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

The loess finally covered the last inch of the coffin, and the mountain wind, carrying the scent of soil and withered grass, swept over the newly built grave.

Little Douzi remained kneeling in front of the ever-rising mound of earth, for an unknown period of time.

Lin Ye tried to persuade her several times, but she just shook her head each time.

After being rejected for the third time, Lin Ye stopped trying to persuade her. He simply took a half step and used his body to shield her from the cold wind blowing down from the ridge.

Then came the erection of a monument and the placement of offerings.

Little Douzi watched each step very attentively.

Finally, all the offerings were laid out.

Only then did the little bag move.

She stretched out her hand, palm down, fingers slightly spread, then bent over and kowtowed heavily to her forehead—

A muffled thud.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy stone that pounded into the chest of everyone present.

The little boy remained motionless, head bowed, as if time had frozen over his tiny body.

After a long while, she tried to straighten up.

However, as soon as he lifted himself up a little, his thin body swayed violently.

The breath that had sustained them all day finally gave out completely at this moment.

Her eyelashes fluttered suddenly, and she slumped to the side like a puppet with its strings cut.

Lin Ye, who had been watching her intently, moved almost the instant she swayed.

He stepped forward, his arm swiftly reaching out to pull the little child firmly into his arms before she touched the cold ground.

Lin Ye knelt on one knee on the cold ground, carefully lifted her into his arms, and gently brushed the stray hairs from her forehead with his other hand.

A shocking red mark was clearly visible in the center of his forehead, like a brand.

His fingertips hovered above the red mark, paused for a moment as if afraid of hurting her, and finally just lightly brushed it over without actually touching it.

Lin Ye spoke up.

His voice was deep and gentle, yet it carried an undeniable, reassuring power, like a mountain rock.

"Go to sleep, little dumpling."

The little one in my arms had heavy drooping eyelids, but was still struggling, trying to open them a crack.

"You've done very well," Lin Ye said, each word spoken softly.

"My godfather will take care of the rest."

The moment those words were spoken, Xiao Douzi's eyelashes trembled violently, and her struggling eyelashes finally drooped completely.

She tilted her head and, almost instinctively, snuggled into that warm, comforting embrace.

Its nostrils twitched slightly twice, emitting a barely audible hum.

Then she fell into a deep, unconscious sleep.

Lin Ye held her and slowly stood up.

After the burial was completed, everyone began to quietly pack up the incense, candles, and offerings.

The ashes of the burned paper money were swept up by the wind, swirling into the air before scattering around the grave like a silent snowfall.

Supported by two relatives, the dean glanced back at the newly erected grave one last time, his lips trembled slightly, but he ultimately said nothing more. He turned around and trudged down the mountain, his steps uneven.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the scattered footsteps faded into the distance.

The mountains returned to silence.

The only sounds were the whistling of the wind as it passed through the canopy of the cypress trees and the short chirps of unknown insects.

Lin Ye, carrying the little bag, stayed behind at the very end.

He walked back to the grave.

The cold, hard stone tablet stood silently, the two characters "Ye Fan" on it gleaming with a faint bluish-gray hue in the sunlight.

The portrait is embedded in the stone, and the smile remains gentle.

Lin Ye leaned down slightly, getting closer to the cold stone tablet, his voice so low that only he and the tablet in front of him could hear it.

"Old Ye, you stay here and get some rest..."

The mountain wind suddenly picked up, howling across the hillside, making his black hair fly wildly, and bringing with it the distant roar of the cypress trees like waves.

He raised his eyes and looked at the live broadcast camera hidden in the void. His gaze was sharp, as if it could pierce through time and space and accurately lock onto the source of his loathing.

"Wait until next year," he said again, his voice even lower than before, yet filled with chilling killing intent.

"I will use those two lives... to pay for your sacrifice!"

Having said that, without the slightest hesitation, she hugged the sleeping child tightly in her arms, turned around, and followed the crowd that was gradually disappearing into the distance along the mountain path.

When I returned to the orphanage, the lights had already been turned on one by one.

Lin Ye carried the sleeping Xiao Douzi back to her room, gently removed her mourning clothes covered in mud, and carefully wiped the dirt off her face and hands with a warm, damp towel.

When his fingertips touched the still slightly red skin on his forehead, his movements paused for a moment, then became even gentler.

After tucking her in, I sat quietly on the chair by the bed for a while, listening to her gradually even and deep breathing, and only after confirming that she had fallen into a deep sleep did I quietly leave.

Afterwards, Lin Ye accompanied his relatives and friends who had come from afar for this rare gathering to enjoy a funeral banquet.

Occasionally, people would whisper among themselves, mostly reminiscing about the past and sighing with sorrow.

After the meal, Lin Ye handed out the generous return gifts, which he had prepared in advance and packed in plain cloth bags, to each person, whispering "Take care" and "Be careful on your journey."

People took the gift, patted his arm or shoulder, gave him the same weighty words of advice, then wrapped themselves tightly in their clothes and dispersed one after another in the deepening sunset.

The hustle and bustle subsided, and the orphanage returned to its usual tranquility.

Lin Ye returned to his room.

He turned on the light, walked to the window, ignoring the still-rolling, noisy barrage of comments on the screen.

His attention fell on a call.

It's Wang Meng.

From the moment they descended the mountain, the calls never ceased, continuously flowing through the system.

Lin Ye closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the last trace of grief for the loss of his loved ones had completely faded, leaving only extreme calmness.

He focused his mind and responded to the call via private chat within the system.

"Wang Meng, what's the matter?"

"Lord Lin! Lord Lin, you've finally responded to me!"

Wang Meng's voice was almost explosive, clearly conveying the shock and anxiety that followed.

"Something terrible has happened!"

Wang Meng's words came through the private chat, urgent and tense, like a bowstring stretched to its limit, the last syllable trembling with horror.

"Immortal Lin, the messenger I sent out to scout the battle has returned with news—" He paused, trying to steady his breathing, but only a deeper, heavier inhalation came through.

"More than half a month ago, starting from the eastern coast of the capital, three waves of imperial troops launched a counterattack against the rebels from three directions. In just half a month, they have... have wiped out the rebel army in five cities!"

Wang Meng clenched his fists, his voice filled with regret.

Those are all brothers who also love and respect Lord Ye!

As Lin Ye listened, he turned around and sat on the sofa in the living room, leaning back slightly.

He didn't say anything, but simply rested his elbows on the armrest, lowered his gaze, and continued to listen.

"Although the imperial army lacks morale, it is well-equipped, while our rebel army is mostly equipped with discarded blades..."

"We are powerless against the imperial court's blades and armor."