Self-Destruction

On the way back to the village, Hui Ye kept turning the problem over in his mind.

His Soul Skill could only revive him. It had no actual combat power and was of little use against an enemy.

That was a major drawback.

Even when he got his second Soul Skill, Infinite Stamina, he still wouldn't have an effective means of attack.

His third Soul Skill, Wonderful Transition, didn't look like an attack-type Soul Skill either.

What should he do? Should he create his own Soul Skill?

Or should he start with Soul Tools instead?

That wouldn't work either.

He had Wolf Castle Technology as his fourth Soul Skill, so why bother learning about Soul Tools? Wouldn't that be redundant and a waste of time?

If he had possessed a way to kill in a single blow, he would have revived beside the head in Bei Bei's hand and personally delivered a fatal chicken.

Hui Ye fell into thought.

He still hadn't found a solution by the time he reached the village.

Looking toward Wild Boar Village in the distance, Hui Ye caught the scent of cooking smoke from the countryside. It was familiar and reassuring.

Hui Ye spread his arms and took a deep breath.

"I'm back!"

His return to the village this time could be considered a triumphant homecoming. He shook the unsolved problem from his mind and quickened his pace.

Auntie Wang and the villagers were sitting at the village entrance, chatting about everyday life. When they saw Hui Ye return, they came over to greet him warmly.

"Xiao Ye, you're back! Remember to come to my house for a meal later."

"Sure, Auntie Wang! I want your handmade noodles," Hui Ye said with a smile.

"Why eat noodles? I'll go home and slaughter a chicken to build up your strength. A Soul Master can't be too skinny."

A warmth welled up in Hui Ye's heart.

To tell the truth, he was thoroughly tired of meat, so he hurriedly declined.

"That's too expensive, Auntie Wang. Sorry for the trouble, but there's no need. I just want a bowl of your hot handmade noodles."

"All right, then. Noodles for lunch, and chicken stewed with mushrooms for dinner!"

"It's settled," Auntie Wang said with a smile.

Hui Ye couldn't talk her out of it, so he had no choice but to agree.

"All right. Thank you, Auntie Wang."

Several other villagers gathered around and chatted warmly with Hui Ye.

Hui Ye had been sensible since childhood, and everyone liked him very much.

They had only exchanged a few words when one villager's expression suddenly changed.

In the distance, a burly man with a fierce-looking face was walking toward them.

"Well, if it isn't our village orphan."

Niu Er was Wild Boar Village's bully. With a Soul Master from his cousin's family backing him, he ran roughshod over the village.

Whenever a family lost a chicken or a dog, he was sure to be the one responsible.

Even Auntie Wang's daughter had once nearly been violated by him.

If Hui Ye hadn't happened upon them and called the villagers over, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Niu Er had borne a grudge against Hui Ye ever since. If not for the village chief's protection, he would have taken revenge and killed Hui Ye long ago.

Hui Ye had returned to the village for only two things.

First, to say goodbye to everyone, especially Grandpa Village Chief, who had taken great care of him.

Second, to deal with the nuisance that was Niu Er.

He had become a Soul Master, after all. He ought to repay the village.

Getting rid of Niu Er was one of the best ways to do that.

Hui Ye sneered. "It's only been a few days, and you missed me that much?"

Niu Er spat a glob of phlegm onto the ground and said disdainfully,

"Pah! You little brat, don't think awakening innate Soul Power means you can strut around."

Hui Ye's Soul Skill surged as he released his Martial Soul.

When Niu Er saw the Soul Ring and felt the pressure of his Soul Power, his expression changed.

But then he thought better of it. His opponent had only just become a Soul Master, while his older cousin was a long-established Soul Ancestor. What the hell was there to fear?

Niu Er craned his neck and taunted him. "My cousin's a Soul Ancestor. Do you even know what a Soul Ancestor is? Go on, lay a finger on me!"

Hui Ye reached for the hilt of the blade at his waist.

Seeing this, Niu Er tilted his head, stuck his neck out arrogantly, and moved closer.

"Chop me!"

"Come on, chop!"

"Scared stiff, are you? Hahaha..."

"So what if you've become a Soul Master? I can still bully you all the same!"

Niu Er laughed at him loudly.

Hui Ye suddenly released the hilt at his waist.

"Huh?"

"Coward!"

"I knew you didn't dare do it!"

"My cousin's a Soul Ancestor. A little brat like you who just became a Soul Master is no match for him!" Niu Er continued to mock him.

