Killing

Chen Zhou struck with extreme ruthlessness, showing not a shred of mercy.

For someone who had bullied him, he believed in either not retaliating at all or, if he did, finishing them off completely to ensure they had no chance to strike back.

Thus, even though the old man's reaction speed was fast, and a massive black pangolin had already appeared behind him with four soul rings descending simultaneously, it was already too late.

Before the old man could even react, his throat had already been slashed.

The strike was sudden and incredibly swift.

Chen Zhou had closed the distance in an instant, delivered the blow, and vanished the very next moment.

By the time the old man's fist landed, it struck nothing but empty air.

The raindrops hitting the old man's body erupted with explosive sounds.

Even after releasing his martial soul, he could only barely withstand the Water of Destruction, and it was a grueling struggle.

Although the intensity of the water was low, the power of destruction within it was far from weak.

It was a diluted version of the Water of Destruction stripped from the Primordial Sea, derived from the differentiation of the Primordial Sea itself.

Even after being diluted several times over, this power still ranked among the top in the Douluo World in terms of destructive capability.

Therefore, even in such a small quantity, the explosion still tore wounds into the old man's body.

The sight of the throat being slashed open was both sudden and vicious.

The few maidservants who had been serving nearby let out shrill screams and scrambled away instantly.

In the middle of the corridor, a young boy stood frozen, his eyes filled with shock.

But by the time he reacted and tried to shout, the Old Butler was already dead.

Looking at the corpse at his feet, Chen Zhou understood that he had perhaps gone a bit too far.

If this scene were made public, many would judge him harshly or even curse him, calling him heartless and the like.

But only he knew the suffering he had endured.

It was just like his past life; after being bullied in school, if his first reaction was to find a teacher, the bullies wouldn't care at all.

They might apologize, but once the apology was over, they would definitely continue to bully you, and with increasing severity.

Because they knew you were too afraid to resist and would only run to the teachers, most of whom held no deterrent power over them.

But if, after being bullied, your first thought wasn't anything else but to tackle the ringleader and brawl, pinning them down and using every ounce of your strength to beat them senseless—or at least get beaten alongside them—then after that one fight, no one would dare bully you the next day.

Chen Zhou had done exactly that back then.

However, after he beat up the attendant who bullied him, the results weren't very obvious.

The reason was this Old Butler, or rather, the person who should have acted as the school teacher, didn't solve the problem for him but instead began to lead the bullying himself.

That was why he had returned to take his revenge now.

Watching the Old Butler lying dead on the ground, several figures in black descended rapidly, their gazes locked firmly onto Chen Zhou.

Meeting their stares and observing the four or five soul rings on their bodies, Chen Zhou's expression remained calm.

"My name is Qiangu Qingzhou, and I am currently the silent disciple of the East Sea City Spirit Pagoda Master. I killed an old beast who disrespected me; does that have anything to do with you?"

Chen Zhou's voice was steady as he looked directly at the black-robed men.

Upon hearing his words, the black-robed men, who had been preparing to seize him, came to a halt.

The men exchanged glances, and for a moment, no one made a move.

It wasn't until five minutes had passed that these men silently bowed to him and slowly dispersed.

Watching the black-robed men leave without taking action and then dispose of the Old Butler's body, Chen Zhou stood there calmly.

His gaze was tranquil, but the cowardice that had once been there was gone forever.

He swept his eyes around and spotted the young boy from the courtyard earlier.

The boy was about ten years old, only a few years older than him, and had also bullied him back then.

So, after a moment's thought, Chen Zhou walked up calmly and gave him a beating as well.

And then, there was no "then."

Every attendant who had bullied him had one leg crippled.

As for the young masters and misses, they were all beaten black and blue, ensuring they wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least two months.

This display by Chen Zhou was absolutely shocking to the secular world, and it soon spread among the collateral branches of the family.

However, Chen Zhou didn't care about any of that.

It wasn't until Chen Zhou had finished his day's work, having taken revenge on everyone who had bullied him, that he sat on his bed and Neuvillette's voice finally sounded.

"You went too far this time. He may have led the bullying, but you shouldn't have killed him."

"Teacher, you don't understand. This isn't Teyvat; no one talks about kindness here. This is the Douluo World—the law of the jungle, where only the fittest survive."

"If I didn't have this talent now, my ultimate fate would have been to be bullied to death."

"The reason this Old Butler withholds my supplies and hires people to beat me is simply because I have no father or mother. Yet, my parents died for the sake of the Qiangu Clan."

"But now that they're dead, they're dead, and no one cares at all. I know what you're thinking, Teacher; I won't offend unless I am offended, but this is the last time."

Chen Zhou's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Hearing his words, Neuvillette did not continue.

Although he was a man of integrity and represented the power of judgment in Fontaine, that did not mean he was ignorant of the darkness in this world.

He also understood that Chen Zhou had forcibly broken through to his second spirit ring for the sole purpose of proving his value, so that he could take revenge on those who bullied him with a clear conscience.

Since things had reached this point, he would say no more.

After killing for the first time, Chen Zhou did not have any adverse reactions; in fact, his expression was quite calm.

One could only say that he was naturally suited for this Douluo Continent.

Because he had taken revenge on those who had bullied him before, the last trace of trouble in his heart slowly dissipated, leaving him with a sense of thorough clarity.

It was as if the obstacles blocking him were slowly vanishing; his gaze became more solemn and calm, and his eyes grew clearer.

This feeling was strange, as if the shackles that had previously bound him had been shattered open.

Sensing this, Chen Zhou slowly sat cross-legged.

His consciousness entered the Dream World, while a water-colored barrier condensed around his body to protect him.

In the Dream World, watching the endlessly surging Primordial Sea before him, Chen Zhou slowly opened his eyes, then closed them again, sitting there quietly.

The twenty-four acupuncture points within his body began to circulate at a faster speed, a rate far exceeding the past, and his own spirit power began to rise rapidly.