Mutated Tao

Chapter 445: Start

Mom, I think I will return to my crazy self for a moment, but dont worry. Everything will be fine in the end. I will wake up every three to five days. Dont worry if Im late. That just means that Im being held up on the other end. No, Mom. Im not ill. Dont get agitated, please listen to me.

Zhuge Yuan stared at Li Huowang in confusion as he was talking to a crooked tree in the forest.

See that? This must be your first time seeing it. Not everyone gets the chance to see a Strayed One stuck in a hallucination, Hong Zhongs illusion explained to Zhuge Yuan.

Has Junior Li always acted like this in the past? Zhuge Yuan asked puzzledly.

Yeah. I heard the old monk say that he got stuck in the hallucination quite frequently before he started eating the Black Taisui.

Zhuge Yuan looked at Li Sui coiled around at the base of the tree, and then at Li Huowang who was speaking to himself. Sigh. Junior Li had it rough. Being a Strayed One is much more difficult than being a Twisted One.

The old monk said, Yeah. The Daoist has it rough. My heart aches for him every time I see him acting like that. I really want to do something for him but I dont know what I can do.

Thank you for trying to help him.

Even though the old monk looked the same as the Abbott of the Righteous Monastery in the Great Qi, Zhuge Yuan knew they weren't the same person. The Abbott was still alive after all.

Oh? No worries. I have to thank you too. Also, be careful of the faceless man. Hes a liar. He tricked me many times.

Zhuge Yuan looked at Hong Zhong standing beside him and smiled. I see. Hes part of the Sitting Oblivion Dao. Sir, who is that headless one then?

The old monk introduced the other illusions to Zhuge Yuan, including how they'd died.

You mean to say that Senior Jin Shanzhao was killed by Peng Longteng? Zhuge Yuan asked.

That's what the Daoist told me, but he doesn't like talking to me, so Im not very sure either.

Then why does Senior Jin not hold any animosity towards General Peng Longteng?

I dont know. Im not a parasite in his body, so I dont know what he's thinking.

Alright, then let me ask again. Are there any others aside from the five of us?

There are. I heard there was once a baldy and a woman. They were illusions that once accompanied the Daoist, but they disappeared after some time.

Does that mean Junior Li had seven illusions in total? Zhuge Yuan wondered, fanning himself as he thought about it.

What are you thinking? Hong Zhong glared at Zhuge Yuan. We are all illusions accompanying Li Huowang now. What are you scheming?

Zhuge Yuan chuckled but said nothing.

Senior Zhuge, Li Huowang called out, shifting their attention to him.

He looked the same as before, but something seemed off.

Senior Zhuge, have you ever encountered anyone, aside from the Great Qi and the Great Liang, whose past was changed? Li Huowang asked.

No. There are extremely few cases where people got into contact with a Siming. But most of those people either went crazy or died just from getting into contact with a Siming, let alone getting one to change their past.

Li Huowang frowned. Doesnt that mean Im one of the first cases where my past was changed?

He thought he would be in trouble once his past was changed, but it was not exactly a bad deal either.

Li Huowang had obtained a new identity, Hong Zhong, and numerous techniques belonging to the Sitting Oblivion Dao. He could even use them freely.

Moreover, he obtained the method to cultivate "Truth" from Hong Zhong's memories. No matter how Li Huowang looked at it, everything had been good so far. There wasnt anything bad.

However, Li Huowang suspected that Doulao had an ulterior motive for changing his past.

Why...?

Li Huowang sifted through Hong Zhong's memories for information on Doulao, but he found nothing.

As Hong Zhong, he learned that Doulao was not a deity that the Sitting Oblivion Dao worshiped, but rather they used each other. Both parties were trying to gain an advantage by lying to each other.

The Sitting Oblivion Dao knew that the Doulao controlled "Lies."

Everyone had a small wisp of Doulaos "Lies" in their body, which was why everyone would lie from time to time. This much was certain, and the Sitting Oblivion Dao obtained energy by tricking a person and taking away the small wisp of "Lies" in a persons body. They also took things from their target's body.

However, the Sitting Oblivion Dao wondered why they needed to do that. Some of them hypothesized that Doulao wanted them to trick the common people and obtain the wisp of "Lies" to achieve its own goal.

As for what the goal of Doulao was, the Sitting Oblivion Dao didnt know anything about it.

Maybe Shai Zi knows something about it, Li Huowang murmured to himself.

Junior Li, I think we should distance ourselves from the Sitting Oblivion Dao as much as possible, especially Shai Zi. Once he sets his sights on you, everything will become much more complicated. You know that the Sitting Oblivion Dao dont fight head-on. They always operate behind others' backs; the same goes for Shai Zi.

Dont worry, Im not crazy yet. I wont go find Shai Zi. I need to find a quiet place to cultivate first. Once Im done, I can finally find peace in both worlds.

Li Huowang could increase his strength, turn Zhuge Yuan back into reality, and even turn the hallucination into reality. The cultivation method was the key to achieve all of this.

Zhuge Yuan nodded. Then, where should we go now?

I Li Huowang said hesitantly, I want to go back to Cowheart Village. Its a quiet place that's suitable for cultivating. Im worried about Miaomiao and the others now that everything is in chaos outside.

He had to fulfill his promise to Miaomiaothat he would return once he could control his hallucination. He had technically succeeded, so it was time to go back.

Li Huowang recalled the faces he hadnt seen in a long time and longed to see them. They were his attachment to this world.

He had always been a man that never hesitated, so he hopped onto his horse and started moving towards Cowheart Village.

Li Huowang was about to depart when he remembered something was missing. Wait, wheres Li Sui and Bun?

Li Sui! Bun! Li Huowang shouted towards the forest.

Black tentacles quickly appeared from beside a bush, rolling out as a tangled ball. Li Sui held Bun up with his tentacles wrapped around Bun's mouth and feet.

What are you doing? Li Huowang asked.

Li Sui replied, Playing with the dog.