Chapter 576 - 40: Well Said! Me Too

He hadn’t even lost the ability to think. As the black Fire of Sin surged, Argus could clearly feel his own soul becoming its fuel, yet all he could do was experience this agony bit by bit, experience this... punishment.

Meanwhile, Su Zhou stood high in the sky, gazing down at the village below, dark and sparsely lit in the dead of night.

Evil, sometimes, didn’t just occur in high and mighty places. It also appeared in remote corners, perpetrated by the most inconspicuous of people.

Just like good, it was a subtle thing, permeating every aspect of human life.

Reaching out, Su Zhou poured a small amount of Holy Water. He controlled it with his Spiritual Power, sprinkling it over the old doctor, healing his injuries. The man, filled with surprised reverence, repeatedly hailed it as a miracle.

After that, Su Zhou paid no mind to the "ordinary evil person" who was nearly consumed by the Fire of Sin, his very soul on the verge of being burned away. Instead, he walked through the village, healing some of the common folk who had frequently suffered the man’s beatings and verbal abuse.

By the time he finished, the evil man was dead. Both his body and soul had turned to embers, scattering in the wind.

At the same time, Su Zhou had obtained all the data on the Fire of Sin—from its ability to bypass nearly all energy defenses and strike the soul’s essence directly, to the judgment that interrogated the very heart. Su Zhou had tested it all.

But compared to when he first acquired it, Su Zhou felt little excitement.

"Yara, why? This man clearly had Extraordinary Power, so why did he still oppress ordinary people? Why commit such a thoroughly vulgar evil?"

Floating in the night sky, unseen by anyone, Su Zhou stood upon the flowing clouds and muttered to himself in confusion, "To have Extraordinary Power, yet still seek a sense of superiority among ordinary people who find even Cultivation difficult? We can control Celestial Thunder, floods, and gales—we can command the heavens and transcend nature. Why? Why insist on persecuting those who are weaker?"

"Even if you disregard them, even if you think you’re special and above comparing yourself to common folk, the world is vast and the starry sky is boundless. You could go anywhere. Why stay in a village?"

’I’ve never thought about these things before.’ The young man, whose thinking had always been strange—to the point that some would even call him a monster—could never grasp some of the most basic things. He was always puzzled by them.

"Are there really people who can only find happiness by oppressing and persecuting others?"

On Su Zhou’s head, the Snake Spirit replied, unconcerned, "That’s a very naive question, Su Zhou. If a powerhouse doesn’t inflict violence on the weak, how can they enjoy the thrill of being a powerhouse?"

"In fact, you could call it humanity’s default setting. *The Selfish Gene* describes it perfectly: live in groups, admire and obey the strong, and when you are strong yourself, oppress the weak, reveling in your own power."

"That’s why the weak who dare to resist the strong, and the strong who treat everyone with kindness, are such a rare breed that inspires wonder. But quite coincidentally, this thing called civilization promotes a set of values that runs completely contrary to human nature."

As she said this, Yara gave a placid smile. "And that’s precisely why such a contradiction is what makes it all so interesting."

It wasn’t a particularly meaningful answer, but for the Su Zhou of this moment, it was enough.

’At least I can kill them,’ he muttered to himself. ’That’s enough.’

The night was still long, and there were many more evil people to find. Su Zhou didn’t stop. All of Southeast Asia would be baptized by black flames that night.

「The next morning」

Feeling much better, and with his Fire of Sin having grown a fair bit larger, Su Zhou returned to Qinxing Academy only to learn a rather astonishing piece of news from the Artifice Sage.

[We generally don’t care how you root out evil and treachery within the country, Professor Su, but next time you plan to go abroad to punish evil and promote good, you’d best give us a heads-up. They thought they’d suffered some kind of Heavenly Punishment and are now asking us for aid, requesting the assistance of a High-level Extraordinary.]

At first, the Artifice Sage simply gave Su Zhou a mild warning, telling him that the government had already handled the aftermath for him. To this, Su Zhou of course readily agreed—’My bad, I’ll do it again’—but the very next thing the Sage said made the young man’s brow furrow.

[However, in the coming days, you might not have it so easy, Professor Su. The Spirit Summoning Association has taken advantage of the fact that the European Union Harmony Bureau is busy conducting a full-scale search for the ’True Demon,’ weakening the military forces guarding the Space-Time Passage. They’ve gathered all their strength and launched a sudden invasion of the ’Demon Realm.’]

[As it stands, the European Union’s power alone is no longer enough to stop the situation from deteriorating. In response, they have requested aid from Extraordinary Powers worldwide. After an all-night meeting, the Sages have decided to dispatch you as Zhengguo’s representative to the Demon Realm in the Europe Region to annihilate the Spirit Summoning Association’s effective forces there.]

[Of course, the decision is entirely up to you.]

’...A pointless question. You didn’t even need to say that last part, Artifice Sage.’

At first, Su Zhou’s face was one of astonishment, shocked by the Spirit Summoning Association’s bold move. But soon, a gentle, polite smile spread across his face.

Lowering his head, the young man gazed at the black and white flame in his palm. After a night of burning and refinement, Su Zhou could now control it with perfect ease, even use it in actual combat.

He said calmly, "Of course, I’ll go."

"And the sooner, the better."