"Lin Feng! Why did you go shopping alone and not wake me up?"
Cornelia, who had slept until noon, with the sun shining on her backside, was complaining.
Because she had been thoroughly tormented last night, she hadn't gotten up this morning, missed breakfast, and was now ravenously hungry.
"I went to see the Emperor, and he even gave me an official position. From now on, you'll be my subordinate." Inside the hotel, Lin Feng said with a light chuckle to Cornelia, who was putting on her underwear.
"You're not lying to me, are you?" Cornelia looked at Lin Feng with her beautiful blue eyes, somewhat suspiciously. They had just been shopping together yesterday, and just while she was sleeping, the Emperor summoned him? And then gave him an official position? How could it be so fast?
"Look, the appointment letter has already been issued." As Lin Feng took out the document approved by the Ministry of Affairs.
Only after Cornelia read it did she confirm that Lin Feng really had become an official. The document stated that the Empire was establishing a special police force called the "Hunters" specifically to deal with rebels, possessing unique mobility and privileges.
Their activities included hunting down those who threatened the safety of the Imperial Capital, with the biggest target being the rebel army. However, they were also responsible for suppressing bandits and eliminating Danger Beasts. The "Hunters" possessed a high degree of mobility and privileges, and when necessary, could request cooperation from secret units and police forces.
They had the right to investigate suspicious individuals and even suppress enemies on the spot based on their own judgment.
"How amazing! As expected of Lin Feng. From now on, I should call you Minister Sir."
Cornelia was genuinely happy for Lin Feng after reading it. He had only been in the Imperial Capital for two days, and his official position was already higher than her father's.
Although she felt a bit sorry for her father's teachings over the years, Cornelia had traveled from the border to the Imperial Capital and had seen many corrupt officials. She already felt that simply relying on slaying rebels could no longer bring happiness to the people.
She thought that in a few years, Lin Feng would be able to become the Great General of the Empire. By then, he might be able to change the dark world.
Lin Feng, however, did not drag the young girl to celebrate his appointment as Minister. He still had a ton of things to do, and the most urgent matter for the two of them was to buy their own large house in the Imperial Capital!
The Imperial Capital covered 200,000 square kilometers, about half the size of a small Japan. However, the prime locations were probably already divided among wealthy nobles, who owned mansions comparable to estates.
As for areas like the Jerrok district on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, there were many vacant lots, but the public order was significantly worse. If they settled there, who knew how many thieves would be eavesdropping when Lin Feng was with a girl late at night.
After a simple lunch, Lin Feng took the young emperor's commission and brought Cornelia to the bustling streets of the Empire to look for a villa to buy.
After a tour, Cornelia was somewhat speechless. Houses on the main road of the Imperial Capital cost ten gold coins per square meter. If they were to buy a large estate by the mountains and water, as Lin Feng requested, it would probably cost tens of thousands of gold coins.
And the closer the location was to the Imperial Palace in the center of the Imperial Capital, the price of the land would increase several times over.
Simply put, the area outside the Imperial Palace had no extra space; it belonged only to all the great nobles and wealthy magnates.
Following the map, Lin Feng found a magnificent and luxurious grand estate in the central area of the Empire after much searching.
High stone walls enclosed thousands of square meters of land, and anyone who could live here was definitely a big shot.
"Lin Feng, this place doesn't seem to have houses for sale."
Cornelia came to the steps and looked at the patrolling soldiers inside the large iron gate, sensing five dangerous auras from them.
"This is an important mission. The owner of this house is Iokal, a distant relative of Minister Honest. Iokal uses the Minister's name to forcibly abduct women and then torture them to death."
The five bodyguards also benefited from Iokal's evil deeds, so they were considered equally guilty. However, those five had all trained at Shaolin Temple and were experienced and strong fighters.
So Lin Feng reached into his jacket pocket and took out a silver-metallic-glowing gauntlet.
The gauntlet was clearly larger than the pocket of his clothes, and Cornelia blinked her big blue eyes but didn't ask further.
"This is an Imperial Arm replica I made with alchemy, Demon Hand: Man-Eater."
This glove was a replica of an Imperial Arm made by Lin Feng, using ant-lion as the main material and fusing it with demonic blood.
Its ability is to absorb the vital energy of anyone it touches and convert it into the user's strength.
However, due to the physical limitations of the wielder, it cannot infinitely absorb vital energy; usually, it can increase strength by up to 3 times, otherwise, it will put a burden on the body.
Just listening to Lin Feng's explanation, Cornelia felt that this Demon Hand was much more powerful than a minister's tool.
"Something this powerful, it's not good for me to use it."
Cornelia quickly waved both hands.
"What's wrong? You won't accept it? Aren't you trying to change the country and bring happiness to the people? If so, I think you should use a suitable weapon, shouldn't you?"
"Hmm…"
He made a good point.
Cornelia finally took the silver metal glove and put it on her right hand.
In an instant, the glove seemed to come alive, transforming directly to cover her entire right arm.
Facing the situation of being automatically wrapped by the glove, having used the Smash King before, Cornelia just felt that there was nothing strange about it.
The glove continuously transmitted power to the girl along the skin it touched.
Cornelia had used the Smash King's overload mode, and now it felt just like that time.
It was as if the strength of her arm had doubled in one go, allowing her to easily lift a large stone slab.
Not only that, if she could hit others with the gauntlet and absorb their vital energy, her strength would greatly increase.
"With this glove, I can…"
Clenching her right hand, Cornelia suddenly had a realization: no matter what kind of royalty or nobility the opponent was, or how powerful their influence, as long as they were evil, she would execute them all with a single punch…
After getting ready, Lin Feng kicked open the large iron gate.
