Mutated Tao

Ox-carts. Although they were a lot slower than horse-drawn carriages, they could carry a lot more weight. Furthermore, there was no need to be concerned about the food required to feed out here in Qing Qiu since it was available everywhere.

Li Huowang and his group had a smooth journey after leaving Hou Shu, and did not encounter any evil spirits or bandits. Moreover, Li Huowang's injuries were gradually improving. Thus, everyone was in high spirits.

As the ox-cart continued to move slowly, Li Huowang limped alongside it. At the same time, Bun faithfully circled around him while wagging its tail.

“Senior Li, why don't you head back into the cart and rest? Your injuries haven’t been completely healed,” said Bai Lingmiao worriedly.

Li Huowang's newly grown hair swayed slightly as he shook his head. “Lying in the cart all the time makes my limbs stiff. Walking is good, and besides, I'm recovering quite well now. At least Bun is now able to recognize me.”

Li Huowang still remembered how Bun barked at him back when he first got off the cart. But that couldn't be blamed on it; he did indeed look quite frightening back then.

Fortunately, Bun could recognize him now. His skin had healed completely, and just as planned, the Profound Records was safely embedded within his back.

“Senior Li, we can take a break now. We'll continue walking for another two hours after noon and finally reach Women's Mountain," said Sun Baolu. Being a local, he was quite familiar with the area.

Nowadays, Sun Baolu always had a smile on his face. He used to be very quiet, but had become a lot more talkative ever since they arrived in Qing Qiu.

“Are you really going back, Old Sun? Why don't you join us so that you don't get kidnapped again?” suggested Zhao Wu.

However, Sun Baolu simply smiled brightly and shook his head in response to the suggestion. “No, someone is waiting for me. I have to go back home.”

Meanwhile, Li Huowang raised his crutch and pointed to a nearby stream. “Let's head there and start a fire.”

It was quite challenging to find firewood in Qing Qiu, but they were finally able to start a fire after gathering some dried branches.

After starting a fire, the others went to fetch water and forage for wild vegetables.

Meanwhile, Li Huowang sat alone, once again lost in his own world, detached from the outside noise. He looked up and saw Peng Longteng blocking the sun.

Even after all this time, she was still around.

His only solace was the fact that she was just standing there motionless and not doing anything.

Peng Longteng looked quite towering in her heavy armor. Even without her head, she still easily surpassed Li Huowang in terms of height. Li Huowang estimated that she was at least two meters tall when she was still alive.

At that moment, Li Huowang suddenly heard some unusual sounds. Even so, he didn't turn around to check on it; he knew that the sound was coming from Jin Shanzhao dragging his organs through the grass.

Why did both of them turn into illusions and start following me?

This was a question that had been filling Li Huowang's mind for a long time; however, he didn’t have an answer.

It was not just these two either; the earlier illusions of Jiang Yingzi and Monk also left him without any answers.

Is this the power of a Strayed One? Can the Strayed Ones control the people they have killed?

A new speculation appeared in Li Huowang's mind.

How can I make them disappear? No… that's not right either… I didn't kill Monk. In fact, he might still be safe and sound back in the Righteous Monastery, never to have actually died.

But, if they aren’t appearing due to my powers as a Strayed One, then what could be the reason? Could it be that I actually have a mental illness?

Li Huowang was feeling a little disoriented when he suddenly felt an itch, causing him to reach his bruised hand into his new clothes and scratch himself.

When Bun noticed his actions, it raced over and started wagging its tail as it squatted down in front of him.

Rip!

Li Huowang tore a huge piece of dead skin and hurled it toward Peng Longteng.

“Woof woof woof!” Bun barked delightedly while chewing on the dead skin greedily.

After finishing the snack, Bun went under Peng Longteng's legs and obediently sat in front of Li Huowang. Li Huowang knew that Bun liked these treats. All of his dead skin from before as well as his severed leg had all gone into its belly.

As he stared at Bun, Li Huowang stretched out his hand to pat its head, and then gazed off into the distance toward Peng Longteng.

After a while, he sighed deeply and mumbled to himself, “Well, at least these two don't talk. They won't be as annoying as Monk.”

“Daoist, am I annoying? I'm not, am I? I haven't done anything,” said Monk.

Hearing this, Li Huowang just gave a self-deprecating smile and chose to remain silent. Self-assurance was just that; he was more concerned about what would happen next after these three illusions.

What if these illusions multiply in the future? What if... I end up becoming like Dan Yangzi?

Li Huowang shivered as he thought back to the horror of Dan Yangzi and the hundreds of hallucinations.

I need to figure out what's going on and get rid of them. If I end up like Dan Yangzi, then I will surely go insane.

With these thoughts, the urgency of resolving his issues as a Strayed One became even more apparent to Li Huowang.

“Baolu!” called out Li Huowang, instantly causing Bun's ears to perk up. Then, it turned around and saw Sun Baolu running toward them. After a moment, it took a few steps forward, pushed its head against Li Huowang's legs, nudging him with its black nose.

“Senior Li, you called me?” asked Sun Baolu.

At this point, Li Huowang closely examined Sun Baolu once again. He was still the same as when they left the Righteous Monastery, still wrapped up tightly in his clothes. In fact, throughout their journey, he had always kept a low profile, to the point that Li Huowang sometimes forgot that he was even there.

“Do you know Qing Qiu well?" Li Huowang asked.

Sun Baolu nodded. “I'm very familiar with it.”

“Very familiar?” Li Huowang was a bit surprised; this was the first time he had heard anyone say that.

Unless met with unforeseen circumstances, a majority of the people in this world would spend their whole lives within the same twenty miles. Sun Baolu's assertion that he knew the entire place very well made Li Huowang skeptical.

“People in Qing Qiu are not like people in other areas. We follow nature. We travel to areas where nature is fertile. From my grandfather to my father, we've moved around Qing Qiu all our lives,” explained Sun Baolu.

Hearing this, Li Huowang finally understood. “Oh, so the people here are nomadic.”

Seeing the vast grasslands, Li Huowang could have guessed as much. People here relied on the land for everything, including their food.

“The sun is scorching today. Why don't you take off some clothes?” suggested Li Huowang. But when he saw Sun Baolu just standing there smiling, Li Huowang didn't insist further.

“Well, let's get down to business. Are there any experts here? Maybe someone like Dan Yangzi?” asked Li Huowang, finally bringing up the real reason behind calling over Sun Baolu.

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