Chapter Sixty-Six: Because of Hatred

Chapter: Because of Hatred (Third update today!)

Zhou Yu walked forward step by step under the astonished gazes and quiet silence of the crowd. When he reached Ma Liang, he paused for a moment, then slowly drew his great sword.

The blade nearly cleaved Ma Liang in two; under the intense light from the gems scattered across the plaza, the vivid crimson of blood was glaringly conspicuous. A faint metallic tang filled the air, making Zhou Yu feel somewhat uneasy.

He felt no guilt for killing them, since they had meant to kill him; that reason alone was enough. But that did not mean Zhou Yu enjoyed the act of killing.

This was not the first time Zhou Yu had taken a life, but it was the first time he had done so with a relatively calm heart. When he first entered the Spirit Realm, he slew werewolves and several Japanese; their arrogance and depravity made the act satisfying. But this time was different. Zhou Yu felt something was amiss—though not guilt, exactly.

Soon, several menial servants from the Spirit Realm appeared in the plaza, dragging away the corpses of three once-glorious disciples who had returned from the battlefield bearing honors. They washed the ground clean with fresh water.

Zhou Yu had expected to be summoned for questioning by the Spirit Realm, but to his surprise, no one came. At first, he found it incredible, but thinking it over, he understood. Tianxing and Ling Youzi were powerful figures; if such an incident happened under their noses and they did not intervene at once, it meant they had tacitly allowed it. Since they permitted it, they would naturally accept any outcome.

This realization left Zhou Yu somewhat displeased. This time, those three died—but what if he had been the one killed? Would the Spirit Realm have simply ignored it as well?

Shaking his head, Zhou Yu dragged his weary body back to his quarters. He pushed open the door; the old man was sitting there.

“Master, I’m back,” Zhou Yu said awkwardly. He had not informed his master of the incident right away, essentially acting behind his back, so Zhou Yu felt like a child caught misbehaving.

“It’s good you’re back; it means my efforts these days haven't been wasted. Those three—if you killed them, so be it. Don’t dwell on it. The Spirit Realm won’t hold it against you.”

“The Spirit Realm is the strongest place in the world not just because it has the most powerful and numerous experts, but because it upholds the rules. That Ma Liang challenged you to a life-and-death duel—being slain was his own misfortune. The other two broke the rules and attacked you; even if you hadn’t killed them then, the Spirit Realm would have dealt with them eventually. So you needn’t worry.”

The old man spoke as he drank his wine.

Zhou Yu replied with a quiet “Mm,” put the great sword back under the bed, then sat at the table. After a silent moment, he said, “I feel no guilt, but something about this doesn’t feel right, though I can’t say exactly what.”

The old man closed his eyes halfway, took a sip of wine, and said, “You’re simply not used to killing. In this world, where strength rules, you must remember: many times, if you don’t kill, you’ll be killed. If you keep on killing, you’ll get used to it.”

“You’ve done well. When I first killed, I was sick for half a day,” the old man said, pouring another cup of wine and handing it to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu took the cup, feeling the cool porcelain and the rich aroma, but his mouth still carried the faint taste of blood, so he hesitated to drink.

“Why don’t you drink?”

“They tried to kill me, so I had to kill them. But why does it still feel off?” Zhou Yu asked.

“You’re overthinking. Finish this cup, have a few more, and sleep. Tomorrow you’ll feel better,” the old man replied.

Zhou Yu obeyed, drained the cup in one gulp, drank a few more, then lay down.

On a late summer night, the air was already tinged with coolness. Zhou Yu lay on the bamboo mat, unable to sleep, his mind replaying Ma Liang’s final gaze.

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“In truth, the reason you feel something is off is because, deep down, you know those three didn’t have to die,” Du Niang appeared in Zhou Yu’s mind, dressed in a light green gauze dress.

“How could that be? They tried to kill me—I had to kill them.”

“But why did they want to kill you?” Du Niang asked.

“Because—” Zhou Yu began, meaning to say that Liu Yueming had slain their teammate, so they blamed him and sought his life, but now it sounded absurd.

Yes, Zhou Yu was not them, so he could not comprehend their reasoning. But that did not mean he agreed with it. The whole matter seemed ridiculous—ridiculous that they lost their lives over it.

“Why is it like this?” Zhou Yu wondered aloud, lost and searching for answers.

“Because of hatred. Their eyes were blinded and their hearts controlled by hatred,” Du Niang replied.

