"Quick, the thief is here!"
At that moment, noises came from outside the thatched hut, soon followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
When Chen Xuan stepped out, a dozen people had already gathered outside, each holding farming tools and weapons like hoes, shovels, and large knives.
The little girl followed him out. Seeing the fierce and malicious gazes of the crowd, she trembled slightly and hid behind Chen Xuan, too scared to look at them directly.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Chen Xuan tightly held her dust-covered little hand and flashed a bright, reassuring smile.
He was no longer the original person, a weakling who could be easily bullied. Now was the time to repay the suffering this body had endured.
"Kid, was it you who killed Steward Lin?" A burly man brandished a large knife and shouted angrily.
The others glared at Chen Xuan with fierce, predatory eyes, as if they could devour him whole.
"I had no choice. She deserved to die, so I had to send her on her way." Chen Xuan's expression was calm. Even though it was his first time killing someone, he felt no disgust or physical reaction.
This lack of reaction was either due to his deep-seated hatred for these people or because of the influence of his original self.
"Don't worry, you'll all be joining her soon." Chen Xuan smiled innocently, but he was ready to unleash a massacre.
A middle-aged servant scoffed disdainfully, "Acting tough, huh? You think we don't know what kind of martial soul you've awakened? At most, you're just a bit stronger than an ordinary person."
He was extremely arrogant, with a soul power of nineteen levels, just one step away from becoming a Soul Master, giving him reason to be confident.
The middle-aged man released his martial soul—a sickle that looked like a farming tool, though the wooden handle was slightly rotted.
He knew that Chen Xuan had some talent, but after three years away, he couldn't be more than around level thirty. While others might fear him a little, a support-type martial soul wasn't anything to worry about, only slightly stronger than an average person.
"Young man, it's over." He raised the sickle, aiming the blade at Chen Xuan's head.
Among the dozen people present, he was the strongest, having been appointed by the lord as the top expert of the manor.
"Young man, it's time to go. Repent for your sins." The middle-aged man swung the sickle, the curved blade slicing towards Chen Xuan's neck.
The others cheered and focused on the scene, not daring to blink, afraid to miss the glory of the top expert.
However, the next moment, their faces changed drastically, turning pale as blood drained from them.
With a thud, a head flew into the air, accompanied by a spray of blood, and a lifeless body fell to the ground.
"Ah!" The dozen men screamed, their faces ashen as they looked on in horror.
The manor's top expert was dead, beheaded by the young man with a single stroke.
With a dull thud, the middle-aged man's head hit the ground and rolled to the feet of the other servants.
Seeing his lifeless eyes, they all felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, overcome with fear and dread.
Only now did they realize that the young man before them was a fierce beast, not the harmless creature they had assumed.
"Run, run!"
These cowardly servants, who were usually despicable and shameless, now panicked and fled in all directions, terrified of being the next to die.
"None of you will escape!"
Chen Xuan, holding a silver kunai, looked cold and detached. One slash, one head—he swept through them, and in the blink of an eye, seven or eight bodies lay on the ground.
Most of them were battle soul masters, with levels ranging from a few to the teens, but none could stop him.
Only two leaders, with power around level fifteen or sixteen, reacted quickly and tried to escape.
One of the men who had bullied Chen Xuan's original self was chased down by Chen Xuan. He shouted in desperation, drawing a gleaming knife to fight back, but it was no match.
The man died painfully, his head severed by Chen Xuan's kunai.
Chen Xuan seized the knife, his movements swift, and advanced toward the next target.
Splat!
The other fleeing leader was brought down by Chen Xuan, who stomped on his back, snapping his spine and sending him flying.
"Ah, a demon!" Seeing this gruesome scene, everyone screamed in terror and ran frantically towards the lord's house.
The remaining seven or eight men, their faces twisted with fear, ran for their lives, but it was futile. Under the pursuit of the Flying Thunder God technique, no one could escape.
Splat! Splat! Splat!
More heads flew through the air as Chen Xuan, like a demon on earth, reaped lives. Each time the golden light flashed, another corpse hit the ground.
"Enough!" A deep, stern voice suddenly rang out from within the courtyard.
Chen Xuan didn't stop until he had cut down the last servant, then he looked towards the source of the voice.
Ahead, there was a large house. Three people stood at the entrance—two old and one young, with golden crowns on their heads, dressed in luxurious clothes adorned with expensive gems. They were clearly people of high status.
Chen Xuan gazed coldly at them, saying nothing.
This family of three was the owner of the manor, as well as his uncle and aunt.
The young man with them was their son, raised with care and indulgence, and he had never treated Chen Xuan any better than the other servants.
"Chen Xuan, it's been three years, and as soon as you return, you start killing indiscriminately. Do you not even respect me, your uncle?" The middle-aged man spoke sternly, his expression as serious as ever.
"Chen Xuan, are you crazy? You come back and slaughter my people—you truly are a demon." The plump woman beside him couldn't hold back, pointing at Chen Xuan and shouting.
Chen Xuan sneered, "And are you not like demons? You took advantage of me and my sister's youth to steal the inheritance left by my parents and used it to build this big house. And over the years, how have you treated us?"
The now rotund woman, unreasonable as ever, shouted back, "You're an ungrateful brat! We fed and sheltered you, and without me and your uncle, you and your sister would have ended up on the streets."
"Now, instead of being grateful, you turn against us. You're an ingrate! Children without proper education really lack manners." She acted like a shrew, trying to twist the facts.
Chen Xuan clapped his hands and said sarcastically, "Three years apart, and your skill at playing the victim has improved quite a bit. Taking the inheritance meant for the children and using it to satisfy your own greed—your family really has thick skin."
"Enough, Chen Xuan! Show some respect to your aunt!" The middle-aged man glared, his anger starting to show.
He spoke in a deep voice, "I've told you many times before. At that time, you were too young to manage so much money. As your uncle, I was just holding it for you. When you're capable, I'll naturally return it to you..."
"Fine, then hand it over now." Chen Xuan interrupted him, smiling innocently and extending his hand as if asking for the money.
He sneered, "Hypocrite. You think you're a nobleman, a ruler, just because you're the lord here?"
Hearing this, the middle-aged man's face darkened. His eyes grew vicious, as if Chen Xuan had touched a deep nerve.
"Father, Mother, why waste words with him? Just kill him and be done with it. Then he won't keep thinking about our family inheritance."
At this moment, the young man, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. And when he did, his words were full of murderous intent.
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