The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 31 Sword

Chang'an, Zhou Yan?!
Whoosh! A bunch of things squeezed into Sanlang's mind.

Zhang Shoutian's friend! A wandering swordsman who killed the gambling den owner in this city with a single sword! A demon slayer who slays demons in public! The human swordsman that my sister is worried about might come with a sword to seek revenge!

Intense fear, combined with the malevolent aura naturally emanating from Zhou Yan and the ghostly energy of the lamp, converged into a violent impact. The little creature's eyes rolled back, and it collapsed backward with a thud, transforming into a small fox.

The little monster was so frightened that it revealed its true form.

Her belly was exposed, her eyes were filled with tears, and the sound she made was somewhat like sobbing.

"Huh??? Zhou Yan?!"

"Sanlang, what's wrong with you?!"

Another woman rushed over, first grabbing the little fox that had been terrified and revealed its true form, then holding it in her arms. She then backed away, her legs weak, and after only a few steps, she sat down on the ground with a thud, the fluffy tail behind her skirt standing on end.

Even if they weren't scared out of their true forms, fox ears appeared in their hair, and they stared intently at Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan had just overheard the conversation inside and could tell that these monsters possessed a light and ethereal aura.

He blew out the oil lamp and then hung it back on the leather belt and iron ring.

Zhou Yan simply stood at the door:

"I'm not here for revenge."

The older woman remained relatively calm and said:

"My lord, please come in and speak with me."

She had her granddaughter and grandson prepare a table of tea and snacks, which she served to Zhou Yan. She then had them sit beside her, which finally put her at ease. She then introduced herself in a friendly manner:
"I am Hu Erniang, and these are my good-for-nothing grandson and granddaughter."

“This is Qingzhu, and this is Sanlang Lingxi.”

Zhou Yan could see with his naked eye that Hu Erniang looked old, and he wondered if she had deliberately changed her appearance.

The woman next to him was about twenty years old, dressed in the clothes of an ordinary merchant, with golden curly hair, blue eyes, and the typical appearance of a tavern girl. She was beautiful, almost as pretty as a little boy.

They both looked at Zhou Yan with great curiosity.

Zhou Yan inquired in detail about Zhang Shoutian's affairs, and Hu Erniang did not hide anything, saying, "At first, this Zhang Shoutian begged people everywhere to give him some odd jobs, but as you know, everyone is having a hard time these days."

“We saw that he was sincere and pitiful, so we took him in to do some odd jobs, gave him some money, and promised him that once he had rested, we would take him with us. When we arrived at his home, we dropped him off.”

"Who knew that the weasel in our caravan saw the copper coins in Zhang Shoutian's bundle and started saying all sorts of nonsense. Sigh, what a karmic debt! It caused someone to commit suicide. That guy felt too ashamed to face anyone, so he ran away."

"Sigh..."

Zhou Yan paused for a moment, then said, "Does Hu Erniang intend to take Brother Zhang's body back?"

Hu Erniang said, "A promise must be kept. Although my martial arts skills are mediocre, I have been a merchant in this Tang Dynasty for a long time and have a few carts. After organizing the goods, I can take him with me."

Zhou Yan thought of Zhang Shoutian's bundle, and he also planned to go to that village, but before that, there were more important things to do.

"In that case, thank you for your trouble, Grandma."

"I also want to find out some things myself."

"Since you can recognize this money, do you also know that Qingming Fangzhu?"

Master of the Azure Netherworld?

Hu Erniang was startled, Xiao Sanlang's body trembled, and Qingzhu also stopped subconsciously, as if she had mentioned a name that should not be mentioned. Hu Erniang put her hand to her chest, and it took her a long time to catch her breath. She smiled bitterly:
"My lord, please don't say such frightening things so suddenly next time."

"This Qingming Fangzhu is a well-known great demon in the Northwest. I remember the old fox in the clan said that he is a great demon who appeared in this world a long, long time ago. He has lived for an unknown amount of time, and he is elusive. He runs a market and does business."

"I've heard there are all sorts of treasures inside, which are opportunities in the eyes of many demons; but the ancestor said that the opportunities she gives you must be repaid in the future, so don't be greedy, or you'll end up selling yourself for money."

"As for other things, I'm just a fox spirit with weak magic power, so I don't know much."

Opportunity comes at a price...

Zhou Yan muttered to himself, keeping his hostility and murderous intent towards the Qingming Fangzhu to himself. The Qingming Fangzhu was still too far away. He asked, "Then, does Hu Erniang know about Wang Chun?"

Hu Erniang asked cautiously, "Wang Chun? There are too many people named Wang Chun. Which one are you referring to, sir?"

Zhou Yan took out the arrest warrant from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it over. The arrest warrant had a portrait on it, and he pointed to the portrait, saying, "It's him. He deals with monsters. I suspect he's not a simple person."

Hu Erniang stared at the face for a moment, then paused; Qingzhu and Lingxi were also a little stunned. Zhou Yan could tell from their expressions that they knew Wang Chun, and said, "I have been investigating him for a long time. If you know anything, please tell me, Hu Erniang."

Hu Erniang said, "Young master, you said the authorities can't find Wang Chun?"

"Yes."

Hu Erniang said, "That's normal."

"If we want to find him, we don't need the government, we need the Great Tang Xuanxiang Bureau, because Wang Chun is not human at all. We can't find him by tracking down ordinary people and bandits."

