Mutated Tao

“What is it? I’m busy. If it’s nothing important, find someone else.” Li Huowang waved Gao Zhijian off without looking up and turned the page.

Since he couldn’t find anything useful about the Simings, he decided to focus on the books again. The more he understood about the Simings, the better his chances of winning.

“Senior Li, this is something you must do. We cannot go to the Tianchen Kingdom.”

Li Huowang slowly turned around and looked at Gao Zhijian. “Is this related to Zuoqiu Yong?”

Gao Zhijian nodded. “Yes. The Tianchen Kingdom cannot sit this out. Since he is the lord of the Tianchen Kingdom, he must also use the Murderous Aura Command when the world is in danger. The Tianchen Kingdom must work with us.”

Gao Zhijian spoke naturally, as if the people were his.

“Do you really think it would work? Do you really think the Tianchen Kingdom would activate the Murderous Aura Command? They are roughly the same size as the Qi Kingdom, although they do have more people. Do you think Zuoqiu Yong would believe you?”

Gao Zhijian shook his head.

“I don’t think my words will sway her, but you could convince her. Senior Li, the number of people in the Tianchen Kingdom is comparable to the past Qi Kingdom. We’ll have a better chance of winning if we also use the Murderous Aura Command on them.

Li Huowang closed his book and walked out of the vault silently. Arguing with Gao Zhijian now was pointless. Against the threat of Fu Shengtian’s Simings, everyone either lived or died.

“I will talk to Zuoqiu Yong. They should still have some soldiers there.”

Gao Zhijian bowed to Li Huowang. “Senior Li, thank you. I’m counting on you.”

Li Huowang rolled his eyes before punching Gao Zhijian. “Stop trying to use me! You’re starting to get on my nerves!”

Gao Zhijian raised his arm and stopped his guards and the eunuchs.

“Senior Li, it’s as you’ve said. A good emperor has never been someone popular.”

“You really want to be a good emperor, don’t you? Fine, I’ll take you to the Tianchen Kingdom! Go and talk to Zuoqiu Yong yourself! I won’t do anything if she kills or maims you!”

Grabbing Gao Zhijian by the shoulder, Li Huowang teleported them from Shangjing in the Liang Kingdom to a forest in the Tianchen Kingdom.

Before them stretched a horizon dominated by a black mountain range.

“Senior Li,” Gao Zhijian said, calm despite being thrown into a foreign land, “she won’t harm me. Zuoqiu Yong knows that even as a Siming, she isn’t safe from Fu Shengtian’s forces. She’ll ultimately agree..”

“Shh! Be quiet! Something’s wrong!”

Li Huowang looked around and scanned his surroundings carefully.

The Tianchen Kingdom looked normal, but something felt weird to him. Something had changed.

“What’s wrong? Did Fu Shengtian’s Simings take over this place? Is there an ambush?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Gao Zhijian immediately thought about the worst-case scenario.

“No…” Li Huowang suddenly focused on the mountains. He had a feeling that they weren’t mountains but a human. As far as he knew, the area around here should’ve been covered by trees and only trees. There wasn't supposed to be a mountain range here.

“Let’s go!”

Li Huowang grabbed Gao Zhijian and shortened the distance between them and the mountain.

Li Huowang's frown deepened as he drew nearer.

The black mountain was moving.

They reached the base of the mountain, and Li Huowang almost vomited from the ridiculous stench.

In front of him was an entire mountain of buzzing flies.

Black flies covered the massive body of Zuoqiu Yong. That was why she looked black from afar.

“What’s going on?!” Li Huowang shouted, startling the flies.

The swarm lifted into the air, revealing a sickening sight: a mountain of maggots burrowed into her decaying flesh.

Li Huowang didn’t want to believe it, but the truth was in front of him. Zuoqiu Yong, the Siming that controlled the Heavenly Dao of Growth, was now enveloped in the Heavenly Dao of Rot.

She died, just like an unfunny joke. Her massive mountain-like corpse was rotting.

“Impossible!” Li Huowang took several steps back, his eye fixed on Zuoqiu Yong’s corpse. “We won! How could Zuoqiu Yong die?”

Li Huowang would never learn how she died. He had defeated Fu Shengtian’s Simings and even killed some of them.

“What’s going on?”

Li Huowang looked at Gao Zhijian, but he knew as much as Li Huowang. Gao Zhijian had no idea what had happened.

Li Huowang glanced at Gao Zhijian, but Gao Zhijian was equally clueless. He had no idea what had happened.

Xuan Pin, the one person who might have had an idea of what happened, was already dead. Li Huowang was next in line, and he was privy to the secrets of the Surveillance Bureau. If even he didn’t know what happened, no one did.

Li Huowang plunged into Zuoqiu Yong’s corpse to search for clues. He started with her brain and then moved through her body, scrutinizing every detail.

It was a long time before Li Huowang exited the corpse. Gao Zhijian rushed to meet him. “Senior Li, what happened here?”

“The Heavenly Dao of Growth...” Li Huowang said, shaking his head. “It’s gone. I looked for it, but it’s gone!”

Did Fu Shengtian ambush Zuoqiu Yong and take away the Heavenly Dao of Growth?

Li Huowang shook his head. No, that can’t be right. If he forcefully took it, it wouldn’t have been so discreet. This is a Heavenly Dao we are talking about.

Taking away the Heavenly Dao of Growth would have caused a natural disaster. The Heavenly Dao of Growth would have disappeared entirely from the five worlds.

However, both the Qi Kingdom and the Tianchen Kingdom are still experiencing growth. That means the Heavenly Dao is still in the Baiyu Capital.