Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 624 Between Good and Evil

"...Do your best and leave the rest to fate..." Tao Qingtang was silent for a while, "If the government troops are really determined, we have no other choice."

After all, in their eyes, we, the Nine-Bend Sect, and Jingtian Manor... are all the same kind of people... So, I choose to believe Brother Han... He... wouldn't harm us.

"..."

Yue Hongying fell silent immediately.

She now longs to go back to her childhood, if possible, and urge her younger self to practice martial arts diligently.

Now she has just realized something.

In this era, without the power to protect oneself, even living peacefully is a luxury.

Yes, that's all she wanted. Just to survive.

Live well.

But that's a difficult problem.

……………

……………

The rooster crows at dawn, and the morning light begins to shine. The dark clouds of the past few days have finally dispersed, leaving half the sky dark and half blue, without a single cloud in sight—clearly a fine day.

Early morning, at Jiaxing Tavern.

"Have you heard about...that matter..."

"I know, I know... I saw the garrison with my own eyes..."

"Shh...shh...Old Wang, are you out of your mind? Keep your voice down! If anyone hears you, you'll lose your head..."

The once quiet tavern was now packed with people early in the morning, a bustling scene.

This made the shopkeeper, who had been sighing and frowning all day, beam with joy. During his brief rest, he would sneak behind the counter and silently count the money, counting it countless times throughout the day.

These days, doing business is really tough.

The monthly rent and labor costs alone constitute a significant expense. Especially recently, rising grain prices have led to a substantial increase in beverage prices, making it difficult to make ends meet.

He almost had to close down and terminate the lease.

Fortunately, the good times have finally arrived.

For several days in a row, the tavern was packed every day, whether it was morning or late at night, and even when it was closing time, people kept coming in.

In just a few days, the turnover has exceeded the income of the past six months.

As for the reason why the tavern became so popular...

He was too lazy to think about it, and he didn't dare to think about it.

He knew it even if he didn't want to, so why would he need to say it?

The topic of conversation among the guests was none other than the matter of the government troops and Jingtian Manor.

The once arrogant and domineering government troops, whom no one in the entire Huayang City dared to offend, actually suffered a great loss at the hands of the Jiuqumen, a branch that had separated from Jingtianzhuang!

After the Autumn Killing Policy and the Green Clothes Alliance incident...

The image of the government army being invincible had long been deeply rooted in the minds of the people of Huayang City.

Now that the government troops have suffered a setback, and against Jingtian Manor, a former dominant force in the Huayang City area, it naturally sparked much discussion and debate.

As a place where all sorts of people from different walks of life mingle, and where everyone talks about anything and is well-informed, the tavern becomes the first place people think of going.

In addition, the shopkeeper was desperately short of money and had given up all hope, ignoring everything else.

While other businesses might restrict conversations, he allows people to speak freely and without restraint, further boosting his business.

"Have you heard? The Imperial Guards didn't just suffer a minor loss... I heard it was a bloodbath at the scene, and it was drizzling at the time. The blood... it was like a river! Apparently, the pile of heads alone was five or six meters high, almost like a mound of skulls! That ferocious aura was so strong that even powerful beasts wouldn't dare approach..."

"Yes, not only that, but Qinghu Youshang, one of the Five Tigers, along with hundreds of his men, were all killed on the spot. It is said that the murderer also liked to eat human flesh. Many people were not even left with their whole bodies. Their intestines and internal organs were eaten clean. He was simply a cannibalistic maniac!"

Even after Fang Jiulian caught up with him, he couldn't defeat the man. He had both arms eaten off, bleeding profusely, and returned in utter defeat…

"Indeed, I saw it with my own eyes. That man was five zhang tall, with a blue face and fangs, a blood-red mouth, and his whole body was emitting black light. With just a light lift of his foot, a group of people and horses fell over, and with just a lick of his tongue, he could scrape off a layer of flesh."

Three people become tigers, passing rumors on each other.

In the mouths of the crowd, the truth of the matter quickly became distorted and deviated from its original meaning.

Of course, there were also dissenting voices among the crowd.

"That can't be right. I heard it was the daughter of the Nine Curves Sect leader who did it? Her name is Zhong Han..."

