1898 The Law of the Jungle

His shoulders curled in slightly as he stuttered, "I-I think… my hands are stained with something dirty. I'm scared… I'm scared of mommy hating me and becoming afraid of me if she ever finds out about this…"

Even though Youyou was aware that he had merely given the kill order and that Li Qin and Yun Na were not killed by him, it did not change the fact that he had a hand in their demise.

He was not afraid to kill. Rather, what he feared the most were that his hands would never be washed clean of the sins staining them and that he would become a sinful person, which meant that he was someone whom his mother feared and could be disappointed in.

Back then, the desire to eradicate those heinous women and banish them to hell was brought by his newfound knowledge of the things his step-aunt had done to his mother from Li Dongqiang.

Now that he was all calm and sober, he realized that he had been so blinded by rage then that he had lost all reins to his rationality.

The boy did not regret a thing, though. The law of the jungle dictated that only the powerful would have the power to protect their loved ones.

Nonetheless, he was afraid… of his mother hating him for it.

What if mommy finds out about this?

The truth will eventually come to light.

He dared not imagine the sight of his mother looking at him with cold, disappointed eyes if she ever learned how he had orchestrated this matter.

His mother's world was ever so innocent, and she yearned for an ordinary, peaceful life. If she were to find out that her beloved, obedient son had his hands stained with blood…

He sucked in a deep breath of cold air in shock.

Feeling heartache for the boy, Agent Li held his hands tightly to comfort him.

"Rest assured, sir; I'll take care of this for you."

Despite his repeated reassurances to his boss, the latter remained uncontrollably stiff. His shoulders, in particular, were shuddering nonstop. It was obvious that his worries and fears ran deep.

After making a call while on the road, he immediately drove to Lezhi's headquarters.

There, in the office, he had just poured the boy a cup of cola when the latter suddenly looked up and gripped his arm tightly.

"Agent Li!"

"Yes?" The man patiently lifted a brow in question as he glanced at the boy with warm, gentle eyes. "Do speak your mind."

"Have you… killed someone before?"

He furrowed his brows and fell silent at that.

Youyou quietly regarded him with his bright, deep-set eyes. His helpless and probing gaze revealed the myriad of emotions constantly churning inside him.

The boy, at that moment, after having lost his usual calmness and composure from his extreme guilt of committing a mistake, appeared innocent and naïve as he gazed somewhat hopefully at the adult before him.

"I've never killed anyone."

His heart skipped a beat, feeling more unsettled than before.

Suddenly, he asked, "Is killing an unforgivable sin?"

"Yes," replied Li Hanlin bluntly as he gently blinked his eyes.

"…"

"Sir, according to societal norms, no one has the supreme right to rob someone of life."

The boy went quiet.

"You made no mistake in the way you handled that matter. Rather, the mistake itself lies in you."

"What do you mean?"

"Your step-grandma and step-aunt, with their insatiable greed, intentionally hurt your loved one, and you deemed that as a heinous crime. They ended up in such a state because you're way more powerful than they were. There's nothing wrong with a person being powerful and strong."

He silently listened to the other's explanation.