Stirling glanced at the oatmeal in the old man's hand, yawned dismissively, and said,

  "Sir, I already ate before I arrived. I would rather get a good night's sleep now."

  The old man's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it.

  "Alright, then, esteemed guest, please rest well. I will not disturb you any longer."

  With that, the old man turned and left the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

  Inside the bedroom, Stirling watched the door close, his smile gradually turning cold.

  That night, Stirling lay in bed, still dressed, waiting for something.

  Sure enough, a few moments later, a faint noise came from outside the door.

  "What a fat sheep! Three silver coins in one go."

  "Chop him up later. Remember to throw away his clothes; don't keep them like last time!"

  "Hehe, father, he's quite handsome. Why not keep him to have my children?"

  A whisper, as faint as a fly's buzz, came from outside the door, making Stirling, lying in bed, feel something.

  He suddenly recalled Master Kim's meaningful smile as he left. He also remembered the helpless looks on his colleagues' faces when they heard about the inspection tour. Now, he understood why William preferred to live alone in a deserted village rather than find a lit house.

  In this chaotic world, there is no pure land left. Under the lure of profit, anyone can succumb to evil.

  Thinking of this, a certain shackle in Stirling's heart silently shattered. From now on, he would stop using modern law from his past life to look at the public order and customs of this chaotic world. From now on, eradicating evil completely would be his life's creed.

  "Hoo!"

  Stirling exhaled a long breath of stale air, his mind clearer than it had ever been.

  At this moment, a small knife suddenly emerged from the crack in the wooden door, lifting the bolt bit by bit.

  In the dim bedroom, weak light from the living room slipped through the crack, creating long shadows of figures in the doorway.

  The old man pushed against the wooden door, feeling uncertain. It stayed firmly shut. With a quiet "Eh," he expressed his frustration.

  The next second, however, an unstoppable force came through the door. The old man screamed in agony, flying along with the door.

  In the dark bedroom, Stirling stepped out. He shot a sharp glance at the surprised figures by the door.

  Besides the old man, there was a young man and woman who looked like a married couple.

  "Ouch, ouch..."

  The old man pinned to the ground by the door, lay there groaning weakly. This sudden movement ignited the other two's ferocity.

  The man lunged forward, bringing the wood-chopping knife down onto Stirling's head. Simultaneously, the woman wielding a sickle swung it towards Stirling's legs.

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  Even if they weren't samurai, their combo attacks, one after another, hinted at experience in killing.

  Stirling drew his blade from its sheath. He parried the wood-chopping knife that was overhead. Then, with a single kick, he struck first, sending the woman and her knife flying several meters away. She crashed into tables and chairs before lying motionless on the ground.

  "Ahh!"

  The burly man's eyes turned bloodshot. His arms tightened around the machete, veins bulging. Meanwhile, Stirling's right hand, holding the blade, stayed steady.

  "Superhuman strength. No wonder you dare to do this beheading business."

  Stirling sneered and kicked hard, hitting the man in the heart. The blow sent him flying, spinning in the air before he crashed hard to the ground.

  Stirling spat. Then, he walked to the old man, kicked open the wooden door, and pulled the old man to his feet.

  "Cough, cough, sir, spare me! Sir, spare me..."

  The old man was terrified, begging for mercy.

  "Thud."

  Stirling's blade drove straight into the old man's heart. He twisted it once and then pulled it out.

  The old man's eyes bulged open, his face contorted in extreme pain, blood gushing from his mouth. He stretched out his hands to push Stirling away, but Stirling pushed him back to the ground.

  "Old man, when you committed murder the last time, listening to the cries of others, did you feel a single shred of pity?"

  Stirling looked down at the old man's convulsing body, his heart calmer than it had ever been before.

  He had transformed, driven by the instinct to survive in a chaotic world. This change shifted his focus from eradicating evil to simply enduring.

  "I am Stirling! Stirling of the Monterey Kingdom! Demons tremble! I will send you all back to hell, where you will sing my name!"

  Seeing the old man fade away, Stirling turned to the other two. The burly man, witnessing this scene, struggled to his feet, attempting to flee. Next, a flash of cold light shot through the air. A long blade plunged down, piercing his chest and pinning him to the ground.

  The burly man screamed in agony, but dared not move his body because the sharp blade caused intense pain, more than anyone could bear.

  The woman on the other side realized she had provoked a terrifying figure. Trembling, she crawled to Stirling's feet, frantically tearing at her clothes.

  "My lord, as long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything!"

  The woman wept bitterly. Her breasts were a bit thin from malnutrition, but that didn't take away from her charming face.

  "Don't worry, I will not slash women."

  Stirling didn't look down at the woman at his feet.

  "Ah? My lord, is it true?"

  The woman tore at her clothes even faster.

  "Bitch! Bitch!!"

  The man on the other side, witnessing this scene, roared with fury; his eyes almost spat fire.

  "I'll give you a chance; don't let me see you again."

  Stirling intended to show leniency.

  "Okay, okay... Sir, I got it. I'll leave right away..."

  The woman had just got up when she saw Stirling suddenly close his eyes and then open them again.

  "This is the second time we've met. Don't blame me for not giving you a chance."

  Stirling grinned at the woman's dazed face.

  "You...you're a devil!!!"

  The woman screamed like a banshee. She reached for the wood-chopping knife on the ground to fight Stirling. But then, he unexpectedly flicked his finger at her forehead.

  "Thump!"

  A crisp sound came from the woman's forehead. She shuddered with a jolt, and then the light in her eyes gradually faded.

  Blood dripped from the woman's seven orifices. She fell to her knees with a thud, her body crawling down.

  The burly man watched this scene; his face was full of nothing but terror. But he was stuck on the ground by the blade. He couldn't do anything about what was happening. All he could do was let out hoarse coughs, like a leaky bellow.

  Ignoring the dying man, Stirling went to the old man's side. He bent down, lifted the door panel from the floor, and carried it towards the bedroom.

  Stirling propped the wooden door against the frame. Then he found a rope and tied the old man and woman's bodies together.

  The man looked on, confused by Stirling's ruthless actions. He could not understand the enemy's intentions.

  Stirling soon finished cleaning the bloodstains from the floor. He circled the room and then fixed his gaze on the man.

  "I almost forgot about you."

  Stirling approached the man, ignoring his fearful stare. He bent down and flicked his finger at the man's forehead.

  Right now, Stirling's body felt like steel. With a simple flick of his finger, he could pierce a thick wooden board or even a skull.

  "Thud!"

  The man's forehead instantly caved in. Stirling then drew the longsword from the man's waist, wiped it on his clothes, and sheathed it.

  Stirling went back to the inner room, grabbed his bundle, and pulled out some pieces of monks' robes.

  He brought these fragments from the mountain temple. He wasn't sure if they belonged to Monk White or Monk Green. But as long as they weren't his, they were fine.

  Stirling took the fragments and tossed them into a corner of the room. Finally, he cleaned up the blood beneath the man, then lifted the three bodies and left the room.