors. Qing Wanglai’s dissertation has only made things more complicated,” Zhao Shuangdian said, frowning as she spoke.

Li Huowang snarled when he heard Qing Wanglai’s name. He tried to suppress his anger. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine, even without Qing Wanglai. I’ve found a lot of helpers this time.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Zhao Shuangdian propped her chin on her hand. “Strength isn’t the issue—information is. What worries me is what he said before leaving.”

Li Huowang’s voice rose sharply. “Don’t trust him! Shai Zi works for him. The Heavenly Dao of Lies is on his side. Everything he says is a lie!”

“Is there proof?”

“What?”

“If he’s lying, what’s his motive? I’ve thought about it, but I can’t find a reason for him to deceive us. It doesn’t make sense for him to lie about our common enemy unless he’s from the other elephant.

“However, if that were the case, it’d be more logical for him to tell the truth. By sharing accurate information, he can use us to divert the attention of his enemies.”

Li Huowang replied, “So you agree with him that there are existences stronger than the Simings? A Grand Siming? And that all these attacks we’re enduring are just breezes from their movements? Is there nothing we can do but wait for our deaths?”

Zhao Shuangdian thought for a long time before shaking her head. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t care if you trust him, but I will say this: I don’t trust him at all.” Li Huowang said. “I don’t trust Qing Wanglai, and I don’t trust Shai Zi!”

“If we truly stand no chance, what is making the Three Ancient Ones work so hard? Why go to such elaborate lengths over so many years? Is he bored?” Zhao Shuangdian said.

“He’s mixing truth with lies! Trust me. I have more experience in dealing with the Sitting Oblivion Dao!”

Li Huowang poured another bowl of porridge and grabbed some buns before returning to his room. He swore that he wouldn’t trust the Three Ancient Ones until he witnessed the truth with his own eyes—he’d treat everything else as an illusion.

After placing a meal in his room for Yang Na, he walked out and turned to Yi Donglai. “Doctor Yi, are you done with your meal? Could you treat me after this? I’m so sorry about the past few days.”

No matter what he had to face in the future, he needed to treat his illness first. He needed to become his strongest self to claim victory in future battles.

As for feeling sorry for Yi Donglai… He was no longer so hesitant after seeing the Murderous Aura Command being activated and how swathes of citizens perished.

Everyone had to pay a price to win, including himself and Yi Donglai. Li Huowang had to win—if he failed, every sacrifice made would be meaningless.

Yi Donglai wiped his mouth with a napkin and nodded. “Come, let’s go to the warehouse. It’s quiet there.”

Yi Donglai picked up his notebook and stood up.

Li Huowang followed, puzzled by his calm demeanor. Once inside, Yi Donglai gestured for him to sit.

“Li Huowang, I must admit that I judged you too harshly last time. I think I understand what you’re going through now that I got to know these people.”

Li Huowang frowned. “Are you getting Stockholm Syndrome and agreeing with their viewpoint?”

Yi Donglai opened his notebook and started scribbling. “Isn’t that good? If I do, that means you get another ally. To be honest, I think you can bring more people into the fold if you can get them to sympathize with you. The more allies you have, the higher the chances of winning.”

Li Huowang knew that Yi Donglai was using him as research material. To begin with, Yi Donglai was never in the fold.

“Impossible. There are not that many projections of Simings in the Baiyu Capital. Doctor Yi, let’s ignore that for now. After I’m treated and we handle Fu Shengtian, we can talk as much as we want.”

Yi Donglai sighed and nodded. “Fine. Here, look at this pen.”

He held up a pen. “Listen closely. You need to follow my instructions carefully. This is important. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Good. Now listen to me. Look at this pen and close your eyes.”

Li Huowang listened as Yi Donglai continued, “You will feel your body becoming relaxed and naturally lie down. You will sense your body gradually sinking downwards, without any perception of its end.”

As Yi Donglai’s voice grew fainter, Li Huowang’s body slowly went numb. He felt lighter, and his surroundings turned darker.

Just then, he heard Yi Donglai’s voice next to him. “Li… Huo… Wake… Wake up.”