Demon Bible

Chapter 210: The Hero's Companions

Confronted by this sudden arrival, Zoven noticed the blade strapped to the man's waist and his bulging muscles. Ascertaining that the stranger likely possessed supernatural strength, he chose to hold his ground and observe for now.

After the ferocious-looking man spent some time catching up with Grandma Bird, she took her leave, mentioning she still needed to fetch water.

During their conversation, the imposing man had offered to help several times, but Grandma Bird politely declined each attempt.

Only after Grandma Bird left did the man turn his attention to Zoven, the smile on his face vanishing in an instant.

"The Lilian family's little brat?" These words caused Zoven to instantly shift into a combat stance, glaring at the man on high alert.

"There is no need to be so tense. I am only here to say a few things, and then advise you to leave as quickly as possible," the man stated, his expression deadly serious as he stared at Zoven.

"What do you want to say?!" Zoven demanded, his entire body trembling. A desperate urge to fight to the death against these running dogs of Nemus surged in his heart.

"When Grandma Bird was young, she had a husband and a child. Her husband was a mule, which means he was an errand boy who transported goods for smugglers." The man ignored Zoven's hostility and simply began recounting Grandma Bird's past.

"Because of a mistake during a delivery, her husband was punished by his superiors. They stabbed him several times and dumped him on the side of the road, leaving him to bleed to death in the street with no one to care for him. Due to her husband's line of work, Grandma Bird was dragged away for questioning and had one of her legs broken. Her child was so terrified that he hid inside a cabinet at home, too afraid to come out, and eventually starved to death."

"Dumped on the street with a crippled leg, Grandma Bird miraculously survived. She managed to scrape by. One day, she found a bleeding, unconscious child by the side of the road near her home. She took him in and treated his wounds.""She gave her very last rations to that child, just so he could live."

"Right around that time, a new bishop took power, and the Church organized a massive sermon. Thanks to that, Grandma Bird survived."

"After that ordeal, Grandma Bird let go of her hatred. She began doing everything in her power to heal those who had nowhere else to turn, whether they were gang members or ordinary people who had lost their homes and families."

"She did not die from giving so much of herself without asking for anything in return."

"Because the majority of the people she saved chose to stand behind her," the man said earnestly.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zoven asked, growing impatient. His burning hatred for Nemus made it impossible for him to think rationally.

"Her husband's superior was a name you are very familiar with: Westbin Lilian. That is right, it was your father!" The man's words made Zoven leap to his feet instantly.

Fueled by the fury of hearing his father slandered, Zoven immediately lunged at the man.

But in the next second, the phantom silhouettes of wild beasts materialized around the man. These spectral figures leapt from his body and pinned Zoven firmly to the ground.

Zoven tried to struggle, only to find himself completely immobilized.

Lilian had not summoned a historical soul to empower him, and Little Giant Melo from before had long since departed.

Without Lilian's assistance, Zoven was nothing more than an ordinary Black Iron Rank with an attribute value barely reaching eight.

"By the way, that first child she saved all those years ago was me."

"A miserable loser who barely survived the noble struggles of the North District. Remember my name: Anse Kevin."

"I do not care whether you believe me or not, but I am asking you to leave this place immediately. Do not bring your troubles here."

"After all, you are already on the Church's wanted list."

"If Grandma Bird had not saved you, I would have turned you in for the bounty a long time ago."

"If you, the little brat of the Lilian family, ever bring harm to Grandma Bird again, I will absolutely kill you."

Having said his piece, Anse controlled the animal spirits, releasing his grip on Zoven.

He shot Zoven one last vicious glare before his face relaxed back into a casual smile.

He strode out of the room. A few moments later, the sound of Anse chatting with Grandma Bird drifted through the door, followed by the splashing noise of Anse helping her pour buckets of water into the main vat.

Zoven scrambled to his feet, looking somewhat disheveled. His mind was in a state of absolute chaos.

From the moment Anse let him go, it was clear the man could not possibly be one of Nemus's subordinates. In that case, everything he had just said...

"Heroes cannot choose their origins. The bloodlines of many great heroes are fraught with sin, yet they learn to face their existence head-on and conquer the burdens of their birth!" Lilian's epic, chanting tone brought a sliver of clarity back to Zoven's thoughts.

"Lilian, why didn't you help me just now?" Zoven could not help but ask. He had been beaten and let go on a whim, yet he lacked the confidence to refute a single word Anse had said.

"Because the wheels of history have already begun to turn, and the hero's companions are currently gathering toward him."

Though her phrasing was eccentric, Zoven understood exactly what Lilian meant.

"Are you talking about Anse?" Zoven's face was painted with sheer disbelief. Yet at the same time, he found himself forced to ponder everything the man had revealed.

Zoven was not entirely privy to the details of his father's smuggling operations. He generally never bothered with the family's internal affairs. He only knew they ran certain businesses, but there was a high probability that Anse's story was entirely true.

Before today, he had never once stopped to consider such things.

However, after stepping into the South District today, his entire worldview had been repeatedly shattered and rebuilt.

Now, he had no choice but to think critically.

'Is my family truly clean?'

'If Grandma Bird is genuinely a good person, doesn't that make her words far more credible?'

'And if that is the case, then Nemus...'

Zoven's heart was a tangled mess of conflicting emotions.

"Anse wasn't giving you a hard time, was he?" Grandma Bird's gentle inquiry prompted a complicated shake of the head from Zoven.

Freed from the blinding veil of his hatred toward Nemus, he once again sensed the pure, heartfelt kindness radiating from Grandma Bird.

At this very moment, Zoven had no idea what he was supposed to do.

'My own family are the real villains, while Nemus is actually doing good deeds for the people at the bottom of society.'

'Then is seeking revenge against Nels truly aligned with justice?'

'Can I even become a hero?' Zoven began to deeply doubt himself.

After all, from the very beginning, his ambition to become a hero—starting with his escape from Nemus's control—was inherently flawed.

He had unilaterally torn up his covenant with Nemus and fled, completely disregarding what might happen to his family.

Now that his family had suffered tragic deaths, the blame rested largely on his shoulders.

And earlier, Grandma Bird had done absolutely nothing wrong. She was actually a victim who had endured immense suffering because of his family.

Yet, he had blindly harbored murderous intent, wanting to kill her without a second thought.

"Don't be embarrassed," Grandma Bird said. Unaware of the heavy turmoil inside him, she simply sought to comfort the lost young man.

"Anse just worries about me. He can be a little impulsive, but he isn't a bad person."

"I've only managed to survive all these years because he has been protecting me." Grandma Bird could clearly see the hostility Anse harbored toward Zoven.

She also intuitively understood that it was likely because Zoven's background was complicated, making him a potential source of trouble.

Looking at Grandma Bird, Zoven could sense a profound inner peace within her—a stark contrast to the raging tempest currently tearing through his own mind.

It made him wonder. After enduring such a bitter and agonizing life, how could Grandma Bird remain so perfectly serene?