Chapter 25: The Forest Path

"Clang!" The sound of the sword striking the "Heavenly Book" was so piercing that everyone in the room instinctively covered their ears and stepped back.

"Not even a scratch... Wasn't Chang Ming's sword supposed to be special? Isn't he a sword cultivator? This thing shouldn't be an ordinary blade," Li Huowang muttered as he studied the sword for a few seconds before gripping the hilt with both hands and swinging it down again.

After gritting his teeth and repeatedly striking the book, something finally happened—but not to the so-called Heavenly Book. Instead, it was Li Huowang's sword that gave in.

"Clang!" The blade split in two right where it struck the book, leaving Li Huowang holding a broken sword.

He stared at the broken blade in stunned silence, clearly thrown off by the unexpected turn of events. His new weapon was gone before it had even been properly used.

Looking around, Li Huowang quickly walked over to Chang Ren's corpse and snatched his sword instead. "Good thing there's a spare," he muttered.

"Swish—" He sheathed the blade, then circled the Heavenly Book, pondering what to do next.

He had initially planned to destroy the so-called Heavenly Book, but now he began to hesitate. If this book could withstand so much damage, perhaps it was more valuable than he thought. Could it be a treasure?

With a new resolve, Li Huowang decided he couldn't simply discard it. "Whatever it is, I'll keep it. Worst-case scenario, I can pawn it for some cash," he reasoned.

As for using it to achieve immortality, Li Huowang had already dismissed that notion. He had seen too many examples of failure to harbor any illusions about its power.

Lifting the book was no easy feat. It was far heavier than he had anticipated, but still manageable. Wrapping the stone slab in cloth, he slung it onto his back and turned to the others who had been waiting quietly.

"Let's go. We're leaving this place for good."

He poured the remaining lamp oil onto the filthy room of Dan Yangzi and ignited it. Flames licked the ground and quickly spread, engulfing everything in their path—including the corpses of Chang Ming, Chang Ren, and Xuan Yuan.

The fire burned fiercely, consuming everything that could catch alight, leaving behind only soot and ashes.

"Cough, cough!" The thick smoke stung their throats, causing everyone to hasten their steps.

Three sticks of incense later, they finally emerged into the daylight, standing at the cave entrance, silently watching smoke billowing out from the depths of Qingfeng Temple.

The black smoke, swirling upward, seemed to carry with it all the evil and darkness of the temple, dispersing into the clear, bright sky.

Tilting his head upward, Li Huowang let out a quiet chuckle. With a long sword slung on his back and the stone slab secured, he turned and walked toward the forest path in the distance. "Let's go," he said.

The others, carrying their supplies, followed behind him. Without realizing it, they had all started treating Li Huowang as their leader.

Looking ahead to the approaching forest, Li Huowang found his mood unexpectedly lighter.

"Ah, this place is so strange. I wonder what kind of people and things I'll encounter in the future. For some reason, I'm starting to look forward to it."

The sunlight warmed his face, and the fresh air filled his lungs. His mind felt clearer, and his spirits began to lift.

"Li Shixiong, slow down! My eyes hurt," White Lingmiao called out.

Li Huowang turned to find her shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

He walked over, cupped her face in his hands, and carefully examined her eyes. To his surprise, he could see blood vessels through her translucent pink irises, as if her entire eyeball was illuminated from within.

"Is this some kind of condition?" Li Huowang guessed.

Though not a doctor, he had heard of elderly albino individuals often being blind. Perhaps White Lingmiao's condition made her eyes more fragile than others.

"This won't do," he muttered. Taking a strip of cloth from his blue robe, he gently tied it over her eyes like a blindfold. "From now on, cover your eyes whenever the sun's out."

"But... I won't be able to see anything," she protested.

"No problem. I'll guide you." Taking her soft hand in his, Li Huowang led the group into the forest.

White Lingmiao stumbled a few times but quickly adjusted to his pace, following him as they ran toward the trees.

"Knock, knock, knock!" An old man with a deeply wrinkled face tapped his tobacco pipe against a wooden box, dislodging the charred residue inside.

Refilling it with fresh tobacco from his pouch, he lit it with his flint box and took a deep drag, exhaling contentedly.

"Hey, kid, are you done yet?" he called toward the woods, his voice gruff.

"Almost!" came a boyish voice from the distance.

"Lazy brat, taking so long to answer nature's call. Anyone would think I've been feeding you dirt instead of real food," the old man grumbled as he smoked.

His gaze shifted to the caravan behind him—a modest procession consisting of a single wagon carrying costumes and instruments, his eldest son's family of three, and two distant nephews from the village. Though small, this troupe was the fruit of his lifelong efforts, the means by which he kept his family fed during lean times.

"Pa, have some water and bread," his son offered, holding out the provisions.

"Eat? At this hour? You think food falls from the sky? Grain prices are through the roof, and you're wasting it on snacks? You've got a two-year-old daughter now—stop acting like a kid yourself!" the old man snapped.

Used to the scolding, the son chuckled sheepishly and handed the food to his wife instead.

"Let him rant; it won't hurt you," his wife said as she put the food away and played with their toddler.

Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the calm. "Ghost! A ghost!"

Moments later, a boy with a bare bottom came sprinting out of the woods, crying hysterically as he threw himself into the old man's arms.

"Ghost? In broad daylight? Put your pants on, you little rascal!"

Despite his scolding, the old man instinctively shielded the boy behind him, gripping his tobacco pipe tightly as he scanned the forest.

In the shadows of the trees, figures began to emerge.

PS:This is my first time translating my Chinese novel into English with the help of GPT. There may be some inaccuracies or deviations from the original, but I hope you can still enjoy the story. If you find it resonates with you or you see areas for improvement, your support and encouragement would mean the world to me. Thank you for reading!