The Abyss of Greed Is Hard to Fill

Zhou Changxi and his group soon arrived before a sprawling estate. Everyone stared at him with eager anticipation, waiting for the command to charge in, smash, and plunder.

Looking at the surrounding gazes-eyes gleaming like those of ravenous wolves and jackals-a chill crept into Zhou Changxi's heart. He could not help but feel a pang of fear. Yet, remembering the stern expectations of his father and uncle, he forced his face into a rigid mask and shouted, "Break the door!"

At those words, the villagers and the Sun clansmen surged toward the main gate like a horde of savage bandits, their faces twisting with terrifying malice.

Zhou Changxi was jostled so violently by the crushing tide of the crowd that he could barely keep his footing. Only with the tight protection of the household guards did he manage to squeeze free from the crowd.

"Second Young Master, is this really alright?" Sun Mingcheng pushed his way to Zhou Changxi's side, his voice fraught with worry.

Though dread knotted in his stomach, Zhou Changxi forced a facade of calm. "It is only three villages. What could possibly happen?"

Ahead, the heavy estate doors were violently smashed open by the crowd. Even the thick wooden crossbar snapped with a resounding crack, followed immediately by miserable cries from within.

An ancient, decrepit elder was supported out by his clansmen. He glared at the invading throng and roared, "Who are you people? Breaking into my home-what is your intent?!"

Beside him stood a group of men and women, gripping blades and wooden cudgels, watching the Baixi Village crowd with wary terror.

"Hehehe, old man, we want your family's silver-and your women!" Wu Siliu howled with a savage sneer from within the crowd. His words fanned the flames of the Baixi villagers' frenzy, their eyes burning with feverish heat as they stared at the Zhao family.

"Brothers, charge! If you're late, there won't be a scrap left!" Ma Datou roared, instantly detonating the restless crowd into an uproar.

The men of Baixi Village threw themselves at the Zhao family like a pack of starved wolves.

"Who dares?!"

A Zhao family man roared, raising his weapon to block the path. In the blink of an eye, he was battered by a merciless rain of swords, knives, and cudgels. Blood burst from his fractured skull. He collapsed and was swallowed by the stampeding crowd, trampled to death alive!

"Hehehe, little beauties, where do you think you're going?" Wu Siliu led his men in hot pursuit of the Zhao family women, a lewd, grotesque grin plastered on his face.

These were men of Baixi Village. Whether they were unmarried or bound to coarse farm wives, the sight of the delicate Zhao women instantly birthed vile, unchecked desires in their hearts.

"Don't come near us! Stay away!"

No matter how the women wailed and pleaded, they were dragged into a tragic abyss of violation.

The men of the Zhao family rose up in furious resistance, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. How could they fend off the crazed villagers of Baixi? They were beaten back step by step, lives snuffed out one after another.

"Whatever you want, I will give it to you!" the old elder wailed in despair. Two burly Baixi men merely shoved him roughly to the dirt and mercilessly bludgeoned him to death with wooden clubs.

"Patriarch!"

"Motherfucker! You animals! I'll take you down with me!" a man roared, charging blindly at Wu Siliu with a blade. Before he could strike, two Sun clansmen hacked him down from behind.

Throughout the sprawling courtyard, agonizing screams and the metallic stench of blood filled the air. Dozens of corpses littered the ground-members of the Zhao family, villagers of Baixi, and men of the Sun clan alike.

Yet even this grim toll could not halt the footsteps of the Baixi villagers.

"How did this happen?" Zhou Changxi stared at the nightmarish scene unfolding in the courtyard, stumbling backward in horror.

His original intent had only been to spur their motivation. How could he have anticipated it would devolve into this-arson, murder, and pillaging-indistinguishable from the atrocities of savage mountain bandits?

After all, he was merely a youth of fifteen or sixteen, sheltered from the true cruelty of the world. Moreover, shielded by the aura of the Zhou family, these very villagers had always been deeply respectful, honest, and simple whenever they looked at him.

