"Young friend, Heaven cherishes all life. Show mercy where mercy can be shown."
Zhang Daoyuan said in a deep voice, "The Li family father and daughter have always done good deeds, accumulating vast merit, which has purified their past karma. I hope you can spare their lives, considering their sincere repentance."
"So, by doing good deeds and accumulating merit, the blood debt of the Ye family's annihilation can be absolved!"
"The perpetrators walk free while the victims lie in eternal slumber. What kind of mercy is this?"
Ye Ling's expression turned grim, his killing intent soaring. "If the Heavenly Dao operates this way, and it dares to block my revenge, I don't mind creating a new sky!"
Boom!
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and lightning flashed!
The Heavenly Dao seemed enraged!
Zhang Daoyuan's face changed drastically, and he rebuked Ye Ling, "How dare you utter such blasphemous words?"
"I pity your difficult cultivation. If you put down your butcher's knife now and follow me, I will do my best to help you resolve this tribulation!"
"If you persist, you will surely fall into the deepest abyss of hell!"
"Master! He's a madman, stop wasting your breath and subdue him!" Li Qingshan, still in the coffin, shouted urgently, trying to get Zhang Daoyuan to rescue them.
"Noisy."
Ye Ling glanced at Li Qingshan indifferently. With a wave of his hand, a chopstick lying on the ground rapidly floated up and shot towards Li Qingshan.
Hiss!
In an instant, the chopstick pierced Li Qingshan's throat, drawing a spurt of blood.
"Mmm..."
Li Qingshan clutched his throat, kneeling in the coffin. Blood continuously flowed from between his fingers, staining his clothes red.
He could no longer speak, his face contorted with pain.
"Dad!" Li Ruolan cried out in alarm, kneeling before Li Qingshan, lost and helpless.
"Ye Ling, you are so heartless!" Li Ruolan glared at Ye Ling, her eyes filled with resentment. "We have admitted our mistakes and atoned for our past actions. Why are you treating us like this?"
Li Ruolan stared at Ye Ling and yelled, "Are you trying to force us to our deaths?"
"You have atoned?"
"Hahaha..."
Upon hearing Li Ruolan's question, Ye Ling burst into laughter.
His desolate laughter echoed through the Xishan Manor, fueling Ye Ling's anger!
His killing intent intensified!
How could the tragic annihilation of the Ye family be repaid with a mere apology?
"Mom, Dad... these are the ungrateful wretches you took in, who caused my Ye family's ruin. Now, they think a simple 'atonement' will let them escape their sins..."
"How can such despicable people have the face to live in this world?"
A savage glint appeared in Ye Ling's eyes. He instantly appeared before Li Ruolan, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her into the air.
Li Ruolan's face turned purple, her hands desperately gripping Ye Ling's fingers as her legs kicked wildly in the air.
She could no longer utter a single word.
Ye Ling tightened his grip, and Li Ruolan's neck made cracking sounds!
"This is a sin..."
Seeing Ye Ling's resolve to kill, Zhang Daoyuan sighed deeply and threw out the whisk in his hand.
"Young friend, your eyes are blinded by hatred. If you continue to commit evil, heaven and earth will not tolerate you!"
"Today, I, this old Daoist, will stop you, cripple your cultivation, and then guide you to do good deeds to atone for your mistakes!"
Zhang Daoyuan shouted, then rapidly recited a string of incantations.
"Go!"
The whisk rapidly elongated, entangling Ye Ling's arms, and then bound his entire body.
"Thunder God's Order - Swift Lightning!"
Zhang Daoyuan pinched a thunder talisman between his fingers and threw it. Instantly, the manor was filled with sounds like a thousand birds crying, and a swift bolt of lightning shot towards Ye Ling.
"A mere trick, daring to be presumptuous before this Emperor!" Ye Ling snorted coldly. The whisk binding him shattered in an instant, and the lightning bolt was annihilated midway.
"What?"
Zhang Daoyuan's face changed drastically. He realized he had severely underestimated Ye Ling's strength. He quickly took out several more talismans from his embrace, but before he could activate them, Ye Ling appeared before him.
Ye Ling grabbed Zhang Daoyuan's head and slammed it forcefully towards the ground!
Bang!
The ground shattered, and Zhang Daoyuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his mind reeling!
"Old man, I see you have good intentions and are not involved in this matter, so I will spare your life!"
Ye Ling looked at Zhang Daoyuan indifferently and said, "If you dare to pressure this Emperor with the cycle of karma again, I will, right before your eyes, shatter this sky!"
"You!"