At that moment, Hui Ye realized there was a serious problem.

If he killed Niu Er with one stroke in a fit of rage, what would happen to the villagers after he left?

Would Niu Er's Soul Master cousin take revenge on them?

No, I need to come up with a foolproof plan.

"Come on, chop me! Chop me till I'm dead!"

Niu Er was still provoking him like mad.

By now, quite a few villagers had gathered at the village entrance.

The village chief hurried over when he heard the news and stepped forward to stop them. "Niu Er, stop this! If you keep it up, I'll strike your name from Wild Boar Village's household register, believe it or not!"

"Oh, give me a fucking break, old man. How many times have you said that? Lord Niu's long since gotten sick of hearing it," Niu Er said disdainfully.

The village chief took Hui Ye's hand and urged him on.

"Xiao Ye, get out of here quickly. Don't come back to the village again."

Hui Ye grinned.

He had come up with a brilliant idea.

"Grandpa Village Chief, all of you stand back. You don't want blood splashing on you in a moment."

When one villager heard this, he immediately pulled the village chief away and retreated into the distance.

Hui Ye concentrated most of the Soul Power in his body at his chest, which rapidly bulged.

"What are you going to do?"

Niu Er's face changed drastically. He sensed danger.

Hui Ye rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Niu Er.

Soul Power surged wildly in his chest, then erupted in an instant.

Boom-!

With a tremendous bang, Hui Ye and Niu Er were both sent flying by the explosion.

He had blown himself up.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and limbs and heads lay scattered across the ground.

The villagers were scared stiff.

The scene before them was too gruesome, too terrifying.

Auntie Wang in particular wept as though her heart had been torn apart.

"Xiao Ye!!"

The village chief was even more grief-stricken and fainted dead away.

He had always treated Hui Ye as his own grandson. He had thought that the bitter days were over and the sweet ones had come, that Hui Ye could become a Soul Master. He had never imagined something like this would happen.

In a ditch nearby, a scrap of flesh trembled, squirming and growing.

Hui Ye successfully revived in a little over ten seconds.

He lay in the ditch, watching the unconscious village chief, his feelings hard to describe.

His actions had fooled everyone present. From now on, Niu Er's cousin would have nowhere to seek revenge, much less use the villagers to threaten him.

In that moment of crisis, he had thought on his feet and figured out how to blow himself up.

Hui Ye's Soul Power was currently limited, not enough to sustain the self-destruction of his entire body.

He could only concentrate his Soul Power at a single point and detonate it.

Of course, the effect was plain to see: its power was immense.

Hui Ye had only been blown into pieces, but Niu Er had suffered much worse.

His entire body had turned into a mist of blood!

That power could easily blow a Soul Master to death and leave a Soul Grandmaster gravely wounded and on the brink of death. Even a Soul Ancestor couldn't withstand it and would at least suffer severe injuries.

Some of the bolder villagers couldn't bear to leave Hui Ye's corpse exposed in the wild and stepped forward to collect his remains...

Niu Er's death was good news for Wild Boar Village. To show their gratitude to Hui Ye, some villagers took it upon themselves to arrange his funeral, with every household contributing money and food.

Late that night.

Hui Ye watched from the shadows as his little box lay in the mourning hall. The sight felt utterly absurd, and his mouth couldn't help twitching.

"Forget it. I'd better go see Grandpa Village Chief. He's old; I hope the worry doesn't do him any harm."

Hui Ye secretly slipped into the village chief's house and gently shook him.

"Grandpa Village Chief, wake up!"

The village chief slowly came to and saw Hui Ye.

"Ah, it's Xiao Ye. Has Grandpa died?

That's fine too. We can keep each other company on the road to the Yellow Springs..."

Hui Ye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "It's me, Xiao Ye. I'm still alive."

The village chief jerked upright and looked him up and down. Tears suddenly streamed down his face. "You scared Grandpa to death!"

"Listen to me..."

Hui Ye explained to the village chief the reasons behind what he had done that day.

"Good child, thank you for all your effort."

The village chief sighed with feeling, then looked at the cabbage and tofu stew on the table.

This was the most common funeral fare in the countryside. There were no lavish dishes of fish and meat, just simple, plain food.

"Xiao Ye, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Come, sit down and have a bite."

Dark lines appeared on Hui Ye's forehead.

"You want me to eat at my own funeral feast?"