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

Zhou Changxi hurriedly screamed, but Sun Mingcheng fiercely yanked him back by the collar.

"Second Young Master, it is already too late," Sun Mingcheng urged, his voice trembling with dread. "If you try to stop them now, they might turn on us."

Zhou Changxi looked at the twisted, demonic faces swarming the courtyard. Not a trace of their former honest simplicity remained. His heart dissolved into a panicked mess as he looked at Sun Mingcheng with desperate hope. "Then... what do we do now?"

"Wait for them to finish ransacking the Zhao family. Once their fervor cools, we can find a way to halt the pillaging," Sun Mingcheng said grimly. "We must also send someone to notify the Eldest Young Master immediately. Otherwise, this will spiral entirely out of control."

He had already spotted Sun Chuan and his companion deep in the throng. It was blatantly clear those two had never gone to inform Zhou Changhe.

"Right," Zhou Changxi muttered blankly. He frantically patted the household guard beside him. "You-go inform my brother quickly."

The Zhou family paid their guards a generous monthly wage to secure absolute loyalty. They had remained faithfully at Zhou Changxi's side precisely because they disdained dirtying their hands for such meager spoils. Serving an immortal cultivation clan meant that as long as they performed their duties flawlessly, they might one day rise to the heavens alongside their masters.

But if any harm befell Zhou Changxi, their punishment would be unimaginable.

"Young Master, we will report to the Eldest Young Master at once."

Though the guards hesitated to leave his side, two burly men stepped forward and sprinted off in the direction of Niu Family Village.

Eventually, the chaos within the courtyard began to die down. The crowd spilled back outside, their clothes splattered with varying degrees of blood, their faces glowing with manic glee. Clutched in their arms were gold, silver, jewels, and jade trinkets.

Ma Datou trotted up to Zhou Changxi, a sickeningly bright grin splitting his face. "Young Master, everything's been cleaned up. Which village are we heading to next?"

The fresh droplets of blood splattered across his cheeks only made his fawning smile all the more horrific.

Zhou Changxi wanted to open his mouth and stop them. But as he met the ravenous gazes fixed upon him from all directions, the words caught in his throat. He could not utter a single syllable.

However, Wu Siliu, Sun Chuan, and the other natural troublemakers had now tasted blood and silver. There was no way they would let this end. Slipping into the crowd, they rallied the crowd with wild shouts, "The Young Master says we're going to Zhu Family Manor!"

Many were still inside the courtyard, eagerly ransacking chests and hauling out sacks of grain. Hearing the roars of Wu Siliu and the others, they erupted into ecstatic, animalistic cheers.

"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"

Zhou Changxi stared at the frenzied crowd, the fanatical roaring from the courtyard ringing in his ears. Pure panic consumed him, his vision swimming with vertigo.

Beside him, Sun Mingcheng let out a heavy sigh. If Zhou Changxi had only been decisive a moment ago-if he had bellowed a reprimand and leveraged the absolute authority of the Zhou family-he could have stopped the Baixi villagers from continuing their rampage.

This unleashed desire was like a spreading flame. Before it fully caught fire, a firm stomp could still snuff it out. But Zhou Changxi had let the best opportunity slip through his fingers. Now, at the very least, Zhou Changxi's meager prestige could never suppress the inferno.

No wonder the Zhou family's Second Young Master had always been kept in the background. He was fundamentally indecisive and weak-willed. How could such a person be entrusted with great responsibility?

Now, he could only pray that Zhou Changhe would learn of this soon. If either Zhou Changhe or Zhou Minghu arrived, their presence could still terrify these men into submission.

But if this rampage continued any longer, he genuinely feared these men would completely lose their minds to lawlessness.

After all, the abyss of greed was hard to fill.

When desire could no longer be satisfied, it would devour men alive.

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