The Killing Intent Arises of Its Own Accord

Outside the window.

Lin Zheyu took a deep breath.

He hid his body within the darkness.

He reached into his robe and pulled out a pair of black brass knuckles, sliding them onto his fingers.

Brass knuckles, also known as iron fists, knuckle dusters, or iron four-fingers, were weapons specifically designed for fist fighting; wearing them on the fingers could significantly increase the lethality of a punch.

He had killed people before, after all.

Back when he was mixed in with the refugees, Lin Zheyu had taken out more than one guy who tried to steal his food.

Now that he knew these fellows were planning to harm him, how could Lin Zheyu let them off?

Lin Zheyu clenched his fist, his mood somewhat complicated.

He only wanted to live a stable life, a peaceful existence free from the strife of the world.

Yet, this world was just that cruel; if you didn't take the initiative to harm others, you would be targeted by them instead.

The few men inside the house finished discussing their secret plot, but they didn't leave immediately; they brought out wine and began to drink.

Houses in the Outer City were not as densely packed as those in the Inner City.

The distance between houses was quite large, and some even stood alone in the middle of fields, isolated structures surrounded by nothing.

The moon rose, and a light breeze blew.

Winter had already arrived, and the weather was somewhat cold, though with Lin Zheyu's current physique, he felt nothing.

The three of them drank until late at night before finally stumbling out of the house.

These guys had decent tolerance; after drinking for so long, they were only slightly tipsy, their gaits swaying just a little.

This house seemed to be their temporary base; after drinking and shooting the breeze, they headed off toward their respective homes.

One by one. I'll deal with the two weaker ones first, then take out the big guy.

Lin Zheyu thought to himself.

He quietly followed the skinniest one, intending to finish him off with the fastest speed possible before pursuing the other two.

"Hiss, it's still so cold even after drinking. Need to add more layers."

"Once we rob that kid, I'll have the money to buy some warm clothes."

Wen Biao walked along the small path, chuckling as he muttered to himself.

His personality was somewhat timid; he was greedy for Lin Zheyu's silver, yet terrified that something might go wrong.

Hiccup—

After letting out a drunken burp, Wen Biao felt much more comfortable.

Under the moonlight, a black figure rapidly approached him.

"What the—"

Before Wen Biao's brain could process the black shadow, a fist encased in brass knuckles landed squarely on his temple.

The immense force left Wen Biao dizzy, and the sharp protrusions on the knuckles pierced deep into his temple.

He opened his mouth to cry for help, but no sound came out; a cold, rough hand clamped firmly over his mouth.

Lin Zheyu covered Wen Biao's mouth tightly with his left hand, pinning him firmly against his chest, while his right hand struck out rapidly, slamming into the temple again.

After three consecutive punches, the body in his arms went still. Only then did Lin Zheyu stop, his fists and clothes stained red with blood.

Looking at the lifeless corpse, his arm trembled slightly, but a flash of determination crossed his eyes.

In this chaotic world, good people didn't live long.

"Hoo—"

Taking another long breath, Lin Zheyu suppressed the emotions in his heart.

He moved his feet and quickly chased after the other direction.

Since he had already made his move, he had to eliminate every possible threat to himself.

Lin Zheyu didn't want to be targeted by a bunch of rats from the gutter every single day.

On the other side, Yan Ling was quite dizzy from the drink; he swayed as he walked home by the moonlight.

"If I get back late, the wife is going to nag me again."

"What does a woman like her know? Times are tough, and it's hard to earn money. If this job succeeds, it'll keep us fed for a year or so."

Yan Ling muttered, venting the frustration in his heart.

He stood by a ditch and pulled out his member to relieve himself.

Drink too much, and the urge to pee follows.

With a full-body shiver, Yan Ling mumbled, "Why did it get so dark?"

Bang—

Gurgle, gurgle—

A massive wave of pain surged from the center of his brow. Yan Ling tumbled into the ditch, struggling to crawl back up, but a large hand pressed him down firmly, leaving him unable to move.

In the ditch, bubbles gurgled to the surface, and within moments, all movement ceased.

Both of these men were mere commoners without any martial arts training, and their builds were not as sturdy as Lin Zheyu's current physique; Lin Zheyu had dealt with them with ease.

