Chapter 466: Bai Lingmiao |
Li Huowang felt the tactile feedback of his own writing using his sensitive fingers, and he started brainstorming ways to tackle every single issue on his list.
First of all, I need to treat Bai Lingmiao’s eyes. Her vision is getting worse, and I have to address that issue as soon as possible. Since Liu Zhongyuan said the Surveillance Bureau in Shangjing had the solution to issues related to the eyes, I should head there before going anywhere else.
He's right. I’ve completed a ton of missions for the Surveillance Bureau. Moreover, I was a spendthrifty. Aside from the bribe I gave to Hong Da so that I can kill Xinchi, the rest of my lifespan pills are in the gourd. It’s a good time to exchange them right now. As for her lifespan… I’m not sure if the pills are going to be effective on her.
That said, where is she? I haven’t seen her for the entire night.
“Li Sui, where is your mother?”
“She went to the room with black wooden slates.”
Li Huowang’s face fell. Bai Lingmiao was at the ancestral hall.
“It’s fine, then. You should go ahead and sleep. It’s late now.”
Li Sui nodded and obediently left the room. Li Sui was wearing Li Huowang's veil, and she headed to the stable. The stable was her temporary residence, as it was mostly empty aside from the carriages and a few horses.
Soon, Li Sui reached the ancestral hall and saw that the door to the hidden chamber was open. Li Sui pondered briefly before entering the hidden chamber, and she soon found herself in the hall of the White Lotus Sect.
Li Sui looked around with awe and curiosity; she sniffed around, taking in the scent of the white flags hanging from the ceiling as well as using her paws to scratch at the murals from time to time.
Li Sui eventually stopped looking around and turned toward a door that was slightly ajar. There was a familiar scent beyond that door. Li Sui hesitated before entering it. The room was dark, but the familiar scent had gotten thicker.
It was the scent of her mother.
Soon, Li Sui heard sobbing. It appeared that her mom was crying.
“We've been together for so long, and I know that Senior Li truly takes good care of me. I don’t want to make him sad either, but… I don’t know what to do.
"I can't stop having this nightmare about my parents cursing and scolding me for being so inconsiderate. I'd always have that nightmare as long as I'm with him. I really am tired of living.
"Should I just leave him? I can't… I'm torn; I just want to give up and die, but I can’t even die thanks to the Immortal family. Oh Heavenly Mater, what do I do? Every single choice before me seems to be the wrong choice.”
The sobbing stopped. Li Sui wanted to move closer to her but a red figure blocked her.
“Mother?” Li Sui asked, staring at the Second Deity in front of her. “Mother, it’s already late. Why are you still awake? Father told me to sleep.”
The Second Deity extended her right hand, which had razor-sharp nails. She took Li Sui’s black tentacle and guided her gently toward the depths of the tunnel. Upon walking into another door, Li Sui saw a frail and pallid woman kneeling in front of a conjoined lotus. The woman was none other than her mother.
Bai Lingmiao was holding three incense sticks while staring at the conjoined lotus in front of the mural.“Heavenly Mater… The books say that you exist, but do you really exist? Are you really almighty? If you do exist and you're almighty, then why did you not save the Bai Family members when Li Huowang was killing them?
"They've been worshiping you for so long; why did you not save them?”
Li Sui stood quietly, listening to Bai Lingmiao. It wasn't until when Li Sui finally felt sleepy that she saw her mother stand up with red eyes before bowing three times toward the conjoined lotus.
“Heavenly Mater, if you are as kind as the book has said, please help me escape my predicament. Grant me this request, and I will forge a statue out of gold in your motif. I will stay in the White Lotus Sect and serve you forever.”
Bai Lingmiao raised her head and looked up at the conjoined lotus, but there weren't any changes. Bai Lingmiao knew that nothing would happen, but she was still disappointed. Finally, she turned around and saw Li Sui standing behind her along with the Second Deity.
Bai Lingmiao merely wiped her tears away and walked outside.
The Second Deity and Li Sui followed closely behind her.
Soon, they arrived at the door of the ancestral hall.
Bai Lingmiao abruptly stopped walking, but she did not even turn around as she asked, "Are you looking down on me? For praying to a false god?”
“If you're tired, let me swap in.” An eerie voice echoed from the Second Deity's red veil.
Bai Lingmiao bit her lips and shook her head. “No. The murderous aura cannot enter me once again. Senior Li would be sad if that ended up happening.”
The Second Deity extended her arms and covered Li Sui’s tattered ears. “You don’t even have the courage to keep living, so why do you even care about him? Bun is more human-like than you.”
“You!” Bai Lingmiao exclaimed.
The red veil slid down, revealing the snarling face of a beast.
“You're the type to give all of your heart to someone who's remotely kind to you. You deserve what you tolerate. Following the laws of the jungle, and if you want to be a filial daughter, then you should kill Li Huowang! He's your father's murderer, after all. However, I know that you are not going to do that. You do not have the guts to do that.
"You think Li Huowang's survival is more important than your family. You want to become an official couple with him and marry him, but you can’t even get over the wound in your heart.
"Whenever something untoward happens, you place your hopes on the Heavenly Mater, which probably doesn't even exist, instead of thinking about ways to deal with the issue at hand.
"You pray for the gods to show up and fix your own issues for you instead of doing it yourself. You're weak—utterly useless. Wake up! You can wish for as many times as you want, but no one is going to make your wishes come true.
"You have to understand that only you can help yourself."
Bai Lingmiao couldn’t argue against the Second Deity and turned around.
The Second Deity removed her hands from Li Sui’s ears and continued, “You must not depend on Li Huowang every time you need help. Our lives are more important than his life. You should prioritize yourself before anyone else. I mean, look at yourself—you're going to become blind at this rate.”
Bai Lingmiao placed both hands on her chest and sobbed. She walked slowly to the Bai Family Estate and muttered, “I just want to live happily ever after with the person I love. Is there anything wrong with that?”