Chen Junlin nodded, took out a secret missive, and read it aloud: "Effective immediately, General Lei Chong of the Northern Territory is ordered to lead thirty thousand elite troops to Jinling at once to assist Mr. Ye!!"
"Furthermore, notify the local Ministry of War, the War Department, and the Police Station... none of you are to hinder Mr. Ye in the slightest! On the contrary, you are to provide full cooperation with every decision Mr. Ye makes!!"
"Disobedience will be punished by death!!"
High-ranking generals from the Jinling Ministry of War, the War Department, and the Police Station all fell to their knees in unison, leaving Lin Yuanhong stunned.
This was a military order issued by the Old Marshal of the Yandu War Department!
There were only four marshals in the entire Great Xia Country. While they did not know which one had issued this order, it did not matter. What mattered was that they now understood the power backing Ye Chen—the Yandu War Department!
After kneeling, they spoke in one voice: "We obey the military order. We will certainly assist Mr. Ye in any matter. Please tell the Old Marshal not to worry!"
As they spoke, their eyes darted toward Ye Chen and the world-renowned disciples standing behind him.
*Hiss, what kind of background does this young man have?*
*The Old Marshal of the Yandu War Department... the five-star God of War Chen Junlin... Northern Territory General Lei Chong... Ma Huayun of the Tengli Group...*
*All these international titans are standing behind this young man, bowing their heads!*
*Such a massive display—even the president of a country wouldn't be entitled to this level of deference!*
"Who... exactly is this young man!?"
They knelt on the ground, their hearts burning with curiosity, yet none dared to ask.
"The Old Marshal is too kind," Ye Chen said, nodding slightly after hearing the proclamation. His attitude was as if he were thanking an old friend of many years. His tone was neither servile nor overbearing, as if his status were in no way inferior to that of the Old Marshal.
"Hiss!" The crowd drew a sharp breath. "Damn it, what is this young man's identity!?"
As the crowd speculated, Ye Chen walked step by step toward Lin Yuanhong.
"Mr. Ye, why not let us handle it?" Lei Chong said, his face full of rage as he pulled out his handgun and aimed it at Lin Yuanhong's head.
Lei Chong had seen the photos sent to the Yandu War Department... these beasts had actually drawn blood and cut into the chest of a four-year-old girl. It was simply unforgivable!
Other Jinling officials stood up, burning with indignation. "Mr. Ye, it was our negligence that allowed your daughter to suffer... we never imagined that in broad daylight, someone would commit such bestial acts!"
"That's right, Mr. Ye, let me handle him for you!"
"We are willing to take care of these filthy scumbags for you!"
"Please, Mr. Ye, give the order!"
They knelt before Ye Chen once more, waiting silently for his reply. As for Lin Yuanhong, he had already fallen into despair. Ignoring what was happening around him, he only hoped Ye Chen would grant him a quick death.
"No need," Ye Chen said coldly. "Some debts must be settled by one's own hand."
He picked up a dagger and walked toward Lin Wanwan. "Lin Yuanhong, do you know what it feels like for a father to see his own daughter's chest cut open? You wouldn't know... would you!?"
"But I do!"
"It was your daughter and son-in-law who cut into my daughter's chest!"
"Now, it's your turn to experience this despair!"
Ye Chen placed his hand on Lin Wanwan’s shoulder. She felt as if iron pincers had clamped onto her; 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 background..."
"If I had known she was your daughter, even if you gave me a hundred guts, I wouldn't have dared to touch her!"
"My son is dead, my husband is dead... please, please spare me!"
Lin Wanwan shook violently, her face covered in tears. "Spare my life! As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything!"
"Of course not," Ye Chen spat out.
This woman still did not understand her crime. What did she mean, "I didn't know she had such a background"? If Xiao Ningning had been powerless, would she have been allowed to bully her and carve out her heart?
The very thought made Ye Chen’s stomach turn. She disgusted him.
