In the main hall of the villa.

The moment Lin Mu stepped inside, his brow twitched slightly. Several people were seated in the hall.

A man in his forties with a calm demeanor sat on the sofa. Though silent, he radiated an iron-willed aura, as did the two men beside him. Their eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and they sat as straight as javelins.

On the other side were Qin Luoli and Daoist Master Qing Yu, who appeared to be injured.

"You're back?"

Qin Luoli rose and walked toward Lin Mu. Her face was covered with a mask, but her eyes revealed a gentle smile. Her injuries had mostly healed, but scars still lingered on her face. The poison hadn't been fully purged either, leaving her skin dark and bereft of its once-famous beauty.

Lin Mu felt a pang of heartache. He took Qin Luoli's hand and said softly, "You've been through a lot."

Qin Luoli shook her head gently. "It wasn't hard."

Lin Mu nodded, took out a small box, and placed it in her hand. "Take one of these. The wounds on your face will heal."

Qin Luoli's eyes widened as she looked at Lin Mu. He simply nodded in confirmation.

Qin Luoli accepted the box and gently hugged him. "Lin Mu, you're so good to me."

No woman is indifferent to her appearance, especially not Qin Luoli, once hailed as the number one beauty in River City.

"Go on. Leave this to me," Lin Mu said, patting her shoulder with a reassuring nod.

"Alright."

Sensibly, Qin Luoli turned and headed upstairs. With Lin Mu back, she no longer had anything to worry about.

After Qin Luoli had left, Lin Mu looked at Qing Yu and asked, "Who hit you?"

Qing Yu's lips parted, his voice bitter. "Master, I'm fine."

"I asked you who did it!" Lin Mu's voice rose a notch.

"I did!" A tall, well-built young man standing beside the middle-aged man on the sofa shot to his feet, a look of pure arrogance on his face. "And what can you do about it?"

He smirked, not the least bit worried about what Lin Mu could do to him. Given his status, he believed he could point his finger and curse Lin Mu, and the man wouldn't dare to utter a peep in protest.

"It's good that you admit it."

Lin Mu nodded. Without any discernible movement, his hand floated out in a slapping motion.

SMACK!

The young man who had stood up was struck across the face by an invisible force. The tremendous power sent him flying, his face contorting in agony. He crashed to the ground and couldn't get back up.

The slap had seemed simple, yet with that single blow, Lin Mu had crippled the man's Cultivation Level. From this day forward, he would be nothing more than a cripple.

To cripple one of his men the moment he arrived—this decisive action made the highest-ranking man's expression turn grim.

"Boy, you're seeking death!" another young man roared in anger as the aura of an Inner Strength Martial Artist flared from him.

"If you don't want to die, I advise you to stay quiet," Lin Mu said with a nonchalant glance.

That single glance made the man feel as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt. His body went rigid, and he didn't dare make a move. This scene sent a shock through Qing Yu's heart.

Leaning back against the sofa, Lin Mu addressed the stunned Qing Yu. "From now on, if anyone dares cause trouble in this house, kill them on the spot."

"I'll cover for you!"

He'll cover for me? Qing Yu thought, his mind reeling.

The middle-aged man's thoughts were darker. Such arrogance from this Lin Mu!

"Good. Very good!" the middle-aged man laughed, his voice dripping with rage. "To think that in this small River City, someone would dare to lay a hand on a man from the Military Department."

"Kid, you must be tired of living!"

The middle-aged man held a very high rank and served in the Military Department. He believed that killing Lin Mu would be as easy as crushing an ant.

"Lin Mu, you'd better apologize to Mr. Liu right now! With just one word from him, you could end up dead without a place to be buried!" Lu Tong interjected, pointing a finger and scolding him loudly.

"Are you tired of living?" Lin Mu glanced at Lu Tong, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

This Lu Tong is really courting death, daring to barge into my home and make such a racket. If it weren't for the impending major battle, I wouldn't want to stir up more trouble. A man like him could be killed just like that.

