Joy of Life: Born to Ye Qingmei, raised by Li Yunrui

Chapter 88: Revenge Begins

"Quickly, seal all the doors and windows for me! Block them with huge stones! I don't want to see anyone! No one is allowed to enter!"

"May Buddha protect me, may Guanyin Bodhisattva protect me! I am willing to give anything to save my life!"

The Empress Dowager had completely descended into paranoia and madness. Her palace, under her orders, had become an impenetrable prison. But even the strongest prison could not stop the fear in her heart from spreading.

Ye Tian's actions in the palace tonight have become a shadow hanging over the heads of everyone involved in the events of that year.

A death warrant that can never be dispelled.

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As Ye Tian and Chen Pingping walked out of the palace side by side, it was nearly dawn.

The towering waves within the imperial city are spreading at an alarming speed towards the entire capital and even the entire Qing Kingdom.

Chen Pingping looked at the still-wet bloodstains on Ye Tian's body and the lingering chilling killing intent between his brows, and said in a deep voice, "What are your plans next?"

Ye Tian's gaze fell on a certain direction in Kyoto, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "The revenge for my mother must be settled one by one. Some people, no matter how well they hide, cannot escape the fate of paying for their blood debts."

Chen Pingping understood: "Qin Ye?"

"Dean Chen is indeed insightful," Ye Tian sneered. "Back then, this veteran of three dynasties was undoubtedly behind the scenes, stirring things up and fanning the flames. He thought he had done everything perfectly, and that Emperor Qing would remember his 'meritorious service' in supporting the emperor and ensure his lifelong wealth and status. Little did he know that in Emperor Qing's eyes, he was nothing more than a pawn that could be discarded at any time, or rather, a wall left for me or Fan Xian to use against him in the future."

Ye Tian had already learned many secrets from the secret documents left by his mother, including the despicable acts of Grand Tutor Qin Ye.

Chen Pingping nodded slightly: "Qin Ye is cunning and treacherous, and his household has many skilled fighters. You must be careful. The Overwatch Council will handle the aftermath for you and erase all traces."

"Thank you, Dean."

After parting ways with Chen Pingping, Ye Tian did not return to the Qin Prince's mansion. Instead, he turned and, like a bolt of lightning in the night, rushed straight to Grand Tutor Qin Ye's residence. The thought of "going all in" burning within him was like a wildfire, growing ever stronger. Tonight, he would make everyone who had ever harmed his mother feel the trembling of hell!

The Grand Tutor's Mansion.

As a veteran of three reigns and the current Grand Tutor, Qin Ye's mansion was naturally ornately decorated and exceptionally grand. The mansion was heavily guarded, with guards patrolling the area, and many skilled fighters lurking in the shadows, exuding a sharp and menacing aura.

However, all of this was meaningless in front of Ye Tian.

He didn't even bother to conceal himself; he simply walked openly and confidently through the main gate of the Grand Tutor's mansion. The guards he encountered along the way, whether overt or covert, were all brought to their knees before they could even react, their bones snapping and bones breaking, falling silently without a sound of alarm being raised.

Qin Ye was currently in his study reviewing confidential letters submitted by his former students and officials. Though over sixty, his triangular eyes still gleamed with a sharp, calculating light, revealing a cunning and sinister nature. The series of dramatic events that had unfolded in the palace—the assassination of the Crown Prince and the elevation of the Empress—had already reached his ears through his channels. While shocked, he felt an even stronger, morbid excitement and anticipation.

He didn't support the then Prince Cheng (Emperor Qing) back then, but instead placed his bet on another prince. However, Ye Qingmei appeared out of nowhere and used extraordinary means to eliminate the two most powerful princes, allowing Prince Cheng to reap a great benefit.

Qin Ye, seeing the wind blowing, immediately switched sides and sided with Emperor Qing, who eventually ascended the throne (when Qin Ye first became emperor).

While the Empress Dowager, the former Empress, the Eldest Princess, and others were plotting against Ye Qingmei,

Upon receiving the news, Qin Ye keenly sensed an opportunity. Instead of directly engaging in the conflict, he used his status as a veteran of three dynasties and his intricate network of relationships to "secretly cause trouble" behind the scenes—spreading rumors, framing loyal officials, and sowing discord, adding a dramatic touch to Ye Qingmei's ultimate tragedy.

He thought he had kept his actions secret, and the fact that Emperor Qing hadn't touched him after the "Black Riders' Bloodbath in the Capital" made him even more smug. He believed he was extremely well-hidden and that no one knew about his despicable deeds. He even regarded Emperor Qing's "letting him go" as a tacit approval and reward, since he had just "supported" Emperor Qing's ascension to the throne, and Emperor Qing couldn't leave behind any excuse for "killing the dog after the rabbit is caught."