Hu Erniang said directly, "He is a treacherous spirit who is twinned with a tiger demon and commits evil together!"

Zhou Yan said, "Chang Sha?"

Hu Erniang said, "Yes, ordinary changgui are just souls, serving as servants to tiger spirits. But human souls are different. If a ruthless person among humans fights with a tiger's soul, they may become this kind of monster."

"This kind of monster has a physical form, and it shares a life with the tiger demon."

"The first thing this kind of evil spirit will do is kill its own blood relatives. Then it will become completely unscrupulous and can be considered a demon. It is not easy to deal with. There is only one thing about it: this monster will always fight for dominance with the tiger spirit, so it is actually physically weak."

"They rely on illusions and deceptions to harm people." A changsha? A monster.

Zhou Yan thought of what Wang Chun had said when he was selling meat.

'Well, there's someone injured or sick at home, so I bought some meat to help them get some nutrition.'

He understood everything at once.

Hu Erniang exhaled and said, "My lord, he is a demon!"

The young swordsman replied, "He is a demon."

One question, one answer.

Hu Erniang was stunned, then understood what the knight meant. Regardless of race or background, even if Wang Chun was a person, in Zhou Yan's eyes, he was no different from a demon.

Everything about Wang Chun had unfolded before his eyes, but since he wasn't just a simple bandit or human trafficker, he needed to talk to Uncle Shen again to see how to deal with this guy.

Zhou Yan was not arrogant, but he also did not consider not killing this guy.

The matter of Zhang Shoutian, the murderous intent towards Wang Chun, and the Qingmingfangzhu.

One thing after another piled up in front of us.

Zhou Yan opened his eyes, slowly exhaled, and said, "Then, I'll trouble you, Grandma, to take Zhang Shoutian's body back. We'll meet at their home in Ganquanyuan in about three days."

Hu Erniang had already realized this, and hesitated before saying:

"My lord, what do you want..."

Zhou Yan said, "If we leave it alone, Wang Chun will continue to harm people."

"Perfect, there are no offerings."

"I'll kill this evil spirit first, and then use its head to sacrifice to them."

A chilling aura emanated from him. Hu Erniang paused, thinking that even if this young man was going to kill a monster, he had made an appointment to find Zhang Shoutian. She couldn't help but wonder, "Young master and Zhang Shoutian are friends?"

Zhou Yan shook his head: "We met by chance."

Hu Erniang was surprised again and asked:
"Did he promise his beloved something?"

Zhou Yan said, "I treated him to a bowl of noodles, and he said he planned to treat me to a drink."

The old fox spirit was puzzled and said, "Then, there is something I don't understand."

"Since we've only met by chance and you don't owe him anything, why would you go to such lengths for a complete stranger? You even killed the monster from the gambling den."

Zhou Yan was stumped by the question.

He turned back and asked himself, why did he have to go this far?

Was it out of pity, or out of morality, an inability to bear watching him die like that? Was it the letter, or the injustice in his heart? He thought about it for a long time, but couldn't understand. Finally, he shook his head and answered bluntly:
"I don't know either, it's just..."

"If you encounter someone in need, you should lend a hand."

"Does everything have to have a reason and a benefit?"

"I treated him to a bowl of noodles, and he wanted to buy me a drink. That's how we became friends."

The fox spirit gazed at the handsome young swordsman before her, but then thought of an old friend she hadn't seen for a very long time. Finally, she smiled and said:
"My lord is a fool."

"However, when I think about it, there seem to be others in this world as foolish as you, sir."

"My lord, you will not be lonely from now on."

Zhou Yan took his leave, picked up his sword, and walked out. Hu Erniang watched his retreating figure disappear into the street, saying, "Zhou Yan of Chang'an... Ah, Chang'an, oh Chang'an." Qingzhu looked at the young man, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

She had seen many people, many demons, some sanctimonious, some feigning magnanimity, but this indescribable spirit gave her a strange, itchy feeling. Her tail swayed beneath her skirt as she said:
"Grandma, no wonder you keep talking about the young man from Chang'an."

"No wonder you still want to do business near Chang'an even though it's not a stable place."

"It looks different."

Hu Erniang thought of her old friend, and she nodded with a smile. Today, she had an idea and took out a box from the small trunk she always carried with her. Her fingers stroked the box, and a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

Back then, she was young, a little fox spirit who had just transformed into human form. She came to the prosperous Tang Dynasty and, because of the color of her fox fur, she transformed into a foreign woman. At that time, she ran a tavern and sold wine every day.

The willow branches swayed, and young men rode back and forth on horseback. One of them, dressed in white, full of youthful vigor, lifted the curtain and entered with an air of confidence. She remembered the poem he had written, so she whispered:

"Young men from the Five Mausoleums ride across the Golden Market in the spring breeze on silver-saddled white horses."

"Where shall I wander after treading upon fallen blossoms? Laughing, I enter the tavern of the Hu women."

The youthful spirit and composure, the prosperity of Chang'an at its peak, are all contained within. Now, the Hu woman, whose appearance is no longer young, opens the box, inside which lies a sword. The Hu woman gently strokes it with her fingers: "Li Taibai, Li Taibai."

"Your sword is still with me, but I can't find it. I did see someone who could lift it, though..."

"One."

"Just like you were in your youth, a spirited young man from Chang'an."

(End of this chapter)