Chapter 113: Joy Begets Sorrow

Yang Guangming was still excited. He had proven his worth this time, which meant he would have a greater say in the family from now on.

When his grandfather passed away one day, he would have a better chance to compete for a higher position.

The right of succession in the Yang Family was open to everyone, after all.

Failure meant spending your entire life as a CEO of a subsidiary group. While that was impressive, for a scion of the privileged Yang Family, it was still a step down.

In the fight for succession, they would naturally stop at nothing.

"What a fine plan!"

Suddenly, a laugh filled with hatred echoed out of thin air in the pavilion.

Yang Guangming looked up. 'Isn't that Mu Lin?'

"Mu Lin, why aren't you dead?!"

Yang Guangming's face paled in shock. According to his plan, Mu Lin should have been as dead as one could be by now.

Mu Lin laughed cruelly. "The one who can kill me has yet to be born!"

"No, that's not right! Why didn't you go to the construction site? Li Xue definitely went. News of her death should have reached you by now!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "I thought it was something serious. You're getting too worked up. Li Xue is fine. She's already gone home."

"And you… it's time for you to go home, too."

Mu Lin didn't specify which home, but Yang Guangming understood his meaning.

It was a death threat!

"Guards!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

But no one responded. There wasn't even a single answering cry.

"Where is everyone? Where the hell did they go?"

Mu Lin said, "Aren't they dead right over there?"

A look of shocked terror filled Yang Guangming's eyes. "You… You killed them all!"

Mu Lin said, "Of course. How else could I have walked up to you so easily?"

"I'm warning you! If you touch me, the Yang Family will not let you go."

Mu Lin said nonchalantly, "Bring them on. The more, the better. It saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one."

Suddenly, he lashed out with a kick, slamming it into Yang Guangming's chest.

Yang Guangming cried out in pain and stumbled back several steps.

A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips, splattering all over the pavilion floor.

"You… you…"

"Me what?" Mu Lin stepped forward, stomped on Yang Guangming's hand, picked up his phone, and unlocked it with Yang Guangming's fingerprint.

He found the last number called and dialed it directly.

"Get your father over here, or I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Yang Guangming knew that if his father came, it would be all over, so he clamped his mouth shut, determined not to say a word.

'So loyal to the family, huh?' Mu Lin sneered.

BAM!

An iron fist landed on Yang Guangming's mouth, instantly knocking out several of his teeth.

"Speak! Or I'll knock out every last tooth in your head!"

Just then, the call connected. Young Master Yang's voice came through. "What the hell are you doing? What's going on? Is there something you need me to do? If you have something to say, spit it out."

Yang Guangming wailed, "Dad, help me! Mu Lin is here to kill me!"

Young Master Yang's heart skipped a beat. 'How could this be?'

'Didn't I send Song Qianli? His strength may be less than Dong Jia's, but his skills in assassination are the real deal.'

'With a premeditated attack on an unsuspecting victim, he's killed many people before.'

'Many of them were tough characters. Young Master Yang refused to believe Mu Lin could be tougher than them.'

While Young Master Yang was still suspicious, Mu Lin took the phone and said, "Young Master Yang, you've probably never heard my voice before, have you? I'm Mu Lin. Thanks to you, I've had quite a thrilling experience."

But this only made Young Master Yang more suspicious and alarmed. 'What exactly is going on?'

Mu Lin's voice turned cold. "Get your ass over here, or I'll tear your son limb from limb and make sure there isn't an intact corpse to bury!"

Young Master Yang was practically fuming with anxiety.

Yang Guangming was one of the heirs he favored. If he died, all the effort he had invested in him would be wasted.

"But it's fine if you don't come back," Mu Lin said. "After I kill him, I'll naturally come looking for you. It's all the same."

"Dad, save me, Dad!"

Mu Lin's words drove Yang Guangming into a hysterical panic, and he let out a piercing scream.

Extremely annoyed, Mu Lin jabbed a silver needle into his throat. Instantly, Yang Guangming could no longer make a sound.

He could still breathe, but his throat was locked up. The slightest movement would trigger excruciating pain.

"What did you do to Guangming?" Young Master Yang shouted frantically.

Mu Lin said, "Don't worry, he's not dead yet. But that's all I can guarantee. My patience is limited."

"For instance, I could start by gouging out his eyes, breaking his fingers…"

"And finally, let him join the five dead workers in the afterlife."

