Chapter 114 14: Annihilation of Two Generations

Master Chen suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and a series of sharp cracks echoed from his wrist.

'What's happening?'

A flicker of confusion crossed Master Chen's mind before an immense force sent him flying.

THUD!

He crashed to the ground like a withered leaf, his mouth filled with bloody foam.

"I never thought..."

Before he could finish, Master Chen drew his last breath.

"Men!"

Several elite bodyguards moved to shield Young Master Yang.

But with two dull thuds, they were sent flying like ruptured sandbags, landing heavily in the distance.

Mu Lin's advance didn't slow in the slightest. Now, nothing stood between him and Young Master Yang.

CRACK!

Young Master Yang felt a searing pain in his neck, a split second before he heard the sharp crack.

His vision blurred as consciousness rapidly faded.

"Don't worry. Every last one of you from the Yang Family is going to die."

Mu Lin said coolly, "Any of you lackeys still breathing, feel free to try me if you've got a death wish."

How could the remaining fighters dare to confront Mu Lin? They scrambled back, begging for their lives.

Mu Lin simply clasped his hands behind his back and walked straight out. "Go tell whoever's still calling the shots in your family: one hundred million in compensation for each dead worker. If you can't manage that, I'll wipe out the entire Yang Family and collect the debt myself."

With that, he strode away.

「Inside the Yang Family Villa.」

Patriarch Yang sat serenely at a table, a Go board and stones laid out before him.

He held a Go manual, meticulously replaying a game from its pages.

The room was silent. No one would have dared disturb him.

Suddenly, someone burst in, shouting, "This is terrible!"

Patriarch Yang turned. "What's all the fuss about? Calm down and speak slowly!"

"The Young Master is dead! And Young Master Guangming, too!"

'Young Master Yang and Yang Guangming?'

"Shanyang is dead?"

Patriarch Yang's hand slipped. The Go manual tumbled from his grasp, crashing onto the table and scattering the board and its pieces across the floor.

Utter chaos.

Patriarch Yang's mind was in turmoil, a mess as chaotic as the scattered game before him.

'How could Young Master Yang be dead?'

"Who killed him?"

"Mu Lin! The one Wu Long specifically wanted killed!"

With a sweep of his sleeve, Patriarch Yang sent the entire Go board crashing to the floor.

"The sheer audacity!"

"Then the two masters, Dong Jia and Song Qianli... they're dead too?"

"Yes!"

The messenger trembled violently, knowing that such a failure would have demanded their lives anyway.

"Master Chen died with them."

It was as if a bomb had gone off in Patriarch Yang's mind.

All strength drained from him. He staggered back against a bookshelf, which lost its balance and tipped over, coming to a precarious rest against the wall.

The books and antiques on its shelves went CLATTERING to the floor.

'Master Chen was the Yang Family's secret weapon, one we've supported for years. To think he'd fall too.'

Patriarch Yang was well aware of his realm of mastery.

'To be able to kill him means Mu Lin's power far surpasses his own.'

"So, we underestimated that kid! And we paid a huge price for our ignorance."

The subordinate hesitated before adding:

"Mu Lin also said... he demands one hundred million in compensation for each deceased worker. If we don't pay, he'll wipe out the Yang Family."

Patriarch Yang's face was grim. He never imagined that in a single moment, the Yang Family would be faced with the threat of utter annihilation.

'The two most promising heirs, gone one after the other. Am I the only one left to hold up this vast, teetering clan?'

'How laughable.'

'And yet, how tragic.'

'If I can't hold this together, everything the Yang Family has built over generations will be lost.'

Patriarch Yang's expression was dark. He wasn't afraid of death—he had lived long enough, and it held no terror for him. What he feared was his ancestors looking down and cursing him as a failure.

'At the very least, the Yang Family must be preserved.'

After wrestling with his anxiety, Patriarch Yang's jaw tightened. 'At this point, there's only one person I can turn to.'

Patriarch Yang gave the order: have his men contact the airport and ready his private jet.

He was going to an island to retrieve a reclusive master.

In less than twenty minutes, word came back that the jet was ready.

It was just waiting for the Patriarch to arrive.

And indeed, Patriarch Yang was already in an Audi van, speeding toward the airport.

Moments later, he reached the airport, boarded the jet, and took off straight for the South Sea Island.

Before a cave on the small island, he bowed low. "Senior, the Yang Family is facing a great catastrophe. I hope you can lend us your aid in our time of crisis."

