Chapter 368 - Hope

Bai Lingmiao smiled upon seeing Li Huowang's terrified look. She shifted to a more comfortable position in his arms and rubbed her head gently against his chest.

“It’s funny to see you so scared. Lie down, and I’ll explain things to you,” Bai Lingmiao said.

Li Huowang's body relaxed, but his heart was still pounding madly against his chest.

Was the Bai Lingmiao before him the Main Deity or the Second Deity?

He had to know before he could determine what to do next.

Bai Lingmiao squinted, and then she burst into laughter.

“Why are you laughing? Hurry and explain!”

“Well, I don’t know how to explain it to you; it's difficult to put into words.”

“Then, keep it as simple as possible. The simpler, the better.”

Bai Lingmiao pondered briefly before asking, “Huowang, do you know what's inside the human body? hat are humans made of?”

Li Huowang frowned unconsciously. He couldn't understand what she was trying to explain with such a nonsensical question.

“Ah~ Huowang, guess~” Bai Lingmiao said coyly, which made Li Huowang feel uncomfortable. Bai Lingmiao had never been the type to behave like this.

“Are you talking about the physical mortal body?”

“Nooope,” Bai Lingmiao shook her head and said, “How should I put it? Let's just say that humans are made of ten emotions and eight sufferings. The ten emotions are joy, anger, sorrow, greed, hatred, infatuation, fear, love, and evil[1], and the eight sufferings are birth, aging, sickness, death, resentment, separation from loved ones, unfulfilled desires, and the dominance of the five aggregates.”

“Everyone has varying degrees of intensity of the ten emotions and eight sufferings, but they all exist. Your identity and your actions are spurred by those things.”

Li Huowang’s heart quivered. “Who told you that? The Immortal families?”

“Why are you in such a hurry? Let me finish,” Bai Lingmiao said, glaring in displeasure at Li Huowang before continuing, “Those who are not making use of their ten emotions and eight sufferings still have those—they exist but are hidden."

“Ordinary people can hide them just fine, but Shamans are different. Most Shamans have two sides—a Main Deity and a Second Deity.”

Li Huowang glanced at the two girls on his left and right and urged Bai Lingmiao to continue.

“Though we share the eight sufferings, the ten emotions are separate. Back then, the Immortal families used my hidden ten emotions and combined them with some of their scattered things to create the Second Deity.”

“That means...”

“It means we're one person. Our memories are a bit different from each other, but we are indeed both Bai Lingmiao. The killing intent is making me make use of more joy, anger, hatred, evil, and greed, allowing her to have less of them.”

“The Second Deity used them, as the past Bai Lingmiao wasn't really making use of her joy, anger, hatred, evil, and greed.”

Li Huowang looked at the faces right before him. His mind was in a mess, as it was the first time he had heard of something like this.

“Who told you that? Was it the Immortal families? Don’t trust them; they could be deceiving you for all we know!"

“The Immortal families aren't the Sitting Oblivion Dao. They're not going to have fun fooling you with knowledge that everyone probably knows," Hong Zhong said upon appearing out of nowhere.

Li Huowang instantly covered Bai Lingmiao with a blanket the moment he saw Hong Zhong before asking, “Are you aware of the so-called ten emotions and eight sufferings, too?"

“How cute, you're actually asking something that is common knowledge. Aren’t you hiding in the Surveillance Bureau? Ask the people there, and you’ll know whether I’m speaking the truth or not,” Hong Zhong replied.

Li Huowang had spent so much time in this world, but it was his first time hearing the so-called ten emotions and eight sufferings.

I think Luoism had a Nascent Soul kid who liked talking about all these, but I wasn’t really paying any attention.

Li Huowang could still remember that the goal of cultivation was to escape from the ten emotions and eight sufferings.

“So, Huowang, do you finally understand? I have just a bit more joy, anger, hatred, evil, and greed. Bai Lingmiao is still Bai Lingmiao. I'm the freer and better Bai Lingmiao!”

“No, the original Bai Lingmiao is the only Bai Lingmiao that I know!”

Bai Lingmiao wasn't agitated at all, and she pointed at the Second Deity next to her before saying, “Then, that's your Bai Lingmiao right there. She's that obedient, indecisive, and weak Bai Lingmiao.”

Li Huowang turned to look at the Second Deity. When he saw her pitiful beast eyes along with that familiar yet foreign gaze, Li Huowang unconsciously reached out to embrace her.

“All right, you two should go on. I’ll give you some space,” Bai Lingmiao said, putting on her belly band as well as revealing pants. She then pulled apart the curtain and left.

The cold snake scales prickled Li Huowang, but he didn't flinch as he pressed his face against it.

“Don’t worry; I'm going to turn you back! I promise!” Li Huowang vowed.

Li Huowang gradually recovered under the care of Bai Lingmiao and the Second Deity.

However, Li Huowang became more and more restless with every passing day. He still hadn't heard anything from Ji Xiang, and Li Huowang was starting to get worried that something had happened to Ji Xiang.

Li Huowang woke up to another day. He sat up on the bed, and a foot kicked him almost immediately.

“You're getting really annoying! You woke me up again!”

Li Huowang didn't respond. He had gotten used to it long ago. He pulled apart the blanket, got up, and quickly covered the blanket again to make sure that the warmth wouldn't escape.

Li Huowang then opened the window and used it to climb onto the roof. He patted his abdomen to shake off the dust on his hands before taking out an enlightenment book.

A tentacle with a pair of eyes burrowed out of his navel and read the book with Li Huowang. Li Huowang listened quietly to the voice in his ears that had completely taken over his own reading. Li Huowang realized that the book was about to accomplish its task and that he would soon have to find something else to teach Li Sui.

The issue was what would he teach Li Sui. Li Huowang could only teach Li Sui using these enlightenment books, as advanced and obscure literature was beyond him.

Should I just forget it? It’s not like I’m planning to let him take the imperial examination. He can speak clearly, and our relationship has become more harmonious. I’ve already achieved my previous goals.

“Dad, I want to learn this,” Li Sui said, showing Li Huowang a piece of turmeric paper with his tentacle.

“You want to learn to draw talismans?” Li Huowang wasn't sure whether Li Sui could use them, but he found it strange to have a tentacle monster draw talismans for him.

While Li Huowang was hesitating, a black shadow fleeted across him from above.

Li Huowang looked up, and a stack of letters fell from the sky.

“Those are...” Li Huowang’s heart thumped. He snatched them out of mid-air and opened them to see the greetings with the name Er Jiu at the start. Li Huowang's pupils constricted.

This was what Ji Xiang had promised me!

Li Huowang read every single word, looking for the words "Bei Feng."

Li Huowang's eyes darted left and right, and his gaze soon came to an abrupt halt as his breathing turned into ragged pants. Li Huowang's sweat drenched the paper in his hand as he muttered, “It's been two months since we parted in Yinling, and today...”

The records of the Surveillance Bureau stated that Sitting Oblivion Dao’s Bei Feng was just like Li Huowang—a Strayed One!”

It was precisely because he was a Strayed One that he managed to make use of the bewilderment in his heart to disperse the mounting obsession that came with age, allowing him to live 194 years old.

Based on Bei Feing's long relationship with the Surveillance Bureau, Li Huowang deduced that Bei Feng had a way to break free from the hallucinations!

Li Huowang's heart filled with excitement as tears streamed down his face. He had experienced so many hardships along the way—hardship that always made him feel despair, but today, he finally felt hope for the first time!

1. author only listed nine ?