Justice, not revenge!

"Now, whom should I kill first?"

The moment these words left Xu Hanmo's lips, the trio's faces drained of color. They had just escaped the claws of the wolves, only to fall into the tiger's mouth.

"Please! Don't kill us, I beg you!" Zhang Mei began pleading, her heart filled with dread and dispair.

Zhang Hao was also shivering in fear, but he suddenly opened his mouth and roared, while furiously injecting his spiritual essence into his martial spirit.

In a flash, a meter-wide phoenix of blazing flames erupted above him and shot toward Xu Hanmo with deadly momentum!

Xu Hanmo's eyes narrowed, "How dare a junior like you–" His rage flared before dissolving into contempt as the phoenix completely missed him, passing by an arm's length and exploding harmlessly in the distance.

"Dead. I'm dead.." Zhang Hao's heart sank, his face pale as if his soul had fled, leaving him looking as lifeless as a corpse buried under the earth.

"A pitiful bunch, aren't you?" Xu Hanmo's lips curled into a cruel, condescending smile.

But it didn't last long, his face suddenly twisted in pain. His complexion turned red as he violently coughed up mouthfuls of blood. It took him the time of a dozen heartbeats to steady himself once more.

"Keke, my apologies for the delay." Xu Hanmo grinned wickedly, wiping the blood from his face. "My time is running out, so I'll make this quick."

Thoughts collided in Wei Wushang's mind as he wasted no time. He took a step forward, clasped his hands and bowed respectfully. With a calm yet firm voice, he said, "Esteemed senior, we bear no enmity. We are merely passersby on this journey of life. Why must you go so far as to kill us? What could you possibly gain but our resentment?"

"If you had intended to silence us to avoid pursuit by the Desolate Harmony Sect, that would be understandable... But, you mentioned it yourself that your time is near. So what is the purpose of this killing? If senior is still set on murdering us, then I merely hope senior can enlighten me about your intentions."

Immediately, Xu Hanmo fell into a wordless silence. Simply staring down at Wei Wushang.

'Time! He is running out of time. I need to drag this out.' Wei Wushang thought, 'But relying solely on time isn't wise. I don't believe him to be that foolish. This bastard has been real talkative from the start. If I can just figure out his intentions, I might find a way out of this predicament.'

As time dragged on, Wei Wushang who was still bowing, couldn't help but frown slightly. 'Why isn't he speaking?'

Feeling uneasy, Wei Wushang slowly raised his head to take a look. Just then, he heard Xu Hanmo utter contemptuously, "I was waiting for you to look." With that, Xu Hanmo pulled his arm back and hurled Xu Jiulong's decapitated skull directly at him.

Swish~!

The head sliced through the air with a whistling sound, closing the distance in blink of an eye. Wei Wushang barely had any time to react before the skull rammed into his face!

The impact was brutal and sudden. A thunderous BAM echoed as his vision blurred, and he was instantly thrown back.

Blood oozed from the wound on his forehead, trailing all the way down to his chin. His left eye was nearly closed from swelling, his nose bled profusely, and lips were cracked open. For a moment, Wei Wushang just lay sprawled on the ground like a ragdoll, completely dazed.

"Ugh, that hurt..." He groaned, struggling to his feet. Enduring the pain, he walked back to his place and bowed slightly, clasping his hands. He calmly asked, "Senior, I hope you are willing to talk now?"

"Oh?" Xu Hanmo's eyes narrowed as he thoughtfully stroked his chin. Without warning, he vanished and reappeared before Wei Wushang.

Zhang Mei and Zhang Hao standing nearby, felt a chill run down their spines. Xu Hanmo ignored them and fixed his stare on Wei Wushang, "Curious? Keke, it's because you're acquaintance of my dead brother. Nothing more, nothing less. Does that make you feel any better?"

Hearing this, Wei Wushang stopped bowing and met Xu Hanmo's gaze with a calm, indifferent expression. "I see... But, senior, isnt that a rather dull way to go about it."

"What are you implying?" Xu Hanmo questioned, his expression neutral but his tone unfriendly.

'It's now or never!' Wei Wushang's heart was pounding, but on the surface, he appeared carefree. "Elder, if I'm not mistaken, your brother was the person responsible for your wife's death...."

