My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

His fingers were covered with yellow-green pus that emitted a faint, foul odor.

"Sores... horrible sores!" A sharp scream burst from the crowd.

To everyone's horror, they saw that pustules were swelling up on the exposed necks and backs of the hands of Chen Maocai and the others at a visible speed.

It was initially dark red, then it ulcerated, and thick, disgusting pus kept oozing out, flowing down the skin.

Mixed among their luxurious clothes, they looked incredibly dirty and strange.

The appearance of those pustules was indeed somewhat similar to the festering sores on the surface of that toad demon.

Severe pain, intense itching, and a heavy feeling of pressure.

The rapidly spreading, putrid stench, which even incense powder couldn't mask, engulfed Chen Maocai and his son.

Their faces were drained of color, and their eyes were filled with disbelief, fear, and despair.

Ye Qingfeng's icy words, each and every one of them, were turning into a vivid and nauseating nightmare within them.

"Good! That's how it should be!"

"Serves them right! Let them taste what it's like to be worse than dead!"

"Thank you, Immortal Master, for upholding justice!"

The villagers' anger found another form of release, and they cheered, feeling that this punishment was more satisfying than killing him outright.

Ye Qingfeng remained unmoved by the villagers' cheers.

He turned around, his gaze calmly sweeping over the excited, relieved, and tearful faces, but his brows furrowed slightly.

Suddenly, he let out a cold snort.

This cold snort wasn't loud, but it seemed to carry a certain power that went straight to people's hearts, bringing all the cheers to an abrupt halt.

The villagers stared at him in astonishment, wondering why the immortal was displeased.

"Ignorance is never an excuse to cover up guilt." Ye Qingfeng's voice was cold and clear, echoing on the suddenly quiet riverbank.

"The calamity you have suffered today is certainly caused by Chen and Yao."

But honestly, in the past century, has no one truly noticed anything amiss? Has no one truly harbored any doubts?

His gaze slowly moved, looking at the families whose daughters had been chosen.

He looked at the villagers who usually dared not speak out against the Chen family.

It also looks at ordinary people who blindly follow others out of fear, or even help to oppress the weaker.

"To remain silent in the face of injustice is cowardice; to blindly follow those who have doubts is folly; and to aid and abet evil in order to protect oneself is even more pathetic."

Among you, some are acting as accomplices to the wicked, helping the Chen family guard the "sacrificial offerings" and driving away those who question them.

Some people knew that the divination sticks and the rules were problematic, but because it didn't concern them or because they were afraid of the Chen family's power, they chose to remain silent and even advised others to accept their fate.

Even worse, when the demon manifested, instead of thinking of saving the innocent, some people were eager to push the poor woman into the river in order to appease the so-called "divine wrath"!

With each sentence Ye Qingfeng spoke, some people in the crowd turned pale and lowered their heads.

Mr. and Mrs. Li were overcome with grief when they recalled the burly men who had rushed at Xiaolian to snatch her away, many of whom were familiar neighbors.

Wang Dashan also recalled how he had avoided talking about sacrificial rites out of fear.

"If I hadn't happened to be here today, and this girl had drowned, would you all be celebrating, or would you feel a pang of guilt in your midnight dreams?"

Ye Qingfeng's voice was not harsh, but every word was piercing.

"Evil spirits are terrifying, but the darkness in people's hearts is sometimes even greater than that of demons. Today, the demons have been eliminated, and the Chen family has received its retribution."

But have you rid yourselves of the 'demon' within your hearts—that nature that fears the powerful, disregards the innocent, and seeks only to live in peace?

The riverbank was deathly silent.

Only the river flows on, as if washing away the filth of the past.

Many villagers felt a burning sensation on their faces, a mixture of joy at successfully slaying the demon and resentment towards the Chen family.

At this moment, all of that was diluted by the merciless reprimand, replaced by a heavy sense of shame and self-reflection.

Some began to sob quietly, some covered their faces, and many more blushed deeply, feeling utterly ashamed.

The grief that families who had lost their daughters had suppressed for years, even generations, could no longer contain.

An elderly woman with white hair collapsed to the ground, pounding the muddy ground and wailing loudly.

"My Chunhua... I'm so sorry... If I had risked my life to stop you back then... I was so foolish!"

"Xiuxiu... Daddy's useless!"

"Sister...Sister, you died so unjustly!"

The cries of grief instantly merged into one, as dozens of families, regardless of age or gender, thought of their loved ones who had vanished forever into the river.

Recalling my helplessness and compromises back then, regret and sorrow surged forth like a flood bursting its banks.

They knelt in the mud, facing the river and in the direction of Ye Qingfeng, weeping their hearts out.

Li Laoshuan held his daughter, whom he had lost and found, tightly, tears streaming down his face, and kept kowtowing to Ye Qingfeng.

"The Taoist priest is right! He's absolutely right! We were foolish! We're useless! We've harmed so many children..."

Wang Dashan's eyes were red, and he wiped his face hard before kneeling down as well.

Amidst the deafening cries and regret, the villagers, who had been stung and ashamed by Ye Qingfeng's words, were deeply saddened.

Gradually, people were also moved, and many felt compassion and shed tears as well.

The entire riverbank was shrouded in a heavy and sorrowful atmosphere.

After crying for a long time, a gaunt old man who had lost two granddaughters suddenly struggled to crawl to Ye Qingfeng and kowtowed heavily, his forehead covered in mud.

"Real person! You are a living god! You can slay demons, can you... can you have mercy and let... let those poor children... their souls rest in peace?"

They died such a horrible death, lying in the icy river… We… we can’t even find their bodies! Please, please help them find peace! Let them go to a good place, where they no longer suffer!

These words were like a ignition of the last hope.

All the weeping family members and many villagers who felt guilty looked at Ye Qingfeng with hopeful and earnest eyes.

"Please, someone perform a ritual to help the deceased find peace!"

Let the girls rest in peace!

"Truly compassionate!"

The sounds converged, carrying the deepest sorrow and prayers. This powerful and pure will surged towards Ye Qingfeng like a tide.

Ye Qingfeng understood perfectly.

To deliver the souls of the departed and guide them to the underworld is a great vow and a fundamental principle.

He doesn't have a specific method at the moment, but since he has a cheat code, he doesn't need to know it himself, as long as others think he does.

What he needs to do is to construct a ceremony and declaration that is both cognitively sound and sufficiently solemn.

He looked at the villagers kneeling before him, their cries of grief deafening, and then at the seemingly calm river that held the tears of countless wronged souls. A trace of pity flashed in his eyes.

So be it.

He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt the lingering resentment and sorrow in this world.

I also sensed the faint, lingering resentment and persistence beneath the river's surface.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright, yet seemingly reflecting the other side of life and death.