At the edge of the small town lies a country road that leads to a village.
After leaving the town, Chen Xuan entered the mountains, where dense forests and flourishing plants surrounded him.
The mountains were covered in trees and wild grasses, a stark contrast to the town, making it feel like stepping into a remote and backward tribe.
He vaguely remembered that when he was young, he often went hungry. He would leave the village and venture into the wilderness, returning each time with game and various berries to improve his sister Chen Yiyi's meals.
Chen Xuan walked along the path, the earthy fragrance lingering in his nose, filled with memories.
After crossing two mountains, he stopped and stood on a hill, gazing into the distance. There, in the distance, was a cluster of houses, densely packed—his hometown.
He threw a kunai forcefully into the sky and then dashed down the mountain, continuously using the Body Flicker Technique.
As the trees around him receded and the air produced sonic booms, his speed had significantly increased.
Finally, the path ended, and he arrived at the village. A large plaque hung above the entrance, with the words "Stone Village" engraved on it.
According to legend, the village once produced a Soul Emperor whose martial soul was a giant stone, known for its immense defense. During that era, he gained considerable fame, so the village chief named the village after him.
"Hey, isn't that little Chen? When did you come back?" As Chen Xuan walked along the village road, many people recognized him.
Village women greeted him, and children looked at him with curious eyes.
Chen Xuan responded to each one, but there were too many people, so he had no choice but to use the Flying Thunder God technique to leave the spot.
At the other end of the village were several large households, each wealthy and home to soul masters with deep foundations.
A large courtyard covered seven or eight hundred square meters, surrounded by walls, with many fruit trees and green bamboo planted around it. Inside, there were several fish ponds, and more than a dozen servants.
Chen Xuan stood at the entrance, looking at the grand courtyard, reminiscent of a manor from ancient times. This... was his former home, or more precisely, the place where he lived.
Chen Xuan unclenched his fists. Along the way, his emotions had been running high—was it the influence of his previous self?
He suppressed the agitation in his heart and knocked on the door.
However, there was no response. It wasn't until he had knocked for a long time that a woman's voice came from inside.
"Who's bothering us so early in the morning? Who is it?"
"If you disturb the master and young master's rest, you'll pay for it!"
A very impatient voice came from inside, but the door was still opened.
Chen Xuan looked at the woman in her fifties, dressed in simple clothing, and immediately recognized her.
When he was young, she often made things difficult for his previous self, causing him a lot of suffering.
She was also the most trusted servant of his uncle and aunt.
"You... are you that little brat, Chen?" She was stunned for a moment, looking at Chen Xuan in disbelief.
It had been three years since he left, and now this little brat had returned.
"Where is Yiyi?" Chen Xuan's voice was cold, only two short words.
He was irritated, with a deep anger boiling inside him, affecting his emotions.
However, after the initial surprise, the woman returned to her usual demeanor, her face full of disgust.
"You had the courage to leave this house back then, and now you have the nerve to come back. What's wrong? Did you find that life outside isn't as easy as you thought?" Her tone was full of contempt, as she had always disliked Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan's eyes turned bloodshot, and he clenched his fists. The inexplicable agitation was becoming harder to suppress, and he even had the urge to tear her apart.
Seeing his predatory gaze, the woman laughed. It was such a familiar scene—three years ago, the brother and sister had the same look in their eyes, but they couldn't do anything to her.
"Oh, I almost forgot. You only awakened a support-type martial soul. You probably can't even beat a dog, can you?"
She laughed arrogantly, but her eyes flickered with malice. Suddenly, her expression changed, becoming incredibly vicious. She said in a low voice, "You little beast, I suggest you drop that look in your eyes. If you make me angry, neither you nor your sister will have a good time."
Boom!
At that moment, Chen Xuan no longer restrained the anger deep within him and no longer wanted to endure. With a hiss, arcs of electricity crackled over his body, as he gathered endless lightning in his palm, as if holding a thousand birds.
At such close range, he struck out, hitting the malicious woman squarely in the chest, bending her body and sending her flying with a loud crash.
The old woman's face was twisted with pain, instantly drained of blood and turning pale. In her chest was a gaping wound, with a hole through her body, still crackling with electricity.
This attack had almost reached the prototype of the Chidori, so powerful that a malicious woman with less than level twenty soul power had no chance of resisting it.
She died with disbelief in her eyes, killed by the very "cowardly little brat" she had always looked down upon.
Chen Xuan had used almost all his strength in that strike, just to vent the rage in his heart.
The old woman had a gaping wound in her chest, with a hole through her body. Her heart had been obliterated by the explosion of lightning.
Chen Xuan watched as the woman who had bullied him in the past twitched on the ground until she died in pain. A deep sense of relief washed over him, dispelling the frustration that had been building up for so long.
The commotion quickly caught the attention of the people inside.
Before long, more than a dozen servants rushed out and, upon reaching the gate, saw the old woman's miserable corpse at first glance.
"Housekeeper!" They shouted, all panic-stricken.
By then, Chen Xuan had already entered the courtyard. He followed the memories in his mind, walking to the west side until he stopped in front of a thatched hut.
Just standing outside the door, he began to cry, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
Suppressing his turbulent emotions, he pushed open the dilapidated wooden door.
The space inside was small, filled with messy farm tools. The walls were covered in dust and cobwebs.
In a pile of straw, a twelve-year-old girl was sleeping. She wore simple clothes, patched in many places, as if life had been very hard for her. There was no proper bed, only straw laid on the ground as a makeshift mattress.
This... was his sister, Chen Yiyi.
The little girl had two small braids, her face was cute, with rosy cheeks, though smudged with some dust, making her look a bit dirty.
Chen Xuan's nose stung with emotion. It was hard to imagine how this little girl had managed to survive with such a strong will in the three years since he had left.
The first rays of the morning sun streamed through the wooden door, shining on the little girl.
Her eyelids twitched as she was awakened by the glaring light, slowly opening her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a big brother standing at the door, looking at her with eyes full of pity, guilt, and remorse.
When she recognized Chen Xuan's face, the little girl was stunned. Her big eyes instantly welled up with tears, which rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto her patched clothes.
"Brother!" The little girl threw herself into Chen Xuan's arms.
That one word, "Brother," carried so much meaning, filled with years of emotion.
Chen Xuan hugged the little girl tightly, saying nothing, gently stroking her hair.
"Brother, I knew you would come back. Yiyi missed you so much!" The little girl burst into tears.
For so long, she had been strong, struggling to survive, but now she cried her heart out, letting out all the emotions she had suppressed.
Chen Xuan's nose stung again, but all the emotions he felt boiled down to just one sentence.
"Let's go, I'll take you to kill."
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