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At this moment, a middle-aged man from among the victims' families stepped forward and spoke. "Respected Chief Justice, we are all family members of the victims from the serial disappearance cases of young girls."
"Surely you must still recognize some of us."
Neuvillette steadied himself and carefully examined the man before him, then gently nodded.
"I remember every one of you. But what you are doing now…"
The victim's father stood there with resolute determination. Facing everyone's gaze, he made no attempt to argue, instead admitting openly and calmly.
"That's right. We know full well that we are breaking the law. But aside from this, what other choice do we have?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he abruptly turned his head and cast a furious glare straight at Vacher, biting down hard on his lower lip as he forced out words filled with hatred and rage through clenched teeth.
"This murderer who personally killed my daughter—so long as he remains alive in this world for even a single day, whether he suffers in the Fortress of Meropide or lives freely without consequence, it is unbearable torment and psychological torture for us pitiful people who have lost our loved ones!"
As his emotions surged, he couldn't help but raise his voice and roar.
"To avenge my precious daughter, forget entering the Fortress of Meropide—even if it costs me my life, I would do it willingly, without hesitation!"
Neuvillette listened quietly as the grief-stricken father finished speaking, hesitation and doubt rising unavoidably within his heart.
Yet the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale had delivered a clear verdict: "Guilty."
According to established law, the guilty must be sent to the Fortress of Meropide to receive their punishment. As the Chief Justice, no matter how much Neuvillette sympathized with these people, he could not violate this ironclad rule.
Just then, seeing the hesitation on Neuvillette's face, the man—also a victim's family member—turned back and shouted.
"Hurry and take that heartless murderer away from here! We'll stay behind and do everything we can to hold back the security forces and buy you enough time!"
Shao Yun looked at the people before him—those willing to step forward and risk everything to cover their retreat—and asked.
"But if you do that, what will you do afterward? Aren't you afraid something terrible might happen to you?"
This question was clearly meant for the reporters present.
One of the family members who stayed behind answered in a low voice. "Ever since my precious daughter went missing, I've been nothing more than an empty shell without a soul, drifting through each day like a walking corpse."
"Until you appeared—like a beam of light in the darkness—giving me hope for life once again. So even if I have to enter the Fortress of Meropide, I am willing."
"As long as that demon who brutally murdered my daughter receives the punishment he deserves, everything will be worth it!"
Shao Yun nodded slightly, then turned around without ceremony and said, "Alright. Time is of the essence—let's move!"
With that, Shao Yun hoisted the unconscious Vacher and immediately withdrew with the remaining victims' families.
"Alright, everyone, keep up—move fast!" Shao Yun shouted as he quickened his pace.
In the blink of an eye, the group vanished from the security forces' sight.
However, the security personnel clearly had no intention of letting them go so easily.
Seeing Shao Yun and the others about to escape, several guards immediately gave chase.
But at that moment, the victims' families who had volunteered to stay behind stepped forward. Arm in arm, they quickly formed a solid human wall, blocking the security forces' path.
Despite repeated shouting and threats from the guards, the families stood firm without retreating an inch.
Seizing this opportunity, Shao Yun had already disappeared completely with Vacher and the others.
What remained in front of the opera house were only the families awaiting arrest, and the security personnel who could do nothing but detain them.
After some time, a security officer finally mustered his courage, cautiously approached Neuvillette, and asked in a low voice, "Lord Neuvillette, should we continue the pursuit?"
Neuvillette looked grimly at the arrested families of the serial disappearance victims.
After a long pause, he ordered, "Escort these people to the security headquarters for temporary detention. Remember—do not treat them roughly. They are victims of this heinous case as well."
Then, gazing in the direction where "Shao Yun" had disappeared, he added, "As for that mysterious individual, send two people to follow at a distance. Do your best to keep track of them. If you lose them, so be it. Just prioritize safety…"
…
At the same time, far away from this place, a group of people were racing northward toward the area beyond the Court of Fontaine aboard a Fontaine speedboat they had 'borrowed' from elsewhere.
The atmosphere on the deck was extremely tense.
Shao Yun looked at the still-unconscious Vacher, stepped forward, and delivered a solid slap to his face.
