Full-Time Public Enemy

"When I was twelve, the army of Zhandeshi City-State attacked our village. They wielded powerful weapons called matchlocks, and we had no means to resist. Many people were killed, and the rest were captured and forced to work in the mines.

"My family was relatively fortunate; my grandfather, father, mother, and two sisters weren't killed in the battle. We all labored together in the mines. The work was even harder than farming, yet our food was much worse.

"My grandfather was old and soon died from exhaustion.

"My parents were heartbroken and furious but powerless to resist. When I was sixteen, the City Lord decided to hold a grand banquet, and all the women in the city were conscripted as serving maids. My two sisters were among them.

"When the banquet ended, they returned and cried all night. I asked them what was wrong, but they refused to tell me. Two years later, both my sisters married. Their husbands were ordinary miners, but they loved each other dearly and supported one another through their challenging lives.

"Life was already incredibly difficult, but the greedy City Lord kept increasing the daily work quotas, so we received less and less food.

"A year later, both of my sisters had children. Their husbands worked themselves to the bone, but they could still barely feed the children.

"But the City Lord raised the work quota yet again. This time, even my brothers-in-law could barely meet it, leaving them unable to earn enough food to provide for the children.

"My two sisters saved their own rations for their children, wanting only to see them grow up. They also had to work in the mines every day, often so hungry they could barely see straight. My eldest sister fainted while carrying ore, and an ox cart following behind ran over her.

"During a mine collapse, my second brother-in-law, weakened by hunger and lacking strength, ultimately couldn't escape...

"Six members from two families—all dead within three short months.

"My parents were devastated. My mother passed away soon after, following my sisters. My father became utterly dejected. He made a mistake at work and was whipped by an overseer. By the time I reached him, his back was a bloody pulp, and he lay on the ground, unable to move.

"At that moment, I was utterly consumed by rage. It felt as if some force inside my head was about to erupt—and then it did. My spiritual power burst forth, killing more than a dozen overseers and a squad of mine guards who rushed over. I then carried my father and fled.

"But in the end, my father didn't survive. When he passed, his eyes were calm, filled with a sense of peaceful release.

"I tried many times to sneak into the city and kill the City Lord for revenge, but I failed every time. They also had many powerful warriors whose spiritual power surpassed mine. During my last attempt, I was gravely wounded and nearly died in the city. After that, I fled Zhandeshi City-State and came here, eventually becoming a bandit.

"This pair of weapons—I seized them during my last attempt at revenge. This eye... I lost it then too."

Cyclops finished his story in a calm voice. His conversion had brought him inner peace, yet even in this tranquil recounting, the endless suffering of the world's impoverished masses was still evident.

Chen Gu wasn't a saint, but in that moment, he felt a flicker of indecision. Fortunately, he quickly steadied himself. What he was currently doing, though born from a different motivation, could still change the fate of these people if he succeeded.

Indeed, as long as the Confederation needed to protect its fundamental interests on this planet, these lower-class citizens could not escape their fate of exploitation.

But even as chives, there were distinctions; he could make their lives a bit better.

Chen Gu asked, "Based on your assessment, how would you rank your spiritual power within Zhandeshi City-State?"

He wanted to use this to gauge the general capabilities of the powerful individuals of this era.