Mutated Tao

Chapter 575: Twisted One

Li Huowang was furious at the Imperial Preceptor's remark.

“So you think I'm suspicious? What about you?! You never noticed what was wrong with Ji Lin until it was too late, and the same goes for Gao Zhijian! Are you kind of useless here? Or was Shai Zi right when he said that you're his spy?!”

Zhuge Yuan's plan was flawless. Gao Zhijian could save the Qi Kingdom by becoming the emperor!

If it wasn’t for the Imperial Preceptor making those mistakes over and over again, things wouldn't have come to this point.

Huangfu Tiangang was enraged. He shoved his hands into his robes and was about to do something when the Chief wiped away the gray patch on Huangfu Tiangang’s chest, revealing the same wound from earlier.

Huangfu Tiangang felt drained as if his soul had been taken away. He pressed on his wound and stumbled back into his chair with an agonized look.

“Enough. That is the end of that issue. I will need both of you to keep quiet about this issue. I know that the two of you aren't working for that Shai Zi. This plan wasn't made by that Shai Zi alone; the Shai Zis from both the Liang Kingdom and the Qi Kingdom had a hand in this plan. It’s not strange that the Imperial Preceptor failed to see through their scheme.”

The tense atmosphere was diffused so fast that Li Huowang didn’t know what to say.

This was indeed not the time to be fighting each other. Dealing with that Shai Zi from earlier was the top priority issue. The Dragon Vein was basically the kingdom's future. If Shai Zi ended up tampering it, the entire world would be in danger.

Li Huowang looked at Huangfu Tiangang’s ashen face and recounted the experience to the Chief.

More and more people joined in on the conversation, including Bai Lingmiao, Zu Yi, and a skinny Daoist with a solemn expression.

A defeating silence hung above everyone once Li Huowang was done.

Li Huowang looked at the Chief and saw the hazy darkness under the robes. He had a feeling that there was nothing in there.

The Chief suddenly stood up. “Shai Zi has taken the Dragon Vein, so I will keep it short. I hope everyone understands what’s happening here. We need to reclaim the Dragon Vein, so you're going to listen to my orders, right?”

The Chief's words sounded like a question but it was more like an order.

Everyone needed a leader, and the Chief’s status and strength meant that he was more than qualified to be a leader.

“Chief, I don’t mind listening to your orders, but can you tell me why Shai Zi has decided to take the Dragon Vein away? What is he going to do with it? I don’t want to go in blind.”

Li Huowang had heard what Shai Zi had shouted to the skies earlier, but he couldn't understand it.

The Chief said nothing and stared deeply at Li Huowang. Then, he glanced at Bai Lingmiao and the Ao Jing Sect members.

“He wants to get rid of the future where he'd inevitably become the Doulao’s Twisted One. He wants to use the Liang Kingdom's luck to sever the bond between him and Doulao.” The same layered voice from earlier echoed from beneath the red robes.

“What’s a Twisted One?” Li Huowang asked again. He wanted to know it, as everything in this world seemed to be covered in a layer of veil.

“Cause and effect. The Twisted Ones are the ‘cause’ of the Simings," the skinny Daoist answered Li Huowang's question.

“Cause?”

“That’s right, ‘cause.' Only with a ‘cause’ can a Siming have an ‘effect’ 'Without it, they'd cease to exist.”

“What’s a ‘cause’? Can you stop answering me in riddles?! Explain it to me properly!”

“Everything has a cause and effect, including the Simings. Their ‘cause’ is the past, so the Twisted Ones are the past selves of the Simings. If the Simings controlling the Heavenly Daos are large trees, then the Twisted Ones are their seeds.”

"I am a Twisted One, meaning that my life will forever be entangled with the Three Ancient Ones both in life and death." Li Huowang suddenly recalled Zhuge Yuan's words.

Twisted Ones are the seeds of the Simings? Does that mean that both the seeds and trees exist at the same time? Does that mean the Three Ancient Ones is Zhuge Yuan?! Li Huowang trembled at the thought of it alone.

“No, wait! Zhuge Yuan was the Twisted One of the Three Ancient Ones. Since you said that the Twisted Ones are the past of the Simings, does that mean that the Three Ancient Ones ceased to exist the moment he died?” Li Huowang asked, pointing at the rafters in shock.

“Hehehe, the world is large. Who told you that they only have one Twisted One? To prevent their demise, they'd choose multiple Twisted Ones, and some of them were even manipulated to stay under the control of the other Simings. Since Twisted Ones are the past of the Simings, they could be influenced by the other Simings. That’s why Shai Zi wanted to sever the bond between him and Doulao to get rid of his Twisted One status. I think that rather than Zhuge Yuan getting tricked by Shai Zi or acting in his own version of justice, his Siming, the Three Ancient Ones, wanted to help Shai Zi instead.”

“Ahem.” the Chief interrupted, “He is the Chief of Si Qi’s Surveillance Bureau, Zheng Boqiao.”

Everyone looked at the skinny Daoist.

The skinny Daoist nodded and waved his whisk. “I follow the path of the Immortals. Nice to meet you all.”

Li Huowang was even more confused after hearing Zheng Boqiao’s explanation. He truly didn't expect that the Twisted Ones were the past of the Simings.

What a crazy world! Li Huowang was truly stupefied to know that the powerful Simings controlling the Heavenly Dao didn't have a past and had to find one for themselves!

“Ridiculous. How can the Twisted Ones be the past of the Simings? Those words are a load of lies that the Surveillance Bureau has been using to deceive others," said one of the Ao Jing Sect members. The Ao Jing Sect member was wearing a large robe stained with blood, and the image of a bloody skeleton could be seen on his robe. “The Simings were born the moment the universe took shape. They were born to hold the Heavenly Daos.”

“Hehehehe.” Zheng Boqiao chuckled hoarsely. “Of course, every Siming has a different way of finding their own Twisted Ones. They also have different names. Ba-Hui chooses its Siming based on the Cang-Qiang Ascension. Those Twisted Ones chosen through that method are who you call elders.”

Li Huowang was shocked. I did that three times. Does that mean I’m Ba-Hui’s Twisted One?