Mutated Tao

Chapter 516: Increase

Chapter 516: Increase

Li Sui carried in the water jar filled with dirt. Li Huowang used a knife to open the wax seal before prying the box open.

A small drop of mercury dripped out and landed on his red robes before dripping onto the ground, creating numerous tiny puddles of mercury.

“I never thought the lessons I learned from my science teacher would be so useful now. Mercury can evaporate at room temperature. If I hadn’t sealed it in the box with wax, I would’ve needed to source more just to skin myself.”

Li Huowang took off his clothes and carried the box filled with mercury toward the big jar full of soil.

Both the Empress Dowager and the princess stood at the top of the kingdom. The Surveillance Bureau was banned from working with them, but they were bound to have powerful bodyguards.

He had to be meticulous in his approach if he wanted to kill them and leave with his life. An artifact made from the skin of a Strayed One would be his insurance.

Li Huowang handed the iron box to Li Sui before burying himself in the jar of dirt. “Li Sui, you already know what to do, right?”

“Yes, I know, I know!” Li Sui exclaimed excitedly. Then, she used her sharp claw to open up Li Huowang’s skin starting from the crown of his head. “Dad, am I really being helpful to you right now?”

Li Huowang nodded amidst the pain and said, “Yes, really helpful.”

Li Sui was so ecstatic, and her tentacles wriggled in mid-air. Li Huowang rarely complimented her, so it wasn't strange that she was so happy.

Just then, Li Sui pried Li Huowang's skin open and was about to pour in the mercury when Li Huowang called out, “Wait.”

He took a moment to calm himself down before speaking softly toward the empty air. “Mom, are you there? I might make some noises in a few but don’t worry about it. I’m just bungee jumping. Yes, I'll be bungee jumping for a very long time, but please be worried.”

After calming his mother down, Li Huowang turned around and nodded at Li Sui. “Do it.”

He had done this so many times before, but he still couldn’t get used to the extreme pain. He tried to be silent, but he still ended up screaming from the pain.

He was panting by the end of it as he sprawled out on the bed. He could see the illusions whispering to each other and were clearly talking about him.

Li Huowang had used the Fiery Scripture to heal his wounds, but the extreme pain was still tormenting him.

This is too much. I really need to find a way to skin myself with as little pain as possible. Otherwise, my mind will eventually crumble at this rate.

“Dad, are you okay? How can I help you?” Li Sui’s tentacles touched the scabs on Li Huowang. “Since it hurts so much, how about you don't do it again.”

“Hehe. It's painful, but it must be done. Just massage me, and it should help with the pain.”

Li Sui wrapped her sticky tentacles around Li Huowang and moved around. Eventually, Li Sui found herself clinging to Li Huowang as if she were a robe. “Dad, does it hurt if I do this? Did I manage to stop the pain?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt anymore,” Li Huowang whispered and suddenly felt exhausted. He tore off a piece of red cloth from his robes and covered his own eyes. His eyelids had been torn off as well, so he needed a blindfold.

He slept soundly that night. When he woke up the next day, he found out that Li Sui was controlling his body to carry the heavy jar downstairs. “Li Sui?”

“Dad, did I wake you up? I want to put the jar back since we're no longer using it.”

“No, you didn't wake me up. I also need to wake up early today, so the timing is perfect.”

Li Huowang and Li Sui then carried the water jar back to its original place before heading to the well in the courtyard to wash up.

When Li Huowang saw his own reflection in the well, he realized that he didn't have to wash his face.

Li Huowang looked at his own reflection and stared at the tentacles moving in and out of his body before coming up with an idea.

“Li Sui, can you enter my body?”

“Dad, didn't you say that I might end up eating you up if I enter your body?”

“No, you're not going to stay inside permanently. It's temporary. I just realized that since the Luo Sect can use the Nascent Soul to speed up their cultivation, I should be able to do the same thing.”

There was no harm in having another hidden card against hidden enemies. He also had a ton of experience working with Li Sui.

“Oh. Let me try.”

Li Huowang opened his mouth, and Li Sui’s tentacles poured into his throat. Bun's skinny limbs also stuffed themselves down Li Huowang's throat. Li Huowang felt like he was being stretched out from the inside, and it was a bizarre feeling overall.

The pain was bearable, but it was all because he was already in extreme pain. At this point, he couldn’t even tell whether the pain was coming from the outside or from inside of him.

Once Li Sui was done, Li Huowang looked down at his reflection once more.

His skinless look was terrifying, but his deformed appearance right now looked downright monstrous. He appeared to be bloated, like someone who had forced themselves to wear a tight shirt. The only difference was that his body was the shirt, while Li Sui was that someone. Li Huowang's bulging blood vessels had been pervaded by Li Sui's black tentacles, and Li Huowang's flesh was shrouded by a black net of veins and tentacles. Li Huowang knew that he was staring at his own body, but he still couldn't help but feel repulsed by the sight.

Li Huowang tried to take a few steps and said, “No need to stuff all of your tentacles inside. You can extend some of the useless ones outside.”

Some black tentacles burst out of Li Huowang like bamboo shoots after spring; the tentacles wriggled in mid-air. Li Huowang still appeared bloated, but at the very least, he was no longer that bloated. He no longer felt encumbered as well.

Li Huowang swung his purple-tasseled sword while Li Sui’s tentacles wielded the bronze coin sword and some talismans.

Their teamwork was great, as the two of them were once one. As time ticked by, Li Huowang realized that his plan was feasible.

In addition to Li Sui's help, he'd be able to conceal his identity as well. Even Li Huowang could no longer recognize himself, so how could others recognize him?

“Dad, you can no longer wear your red robe...”

“We don’t have to wear it. No need to wear such flashy clothes when we're going on an assassination. The last thing we want is getting recognized."

Li Huowang took a simple gray blanket and cut some holes in it to transform it into a large robe that concealed his bloated figure.