Chapter 121: Attack

Mu Lin kept looking back over his shoulder. Once he was sure Li Xue had reached the entrance of Area One, he broke into a sprint, heading straight for Area Three.

The fireball had clearly come from the direction of the Li Villa.

WHOOSH!

As he was running, a stone shot through the air toward him.

Mu Lin flicked a silver needle. Its tip struck the stone, which exploded in mid-air, dissolving into a cloud of dust.

'He's full of tricks.'

Mu Lin strode into the Li Villa. The main hall was completely wrecked. The Taishan Stone Guardian that Elder Li treasured so much had been shattered into more than a dozen pieces and lay scattered across the floor.

The stone thrown at Mu Lin earlier was one of those fragments.

To the side, Elder Li was lying in a pool of blood.

Diagonally across from him, Mrs. Li, Lin Jiajia, was slumped in a corner, sitting in a pool of her own blood. Her simple dress was stained crimson—a horrific sight.

In the entire Li Family, these were the two people who had treated him best.

Li Xue had always been lukewarm toward him. If it weren't for his master's command, Mu Lin never would have stayed by her side.

Li Yinhe had always looked down on Mu Lin, thinking his father had gone senile for insisting on pairing a "delicate flower" like Li Xue with a "pile of manure." Li Yinhe was always trying to get Mu Lin to pack his bags and leave. Although he had toned it down recently, he was nowhere near as kind as Mrs. Li and Elder Li.

Elder Li doted on Mu Lin as if he were his own grandson.

And Mrs. Li, though she supported the fake marriage out of concern for her daughter, would often encourage Li Xue to see Mu Lin's good qualities.

The recent softening in Li Xue's attitude was largely thanks to her mother.

When Mu Lin returned to the mountains in a few months, these two were the only ones he would truly miss.

Mu Lin's gaze fell upon an old man with a white beard and hair.

He was sitting serenely before the coffee table, using the tea set to brew tea.

He appeared perfectly calm, but the gruesome stump of a finger on his left hand told Mu Lin this man had a long, violent history.

"They were good to me. Why did you hurt them?"

The old man lifted his gaze, and killing intent emanated from his eyes.

"Why? What a joke. I'm an assassin. Killing is my job. It's as natural as you eating bread when you're hungry."

"Li Hao was just some unranked Outer Strength Martial Artist, yet he dared to make a move on me. I was planning to save him for last, but what can you do?"

The old man's gaze fell on Mrs. Li, a lecherous glint in his eyes. "I told her to help me blow off some steam, but not only did she refuse, she had the nerve to hit me. Tell me, what use is there in keeping her around?"

The old man's gaze shifted to Mu Lin. "To be able to control your energy so freely at such a young age... your potential is limitless. If you were to sever the root of your worldly troubles, cut your mortal ties, and follow me to the mountains to cultivate, I might even be able to persuade Patriarch Yang to spare your life."

The "root of worldly troubles" didn't refer to hair, and it was best not to think too hard about what it did refer to.

Though the old man's words sounded like an offer to recruit Mu Lin, they were, in fact, a gross insult.

Even if Mu Lin had been a coward who clung to life and did as he was told, the old man likely wouldn't have spared him.

This was just another one of the man's twisted games.

Mu Lin's response was concise, leaving no room for compromise. "You deserve to die."

The old man's eyes flashed. His loose robes began to flutter as if in a gale, and his long hair whipped about, lifted by a powerful aura.

"Boy, you've never heard the name Chen Zhengyang, have you? It's not too late to beg for mercy."

Mu Lin snorted. "Then today is the last day your legend will be told."

The old man rose in silence, his expression chillingly grim.

He grabbed the edge of the table and violently flipped it toward Mu Lin.

While the coffee table was still airborne, he stomped down hard on its surface.

He used the momentum to launch himself into the air.

"Die!"

Mu Lin calmed his mind and prepared to engage.

Chen Zhengyang dove at Mu Lin like a great bat.

Mu Lin met him with a casual backhand strike, but it felt like hitting a steel plate. The impact was heavy and unyielding.

Mu Lin's attack faltered.

"Boy, I bet you've never seen Protective Gang Qi before, have you? Don't worry, you can learn all about it in the afterlife. You'll have plenty of time to catch up on your studies there."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Zhengyang raised his hand, bringing it down hard toward the crown of Mu Lin's head.

But Mu Lin suddenly whipped his hand around, striking like a blade and slicing across Chen Zhengyang's wrist.

A moment later, Chen Zhengyang's hand went flying, tumbling through the air.