"Wake the hell up, you inhuman, deranged idiot!"
The sudden slap instantly jolted Vacher awake from his unconsciousness.
He opened his eyes in sheer terror, only to find himself surrounded by furious family members of the missing girls.
Faced with their hatred-filled, enraged gazes, Vacher trembled violently and begged incoherently at the top of his lungs, "Please spare me! I have money—lots of it! If you let me go, I'll give you all my assets!"
His pleas were as good as flatulence.
Your assets were already confiscated—what money do you even have left? And besides, did you really think parents who lost their children would let you live?
Shao Yun raised his voice and asked the group, "Everyone, how do you think someone this heinous should be punished to ease the hatred in your hearts?"
At this moment, the remaining family members all had bloodshot eyes, filled with rage and hatred.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd screamed hoarsely, "Kill him! Kill him! Avenge my precious daughter!"
That shout ignited the long-suppressed fury in everyone's hearts, and the others immediately joined in.
"Kill him!!! Kill him!!!"
In an instant, emotions exploded, and cries for blood echoed through the air.
Seeing this, Shao Yun suddenly raised his arm and shouted, "Good! Since that's what everyone wants, then it shall be so! But before that, we'll collect a bit of interest—let him taste pain as well!"
Before his words even finished, Shao Yun turned and ordered, "Bring me that large iron barrel full of water and place it in front of this bastard!"
Before long, two family members carried over a water-filled iron barrel and set it before Vacher, preparing to let him experience suffocation firsthand.
The reason Vacher didn't end up as crocodile feed like Bronte was simple—Shao Yun was worried Vacher might dive and escape, making him look like a fool.
With that thought, Shao Yun decisively grabbed Vacher by the head and slammed it toward the water barrel.
Vacher was terrified, desperately twisting his body to break free, but his hands and feet were tightly bound, leaving him completely unable to move.
As Shao Yun forced him down, Vacher's head gradually submerged, water rapidly flooding into his mouth and nose.
He struggled violently, but it was all in vain.
Water mercilessly poured into his lungs, burning his airways like fire.
Just as Vacher was about to lose consciousness, Shao Yun suddenly released him, allowing his head to break the surface.
Vacher gasped desperately for air, his face filled with the expression of someone who had narrowly escaped death.
But before he could recover, Shao Yun reached out again and plunged his head back into the water…
…
No one knew how many times this was repeated. After the final time, Vacher violently spewed a large mouthful of water.
He gulped down fresh air and instinctively began coughing.
"Cough—cough—cough…"
At that moment, Shao Yun quietly leaned close to Vacher's ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Do you know why you ended up like this?"
Vacher struggled to breathe, his words coming haltingly, tinged with bitter self-mockery.
"Isn't it because… I hired a bunch of idiots… and exposed myself…"
"And also… I didn't expect… that Snezhnaya still had photos of me… from when I was still… Vacher…"
Hearing this answer, Shao Yun couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
What a joke.
But outwardly, he maintained his composure, shook his head lightly, and lowered his voice again. "The real reason you met your end is because those security mechanisms you sent out a while ago accidentally injured Lumine."
Vacher's eyes flew wide open, his face filled with shock.
He racked his brain, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall who this person was.
Weren't the targets Navia and that Yanfei girl? Who the hell is Lumine?!
He asked in confusion, "What? Who is she?"
Seeing this, Shao Yun sighed helplessly and explained further. "That short-haired blonde girl. Your security mechanisms scraped her skin."
Shao Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, a chill flickering in his gaze. "Remember this in your next life—do your research before killing. Your failure was simply because you provoked someone you never should have touched."
As soon as his words fell, Shao Yun grabbed Vacher again and slammed his head back into the water.
Over and over, Shao Yun submerged him, letting him fully experience the terror and despair of death closing in.
…
When the 'borrowed' Fontaine speedboat finally neared the shore, Shao Yun dragged the half-drowned, barely alive Vacher onto land like a dead dog and strapped him into a pre-prepared electric chair.
This electric chair had been a gift from Alice back in Sumeru and could be powered using Electro Crystals or an Electro Slime.
Electro Slimes were too troublesome to catch, so Shao Yun went with Electro Crystals.
