Chen Junlin nodded, took out the confidential letter, and read aloud: "Today, we hereby order Northern Commander Lei Chong to personally lead three elite regiments immediately to Jinling to assist Mr. Ye!"
"Furthermore, we order local officials of the Ministry of War, the War Department, and the police station... Not only is none of you permitted to hinder Mr. Ye in any way, but you must also give your full cooperation to any decision Mr. Ye makes!"
"Anyone who disobeys this order shall be executed without mercy!"
Chapter 11: The Kill
As his voice faded, amidst Lin Yuanhong's stunned gaze, the high-ranking officers of the Jinling Ministry of War, the War Department, and the police station dropped to their knees in unison!
This was a military order issued by the old marshal of the Yandu War Department!
At present, there were only four marshals left in the entire Great Xia Country.
Although they did not know which old marshal had issued this military order... none of that mattered.
What mattered was that, at this very moment, they finally knew the backing behind Ye Chen—the Yandu War Department!
After kneeling down, the crowd shouted in unison and at the top of their lungs: "Your subordinates strictly obey the military order! We will certainly assist Mr. Ye in accomplishing everything, and we beg the old marshal not to worry!"
With that, their gazes shifted in unison to Ye Chen.
And to the world-renowned disciples standing behind Ye Chen...
*Gasp! What on earth is this young man's background?*
*The old marshal of the Yandu War Department... Great Xia Country Five-Star God of War Chen Junlin... Northern Commander Lei Chong... Tengli Group's Ma Huayun...*
*Every single one of these internationally renowned figures is standing behind this young man, bowing in submission!*
*Such a massive display of force is something not even the president of a certain superpower would be qualified to enjoy!*
*"Who on earth... is this young man?!"*
Kneeling on the ground, their hearts burning with anxious curiosity, they frantically guessed Ye Chen's identity.
Yet, not a single person dared to speak up and ask!
"The old marshal is most thoughtful."
On the contrary, after listening to Chen Junlin read the order, Ye Chen simply gave a slight nod. His attitude was as casual as if he were thanking a lifelong friend!
His tone was neither servile nor overbearing, as though his status was in no way inferior to that of the old marshal!
*"Gasp!"*
Seeing this, the crowd drew another sharp breath. *Damn it, just what is this young man's identity?!*
While the crowd continued to murmur and guess among themselves, Ye Chen had already walked step by step up to Lin Yuanhong.
"Mr. Ye, why don't you let us handle it!"
At that moment, Lei Chong pulled out his pistol with an angry expression and aimed it straight at Lin Yuanhong's head.
Lei Chong had already seen the photographs sent to the Yandu War Department... These beasts had actually drained the blood and cut out the heart of a four-year-old little girl!
It was simply unforgivable!
The other officials of Jinling City also stood up, filled with righteous indignation, and shouted angrily: "Mr. Ye, it was our negligence that caused your daughter to suffer such torment... We never expected that under broad daylight, there would still be people capable of such bestial acts!"
"That's right, Mr. Ye, just let me finish him off!"
"We are willing to eliminate these filthy scum with our own hands!"
"Please give the order, Mr. Ye!"
Having said this, the crowd knelt before Ye Chen once again in unison, quietly awaiting his reply.
As for Lin Yuanhong, he was utterly in despair by this point.
Facing what was happening right in front of him, Lin Yuanhong no longer asked questions or pleaded; he only hoped Ye Chen would grant him a quick and clean death!
"No need."
Faced with everyone's requests, Ye Chen simply said indifferently, "Some debts must be avenged with one's own hands."
With that, Ye Chen took the dagger and walked step by step toward Lin Wanwan, saying: "Lin Yuanhong, what does it feel like for a father to watch with his own eyes as his daughter's chest is cut open? You surely have no idea, do you?!"
"But I know!"
"It was your daughter and your son-in-law who cut open my daughter's chest!"
"Now, you shall experience this despair as well!"
As he spoke, Ye Chen's hand clamped down onto Lin Wanwan's shoulder.
Lin Wanwan felt a stabbing pain in her shoulder, as if it had been caught in a pair of giant iron pliers. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not break free.
"Please let me go! I truly didn't know that little girl had such a powerful background..."
"Had I known she was your daughter, I wouldn't have dared to touch her even if you gave me a hundred guts!"
"Besides, my son is dead and my husband is dead... Please, please spare me!"
Trembling all over, Lin Wanwan's face was already covered in tears, and her body shook incessantly like someone with a bad fever. "Spare my life, please spare me... As long as you don't kill me, I'll do whatever you want!"
"Of course not."
Ye Chen spat out those four words coldly.
