Chapter 9
My hometown was called Small Yi Village1. Despite its pleasant name, it remains to me a place of nightmarish memories. The place was characterized by the worst elements of a closed-off rural area, including rampant bullying and a leader, the village chief, who had the final say in everything.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the village chief was a skilled manipulator and managed to generate income for the village by collaborating with the nearby Plum Blossom Courier Agency. His misdeeds, such as forcing beautiful women from the town into becoming his mistresses and compelling villagers into personal service, were overlooked largely because of this.
A village ruled by a tyrant—that was my impression of my hometown.
To be honest, half the reason I could leave for the Plum Blossom Courier Agency was that the village chief had pulled some strings for me. His influence even reached there, so if things had gone wrong, I might have ended up as a lifelong servant. It gives me chills to think how my life could have been turned upside down just by the whims of the village chief.
Sigh
A wave of mixed feelings washed over me as I stepped back into Small Yi Village.
“Should I just destroy this place and leave?”
I could initiate a killing spree and leave with impunity. If I wore a mask and attacked late at night, targeting only the village chief’s family, there would be almost no chance of getting caught. Now would be the perfect time to settle old scores.
But I had other plans in mind, so I shook my head and walked toward the village chief’s house, my steps heavy yet resolute.