Mutated Tao

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The rhythmic sound of the horses galloping accompanied the departure of Li Huowang’s horse carriage from Cangshui County.

In the carriage, alongside the Black Taisui were numerous dry goods. As they traveled, Li Huowang took out a dried date and savored it slowly.

“Is it sweet?” asked Monk as he leaned in.

“Yes,” replied Li Huowang as he chewed on a cluster of walnuts that he took out. Then he asked, “Do you think they are happy now?”

“Surely they are. If they weren’t, would they have bought all these things for you?” replied Monk.

“It's good that they’re happy. This world is too painful. If you can be happy then you should just cherish that happiness.”

Li Huowang muttered to himself as he acknowledged his own struggles between the pain and suppressing his hallucinations. Yet, the feeling of helping others escape from situations similar to his own didn’t seem all that bad either.

Hearing something stir beside him, Li Huowang turned his head and saw Bun wagging its tail. The dog used its paws to pull at the basket, and then buried its entire head in to busily munch on something.

Li Huowang used his fingers to grab the loose skin on Bun’s neck and tossed it onto the nearby dirt road. “Get down and start running. If you keep eating like this every day, then you will end up like a grown pig ready for slaughter!”

Bun let out a low whimper, expressing its discontent. However, seeing that Li Huowang didn’t care for its opinion, it quickly moved its paws and started running alongside the carriage.

The dirt road seemed to stretch on endlessly. Thus, Li Huowang released his grip on the reins, letting the horse move forward on its own.

Unlike cars, horse carriage did not need to be watched all the time. Horses were smart creatures, and they knew how to avoid danger and stop at crossroads.

With his hands now free, Li Huowang took out an enlightenment book from his pocket. As he touched his stomach, the Black Taisui inside immediately stirred. Then, a black tentacle emerged from his belly button before entwining itself around his finger.

He bowed his head and watched the tentacle, all the while contemplating something. After his past few experiences, his aversion toward the Black Taisui had diminished quite a bit. The fact that it intervened when he was on the verge of self-destruction and extended a helping hand in critical moments made having such a thing around quite beneficial. Of course, it would be even better if it wasn’t constantly trying to take over his body.

When his thoughts reached this point, Li Huowang paused and removed the earplug from his right ear. With this, the clattering sounds amidst the piercing noise instantly became clear.

“Earlier, eat, hungry, I help you.”

“I know you helped me, so don’t keep bringing it up all the time. Now, be quiet,” said Li Huowang.

Just as Li Huowang finished speaking, the Black Taisui’s voice softened, “Okay... Hungry? Eat.”

“No eating. You should study and read. Your sentences are all so confusing. There is still lots for you to learn.”

After that, Li Huowang held the enlightenment book in his hands, and began to read it word by word. He didn’t know how much of it the Black Taisui in his stomach could absorb. However, the smoother their conversation flowed, the better it would likely be for him.

As he continued reading, a new tentacle extended from inside Li Huowang's belly button. A pair of eyeballs were entwined at the tip of this tentacle. The pair of eyes twisted and turned, looking at everything around it. It observed slowly, yet with intense focus. It was clear that it was brimming with curiosity.

Sensing the gaze from the two eyeballs, Li Huowang paused and reached out to grab them. As he carefully examined them, he pointed at one of them and asked, “Hong Zhong, isn’t this your eyeball? Why wasn’t it digested by the Black Taisui?”

Hong Zhong, who hadn’t made an appearance in a long time, rose from beneath the turning wheel. “This thing is quite a treasure. I went to great lengths to deceive someone and acquire it back then.”

“Another treasure? This wasn’t your original eyeball?” asked Li Huowang.

“Of course not. Why don’t you guess where I got this thing from?” asked Hong Zhong with a proud smile.

Li Huowang cast a brief glance at Hong Zhong, dismissing the matter entirely. Then, he nonchalantly placed the eyeball back into the Black Taisui’s tentacle and continued reading.

Unaffected by Hong Zhong’s enticements, Li Huowang chose to not delve any further into the conversation. Through their ongoing interactions, it seemed that he had learned how to navigate through the intricacies of the Sitting Oblivion Dao’s tactics.

As he continued teaching, time gradually passed, and it was soon mid-day. Along the roadside, he found a makeshift stall that offered a place for weary travelers to rest. At this moment, several wooden tables were occupied by people who were ravenously devouring bowls of noodles.

Li Huowang pondered for a moment, and then pulled the reins to bring the carriage to a halt. He then walked over to the stall with Bun by his side.

“Sir, what can I get you?” The stall owner, a man with a small mustache, asked with a hint of caution when he caught a whiff of the extremely strong scent of blood coming from Li Huowang.

“What is there to eat? Just bring me something,” asked Li Huowang. With readily available food, he had no need to use up his dry rations. Moreover, the taste of dry rations wouldn’t quite measure up, since they were made to have an extended shelf life.

“Why don’t you take a seat first and enjoy some herbal tea? I’ll get your order ready right away!” The mustached stall owner made his way to the stove, deciding to assist his pregnant wife in the bustling kitchen.

Hearing this, Li Huowang sat down and grabbed the teapot filled with herbal tea and poured some over for Bun, who was sticking out its tongue beside him. After he saw the dog drinking the drink without any reaction, Li Huowang poured a bowl of tea for himself.

Although this place wasn’t that far from Cangshui County, Li Huowang was still cautious. He could never be too careful, and he certainly didn’t want any unpleasant surprises.

Now that I have a furnace, the next step is to find some ingredients. The pharmacies in Yinling City should have them. If not, then I can just ask Tuoba Danqing.

Just as Li Huowang was pondering over these matters, he saw the mustached man approaching him with a bowl of noodles in hand.

“Sir, your noodles are ready.”

A steaming bowl was brought in front of Li Huowang, featuring a mixture of various animal parts, wild vegetables, and dried radishes. Combined together, these ingredients emitted a surprisingly delightful aroma.

After Bun had its share, Li Huowang too started devouring the meal. The stall served a blend of different types of wide noodles, giving the dish a hearty and satisfying chew.

With Li Huowang being the only customer, the stall owner didn’t have much else to do. Thus, he supported his wife and sat down at a far corner. With his keen hearing, every detail of their conversation could be heard by Li Huowang quite clearly.

“Darling, you should take a break! Don’t tire out our child.”

“Er Lang, don’t just worry about me. There aren’t many customers right now, and so you should also go take a break and grab a bite to eat.”

“Hehe, I’m not in a hurry. As long as I’m with our child, I don’t feel the slightest bit hungry.”

The stall owner crouched down and carefully caressed his wife’s belly and softly whispered, “My child, can you hear me? I’m your daddy. Come on, be good, say ‘daddy’.”

In response, the pregnant lady displayed playful annoyance and gently pinched the stall owner’s arm. “What nonsense are you talking about? Which child can speak before being born? Sometimes you are so silly.”

“Don’t interrupt me. I’m having a conversation with our child. The fortune teller said that chatting more with our kid now will set him up for a better future!”

With that, he crouched down, placed his ear against his wife’s protruding belly, and spoke lovingly, “My child, can you hear me? I’m your daddy. Go ahead, say ‘daddy’.”

Just as the stall owner’s words faded, a muffled voice, akin to distant thunder, echoed within Li Huowang’s ears. “Daddy…”

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