"One left."

Lin Zheyu looked indifferently at the man who had gone silent in the foul-smelling ditch.

You and I had no grudge, but since you chose to target me, you deserve to die!

He did not rush to clean up the scene. Thanks to the delay caused by these two, Gao Yu had already put some distance between them.

Lin Zheyu pushed off with his feet, sending sprays of mud flying into the air.

Among the three, Gao Yu was the only one with any real strength.

He was a robust fellow, standing one meter eighty-three tall. His family were hunters, and he had practiced rudimentary martial arts as a child, though he had let them lapse after growing up.

"Heh heh..."

Gao Yu walked along the road, chuckling and humming a tune, his mood quite good.

Having found a fat sheep that was easy to fleece, he would be able to live comfortably for a while once this job was done.

"That kid is quite a talent; if only I could control him to earn money for me."

Gao Yu muttered to himself, though he knew it was impossible.

Rustle, rustle.

The cold wind blew past, causing the trees to rustle.

Gao Yu tightened his clothes and quickened his pace.

The night was deep; he had better get back quickly, as his woman at home would have already warmed the bed for him.

Whoosh—

A black shadow darted past, its movements masked by the whistling cold wind.

Combined with the alcohol he had consumed, Gao Yu failed to notice the anomaly beside him.

Gao Yu turned a corner, passed a residential house, and walked another dozen meters before everything fell into a deathly silence.

Just then, Lin Zheyu's figure erupted into action.

His gloved fist struck toward Gao Yu's temple. This was a vulnerable spot on the human body; a lethal strike here could cause anything from dizziness to instant death.

Bang!

Gao Yu lost his balance and fell to the ground.

After all, he was from a family of hunters and had experience fighting wild beasts; Gao Yu actually struggled and kicked out at the encroaching Lin Zheyu.

Lin Zheyu dodged to the side, grabbed Gao Yu's leg with both hands, and used his body weight to press down hard on his head.

A cracking sound echoed as Gao Yu's leg was snapped by Lin Zheyu.

Because he had been drinking, the intense pain was delayed by a few seconds. Just as he opened his mouth to scream, a rough, large hand clamped firmly over it.

Thud, thud, thud—

A continuous barrage of punches landed on Gao Yu's forehead. Within a few breaths, he stopped breathing entirely.

Lin Zheyu sat on the ground, gasping for air, trying to suppress the indescribable emotions in his heart.

This was his first time actively killing someone; back when he was a refugee, his actions had only been passive resistance for the sake of survival.

He didn't daze for long before quickly rising to his feet.

"Better clean this up."

Although he knew the chances of these murders being traced back to him were slim, for the sake of caution, it was better to handle it properly.

He hoisted Gao Yu's corpse onto his shoulder, found an abandoned patch of land, and left the bodies out in the wilderness.

"So poor; they didn't even have a hundred wen on them."

Lin Zheyu shook his head as he held the silver he had scavenged from them.

Returning home, Lin Zheyu lit a fire and burned his blood-stained clothes.

He went to the courtyard and washed his body several times, yet he still had the illusion that he was stained with the blood of his own kind.

Having lived a stable life in his previous existence and received decades of civilized education, he could not simply accept the idea that human life was as cheap as grass, nor could he kill his own kind without any psychological burden.

Lin Zheyu lay down to sleep, but unable to drift off, he got up to rinse himself again. He did this several times until he finally fell asleep late into the night.

Cock-a-doodle-doo—

Early morning.

The rooster with the raspy voice crowed once more, waking Lin Zheyu from his dreams.

He opened his eyes groggily, pulled the quilt over himself, and went back to sleep.

He slept until the afternoon.

Haa--

Lin Zheyu yawned as he arrived at Bidan Tea House.

"Did you spend the night at Hundred Flowers Pavilion, kid? Why do you look so listless?" Steward Wu teased.

"I was homesick and didn't sleep well last night," Lin Zheyu said.

He had spent the entire night having nightmares, a chaotic mess, and hadn't slept a wink.

"It's still early, why don't you go get some more sleep?" Steward Wu suggested.

"Alright, wake me up when it's time."

Lin Zheyu didn't decline; he truly needed to catch up on sleep.