Chapter 875: Receiving the Precept (1)

At the competition venue the next day, Lu Ka and Shemo stepped onto the arena, and while Ji Mi, full of enthusiasm, was introducing them, Shemo suddenly interrupted with a single breath:

"Sorry, host. Before the match begins, I'd like to take a few minutes of the audience's time. I hereby represent Danlun Temple to petition the Celestial Boat Alliance for protection!" Shemo shouted to the surrounding audience, "I know that in your eyes, the Step‑Departed are beasts that only know slaughter and destroy civilization. Yet the debate of good and evil has never been fixed. The Step‑Departed, like all intelligent species, possess the ability to decide their own actions."

"Today I step onto the arena precisely to show you all—"

Those words fell like a bomb into a still lake, instantly stirring a huge uproar; the spectators on the arena buzzed with discussion, staring in disbelief at the fox person standing at the center of the ring.

"Did I hear that right? That fox lady says she's a Step‑Departed?"

"Step‑Departed can be good people? Bah! My two best brothers died at their hands; if we take her words, that makes us the bad ones, huh?"

"Drive her off! She's insulting the martial ceremony!"

The Cloud Knights surged like a tide, sealing off the arena, even deploying the golden statue guards stationed there; they advanced step by step toward Shemo: "Confirm fugitive status! Seal the site immediately, surround the target, and end the fight before the Step‑Departed cause any unrest!"

——

Demon Slayer.

"Step‑Departed can be good people? Huh? Does this idiot even know what she's saying?" Bu Si Chuan Shi Mi stared at Shemo in the sky dome as if looking at a fool, wondering if the Step‑Departed's process of disguising as a fox person also corrupted her mind?

If there are good people among the Step‑Departed… that statement is downright laughable.

"Bu Si Chuan, you don't have to be so quick to dismiss her." Rock Pillar clasped his hands, "Did you forget Miss Zhu Shi? Even among demons there are those who resist Muzan; it's not strange for good people to exist among the Step‑Departed, and she claims to be a monk of Danlun Temple… I don't know what kind of temple that is, but I'm willing to believe her. If she truly were a bloodthirsty Step‑Departed, she wouldn't venture alone to the Luofu Celestial Boat to seek death."

"But even though the Step‑Departed are intelligent species, their thirst for flesh is etched in their bloodlines, right? Even if reason tells them to pursue peace, can they truly suppress it?" Ganlu Si Mili was still somewhat worried.

"That depends on what kind of organization Danlun Temple actually is." Snake Pillar Yi Hei Xiao Ba Nei said lightly, "I suspect Danlun Temple probably possesses some secret technique that helps the Step‑Departed suppress their nature; relying solely on cultivation to curb the instinct in their bloodlines is a pipe dream. Yet a temple that can accept Step‑Departed as monks, without fearing they'll rise up and kill… that's truly bold."

"But Shemo actually dared to come to the Celestial Boat with only a tiny robot, and even publicly exposed her purpose and philosophy. She should know what the Luofu Celestial Boat is and what deep blood feud she has with the Step‑Departed; this move is undoubtedly courting death."

Hu Die Ren squinted, carefully observing Shemo, surrounded by Cloud Riders in the sky dome. From start to finish, she never revealed the Step‑Departed's true nature, nor bared any fangs; even when the Cloud Riders held her neck with a formation sword, she showed no sign of resistance… Could it be that she truly has let go of the killing instinct?

——

"And we can't let the companion she brought escape!"

In the audience, a red flash suddenly lit Shan Shi's eyes: "Warning: hostile unit approaching! Protocol: hijack local unit, protect Shemo."

Shemo still tried to reason: "Wait, Shan Shi! Hold back, hold back—"

Shan Shi swiftly latched onto the advancing golden statue, causing its movement to freeze briefly, then redirected its spear toward the attacking Cloud Riders.

Fortunately, Lu Ka was there to help; in a few swift moves he leapt behind the golden statue and pulled Shan Shi off, and as the golden statue ceased moving, the chaos on site finally subsided.

"Contestant Lu Ka, thank you for stepping in. The Step‑Departed fugitive named Shemo and her intelligent robot companion have been secured by us; otherwise we can't imagine how much chaos would have erupted."

Lu Ka still couldn't believe it: "What… Miss Shemo is a fugitive?"

"That's right. She is suspected of multiple murders, as well as forging identities and smuggling high‑risk weapons into the realm."

Lu Ka: "She said she came to duel for the monks and children of Danlun Temple. She… is she really a fugitive?"

The Cloud Rider captain snorted coldly: "It's all just acting. For worlds like yours that have never experienced a Step‑Departed invasion, ignorance is bliss. But for us Celestial Boat folk, the fear the name Step‑Departed evokes is etched in our blood."

"Sigh, let's not dwell on these dampening topics. The competition judges have relayed the result: this match ends because one contestant lost eligibility, so you win automatically. Congratulations."

"Oh, and as ancillary evidence for the case, the Ten Kings Office hopes you can go to the Hidden Captive Prison to assist the investigation. When recording your statement, just tell the truth, say you know nothing, and don't let this affect the upcoming matches."

——

Aotu World.

"I think what she said makes sense! Not all Step‑Departed are bad! Look, the Cloud Riders took her away so smoothly, without any resistance; doesn't that prove she's a good Step‑Departed?"

Celestial Boat folk have harbored a millennia‑long grudge against the Step‑Departed, with endless fighting in between; although Jin understands the Celestial Boat's approach, he still believes different individuals should be judged separately.

"Heh~ Foolish Jin, your thinking is so naive."

A light laugh came from behind Jin, as Kai Li perched on the Star‑Moon Blade, looking down from above, "Didn't you hear what the Cloud Riders said? She's a Celestial Boat fugitive, you know. Unless she's committed some heinous crime, she wouldn't receive that 'honor'."

"But fugitives aren't necessarily all bad, right?" Jin frowned, then quickly shook his head, "Kai Li, think about it—fugitives aren't always bad. When Xing He Dan Heng and San Yue Qi came to Beloberg, weren't they also marked as fugitives by the Great Guardian? Were they bad?"

"Oh?" It was rare to see Jin argue with her, and Kai Li instantly found it interesting, "The one who marked the train crew back then was Ke Ke Li Ya; she had already been influenced and blinded by the star core, so she made a wrong judgment. Celestial Boat fugitives are usually marked by the Earth Balance Office or the Hidden Captive Prison; do you think they were also deceived?"