010 Steamed Buns

Li Huowang curled up into a ball, much like an unborn infant, sitting motionlessly and withdrawn in a corner of the storeroom.

The other medicine ingredients didn't dare nor want to disturb him and quietly went on with their own work.

Night fell imperceptibly. All the oil lamps on the wall went out, and the darkness enveloped Li Huowang like a quilt.

He lay there like a corpse, showing no reaction to the changes in the outside world.

At the third watch, a faint candlelight emerged from the doorway, illuminating the nearby shelves and dispelling the darkness on Li Huowang.

The timid Bai Lingmiao came to Li Huowang with a bundle of dry grass in her arms. She carefully spread the grass over him.

Then she took out a multigrain steamed bun from her bosom and placed it beside his mouth.

Seeing that Li Huowang still remained motionless, she pursed her lips and gently nudged him. "Senior brother, have something to eat. You haven't eaten anything all day."

Li Huowang's eyes were wide - open. His eyes, which hadn't blinked for hours, stared blankly at the cold ground and didn't shift to Bai Lingmiao at all.

Bai Lingmiao wanted to leave, but after hesitating for a moment, she finally took out a jade pendant from her bosom and placed it beside Li Huowang's hand.

"Senior brother, this is yours. Take it back."

This time, Li Huowang finally showed a reaction. He looked at the thing and found it was the round jade pendant he had stolen from the previous Xuanyang.

Li Huowang still remembered that he had given this thing to Yang Na to exchange for money. At the thought of Yang Na, his heart, already full of holes, started to bleed again. "How... How did this thing end up with you?"

"You... You gave it to me, senior brother. I said I didn't want it, but you insisted on stuffing it into my hand."

Li Huowang slowly sat up. By the dim candlelight, he carefully examined this round jade pendant with cloud - like patterns.

At this moment, he had never felt everything so real. But in this reality, there was only real despair and real pain.

If he could choose, how he wished to be trapped in that beautiful illusion forever.

Seeing that Li Huowang had responded, Bai Lingmiao softly asked, "Senior brother Li, where were you captured by master? I'm from the Liang Kingdom. Where are you from?"

After being stunned for a while, Li Huowang shook his head dejectedly. "I don't know."

He really didn't know. He did have memories of the past, but after what had happened during the day, Li Huowang himself couldn't tell how much of those memories were real and how much were illusory.

Even here, he was still a madman, a madman who couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion.

Just as he was shaking his head, Li Huowang suddenly felt something strange on his head. He reached up and found that his hair was clotted with scabs. He had been injured before.

Seeing Li Huowang touching his head, Bai Lingmiao explained, "It was Senior Brother Wang who did it."

Li Huowang knew that this Senior Brother Wang was the hare - lipped fat guy who had tried to make a move on Bai Lingmiao before. "Where is that guy surnamed Wang?"

"You... You kicked him to death with one kick."

Hearing this, the image of Old Liu - tou, who he had kicked away in the illusion, flashed through Li Huowang's mind. He lowered his head and smiled silently. He really was crazy enough.

Li Huowang reached into his bosom and took out a gold ankle - bracelet wrapped with a red string. He held it out in front of Bai Lingmiao. "This is yours. Take it back."

Bai Lingmiao looked at her ankle - bracelet and pushed it back with both hands. "Senior brother Li, you were right before. This thing is of no use here. You keep it."

Li Huowang stared blankly at the gold bracelet, but it was of no use to him now. Everything he cared about was gone.

"Um, Senior Brother Li, can I use this as a reward to ask you for a favor?" Bai Lingmiao's words made Li Huowang turn his gaze to her.

"If you can get out of here alive, could you please pass a message to my parents? They live at the foot of Niuxin Mountain in the Liang Kingdom. Just tell them that their daughter is unfilial and can't take care of them in their old age." As she spoke of her sorrow, Bai Lingmiao's voice choked with sobs.

"Senior Brother Li, I really don't want to trouble you, but I really have no other way. They'll probably take me to the alchemy room soon. I..."

Hearing this, Li Huowang, who looked decadent and numb, felt a jolt in his heart, and his lifeless eyes lit up again.

He looked at the dry grass covering him and then at the steamed bun beside him. He reached out and stuffed the red - stringed gold bracelet back into his bosom.

"I keep my word. Since I took your thing before, I'll help you."

Bai Lingmiao's sad eyes suddenly brightened, but then dimmed again quickly. "Senior Brother Li, this won't work. It'll get you into trouble too."

"Hehe... Do you think I'm still afraid of that now?" At this moment, Li Huowang had let go of everything. He had completely thrown caution to the wind. Since everything he cared about was gone, what else was there to be afraid of?

"Good! Senior Brother Li is awesome!" A male voice suddenly came from outside the storeroom, startling the two people inside.

As the candlelight illuminated the person, a grinning, sharp - featured face came into view. His face was mottled yellow and white, looking as if he suffered from a skin disease like vitiligo.

This man took out two multigrain steamed buns and flatteringly placed them beside Li Huowang.

"Hehe, Senior Brother Li, have some buns. When having dinner, I thought that Senior Brother Li hadn't eaten yet, so I specially saved two for you."

"You may not know me, junior brother here was born and raised by nature and has no formal name. You can just call me Gouwa. Hehe, just yesterday, I offered you seventeen copper coins."

Gouwa rubbed his hands restlessly, with his flattery almost written all over his face. Obviously, he wanted to rely on Li Huowang as a backer so as not to be sent as a medicine ingredient. There are smart people everywhere.

Li Huowang didn't say a word. He grabbed the three somewhat hard - textured steamed buns and gobbled them up. He had been hungry for a whole day.

He choked a bit because he ate too fast. Gouwa immediately ran out sensibly and brought a cup of water for Li Huowang.

After washing the three multigrain steamed buns down with the cold groundwater,

Li Huowang staggered to his feet. After lying on the ground for so long, his legs were numb.

Bai Lingmiao reached out to support him, but Li Huowang pushed her away.

His eyes fixed firmly on the dark exit of the storeroom in the distance, and he staggered out.

At this moment, his enemy was no longer his suddenly - changed illness, but the scabby - headed Taoist priest, Danyangzi, who used people for alchemy.

When Danyangzi's ugly and disgusting face appeared in his mind, a strong sense of hostility gradually emerged in Li Huowang's eyes, and his teeth began to grind with a creaking sound.

"What right do you have to force that disgusting thing into my mouth? What right do you have to force me out of the beautiful illusion and make me face this despairing reality!"