As a powerful presence surged, Ye Longlin furrowed his brow, his martial energy instantly erupting, enveloping him like a golden bell.
Just as the dagger was about to pierce his back, a *ding* sound echoed, repelling Li Yuan Kui’s dagger.
“Li Yuan Kui, you’ve been hiding well. But do you really think I wouldn’t know Li De’s identity?”
Ye Longlin sneered, slowly turning. As he raised a hand, his gaze also lifted slightly.
This upward glance was like a deity descending. The supreme majesty that had vanished with his turn reappeared, as if… everyone’s fate had been seized by the throat!
“You… how can you…?”
Li Yuan Kui, no, it should be Li De.
Li De’s eyes widened in utter shock, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks, but they quickly returned to normal.
“S-class war criminal, serial number 167, codename: Cherub.”
“A beautiful codename, but unfortunately, you are an unrepentant murderer. No war criminal ever truly conceals their tracks.”
Ye Longlin smiled, as if stating this fact was commonplace.
Li De’s expression grew increasingly grim. He let out a sinister laugh, “How did you know?”
“Xin Guang Tian Yuan. Throughout the entire ordeal, you were the only one who remained remarkably calm. Even after taking many lives, you were unfazed. Logically, a local family, even one as substantial as the Li family, would never have witnessed such a scene.
Therefore, I began to suspect you then. I had someone investigate, and the results were astonishing: Li Yuan Kui had a car accident a month ago, and afterwards, his personality reportedly changed drastically. Looking across the entire Mo Bei Prison, you were the only one I could definitively identify.”
Li De let out another sinister laugh, “With so many people in Mo Bei Prison, how could you be sure it was me?”
He let out a cold laugh, standing his ground, his gaze turning menacing.
Ye Longlin said nothing, merely shaking his head slightly. “Summon everyone you’ve hidden within the Li family. Otherwise, you won’t be leaving here for days. Perhaps if you all attacked together, you’d stand a slight chance?”
Ye Longlin said with a smile, a smirk playing on his lips.
Indeed, if they all appeared at once, there might be a chance of escape. But if it were just him, escape would be impossible.
He stood at the doorway now. The probability of escaping his grasp was slim. Only in chaos, only amidst confusion, could there be a way out!
Li De didn’t hesitate and fired a signal flare. The flare ascended, and soon, a group of people began to emerge from the shadows, their hands gripping firearms.
“S-class war criminal, serial number 132.”
“S-class war criminal, serial number 457.”
“S-class war criminal, serial number 362.”
“S-class war criminal, serial number…”
Figures emerged from the shadows, and Ye Longlin could precisely name the serial number of each one. Not a single error was made.
“It seems King Ye remembers us quite clearly.”
Li De sneered, a cruel smile gracing his lips.
Nearly forty individuals emerged from the darkness, their gazes filled with fierce hatred, as if they were looking at the murderers of their fathers.
“Xuan Niao.”
Ye Longlin called softly. Following his command, Xuan Niao emerged from behind and let out a whistle.
Immediately, approximately fifty more Dragon Pavilion soldiers appeared, swiftly encircling the group of war criminals.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t anticipate your move?”
Li De’s eyes snapped shut. He truly hadn’t anticipated Ye Longlin having a contingency plan. It seemed he was truly going to meet his end today!
No, absolutely not!
He ripped off his down jacket, revealing a bomb-laden vest!
“Ye Longlin, let me go, or everyone here will die. Furthermore, order the snipers in the shadows to stand down, or we all perish together!”
As a Martial Phase expert, he held a certain status even in the capital. But here, he could only rely on the power of firearms!
Engaging Ye Longlin with martial arts would be suicidal. After all, Ye Longlin, as the Great Xia Heavenly King, was undoubtedly superior in terms of personal combat strength.
Their only leverage lay with these ordinary people!
The Great Xia Heavenly King was a soldier; he wouldn’t stand by and watch these civilians die.
“Do you truly believe you can threaten me?”
Ye Longlin glanced at him. The dismissive look in his eyes infuriated Li De, but he had to maintain his composure.
Unbeknownst to Li De, strands of martial energy had already permeated the air, enveloping a three-meter radius around him.
“I admit I cannot threaten you directly. But don’t forget, you are a soldier. Your duty is to obey orders and protect these people. Therefore, I believe the deaths of these individuals will be enough to make you let me leave!”
Li De said sternly, a malevolent glint in his eyes, clearly familiar with such tactics.
Ye Longlin spread his hands. “As you say, but you seem to have forgotten one thing: these people around you, they all deserve to die. As for how they die and where, that is not my concern.”
His words were delivered with utter calmness, as if stating a mundane fact. The disregard for human life conveyed in his tone sent shivers down the spines of the other family patriarchs.
“Ye, King Ye, while we may all deserve to die, you, as the Great Xia Heavenly King, cannot abandon us… I admit we have wronged you in the past… Please save us…”
“King Ye, you are a soldier, you are meant to protect us! I would rather spend my life in prison until I die than perish like this.”
“Please save me. If you are willing to save me, I will give you all my assets.”
In the face of death, no one could remain composed.
Especially the bomb vest on Li De, which sent a palpable aura of death closing in on them.
If Ye Longlin truly chose not to intervene as he implied, not a single one of them would survive today.
No one wished to die, especially not individuals of their standing and status.
Ye Longlin watched them with a sneer. “If I recall correctly, all of you have wished for my death. Now you beg me to save you… Do you… think I will save you?”
The few individuals immediately panicked.
“You will! I believe in you! You surely will! You are the Great Xia Heavenly King, a soldier, you won’t let us die here! We should face the judgment of the law!”
They stammered in their haste.
Ye Longlin looked ahead, his hands clasped behind his back.
“My reputation has always been poor. Some say I harbor too much killing intent, they gossip behind my back, saying I disregard human life.”
“Are you saying that you are aligning yourselves with those in the capital who criticize me?”