Evil in the World

"Tao, I wonder what your take is on the world as it stands today?"

Su Yun Tao's eyes narrowed slightly. "Dean, while the Douluo Continent may appear calm on the surface, absolute evil lies hidden in the shadows."

Shui Xinhan nodded. "In truth, being born into this world is a form of torture for those of us from humble origins."

"If one is lucky, perhaps they can pass their life in peace. Though the crushing weight of taxes and levies is unbearable, as long as one can be with their family, living a simple, plain life with coarse tea and bland rice, that too is a kind of happiness."

Su Yun Tao nodded. "Everyone has their own version of happiness. In fact, I believe that living a quiet life with one's family is truly a great blessing."

Shui Xinhan gave a slight nod. "Tao, I agree with your sentiment, but unfortunately, in this world, not everyone is afforded such a luxury."

"Many within Skywater Academy are victims of this cruel world. I, Bing'er, Yue'er—we are all the same."

Su Yun Tao's expression turned grave; clearly, Shui Xinhan's words had struck a deep chord within him.

"The surface-level opposition between empires and the contention among heroes may look full of passion and blood, but behind that glory lies countless, unspeakable sins!"

Shui Xinhan closed her eyes, as if lost in memory.

"One of those sins is human trafficking. The tragic fate of countless women in our Skywater Academy stems from this very thing."

Su Yun Tao remained silent. At this moment, he was merely a listener, hearing the stories of Shui Xinhan, Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, the soul masters of Skywater, and the countless women of the Douluo Continent.

"I was originally born in a small town one hundred kilometers north of Shuiyun City. My father was a small merchant, and my mother was a full-time housewife."

"Thanks to my parents' diligence, I grew up without want, living a happy and prosperous life. But when I was five, a nightmare descended upon me."

"All of this was brought upon me by this corrupt and cruel world. Because I was exceptionally cute as a child, I was targeted by a human trafficking ring."

"On a pitch-black night, they stormed into our home and killed my father. My mother, tears in her eyes, held a pair of scissors, intending to end my life to spare me from suffering a fate worse than death."

"In the end, they killed my mother as well. I was only five, weak and helpless, watching the brutal death of my parents. At that moment, I felt nothing but terror and cowardice."

Su Yun Tao quickly interjected, "Dean, you need not blame yourself. A six-year-old child could hardly have done anything."

Shui Xinhan took a sip of tea, a single clear tear tracing a path down her cheek.

"After they abducted me, they took me to their stronghold. There, I saw many children just like me. The way their leader looked at me was as if he were gazing upon a priceless treasure."

"Three days later, they bathed me and dressed me in bright, beautiful clothes. I was then sent to a luxurious manor, where I met a man who looked like a pig."

Su Yun Tao's breathing grew ragged. Although he had anticipated this, as Shui Xinhan narrated, he still felt a surge of tension on her behalf.

"In that opulent room, that pig attempted to use all manner of means to toy with a five-year-old girl."

Shui Xinhan said slowly, "Amidst extreme terror and fear, a different voice rose from the depths of my heart: Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"

"Kill him! And then kill every evil person in this world!"

Shui Xinhan continued, "Under the weight of extreme fear and rage, my martial soul awakened prematurely. My dragon claws pierced that pig's chest, and I tore his heart out with my own hands!"

"But I was disappointed, for in a man like him, the color of his heart was not even black!"

Shui Xinhan said angrily, "How unfair is the Heavens? Beasts occupy high positions, enjoying a life of luxury, while my parents, who were kind by nature, met such an end!"

Su Yun Tao said in a deep voice, "Dean, the Heavens are utterly heartless; they cannot hear the cries of the living."

It was a long while before Shui Xinhan managed to calm herself. "After killing that beast, I, at only five years old, began to grow cold. I knew I had to escape immediately, but at five, I had no strength to deal with the servants under that pig."

"His servants caught me and used the most terrifying tortures to bring me to the brink of death. In those final moments, I no longer felt fear, for I thought I was about to see my parents."

"But when I woke up, I did not see my parents—I saw my teacher!"

Su Yun Tao let out a sigh of relief. The deeds of Skywater Academy throughout the generations were truly of immeasurable merit!

"It was my teacher who saved me and brought me to Skywater Academy. It is just a pity that the matter did not end there."

"Oh?" Su Yun Tao asked, puzzled. "Why is that?"

Shui Xinhan sneered. "Because that pig was the most prestigious beast near my hometown; he was a Count of the Heaven Dou Empire."

"A Count had died. How could those nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire let it go?"

Su Yun Tao frowned; he knew that morality and justice were worthless in the eyes of the upper crust.

"The Heaven Dou Empire went directly to my teacher, demanding that Skywater Academy hand me over, or else they would brand the entire academy as traitors!"

"In her desperation, my teacher had people take me far away to Star Luo, where I hid for over a decade before finally returning to Skywater Academy."

"Under the coercion of the Heaven Dou Empire, my teacher was forced to surrender almost all of Skywater Academy's assets to them and secretly bribe those nobles, which was the only way to make Heaven Dou reluctantly drop the matter!"

"During those ten-plus years in Star Luo, I engaged in the most grueling cultivation. Because my martial soul had awakened prematurely, my body could not bear the strain. Not only was my Ice Dragon martial soul incompletely awakened, but my meridians were severely damaged. Possessing Innate Full Soul Power, my cultivation speed plummeted."

"Yet, in my early twenties, I still managed to obtain my fifth soul ring and became a Soul King."

Su Yun Tao sighed. The impact of those events, both psychological and physical, could never be fully erased from Shui Xinhan's world.

Had Shui Xinhan, with her Innate Full Soul Power, not suffered that incident, her family would have lived very happily. Perhaps, had her Ice Dragon martial soul awakened fully, she might have even possessed the Ultimate Ice attribute.

With Shui Xinhan's talent, had she awakened at age six with the help of Martial Soul Hall, she would have at least been treated as part of the Golden Generation. While she might not have surpassed Bibi Dong, she would have been the number one of the younger generation beneath her!