This woman still did not understand what she had done wrong.
What did she mean by *"I truly didn't know that little girl has such a powerful background..."*?
What did she mean by *"Had I known she was your daughter, I wouldn't have dared to touch her even if you gave me a hundred guts!"*?
If Little Ningning had possessed no power or influence!
If Little Ningning had not been Ye Chen's daughter!
Would she have been free to bully her at will and casually dig out another person's daughter's heart?!
Hearing these words, Ye Chen's stomach began to churn. This woman made him feel sick to his stomach!
"Spare me! Spare my life! I'll do anything for you... I'll even be your dog!" Lin Wanwan was crying hysterically. "I really don't want to die!"
Nearby, watching Lin Wanwan beg for her life with such utter humiliation, Lin Yuanhong felt his heart shattering.
This was his daughter, the apple of his eye.
Right then, Lin Yuanhong roared at the top of his lungs: "Daughter, don't be afraid... You damned bastard, if you have the guts, kill me! What kind of a man are you to bully a woman?!"
Slap!
The moment those words were cursed out, Nie Wuji delivered a backhanded slap. "Impudent! How dare you curse my master!"
Had he not considered that Ye Chen wanted to exact his revenge personally, that single slap from Nie Wuji would have claimed Lin Yuanhong's old life right then and there!
Even so, the force of this blow was more than Lin Yuanhong could endure; Nie Wuji's strike instantly knocked Lin Yuanhong's jaw completely out of alignment!
"Ugh... Mmm-gh, you... no... mmm-gh!"
Instantly, Lin Yuanhong was unable to continue cursing. His mouth could only produce muffled groaning sounds and a few indistinct syllables.
"Daddy, save me... I, I don't want to die!"
Lin Wanwan broke down entirely as well. She watched with her own eyes as the dagger in Ye Chen's hand slowly drew closer to her chest, and she saw her once formidable father lose his jaw to a single slap!
In an instant... terrified and horrified, Lin Wanwan's body began to shake violently.
Then, a gush of green bile spewed from her mouth... She had literally been scared to death.
"Mmm-gh! Mmm-gh, you mmm-gh... you'll come to a bad end... mmm-gh!"
Watching Lin Wanwan collapse, Lin Yuanhong completely lost his mind. A wailing sob broke from his mouth, and he lunged desperately toward Ye Chen.
Slash!
The very second Lin Yuanhong lunged forward, Ye Chen raised his hand slightly.
The dagger in his hand struck true, plunging directly into the chest of the charging Lin Yuanhong...
"Y-y-you...!!" Looking down at the blade embedded in his chest, Lin Yuanhong's face froze in shock, and his pupils began to dilate.
Yet Ye Chen asked with an icy expression: "Now, can you understand how I felt back then?!"
Chapter 12: Execution
Lin Yuanhong's eyes stared wide... and he no longer had the chance to answer Ye Chen's question.
This blade had driven straight into the heart in Lin Yuanhong's left chest, proving fatal with a single strike!
Watching with their own eyes as Lin Yuanhong collapsed, everyone shuddered... They were terrified by Ye Chen's cold-blooded and ruthless methods.
Yet, they did not feel a shred of pity for the four individuals from the Gu and Lin families.
They had brought this entirely upon themselves!
"Master, what should be done with these people?"
As Lin Yuanhong fell, Nie Wuji pointed toward the thousands of people kneeling on the ground trembling in terror, and said coldly: "Why don't you let your disciple send them all to hell!"
These people had all been brought along by Gu Tianhao and Lin Yuanhong.
The moment they heard Nie Wuji's words, they began kowtowing and pleading for mercy in a panic: "Don't kill us! We aren't members of the Lin or Gu families!"
"Gu Tianhao paid me to come here... I'm not part of the Gu family at all, and I've never done anything bad... Please spare my life!"
"I'm not from the Lin family either! I just took money to come and make up the numbers! I never do bad things in normal times!"
"Please spare me this time, I swear to turn over a new leaf!"
Instantly, a chorus of frantic pleas for mercy echoed from every direction.
Ye Chen frowned.
Then, he cast a light glance over the crowd.
His gaze devoid of any emotion, cold and indifferent like that of a beast... Coupled with the fact that Ye Chen had just taken lives, the killing intent in his eyes had not yet dissipated.
In an instant, the crowd was subdued by that single look from Ye Chen.
It was as if they saw visions of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood looming right behind him... Mind you, Ye Chen had done nothing more than stand quietly in place and sweep his gaze across them.
Yet the scenes appearing in their minds resembled a living purgatory.
Stunned into submission, they no longer dared to utter another lie.