"Spare me, I'll do anything... I'll be your dog!" Lin Wanwan sobbed, her composure shattered. "I don't want to die!"
Seeing her daughter so broken, Lin Yuanhong felt his heart shatter. He roared, "Daughter, don't be afraid... you damn bastard, if you have the guts, kill me! What kind of hero are you, bullying a woman!"
*Slap!*
Nie Wuji backhanded him across the face. "Insolence! How dare you insult my master!"
If not for the fact that Ye Chen wanted to take his own revenge, that slap alone would have killed Lin Yuanhong. As it was, the force was enough to dislocate his jaw.
"Ugh... ugh... you... no... ugh!"
Lin Yuanhong could no longer speak, his mouth emitting only muffled sounds.
"Daddy save me... I don't want to die!"
Lin Wanwan broke down entirely. Watching the dagger move toward her chest and seeing her powerful father rendered speechless by a single slap, she was so consumed by terror that she began to vomit green bile. She had been frightened to death.
"Ugh, ugh, you... you will die a horrible death... ugh!"
Seeing Lin Wanwan fall, Lin Yuanhong went mad, throwing himself toward Ye Chen in a desperate rage.
*Squelch!*
As Lin Yuanhong charged, Ye Chen raised his hand slightly. The dagger buried itself perfectly into Lin Yuanhong’s chest, right over his heart.
"You... you... you...!" Lin Yuanhong stared at the blade, his pupils dilating.
Ye Chen asked coldly, "Now, do you understand how I felt?"
Lin Yuanhong’s eyes widened; he no longer had the chance to answer. The blade had struck his heart, killing him instantly.
Everyone present shuddered at the sight of Lin Yuanhong falling. They were terrified by Ye Chen’s cold-blooded and ruthless methods, yet none felt sympathy for the four members of the Gu and Lin families. They had gotten exactly what they deserved.
"Master, what about these people?" Nie Wuji pointed to the thousands of people kneeling and shivering in the dirt. "Why don't I send them to hell?"
These were the people brought by Gu Tianhao and Lin Yuanhong. Hearing Nie Wuji, they began to kowtow frantically. "Don't kill us! We aren't with the Lin or Gu families!"
"Gu Tianhao paid me to come... I’m not really family, I've never done anything bad... please spare me!"
"I just took the money to fill the numbers! I've never done anything wrong!"
"Please spare us, we’ll turn over a new leaf!"
Ye Chen frowned and swept his gaze over them. His eyes were devoid of emotion, cold as a predator's. Having just killed, his murderous intent had not yet faded, and the crowd was frozen by his look. In their minds, they saw mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Though Ye Chen did nothing but stand there, they felt as if they were in purgatory. They were too terrified to continue lying.
"Mr. Ye, killing these lowlifes will only dirty your hands. Why not leave it to me?" Lei Chong said.
"Exactly! These thugs aren't worth your time!" The local officials chimed in, "We will assist General Lei in taking care of them!"
Since Ye Chen's daughter had been harmed on their watch, they were desperate to redeem themselves.
Ye Chen looked at them silently. The scene went quiet; no one dared to meet his gaze.
"Fine." Ye Chen sighed. "I'll leave them to you. But beyond these people, I don't want to see any direct or collateral descendants of the Jinling Gu and Lin families ever again."
"Understood!" they replied in unison.
Ye Chen’s "not wanting to see them" did not mean merely driving them out of Jinling. To ensure he would never see them again, there was only one way: make them disappear from the world entirely... send them to hell!
The Jinling titans felt a chill run down their spines. Yet, fearing to defy him, they replied firmly, "Mr. Ye, don't worry. They will never appear before you again."
"Good." Ye Chen nodded. "All of you, disperse."
"Yes!"
Chen Junlin ordered, "Pass the word: the Hundred-Thousand Dragon Cavalry is to withdraw immediately!"
The next second, the troops marched away with rhythmic, thunderous footsteps. They had arrived with immense force, and they withdrew with perfect discipline. Even General Lei Chong couldn't help but admire them: "As expected of the troops raised by the God of War of Great Xia!"