"Protective Gang Qi? It's not even as strong as an eggshell," Mu Lin said, his face hardening. "I was just testing the waters. Did you really think I couldn't beat you?"

Spinning around, Mu Lin kicked Chen Zhengyang square in the chest.

Chen Zhengyang's Protective Gang Qi might as well have not been there. The formidable force tore straight through it and into his internal organs, crashing like thunder and throwing his internal energy into utter chaos.

But he was a ranked master, after all. Chen Zhengyang somehow remained on his feet, though a stream of blood flowed uncontrollably from his mouth, leaving him in a wretched state.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" Chen Zhengyang stared as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Just an ordinary person. Two eyes, one nose, same as you. Is there a reason to be so surprised?" Mu Lin replied calmly. For someone like this, there was no need to invoke his master's name.

"I never imagined you were such an expert. My mistake! Young friend, name your price. I'm willing to bury the hatchet."

Seeing he couldn't win, Chen Zhengyang immediately changed his tune.

"Just spare my life, and I'll bring you Patriarch Yang's head on a platter."

Mu Lin's eyes narrowed. "Do you think I need you to meddle in my affairs? I'll take Patriarch Yang's life myself!"

With that, he moved to attack again.

But Chen Zhengyang suddenly stomped his foot. The fragments of the Stone Guardian exploded into a cloud of dust, blinding Mu Lin.

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Zhengyang leaped through a window and fled.

'A cheap trick!'

Mu Lin quickly circulated his qi, creating a gust of wind that blew the dust away. But by then, Chen Zhengyang was already more than ten meters gone.

Mu Lin flicked a silver needle, and it embedded itself in Chen Zhengyang's back.

That tiny silver needle struck with the force of a speeding dump truck. The impact, carrying several tons of force, sent Chen Zhengyang stumbling forward several steps.

Mu Lin didn't give chase immediately. First, he checked on Elder Li and Mrs. Li.

The safety of his elders was his top priority.

Although Chen Zhengyang's methods were brutal, his skills were perhaps lacking, as he had failed to strike their fatal meridians.

Fortunately, they were both still breathing. But if they didn't receive treatment soon, the outcome would be dire.

Mu Lin flicked out several silver needles, sealing their heart meridians to stabilize them.

Seeing their breathing steady, Mu Lin felt a small sense of relief. He then infused them with his True Qi to keep them alive.

With all preparations made, Mu Lin finally gave chase.

The moment he left, Chen Jingyun arrived in a hurry with Li Xue.

Chen Jingyun took in the scene with deep sorrow. He had been completely focused on the crisis in Area One, never imagining that the disaster in Area Three would strike the Li Family.

"Miss Li, please don't go any closer! Let me check things out first!"

Chen Jingyun blocked Li Xue and quickly scanned the area. Peering through the window, he saw the horrific state of Elder Li and Mrs. Li. He was deeply shaken.

"The attacker has fled. It should be safe now," Chen Jingyun said, relieved after checking the area several times.

Li Xue immediately rushed into the hall. She saw her grandfather and mother lying on the floor, with needles piercing their bodies.

"What is this?!" Li Xue cried, reaching out to pull the needles out. But Chen Jingyun stopped her.

"I believe this is an acupuncture technique Mr. Mu used to protect their heart meridians. I don't fully understand it, but I have faith in Mr. Mu's methods."

Li Xue snatched her hand back. 'That was close,' she thought. She had almost pulled the needles out.

If she had so much as touched one, her mother and grandfather might have died.

In the outskirts of Anhua City, amidst green pines, cypresses, and mountain rocks, a battered figure was fleeing for his life.

"Damn it, what a huge loss!" Chen Zhengyang seethed, clutching his severed wrist.

It would probably take him five years of secluded cultivation to recover the vital energy he'd lost in this fight.

'And for what? Just for the Yang Family's money? The reward wasn't worth the risk.'

Once he shook Mu Lin, he'd go back and settle the score with the Yang Family. They would double his pay, reattach his hand, and once he was fully recovered, send him back to his island.

As for that bastard Mu Lin, someone else could have the pleasure of killing him.

If the Yang Family refused, he'd just slaughter them all.

Filled with regret, Chen Zhengyang ran for his life.

Suddenly, a towering tree fell from the sky, embedding itself deep into the path right in front of him.

The branches quivered violently, shedding leaves that fluttered down in every direction.

A shudder ran through Chen Zhengyang. 'What was that?'

Then, a rapidly approaching aura made his face drain of all color.

'Mu Lin! He's caught up to me!'