"Mr. Ye, killing these small fries will only soil your hands... Why don't you leave them to me to deal with!" Lei Chong suddenly spoke up.
"That's right, that's right... How could these little punks ever deserve Mr. Ye's personal attention?!"
Seeing Lei Chong speak, the personnel from the Jinling City War Department, Ministry of War, and police station seized the opportunity to chime in: "Leave these thugs to us to settle! We will cooperate with Commander Lei to wipe them all out together!"
Ye Chen's daughter had had her heart dug out and her blood drained right there within their jurisdiction...
Naturally, they wanted to actively do something for Ye Chen now to achieve some measure of redemption!
Ye Chen raised his eyes and quietly looked over these people.
Once again, silence fell over the scene... Not a single one of them dared to meet Ye Chen's gaze directly!
"Enough."
Ye Chen sighed softly and said, "Leave them to be dealt with by you... However, aside from these people, I do not wish to set eyes upon a single direct or collateral descendant of the Jinling Gu and Lin families ever again!"
"Understood!"
"We will surely execute Mr. Ye's command and ensure they never appear again!"
The crowd answered in unison.
When Ye Chen said he 'did not wish to see them again', he certainly did not mean chasing them out of Jinling City.
If they were merely driven away, there would still be a probability that Ye Chen might cross paths with them again if he ever returned to Jinling—even if that probability was infinitesimally small.
So, how could one guarantee a hundred percent chance of never seeing them again?
Naturally... by making them vanish from this world altogether! By sending them straight to hell!
At these words, the powerful figures of Jinling City drew sharp intakes of breath in unison, a chill running straight down their spines.
Yet not daring to defy Ye Chen's will, they all answered with absolute finality: "Rest assured, Mr. Ye, they will never appear before you again in this lifetime."
"Good."
Hearing this, Ye Chen nodded, waved his hand, and commanded, "Disperse."
"Understood!"
God of War Chen Junlin gave the first order: "Pass down the command: the hundred thousand Dragon Cavalry shall withdraw immediately!"
The next second, a hundred thousand dragon cavalry marched in neat, rhythmic steps—*clomp! clomp! clomp!*—as they departed the mid-mountain perimeter...
When these hundred thousand dragon cavalry had arrived, their momentum had shaken the heavens!
And as they retreated, they remained just as uniform and orderly, without the slightest hint of chaos!
Watching the peerless discipline of the Myriad Dragon Cavalry, even Northern Commander Lei Chong could not help praising inwardly: *As expected of the troops trained by the God of War of Great Xia!*
Following the departure of the Dragon Cavalry, the aircraft, armored vehicles, and tanks—those primordial iron beasts—also rumbled away one by one.
Immediately afterward, Nie Wuji gave his order: "The Ten Halls of Yama Hall, withdraw with your forces at once."
"Understood!!!"
Unlike the righteous presence of the Dragon Cavalry, every single member of Nie Wuji's Yama Hall was dressed in black, radiating monstrous killing intent!
Whether it was the God of Slaughter Nie Wuji, the Ten Halls of Yama under his command, or countless elite assassins...
The killing aura emanating from them genuinely made them feel as though they had stepped out of the netherworld's Hall of Yama, sending a bone-chilling shiver down everyone's spine.
At Nie Wuji's command, those figures vanished from everyone's field of vision in a blur of motion!
And then...
The Four Poison Kings of Medicine God Valley, tens of thousands of disciples from Medicine God Valley...
Countless heavily armed mercenaries belonging to international megacorporations...
Private armies wielding heavy weaponry led by regional warlords of foreign nations...
Too many factions, acting upon Ye Chen's single command, orderly evacuated the mid-mountain perimeter!
"Phew!"
At that moment, Lei Chong and the heavy hitters of Jinling finally let out a breath of relief.
Immediately after, Northern Commander Lei Chong barked an order: "Men, arrest all these violent thugs who murder, burn, and commit every atrocity, drag them to the execution ground, and execute every last one of them!"
Simultaneously, the top brass of the Jinling City Ministry of War, War Department, and police station issued their own commands:
"Men, assist Commander Lei in rounding up these thugs!"
"Take another detachment to raid the Gu and Lin residences and arrest everyone!"
"If anyone resists arrest... execute them on the spot!"
"Move out!!!"
At these orders, the Northern soldiers, along with the personnel from the Jinling City Ministry of War, War Department, and police station, surged into action.
A new storm was brewing once more!
...
Meanwhile, inside the Grand Hotel.
Little Ningning stared at the dazzling array of exquisite dishes spread across the dining table and swallowed her saliva in secret.
"Ningning, let's eat something first, alright? Your body is weak; you shouldn't wait any longer," Xia Qingyue urged gently.
