Demonic Beasts Slaughter the Village, Young Luo Chen

In the dark cellar.

A small, thin figure lay curled up silently.

Through the gaps between the cellar planks.

Luo Chen's childish eyes stared fixedly at the scene unfolding outside in his home.

"Be good, Chen'er. Don't make a sound. Don't go outside. Wait for us to come back!"

His mother's gentle words from this life still echoed in his ears.

He watched them resolutely close the cellar entrance, watched them tread through the rain and head outside.

In the darkness of night, beastly roars rose alongside the sounds of flesh and blood being devoured.

The villagers' wails spread fear through his heart.

"Damn it, damn it!"

Two trails of clear tears ran down Luo Chen's face as his body trembled without stop.

Demonic Beasts!

Demonic Beasts truly existed in this world!

And they had come to a place as small as the palm of a hand—Pear Tree Village.

His parents in this life had resolutely walked outside for his slim chance at survival.

They had used themselves as bait to fight for Luo Chen's sliver of hope.

Luo Chen was too young. There was nothing he could do. He could only try his utmost to stop himself from trembling and crying.

He had to live. He had to live and avenge his parents and the villagers.

In the darkness, time became extraordinarily slow.

Luo Chen's limbs had already stiffened, and his face was terribly pale.

There was no longer any movement outside, yet the heavy stench of blood lingered for a long time.

Suddenly.

In the silent night, footsteps sounded from outside the small courtyard.

Luo Chen immediately became alert and instinctively curled himself tighter.

Creak. The wooden door to the house was pushed open.

Its scraping sound was especially piercing in the quiet night.

Silence!

A quarter of an hour later.

A vigorous voice rang out inside the house, carrying an almost imperceptible trace of guilt.

"Come out. It's safe now!"

Beneath the cellar, Luo Chen remained motionless, but his eyes shone with unusual brightness.

He gripped a kitchen knife tightly in his hand. His fingers had turned faintly white from the force.

A sliver of light appeared in the room, falling across Luo Chen's cheek.

The cellar's wooden plank was lifted by a pair of powerful hands.

Suddenly, a kitchen knife flashed, carrying a trace of killing intent.

"Heh, kid's got some murderous spirit!"

A soft chuckle sounded. The newcomer raised a hand slightly and, barehanded, caught the kitchen knife firmly in his palm with nothing but flesh and blood.

Luo Chen's pupils contracted, and his heart sank straight to the abyss.

"Don't be nervous. The Demonic Beast has already been subdued by me!"

Liu Xingsheng wore a fitted suit of black clothing, a long saber at his waist and a badge on his person. He looked imposing and majestic.

He extended a hand toward the cellar, but his final words could be heard only by himself.

"I'm sorry. We came too late..."

Lightning tore across the night sky.

The wind and rain gradually subsided.

Luo Chen followed behind Liu Xingsheng and walked out of the house.

Blood, washed by the rain, flowed through every corner of the village.

Yet not a single villager's corpse could be seen.

Grief filled Luo Chen's heart. Looking at the place where he had grown up reduced to this state, his eyes brimmed with hatred too deep to dissolve.

The two arrived at an open area.

Clusters of torches lit up around them as figures in dark uniforms, sabers in hand, patrolled and searched.

In the open area, a huge pit had been carved out as though by a sharp weapon in an instant—square and neat.

One mangled villager's corpse after another was piled inside the pit.

Luo Chen's vision was filled with scarlet. He felt no terror, no fear. Trembling, he stepped forward and painstakingly dragged his parents' bodies out of the pit.

"I want to bury my parents separately!"

His tone was resolute, carrying a trace of pleading.

Liu Xingsheng nodded. One of his subordinates came forward and helped Luo Chen up.

A spark fell into the pit, landing upon the bodies of his parents.

It ignited without wind, instantly lighting up the entire village.

Firelight reflected off everyone's faces.

Liu Xingsheng reached out with a large hand and gently stroked the well-behaved child beside him before speaking softly.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"I am!"

Luo Chen paused slightly before continuing.

"But I'm even more afraid that I won't have another chance to take revenge!"

His body was small, but his words were extraordinarily firm.

The people of the Demon Suppression Bureau around them fell silent as they listened to the child's immature voice.

"Revenge!"

"Good! Someone!"

Liu Xingsheng suddenly burst into laughter, his laugh carrying both melancholy and appreciation.

As his words fell.

Four Demon Suppression Bureau officers ahead dragged thick black-gold chains, their clashing metal ringing through the night.

A roar shook the earth and made Luo Chen's body sway.

His eyes stared fixedly at the enormous creature tightly bound by the thick chains ahead, filled with undisguised killing intent.

It was a giant ape standing a full five meters tall, its enormous body covered in blood-red fur.

Its arms were exceptionally long, its limbs pressed to the ground. Beneath the red fur, a pair of blood-red eyes as large as bronze bells could be seen.

A blade and sword had each been driven into the Demonic Beast's limb joints, pinning it firmly to the ground. As it was dragged, dark-red blood flowed out.

"Hehe...!"

The Blood Ape raised its massive head and looked at the half-grown boy beside Liu Xingsheng, its mouth twisting into a mocking sneer of unclear meaning.

"Too noisy!"

Liu Xingsheng frowned, and the saber at his waist left its sheath.

Luo Chen saw only a flash of cold light. The Demonic Beast's limbs were severed, its mouth hanging wide open, its fangs shattered, and its scarlet tongue cut off.

Cultivation!

Luo Chen stared fixedly at the saber in Liu Xingsheng's hand, an indescribable emotion in his eyes.

"Take my saber and kill it. Avenge the village!"

"You—do you dare?"

Looking at the saber offered to him, Luo Chen reached out and took it without the slightest hesitation.

The instant the saber entered his hand, it dropped to the ground and lodged diagonally in the earth.

So heavy!

That was Luo Chen's first feeling.

He struggled to drag the saber along, looking somewhat comical.

Yet not one person from the Demon Suppression Bureau mocked him. They merely watched that small figure.

Luo Chen came before the enormous Demonic Beast's body and looked at the creature lying on the ground, with only its last breath remaining.

His eyes held an indelible coldness.

He raised the saber and brought it down viciously beneath the Demonic Beast's bloodthirsty gaze.

Pshk!

The saber cut through fur and hide, but it was difficult to truly harm the Demonic Beast.

Luo Chen said nothing. He only kept swinging the saber.

Not until he was panting from exhaustion did he forcibly chop off the Demonic Beast's head after dozens of strikes.

"Enough!"

Liu Xingsheng came from behind and took the saber from Luo Chen's hand, wiping it gently.

"From today onward, follow by my side. Are you willing?"

Luo Chen raised his head slightly and spoke softly.

"Can I become as strong as you?"

"Hahaha, I have neither son nor daughter in this life. You will be the one to inherit my mantle."

Liu Xingsheng merely laughed heartily, his eyes filled with satisfaction as he looked at Luo Chen.

"Good!"

The cold wind after the rain blew past, yet the Youth's words were extraordinarily firm.

An hour later.

Luo Chen knelt before his parents' graves without saying a word.

Streams of information emerged in his mind, and he silently watched them.

[Killed a First Realm (Bone Forging) Blood Ape, plundering 70 years of lifespan!]

[Current lifespan: 10/158.]

[Consume lifespan to evolve and cultivate cultivation, techniques, martial arts, divine abilities...]

[Kill ranked flora and fauna to plunder their remaining lifespan!]

Liu Xingsheng came to Luo Chen and extended his broad hand to help him up, taking the Youth away from the village.

"What is your name?"

"Luo Chen!"