"What exactly happened?" a slow, hoarse voice drifted out from the cave.

Patriarch Yang recounted the events. "This is a matter of life and death for the Yang Family. The work of a hundred generations could be destroyed in an instant! I beg you to intervene, Senior. Name your price."

"I've told you before, haven't I? He who is unjust is doomed to bring about his own destruction. How does one billion sound?"

The corner of Patriarch Yang's mouth twitched. 'At this price, I might as well just pay Mu Lin.'

However, Mu Lin had the blood of the Yang Family on his hands. Patriarch Yang would have to be out of his mind to even consider reconciling with him.

"Fine!" Patriarch Yang agreed without a second thought. An elder with a full head of white hair but an unlined, youthful face emerged from the cave.

"Let's go. It has been a long time since I returned to the mortal realm. It's about time I savored the pleasures of this dazzling world again."

As Mu Lin was returning from the Yang Family estate, he received a message from Li Xue.

"Could you grab the documents from my desk and bring them back? I need to finish reading them."

'Damn, she's such a workaholic.'

'She just survived a life-or-death crisis, but all she can think about is work.'

'If it were me,' Mu Lin thought, 'I'd be wanting to eat, drink, and have some fun right now. Enjoy the beauty of being alive.'

Nothing to be done about it. He had the driver turn the car around and head to the office to pick up her things.

When he got out of the car at the office, someone lunged at him.

Mu Lin recognized the person's aura, so instead of striking back, he remained on guard.

He looked down. It was Guo Lei.

"Mr. Mu, help me! It's an emergency!"

'What is he doing?' Mu Lin frowned. 'There are so many people around.'

With a quick tap of his finger, Mu Lin silenced Guo Lei.

"If you're trying to get yourself killed, there are better ways. Did you really think no one is keeping an eye on the Li Family's headquarters?"

Mu Lin scanned the area. Sensing no one suspicious, he dragged Guo Lei to a secluded alleyway.

A man and a woman, who had clearly just finished some kind of business, emerged. Now the alley was completely quiet.

Guo Lei smelled the strange odors permeating the alley and shifted uncomfortably.

Mu Lin restored his ability to speak. "Explain. What happened?"

Guo Lei said frantically, "Chairman Wu wants to kill me! The Yang Family found some master to take my place, and now he can't stand the sight of me and wants me dead!"

"So, it's the Yang Family's expert who wants to kill you?"

Guo Lei thought for a moment. "No, that's not right. Chairman Wu wants me dead too!"

"He looked down on me even when Pang Dahai was still around. The only reason he gave me any responsibility was because there was no one else. Now that he has a replacement, he wants to get rid of me first chance he gets..."

Mu Lin tilted his head. "But why come to me? We're talking about a master from the Yang Family."

Guo Lei cried, "But I have nowhere else to turn!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "Guess what? Half an hour ago, I just dealt with two members of the Yang Family. An hour before that, I took out more than thirty of their masters. What's one more?"

Guo Lei was so shocked his mouth went dry. 'He's that ruthless?'

If anyone else had said it, he would have thought they were just bragging.

But since it was Mu Lin, Guo Lei believed him without a shred of doubt.

"Let's go," Mu Lin said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Where's your car?"

Guo Lei said, "I ran the whole way! My car was wrecked! If I hadn't run fast enough, I'd probably be dead!"

"To think it's come to this..." Mu Lin sighed.

"Then we'll walk. If you could run all the way here, you can run all the way there."

Guo Lei shook his head frantically. "No way! I used up every last bit of my strength running here. I can't run another step. Let's just grab a cab."

"Taking a cab is no fun," Mu Lin said.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he hoisted Guo Lei up and threw him over his shoulder, head facing forward.

"Which way?"

Guo Lei, dizzy and disoriented, hastily shouted, "Turn left! Then take a right after three traffic lights!"

Mu Lin immediately complied, his legs moving at a blistering pace.

They finally stopped in front of a nightclub.

"So this is where you got jumped?" Mu Lin said. "I'm not surprised. You look like a fat cat."

Guo Lei said angrily, "Who are you calling a fat cat? I just manage the floor! For every ten thousand in revenue, I only get a three-yuan cut!"

"And now they want to take even that little bit away from me," Guo Lei cursed resentfully.

Mu Lin patted Guo Lei. "Let's get going. I'm on a tight schedule."

Guo Lei led Mu Lin through the doors. Inside the nightclub, which operated day and night, pulsating music filled the air.