69novels Chapter 208 Demon or Bodhisattva?
Chapter 208 Demon or Bodhisattva?
Chapter 208 Demon or Bodhisattva?
"My surname is Chen," Chen Wen replied with a smile.
Tan Sitong paused slightly. He had given his name, but the other party had only given his surname?
That's a bit too simplistic.
However, seeing Chen Wen's extraordinary demeanor, he suspected he might have other motives and didn't pursue the matter further. Instead, he asked, "Judging from Brother Chen's accent just now, you seem to be from the north. How come you've come from the south?"
Chen Wen nodded.
"Brother Tan has excellent hearing."
"I am indeed from the North, but I've been working in the South for the past few years. My return north this time is for something extremely important!"
Hearing this, Tan Sitong became even more curious.
What are the difficulties for a northerner in the south? And yet, there's an important matter requiring him to return north.
Moreover, this person was dressed in a short-haired dress.
What is this person's background?
After swallowing the taro cake, Jiu Jin couldn't help but interject, "Where in the south are you from? I heard things are quite chaotic there right now, with rebels causing trouble. Is that true?"
"Nine catties! How dare you be so rude!" Tan Sitong frowned and reprimanded in a low voice.
Chen Wen waved his hand and laughed, "It's alright, having curiosity is a good thing."
Encouraged, Jiu Jin grew bolder and continued, "I've also heard that those rebels are incredibly vicious, what's their name—the Blood Flag Army? They say they like to drink human blood!"
"Nonsense!" Liang Kuan could no longer hold back, slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his eyes wide with anger. "Who told you that the Blood Flag Army drinks human blood?"
This is slander!
Tan Sitong's expression shifted slightly as he looked at Liang Kuan, then at the still calm Chen Wen.
I seemed to have sensed something.
Jiu Jin was startled by Liang Kuan's imposing manner, but he refused to back down and retorted defiantly, "How can it not be? That's what everyone outside is saying! They say they not only drink human blood, but also dye their flags with blood! They kill and set fires everywhere, committing all sorts of atrocities!"
Liang Kuan's face flushed with anger, and he clenched his fists, threatening, "If you dare utter another word against the Blood Flag Army, I won't let you off!"
"Liang Kuan!" Chen Wen's voice was slightly deep.
Liang Kuan suddenly came to his senses and realized that he had acted impulsively again.
He could only glare at Jiu Jin fiercely before sitting back down in silence, still looking furious.
Tan Sitong observed all of this thoughtfully, then bowed again, saying, "Brother Chen, I am truly sorry. It was my page who spoke without thinking and made unwarranted comments."
Chen Wen shook his head, his tone calm: "Brother Tan, there's no need for that."
"The matter of the Blood Flag Army is like the elephant in the room; everyone can see it, but they all pretend not to see it, or turn a blind eye, or rely on hearsay. Rather than avoiding the topic, we should speak frankly about it."
"An elephant in a room?" Tan Sitong paused slightly, savoring the metaphor, his eyes gradually brightening, and he couldn't help but clap his hands and sigh softly.
"A brilliant parable! A brilliant parable indeed!"
"Such a massive and conspicuous object, yet everyone keeps it a closely guarded secret! The analogy to a bedroom is extremely apt! Brother Chen is indeed no ordinary person."
Chen Wen smiled and said, "Brother Tan has an extraordinary temperament and a broad mind. It is obvious at a glance that he is no ordinary person. He must be someone who holds a high position in the government and speaks out for the people."
With his mouth full of pastries, Jiu Jin couldn't help but interrupt, "You're right this time!"
"My young master may not be one yet, but once he arrives in the capital, he'll be a very high-ranking official!"
"Nine catties!" Tan Sitong's tone was stern this time, clearly displeased. "If you can't control your mouth, you'll be waiting outside!"
Jiu Jin shrank back and quickly buried his head in his snacks, but his eyes were still stealing glances at Chen Wen and Liang Kuan.
Although Liang Kuan dared not speak, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
What good are high-ranking officials!
They've killed more than one high-ranking official, so what's so great about that!
It's just one cut, no matter which way you go!
Chen Wen raised his teacup, looked at Tan Sitong, and seemed very excited: "I see. It is truly an honor for me to sit at the same table and drink with Brother Tan."
Tan Sitong felt something was off when he heard this.
The other party's honor did not seem to stem from his official position, but rather from his personal character.
wrong!
This young man in front of me is definitely not an ordinary merchant traveling from the north or south!
There's definitely something wrong!
To be honest, he didn't want to associate too much with people of unknown origin, but the other party's words and actions revealed his knowledge and magnanimity.
His knowledge of the situation in the South, in particular, made it difficult for him to suppress his curiosity.
Tan Sitong sighed softly and waved his hand, "Brother Chen, you flatter me. The state of the capital and my future are still uncertain. However, I do have a question I'm curious about. If it's convenient for you, Brother Chen, could you please enlighten me?"
"Brother Tan, please speak." Chen Wen nodded.
"This Brother Liang just now seemed to react strongly to the claim that the Blood Flag Army drinks human blood—" Tan Sitong carefully chose his words, his gaze sweeping over Liang Kuan before returning to Chen Wen's face.
"Brother Chen, you've come from the south, so how much do you know about this matter? Or rather, how much of the rumor is true or false?"
Chen Wen did not answer immediately, but took a sip of tea before looking at Tan Sitong again: "Before answering Brother Tan, may I ask how much you know about the Blood Flag Army? And what have you heard about it?"
Tan Sitong pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "To be honest, my knowledge is indeed limited. Most of it comes from the court, letters from friends, and rumors from the streets, and it's hard to tell whether they're true or false."
"The imperial court regarded him as an unpardonable traitor, accusing him of murder, arson, massacre, and extermination of entire clans."
"However, there is another version of the story among the common people, with some saying that he relieved the suffering and punished corrupt officials and powerful people, and distributed land to the poor, which is quite contradictory."
He paused, a strange look on his face: "However, whether the imperial court denounces it as a demon or there are some absurd legends among the people, they all have one thing in common."
"They are all related to drinking human blood."
"The imperial court said that their drinking of human blood was the act of demons."
"Some bizarre folk tales say that they drink the blood of demons in order to ward off evil spirits—of course, I think these are all nonsense."
"The only thing that is certain is that the Blood Flag Army has now occupied several prefectures in Lingnan, and its momentum is overwhelming, making it a major threat to the imperial court."
"As for its true nature—it's too far from the north, and the information is conflicting, making it difficult to know for sure."
Tan Sitong did not hide anything and told all the information he had received.
Then she quietly looked at Chen Wen, waiting for his response.
The teahouse was dimly lit, with only the sound of the wind.
Jiu Jin also stopped chewing and quietly pricked up his ears.
Liang Kuan clenched his fists, his expression complex.
Chen Wen seemed surprised by this strange statement, and after a long while, he suddenly shook his head and laughed: "In my opinion, the rumors that Brother Tan just mentioned are actually all true."
Tan Sitong was stunned, and frowned: "All correct? What do you mean by that, Brother Chen?"
"The court called him a demon, while the people called him a bodhisattva. Some said he was a murderer and arsonist, while others said he was a savior from suffering."
Even the absurd act of drinking human blood has completely different interpretations. How can so many contradictions and absurdities be correct?
Chen Wen looked at Tan Sitong and smiled slightly: "Brother Tan has already given the answer himself."