In the arena, as the Mountain River Seal descended, none of the war criminals present could escape. They all lay sprawled on the ground in miserable states, the stench of blood filling the air.
"Lai Meiyun, for her own selfish gain, colluded with national war criminals. Her crime warrants death."
"Chen Guang, for attacking a comrade over twenty years ago, betraying military regulations, and acting as Lai Meiyun's backing, with suspicion of harboring guilt, his crime warrants death."
Ye Longlin's two pronouncements directly condemned both of them to death.
It was worth noting that neither of these two were minor figures; they were both significant players!
One was the wife of the Chen family, and the other was the Governor of the Southern Province. In terms of status, Chen Guang's position as Governor superseded Lai Meiyun's. Even the Highest Ministry had his name on record.
"Ye Longlin, you cannot kill me. I am the Governor of the Southern Province. Killing me will bring you no benefit. Killing a high-ranking official means your life will also be forfeit!"
"Let me go, and I promise I will never oppose you again. In the Southern Province, you have the highest authority. I will tell you anything you want to know. If you kill me, you will truly be causing a major upheaval. I am the Governor of the Southern Province!"
Upon hearing the words "crime warrants death," Chen Guang's entire body trembled. Especially facing Ye Longlin, he was already feeling guilty, and this shock made him believe his escape was impossible today.
And now, the only thing that could save his life was his identity – the Governor of the Southern Province!
Only an official status could make Ye Longlin hesitate. After all, the Governor's position was recognized by a meeting of the Highest Ministry. Publicly killing him would undoubtedly mean opposing the Highest Ministry.
In Great Xia, opposing the Highest Ministry was akin to seeking death, wasn't it?
Ye Longlin walked up to him, placed one hand on his head, and chuckled softly, "What can the Highest Ministry do to me?"
*Crack!*
As his words fell, Chen Guang's body collapsed with a thud, his eyes wide, as if he couldn't believe Ye Longlin would actually dare to kill him.
Lai Meiyun, on the other hand, was so terrified that she lost control of her bladder. Her trembling gaze fixed on Ye Longlin, completely devoid of her earlier arrogance.
At this moment, Lai Meiyun was like a startled kitten, cowering in the corner in fear.
Ye Longlin glanced at her, showing no interest.
"It's settled."
After instructing Yuan Gang to handle the aftermath, Ye Longlin left with Mu Hanqi and Fang Cunxin.
Yuan Gang, after finishing with Lai Meiyun, contacted the Second Master of the Li family to escort them away. Twenty minutes later, military vehicles arrived, taking away all the half-dead war criminals. Only the Dragon Pavilion soldiers took over, sending them to the East Sea Prison.
The events at the school could not be concealed. After all, the movements of the Southern Province Governor were always closely monitored, and with Lai Meiyun having summoned Governor Chen today, it was even harder to keep secret.
Upon learning of the deaths of Governor Chen and Lai Meiyun, the entire Southern Province seemed to fall silent as if a mute button had been pressed. All the top elites fell silent, even feeling a sense of impending doom.
It was important to remember that of the three mountains weighing down on the Southern Province, two had now been removed, leaving only the Ten Great Families.
The retired Liu Yuanshan's influence ran deep.
The current Governor of the Southern Province, though uninvolved in daily affairs, could influence the landscape of the Southern Province at any moment.
After them came the Ten Great Families.
And now, the former two were dead!
Regardless of what the Capital would do, the Southern Province alone was bound to fall into temporary turmoil during this period.
Following this incident, several families convened.
The Zhao family, the Liu family, and the Chen family – these three families met.
"Gentlemen, ever since this Ye Longlin arrived, the Southern Province has not known a moment of peace. Moreover, he has been gradually drawing our attention through various minor incidents. The crucial point is, by the time we noticed, it was already too late. This matter must be discussed thoroughly."
"Indeed so. Zhao Xin of the Zhao family, my son Liu Yidao, and your wife plus some of your hidden guards have all fallen at Ye Longlin's hands. I am very curious, what kind of background does this Ye Longlin possess to be so unrestrained?"
"Don't bother thinking about it. I've checked Ye Longlin's information, and I couldn't find anything. I also asked friends in the Capital to investigate, but they also found nothing. It's as if he appeared out of thin air."
The patriarchs of the three families looked at each other in silence.
Zhao Cheng, the head of the Zhao family, glanced at the others and slowly said, "I have met him. He is indeed a remarkable young man. Both in his demeanor and in the details, it is evident that this young man is extraordinary, exuding a dignified presence rarely seen among his peers.
His methods of handling matters are ruthless, leaving no room for compromise. After Zhao Xin's incident, I began investigating Ye Longlin's background, but there is very little information available. However, one thing is certain: he definitely has some connection to the military.
Twenty minutes after he left the school, military vehicles entered. The reason is unclear, but it can be inferred that these vehicles were directed towards Ye Longlin."
Chen Fang, the patriarch of the Chen family, nodded. After a long silence, he finally spoke with a solemn tone, "I have a guess, but I don't know if this guess is true. If it is true, then it might be really troublesome."
Liu Zhenxing extended his hand, "We are eager to hear it."
Chen Fang sighed, "I suspect this young man is a descendant of a prominent martial arts family in the Capital, and he also holds some influence in the military. He might even come from one of the top families in the Capital. As for the surname Ye, there is only the Ye family, renowned as the foremost among the aristocratic families!"
The two immediately frowned, "You mean, Ye Longlin is from the Ye family?"
Chen Fang remained silent, implicitly acknowledging it. However, this information was not certain. There were so many people with the surname Ye; why assume he was from the Ye family? A surname alone could not serve as direct evidence.
"It's a pity that the Ye family branch was annihilated, otherwise, we might have had a chance to confirm it."
Liu Zhenxing asked, "Then tell us, what is his objective?"
Chen Fang looked at him and continued, "War criminals!"
"Today, after he dealt with the war criminals, he had the military come to take them into custody. This matter can almost be considered settled. If they are truly war criminals, then this matter is quite easy to handle, and he can be sent away with the utmost speed."
They all fell silent.
The word "war criminal" was not insignificant in their minds.
Each of their families had some individuals who were instrumental in handling various matters for them, particularly those who were ruthless and decisive in their actions.
To simply hand them over felt somewhat unwilling.
"How about this, let's organize a gathering tonight and invite Ye Longlin for dinner to probe his intentions."
"If he is truly here for this group of people, then what's the harm in handing them over? After all, they are merely those who have pledged allegiance to us. As long as it doesn't result in any losses for us."