However, gathering enough Electro Crystals was no easy task. After days of searching, Shao Yun managed to collect only three.
Though there were just three, it was barely enough to reach lethal power.
Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma—even Sumeru had plenty of Electro Crystals in the wild, but Fontaine? They were genuinely hard to find.
After securing the half-dead Vacher firmly to the electric chair, Shao Yun turned around and beckoned to the remaining victims' families, signaling them to come closer and witness the punishment about to unfold.
He then picked up a thin wooden stick and forcibly stuffed it into Vacher's mouth, making him bite down tightly. As for why—some doctor from Saint-Denis had done it that way, so he was just copying the method.
Once everything was set, Shao Yun walked toward the control switch with a blank expression, looking like a demon straight from hell.
Standing by the switch, Shao Yun leaned down slightly and whispered softly to Vacher, "Alright, poor thing. Now let you personally experience the mercy of so-called 'knowledge.'"
Before his words even finished, Shao Yun yanked down the cold metal lever.
In an instant, a powerful current surged through Vacher's entire body.
"AAAAAHHH—!"
A heart-rending scream erupted as Vacher's body convulsed violently.
Second by second, the relentless current continued to ravage him without pause.
Gradually, a thick, acrid stench of burning flesh filled the air, nauseating to the senses.
Under the brutal onslaught of electricity, Vacher's skin slowly darkened, as if charred.
Hideous wounds split open across his body, blood spraying out and staining the ground beneath him red.
At first, his screams echoed throughout the area—but at a certain breaking point, they suddenly stopped.
Silence fell, broken only by the crackling sound of electricity coursing through his body.
As the energy in the Electro Crystals was finally exhausted, the violent current gradually subsided.
Shao Yun looked at the man before him—dead beyond any doubt—without a trace of pity in his heart.
He turned expressionlessly to face the crowd and declared loudly, "Today, this heinous criminal has received the punishment he deserved. He has left this world forever in extreme pain and endless torment."
After a brief pause, Shao Yun added, "I believe his sinful soul will fall into the lake of hellfire, where it will suffer eternal agony to atone for the countless crimes he committed in this life!"
As his words ended, thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd.
People applauded and shouted in praise, expressing heartfelt respect and gratitude toward Shao Yun. Shao Yun merely nodded slightly in response before turning toward Vacher's disfigured, unrecognizable corpse.
He then took out a rope and hoisted the foul-smelling, blood-soaked, charred body high into a tree.
The horrific sight immediately scattered the nearby seagulls, while several crows circled overhead, unwilling to leave.
After completing everything, Shao Yun lightly dusted off his hands.
He scanned the crowd and said, "Alright, everyone. This is the end of it. Go home, rest well, and start your new lives."
With that, he turned to leave.
However, at that moment, a haggard middle-aged woman stepped out from the crowd.
She slowly walked up to Shao Yun, stared straight at him, and softly asked, "May I ask… what is your name?"
Shao Yun stopped, turned around slowly, and asked with a hint of vigilance, "My name?"
The victim's mother nodded firmly and said sincerely, "Yes. We truly want to know your name—because you helped us."
Fearing Shao Yun might hesitate or misunderstand their intentions, she quickly added, "Please don't worry. We will never reveal your name."
Shao Yun's gaze swept across all the victims' families present, seeing the hope and gratitude in their eyes.
For some reason—perhaps moved by their sincerity, or perhaps for some other reason—
After a brief hesitation, Shao Yun gave a name.
"My name is Dutch van der Linde. If the security forces question you later, you don't need to hide anything. Just put all the blame on me."
The moment the words left his mouth, Shao Yun thought to himself, After all… it's not my real name anyway.
It is worth mentioning that after Shao Yun left, the remaining families did not immediately disperse as he had expected.
Instead, they stood motionless, as if their souls had been drained, staring fixedly at Vacher's corpse hanging high in the tree, unwilling to leave.
From afar, their figures looked desolate and sorrowful, as though they were silently holding a wordless memorial for their daughters.
Time passed, second by second, yet the families remained immersed in grief, showing no sign of leaving.
Only later, when the security forces arrived and arrested them all, did this tragic chapter finally come to an end.
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