Zhou Yu pondered, turning the word “hatred” over in his mind.

“You humans are easily swayed and controlled by negative emotions. Because you have feelings, you often act irrationally. Hatred, once sown as a seed in the heart, grows endlessly, spreading even to those around you.”

“Are you saying hatred triggers a chain reaction? Liu Yueming killed their brother, so they wanted to kill me. Now I’ve killed them; their friends and family will surely hate me, and may seek revenge. Whether or not I am eventually killed, this hatred will never fade.”

Du Niang nodded. “Exactly so.”

“Vengeance begets vengeance, when will it end? Is there no way to stop it?” Zhou Yu finally understood his inner unrest; he despised this method of expressing hatred, and hated the intangible force that could make all lose reason.

“Don’t your sages speak of sacrificing oneself for righteousness?”

“Forget it. That’s nonsense. I could never stretch my neck and wait to be slaughtered. Even if I were willing, if I died my master and Yueming would surely avenge me, so the hatred would just continue.”

“If even the sages can’t resolve such matters, why trouble yourself?” Du Niang replied.

Zhou Yu shook his head. “Enough. I’m going to sleep. I’ve wasted a whole day already; I must rest and train harder tomorrow. I don’t want to be killed because I’m weak.”

The night passed in silence. At dawn, the newborn sun cast its warmth over the land, banishing last night’s chill. Outside, the crisp calls of birds rang out. Zhou Yu lay with eyes closed, listening quietly; with careful attention, he could distinguish dozens of different species.

Marveling at the excellent conservation of the environment, Zhou Yu got up, stopped the old man who was heading to the cafeteria, and tapped his waist token.

“From today, breakfast is on me,” Zhou Yu said, smiling with a hint of pride.

The old man, once a formidable figure, was well acquainted with the ways of the world, and naturally knew about the Spirit Realm’s waist tokens being able to store items. So he sat at the table and waited.

Zhou Yu took out food from the token, discovering it was even better than a refrigerator; not only did it keep things fresh, it preserved their original temperature. Marveling at its usefulness, Zhou Yu began to wolf down his food.

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After breakfast, Zhou Yu stretched, following a set of exercises Du Niang had found for him. His bones crackled pleasantly. Opening the door, he stepped outside.

He thought, now that he had the waist token, why bother training with the group? Better to cultivate on his own terms.

So Zhou Yu had decided to skip training today—but unexpectedly, Abuli arrived early to invite him along. Zhou Yu could only give Abuli a wry smile.

“Zhou from China, did you sleep well last night?” Abuli asked with concern.

“Not bad. Look at me, don’t I seem energetic?” Zhou Yu replied.

Abuli patted Zhou Yu on the shoulder. “You were incredible yesterday!”

Zhou Yu laughed awkwardly. Although Abuli was trustworthy and their friendship was strong, Zhou Yu would never reveal that he only had those three signature moves—if they failed, he would just stand there and wait for others to cut him down.

Chatting idly with Abuli, Zhou Yu soon arrived at the Martial Hall.

In the morning, training for the Spirit Realm disciples had already ended. Servants were cleaning the grounds. Zhou Yu unconsciously glanced at the spot where blood had stained the earth the night before.

The blood had faded almost completely, but Zhou Yu still believed he could smell its metallic tang.

The other transmigrators greeted Zhou Yu and Abuli one by one. The two of them were now the strongest among the newcomers and deserved respect.

Gradually, more people gathered, chatting in the plaza—naturally about last night’s duel. As the protagonist, Zhou Yu had to avoid the spotlight, sitting alone on a stone post at the entrance, eyes closed as he directed Du Niang to circulate his energy.

Some time passed; the sun climbed higher. Still, Hua Queyue had not appeared. With their waist tokens, everyone took out stored food for lunch.

Abuli and Jack came over to invite Zhou Yu to eat with them, and he readily agreed.

An hour after lunch, Hua Queyue finally arrived.

Because of urgent intelligence delivered by messenger disciples the night before, Hua Queyue and Ling Youzi had spent all night in discussion. Once they settled on a countermeasure, Hua Queyue rushed over without eating.

“All present! Assemble!” Hua Queyue called out loudly as she entered the Martial Hall.

“I now announce that training is canceled. Your first mission will be assigned directly!” Her words brought cheers; everyone was eager and excited.

“So soon? That can’t be a good sign,” Zhou Yu muttered.

End of chapter.