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“Your subordinate has looked into it.”

“The target is a Beastmaster with outstanding Talent.”

As he spoke, Zhou Jinhu’s eyes gradually sharpened, and he seemed agitated and restless at the mention of Lin Shu.

Veins of blood filled his pupils, and his already unsightly face became even more distorted.

He was very displeased with the existence of someone like Lin Shu.

Moreover, he eagerly anticipated meeting the other party, wanting to brutally torture and kill him.

He wasn't targeting Lin Shu specifically, but rather all such Beastmaster geniuses.

It was as if he held a deep-seated hatred for them.

The reason for this was related to his own past experiences.

During his student days, he had no Beastmaster Talent and no family support.

No matter how hard he tried or how rigorously he trained his beasts, his advancement in rank was extremely slow, unable to keep up with his classmates.

This made him feel that his future was bleak; for an ordinary person like him, the profession of a Beastmaster seemed utterly unsuitable.

But if it were just that, he would only blame himself for his lack of Talent and ability.

However, who would have thought that those few classmates with outstanding Talent and good family backgrounds in his class would also mock and bully him?

And this was merely because they disliked his dull appearance, nothing more.

They insulted his family. Zhou Jinhu did not choose to endure this situation but fought back fiercely.

He could tolerate insults directed at himself, but not at his family.

But how could his strength possibly contend with the others?

The final result was that he and his beast were covered in wounds, even nearly losing their lives.

And because Zhou Jinhu had initiated the physical confrontation, this situation led to him receiving a major demerit from the school.

This directly resulted in his forced withdrawal from school.

It was clearly the other party’s fault, so why was he treated this way?

It was simply because those few people had family connections, while he was just an ordinary student with no power or influence.

Zhou Jinhu was disheartened, feeling hopeless about life and about himself.

He didn't know why his life was already so miserable, yet those people in his class still humiliated him so much.

If not for his parents at home, he would have even considered ending his own life.

So, during that period, Zhou Jinhu often cried himself to sleep and had nightmares every day.

Such multiple blows would be extremely damaging to any high school student.

Consequently, he became absent-minded and even abandoned his previously ambitious path as a Beastmaster. He spent three years drifting through another private high school, never even getting into a Beastmaster university.

Even so, he became completely indifferent.

Apart from his family and his beast, he lost interest in everything else.

He also lost his former cheerfulness and vivacity, becoming particularly silent, shutting off all his emotions and thoughts.

His parents tried to change this situation, but after exhausting all methods, they still found nothing.

Afterward, he stopped studying and simply chose a profession, starting to work.

It wasn't until a certain accident led him to join the Spirit Domain.

Only then did he embark on the path of a Beastmaster once again.

It also made Zhou Jinhu realize that one could become so powerful without relying on Talent or family.

The secret techniques within it, which allowed for rapid improvement in beast strength, intoxicated him. The feeling of seeing his strength grow every day was dreamlike, even though it came with severe side effects for both the beast and himself.

Even one’s thoughts and personality would undergo significant changes.

But Zhou Jinhu didn't care; he only wanted to become stronger, the stronger the better.

A fire constantly burned within him, needing to be released.

Thus, not long after, during an expedition to an Otherworld, he killed all the classmates who had bullied him, those so-called geniuses.

Only then did he realize that these so-called geniuses were nothing in his hands. Not only was their speed of improvement inferior, but their combat power also showed a huge disparity.

That day, Zhou Jinhu felt a pleasure akin to ascending to heaven.

How right he was to have joined the Spirit Domain; otherwise, he might never have been able to take revenge in his entire life.

Under the dual effects of the Spirit Domain and the secret techniques, this particular obsession was developed.

From then on, Zhou Jinhu often took pleasure in killing Beastmaster geniuses. He harbored killing intent towards every genius, and if he had the chance, he would not hesitate to strike.

The more talented they were, the more their desperate, helpless cries and actions before death would give him a perverse thrill.

