Mutated Tao

“Shopkeeper Li, how is the cinnabar that I requested? Has it arrived yet?”

Shopkeeper Li busy with the abacus looked up head and saw a weird-looking man in a red Daoist robe. Shopkeeper Li smiled instantly, as the weird-looking man was a big buyer. “Hehe, sir, it arrived a long time ago and has been waiting for you. The entire thirty kilograms are ready. Little Tiger, help this customer deliver his order home.”

“No need, I’ll carry it myself,” Li Huowang said, paying the final installment. Then, he grabbed lifted the sack with one hand and stepped out of the pharmacy.

The pharmacy assistant, Little Tiger, looked at his boss in astonishment and asked, “Shopkeeper, why did that guy buy so much cinnabar? Most people only buy a few pieces, even if they use cinnabar for medicinal purposes.”

The shopkeeper flicked Little Tiger on the forehead and asked, “Did that hurt? Good! I want you to remember that you're just an assistant! The reason behind our customers' purchases is none of your business! So what if he eats those cinnabar with rice?"

"It's none of your business!"

Meanwhile, Li Huowang walked up to the carriage outside and hurled the heavy sack of cinnabar onto the carriage. Li Huowang then hopped into the carriage and let loose a sharp whistle.

Bun showed up and hopped into the carriage.

“Let's go!” Li Huowang exclaimed. He glanced at the sack of cinnabar next to him, pulled the reins, and urged the horse to pull the carriage toward the city gates on the western side of the city.

Last night, Li Huowang discovered a bottleneck in his previous approach. He mulled over the matter and recalled that others used cinnabar to refine artifacts. If they could do it, why couldn't he?

Li Huowang had an extraordinary regeneration rate as well. Aside from pain, he wouldn't really suffer from any untoward effects. In addition, artifacts made from the organs of a Strayed One would have extraordinary abilities.

Li Huowang reckoned that his strength would increase dramatically if he were to obtain such artifacts; he also believed that they would be useful in his upcoming showdown with Bei Feng.

The horse pulling the carriage emitted distinct clopping noises on the stone steps as the carriage gradually made its way out of the city. Once outside, Li Huowang went off the beaten path until he found a place that met his requirements at sunset.

The place was a flat clearing before several graves.

Bun's alert level shot through the roof; it lowered its stance and bared its teeth at the graves.

“I'm just borrowing this clearing in front of you guys for one night. Please don't take offense for what I'm about to do," Li Huowang said, bowing toward the graves before turning around to retrieve something from the carriage.

Bun pounced forward just then, startling a few mice that scampered off in all directions.

Meanwhile, Li Huowang took out the small furnace he had obtained from the Human Xiaos. He placed some cinnabar inside the furnace and laid it down on top of some high-quality charcoal.

Li Huowang had some experience refining pills, so refining cinnabar was an easy task for him. An hour later, Li Huowang opened the furnace, and a silver liquid along with some dregs appeared before Li Huowang.

Li Huowang's refinement method had come from Dan Yangzi. The latter had taught him, while he was still at Zephyr Temple. The silver liquid from refining cinnabar was called quicksilver, or mercury in Li Huowang's previous world.

Li Huowang filtered out the dregs before taking out a bowl to collect the quicksilver.

However, he needed more quicksilver.

Li Huowang proceeded to go for another round of refinement. An hour later, Li Huowang's lips curled up into a satisfied smile as he stared at the large bowl of quicksilver in front of him.

“This should be enough…” Li Huowang muttered and turned around to take the shovel that he had prepared beforehand. He immediately started digging until he had created a hole deep enough to submerge a human being. Li Huowang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and rummaged through a leather bag, pulling out a gleaming dagger amidst the torture apparatus inside the bag.

The monk rushed over with a look of reluctance and said, “Daoist, can you reconsider? It doesn’t have to be like this,”

On the contrary, Hong Zhong sitting on Peng Longteng’s shoulders looked eager to witness the spectacle.

Li Huowang ignored the illusions' words; his determination remained as steady as a boulder. He raised the dagger in his hand and slashed at his scalp, tearing it open to reveal the blood vessels underneath.

Li Huowang took off his clothes and stood naked in the pit.

He lowered his head and covered himself with soil.

Burying oneself was difficult, but Li Sui was around to help.

Li Sui’s tentacles swept the soil toward Li Huowang, making sure that Li Huowang was buried in densely packed soil.

“Li Sui, be obedient, okay? Help me… just a bit more,” Li Huowang urged.

Li Sui obliged and two tentacles emerged from Li Huowang's neck. The tentacles lifted the large bowl filled with quicksilver and carried it over toward Li Huowang's open scalp.

Li Huowang gulped and said, “Move it slightly aside before pouring it into the wound; make sure not to spill it.”

Li Sui obeyed and focused completely on the task at hand.

The large bowl of quicksilver tilted, and the silver liquid plummeted into Li Huowang's wound, creating a magnificent sight as they sparkled in the moonlight.

“Carefu—AAAAH!”

The process was extremely difficult, but Li Huowang dared not waver, afraid of spilling the mercury. The pain was tolerable at first, but it eventually became an itch that pervaded him entirely. When the itch turned extreme and reached its peak, Li Huowang struggled desperately against the soil that had surrounded him.

Li Huowang felt as if ants were biting him all over, and the sensation was driving him insane. Li Huowang twisted and turned, squeezing himself upward like a snake. After much effort, he finally managed to escape the pit he had dug himself.

“Haaa…” Li Huowang trembled like an aspen tree, and he was in so much pain he couldn't even tell which part of his body radiated the strongest pain.

Li Huowang took a few moments to calm himself down and get used to the pain, but when the cold breeze of the twelfth lunar month swept over his skinless frame; the pain was akin to being stabbed a thousand times with a knife.

It was so painful that he almost fainted.

Li Huowang took out the Fiery Scripture and chanted the incantations inside of it. A burning centipede climbed up Li Huowang, and he was soon covered in charred scars.

It was going to worsen the pain, but Li Huowang still decided to put on his clothes. Li Huowang glanced at the pit and heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he walked over to the carriage and collapsed inside of it. Li Huowang fought the fatigue to curl up and defend himself from the cold breeze before finally fainting.

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