Meanwhile, Mr. Liu stared fixedly at Lin Mu, his face grim. "Kid, I've seen plenty of people like you," he sneered. "You think having a little strength means you can look down on everyone? If you were to encounter a true Martial Arts Grandmaster, you wouldn't even know what hit you." His words were filled with contempt.

"If the 'true Martial Arts Grandmaster' you're referring to is anything like that man on the floor, then I advise you not to embarrass yourself further," Lin Mu said, completely unconcerned.

"You..." Mr. Liu was left speechless. Lin Mu crippling his subordinate was a direct slap to his own face, utterly humiliating him. It also seemed this person was acting so recklessly because he had something to back him up.

Worried Mr. Liu would be provoked further, Lu Tong quickly stepped in. "Lin Mu, let's cut the chatter. I came today to discuss a matter of great importance with you!"

Lin Mu scoffed internally. So, force didn't work, and now they're trying the soft approach? Let's see what kind of tale they can spin.

"To be frank, Daoist Master Yunxu has already submitted a formal life-and-death challenge to the Martial Alliance. In this fight, your death is all but certain!" Lu Tong said, clearly having no faith in Lin Mu's chances.

"No one knows the outcome until the fight is over," Lin Mu replied, completely indifferent to his words.

"Kid, I'm doing this for your own good!" Lu Tong suppressed his rage. This Lin Mu was truly impervious to reason. "You are not a Grandmaster, so you naturally don't understand how terrifying a Martial Arts Grandmaster is. And this Daoist Master Yunxu comes from Dragon Tiger Mountain; his strength is immeasurable."

Lu Tong sneered, "With your meager strength, you honestly couldn't even take one blow from Daoist Master Yunxu."

He thought Lin Mu was being impossibly arrogant. Just because people call him Master Lin, he really thinks he's a Martial Arts Grandmaster? Ridiculous! To be so conceited without ever having seen a true Martial Arts Grandmaster... it's pure hubris!

Seeing Lin Mu's silence, Lu Tong assumed he had finally realized he was no match for Yunxu. He pressed on, "You killed Yunxu's disciple. Now he has come seeking revenge and certainly won't let you off the hook.

"If you avoid the battle, he will surely enter River City. You might be able to escape, but your family..." Lu Tong glanced upstairs, his meaning perfectly clear.

Lin Mu's brows rose slightly. He was beginning to understand Lu Tong's plan.

Lu Tong smiled faintly. "However, if you agree to become Mr. Liu's servant and serve him for life, this battle can be avoided.

"I can assure you that with Mr. Liu's status, he will resolve the grievance between you and Daoist Master Yunxu. Your family will even receive immense benefits because of it."

An arrogant expression appeared on Mr. Liu's face. Although Lin Mu's current strength was a bit lacking, they had already calculated that he was certain to become a Grandmaster in less than ten years. Acquiring a future Grandmaster as a servant was by no means a losing proposition for him.

"Servant?" Lin Mu laughed. "I don't think I'm the one who's arrogant. You're the ones who are ridiculously conceited!"

Hearing this, the expressions of both Lu Tong and Mr. Liu instantly darkened.

Lin Mu stated flatly, "I, Lin Mu, stand tall and bow to no man. I will never be another's servant. Say one more word of this nonsense, and I will kill you!"

"You..." Lu Tong's face flushed with anger. "Are you sure you won't reconsider?" he asked, as if offering one last chance.

"Get out!"

Lin Mu waved his hand. A fierce wind surged forth, wrapping around Lu Tong and his companions and sweeping them out of the hall. His icy voice carried clearly to their ears.

"A true man must be willing to kill. A mere Yunxu isn't enough to make me run from a fight.

"But if the Martial Alliance dares to play tricks behind my back, don't blame me for one day bringing my sword to Jiangling to eradicate you all!"

Outside, the faces of Lu Tong and his group were incredibly grim.

"Ignorant fool! I'd like to see just how you die!" Mr. Liu declared, then waved his hand. "Let's go!"

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