The gathering was about to begin, so the hotel entrance was crowded. When people saw Qin Luoli being blocked outside, expressions of confusion, derision, and even shock appeared on their faces.

An elderly man, followed by a large entourage, slowly approached. He exuded an extraordinary aura, his ruddy complexion clearly marking him as a man of high status.

At the sight of this man, Qin Luoli's expression changed. She quickly pulled Lin Mu behind her, her face vigilant.

"What's wrong?" Lin Mu asked, puzzled. Even when they were blocked from entering, Qin Luoli hadn't reacted this intensely. He followed her gaze to the elderly man.

"That's Chen Ruoping, Patriarch of the Chen Family and Chen Xinlan's father," Qin Luoli explained in a low voice.

Lin Mu narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Chen Ruoping before quickly shifting to a middle-aged man behind him. The man was about forty years old and one-point-eight meters tall, but so thin he resembled a bamboo pole. His eyes, however, were as piercing as an Azure Hawk's. The intense, sharp way he glanced around was unnerving.

The most peculiar thing about him was his arms, which were longer than average, as were his fingers. His hands were covered in thick calluses, a clear sign of immense power.

He just stood there, seemingly ordinary, yet no one dared venture within a meter of him. He emanated an aura that made one's heart pound—an imposing presence that commanded respect without any display of anger.

He's an expert!

"To think I'd run into an external martial arts expert here. He's practiced a martial art like the Eagle Claw Technique and has already achieved a decent level of mastery," Lin Mu murmured to himself, his expression calm.

The world of martial arts is divided into the Internal and External Schools. The Internal School, like the Wudang Taoists, focuses on cultivation techniques and emphasizes the training of inner strength. The External School, like the Shaolin Disciples, pays more attention to physical forms and excels in toughening exercises.

However, the two schools can sometimes be compatible and integrated. For instance, the External School also practices fist and palm techniques, but in a more reserved manner; these are known as Internal School Fist. Likewise, External School martial artists also practice mental cultivation methods, referred to as External Qi Technique.

In his past life, when Lin Mu was the king of assassins, he had trained in both internal cultivation and external conditioning. As he pursued both paths, his exceptional talent allowed him to reach great heights.

This man before him, though seemingly lean, was clearly a dedicated practitioner of the pure External Martial Way who had achieved some success. With a skill like the Eagle Claw Technique at his command, he was surely not some nameless nobody.

As if sensing Lin Mu's scrutiny, the middle-aged man suddenly shot him a look. A fierce light erupted from his hawk-like eyes, threatening to swallow Lin Mu whole. Yet, Lin Mu remained indifferent, not even blinking.

The middle-aged man's heart skipped a beat. Could this kid be an expert, too?

Fortunately, Lin Mu soon looked away. Only then did the middle-aged man retract his imposing aura, once again appearing as unremarkable as an ordinary person.

Chen Ruoping glanced indifferently at Lin Mu, the depths of his eyes flickering with a cold glint, like a hunter spotting his prey.

"Ah, Miss Qin, long time no see." Chen Ruoping quickly masked his cold expression, approaching Qin Luoli with an amiable smile.

"Grandfather Chen." Despite her apprehension and distaste for the man, Qin Luoli still greeted him with the proper etiquette.

This man's status was equal to that of the Old Master of the Qin Family. Since the Qin and Chen Families were connected by marriage, the Old Master had instructed the younger generation to address Chen Ruoping as 'Grandfather' out of respect.

"Mm, not bad at all. It's been over a year, and you've grown even more beautiful and captivating," Chen Ruoping said with a hearty laugh. "It seems the feng shui of the Qin Family is as good as the rumors say."

His face was wreathed in smiles. To the uninformed, he might have seemed like a genuinely kind and affable old man.

"You're too kind, Grandfather Chen," Qin Luoli replied, maintaining a faint smile, her demeanor perfectly balanced between deference and pride.

Chen Ruoping's gaze shifted to Lin Mu. "Lin Mu, Xiao Mu, when you see me and the other elders here, don't you know to greet us? This sort of behavior is unacceptable. People will say the Lin and Qin Families lack proper upbringing. I'll let it slide this time, but you must be more mindful in the future." His tone was that of an elder chastising a junior, laden with accusation.

"Heh heh, Chairman Chen, you're being too formal," a portly middle-aged man interjected, waving his hands with a fawning smile. "The Qin Corporation is one of River City's flagship enterprises, a powerful family with a massive business. How could we dare expect the Qin Family's son-in-law to greet us? That wouldn't be right at all!" His tone was strange, fawning over Chen Ruoping while simultaneously mocking Lin Mu. It was clear he held a low opinion of him, especially when he said the words "son-in-law." His eyes filled with contempt and disdain, and he even seemed a little smug.

Qin Luoli's expression soured with indignation. That wretched fat man was clearly trying to humiliate Lin Mu in public.

She was about to speak when Chen Ruoping cut in. "By the way, I heard the staff wouldn't let you in. What happened? Do you need me to sort it out?"

He immediately turned to the greeter and scolded him, "You blind fool! Don't you know this is the CEO of the Qin Corporation? You dare to stop her? You must have the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard!"

Pointing at Lin Mu, Chen Ruoping added, "And do you know who *he* is? He's the Qin Family's son-in-law. Even if he's just a live-in son-in-law, his status is far more noble than a dog like you! Now get out of the way and let us in!"

Chen Ruoping's words seemed to be defending them, but by repeatedly calling Lin Mu a "live-in son-in-law," he was delivering the gravest of insults.

"Chairman Chen, this..." the greeter hesitated, glancing at the fat man beside Chen Ruoping.

The fat man immediately chimed in. "Chairman Chen, why bother with this guy? He's just a live-in son-in-law, and one with no manners at that. We should just ignore him."

Chen Ruoping pondered for a moment before sighing and addressing Lin Mu again. "Xiao Mu, etiquette is etiquette, and elders are elders. Now that you've married into the Qin Family, you especially cannot neglect these customs. If others ridicule you, that's one thing, but what if they start looking down on the Qin Family because of it? How would that be acceptable?"

"Exactly, Chairman Chen! You're absolutely right!" the fat man immediately said, laying the flattery on thick. "Only a man as magnanimous as you would bother to teach a junior some manners instead of holding a grudge. If that were my son, I'd have smacked him senseless by now!"

"Hmph. It's understandable for a young person to forget his manners occasionally, but he must know to correct his mistakes. Otherwise, what kind of person will he become!" Chen Ruoping stated coldly.

"Yes, yes! Chairman Chen speaks the truth. I've learned a great deal today," the fat man replied obsequiously. He then pointed a finger at Lin Mu's nose. "You there! Hurry up and apologize to Chairman Chen. If you're lucky and he's satisfied, he might even take you inside."

The crowd watched Lin Mu with great amusement, eager to see how he would respond to such a public humiliation.

Just as Qin Luoli started to speak, Lin Mu stopped her by taking her hand. He said coolly, "Apologize? To an old fool like him? He's not worthy."

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