Zhang Daoyuan glared at Ye Ling, his heart churning with immense shock.
He had traveled his entire life, visited countless secret realms, and seen innumerable powerful individuals, yet he had never encountered a monster as powerful as Ye Ling!
The overwhelming malevolent aura, the suffocating presence, and his disdainful attitude towards the Heavenly Dao...
"Who exactly are you?"
Zhang Daoyuan could not fathom what kind of being Ye Ling was!
"You may leave."
Ye Ling released Zhang Daoyuan and turned towards the coffin.
"I have returned today only to collect a blood debt from six years ago."
"On this path of revenge, if anyone dares to stop me, even if they are gods or Buddhas, I will still make them accompany my parents in death."
Zhang Daoyuan: "..."
Zhang Daoyuan stared blankly at Ye Ling's retreating back, knowing he was powerless to change anything.
He slowly stood up from the ground, picked up the shattered whisk, and seemed to age considerably.
He no longer dared to advise Ye Ling to turn back, let out a deep sigh, and turned to leave.
Zhang Daoyuan knew that in the current Yan Hua, a demon had returned...
A demon, carrying boundless karma and extreme hatred, unstoppable!
Zhang Daoyuan walked out of the manor, looked up at the full moon in the sky, and sighed, "I only hope that Yan Hua can remain peaceful in the future."
Behind him, the manor erupted in a blazing inferno, its sky-high flames illuminating the night sky of Jiang City!
Tonight, for many people in Jiang City, it would be a sleepless night.
...
Jiang City, by the West Lake.
Ye Ling leaned against a tree trunk, drinking wine under the moonlight.
Ye Ling had now reverted to his Emperor form, his long hair cascading down his shoulders. He wore a half-open black robe, and his deep eyes were filled with loneliness.
The moon was his confidant, wine his friend, yet the King drank alone.
"Mom, Dad... I have sent the Li father and daughter to see you."
"Next, it's the Jiang family's turn."
Looking at the fiery spectacle in the distance, Ye Ling murmured to himself, his gaze gradually turning icy.
After a long silence, Ye Ling finished his wine but felt unfulfilled.
"I recall Father had a friend who ran a food stall. Six years have passed, Shen Bo should still be there."
Ye Ling remembered someone, and a hint of a gentle smile appeared in his deep eyes.
"Since I wanted to drink anyway, let's go see an old acquaintance."
A gust of wind blew, and Ye Ling vanished, leaving only the white jade wine bottle beneath the tree.
...
Jiang City, West City Night Market, outside the Starry Sky food stall.
Ye Ling looked at the familiar stall, and an involuntary smile appeared on his lonely face.
In the past, whenever Ye Ling encountered troubles, Ye Shan would bring him here to drink and relieve his worries.
At that time, the Ye family was a prominent clan in Jiang City. Ye Shan, the patriarch, bringing his son to a humble food stall was a source of amusement for many in their circle.
However, Ye Shan did not care about others' gazes. This Starry Sky food stall had become Ye Ling's secret base for dispelling worries in his youth.
Alas, times had changed.
No one would accompany Ye Ling to drink here anymore.
Ye Ling sighed softly, casting the fate of Li Qingshan and his daughter, and the inferno at Xishan Manor, aside, and walked into the food stall.
"Hello, what would you like to order?"
Shen Weiwei, the manager, quickly approached to greet Ye Ling.
Shen Weiwei was only in her early twenties, dressed very simply, with her hair tied in a ponytail and minimal makeup. However, even amidst the smoky atmosphere of the food stall, it was evident that Shen Weiwei was a great beauty.
Although this food stall was small and old, it was immaculately clean, always giving a warm feeling no matter when one visited.
Food stalls like this generally had no waitstaff; the manager typically served as the cashier and server, personally attending to customers.
Ye Ling casually picked a seat and asked Shen Weiwei, "Is Shen Bo here?"
The former owner of the Starry Sky food stall was Shen Hong, a good friend of Ye Shan, who also treated Ye Ling like his own son.
"You know my dad?" Shen Weiwei was taken aback and asked in surprise.
Ye Ling replied, "I used to eat here often and was acquainted with Shen Bo."
Ye Ling remembered Shen Hong mentioning years ago that he had a daughter who was sent abroad to study from a young age. He hadn't expected her to be the manager of the food stall now.
Shen Weiwei said, "So you're a regular customer... My dad passed away three years ago, and I've been managing the shop since then."
Upon hearing Shen Weiwei's words, Ye Ling froze for a moment. His previously bright eyes dimmed once more.
Shen Bo, was no longer here either?