"Mr. Lin..." Liang Sheng's expression changed. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Mu interrupted, "Wait here for me. I'll be back soon."

"Master, let me go with you," Daoist Master Qing Yu said, unwilling to let Lin Mu face danger alone.

Lin Mu gave a faint smile. "What? Do you think they can do anything to me?"

Qing Yu fell silent. He knew his master's strength, of course. He figured that in this world, if his Master claimed to be number one, no one would dare claim to be number two.

"Alright!" Qing Yu agreed. "Master, please be careful."

Lin Mu nodded and said to Sang Tu, "Let's go. Take me to see Ma Liu." Since that Ma Liu doesn't know what's good for him, it's time to take his damned head.

Sang Tu hesitated. After all, Lord Liu's order was to bring all of them back. Bringing back only Lin Mu would surely enrage Lord Liu. He shook his head firmly. "No! Lord Liu's order is to bring all of you back! Not a single one less!"

Lin Mu smiled coolly. "That's not up to you." As soon as he finished speaking, he nodded at Qing Yu.

Qing Yu understood and took a step forward.

CRACK!

The hard ground centered on Qing Yu's foot spiderwebbed with countless fissures. The sight stunned Sang Tu and his men. This one-armed Daoist's strength is terrifying! Even though Daoist Master Qing Yu hadn't revealed a sliver of True Qi, this one move was enough to intimidate Sang Tu completely.

"Let's go. I'm in a hurry," Lin Mu said, turning and walking straight outside.

Sang Tu hesitated for a moment before scurrying to follow. As for Qing Yu and the others, I'll have men watch them. I'm sure they won't even manage to take a single step out of Xijiang!

"Watch them," Sang Tu said coldly to Zhao Hedong. "If even one of them leaves, I'll kill ten members of your Zhao Family! If they all leave, I will exterminate your entire Zhao Family!"

Zhao Hedong's face turned pale. The immense pressure from Daoist Master Qing Yu shattering the ground with a single stomp was still fresh in his mind. If they want to leave, I can't possibly stop them. That Daoist's cultivation level is so high that even if I sent out every expert from the Zhao Family, we still couldn't defeat him. However, the fear Lord Liu instilled in him was even greater, so Zhao Hedong could only grit his teeth and agree. "Lord Sang Tu, rest assured. I will do my best to keep them here."

Sang Tu nodded and left immediately.

"Listen well. If anything happens to my Master, this humble Daoist will personally pay Ma Liuye a visit and ask just how many heads he has to spare!" Daoist Master Qing Yu's words made Sang Tu shudder, and for a moment, the tattoos on his skin seemed to writhe as if they were alive.

But he said nothing more, simply turning and leaving with Lin Mu.

After Sang Tu and his men had left, Zhao Hedong gave an awkward smile. "Well, gentlemen, now that it's come to this, let's just hope that young man can make it out of this safely. Daoist Master, please rest assured. You will not suffer the slightest grievance here under my roof."

Liang Sheng merely snorted in response. If this fool knew Mr. Lin's true identity, would he still be saying such things? I wonder if he'll come to regret his words.

***

A commercial van pulled up to the entrance of Ma Liuye's villa. Several large, powerfully built men stepped out.

"Get out," Sang Tu said, standing by the open door. His expression was grim, but he didn't dare to act too forcefully. Daoist Master Qing Yu's parting words had simply put too much pressure on him. Furthermore, Lin Mu had been unnervingly calm throughout the entire journey. He even had the composure to admire the passing scenery, seemingly oblivious to the fact that this might be a one-way trip.

Besides, Sang Tu refused to believe that the Daoist, no matter how strong, could possibly be stronger than Lord Liu. Over the years, plenty of people had tried to oppose Lord Liu. In the end, they either met a miserable fate or vanished without a trace.

Lin Mu stepped out of the van, surveying the villa before him with a slight nod. Ma Liu really lives up to his reputation as the Earth Emperor of Thunder Mountain. You'd need significant status and power to build a private villa like this here. Too bad it's about to become a pile of rubble.

***

Stepping into the villa, Lin Mu finally met the so-called Earth Emperor of Thunder Mountain: Ma Liu. He was over sixty, with graying hair. At a glance, he was indistinguishable from the old men one might see playing chess or practicing forms in a park. No one would ever connect this man with the powerful Ma Liuye, who held sway over all of Thunder Mountain.

"Lord Liu, I've brought him," Sang Tu said respectfully as he approached Ma Liu's side.

Ma Liu looked up from his newspaper, revealing a pair of sharp, triangular eyes. His gaze landed on Lin Mu, his eyes narrowing as a dangerous light flickered within them.

"So, you're the one who destroyed my dogfighting den?" Ma Liu's voice was hoarse, betraying no anger or joy. However, those who knew him well understood that this hoarseness was a prelude to murder.

"A filthy place like that, unfit to see the light of day, deserved to be destroyed." Lin Mu smiled, strolled forward, and sat down on the sofa directly across from Ma Liu. "You must be Ma Liu?"

Lin Mu's tone was casual, but a sharp, dangerous smile curved his lips. So this is the man who created that den. A man who toys with human lives, using people as tools to make money. Absolutely inhuman, with no moral bottom line.

"Audacious!" Enraged that Lin Mu dared to sit, Sang Tu was about to lunge forward.

Ma Liu raised a hand to stop him. He looked at Lin Mu with a meaningful expression and let out a low chuckle. "It's been many years since anyone dared to be so insolent in my presence. You're the first, and you will certainly be the last."

The smile vanished from Ma Liu's face, replaced by pure murderous intent. "Was it you who said you were coming to take my head?"

Lin Mu nodded. "That's right. It was me." He had indeed said as much yesterday. Ma Liu knew now, though clearly, the threat had not yet been carried out.

"You've got guts." Ma Liu shifted in his seat. "I'm sitting right here. I'd like to see just how you plan to take my head."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As soon as Ma Liu finished speaking, the hall was suddenly flooded with men brandishing weapons. They wore black headscarves, and their eyes were filled with killing intent. The weapons in their hands were all the same: the distinctive Miao Knives from Thunder Mountain, renowned for their toughness and sharpness, capable of cleaving the fiercest of beasts in two with a single strike.

Ma Liu leisurely picked up a cigar, lit it, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Now, let's see what you're going to use to take my head."

Ma Liu had been surprised when Sang Tu called to say Lin Mu was coming alone, but he hadn't cared in the slightest—not even about the powerful one-armed Daoist Sang Tu had mentioned. He had already dispatched men to Xijiang to kill them all. Destroy something that belongs to me, Lord Ma Liu, and expect to leave Southern Sky alive? What a joke! Do I have no face to save?

Being cautious by nature, Ma Liu wouldn't be careless even if Lin Mu seemed like an ordinary person, which was why he had made these preparations in advance. These men were his most capable and fearless warriors. Using them against a mere youth was, frankly, using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Lin Mu glanced at the men surrounding him and smiled. He slowly rose to his feet. "It's been a while since I got to stretch my legs. My hands are getting a bit itchy." He looked at Ma Liu. "Since that's the case, open your dog's eyes wide and watch closely how I take your dog's head!"

With those words, Lin Mu advanced.

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