"Of course, it's the demons' fault. The residents of Riling Town are innocent," Yuan Yuan replied almost instinctively.
"Oh? If I told you that the demons were only snatching the bronze cauldron to protect their own lives, would you still think they were wrong? If the townspeople hadn't been greedy for the gods' promises and ignored the curse of the bronze cauldron, would Riling Town have become like this?" Zhao Yuan sneered.
"The gods are at fault," Du Qingyi wiped his mouth.
"But the gods were only trying to protect the peace of the world, and they did ask everyone for their opinions before placing the bronze cauldron."
"Then everyone is at fault. Although the gods were trying to protect the peace of the world, they did not fully inform everyone about the catastrophe that the bronze cauldron would bring, and they concealed the existence of demons. The demons harming innocent people for their own benefit is even more of a mistake. As for the mistakes of the townspeople, there was only a little greed, and I can't think of anything else."
"Then who is innocent?" Zhao Yuan asked with a half-smile.
Duan Chen was choked. The others fell silent, and no one answered the question anymore.
"I think... no one is wrong, everyone is innocent. If you have to name a party at fault, it might be that bronze cauldron," Xi Er said casually, stirring the chicken soup in her bowl with a bored expression.
Zhao Yuan beckoned her to sit over. Zhao Lang, who was beside him, gave up his seat.
"Good child." Zhao Yuan patted Xi Er's hand, his eyes as affectionate as a father looking at his child. "This question actually has no specific answer, but what you've answered is the closest to the truth."
"Truth?" Duan Chen frowned, vaguely feeling that the story was not that simple. Was it something that had really happened? Xi Er smiled blankly.
"Then, do you think this bronze cauldron deserves to die?" Zhao Yuan retracted his smile, his expression filled with killing intent. Duan Chen's sense of unease grew stronger. No one spoke. Du Qingyi lowered his head as if in thought. Seeing this, Zhao Yuan spoke again.
"Does the subordinate of this bronze cauldron, its underling, deserve to die?"
Not good! Duan Chen sensed a strong killing intent! It wasn't directed at him, but at Sun Xiaoxiao and the others behind him.
"Bang!" He didn't hesitate and fired a shot at Zhao Lang opposite him.
"Clang!" The bullet was blocked by an invisible wall of energy. Zhao Lang opposite him looked cold, and his expression became even more grim when he saw Duan Chen firing.
"A demon hunter actually helps sea demons! Deserves death!"
"Zhao Lang!" Zhao Yuan frowned and shouted.
"Humph!" Zhao Lang snorted and clenched his fist.
"What... what is going on?" Ding Ding was on the verge of tears. Wasn't this a mission? She wasn't here to die in Yueling Village!
Zhao Yuan took a sip of tea and lit another old-fashioned cigarette.
"Don't worry, guests are guests. I can only guarantee that my villagers and I will not make a move against those three sea demons, but I can't guarantee anything else!" With that, he slammed the teacup heavily on the table, making a dull thud.
The people here had an unexpected hatred for sea demons. But at least, this showed one thing. Duan Chen and his companions had come to the right place. He was eighty percent sure that this was the location of the gate.
"Control your three sea demons!" Zhao Lang still said resentfully.
Duan Chen smiled and plucked a few strands of hair, handing them to him. "Sorry, I'll tie them up and won't cause you any trouble."
"For the sake of the High Priestess," Zhao Lang's expression softened slightly, and he accepted the "reward."
High Priestess?! Duan Chen suddenly remembered the tarot card Wu Suowei had given him, and the one he had given Xi Er was the High Priestess! There must be an inextricable link between them!
Not much of the food on the table had been touched. When they were leaving, the village officials, including the village chief Zhao Yuan, looked at Xi Er with almost loving eyes.
"Right, be careful tonight," Zhao Lang said with a strange smile as he passed by Ding Ding and the other two.
Evening arrived.
"You three... that's enough." The village chief had found them a three-story brick house. He, Jun Ci, and Yuan Yuan lived on the first floor. Xi Er, Du Qingyi, and Jia Yunlian lived on the second floor. Tufeiyuan and Wilbur Ben Ya lived on the third floor. As for the three sea demons who were the least welcome, Zhao Yuan had specifically arranged for them to live in the basement.
But why were these three guys in Duan Chen's bed?! The feeling of being surrounded by beauties was good, but Duan Chen just wanted to shoot them now. Why had he brought them here in the first place? They had consumed a lot of supplies, and even incurred the hostility of Yueling Village. Duan Chen wanted to break the agreement.
"I don't want to die in this damned village in the middle of the night."
"Brother Duan Chen... Brother Duan... Brother Chen, just let me stay next to you, I'm scared."
"Ugh—" Duan Chen gagged.
If Ding Ding's hands could move, she would have punched Duan Chen. Unfortunately, she couldn't, and she couldn't mobilize any energy.
"You three... why don't you go back?" Duan Chen regretted it. He now just wanted to send these three burdens back. He even began to suspect that the Apostle side had deliberately sent these pig teammates to disrupt the situation.
"No!" Even though Sun Xiaoxiao was tightly bound by white light ropes, she still stuck close to Duan Chen, her large eyes scanning everywhere, afraid that something would pop out from the corners.
"Captain, are you in the room?" Jun Ci's soft voice came from outside the door. For some reason, Duan Chen felt like gagging even more.
"I am, come in. What is it?" As soon as Jun Ci entered, the scene before him shattered his worldview. The delicate and weak captain was huddled in a corner of the large bed, wearing only a T-shirt and covered with a thin quilt. Three beautiful sea demons surrounded him, each one as if they wanted to merge with Duan Chen. Look at Ding Ding, she even rubbed against Duan Chen twice.
"Captain... those are sea demons." Jun Ci reminded him weakly.
"I know... I don't have any improper thoughts." Duan Chen pushed away the three beauties beside him and walked to Jun Ci. Unexpectedly, Jun Ci immediately became coquettish.
"Captain, you still chose me, right?"
"If you're not talking business, then get out." Duan Chen took out the Thousand Illusions Pandora.
"Yuan Yuan's detector placed outside is showing abnormal activity!" He never knew that Jun Ci could speak so quickly.
"I'm going..."
"Riiip!" Before he could even say "Let's see," Duan Chen suddenly felt a chill on his back. He turned his head and saw that, oh, it turned out that the three sea demons had accidentally torn his clothes while pouncing on him.
"Jun Ci," Duan Chen commanded indifferently.
Finally, Sun Xiaoxiao and the other two women were granted a night in the basement, unable to move.
"It's all your fault! Ding, you're a pig teammate!" Tian Qi roared angrily, tied tightly to the wall by Jun Ci's light ropes. Ding Ding still clutched a piece of Duan Chen's clothing in her hand, looking innocent. Sun Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes frantically.