"I don't want to."
Little Ningning shook her cute, round head and said in her childish, milky voice: "Daddy went to fight the bad guys, and he'll definitely be starving when he comes back... Ningning wants to eat together with Daddy."
"This is the first time I'm eating with Daddy, so Ningning wants to save the chicken drumstick for him..."
"One for Daddy, one for Mommy... Ningning... Ningning doesn't have to eat!"
Little Ningning swallowed quietly, doing her best to pretend she didn't like chicken drumsticks at all.
Looking at her sensible daughter, Xia Qingyue trembled violently, her nose stinging with hot tears.
She quickly clenched her fists, digging her fingernails deep into her flesh.
She needed to use physical pain to numb the tears that were threatening to break through.
*Ye Chen, did you hear our daughter's words?!*
*Ye Chen, you must not, absolutely must not meet with any misfortune!*
*Ye Chen, come back quickly... I beg you, come back quickly!*
Chapter 13: Little Ningning
By this point, Little Ningning's injuries had stabilized.
Top-tier chefs had prepared meals for Xia Qingyue and Little Ningning.
Afterward, Hua Yuntian and several grand medical masters withdrew outside, quietly keeping watch right by the doorway!
Had anyone who knew their true identities witnessed this scene, their jaws surely would have dropped to the floor in absolute shock...
These were Saint-level and King-level physicians whom tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of US dollars could not hire! And yet here they were... actually standing guard at the door for Xia Qingyue and Little Ningning!
However, neither Hua Yuntian nor the medical masters held the slightest trace of resentment in their hearts.
In fact, they felt that being able to do something for their teacher, their teacher's wife, and their junior martial sister was the supreme honor of their lives.
They were all disciples of Ye Chen, and in their hearts, Ye Chen was an omnipotent god... while they were his most devout believers!
Inside the room, Xia Qingyue was still trying to coax Little Ningning into eating: "Ningning, Daddy might be very late coming back. Be a good girl and eat a little something, then take a nap. When you wake up, maybe Daddy will be back. Alright?"
"I want to wait for Daddy." Little Ningning fought back her tears, her voice trembling as she said, "Ningning is afraid Daddy will leave... so I don't dare sleep!"
"Mommy... earlier it was because Ningning fell asleep that I didn't get to see what Daddy looked like!"
"Mommy, Ningning's tummy doesn't hurt! I won't sleep! Don't worry about Ningning!"
"Ningning just wants to see what Daddy looks like... Mommy, I really, really want to see Daddy!"
As Little Ningning spoke, crystal-clear tears the size of soybeans welled up and spilled from her eyes, rolling continuously down her suet-jade-like face.
Plop! Plop! Plop!
Those falling, scalding hot teardrops eventually landed one by one onto the back of Xia Qingyue's hand.
With every soft sound of a tear bursting against her skin, a piece of Xia Qingyue's heart seemed to shatter.
*Ye Chen... I beg you, I beg you to come back quickly!*
*I don't care about you getting revenge for us... I just need you to come back safe and sound!*
*Ye Chen, did you hear me? Come back!*
Xia Qingyue pleaded frantically in her heart. In front of her daughter, she dared not vent her grief loudly, only daring to secretly wipe away her tears when Little Ningning wasn't looking.
Within moments, the eyes of both mother and daughter were red from crying.
"Okay, Mommy... don't cry, Ningning's tummy doesn't hurt at all, and Ningning won't die!"
Seeing Xia Qingyue's eyes swollen and red, Little Ningning rushed to comfort her.
Hearing these words, Xia Qingyue felt as though her heart was about to break all over again... Such a young daughter... such a tiny child! She couldn't even clearly describe the pain in her chest and tummy, yet she was so sensible it broke one's heart!
At the same time, Xia Qingyue realized that no matter how she tried to persuade her, Little Ningning would refuse to eat until Ye Chen returned.
So she gritted her teeth and said, "Be a good girl, Ningning, Mommy will wait with you for Daddy to come back!"
To prevent her daughter from speaking and aggravating her wounds, Xia Qingyue could only continue comforting Little Ningning: "Don't worry, Ningning, Daddy will definitely come back! And he will love you very, very much!"
"Really?!"
Hearing this, Little Ningning's sparkling eyes instantly flashed with hopeful joy.
"Really!"
Xia Qingyue nodded, praying continuously in her heart, *He will definitely come back!*
Yet... could Ye Chen really return?
Xia Qingyue prayed endlessly in her heart, wishing desperately that Ye Chen would instantly materialize before her eyes, yet deep down she knew all too well how slim the chances of his return truly were!