Little did he know that the reason Emperor Qing kept him alive was simply to use him as a useful pawn, a shield to be thrown out in the future to protect himself from the wrath of Ye Qingmei's sons.

"Hmph, that vixen Ye Qingmei deserved to die. Now that her son has caused such a commotion, it's perfect for giving His Majesty a headache." Qin Ye put down the secret letter in his hand, picked up his teacup, and revealed a smug sneer on his face.

Just then, the study door creaked open by an invisible force.

Just then, the study door creaked open by an invisible force.

"Who?!" Qin Ye shouted sharply, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and the aura of a ninth-rank expert suddenly surged forth.

A tall, slender figure, bathed in the faint morning light outside the door, slowly walked in. On his young, handsome face, which was almost otherworldly, was a faint smile, but his eyes were colder than ice.

"Grand Tutor, how have you been?" The visitor was none other than Ye Tian.

"Ye, Ye Tian?!" The moment Qin Ye saw the person's face clearly, the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered! He stood up abruptly from the armchair, his face drained of color, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror, and a trace of fear from the depths of his soul.

How did he find this place?! Wasn't the palace already...?

"It seems the Grand Tutor has a fairly deep impression of my face." Ye Tian walked slowly closer, each step feeling as if he were stepping on Qin Ye's heart. "I heard the Grand Tutor didn't sleep well last night, presumably disturbed by the commotion in the palace. I've come here specifically to 'visit' him."

"What...what exactly do you want?!" Qin Ye tried to remain calm, but the trembling in his voice betrayed his inner fear. "I am the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, a veteran of three reigns. If you dare to be disrespectful to me, His Majesty will never let you off!"

"Your Majesty?" Ye Tian scoffed, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "He's probably barely able to protect himself right now, how could he possibly care about the life or death of an old fox like you?"

His tone shifted abruptly, his gaze suddenly turning incredibly sharp: "Qin Ye, did you really think no one knew about your underhanded dealings behind my mother's tragic death?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ye's pupils contracted sharply, and his last line of defense completely collapsed! His biggest secret, the crime he thought he had hidden flawlessly, had actually been exposed by this young man!

"You, you're talking nonsense! I, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Qin Ye argued defiantly, his words revealing his underlying weakness.

"Still trying to be stubborn?" A cruel glint flashed in Ye Tian's eyes. "It seems you won't tell the truth unless I teach you a lesson."

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Tian's figure blurred, and he appeared in front of Qin Ye like a ghost. Qin Ye was, after all, a ninth-rank expert, and his reaction was incredibly fast. He immediately channeled all his strength and struck out with both palms, attempting to put up a desperate resistance.

However, his resistance seemed so pale and powerless in front of Ye Tian, ​​a grandmaster.

"Bang!"

Ye Tian casually struck out with his palm, easily shattering Qin Ye's palm force. Immediately afterward, he pointed a finger at Qin Ye's dantian.

"Ah—!" Qin Ye let out a shrill scream, feeling as if thousands of steel needles were piercing his dantian. A piercing pain swept through his entire body. His true energy, which he had painstakingly cultivated for decades, was released like a flood bursting its banks under this finger strike, disappearing without a trace in an instant!

"My...my martial arts!" Qin Ye collapsed to the ground, his face filled with despair and resentment. For someone who had dedicated his life to martial arts, having his martial arts crippled was worse than death!

Ye Tian didn't stop there. He slowly squatted down, looking at Qin Ye lying on the ground like a dead dog, and said in an icy voice, "This is just an appetizer. Next, I'll let you experience what it means to wish you were dead. Until you tell me everything that happened back then."

He stretched out his hand, a faint blue flame swirling around his fingertips—a secret torture technique he had gleaned from the Shennong Medical Classic that could burn meridians without killing.

"No, no!" Qin Ye stared at the flickering blue flame, his eyes filled with extreme fear.

The next hour was an ordeal for Qin Ye that was more terrifying than the eighteenth level of hell.

And at this moment.

Ye Tian didn't let him die easily, but instead used all sorts of unbelievable methods to repeatedly torture his body and mind. That kind of pain that penetrates to the bone, yet keeps you conscious, is enough to break even the toughest man.

Finally, when Ye Tian held up a red-hot iron spike as if to stab Qin Ye's eyeball, Qin Ye's mental defenses, which had already been shattered by pain and fear, completely collapsed.

"I'll talk, I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!" Qin Ye cried out, tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse. "Back then, back then, when the Empress Dowager and the Empress wanted to deal with Ye Qingmei, I, I was indeed behind it all, fueling the flames."

In the following time, Qin Ye confessed everything, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube. He revealed how he spread rumors to slander Ye Qingmei, how he secretly contacted court officials to isolate Ye Qingmei's forces, and how he provided false information at crucial moments to mislead officials who supported Ye Qingmei. He confessed to every single one of his insidious and vicious deeds.