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

"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting!" Zhao Damang rushed forward, almost covering Lin Yunfeng's mouth.

"This is the Taoist priest! He's a real living deity! Just now, it was the Taoist priest who used his magic to destroy all the paper figures and ghosts in the courtyard and pulled you back from the brink of death!"

"Without the Taoist priest, you would have been drained of your life force long ago! We would all be dead here! Hurry up and kowtow to the Taoist priest to apologize!"

The other bodyguards also spoke up, their voices filled with lingering fear and reproach.

Lin Yunfeng's head was still a little dizzy, and he clearly didn't understand why Uncle Zhao and the others, who had previously looked down on those Taoist priests, had suddenly become respectful.

All he knew was that these Taoist priests were all charlatans, and that it must have been this stinking Taoist priest who had deceived Uncle Zhao and the others—what a despicable charlatan!

Thinking of this, his already weak mind instantly went into a dead end, losing the last bit of reason.

He completely ignored the fact that if ghosts exist in this world, why can't there be real Taoist priests?

"Father!" He struggled to sit up, his voice hoarse but clearly arrogant and impatient.

"Are you getting senile? Where did this charlatan come from, and why are you so respectful to him? A living god, no less?"

"Pah! It's just some charlatanry! Uncle Zhao, why are you all joining in this commotion!"

He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, pointing at Ye Qingfeng and cursing him without thinking.

"Just because you wear a Taoist robe doesn't mean you're a master. I think you're just a swindler!"

"You'd better get lost! Otherwise, when I recover... ouch!"

Before he could finish speaking, a crisp, loud slap landed hard on his face!

Lin Zhenyuan was so angry that he trembled all over and his face turned ashen. He had put all his strength into that slap.

The blow knocked the weakened Lin Yunfeng to the ground, causing half of his face to swell up instantly.

"You unfilial son! Shut up!" Lin Zhenyuan's eyes were bloodshot, his voice distorted with extreme anger and fear.

He grabbed Lin Yunfeng by the collar, forcibly dragged him up, and pressed his head down to slam it to the ground.

"Kneel down and kowtow to the Taoist priest to confess your sins! Do you even know who saved your life?! Without the Taoist priest, you would have been drained dry and died in a mass grave long ago!"

Lin Yunfeng was stunned by the beating; his face stung, and his ears were ringing.

In all his years, his father, though strict, had never laid a hand on him so severely!

Especially in front of so many bodyguards!

Overwhelmed by humiliation and confusion, he struggled to his feet: "Dad! You hit me for a liar?! Was I wrong?"

"Didn't you tell me all this? There are no real gods in this world! It's all a lie..."

"Slap!" Another, even harder slap!

Lin Zhenyuan's eyes were red. At this moment, his awe of Ye Qingfeng and his fear of the trouble his son might cause by speaking recklessly were intertwined, making him show no mercy in his attack.

He pressed Lin Yunfeng's head down tightly, pleading in a hoarse voice.

"Master! My son is ignorant and speaks recklessly. I, Lin, have failed in my duty to raise him and deserve to die! On behalf of my unfilial son, I kowtow to you, Master, to apologize!"

As he spoke, he himself began to kneel down.

"Chief Escort Lin."

Ye Qingfeng, who had been standing quietly by the sidelines, finally spoke. His voice was calm and unwavering, revealing no emotion.

He raised his hand slightly, and an invisible, gentle force supported Lin Zhenyuan, preventing him from kneeling down.

"Children speak without thinking, there's no need to be like this." Ye Qingfeng's gaze swept over Lin Yunfeng, who was dazed and confused from the beating, but still looked defiant.

"It's understandable that Young Master Lin, being young and impetuous, would have some doubts."

The more nonchalant and magnanimous he appeared, the more apprehensive Lin Zhenyuan felt.

He could sense the indifference deep in the Taoist priest's eyes, even though the priest said there was no need to kneel.

Clearly, they didn't really take Lin Yunfeng's offense to heart—or rather, they didn't take Lin Yunfeng as a person at all.

This disregard terrified Lin Zhenyuan more than anger.

He gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

If we can't appease the Taoist priest today, not only will we not be able to eradicate the evil spirit in my son, but the entire Weiyuan Escort Agency will also be resented!

This is a true deity who can annihilate evil spirits with a flick of his finger!

"You unfilial son! It seems I've spoiled you too much! Today I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

Lin Zhenyuan abruptly released his hand from Lin Yunfeng's head, then grabbed him and kicked him in the back of the knee.

Lin Yunfeng fell heavily to his knees with a "thud," his knees hitting the gravel and causing him to scream in pain.

"Father! You..." He looked up in disbelief.

He was met with Lin Zhenyuan's merciless fists and slaps!

"You're spouting nonsense!"

"You have no respect for your elders!"

"You're asking for trouble!"

Lin Zhenyuan really went all out, each punch landing hard and each slap crisp.

He was a trained martial artist, and even though he held back his strength when he attacked in a fit of rage, it was still more than Lin Yunfeng, who was already extremely weak at the moment, could withstand.

In just a few moves, Lin Yunfeng was beaten black and blue, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and howling in pain. He was no longer the arrogant man he had been before.

All that remained was fear and confusion.

"Dad! Stop hitting me! I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong, okay?!" Lin Yunfeng curled up on the ground, holding his head, crying and begging for mercy.

Zhao Damang and the others were terrified, wanting to offer advice but not daring to.

They all understood the chief镖头's intentions; he was putting on a show for the Taoist priest!

Ye Qingfeng remained standing quietly to the side, his hands behind his back, the morning breeze ruffling the hem of his Taoist robe.

He watched Lin Zhenyuan reprimand his son, his face expressionless, his eyes as calm as a deep well.

They neither spoke out to stop it nor showed any emotion, as if what they were witnessing was just a farce that had nothing to do with them.

Just as Lin Zhenyuan's hands were going numb from hitting himself, and Lin Yunfeng's cries were fading—

Ye Qingfeng's figure suddenly blurred for a moment.

It was an extremely brief moment, as if it were just an illusion caused by the moonlight shimmering on him.

But the next moment, everyone was astonished to find that Ye Qingfeng's previously empty right hand now held a piece of emerald green bamboo whip, as if it were carved from jade!

The bamboo whip is about three feet long and as thick as a thumb, with distinct bamboo joints, and its entire body is covered with a layer of moist green halo.

A faint, cool aura emanated from the area, completely out of place with the gloom and filth of this mass grave.

Ye Qingfeng weighed the bamboo whip in his hand, his gaze finally settling on Lin Yunfeng, who was being beaten terribly, and spoke calmly:

"Chief镖头 Lin, using your hands to fight is strenuous and could easily injure yourself."

He casually tossed the bamboo whip to Lin Zhenyuan.

Lin Zhenyuan caught it subconsciously. It was slightly heavy and cool to the touch. The emerald green color and strange halo made him pause.

"Use this," Ye Qingfeng said calmly. "It'll be easier to use."

Lin Zhenyuan: "!!!"

Zhao Damang and the others: "!!!"

Everyone was stunned.

Taoist priest, is this... is it because Chief Escort Lin didn't beat you hard enough?

They even provided "tools"?

Moreover, this tool is by no means an ordinary item!