Chapter 768: I Don't Go to Hell, Who Goes to Hell

The hole in the roof startled the diners in the small tavern. Many instinctively scattered to take cover, while Ji Yuan grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the holder on the table and threw them at the descending woman.

"Clink... clink... clang... clatter..."

The woman's short blades danced, deflecting the chopstick projectiles aimed at her. Then, with a swift and clean cut, she slashed at Ji Yuan.

"Bang..."

After Ji Yuan dodged the powerful cleave, the table in front of him was split directly in two. The bowls and dishes on it fell to the floor and shattered, and soup spilled everywhere.

"Oh no, they're killing someone!" "Run, run!"

"Let's go, let's go..."

Everyone in the small tavern was terrified and scattered. The tavern owner immediately hugged his child, and both huddled behind the counter. The three scholars also fled to the same spot, cowering with the father and son.

The woman had landed near the main door, and with her twin blades wildly flashing, no one dared to escape outside the tavern. They all found corners to cower in.

Ji Yuan, meanwhile, directly engaged in combat with the woman, who was the True Demon in disguise.

At this moment, the True Demon's aura was vastly different from when Ji Yuan had previously encountered her; she seemed incredibly fierce. With twin blades in hand, every move was lethal, launching a coordinated offense against Ji Yuan. Their exchange was incredibly fast, but it was mostly the True Demon wildly attacking with her blades, while Ji Yuan constantly retreated while parrying. To onlookers, it appeared that Ji Yuan was at a disadvantage.

"Aren't you powerful? Aren't you a true immortal? Aren't you the pursuer? Today, one of us dies!"

The True Demon had feared Ji Yuan for a long time. Today, she seized the opportunity for furious attacks and relentless curses. However, she also vaguely noticed that although she was constantly forcing Ji Yuan back, his footwork was not disordered in the slightest. In fact, it was very methodical, looking like a martial arts movement technique.

A subtle, ominous feeling began to rise in the True Demon's heart. Her peripheral vision had already registered the people hiding behind the counter. She decided to fiercely hack at Ji Yuan a few times, intending to seize the scholar and the child.

However, these few blade techniques, which should have forced Ji Yuan back, suddenly caused the True Demon's swinging blades to halt. Ji Yuan had gripped both blades, one in each hand, bringing the True Demon's ceaselessly moving arms to a sudden standstill.

"This blade technique, I happen to recognize it. It's called 'Bamboo Severing Slash,' isn't it?" Ji Yuan inquired.

Without waiting for a response, Ji Yuan immediately twisted his hands, gripped the back of the blades, and pulled and seized them. With immense rotational force, the True Demon could barely hold onto the hilts. As her grip loosened, she found her twin blades torn from her grasp and now held by Ji Yuan.

"This move is called 'Disarm and Seize.' Almost every constable in Da Zhen must train diligently in it; it can sometimes be remarkably effective when one is unarmed."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan had already moved. He did not use the blades, but instead discarded them and directly launched a fierce assault on the woman (the True Demon) with an 'Eagle Claw' grappling technique. His moves were extremely powerful, and the swinging of his claws tore through the air with whistling sounds. The might and rhythm were stronger and faster than when the woman had wielded her blades.

Now it was the woman's turn to be pushed back step by step. It wasn't that she couldn't fight Ji Yuan without weapons; rather, she was somewhat astonished by the fact that Ji Yuan truly possessed martial arts skill.

It was not strange for immortals to use some martial arts; some might even occasionally be curious about so-called "mortal techniques." However, their methods were never pure, often simulating martial arts with magical power, appearing similar but fundamentally different. Ji Yuan's skill, however, was genuine, raw martial arts, even imbued with a fierce and ruthless martial spirit, making him seem like a grandmaster of formidable martial arts.

The sounds of their clashes hurt the eardrums of onlookers, and the swirling wind they generated whistled through the small tavern. During this time, the True Demon tried several times to directly target the scholar and the little boy, but Ji Yuan blocked her every attempt.

However, Ji Yuan was unable to achieve a decisive victory at this moment. The Xiezhi beast, constrained by the environment of this mindscape, was limited within the painting. The True Demon also displayed the skill of a top-tier martial artist. Although Ji Yuan had her on the defensive, she was not on the verge of a crushing defeat.

After more than a hundred exchanges, the True Demon knew she couldn't defeat Ji Yuan in martial arts, nor could she seize the scholar and the child while Ji Yuan protected them. She found an opportunity to exchange a kick with Ji Yuan, using the momentum to retreat out of the small tavern, then leaped onto the opposite rooftop and fled into the distance.

Outside, a crowd of onlookers had already gathered, watching from a distance, hesitant to approach. When they saw the woman emerge, they scattered like startled birds. Only after seeing her leap onto the rooftop and flee did they cautiously re-approach.

"Ji Yuan, you let her get away again?"

The Xiezhi's voice came, and Ji Yuan shook his head slightly, murmuring in reply.

"This wasn't intentional. I truly can't capture her right now."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan turned to look inside the small tavern. Those who had been hiding in corners emerged, and the five heads peeking from behind the counter slowly reappeared.

"Sir, has that fierce woman left?"

"Yes, she's gone."

The question came from the owner and proprietor of the small tavern, who, as he spoke, gazed mournfully at the broken utensils scattered across the floor. Many of the tavern's tables and chairs were destroyed, some pillars bore marks of damage, and a large hole had been torn in the roof.

Ji Yuan followed his gaze, scanning the surroundings, then pointed to the two short blades on the ground. They had wide, thick hilts but thin, yet tough, blades.

"Proprietor," Ji Yuan said, "these two blades are extraordinary. If you pawn them, you should be able to repair your establishment, and perhaps even recover your lost business during this period."

"Huh? But what if that woman finds out I pawned her weapons...?"

