Chapter 115: Ambush

Guo Lei felt something was wrong. "Where are the guests? Why is no one here?"

Only the lonely music echoed through the empty space.

'Why is this happening?'

A bad feeling washed over Guo Lei. He turned and tried to pull the door open to get out.

But the door wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he pulled.

'Why?!'

Guo Lei's sense of dread intensified. He started ramming the door frantically, but it was no use. The damned thing wouldn't move an inch.

The music abruptly stopped, and the lights, which should have been off, suddenly flickered on.

'What's going on?'

A flicker of unease passed through Mu Lin's mind, and he immediately raised his guard.

Guo Lei was terrified. "Damn it, it's you!"

"Chairman Wu was right! You and that kid with the surname Mu are in this together!"

A rather repulsive voice drifted from the far side of the dance floor. It was a raspy smoker's voice, the kind that comes from a throat burned by years of cigarettes.

"The moment there was a hint of trouble, he was the first person you ran to."

"So, thanks for that!"

Only then did Mu Lin see the person emerging from the shadows.

It was a man with dreadlocks, his face covered in scars of various sizes.

A crowd of thugs followed behind him. Mu Lin glanced at them; they were all small-time lowlifes.

"Mr. Mu, I have to make this clear! I swear I didn't know he set up a trap here. I'd rather die than bring you to a place like this!"

Mu Lin waved a hand dismissively, silencing him. "Alright, alright. I'm not blaming you. Just be quiet."

The man with the dreadlocks had two bandolier-like sashes crossed over his chest. But instead of bullets, the loops held rows of throwing knives.

And on his back, he carried a long spear.

Mu Lin had no idea what this person's martial arts discipline was supposed to be.

"What's your story? Hidden weapons and a spear? Aren't you afraid of spreading yourself too thin?"

"Ye Si, heir to the Yang Family's Tyrant Spear and the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons. Young Master Yang has given the order: take your life. What were you thinking, pissing off the Yang Family?"

Mu Lin was dumbfounded. The man's surname was Ye, yet he was the heir to both the Yang Family's Tyrant Spear and the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons.

'There must be a complicated story behind that,' he thought. 'But it doesn't matter. An anomaly like him is about to meet his end today.'

'But he said Young Master Yang gave the order... Is he an idiot? Doesn't he know Young Master Yang is already dead?'

Mu Lin didn't plan on telling him. It was too much trouble. He'd find out when he met him in the afterlife.

"Alright. Come on," Mu Lin said, beckoning to Ye Si with a finger before changing the gesture to an open, raised palm.

"Any last words?" Ye Si asked arrogantly.

Mu Lin pointed at the thugs behind Ye Si. "If I were you, I'd build up some good karma and tell them to leave. It would be a real shame for them to die by my hand for nothing."

The thugs behind him burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me? You think you can kill me? I could offer you my neck, and you probably wouldn't even have the guts to do it."

Ye Si added, "These guys are no rookies. They're much stronger than you. Every one of them has at least ten lives on their hands."

"So you're saying they've got it coming? Perfect."

As soon as the words left Mu Lin's mouth, he pushed off his feet, transforming into a shadow as he closed in on Ye Si.

Ye Si sneered. There was an old saying: an inch longer is an inch stronger. He wielded a spear; how could he possibly lose to someone fighting with their bare fists?

With a flick of his finger, the long spear seemed to leap into the air of its own accord, landing perfectly in Ye Si's grasp.

Once it was in his hand, Ye Si performed a flourish with the spear, looking incredibly stylish.

"Time to die!" Ye Si yelled, leveling the spear and thrusting it straight toward Mu Lin.

If Mu Lin continued on his current path, he was a dead man.

But Mu Lin's footwork was like a phantom's. With a slight shift, he dodged the threatening spear by a hair's breadth.

"Do you know what's happening to you?"

Ye Si heard a voice. Mu Lin was right beside his ear.

"You don't know? Well, I don't know either."

Mu Lin chuckled, and then... he twisted.

CRRRRACK.

Ye Si felt an immense twisting force on his neck.

A crisp snap echoed.

Stone-cold dead.

"Damn it. I shouldn't have killed you so easily. For all the evil you've done, torturing you for a few days and nights wouldn't have been too much. But I'm in a hurry right now, so there's no helping it..."

As he spoke, Mu Lin lifted Ye Si's corpse and removed the two bandoliers.