"Absolutely right, absolutely right. I've seen that woman. She's incredibly beautiful and has a lovely figure. How could she possibly be as ugly as you describe? Old Wang, are you just bragging again?"

"No, I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!" The middle-aged man named Lao Wang, his face flushed, denied everything in one fell swoop, standing up and loudly retorting, "I saw it with my own eyes..."

"Yes, didn't you say you witnessed it with your own eyes that time? But what happened?" someone shouted sarcastically.

The air inside the tavern was filled with cheerful laughter. "What's the matter? Why are you so happy so early in the morning? Tell me, let this old man have a laugh too!"

The tavern door opened, and a ragged, white-haired old man carrying a stick walked in.

Although he looked disheveled, almost like a beggar, a closer look revealed that his clothes, though tattered, were neat and clean, and the stick he held was no ordinary item, faintly revealing a jade-like color.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing was the several burlap sacks he was carrying on his back; at a glance, there were at least seven or eight.

"Oh, isn't this Mr. Ma? Please have a seat." As soon as he saw the man approaching, the shopkeeper quickly crawled out from behind the counter to greet him respectfully.

"Hey Sun... this isn't my first time here, why are you being so polite?" Although Old Ma said this, he looked extremely pleased and casually sat down in the reserved VIP seat.

As soon as he sat down, someone immediately offered him a toast. "Old Ma, we weren't talking about the government army... We heard that Fang Jiulian suffered a great defeat... and the entire Qinghu tribe was wiped out... Is that true or not?"

"Hehe..." Old Ma stroked his beard, unhurried, displaying the demeanor of a reclusive sage, and said calmly, "This matter... is indeed true... but..."

"But what?" A group of busybodies around quickly raised their glasses in a toast.

“However… although Old Wang exaggerated… he wasn’t entirely wrong…” he said slowly.

"I told you so! Would I lie to you?" Old Wang said smugly.

"So what exactly happened?" Someone pulled him aside and looked at Old Ma anxiously.

Everyone in the tavern got to know each other and became somewhat familiar with one another.

Most of the people who come to drink are ordinary people, either running small businesses or having a little spare cash. Or at most, they are low-level members of local gangs.

Only a handful of people truly understand the inside story, touch upon the core truth, and possess considerable status and strength.

Mr. Ma is one of them.

However, although this person's personality wasn't bad, he had a peculiar hobby.

He just likes to keep people in suspense when he talks.

I like to leave things unsaid and wait for people to ask, satisfying my urge to vent.

Sure enough, as soon as someone asked a question, Old Ma perked up.

But once he perked up, he spoke even more slowly.

"This matter... is difficult to explain... involves too many things... if I say it, I'm afraid it will affect you..." "It's alright, Mr. Ma, we are all good men, even if we get involved, it's not your fault."

"Yes, yes, Mr. Ma, please be kind and let us hear some strange stories."

People around kept making requests.

"Hmm... this is indeed quite strange... It's true that the Qinghu tribe was wiped out, but Fang Jiulian didn't lose; they only fought to a draw... Speaking of which, what's strange about this is... what is it? Well, this old man, let me think about it, let me think about it..."

Halfway through his sentence, Old Ma's old habit kicked in again.

"You old man, are you acting up again?" Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer.

The speaker sat in the corner, wearing a straw hat and a brown robe, with a five-foot-long sword hanging at his waist.

At first glance, all one could see was his high, straight nose beneath the bamboo hat and a half-scarred face. He looked every bit the bloodthirsty swordsman. The tavern was bustling with people, its customer flow extremely high.

Even in such a crowded environment, this person was still able to sit alone at a small table in the best position, which speaks volumes about their status.

"Isn't it just a little-known martial artist... who endured and then suddenly became famous by killing You Shang and defeating Fang Jiulian? What's the point of your rambling on and on?" he said impatiently.

Old Ma was one of the few people in the tavern who knew the inside story, while he was another one.

“Young Zhou, here’s the thing, but have you thought about it? Can these things be said so easily? Aren’t you afraid that you might harm others?” Old Ma wasn’t angry at being interrupted; he just had a compassionate expression on his face.