He gradually became obsessed with it, unable to extricate himself.

His methods were meticulous, and his actions were not frequent, so he was never discovered.

This was naturally influenced by his high school experiences, but the greatest factors were the secret techniques and the deliberate cultivation by the Spirit Domain.

Otherwise, he would not have fallen to this state.

This was why Zhou Jinhu displayed such a demeanor in his recent words.

And the Fifth Lord, seated on the throne on the high platform, naturally knew about Zhou Jinhu’s situation.

There were still some such pawns in the Spirit Domain, all secretly cultivated over these past few years.

Their purpose, naturally, was to reduce the foundational strength of Great Xia as much as possible.

One must know that the youth are the future of a place.

“It’s good that you’re aware.”

“The target is currently in the Radiant Mist Land.”

“You shall depart tomorrow.”

“If the situation is suitable, kill him!”

For such a genius, the Fifth Lord’s attitude was clearly very explicit: destroy him.

Not only because of Shen Tu Wu Hong’s previous incident and the exposure of the Spirit Domain, but his Talent alone was enough to warrant such attention.

If he was not nipped in the bud, another powerful combatant would emerge, a scenario no Otherworld race wished to see.

Of course, these were all messages he intended to convey to Zhou Jinhu; in reality, he had no such intention.

He knew deep down that a genius of such caliber would surely have many powerful individuals providing protective measures.

These were things known to both of them.

But even so, this assassination mission still had to proceed.

After all, Zhou Jinhu was merely a dispensable pawn. If he could force out one of Lin Shu’s trump cards, it would be a success, laying the groundwork for a complete capture and imprisonment next time.

After all, the potentially huge secret Lin Shu might be hiding was what truly interested him.

If he were killed directly, wouldn't everything be lost?

Anyway, due to the secret techniques, the other party already didn’t have much time left, only one or two months of life.

Otherwise, how could there be such a good thing as rapidly increasing beast strength without any obstacles or resources?

What the Spirit Domain disliked most was waste; every person had to fulfill their intended value.

And Zhou Jinhu’s beast strength had now reached level 85. With his life-risking secret techniques fully activated, he was almost unrivaled among those of the eighth rank, so forcing out Lin Shu’s protective measures would certainly not be a problem.

As for resistance, the Fifth Lord simply couldn’t imagine such a scenario.

Reaching near ninth-rank combat power in such a short time?

How could such a fantastical thing happen?

Even in the history of the Otherworld races, only those renowned powerhouses could meet such a standard.

And Zhou Jinhu was one of the most suitable candidates.

As a Great Xia native, he would not be subject to surveillance and could freely travel between cities and the Otherworld.

These words appeared in his ears.

Zhou Jinhu’s eyes widened, and then he let out a sinister laugh, unable to stop trembling. Such a mission was simply too perfect for him.

He wouldn't mind how many such tasks came his way.

Instead, he was extremely fond of this kind of situation.

His enthusiasm was far greater than for previous missions.

With his current strength, dealing with Lin Shu would be effortless.

Zhou Jinhu had a good understanding of the other party’s information, and he seemed to have already fantasized about killing him.

His corpulent upper body trembled slightly, showing his current state of mind.

“Yes, Fifth Lord!”

“I will definitely complete the mission!”

His voice carried an indomitable momentum, as if he wished the other party were right before him at that moment so he could kill him directly.

In response, the Fifth Lord merely nodded slightly, indicating understanding.

“Very good, then you may return.”

“Prepare tonight and you can head to Central State.”

Seeing this, Zhou Jinhu immediately stood up and respectfully said:

“Understood.”

He then dragged his massive body and walked out.

Although his physique was large, his movements were extremely agile, completely unaffected.

Watching his retreating figure, the Fifth Lord’s gaze remained unchanged.

This matter was merely an impromptu decision, a casual expression of thought.

As for exposing the Spirit Domain?

That matter was no longer very important now.

The grand scheme was about to be activated…