He plucked a throwing knife and hurled it at one of the thugs.

The man collapsed instantly, his breathing stopped.

'That fast?'

'That means the hidden weapons are poisoned.'

The other thugs were horrified. This guy was the real deal!

They quickly tried to scatter, hoping that at least some of them could escape.

But Mu Lin wasn't about to let them go. He plucked five knives at once.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—he fired them in rapid succession.

In the next instant, several more men fell.

More than five, actually, as the spinning knives had also wounded several others on their path.

He continued this process, and after a few minutes, there wasn't a single living person left standing before him.

'These hidden weapons are pretty useful,' he thought.

There were a few left, which Mu Lin tucked away on his person.

Guo Lei was stunned, even though this wasn't the first time he'd seen it.

From start to finish, it had only taken a few minutes.

It was easier than killing a chicken.

Now, only Mu Lin and Guo Lei were left standing in the room.

Guo Lei's throat was bone dry. He swallowed repeatedly.

"Mr. Mu, shouldn't we get out of here? This is bad... I can find someone else to come back and deal with the bodies later."

Mu Lin waved his hand. "No need. There are plenty of people to clean up the bodies for them."

Guo Lei didn't understand what Mu Lin meant. His eyes were filled with confusion.

"What do you mean, sir?"

Mu Lin called out, "Come on out. You must be tired of hiding back there. Come get some air!"

Guo Lei jumped in fright. 'There are more people here?'

'What the hell is going on?'

A few figures emerged stealthily from their hiding spots.

Guo Lei recognized them. They were the waiters, bartenders, and the shift manager from the club.

"Mr. Guo!" The manager scurried over to Guo Lei. "I was threatened! Otherwise, I'd never, ever..."

Guo Lei patted the manager's shoulder. "I get it, I get it. You all did great."

Mu Lin glanced at Guo Lei. "With Ye Si gone, your position is much more secure, isn't it?"

"Of course!" Guo Lei lifted his chin proudly, but then he tensed up, remembering that he wouldn't be where he was without Mu Lin.

"I am your man, forever. I swear to serve you until death!" Guo Lei declared earnestly after finishing his bow.

Mu Lin was quite satisfied with Guo Lei's reaction. He waved his hand. "As long as you know it in your heart, that's enough. Why the theatrics? Save some face for yourself in front of outsiders."

A warmth spread through Guo Lei's heart. He had been about to kneel.

But not only did Mu Lin stop him, he even wanted to preserve his dignity.

'He's too good to me.'

Just as Mu Lin was about to leave, a thought occurred to him. "When Wu Long came looking for trouble, I injured him. I think I said that if he doesn't hand his company over to the Li Group within ten days, I'll kill him."

"I want to be able to find him at a moment's notice before the deadline. Help me plant some of our people among his bodyguards."

Guo Lei grew solemn. This was terrifying; Mu Lin's words carried so many hidden meanings.

On one hand, there was the surface meaning: don't let him run away.

On the other, it meant that Mu Lin could take Wu Long's life at any time.

'Isn't this a threat to Chairman Wu?'

"Yes, I understand. I'll do whatever you say!"

Satisfied, Mu Lin turned and walked out. He hailed a taxi, sped to the office to pick up some documents, and then took a company car home.

Elder Li glanced at Mu Lin. "Killed again?"

Mu Lin was surprised by the old man's sharp perception.

"Grandpa, don't be ridiculous. If killing were as easy as you make it sound, like chopping vegetables, how could this world be any good?"

The elder chuckled. "But in your eyes, isn't killing just like chopping vegetables?"

"You are that person's disciple. There's no way your skills in this area are lacking."

Mu Lin was put in a very awkward position. He thought for a moment before saying, "Well, yeah. You're right. I did kill a few more."

'There isn't a single drop of blood on me. How could he tell?'

"A few? Are you sure it wasn't more?"

The old man looked Mu Lin up and down.

Mu Lin let out a long sigh. "Alas, you're right. It wasn't just a few. Over fifty people from the Yang Family died, and I took care of another twenty-something on the way back. It's all about the same, the difference doesn't feel that big."

"That's almost a hundred people," Elder Li remarked with a sidelong glance. "You, trying to hide it from me, and then you just blurted it all out."

Mu Lin stuck out his tongue. "It's not exactly something to be proud of. Let's be low-key, low-key!"