Chapter 165: Sending Him on His Way

Zhao Ling'Er was frantic, burying her head beneath the steering wheel.

Zhao Yang was extremely nervous and cried out, "Mu Lin, be careful! Don't worry about me, just run!"

"You've got to be kidding. How could I possibly abandon you and run?"

Zhao Yang was touched, but his worry was even more apparent.

"You foolish boy, run!"

Mu Lin just smiled. "He can't do anything to me."

He clenched his fist and charged straight for Qiu Qianhe.

If Qiu Qianhe maintained his charge, he would be met with Mu Lin's fiercely powerful punch.

Forced to stop, Qiu Qianhe tapped his toes and shot into the air, leaping a full two stories high.

Mu Lin sneered. "Is that it? Is that the extent of your abilities?"

He did the same, launching himself into the air and appearing beside Qiu Qianhe in an instant.

'Mu Lin actually possesses this level of strength!' Qiu Qianhe was inwardly shocked, though his expression didn't betray it.

Mu Lin thrust a palm forward. To avoid a direct hit to his heart's meridian, Qiu Qianhe had no choice but to meet it with his own.

The immense force sent them both flying back more than fifty meters.

THUD... THUD... THUD...

The two sprinted toward each other again.

Mu Lin had to protect the Zhao Family grandfather and granddaughter, while Qiu Qianhe could not let Mu Lin escape.

In a flash, the two clashed once more.

BAM! BAM! BAM! They exchanged three blows in quick succession.

Qiu Qianhe took a step back. 'I need to be more strategic,' he thought. 'If I keep clashing with Mu Lin like this, I'll lose all face.'

'I must go for a one-hit kill.'

"Not bad, kid. You've got some skill. I see you have the right to be arrogant!" This was merely a stalling tactic. He planned to strike the moment Mu Lin let his guard down.

But Mu Lin remained highly vigilant, his eyes fixed on Qiu Qianhe's every move.

"You're not bad yourself. Your Gang Qi has been refined to a considerable level. Otherwise, you couldn't be as nimble as a swallow."

Qiu Qianhe couldn't help but feel a flicker of pleasure at Mu Lin's praise. The usual fawning he received from people like Shi Huiguang was just awkward flattery, and it was unbearable.

'To think my enemy is the one who understands me best.' Qiu Qianhe gave a cold smile.

This flicker of mutual respect wouldn't stop him from killing Mu Lin. He was old and had been in the Jianghu for a long time; many old friends had already died by his hand.

He killed for money. He was a man without sentiment.

Mu Lin spoke again. "Your Gang Qi... it feels familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before... Hmm... Do you know Chen Zhengyang? He was acting as the Yang Family's dog."

At the mention of Chen Zhengyang and the Yang Family, Qiu Qianhe's expression instantly hardened.

"Chen Zhengyang is my junior martial brother! He's currently missing! Do you know where he is?"

Mu Lin chuckled. "And if I tell you, you'll spare my life?"

Qiu Qianhe gritted his teeth. 'Of course not. The two things are completely unrelated.'

'Chen Zhengyang is a grown man; even if he's missing, it's not a cause for panic.'

'But Mu Lin is the one the client paid to have killed. He has to die.'

"Impossible!"

Mu Lin smiled. "Don't worry, telling you will only make you want to kill me more. Chen Zhengyang is already dead!"

What?!

Qiu Qianhe shuddered, but he immediately grew wary. 'He's probably just trying to throw me off balance and find an opening to attack.'

"Don't give me that! My junior brother is also a Grandmaster. In a place like Anhua, he would be unstoppable. How could he possibly be defeated?!"

Mu Lin smiled. "Why not? I killed him with my own two hands!"

The first person to be shocked by this statement was Zhao Yang.

'Is Mu Lin really that capable?'

'He isn't just bluffing, is he?'

The next to be shocked was Qiu Qianhe. He suddenly recalled Mu Lin's mention of the Yang Family.

He remembered that his sect had ordered him to avenge Yang Qitian.

'This man before me... he must be the target.'

But there was no point in asking more questions. Mu Lin certainly wouldn't be telling him any more truths.

Qiu Qianhe stomped his foot, unleashing the full extent of his power.

He blurred into a ghostly afterimage and shot toward Mu Lin.

Mu Lin remained unhurried, meeting the myriad changes with a constant calm. He settled into a firm horse stance, his mind and senses clear.

Then, he threw a punch.

It landed squarely on Qiu Qianhe's chest.

Qiu Qianhe was sent flying backward, a horrifying indentation appearing on his chest.

