Mutated Tao

Qing Wanglai chuckled and adjusted the bridge of his glasses with one of his fingers. “It’s a secret.”

Qing Wanglai and Wu Qi helped Li Huowang stand up.

“You can communicate with them, so why not try to negotiate and make peace? What do they want? Or do you have some other purpose?”

“If things were that simple, I would’ve done it long ago. It’s too late now. After what happened before, there’s no way for us to coexist peacefully.”

Just then, Wu Qi glanced at Qing Wanglai. “Be careful, his ribs are broken.”

“It’s fine. This wasn’t from the rocks—it was from being smashed by a lunatic earlier. I can walk by myself.” Li Huowang pushed them away forcefully and staggered along with the others to leave the area.

Although Li Huowang was injured, he seemed more composed than before. He now knew that not everything he had seen was a hallucination. Chen Hongyu hadn’t died—she was now another kind of existence.

Li Huowang began to notice a pattern emerging, albeit vaguely. Certain aspects of these peoples’ worldviews were untrue, while others held true to reality.

For example, Qing Wanglai’s projection theory had been confirmed in Chen Hongyu’s case.

Li Huowang quickened his pace, bent down, and picked up a fat, gray rat lying on the moss. “Are you okay?”

The shockwave left it stunned, but it was still alive.

Li Huowang placed it on his shoulder and walked out, ignoring the hushed comments coming from behind.

They returned to the hot desert, with Qing Wanglai taking the lead this time. Fortunately, the paths he had mentioned earlier were there. After about an hour of traveling toward the collapsed area, a dark wellhead came into view.

“The collapse should be about a kilometer away. If we enter from here, we won’t be blocked,” Qing Wanglai said, slipping the compass into his pocket.

He continued, “There’s just one problem. We don’t know if those people are waiting to ambush us below. So, we need someone to scout ahead.”

The well was deep and dark, and its interior was completely unknown.

Everyone looked at each other, and eventually, all eyes fell on Li Huowang.

“Why me? Do I have ‘sucker’ written on my face?”

Qing Wanglai said, “Li Huowang, this isn’t just for everyone else—it’s also for yourself. Your gear is better than ours, and if you help us, I’ll agree to do one thing for you—anything within my power.”

“Sorry, I don’t buy into empty promises. If you want to be fair, let’s draw lots.”

Li Huowang had lost all trust in them, having witnessed how they manipulated Chen Hongyu. While thinking about this, he glanced down at the rat he was holding. It had woken up and was sniffing around.

He gently stroked the rat’s head, but a look of panic suddenly crossed his face.

He hurried over to Zhao Lei and lifted the rat to his face. “Can you see this? Tell me, can you see this rat?”

Zhao Lei jumped back, startled. “Yes, I see it! I see it! Li Huowang, what’s gotten into you? You’re acting crazier and crazier!”

“If you can see it, I know it’s not a hallucination,” Li Huowang said, gently patting the rat’s head and taking a long breath.

He paused for a second before walking over to Qing Wanglai and Zhao Shuangdian, who were discussing their next steps.

“I can go down and scout the path, but there’s something I’ll need you to do for me when we return.”

“What is it?” Zhao Shuangdian asked.

“I need you to help me get the prescription meds Yi Donglai gave me regularly.”

Li Huowang knew he couldn’t continue like this, confusing reality with hallucinations.

If he was genuinely ill, he needed to keep taking his medications. Although they wouldn’t cure him, they could at least help stabilize his condition and prevent further hallucinations.

Qing Wanglai and Zhao Shuangdian exchanged glances and nodded. “Alright.”

Li Huowang wasted no time. He headed straight to the well.

He placed his feet against the sides of the well and peered into the pitch-black darkness below. A cold wind whistled up from within, adding to the sense of danger.

“Light a flare.”

As he reached out to take the flare stick, the rat in his hand suddenly wriggled free and leaped into the darkness below.

Li Huowang tried to stop it. However, the rat had already disappeared into the darkness.

After a brief pause, Li Huowang shouted, “Sister Chen! How’s it down there? Are there any ambushes?”

Faint squeaking echoed up from the depths. Li Huowang relaxed his legs and swiftly descended.

As soon as he landed, he raised the flare stick high. The bright red light illuminated everything around him.

Li Huowang scanned the surroundings, finding no trace of any enemies. He waved the flare stick, signaling for the rest of the group to descend.

While waiting for them, Li Huowang said, “Sister Chen, thank you. You don’t need to help me next time. I can handle it myself.”

At that moment, Wu Qi climbed down the rope and looked at Li Huowang with concern. “Who are you talking to?”

Li Huowang shook his head and did not offer any explanation. He knew that no one would believe him anyway.

“Stay on high alert,” said Zhao Shuangdian, taking the lead. “We have already alerted the enemy, so they will be on high alert now.”

Li Huowang had believed their side had the advantage, but now it seemed like they were walking into a death trap. “Are you sure there are enough of us? It looks like they have way more people.”

Zhao Shuangdian shook her head. “They’re not as strong as you think, and we’re not as weak as you think. Last time, we hurt them badly. They’re scared now.”

She turned to Li Huowang. “There’s no need to force yourself to understand me. It’s fine. You can interpret things through your own worldview.

“Whether it’s the elephant’s tusk or leg, both are parts of the same elephant. Everything is interconnected.

“However you perceive me in your world, that’s exactly what I am.”

Li Huowang looked at her delicate profile. “I’d like to know, but right now, I really don’t understand what kind of Siming you are.”

The culvert grew quieter as they advanced. They even switched off their flashlights, moving forward in complete darkness to avoid detection.

After about half an hour, the air became thick with the acrid smell of burning metal and chemicals. The stench was unbearable, even through Li Huowang’s helmet.

Qing Wanglai’s soft voice reached his ears. “That’s the smell of methamphetamine. We’re almost there.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!