Mutated Tao

Chapter 737: Hong Zhong

Li Huowang stood by a giant slanted column and listened to Hong Zhong explain his thoughts.

Once Hong Zhong finished, Li Huowang paused expressionlessly. “You’re pretending, aren’t you? Why do that at this point?”

Hong Zhong was stunned momentarily. He wiped his face, which reverted to its mahjong tile appearance. His previous agitation was completely gone.

“Impressive, Li Huowang. You saw through it. You’re not that dumb, after all.”

Everything Hong Zhong had said was an act, meant to toy with him just like before.

Despite all he had been through, Li Huowang hadn’t forgotten that this guy was from the Sitting Oblivion Dao.

Even though he was also Li Huowang, he was still from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, and anything he said could be a lie.

“I figured it out by putting myself in your shoes. If I were you, I wouldn’t break down over something so trivial. Besides, if you reset every hour, why fear breaking down?”

Hong Zhong chuckled. “True enough. So, tell me, what’s happening outside? I’m dying of boredom here.”

Since his experiences had been stripped away and made incomplete, his personality had become more extreme.

Seeing that Li Huowang did not respond, Hong Zhong carried on with a proud expression on his face. “Aren’t you surprised I still exist, even though Doulao’s Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies were seized? Do you want to know how I achieved that?”

“I was supposed to disappear, but I refused to accept that. Do you know why?” Hong Zhong leaned closer.

Li Huowang stepped back. “I don’t care how you exist, and I don’t want to know. Time is short, so I’ll be brief. I’m here because of a troublesome matter, and I need—”

“Wait, wait, wait. Can you let me finish first? Do you think I’m some irrelevant NPC you can skip over? Is this how you ask others for help?”

Li Huowang remained silent, and Hong Zhong nodded with satisfaction. “Good. Now, let me show you my story.”

He turned and led Li Huowang to the other side of the column. There was a dense array of carved words on the colossal column.

Li Huowang approached and recognized his own handwriting. Clearly, Hong Zhong had written here to record events beyond the hour.

Li Huowang read the carvings carefully. When he finished, he turned to Hong Zhong. “You survived by relying on Kui Lei’s Heavenly Dao of Death?”

Hong Zhong smugly answered, “Yes. The Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies are gone, but a part of the Heavenly Dao of Death remains in me. I use this fragment to survive.”

“Though I’m stuck in an hour-long loop, it’s better than nothing. And as long as I exist, there’s hope,” Hong Zhong said. “Now, I’ve waited long enough for my chance, haven’t I? What do you need from me? And what do you offer?”

“I can take you out,” Li Huowang said and observed Hong Zhong closely. However, this massive enticement didn’t elicit any reaction, as though Hong Zhong was simply hearing about someone else’s business.

“Take me out? Is this for you or for me?”

“For both of us. A win-win.”

As long as he obtained Hong Zhong’s memories, he could fully grasp Sitting Oblivion Dao’s technique to cultivate ‘Lies.’

“Why should I leave? I’m fine here. I don’t see it as a win-win,” Hong Zhong said indifferently.

Both of them were Li Huowang, so Hong Zhong had considered the very same things. “Without a physical body, I’d just be a memory even if I leave. What’s the difference from being here?”

“So you’re just going to keep waiting like that? Forever?”

Hong Zhong looked at Li Huowang with a mocking gaze. “No problem. I can wait. In any case, I only have an hour of memories, so I won’t go mad from waiting.”

He continued, “I can wait, but can you? Your situation seems more urgent. You need to offer more.”

“Stop joking around! There’s a huge problem outside! Think of Bai Lingmiao and Li Sui! Do you want to endanger them?”

Hong Zhong’s smile faded. “What’s happening outside?”

Li Huowang quickly recounted the recent events, noticing that Hong Zhong had finally become serious.

“Now, I’m cultivating ‘Truth’ but not ‘Lies.’ It’s like having a ticking time bomb around me, and I could harm those around me anytime. I need to solve this quickly.”

Hong Zhong fell silent in contemplation.

“What’s there to hesitate about? Why are you hesitating?”

“Hmph, why are you in such a rush? I’m not hesitating about leaving. Cultivating ‘Truth’ but not ‘Lies’ leads to madness. That’s what Shai Zi said. We need to think this through.” Hong Zhong was evidently suspicious.

“I’ve thought it over. Even in the worst case, cultivating ‘Lies’ is better than my current state.” Li Huowang had indeed hated and despised the deceitful members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao before. But compared to the Dharma Sect, which seemed bent on destroying the world, the Sitting Oblivion Dao’s deceit was less detestable.

Hong Zhong shook his head. “You don’t understand the Sitting Oblivion Dao or Shai Zi. I’m Hong Zhong, so I know them well. If this was planned by Shai Zi, it won’t be just a minor scheme. Don’t drop your guard just because he’s dead.

“A Sitting Oblivion Dao member isn’t truly dead if any of their schemes remain.”

Li Huowang frowned. “So you suspect…”

“I suspect this is a bait. Do you know what that is? In the Liar’s Scripture, it’s the start of a big scam. The bait isn’t usually a scam and might even benefit the target. It’s like the initial sweet treat for a new player at a gambling table.”

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