He hated everyone here, hated everyone who looked down on him, hated Zenin Naobito who caused all this, hated Zenin Kiyoshi who ruined his plans, and hated the two sisters, Maki and Mai, who hadn't obediently died yet.
A surge of almost unbearable anger welled up inside him, nearly tearing Zen-in-the-House's reason to shreds.
But no matter how much resentment one harbors, it is of no use at this moment under the fire that illuminates one's sins.
Before the cursed spirits could catch up, a figure with a slight smell of alcohol appeared in front of Zenin Kiyoshi.
He patted Zenin Kiyoshi's shoulder, his voice slightly hoarse, as if there was still alcohol stuck in his throat.
"Well done, it has the style of a Zen master...it has the style of Lao Tzu! Hahaha!"
The instant after Zenin Naobito finished speaking, a warm liquid sprayed onto Zenin Kiyoshi's face.
That was the blood of a cursed spirit. Unlike ordinary humans, it was a rotten purple color, and its taste was somewhat similar to vomit and rust stuck together.
Zenin Naobito, holding the cursed spirit's head, walked to Zenin Kiyoshi's side. His face, still flushed from drunkenness, and reeking of alcohol, he grinned and said:
"There's nothing to worry about with this kind of trash. But could you tell me in detail why this trash is here?"
The old man reeked of alcohol and blood, a smell that was somewhat unpleasant to smell, but Zenin Kiyoshi didn't care about such things at the moment.
He looked at the two weeping girls, Maki and Mai, in his arms, and said calmly:
"Let's settle them in first; their mother must be terrified."
Just as the Zen monk finished speaking, a beautiful woman rushed out from behind the crowd. Her face was deathly pale, her hair was disheveled, and the scorching flames made her hair curled.
The woman possessed only a negligible amount of cursed energy, clearly indicating that she was an ordinary person.
At that moment, she paid no attention to the raging sea of fire, nor to her husband's slightly warning gaze. She simply pushed aside the crowd in front of her, staggered to Zenin Kiyoshi's side, thanked him incoherently, and then hugged Maki and Mayi, bursting into uncontrollable sobs.
Seeing this, Zenin Kiyoshi felt a slight sense of relief.
It looks pretty much the same as in the original work; at least the mother of the Maki and Mai sisters still retains a sliver of basic humanity.
At least before being brainwashed by her husband, this woman's love for her child was genuine.
After handing the child over to the other party, Zenin Kiyoshi felt himself being gently helped up. The smell of alcohol on Zenin Naobito had not yet dissipated, and the sea of fire behind him distorted and deformed his shadow.
"Most of the time, beer cans can't be used to store baijiu (Chinese liquor). But sometimes, some bosses with weaker mental fortitude, after discovering that the baijiu they brew isn't very good, actually think about smashing up the whole shop. These kinds of people are more dangerous than cursed spirits, don't you think?"
When Zenin Naobito uttered these words, he reeked of alcohol, and anyone who didn't know better would have thought the old man was talking nonsense.
However, Zenin Kiyoshi was able to roughly guess the meaning behind the old drunkard's words. In fact, it can be seen from the original work that this Zenin Naobito was clearly different from the rest of the Zenin family.
At least compared to those like Zenin Ogi, who aren't even human, Zenin Naobito is at least a person.
Whether it was towards Shinji or the two sisters, Maki and Mai, he showed the care of a normal person.
Although Zenin Naobito also had many shortcomings, such as his indifference to the lives of ordinary people and his failure to properly manage the education of his own son, etc.
However, these minor flaws are hardly considered shortcomings in the world of sorcery, where everyone is abnormally powerful.
Zenin Kiyoshi knew why Zenin Naobito was talking to him in such a mysterious way.
As the patriarch of the Zenin family, he was naturally well aware of all the messy affairs within the Zenin family. He could see through Zenin Kiyoshi's true thoughts and understand his current situation.
Zenin Naobito is hesitant to take action against Zenin Ogi. Within the Zenin family's upper echelons, there is a radical faction led by Zenin Ogi. He has only been the clan head for a short time and needs to consider their opinions, so he cannot make sweeping reforms at this time.
Or, to put it more pessimistically, he might not be able to make such reforms by the time he retires.
The sordid affairs within the Zenin family are far more numerous than outsiders have witnessed.
As the clan leader, he sometimes felt powerless in the face of such a mess.
Perhaps that's why he's been unable to quit drinking.
Who cares, just live in the moment and do as much as you can!
At least when it comes to injustices, he'll do what he can to help!
Before Zenin Kiyoshi could answer the question, Zenin Naobito continued to ask:
"When did that cursed spirit appear? When did you discover it?"
"I don't know exactly when it appeared, but when I realized something was wrong, I rushed over and saw the cursed spirit standing outside the stroller. Without thinking, I rushed over to stop it, but I was no match for the cursed spirit. In desperation, I rushed into the room, and the monster chased after me."
The aftershocks of the battle ignited the natural gas in the kitchen, causing this situation.
Upon hearing Zenin Kiyoshi's explanation, the expressions of everyone present became somewhat strange.
The clansmen who appeared in this place were no fools; they knew better than anyone the capabilities of the Zenin family's barrier.
The courtyard of the Zenin Ogi, in particular, is located at the very center of the barrier, and its defensive capabilities are two to three times greater than those of other areas.
Let alone a third-rate cursed spirit like this, even a first-rate cursed spirit would be blocked by the barrier if it came here.
So... the coincidence of a cursed spirit appearing near an unattended baby stroller is rather suggestive.
Looking at the Zenin Ogi that hadn't uttered a single word from beginning to end, everyone's gazes became somewhat strange.
In fact, it's obvious to everyone that Zenin Ogi has an almost pathological obsession with the position of clan leader, and recently, they've heard quite a few arguments coming from Zenin Ogi's house.