'So... so it really was him!'

He had just verified Mu Lin's strength with his own body.

Master Zhang was dumbfounded. He had expected an easy payday, but now the situation had turned into this.

Grandmaster Qiu couldn't even withstand a single blow from Mu Lin before he was sent flying, spitting blood.

'Just how strong is Mu Lin?'

Qi Shengyang had heard a few things about the Martial World, so he understood the significance of a renowned Grandmaster.

And yet, such a significant figure had been sent flying by a single punch from Mu Lin.

'That can only mean Mu Lin is even stronger than him!'

Remembering how arrogantly he had spoken to Mu Lin, he wanted to give himself a dozen slaps across the face.

'How could I dare to even think about Zhao Ling'Er now? With such a powerful guardian protecting her, I could never hope to lay a single finger on her, no matter how hard I tried.'

Qiu Qianhe struggled back to his feet. "Excellent, truly excellent. I never expected a small place like Anhua to be hiding a dragon like you—a genius of your caliber."

"I fell into your trap this time, but mark my words, I'll be back!"

With that, Qiu Qianhe tapped his toes and soared seventeen or eighteen meters into the air—a full five or six stories high—before flying off into the distance.

Zhao Yang grew frantic. "Mu Lin, if you let him get away, we'll never have a moment's peace! Quick, do something!"

Mu Lin placed a hand on Zhao Yang's arm. "Grandmaster Zhao, calm down. He's already out of strength. That was his final leap. Just watch."

'How is that possible?' Zhao Yang thought. 'If Qiu Qianhe was out of strength, how could he jump so high?'

But just then, like a kite with its string cut, Qiu Qianhe plummeted from the sky and crashed to the ground.

It was only thanks to the resilient tempering of his Grandmaster's body that he didn't die on the spot.

Zhao Yang let out a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness Mu Lin had everything under control; otherwise, the situation would have been dire.

Mu Lin jogged over to Qiu Qianhe, who was now desperately trying to crawl away from him on all fours.

"You... you tricked me!"

Mu Lin chuckled and retrieved the two silver needles he had fired.

"How is that possible?! My Gang Qi flows through my entire body! How could you have possibly had a chance to strike me?!"

Mu Lin laughed merrily. "Isn't it obvious? I stuck them in you right from the start."

"You hop around like a rabbit. If I hadn't restricted your lower body, how could I have confidently faced you?"

Mu Lin's words were so infuriating that more blood trickled from the corner of Qiu Qianhe's mouth.

He had only taken this job from Huang Fengnian to earn some extra cash.

He never, ever expected to run into such a formidable expert.

Whether it was raw power or clever tactics, Mu Lin's abilities were endless. Qiu Qianhe was truly out of options.

'To deal with this man, I'm afraid only someone like Dong Wu would be capable.'

"I'm telling you, the consequences of harming me are severe. You'd better let me go right now," Qiu Qianhe threatened, his eyes calculating. 'The reputation of my sect should still offer me some protection.'

Mu Lin just chuckled, completely unfazed. "I'm tired of hearing that one. Try a new line."

"I wasn't originally targeting you! Huang Fengnian hired me to kill you! The fault is all his! Killing me will only sadden your allies and delight your enemies!"

"Let me go! Name your price! I can even help you kill Huang Fengnian!"

Mu Lin said, "How boring would that be? For such a major enemy, it's far more satisfying to kill him with my own hands."

"Besides, you've already used up all your chances. I gave you an opportunity to run at the very beginning. Why didn't you take it? Why did you have to come back?"

"Weren't you just trying to launch a sneak attack?" Mu Lin's words were simple and blunt.

Ever since he came down from the mountain, Mu Lin had only one solution for those who refused to surrender immediately and remained obstinate even after being given a chance: elimination.

Only then could he guarantee his own absolute safety.

Qiu Qianhe cried out, "I'll give you money! Just name your price!"

Mu Lin laughed heartily. "You two are really cut from the same cloth. Your junior brother said the exact same thing."

A palm struck down instantly, shattering the Grandmaster's instinctive Protective Gang Qi and pulverizing his skull.

Red and white matter splattered everywhere. It was a sickening sight.

Having followed her grandfather around as he treated patients, Zhao Ling'Er had built up a tolerance for such sights.

Seeing this, Qi Shengyang bent over by the side of the road and retched violently. He was clearly a medical student himself, planning to follow in his father's footsteps.

But even he couldn't stomach such a gruesome scene and began to vomit uncontrollably.

Zhao Yang breathed a sigh of relief. The most troublesome loose end had finally been dealt with.