Mutated Tao

The rooster crowed, and Yinling City woke up once more; the quiet streets gradually became bustling, filled with pedestrians and donkeys.

Everyone was busy with their own affairs, and no one took notice of a visibly excited red-robed Daoist sitting on the roof tiles of an inn. Of course, no one could understand Li Huowang's mood.

“Dad?” Li Sui was rather surprised as he used two tentacles to touch Li Huowang's rapidly beating heart.

It had been two hours since all this started, but Li Huowang had yet to calm down. He was still reading the contents of the letter in his hands. No one could understand what this letter meant to him. However, it was a meaningful letter for Li Huowang. It meant that he wouldn’t be trapped in pain and bewilderment forever, that his life wouldn't be filled with suffering and despair, and that he still had hope.

All the suffering he had to go through over these years would be worth it the moment he learned the method to dispel the hallucination from Bei Feng. By then, he would be able to live like an ordinary person and spend his life peacefully with the people he loved.

The desire to die in Li Huowang's heart vanished. Now, he only had one goal—live on and escape the Strayed One’s bewilderment!

“Huowang, why are you on the roof?” Bai Lingmiao’s familiar voice echoed.

Li Huowang snapped back to reality, and he jumped down to hug her tightly. Then, he took a good look at her delicate face and said excitedly, “There’s a way, there’s a way, there's a way!”

Li Huowang had just established a clear goal, and Bai Lingmiao’s issue could finally be resolved. The happiness had just doubled, as Ji Xiang had said in his letter that he had some connections to military families who could get rid of Bai Lingmiao's killing intent!

Li Huowang shook his head lightly, and then he gently pecked her pink lips before running away with a spring in his steps.

“Let’s go! Pack up, and we’re going to the capital!” Li Huowang exclaimed before disappearing.

Meanwhile, a group of adults with their children in tow had surrounded the Bai Family Hall in the Bai Family Village; they wore excited looks as they stared into the hall.

Lu Zhuangyuan's slick demeanor had vanished, and he emitted a solemn air as he sat on the master’s chair. Five children of varying heights, each holding a cup of tea in their hands, were before Lu Zhuangyuan.

The tallest of the children spoke first, saying, “Disciple Zhan Yuansheng would like to join Trope Leader Lu Zhuangyuan to learn how to make a living. In the meantime, any silver I gain will belong to you, my master. In the case of any natural disasters or misfortunes, I will accept my fate. If I were to selfishly escape or become disobedient, then I would be beaten to death!”

The child then served the tea in his hands to Lu Zhuangyuan, who took a sip with a gleeful visage. The child then knelt down and kowtowed thrice before Lu Zhuangyuan, all the while calling him "Master."

The other children followed until all five had sworn allegiance to Lu Zhuangyuan.

Lu Zhuangyuan then put on airs and said seriously, “A scholar is produced every 3 years, but it takes 10 years to produce an actor! Though we are in the lower aspect of the 9 classes, there are still 360 trades, and each can produce a scholar!”

“Disciples, you must practice diligently and make sure not to slack off! I want you to become renowned figures that everyone will remember through the ages!” Lu Zhuangyuan exclaimed, painting his grand picture. Then, he cleared his throat and turned to his eldest disciple, saying, “Juren, take them to test their skills.”

Juren and the children soon departed.

Left all alone, Lu Zhuangyuan jumped down from the master’s chair and dropped his act, grinning like a fool.

Holding a handful of melon seeds, Puppy teased him, “Troupe Leader Lu, your Lu Family Troupe is thriving. I think it's about time you buy a theater in Yinling City!”

Although it was said in jest, Puppy's words resonated in Troupe Leader Lu's heart. Lu Zhuangyuan broke out into a smile. “Hehe, thank you for your good wishes!”

Zhao Wu leaning on a wooden crutch sounded confused as he asked, “Troupe Leader Lu, where did you find those children? Are their parents really willing to let their children act with you?”

People with land usually wouldn't send their children to act in a theater as people like them usually found it shameful to become actors.

“Hehe, of course, they must be willing first,” said Lu Zhuangyuan. Then, he pulled out a tobacco pipe from his back, lit it, and took a few puffs with a triumphant look. “They were all little beggars whom I had encountered while traveling for performances. They couldn't refuse my offer when they heard about food and shelter.

"Ah, I hope you won't be surprised knowing that despite the Liang Kingdom's prosperity, there are still beggars out there.”

“What’s surprising about that? Unfortunate people are a dime a dozen. However, I want to know why they even bother becoming actors when there is so much land for the taking. Couldn't they simply become landlords?"

Lu Zhuangyuan recalled the fields surrounding Cowheart Village and felt a pang in his heart. In the end, he nodded, saying, “Well, becoming a landlord and an actor are not mutually exclusive.”

Lu Zhuangyuan couldn't feel reassured. Those lands didn't belong to him. Without Li Huowang around as the master of the house, they would have no way of fighting back if they were driven away one day.

However, Lu Zhuangyan knew that building a theater meant that every brick and tile of that theater would belong to him. He would also be able to live with peace of mind by then.

Lu Zhuangyuan actually wanted to discuss it with Miss Bai, but her family had gone through something, and he hadn’t been able to find the right time to talk about it with her.

Lu Zhuangyuan's plan was to wait for Miss Bai’s recovery before sending his daughter-in-law to make inquiries. Unexpectedly, Miss Bai became like that young Daoist, and she disappeared without a trace.

“Puppy, do you perhaps know where Miss Bai went? When is she coming back?” Lu Zhuangyuan asked the shifty-eyed Puppy. After all, the entire Bai Family Village belonged to Miss Bai. She had to be here for anyone to discuss land ownership, tenantship, or even what crops to plant.

They seemed like immortals and could survive on dew, so they can afford not to get involved in the mundane world. However, they should have told me before leaving.

Puppy’s face lit up with joy upon hearing Lu Zhuangyuan's question. “Ah, yes, my wife is pregnant. I’m going to be a father, but it’ll be at least around the New Year or during the Qingming Festival.”

Lu Zhuangyuan’s face wrinkled with disdain. That's not my question; why is this guy even showing off to me? Does he not know that I'm already a grandfather while he's still about to become a father?

“What about Miss Chun? I haven’t seen her around for quite a while now.”

Puppy tossed a salted melon seed into his mouth and cracked the shell with his teeth before saying, “How would I know? She’s not my wife, and there's no way she'll become my wife with that stinky temper of hers.”

Lu Zhuangyuan chuckled at Puppy's defensive remark before leaving the hall.

Puppy spat out the melon seed shell and left the Bai Family Hall. He was well aware of who was an insider and an outsider. He could tell his fellow disciples what he had found in the cellar of the Bai Family Ancestral Hall, but he couldn't share that with the Lu Family Troupe.

Puppy wandered around the somewhat deserted Bai family village before walking toward the entrance of a high-walled courtyard in the eastern side of the village. Puppy grabbed the tiger-head door latch and knocked. “Simpleton, open the door. It's still daytime, so why did you even lock the door?”

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