My Crazy Upgrade System

"What happened to all that arrogance from before? Is this all you’ve got?" Yi Tianyun asked, his foot crushing the man’s arm as his cold gaze bore down on him.

"AHHHH! P-Please, my lord, spare me! I... I was just spouting nonsense! Please, just let me go! Just pretend I’m a fart and let me go!" Cloud Celestial Saint shrieked. The pain radiating from his arm drenched him in a cold sweat, bringing him to the verge of fainting. But Yi Tianyun had perfect control. He wouldn’t let the man pass out so easily; that would rob him of the chance to fully "savor" his agony.

"In that case, you’re one hell of a stinky fart!" Yi Tianyun’s eyes turned glacial. He raised his foot and stomped down viciously, shattering the man’s other arm. The sheer ruthlessness of the act was staggering; no one could have imagined a teenager capable of such a thing.

Of course, they had no idea that when Yi Tianyun defended Merak Palace, he had cut down every single invader. The number he had slain was beyond counting.

As his other arm was crushed, Cloud Celestial Saint let out another bloodcurdling scream. Still, he didn’t pass out. All he could do was kick his legs wildly, trying in vain to ease the excruciating pain.

Looking up, Niu Zhi and his men were scared stiff. Their jaws hung open, completely stunned and paralyzed by the scene before them.

"Now it’s your turn," Yi Tianyun said, his gaze as cold as ice. "Are you ready?"

Yi Tianyun’s words scared them witless. They turned and bolted for the forest, cursing their parents for not giving them two more legs. They knew that if they didn’t escape now, they would end up just like Cloud Celestial Saint. They didn’t want their arms broken—what was the difference between that and death?

’Trying to escape?’

Yi Tianyun’s eyes flashed with cold light. He stomped the ground, and the earth itself seemed to tremble as if a rampaging Giant Beast were on the move. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Niu Zhi. The two of them weren’t even in the same league.

Niu Zhi glanced back and saw Yi Tianyun closing in, radiating killing intent. A warm wetness spread through his crotch—he’d pissed himself in terror. His legs gave out, and he tumbled forward, rolling several times before scrambling to his feet. "My lord, we were wrong! We never should have provoked you!" he wailed. "We’ll be your oxen, your horses, anything! Just please, spare me..."

He kowtowed repeatedly, begging for forgiveness, but Yi Tianyun’s answer was a heavy kick to the chest. BANG! Niu Zhi was sent flying like a rubber ball, landing back in the village. His injuries weren’t severe, because Yi Tianyun wanted the people of Yunluo Village to deal with him personally.

The rest of Cloud Celestial Saint’s lackeys were even easier to handle. Yi Tianyun flew after them. BANG! BANG! BANG! A few quick kicks sent them flying, leaving them sprawled on the ground, unmoving.

In fact, a system notification popped up, confirming they were dead. They had all been converted into a trivial amount of experience points, which flowed into his system.

Walking back, Yi Tianyun found Cloud Celestial Saint still writhing on the ground in unbearable pain. The feeling of having the bones in your arms crushed was not something one could easily endure.

Many of the more timid villagers couldn’t bear to watch. But for many others, their eyes shone with joy and, more than anything, a deep sense of cathartic relief.

"P-Please... spare me..." Cloud Celestial Saint gasped, enduring the agony. He knew he was powerless to resist. He was just a fish on the chopping block, and whether he lived or died was entirely up to Yi Tianyun’s whim.

"You should have considered the consequences when you spouted that filth earlier," Yi Tianyun said coldly. "Saying you’d ’play with her once then toss her aside’... Who the hell do you think Lian is, you piece of trash?! Even if you died a hundred times, it wouldn’t be enough to extinguish my rage!"

"I... I was only joking..." Cloud Celestial Saint was regretting it so much his guts could have turned green. If he had known Yi Tianyun was this powerful, he never would have dared.

"Oh, a joke? That’s hilarious." Yi Tianyun kicked out, sending Cloud Celestial Saint flying. He tumbled back into the village, landing near Niu Zhi. Yi Tianyun then looked up at the other villagers. "I’m Lian’s younger brother," he announced. "I came to help resolve this situation. The rest is up to you. Deal with these two however you see fit."

"Her younger brother?!"

The villagers exchanged bewildered glances. Since when did Liu Menglian have a younger brother? None of them had ever heard of it. Nevertheless, they surged forward, surrounding Niu Zhi and Cloud Celestial Saint. The fury in their eyes, combined with the weapons in their hands, promised a grim fate.

"I... I-I did it for the village! This has nothing to do with me..." Niu Zhi stammered, watching the villagers close in. His gaze fell on Wang Decuan, who was holding a long staff, and his heart trembled. All his earlier arrogance had vanished. Now, he was less than nothing.

"I bet you’re the bastard who’s been leaking information about Yunluo Village all this time! That’s why they always knew when to come for protection money. No matter what Spirit Medicine we found, word would always get out. We knew there was a mole, but we never imagined it would be you!"

Wang Decuan roared, "Both of you bastards can just go to hell!"

At his word, the villagers raised their wooden clubs and brought them down again and again. Niu Zhi and Cloud Celestial Saint were beaten to death under the chaotic rain of blows. The villagers struck with all their might, intent on killing them, venting all the pent-up rage from the past weeks.

Yi Tianyun walked over to Liu Menglian. He rarely used her full name, preferring to call her Lian.

"Lian, you weren’t being honest with us. You didn’t tell us what was happening!" Yi Tianlong said, his face stern. If they had arrived any later, the outcome would have been completely different.

"I... I saw the Young Master was too busy. I didn’t dare..." Lian said, wiping away a steady stream of tears with the back of her hand. The moment she saw Yi Tianyun, all the tension left her body. Her legs suddenly went weak, and she stumbled forward, falling right into his arms.

"If something had happened to you, do you think Aunt wouldn’t have been furious?" Yi Tianyun asked. He could easily imagine Shi Xueyun flying into a rage on Lian’s behalf and wiping out the so-called Treasure Dragon Stronghold.

’But even if she wiped them out, what good would it do if Lian had already been defiled? How could that ever be undone?’

"But..."

"No ’buts.’ It seems I wasn’t clear enough before. You’re like family to us. So please, don’t keep things bottled up inside. Just tell us, alright?" Yi Tianyun sighed. "If something had happened to you, we would have been left to grieve forever. Do you think that would have been fair to us?"

"Young Master..." Lian’s tears flowed uncontrollably. When she had agreed to go with those men, her heart had been filled with despair. She knew that if she left, she would never be able to return, and she could only imagine the tragic fate that awaited her.

"Ding! Quest completed successfully! Rewards: 50,000 Experience Points, 30 Character Value, Liu Menglian’s Favorability +50, Favorability of all Yunluo Village Villagers +100!"

The rewards flooded in. He had completed the quest with ease, but he felt no joy in his heart.

Yi Tianyun let out a long sigh, but his eyes were like chips of ice. ’This Treasure Dragon Stronghold... I will wipe them out. If I let them continue to do as they please, Yunluo Village will surely be attacked again!’