CHAPTER 939: CHAPTER 71: THE DEMON YAN SANWEN, PART 2

A group of people walked while chatting, and it wasn’t long before they left the small grove and arrived at the tea stall.

This tea stall was the same one that Master Liu and Li Qiang had visited earlier. Unexpectedly, in just half a day, they found themselves sitting there once more.

In their arms, the Fox Demon Little White had already fallen asleep.

It seemed today’s battle had taken quite a toll on it. Coupled with its injuries, it was understandably exhausted.

Pei Laoliu thought for a moment, realizing that returning to Han Yue City now would be impossible.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t enter, nor did he fear them.

It’s just that if he went in now, the City Guard Army would certainly come, and that would be a troublesome matter he wished to avoid.

He recalled a household in East Origin Village where they had a family tradition of treating animals’ wounds.

The village’s livestock, whenever they had any ailment, would typically be treated by them.

Pei Laoliu decided to make a trip back later.

To take Little White there for some treatment, at least to wash off its fur.

Otherwise, sleeping in his arms with blood stains like this, others who didn’t know might think he was wearing a freshly skinned fox scarf.

"By the way, Mr. Yan, why were you there today? Has the matter of the map become clear?"

"I happened to pass by today and saw you at a standstill with them, so I came to help... As for the map..."

Yan Jiantong took out the map that Master Liu had entrusted to him earlier, looking a bit apologetic as he said:

"Alas, I’ve let Master Liu down. When I went to find my friend today, I didn’t expect he had already met an untimely end, and as for the map, I’m afraid..."

"Untimely end? What happened?"

"Alas... this was beyond my imagination."

Yan Jiantong spoke, displaying an angry expression, and continued:

"It was the damned City Guard Army dogs who killed my brother. My brother once served in the army but offended his superior, got punished, and half of his body was crippled, forcing him to spend his remaining days in bed."

"Who would have thought that those scoundrels from the City Guard Army, seeing his wife was beautiful, harbored evil intentions and used vile means to kill him, seeking to seize his wife."

"But his wife vowed never to obey, and all three members of the family were thus killed! Damn the despicable dogs, truly detestable!"

Yan Jiantong struck the table hard.

A palm-shaped hole was immediately left on the table, yet the rest of it remained completely intact.

"Though my brother’s martial arts were average, he was very much to my liking. We hit it off at the first meeting, talking amiably, hence we addressed each other as brothers."

"Now that he has fallen to the poisonous hands of those City Guard scoundrels, if I, Yan Jiantong, do not avenge him, then I’ve wasted these twenty-odd years of life!"

Pei Laoliu at this moment didn’t know what to say.

Such things were almost unimaginable in the times he lived in.

Yet in this feudal society, it didn’t come as a surprise.

Just as he was about to offer his condolences, he heard someone suddenly slam the table and angrily exclaim in his direction:

"Yan Sanwen! So it turns out you’re the demon here! Truly searched high and low only to find you here!"

With those words, four or five other patrons around the tea stall stood up, encircling Master Liu and the others.

These people were all burly men with treasure swords at their waists, clearly not ordinary civilians.

Yan Jiantong seemed to have been accustomed to this such that he didn’t even raise his head, instead saying:

"Boisterous, who are you, and what do you want with Yan?"

The leader, a dark-skinned man, looked at him angrily and said:

"Yan Sanwen, how dare you ask such a question? The countless lives on your hands, drenched with blood! As a man of the Righteous Path, seeing you naturally compels me to uphold justice on behalf of the heavens!"

Pei Laoliu glanced at the man with slight surprise.

Earlier, some from the City Guard had shouted "Evil Yan" and the like.

Initially, he hadn’t paid it much mind, thinking those people called him that out of fear of his martial arts.

Now, hearing these words from the passerby, it seemed there was more to Yan Jiantong than he knew.

"Hehehe, upholding justice on behalf of the heavens, more nonsense..."

Yan Jiantong chuckled, his laughter filled with disdain.

"Since thirteen, I’ve traversed the Martial World, those who died by my sword, if not a thousand, then eight hundred!"

"But I can tell you, there’s no innocent soul among my kills! They’re all evil people, or like you, those wanting my head!"

"You claim to be righteous, yet without discerning right from wrong, you want to kill me; is that your righteousness? Let me ask you, do you have proof of me killing, or know why they met their end at my sword!?"

As he finished, he raised his head abruptly, eyes locking fiercely onto the man not far away.

The man, feeling pierced by the gaze, hesitated, unable to utter a word for a moment.

"Hehe."

Yan Jiantong sneered, lowering his head to continue drinking tea.

Actually, with his temperament, he wouldn’t bother with these jesters.

He let others presumptuously call him a demon, for he had always acted his way, needing no explanation to others.

But today was a bit different.

Beside him sat a true Cultivator.

Out of respect for Master Liu, and yearning for the Immortal Path, for some reason, he had proactively started explaining his killings, instinctively defending himself.

Shaking his head, Yan Jiantong found himself surprised by his own words just now.

This clearly wasn’t his personality.

Could it be that, out of a longing for a higher realm, he subconsciously wished to maintain his image in Master Liu’s mind?

Yet, before he could ponder, the man regained his composure and angrily said:

"Demon! How dare you still argue! Let me ask, in this world, who doesn’t know of your ill repute as Yan Sanwen!? Such undeniable facts leave no room for rebuttal!"

The nearby few chimed in likewise, loudly calling to uphold justice, causing the bystanders to scatter in fear of being caught in the fray.

"Hahaha! Such an argument! Such leaving no room for rebuttal!"

Yan Jiantong laughed thrice to the sky, stood abruptly, and coldly stared at the group of men, saying:

"If that’s the case, does it mean you have no evidence then?"

Not waiting for their response, he continued:

"Alright then, you supposedly righteous people, I’m accustomed to your hypocrisy. But before we fight, I have three questions I want to ask you."

The man frowned, gripping his Longsword tightly, looking rather tense.

"Demon, what trick are you scheming again?"

"Hehe, let me ask you, if you aim to kill me today, and if I fall, begging for mercy, would you spare me?"

His words astonished everyone present.

The man stood still for a moment before replying:

"Demon, with your countless sins, if I spared you, what about those you’ve killed? So today, you must die!"

"Good!"

Yan Jiantong shouted, carrying on:

"Then if I discard all pride, kneeling and kowtowing in plea, would you then spare me?"

"Kowtow?"

The man wore an odd expression but still said:

"Impossible! Yan, abandon that thought! Even if you debate till the world ends today, I won’t spare you! Today, you must die!"

"Good!"

Yan Jiantong shouted again, indifferent to others’ gazes, and asked:

"Then if I tell you, at home I have an elderly mother and a toddler not yet weaned, who can’t survive if you kill me, would you then spare me!?"

His last question was firmly asked, but its content was pitifully humble, leaving those self-proclaimed righteous, who gathered to vanquish evil and protect the path, dumbfounded.