I Slay Gods and Demons in the Deceit Night
Chapter 351 - 245: The Benevolence of a Gentleman, Extends to the Fifth Generation before Termination!_2

Chapter 351: Chapter 245: The Benevolence of a Gentleman, Extends to the Fifth Generation before Termination!_2

"For what crimes were these thirty thousand people punished and banished?" Lin Yan asked again.

"The City Guard Mansion merely issues an order, and how can the common folk dare to disobey?" Elder Fu Shi spoke slowly, "Why ask about their sins?"

"Great City Guard, what do you think?" Lin Yan looked towards the people of the City Guard Mansion once more.

"This act may seem reasonable, but in truth, it serves private interests under the guise of public duty, and there is no law to follow!" The Great City Guard slightly shook his head, "Imagine, if I were to banish thirty thousand people from the city without cause, I fear Wu Chang the Inspection Envoy’s blade would fall upon my neck!"

"..." Elder Fu Shi fell silent for a moment, then said, "If Wu Chang the Inspection Envoy were born in the inner city and feared involving his family, it would indeed be possible to give you a list, to avoid inadvertently harming his own kin."

"Oh?" Lin Yan let out a cold laugh, "Since when did we become ’kin’?"

"If there are still grievances, the thirty thousand people from the inner city can be moved to the outer city," Elder Fu Shi put it this way, "Even just to save face for Wu Chang the Inspection Envoy!"

"What about the people of the outer city?" Lin Yan asked again.

"Drive them out, give them the chance to build a new city, wouldn’t that be proper?" the thirteenth young master said with a smile.

"The people of the outer city, most of whom have been in High Willow City since their ancestors, may not have the merit of building the city, but through the generations, they have all shed blood and sweat for High Willow City."

Lin Yan pointed outside and spoke in a cold voice, "Nowadays, the majority of the City Defense Army are from the outer city, and their wives, children, and elderly are all within the city! Are you saying to drive them out of the outer city?"

"In the inner city, every household’s ancestors have contributed to building the city!"

"And the people of the outer city, from their ancestors to the current generation, have the merit of defending the city!"

"Their ancestors struggled and sweated blood, fighting with their lives, to bless their descendants with the good fortune of dwelling within the city!"

"Recently, the upper ranks of the Liu Family made a grave mistake, involving their clan, and only then were they banished from the city!"

"As for these other thirty thousand people, if they have committed crimes, then the death penalty should be enacted for capital offenses, and banishment for lesser ones! But today, I dare to ask where have they erred to have their ancestral foundations seized and their basic rights stripped away?"

His voice was deep, his tone icy, carrying the force to awaken the deaf and startle the audience!

His gaze swept over the crowd, shining with brilliancy, proud and fearless!

Even in the presence of the Chief True Man of the Holy Land, he showed not the slightest hint of yielding.

"Such fairness and selflessness truly admirable." It was then that the thirteenth young master could not help but chuckle, his eyes revealing a trace of peculiarity.

"Shut up! Did I ask you to speak?"

Fury rose from Lin Yan’s heart as he bellowed, "Speak out of turn again and I’ll cut out your tongue!"

The thirteenth young master paused, wanting to speak, but upon making eye contact, the murderous intent in his opponent’s eyes sent a shiver through his heart, silencing him momentarily.

The atmosphere in the courtyard grew even more tense, and for a time, no one spoke a word.

"Chief True Man, I dare to ask if all the ancestors of these thirty-eight thousand people sacrificed their lives in defense of High Willow City?"

"Naturally not." The Chief True Man said indifferently.

"When High Willow City was first established, and even later when the outer city was expanded, did any of these thirty-eight thousand people or their ancestors contribute?" Lin Yan continued to ask.

"Naturally not." The Chief True Man responded.

"Then, from their ancestors to the present generation, how many among these thirty-eight thousand have merited deeds in High Willow City?" Lin Yan asked again.

"They have no ties to High Willow City." The Chief True Man replied.

"Then on what grounds, being newcomers, do they take up residence in the inner city?"

Lin Yan spoke gravely, "The citizens of both the inner and outer city, from their ancestors to the present, have contributed to High Willow City! I dare to ask the Chief True Man, we who have served High Willow City today, and our descendants who abide by the law in the future, should they also be driven out of the city on the Holy Land’s orders?"

He looked at the Chief True Man and said sternly, "Moreover, there is no legal basis for this matter!"

"Have you ever considered that these thirty-eight thousand could reside in the Holy Land because their ancestors contributed to the Human Clan?" The Chief True Man questioned.

"That should be arranged by the Holy Land!" Lin Yan said gravely.

"The Holy Land wishes to settle them in High Willow City!" The Chief True Man spoke solemnly, "The Holy Land is overpopulated and cannot sustain more; this is a matter of necessity!"

"Yet their ancestors may have contributed to the Holy Land, but they have not to High Willow City."