He hesitated to speak further.

Xu Hanmo snorted coldly but remained motionless.

'Nice, he's willing to listen.' Wei Wushang took a deep breath and spoke earnestly, "Elder, you are about to die, but I don't see a hint of unease in your eyes. Is it because you've killed your brother and taken your revenge that you feel satisfied?"

"But honestly, not one person in this world will know about your revenge. You're about to meet your end and plan to take us with you. Don't you think the world needs to hear of your actions? Shouldn't future generations remember the love between you and your beloved? Even if not for yourself, wouldn't you want your wife to be recognized as a symbol of love, rather than to be remembered something awful and degrading, like a demon? Wouldn't you want something beautiful for the person you loved?"

Wei Wushang paused, observing Xu Hanmo's expression carefully before continuing.

"Also, is the killing of one man enough to quench your thirst for revenge? You claimed your brother acted out of selfish motives. If his betrayal was driven by gain, then there must be others who sought your wife's death, and those who provided such tempting benefits. Senior, have you dealt with everyone responsible? If not, let us three handle it for you. It would be an honor."

"And what about your brother's family? Are they still alive, living in peace while your wife rots all alone? Doesn't that make your blood boil? If you truly love your wife, let go of us, and we will cut them down for you. It is only natural for you to struggle as a single person, but with three of us, we stand a far greater chance of killing everyone responsible. Senior, please do not misunderstand... this isn't just about your revenge. It's about justice for your wife!"

Wei Wushang's words that were filled with emotion sent Xu Hanmo into a long silence. His once sharp gaze seemed to dim, as if lost in distant, beautiful memories.

Wei Wushang observed without any particular expression, but felt a bit relieved inside. This was the only way he could think of to escape the situation. Using revenge as bait, he cast his hook, hoping Xu Hanmo would take the bait.

Wei Wushang's eyes flickered with a dark light. 'If this doesn't work, I'm in deep trouble. My only option then would be to get dangerously close, then shove my hand into that gaping wound on his stomach and try to crush his heart. But such a move would be extermely reckless and only a last resort.'

He truly wished to avoid reaching such a difficult stage. Because that would create an almost impossible situation to emerge from safely.

"Youngster..." Xu Hanmo's voice was low, his eyes now clear. "You know, almost all demonic path cultivators don't die peacefully. Most of them end up rotting in a ditch, sometimes not even a corpse remains to show for their struggles. That's the price we pay for walking this path. I thought today would be no different for me. But it seems the heavens have been a little kinder."

He paused, his gaze distant as if recalling memories buried deep within. "They say your whole life flashes before your eyes when you're on death's doorstep. I always thought it was a bunch of nonsense. But now, I think.. there's some truth to it. And your words earlier, do you know what they made me think?"

Wei Wushang clasped his fists, lowering his head slightly. "Elder, please."

Xu Hanmo smiled, but it was a tired, almost bitter smile. "Even though every word you spoke was nothing but fake promises, that fire in your eyes, that desperate will to survive. It reminded me of myself. The demonic path... I never chose it willingly. It wasn't ambition that led me here, it was vengeance!"

"Belive me, I had no other choice. Boy, do you know what's harder than cultivation? It's the constant running, the hiding, the endless scheming and slaughtering. Every day was a struggle just to stay alive. Peace? Ha, it never existed for me. I was always moving, always on edge, always afraid that the moment I closed my eyes, I would never open them again. I was in hell, chasing a light of vengeance that only dragged me deeper."

He sighed, deep weariness seeping into his words. "But now, with the end so close, there's an odd sense of calm. Maybe it's because I've finally avenged my wife... found my light. Or maybe it's because I see something of my old self in you... Who knows? Kekeke."

Wei Wushang shook his head sharply, his voice filled with indignation. "Elder, you misunderstand! I meant every word I said! I would never lie to you!"

"Enough!" Xu Hanmo's aura exploded wildly, his expression turning ice cold.

Wei Wushang stood still, quickly bowing even lower. But Xu Hanmo's expression remained cold. "Don't worry, boy. From the moment I brought you three here, no, from the moment I devised this plan to kill my brother, I never intended to kill you."