"The Hunters are on official business, why aren't you coming out to greet us?"
"Who are you, daring to investigate here!"
In the main hall, escorted by five masked guards, a middle-aged man with a very greasy hairstyle and sunglasses walked out.
"Are you Iokal?" Lin Feng asked simply.
"Since you know me, you should know my relationship with the Minister, so scram!"
Iokal was short in stature, but his attitude was very arrogant, completely disregarding Lin Feng.
"Alright, Cornelia, kill them all!"
Lin Feng was not prepared to waste any more words with a dead man, so he sent Cornelia to fight.
"Hey, you bastard, you're even more arrogant than your grandpa!"
Iokal was enraged by Lin Feng's arrogance; he was the Minister's distant cousin, and even many high-ranking officials in the Imperial Capital had to show him some respect.
Who was this nobody, daring to seek trouble with him?
As Iokal commanded, a tall and strong martial monk immediately stepped out from among the five Shaolin Temple bodyguards, ready to deal with Cornelia.
In the past, Iokal had humiliated many women, and occasionally he would encounter people who wanted to take revenge on him, but there was only one outcome for these people: death!
"So slow… and full of openings."
Looking at the charging enemy, Cornelia's lips curved into a cold smile, she lowered her body, and relying on her enhanced physique, she slammed a punch into the opponent's abdomen.
With a loud thud.
The martial monk was immediately sent flying ten meters by the immense force, his body heavily embedded in the wall, spitting blood, his internal organs ruptured.
"Who exactly are you people?!"
Watching the girl easily kill a martial monk, the others had no choice but to start taking them seriously.
"Hunters." Cornelia extended her right fist, aiming at the remaining four, looking ready to continue fighting.
How could a minor character like Iokal have heard of a newly established special department?
"I work for the Minister, you should know the consequences of angering the Minister!"
Realizing that the woman who came today had high martial prowess, Iokal tried to intimidate her.
His five bodyguards were highly skilled in martial arts, so seeing Cornelia send a well-trained martial monk flying with one punch, the arrogant Iokal was also somewhat frightened.
Of course, Iokal was not one to be easily scared; he clapped his hands and called out twenty more guards armed with swords.
If the other party insisted on fighting, he wouldn't mind a fight to the death.
"Even if you are powerful, you cannot withstand the Minister's wrath!"
Looking at the girl surrounded, Iokal was very pleased.
"You filthy bug! Go to hell and atone for your sins with regret."
Cornelia completely disregarded the other party; with that punch, the Demon Hand had already absorbed the martial monk's vital energy, and she pushed off the ground with her right foot, charging forward fiercely like a tiger.
Seeing this, the four bodyguards immediately stood in front, protecting their master.
"Demon Hand!"
As the power of the glove flowed into Cornelia's body, she unleashed a punch capable of shattering rocks, mercilessly hammering towards the enemy's head.
Bang!
The punching motion was too fast; the bodyguard closest to Cornelia didn't even have time to react before his head was smashed.
At the same time, his body's vital energy was also absorbed by the glove.
The remaining three bodyguards attacked together; if they failed to protect Iokal, a punishment more terrifying than death awaited them.
From their self-sacrificing moves, it was clear that they genuinely wanted to capture Cornelia.
However, the Demon Hand had already boosted Cornelia's strength to the point where a single punch could deliver several tons of force.
How could these ordinary people possibly contend with that?
Even the girl's simple straight punch would result in either death or severe injury if it landed…
"The Minister… will not let… you go…"
As Cornelia twisted Iokal's neck, he still didn't forget to utter threats.
The remaining guards, however, were not so loyal; seeing that the situation was dire, they all scattered and fled the mansion.
Then Lin Feng leisurely walked into the house, step by step, along the two-meter-wide cobblestone path.
Of course, Lin Feng didn't come here to kill Iokal for the sake of justice; he simply had his eyes on this house.
Afterward, Lin Feng and Cornelia began to count the spoils of war.
In a storage room of the cabinet.
The clean white marble floor seemed somewhat luxurious.
The moment the huge wooden money chest was opened, the radiance emitted by tens of thousands of gold coins completely enveloped Cornelia's body.
Cornelia was momentarily dazed, but a moment later, she clenched her fists tightly, filled with anger.
To accumulate so many gold coins, countless innocent people must have been harmed.
"It is precisely because of corrupt officials like Iokal, who desperately extort money from the common people, then indulge in hedonism and enjoy themselves, that the wealth gap has become so vast.
The great empire, which has lasted for a thousand years, is being destroyed by their hands!"
Lin Feng began to tell Cornelia things she had never heard of, things Gozqi didn't want to tell them.
Bringing happiness to the people could not be achieved by slaying rebels.
The culprits who plunged this country into misfortune were the corrupt officials in the imperial court!
They plundered wealth everywhere, completely disregarding the lives of the people.
Even if Cornelia killed all the rebels, the lives of the people would not improve at all.
Only by eradicating the parasites in the imperial court could this country be changed.
Afterward, when the security forces heard about a malicious murder here, Captain Ouka rushed to provide support, but Lin Feng now held power; after he presented the Emperor's letter of appointment, even the fierce-looking Ouka, the "Demon," could only stare helplessly!
Although there was a mutual benefit between Iokal and Ouka, they had also conspired to kill many innocent people for money, but Ouka did not have the courage to openly defy the Imperial decree.
"Thank you, Minister Lin, for your help. I've actually wanted to capture that beast Iokal for a long time."
Ouka laughed heartily, his smile made particularly sinister by the scar over his left eye, but his tone was light and cheerful, as if he was truly happy for justice being served.