Ji Yuan thought to himself: *She's already targeted your son; even if you didn't pawn these blades, she'd still come after the child. Besides, she doesn't care about weapons.*

But he couldn't say that aloud, so Ji Yuan nodded.

"Then I'll pawn them myself to compensate you for your losses, Proprietor."

With that, Ji Yuan walked to the doorway and spoke loudly to the gathering crowd and the belated government constables.

"Just now, that shameless female brigand attacked! Not only did she try to kill me, but in a fit of rage, she also sought to murder the scholar she previously failed to capture, and innocent bystanders. Such individuals, regardless of gender, are lustful and venomous at heart. One moment they might be indulging in illicit pleasure, the next they could decapitate someone with a blade, treating human life as mere grass. Everyone should scorn such a person..."

Many in the crowd gasped. Such a vicious brigand, and a woman at that! Some men who had initially been intrigued now felt a chill, no longer desiring such an "encounter."

Amidst the murmurs of the onlookers, Ji Yuan turned to face the constables who were routinely questioning the tavern owner.

"Gentlemen," Ji Yuan said, "this woman possesses extraordinary martial skill, and is both lustful and murderous. I hope the authorities can post notices warning the public to be cautious."

"Uh, you mean that wanton woman Zhen Mo?" a constable inquired.

Even before Ji Yuan could respond, the scholar behind him, now recovered from his shock, spoke up first.

"Exactly, it was her!"

"Do you recall her appearance? I can have the yamen painter come and create a portrait."

"No need," Ji Yuan replied. "I remember her appearance, and I have a slight understanding of painting."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan returned inside the tavern, borrowed paper and brushes, and immediately began to draw on a blank sheet. Soon, he produced a lifelike portrait, distinct from ordinary wanted posters, appearing much more vivid.

Ji Yuan's brushwork was incredibly swift. Though seemingly drawing stroke by stroke, it took very little time. In mere moments, he conjured more than twenty portraits, all depicting the woman who was the True Demon, each imbued with a hint of her vital spirit.

"Constables," Ji Yuan instructed, "this is the woman's appearance. Please post these notices widely to warn the public. They should be displayed on all main streets and at the city gates, and officials should also be sent to various districts to announce the situation..."

"Uh, alright..."

Ji Yuan's voice was clear, resonant, and articulate. He even arranged numerous specific tasks. Though clearly not a government official, his demeanor was such that the constables dared not utter another word, merely agreeing repeatedly. After understanding the situation at the tavern, they quickly departed with the portraits Ji Yuan had given them.

Having finished this, Ji Yuan finally looked at the boy sitting by the counter. The boy was also watching him with curiosity; the recent battle seemed to have instilled little fear in him.

"Ji Yuan," the Xiezhi's voice came, "no matter how much you publicize this, you're only informing the people of this city. How can you truly make the True Demon be repelled by this world? Do you have to stay in this world, constantly dealing with the True Demon? I think it's better to take Moyun away now, preserve this wisp of his true spirit, and then directly deal ruthlessly with the True Demon. At worst, you can figure out a way to help Moyun rebuild his spiritual foundation later."

Ji Yuan didn't even bother refuting the Xiezhi's suggestion. *This fellow really thinks I'm omnipotent,* he thought. Even if he could ask the old beggar to do it, it would be an immense hassle.

"The outcome will be clear soon enough. Just watch," he murmured.

Whispering this, Ji Yuan nodded to the tavern owner and the scholars, then walked past them to the child. He half-crouched, looking at the books the boy still clutched in his hands.

"May I see what books those are?"

The child looked at his father, then unfolded the books he held. They were two obvious primer books for beginners, and a stack of unbound white paper. The top sheet had "Sutra of Enlightenment" written on its surface.

"Did the old monk give you this Buddhist scripture?"

The child thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"The old monk only teaches us reading and writing. I wrote this Buddhist scripture myself."

"You wrote it yourself?"

Ji Yuan was also taken aback. *Such a young child wrote it himself?*

"Yes, just today, sitting in the schoolhouse by the old temple, I suddenly wanted to write, so I did."

"May I look through it then?"

Upon Ji Yuan's request, the child handed him the stack of papers. Ji Yuan took them and flipped through sheet by sheet. The content on the pages was certainly not something a child could have written, and even ordinary monks would struggle to compose it. It was more like Monk Moyun's own profound insights into Buddhist dharma, some shallow, some deep, with profound Zen contemplation and unique Buddhist principles. It was almost a classic that could be passed down through the Buddhist lineage, revealing that Monk Moyun's understanding of Buddhism was actually deeper than Ji Yuan had imagined.

However, upon seeing this, Ji Yuan felt something was still missing. *Ah, yes. Though the Buddhist principles are deep and varied, comprehending the dharma does not mean comprehending the Buddha's heart. There is the aspiration to save the world's people, but not the resolute determination to do so.* Recalling the old monk's change before and after learning he would face the True Demon, Ji Yuan suddenly smiled.

Ji Yuan looked at the child in front of him, placed the stack of papers on the counter, picked up a brush again, and wrote a single line at the end: "If I don't enter hell, who will?"

Putting down the brush, Ji Yuan blew on the ink, then returned the stack of papers to the child, who curiously flipped through them before taking them back.

Outside, the sky was already covered with layers of dark clouds, and rumbling thunder echoed in the distance. Seeing this, Ji Yuan merely smiled faintly; it was happening even faster than he had anticipated.

The Xiezhi divine beast, being unfamiliar with human emotions, might not fully understand the situation. But Ji Yuan knew well that for a young Moyun, the city where he lived was his entire world, and all his childhood memories were centered there.

When the True Demon became intolerable to everyone and the laws within this city, and was also rejected by this child, it would be equivalent to being rejected by the entire world.