"If you're afraid of this and that, what kind of life do you have?" Zhou Tou picked up a peanut and threw it into his mouth. "They wanted to hear it themselves, so who can you blame? Besides, so what if they offend the government troops? It's just losing their heads. A scar the size of a bowl, it'll be gone, and they'll still be heroes eighteen years from now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tavern fell silent.

Some people in the crowd began to sneak towards the door.

They came to watch the spectacle and have some fun; they didn't really want to provoke the government troops.

Why can't we all just have some fun?

Nobody wants to risk getting burned and losing their head.

"Alright, look how scared you've made everyone." Old Ma couldn't stand it anymore. He picked up a roasted peanut from the ground, wiped it on his thick leg hair, and gently tossed it over.

"Go eat your peanuts and stop talking so much."

Peanuts, covered in leg hair and dead skin, landed precisely and accurately in the middle of the swordsman's plate.

Ignoring his complaints, Old Ma got up to comfort him.

"Don't worry, everyone. This matter has already spread. It's not just here; the government army will soon issue arrest warrants as well. If we can't let people talk about it at a time like this, wouldn't that be like burying our heads in the sand and only making ourselves a laughingstock?"

With his words of reassurance, everyone's emotions gradually stabilized.

After these few days of interaction, everyone has come to understand. Old Ma and Head Zhou are people of extraordinary status and position.

The two of them can speak freely here without any regard for consequences, and no one will investigate no matter how many people report them.

This shows that they must have powerful backers to be so brazen.

It's even possible that the two of them were members of the government army, which is why they had no scruples.

So, after Mr. Ma said that, everyone felt relieved.

"By the way, Elder Ma, who exactly is this person who could cause the Imperial Guards to suffer such a great loss?" someone asked, puzzled. Elder Ma replied softly, "This matter involves a branch of Jingtian Manor that no one is familiar with, the Nine-Bend Sect, that much is true. As for the culprit... it's neither Zhong Yunxiu nor Zhong Han..."

"That's not right, Elder Ma. Within the Nine Curves Sect, besides these two experts, who else could possess such strength?"

Old Ma smiled and softly uttered a name.

"Han Yi... that name... sounds somewhat familiar..." The people around frowned in thought.

I feel like I've heard it somewhere before, but upon closer inspection, I can't quite place it.

In fact, Han Yi was not an unknown figure in the entire Huayang City area.

After all, he was one of the three high-ranking members of the Nine Curves Sect, and one of the more than thirty martial artists from Jingtian Manor who had previously appeared in public.

In addition, he had a reputation for killing the mad lion Lin Zhenwei.

However, these events occurred too long ago, and Han Yi was a low-key person.

Since the Nine Turns Sect split off, he has been staying in the Inspectorate, burying himself in cultivation and rarely making a move, which has led to his reputation gradually fading and his fame remaining obscure.

“I remember this person, but this Han Yi, who was from the former Jing Tian Manor, has only been a member of the Nine Turns Sect for four or five years. In such a short time, he could cultivate to the level of a Grandmaster? Kill the famous You Shang, and forcefully repel Fang Jiulian? I don’t believe it.” Someone retorted.

"I guess it must be Zhong Yunxiu, the head of the Nine Turns Sect, who secretly helped, or Zhao Ziyang who used her name to help."

"You know nothing. Zhong Yunxiu can't even beat You Shang, let alone kill him? Dream on! And Zhao Ziyang, do you believe that if he makes a move, General Kou Hu will immediately lead his army to wipe out the main branch of Jingtian Manor?" the person next to him sneered.

"Even if you say that, let me ask you this: even if Han Yi was already a disciple with prior skills, or even if he was exceptionally talented and broke through to the Grandmaster level in just a few years, You Shang would still be no match for him. But even if he could handle You Shang, You Shang wouldn't be alone; the Azure Tiger Tribe has over three hundred men! These three hundred are all elite troops, with at least a Martial Master level. If he can't beat Han Yi, surely he can outrun him?"

Why did the entire army suffer a total annihilation? Tell me, if it wasn't due to someone secretly helping them, why was it?

This person's analysis was so logical and reasonable that everyone around him was speechless after he finished speaking.