My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

"That dog emperor and that corrupt official Yao have knelt down and kowtowed to Lord Ye!"

"Retribution! This is retribution! Make them kneel! Kneel until they die!"

"Master Lin! Well done! Kill those two heartless beasts!"

All the pent-up grief and helplessness, accumulated for far too long, erupted at this moment—

Amidst the disheveled state of Shu Jingwei and Yao Jingyuan, and their series of cries of pain—

Finally, an outlet for venting has been found.

Like a dam that has held back floodwaters for a century, a breach has appeared, and towering waves carrying mud and sand surge forth with unstoppable force.

The barrage of comments was like a madman, layer upon layer, densely packed.

[Commoner Zhao Gang: That's satisfying! That's fucking satisfying! They should kneel down and confess to Lord Ye! Could Immortal Lin be any more ruthless?! Make them spit out their black hearts!]

[Commoner Wang Lou: Worth it! Damn it, seeing the Emperor kowtow like this in my lifetime is worth it! Immortal Lin is mighty!]

[Commoner Zhang Da: Push harder! Kill them! Lord Ye must have been in so much pain when he was poisoned... They should have tasted that pain long ago!]

[A commoner's outburst: Shu Jingwei! Yao Jingyuan! You've finally met your match!]

[Commoner San Dengzi: Bah! Those two bastards! They deserved it!]

[Commoner Wang Po: Master Lin's methods are divine! This is truly acting on behalf of Heaven!]

……

On Qingfeng Mountain.

The mountain wind of early spring, carrying the scent of decaying vegetation, blew in from the valley, making the armor plates on the hundreds of soldiers rustle.

The soldiers, who had been persuaded by their families to stop attacking, watched as the emperor and nobles they had once served knelt on the ground like two dead dogs, howling and rolling in agony.

Someone had their mouth open and forgot to close it for a long time.

Someone loosened his grip on the knife hilt one by one, and the knife that had been with him for many years fell to the ground with a "clang," without him even noticing.

The last bit of hesitation and fear in their hearts was completely dispelled by the subversive scene before them and the endless stream of cheering comments on the screen.

It turns out that the emperor was not a true Son of Heaven and was not to be trifled with.

It turns out that those who commit many evil deeds really do face retribution.

And it came so quickly, so directly!

The surrounding people were so excited that they trembled all over, and some even lost their footing and had to hold onto the sickles and hoes they had brought to steady themselves.

They couldn't help but surge forward, wanting to see more clearly, wanting to witness with their own eyes the two wicked men kneeling before Lord Ye's corpse, receiving divine punishment.

I don't know who shouted it first—

"Kneel still and don't move!"

Then, more people joined in the shouting, and the voices grew louder and louder.

"Don't get up!"

"We must properly apologize to Lord Ye!"

"Make them kowtow! Make them kowtow—!"

The crowd was outraged, and the outcry was deafening.

That was the first time that countless people whose backs had been bent under the weight of hardship straightened up and uttered their cries.

……

Amidst endless pain, humiliation, and the deafening shouts of the surrounding crowd, Shu Jingwei and Yao Jingyuan were repeatedly kicked down by that invisible foot and forcibly pulled back to their kneeling positions time and time again.

At first, they could still curse, scream, and struggle.

Later on—

All that remained were intermittent groans and uncontrollable convulsions of the body.

Shu Jingwei's long hair was disheveled, her face was covered in blood and dust, and her ornate light armor was in terrible condition, with the armor plates scattered on the ground, revealing the skin underneath.

Her skin was covered with purplish-blue bruises and cuts from the dirt and pebbles on the ground, some of which had become embedded in her flesh and were gradually penetrating deeper with her spasms.

Yao Jingyuan was even more unrecognizable as a human being.

He lay there like a lump of mud, his body twisted at an unnatural angle.

Only the faint rise and fall of his chest and the occasional gurgling sounds from his throat, like those of a drowning person, proved that he was still alive.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, the earthy smell of soil being turned up, and a pungent, indescribable odor that resembled a mixture of sweat and urine.

Beneath the two people, small patches of dark color seeped into the muddy ground, indistinguishable as to whether it was blood, sweat, or something else.

Just then.

The system notification sounded in Lin Ye's mind.

[Ding! The Time-Space Shuttle (Intermediate) has less than a quarter of an hour remaining. Please be mindful of the time limit, as the return portal will be unavailable afterward.]

Time is almost up.

Lin Ye's eyes flickered slightly, and a thought crossed his mind.

The omnipresent and terrifying invisible kicks finally stopped.

At the same time, another notification came:

The Shadowless Kick is now 5% damaged; it will become unusable once the damage reaches 100%.

Lin Ye raised an eyebrow slightly.

After being kicked so many times, the damage rate is only five percent. This thing is more durable than he imagined.

The people noticed Lin Ye's actions and all fell silent.

The deafening shouts from just moments ago seemed to have been muted in an instant.

In the mountains, only the mournful sound of the wind could be heard.

And the intermittent, almost inaudible moans of Shu Jingwei and Yao Jingyuan.

Lin Ye stopped looking at the two dead dogs on the ground.

He held the small bag, took two steps to the side, and then slowly squatted down.

All the people around him turned to look at him.

Those gazes were filled with awe, gratitude, and a deep, unspeakable sorrow.

Beside Lin Ye was Ye Fan, who stood peacefully with his eyes closed, his face pale but with a calm smile.

He lay quietly on the ground.

It seems like she's just asleep.

Lin Ye looked at that familiar face.

After a long pause, he let out a soft sigh.

The mountain breeze brushed against his face, ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, and brought the chill of early spring.

"Old Ye," he said.

The voice was very low.

He was so low that only the body in front of him, which would never respond again, and he himself could hear him.

But every word carries immense weight, with a resolute and uncompromising solemnity.

"Since you're in such a hurry, I'll start by collecting some interest."

His gaze never left Ye Fan's face as he spoke to him gently, just like before.

But his fingers tightened slightly, out of sight of everyone.

"They killed you, and I will never let them get away with this!"

Kill them?

No.

This was not the outcome he wanted from the beginning.

Death is sometimes a form of mercy, a form of liberation.

They don't deserve this kindness.

Lin Ye slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two puddles on the ground that were twitching in pain and fear.

Killing them would be too lenient.

He wanted to destroy his spirit.

He wanted to peel away, little by little, what they cared about most—

That dragon robe that should never have belonged to her, those ridiculous fans, and even their last bit of dignity and hope as "human beings".

He wanted them to feel it clearly and painfully.

Experience how power collapses, how people turn their backs on you, and what it feels like to be betrayed and abandoned by everyone.

What kind of despair is it to fall from the clouds into the mud and be trampled by thousands of people?

He watched the scrolling barrage of angry and shouting comments, and saw the system's live stream feed in his mind—

The impoverished faces across the Great Flame Kingdom, ignited by fury.

Looking at those people kneeling, shouting, and weeping in the mountain wind.

Presumably, that day is not far off.

And he would secretly lend a hand to those who were suffering.

When everything they depend on is stripped away, when they are completely decayed, from their souls to their bodies...

He will come again.

I'll end the rest of those two scumbags' lives with my own hands!

Lin Ye coldly withdrew his gaze and flipped his wrist.

A silver-gray metal cube with a simple and streamlined design appeared in his palm.

It was the [Space Button (Low-level)] that I had previously redeemed from the system shop.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lin Ye slowly brought the metal cube closer to Ye Fan's body.