But that is the mindset of the weak.

On a moonless night perfect for murder, the wind howled, ideal for arson.

The night was desolate.

A figure in flowing red stood atop a roof, the wide wedding gown dancing wildly in the night wind, like a flickering flame against the ink-black darkness.

Ye Shu lowered his gaze, his eyes seeming to pierce through the rooftop.

He raised five fingers.

Several crimson threads emerged from the top of Jiang Mingyue’s head in the small house below, silently vanishing into the night, stretching toward the homes of the little brats who had bullied her.

Mo Shisan would turn a blind eye to such things.

But Ye Shu would not.

“If the child is not taught, it is the father’s fault; if the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher’s negligence.”

Ye Shu’s gaze pierced the darkness, landing on the homes of those children. The little figure on his left shoulder suddenly opened its eyes, a crimson light flashing.

In this world, crooked matters could only be resolved by killing.

The children, sleeping soundly in their respective homes, suddenly shivered, as if some ill fortune were about to befall them.

.............

“I’m back.”

Within the span of three incense sticks, Ye Shu pushed open the door, his spirits high.

Doing good deeds while boosting his cultivation—how wonderful.

Who ever invented this little thing called the Postnatal Merit Method? It was way too handy.

Oh, right—it was he himself.

Well, that made sense.

In a good mood, Ye Shu hummed a tune and stepped inside.

Jiang Xin had just finished clearing the dishes, her brows thick with resentment. She, the Nine Nether Empress, reduced to laundry, cooking, and childcare like some ordinary mortal woman!

It was an utter disgrace!

Hatred points toward the Old Monster +1.

“Daddy!”

Jiang Mingyue, sitting alone at the table playing with her cloth doll, seemed to sense his presence. The moment Ye Shu walked in, she lifted her head, jumped off the table, and ran toward him.

“Want Daddy to hold me! Mingyue wants Daddy to hold me!”

Ye Shu froze, not yet reacting, before the little girl reached him, spreading her tiny arms, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

Jiang Xin’s face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot.

She silently cursed the little ingrate several times, then turned to Ye Shu with a smile as bright as a flower, playing the perfect wife and mother.

“You’re back? Tired?”

“Want me to fetch you some foot-washing water?”

“No need.”

Ye Shu shook his head, looking at Jiang Mingyue, who stood with arms outstretched, gazing at him with earnest eyes. His heart softened.

He wondered how his other two daughters were doing.

Without their father’s presence in their childhood, had they been happy? Had they suffered any grievances?

Bending down, he picked up Jiang Mingyue.

The little girl immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling contentedly against his shoulder, her small face brimming with joy.

“Hehe! Daddy is the best!”

“Alright, alright.”

Seeing her innocent smile, Ye Shu couldn’t help but laugh softly as well, carrying her toward the bed. “How about sleeping with Daddy tonight?”

Jiang Mingyue clapped her hands and cheered. “Yes! Yes!”

“Hmph…”

Seeing these two enjoying their little harmony, Jiang Xin felt nothing but irritation.

Were they really pretending this was a happy family of three?

But when Ye Shu looked her way, she immediately switched to a fawning expression. “Whatever my husband says—let’s all sleep together then.”

The three lay down in their clothes.

Ye Shu flicked his finger, and the candle flame died.

Ye Shu slept on the inner side, Jiang Xin on the outer, with Jiang Mingyue in the middle—a dividing line between the two, each harboring their own secrets.

The night fell silent.

Jiang Mingyue and Ye Shu were already asleep, leaving only Jiang Xin on the outermost side, unable to close her eyes.

This was her first time sharing a bed with a man.

Though a child lay between them, the faint scent of a man still drifted over, making her deeply uneasy.

Watching Jiang Mingyue sleeping so comfortably, Jiang Xin felt a pang of bitterness.

That little wretch—clearly her own Nascent Soul—was so close to that Old Monster. A traitor, a pawn, an ungrateful little snake!

She cursed under her breath, but could only stare helplessly.

Her gaze shifted to Ye Shu. She noticed that even in sleep, his brow was furrowed, as if weighed down by something—something he couldn’t shake even in dreams.

Did that Old Monster have worries too?

Yet seeing this bastard unhappy somehow made Jiang Xin feel much better. With a pleased sigh, she turned over and quickly drifted into dreams.

In her dream, she seemed to grab a super-huge plush toy.

But some little brat kept trying to snatch it away, making her stomp her feet in anger.

“Mine! This is mine!”

She hugged the toy tightly, refusing to let go, while the little brat tugged at its leg, shouting, “Mine! It’s mine!”

They pulled and shoved, neither willing to release it.

Jiang Xin jolted awake.

Daylight flooded in. The first thing she saw was Ye Shu’s helpless eyes. He glanced down at his half-ripped shirt and sighed. “Can you let go now?”

“Uh…”

Jiang Xin realized she had torn his clothes. She stuck out her tongue in embarrassment and quickly released her grip.

“If I said it wasn’t on purpose—would you believe me?”

“I do.”

Ye Shu nodded, his expression calm.

As the protagonist, perhaps his only remaining charm was this kind of succubus physique.

So his closeness with Little Mingyue didn’t surprise him.

Setting the still-sleeping Jiang Mingyue on the edge of the bed, he straightened his collar and headed out again.

Last night’s affair should have seen its conclusion by now.

Sure enough, panic spread through the town by morning. People said that this morning, several families had mysteriously vanished without a trace.

Judging by the scene, it looked like dark arts were involved.

The Soulbinding Branch was furious.

“We just stole a bit of their business—did they have to go this far?”

“This is probably just a warning.”

“Go, reinforce the defense of the outer branch, and spread the word to the other branches to prepare, so we don’t get picked off one by one.” The steward barked orders, and the entire branch bustled into action.

Ye Shu remained expressionless, unmoved.

As a former demigod, being found out by these people would make him a laughingstock.

At dusk, he returned home.

At the dinner table, Jiang Xin hesitated several times before finally speaking. “The missing people from the clan… was that your doing?”

The missing families were all those whose children had bullied Jiang Mingyue. Others might not see it, but she was too sharp. Recalling how he had said he’d go killing, she pieced it together.

Ye Shu made no move to confirm or deny.

Hmph!

Seeing his silence, Jiang Xin gave a cold laugh. But deep down… this bastard wasn’t so bad after all.

But peace didn’t last two days.

A few days later, when Ye Shu returned, he found a pack of little brats bullying Jiang Mingyue at their doorstep again.

“You’re a monster!”

“It’s all because of you that Big Brother’s parents vanished! You’re a curse!”

“Monster!”

The kids surrounded Jiang Mingyue, pushing and shoving. She remained silent, enduring it all.

Not far away, a slightly older child tugged at the leader’s sleeve and whispered, “Big bro… Those missing grown-ups—their kids all bullied her before. Could we…”

“What’s there to be afraid of?”

Little Bro let out a cold snort.

“Just because bullying someone might lead to their death, or even the death of their whole family—does that mean we should stop bullying them?”

“That would be nice, sure.”

“But that’s the mindset of the weak! If we don’t drive her away, even more people will get hurt because of the bullying. So we have to keep bullying her!”

Little Bro raised his hands high, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.

Standing not far away, Ye Shu couldn’t help but feel a tremor in his heart after hearing this.

“Your will to bully—I acknowledge it!”

“Tonight, I’ll come to your place.”