Young Master Yang was furious, resolving to take the Yang Family's experts with him to kill Mu Lin.

"You just wait! I will kill you, and I'll uproot the entire Li Family along with you, leaving nothing behind!" Young Master Yang roared through clenched teeth.

Mu Lin chuckled. "I'll be waiting!"

After hanging up, Mu Lin closed his eyes to rest and conserve his energy.

Meanwhile, Young Master Yang shouted to those outside, "All Yang Family experts, get over here now!"

The fighters, who all considered themselves experts, immediately gathered in an open space, their momentum undiminished.

"That Mu Lin has gone too far! He actually broke into the manor and kidnapped my son! I won't be satisfied until I slaughter him."

"All of you, come with me! Kill him, and I'll treat you all to a night at the club!!"

The fighters went wild. They could afford such extravagant pleasures themselves, but having the boss treat them was always more exciting.

Young Master Yang led the fighters from the Yang Family Villa to the manor grounds.

The moment he saw the bodies littering the manor entrance, Young Master Yang's expression turned grim.

Mu Lin had killed his way in right through the front gate.

"All of you, be on high alert! Don't let Mu Lin ambush you!"

For a rogue nobody like Mu Lin to take down so many people, what could that mean?

It meant he was also skilled in ambushes.

At least, that's what Young Master Yang thought.

The men warily escorted Young Master Yang deeper into the manor grounds.

The bleak, desolate scene put the fighters on even higher alert, ready to counter an attack from Mu Lin at any moment.

But as they made their way down the path, there was no sign of an attack from Mu Lin.

Finally, they spotted a man sitting upright in the pavilion.

His face was identical to the Mu Lin from the photos in their files.

Young Master Yang then looked at the ground, where a figure lay. Its face was a mangled mess, and there wasn't a single patch of unblemished flesh on its body.

It just lay there, unable to move.

From the clothes, Young Master Yang immediately identified the person as his son, Yang Guangming.

"Guangming!" Young Master Yang cried out.

"Dad!" All of Yang Guangming's teeth had been knocked out, leaving him with only a muffled whimper.

"Mu Lin, you are a vicious man!"

Mu Lin shouted, "Not even one-millionth as vicious as your Yang Family's disregard for human life! You dared to stage an accident just to lure Li Xue to the scene."

"Five people are dead, and another eight are fighting for their lives. If I don't get justice for them, I can't call myself a man."

Young Master Yang said, "They're just a few construction workers. The world is full of them. If you're going to pity every single one, I'm afraid you'll be far too busy."

Mu Lin's voice grew hoarse. "They were also fathers, husbands, the pillars of their families. In the eyes of your Yang Family, are they nothing more than a number?"

Young Master Yang stood up straighter. "Countless people have been sacrificed on the Yang Family's path to success. What do these few matter?"

Mu Lin stood up. "I understand now."

"What do you understand?"

"I understand that you deserve to die! All of you deserve to die!"

Mu Lin leaped high into the air, using Yang Guangming's body as a stepping stone. The heavy impact caused Yang Guangming to vomit another large mouthful of blood.

His chest caved in. It was clear he was as dead as could be.

Young Master Yang didn't even have time to mourn his son before he saw Mu Lin lunging toward him.

An old man with a full head of white hair suddenly appeared, blocking Young Master Yang's path.

"Master Chen, you're willing to help me?" Young Master Yang was inexplicably thrilled.

This Master Chen was a secret weapon retained by the Yang Family, always kept hidden from the public. Before setting out, he had begged Master Chen to intervene, but Master Chen had ignored him. Young Master Yang thought he'd lost his chance to get his help.

But he had actually come!

"I owe your Yang Family a favor. If I don't repay it now, when will I?" Master Chen turned his head to look at Mu Lin.

"Boy, surrender now and you'll suffer less. Otherwise, don't blame this old man for not warning you!"

Mu Lin's speed didn't decrease as he aimed straight for the old man's vital points.

The old man recalled his own youth, when he'd had the same fearless spirit. But in the end, reality had beaten it out of him.

He had ended up taking refuge with the Yang Family, cultivating in seclusion for many years, and finally becoming a master of his generation.

'Once I take care of Mu Lin, I'll be a free man again. I can go back to my hometown, establish my own school, and provide for my descendants.'

He rooted his feet to the ground and thrust out a palm, meeting Mu Lin's own.

SPURT!