Once the cavalry had gone, the aircraft, tanks, and armored vehicles rumbled away. Then, Nie Wuji ordered, "The Ten Yama Kings of the Yama Hall, withdraw at once."
"Yes!"
Unlike the righteous aura of the Dragon Cavalry, the members of the Yama Hall were dressed in black, their murderous intent suffocating. Whether it was Nie Wuji or his subordinates, they carried an aura as if they had truly stepped out of the underworld. They vanished into the shadows in the blink of an eye.
Then came the four Poison Kings of the Medicine God Valley, thousands of their disciples, international mercenaries, and private armies. Every faction withdrew in an orderly fashion at Ye Chen's command.
"Phew!" General Lei and the Jinling officials let out a sigh of relief.
Lei Chong then barked an order: "Men, arrest these thugs, take them to the execution ground, and wipe them out!"
The local officials followed suit: "Assist General Lei in the arrests! Then, raid the Gu and Lin manors; arrest everyone! If they resist... kill them on the spot!"
"Move out!"
The storm had begun anew.
...
Meanwhile, at the Grand Hotel, Xiao Ningning stared at the spread of food on the table, secretly swallowing.
"Ningning, let's eat, alright? Your body is weak, you can't wait any longer," Xia Qingyue urged.
"No." Xiao Ningning shook her head, her voice thin and milky. "Daddy went to fight the bad guys. He'll be hungry when he comes back... I want to eat with him."
"This is the first time I'm eating with Daddy. I want to save the chicken leg for him... one for Daddy, one for Mommy... Ningning... Ningning doesn't need to eat!"
She swallowed hard, trying to pretend she didn't want the food.
Seeing her daughter's selflessness, Xia Qingyue’s body trembled, her nose stinging. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms, using the pain to suppress her tears.
*Ye Chen, did you hear our daughter!? Ye Chen, please, don't let anything happen to you! Come back... I beg you, come back!*
...
Xiao Ningning's injuries had stabilized. Hua Yuntian and several Medical Kings stood guard outside the door. If anyone knew who they were—the medical sages who could not be hired for even a hundred million dollars—they would be stunned to see them acting as door guards. But they felt no resentment; to them, it was an honor to serve Ye Chen's family. They were Ye Chen’s most devout followers.
Inside, Xia Qingyue continued to plead: "Ningning, Daddy might be late. Please eat something, then sleep. Maybe when you wake up, he'll be back."
"I want to wait for him," Xiao Ningning said, her voice trembling. "I'm afraid that if I fall asleep, Daddy will leave again! Mommy... it was because I fell asleep that I didn't get to see him!"
"Mommy, my tummy doesn't hurt! I won't sleep! Don't worry about me! I just want to see Daddy... Mommy, I really want to see him."
As she spoke, crystal-clear teardrops the size of peas spilled from her eyes, rolling down her jade-like cheeks. They fell onto Xia Qingyue’s hand, the sound of the droplets breaking shattering Xia Qingyue's heart.
*Ye Chen... I beg you, come back! I don't care about revenge... I just need you to come home safe! Ye Chen, do you hear me? Come back!*
Xia Qingyue prayed silently, not wanting to let her daughter see her break down.
"Okay, Mommy... don't cry. My tummy doesn't hurt, I won't die!" Xiao Ningning said, seeing her mother's eyes turn red.
Xia Qingyue almost broke down again. Her daughter was so young, so small, yet so heart-wrenchingly considerate. She realized she couldn't sway her. She bit her lip. "Okay, Ningning. I'll wait with you."
To keep her daughter from hurting, she kept whispering, "Don't worry, Ningning. Daddy will definitely come back. And he will love you so, so much."
"Really?" Her eyes sparkled with hope.
"Really," Xia Qingyue nodded, praying with every fiber of her being.
But could he really return? She desperately wanted him to appear before them, yet she knew deep down the chances were slim.