The faces of the thugs were deathly pale.

They'd actually run into *this* ancestor. They were dead for sure!

Su Ke'er covered her mouth, her face a mask of shock.

Weren't these menacing-looking men here to cause trouble for Lin Mu? What's happening now...

"Venerable Master, I didn't know it was you! Please forgive me!" Xu Shanhu ground out, his voice trembling.

He was utterly terrified. It would have been one thing if they had provoked an ordinary person. But this man was someone even their true boss, Cheng Bugui, had to address as Venerable Master. For mere underlings like them to dare attack their boss's Venerable Master… wasn't that just asking to die? Even if Lin Mu didn't lift a finger, their boss would still kill them.

"Xu Shanhu, what are you doing?" Lu Minghu, still clueless, roared in anger. "I brought you here to kill this bastard, and you're kneeling to him? Are you even my brother anymore?"

"Lu Minghu, shut up!" Xu Shanhu wished he could slap the man dead. "I'm saving your life, don't you get it? If you offend the Venerable Master, not even the boss can protect you!"

This idiot is courting death, but why does he have to drag me down with him! Xu Shanhu felt like he was being dragged to his death by Lu Minghu.

"Have you lost your mind? Calling him 'Venerable Master'? Are you just putting on an act?" Lu Minghu laughed miserably, feeling betrayed.

Frightened to the point his face was deathly white, Xu Shanhu kowtowed repeatedly. "Venerable Master, I truly didn't know it was you. I have made a grave mistake, and I..." His eyes fell on a steel blade lying beside him. He snatched it up, gritted his teeth, and declared, "Venerable Master, Lu Minghu and I both follow Boss Cheng. But now, he has offended you. His crime is punishable by death!"

Taking a deep breath, Xu Shanhu raised the blade and walked toward Lu Minghu. "Brother, I'm sorry," he said, his voice laced with pain. "You've offended someone you never should have. You're not going to make it out of this alive."

Lu Minghu was aghast. "Xu Shanhu, you want to kill me? You actually dare to kill me? Aren't you afraid the boss will kill *you* for this?"

Xu Shanhu closed his eyes in agony and murmured, "Brother, can't you see? I'm saving you… If the boss finds out about this, it won't just be you who dies. Your family, your children—they'll all be killed!"

Lu Minghu's face drained of all color. "Impossible... that's impossible..." he muttered.

Xu Shanhu walked right up to Lu Minghu and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Brother, do you have any idea who this is? Even Boss Cheng has to kneel and kowtow before him."

The sharp steel blade plunged into Lu Minghu's chest. "He is a Martial Arts Grandmaster," Xu Shanhu whispered.

Lu Minghu's eyes flew wide. He tried to speak, but only blood gushed from his mouth. He managed a bitter smile and glanced at Xu Shanhu. "Don't... involve my family."

With those last words, he collapsed to the ground.

"I promise," Xu Shanhu said, closing Lu Minghu's eyes. He then turned, knelt before Lin Mu, and said, "Venerable Master, Lu Minghu has paid for his offense against you. I beg you to spare his family."

Lin Mu remained silent.

Gritting his teeth, Xu Shanhu swung the blade and sliced off three of his own fingers.

"Third Brother!" one of Xu Shanhu's underlings cried, rushing forward.

"Stay back!" Xu Shanhu commanded, clutching his mangled hand. His face was drenched in cold sweat as he fought through the pain. "Minghu has an aging parent and a young child. His wife is also bedridden with a serious illness. I offer these three fingers in exchange for their lives. I implore the Venerable Master to accept!"

"Granted," Lin Mu said with a nod. "Clean this place up. Then call Cheng Bugui and tell him to get five hundred men on standby. When I give the word, I want Wanta Group erased from River City."

"Yes!"

Xu Shanhu immediately agreed. But he was also reeling from shock. He could feel the sheer killing intent radiating from the Venerable Master. Wanta Group was about to suffer a terrible fate.

He immediately called Cheng Bugui.

Upon hearing what had happened, Cheng Bugui flew into a rage, declaring he would kill Lu Minghu himself. When he learned Lu Minghu was already dead, he ordered, "Immediately send people to get Lu Minghu's family out of River City. They are never to set foot here again. If they're ever found, sink them all in the river! And as for his direct subordinates, kill every last one of them! Spare no one!"

The murderous intent pouring through the phone was so palpable that Xu Shanhu almost dropped it in fright. He knew the boss was furious enough to hack Lu Minghu to pieces. Since Lu Minghu was already dead, the boss could only vent his rage on his family and closest followers.

"Yes, Boss!" Xu Shanhu immediately went to carry out the order.

Meanwhile, Lin Mu took Su Ke'er and left the company, heading for the hospital.

"Director Lin, are you sure everything is alright?"

On the way, as Su Ke'er replayed the recent events in her mind, her face remained pale, refusing to return to its normal color. She knew Lin Mu had his methods and could be ruthless, but witnessing it firsthand had shaken her to the core.

"Don't worry about it," Lin Mu said coolly. "Your constitution is already unique, and now you're injured. Just focus on recovering at the hospital."

Su Ke'er had been knocked down and injured her lower back. Since it was an awkward place for him to treat directly, he had no choice but to take her to the hospital.

Su Ke'er fell silent. She knew, however, that Wanta Group was about to face a disaster.

After getting Su Ke'er settled in, Lin Mu went directly to the Guan family estate.

When he saw Lin Mu, Guan Chengye was a little surprised.

"Master Lin, what brings you here today?" Recently, after the eradication of River City's Dark Web, Guan Chengye had received high praise from the Military Department. They had even offered him his old post back, but he declined, giving the opportunity to his son instead. As a result, Guan Chengye was now living a very peaceful and comfortable life.

"Elder Guan, do you know of the Wanta Group?" Lin Mu asked. He had originally planned to ask Qin Luoli, but he didn't want to involve her in such matters.

"Wanta Group?" With the wisdom that comes with age, Guan Chengye instantly realized the group must have provoked Lin Mu. His expression turned grave. "Wanta Group is backed by the Fang Family. Furthermore, its current chairman, Fang Sihai, is the brother-in-law of River City's wealthiest man, Qiao Tianhao. The Fang and Qiao families are connected by marriage."

River City's richest man? Lin Mu was startled for a moment, then a cold smile touched his lips. The Qiao Family, is it? Looks like it's time to pay them a visit.

"Master Lin, there is something I feel I should say, though I'm not sure if it's my place," Elder Guan said, his expression sobering.

"Please, Elder Guan, speak freely," Lin Mu replied with a faint smile.

"Master Lin, although you are now all-powerful in River City and revered by thousands, there are still some powers it would be better not to provoke."

Guan Chengye sighed. "The first is the Qiao Family. For Qiao Tianhao to become River City's richest man, he is undoubtedly capable. But the crucial point is that his wife is from the Fang Family."

"The second is the Fang Family. They're said to be a branch of the prominent Fang Family from Jiangling. For reasons unknown, they came to River City, established the Wanta Group, and experienced explosive growth."

Guan Chengye frowned. "On the surface, the two families seem to have cut ties, but anyone with a discerning eye knows that the River City Fang Family is merely a pawn for the Jiangling Fang Family. And behind the Jiangling Fang Family, there seem to be some very deep connections."

"In fact, Liu Xiu of the Military Department has a wife who comes from the River City Fang Family."

Lin Mu was taken aback for a moment before letting out a cold chuckle. "This Fang Family certainly knows how to do business, using their women in marriage alliances to reap huge rewards. Unfortunately for them, now that they've provoked me, nothing and no one can stop what's coming!"

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