Lin Yan spoke evenly, slowly saying, "In recognition of their ancestors’ merits, I can permit them to participate in building the new city! They can make their contributions in the new city, and then they may reside in it in the future!"

He looked at the Chief True Man and leisurely continued, "The Refugees struggling in the lands outside the city, desperately seeking to be involved in the new city construction, must go through a strict selection by the various departments of High Willow City! That the people from the Holy Land can directly take part in the expansion of the new city is already preferential treatment on account of their ancestors, beyond what is customary!"

"Scoundrels! How can those born in the Holy Land be spoken of in the same breath as refugees?"

The Chief True Man couldn’t help but tremble with rage.

The rest of the people from the Holy Land, without exception, were so angry that their faces turned extremely ugly.

However, just at this moment, they heard Lin Yan calmly say, "My ancestors were also refugees!"

"The same goes for me."

Just then, Lin Lei said with a smile, "If I hadn’t been taken in by Mr. Lu, my family would have likely been driven out of the city!"

Mr. Lu stroked his beard with a smile and said, "When the night of deceit descends, evil is endless, and the Human Clan struggles to survive, whose ancestors are not refugees?"

"Mr. Lu speaks the truth!"

At that time, the Great City Guard laughed lightly and said, "My great-grandfather was also a refugee. It wasn’t until my grandfather’s generation that he and his two brothers helped build the city. Two of my great-uncles died, and only then did their family earn the right to live inside the city walls, passed down from my father to me!"

"Chief True Man, by letting these thirty-eight thousand people enter the inner city, you simply want them to have a place to enjoy themselves and live in luxury."

Mr. Lu spoke again, slowly saying, "But these thirty-eight thousand people, having been driven out of the Holy Land, were only the lowest-ranking citizens there!"

"They say the blessing of ancestors runs scarce after three or five generations, but the directly descended line of their ancestors has been passed down for who knows how many generations and still dwells in high positions within the Holy Land, so they can still be considered to be deeply blessed!"

"Is it only these numerous collateral branches, who never held power within the Holy Land, that the Holy Land could not accommodate, and yet they come to High Willow City to act as nobility, to dominate and revel in fortune?"

"After a few more years, when these people have enjoyed all the riches, and their descendants have multiplied, they will certainly want to claim the inner city for their progeny. Won’t they just drive us and our descendants out?"

"Chief True Man, their ancestors’ blessings lasted until now before they were expelled from the Holy Land."

"To be precise, the main line of this generation still has the blessings of the ancestors, but when it comes to the collateral branches of their generation, the blessings have already run dry; they should struggle for themselves and seek blessings for their descendants."

"Participating in the expansion of the new city is the only path!"

Having said this, Mr. Lu simply watched the other party.

The people from the Holy Land all fell silent.

Even the Chief True Man remained silent.

In their hearts, even if they were the lowliest citizens coming from the Holy Land, once in High Willow City, they should be considered superior!

After leaving the Holy Land, they should dwell in the most prosperous and richest places in the city, and even more so, in the safest areas!

"So, are you determined to repudiate the orders of the Holy Land?" The Chief True Man’s face was ice-cold.

"This order has major mistakes; it must be recalled!" said Lin Yan with a grave voice.

"You’re just resentful, but where is the mistake?" The Chief True Man said in a deep tone, "An order was issued that should have been cleanly obeyed. How did it become such a troublesome affair? Where did all these grand principles come from?"

"So, you intend to be unreasonable now?" Lin Yan’s eyebrows rose, and a murderous intent stirred within him.

"Chief True Man, if this order is executed, it will be unjust to the world," the Great City Guard said with a sigh. "It may incite unrest among the people!"

"The masses are as ants, what does a change in their hearts matter? With a flip of the hand, they can be suppressed!" declared the Chief True Man proudly, his eyes sharp, sweeping over everyone.

"Are we also ants?"

Mr. Lu stroked his beard again, smiling as he said, "The change of heart among the people is not just about the lower classes; it includes all of us who harbor ’justice’ within our hearts!"

"Had I not been taken in by Mr. Lu, I would have been one of the ants driven out, and therefore, I cannot accept this!"

Feeling anger rising in his heart and even in the presence of the Chief True Man from the Holy Land, Lin Lei couldn’t help but say in a stern voice, "In High Willow City, innocent people are wrongly accused. How can that be acceptable to all?"

"The Holy Land regards the lower ranks of the Human Clan as ants, imposing and suppressing dissent, despite the resentment."

Lin Yan slowly drew his sword, saying, "We also have our resentments—why not suppress us?"

As the precious Night-Illuminating Sword was unsheathed, a chilling atmosphere enveloped the courtyard, penetrating to the soul.

Lv Tang stared with a grave expression, gripping his long halberd without a word.

But the Great City Guard slightly raised his hand.

It could be seen that the people from the City Guard Mansion, including the City Captain, had also placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.