Mutated Tao

“Pause for a moment,” Ba Nanxu said before pulling out her phone and answering it. “Hello? Yes, it’s me. Yeah, he’s right in front of me.

“He refuses to go, no matter what. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. We had a deal, and now he’s backing out. Are we really going to deal with someone like him? Aren’t you worried it’s contagious?

“Alright, you talk to him.”

Ba Nanxu tossed the phone to Li Huowang. “Here, Zhao Shuangdian wants to talk to you.”

Li Huowang caught the phone, hesitated, then held it to his ear. A familiar, pleasant voice came through the speaker.

—We know more than Qing Wanglai. Join us, and you’ll finally understand what’s happening to you.

“I know what’s happening. The doctor already told me—I have a mental illness. I don’t need you to repeat it.”

—Really? Do you genuinely believe you’re mentally ill? Then how do you explain the earrings your girlfriend is wearing? Can mental illnesses make things appear out of thin air?

Li Huowang remained silent.

—Forget the information others have drilled into your mind. That’s just the system and rules trying to correct your misalignment.

—Remember this: you are you. You are your own Li Huowang, not the one others want you to be.

Li Huowang finally said, “I don’t understand. If you’re saying I’m not mentally ill, then prove it! I want solid evidence—evidence that is not just from me, but from you! I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. However, I can’t be the only one suffering, right?”

—Proof? Sure. The motorcycle that Qing Wanglai got for you is pretty expensive, right? He’s rich, isn’t he? How do you think he got so wealthy?

Li Huowang glanced back at the motorcycle lying on the ground.

—Don’t be fooled just because it’s a motorcycle. It’s more expensive than a car. It costs over a million.

—He’s not a trust fund kid, so have you ever wondered how he has so much money? Think about the earrings you gave to your girlfriend and the gold your family received. You’re not the only smart one around here.

—Want to know more, Li Huowang? Let’s talk in person.

Zhao Shuangdian hung up, leaving Li Huowang deep in thought. She was clearly trying to bait Li Huowang into asking more questions.

Qing Wanglai’s money came from that other world? But he never went mad like I did. How did he manage it? Is his other world the same bizarre place I was in? Could we have crossed paths in that world without me knowing?

Questions flooded Li Huowang’s mind, leaving him desperate to understand what was going on. He wanted to know the truth, whether it was an illusion or reality.

“Fine, take me to see Zhao Shuangdian!” Li Huowang climbed into the car. The siblings exchanged disappointed looks and got in as well.

As the car sped past buildings, Li Huowang’s thoughts swirled between past experiences. Fantasy mixed with reality, which left him in turmoil.

Could Zhao Shuangdian’s words just now have been an illusion? He turned to examine the siblings beside him. Could they be illusions too?

He reached down to feel the seat under him. Could this car be an illusion too?

Ba Nanxu’s expression shifted when she noticed his strange actions. “Idiot.”

No, this can’t continue. I need a way to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. Otherwise, I’ll go insane.

Li Huowang closed his eyes and tried to think of a way to figure it out.

The solution was elusive. By the time they arrived at Ba Nanxu’s Bloody Bonfire tattoo parlor, he still hadn’t come up with anything.

For now, Li Huowang set his concerns aside and followed them down into the tattoo shop.

Upon entering, he saw Zhao Shuangdian lounging on a couch. Although she looked the same as before, her actions were completely different from when they had first met. 𝔯ἈΝ𝔬ＢË𝘚

She was drinking whiskey while watching a TV drama on her tablet.

“Sit,” Zhao Shuangdian said, patting the couch beside her.

Li Huowang sat down beside her. The show was a romantic drama, though he couldn’t recall its name. If Yang Na were here, she would probably know. She loved this type of show.

His expression darkened at the thought of Yang Na.

“Feeling down? Want some whiskey?” Zhao Shuangdian said.

Li Huowang grabbed the dark blue bottle and took a swig. The next moment, he felt like his mouth was on fire.

After a few more gulps, the alcohol kicked in and he started to feel better. “Alright, tell me, what’s going on?”

“You need to ask specific questions before I can answer.”

“What you said on the phone, is it true? Did Qing Wanglai’s money really come from there?”

“Yes, it’s true. However, I don’t know the exact details. It’s just a logical deduction.”

“So that world really exists? And I really am a Siming? Yang Na wasn’t wrong either?”

Zhao Shuangdian swirled the liquid in her cup. “Have you heard about the story of the blind men and the elephant?”

“Of course, it’s a well-known tale. You even mentioned it before.”

“A group of blind men each feel a different part of an elephant. One touches the leg and says the elephant is like a pillar. Another touches the tail and says the elephant is like a broom. One touches the ear and says the elephant is like a fan. Another touches the tusk and says the elephant is like a horn. Finally, the one who touches the trunk says the elephant is like a thick rope.”

She paused and smiled at Li Huowang. “Which part of the elephant do you think you are touching?”

“I’m experiencing a world. A real world! Even if it’s bizarre, it’s real!”

“I’m not saying your world isn’t real. It’s just… limited, like the shadow of this bottle.” Zhao Shuangdian held up the whiskey bottle, which cast a shadow on the floor. “See that shadow?”

“Yes.”

“That’s your world. Real, but incomplete.”

She tilted the bottle slightly, changing the angle of the shadow. “This is someone else’s world. It's also real, but also incomplete.”

She continued, “All of you see only shadows, never the deeper truth—the most real world.”

With that, Zhao Shuangdian placed the dark blue whiskey bottle before Li Huowang.

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