Chapter 175: It'll Be Fine After a While

The two walked into the small courtyard, one in front of the other. Mu Lin noticed how quiet it was.

He couldn't help but find it strange and asked, "What's going on?"

"They're all lying down inside! They haven't fully recovered yet," Zhao Ling'Er said, pursing her lips. "But it should be soon, I think."

'So weak they can't even get out of bed?' Mu Lin found it very strange.

"What method did Grandmaster Zhao use to treat them?"

Zhao Ling'Er replied, "First, he used the Five-Heart Rejuvenation Needle technique you taught him. Then he bandaged their wounds and had them lie down to recover slowly."

That made Mu Lin even more puzzled. 'The Five-Heart Rejuvenation Needle isn't that weak. Do people really need to recuperate after being treated with it?'

'Shouldn't they be able to get up and walk around immediately?'

"I'll go take a look," Mu Lin said, slowly walking inside.

Zhao Ling'Er called into the room, "Brother Mu is here!"

Hearing Mu Lin had arrived, the room was instantly filled with a chorus of "WHUH WHUH" sounds, rising and falling. The men clearly had no idea what was happening to them.

Mu Lin asked, "They can't even speak clearly now?"

Zhao Ling'Er nodded. "Yeah, they can't even speak clearly. They should get better with some rest, right?"

"No way!" Mu Lin exclaimed.

'It's a good thing I came to check. Otherwise, this could have turned into a disaster.'

Zhao Ling'er turned on the light, and only then did Mu Lin see that Guo Lei and his henchmen all had twisted mouths and eyes, looking like they were in great distress.

"What's happened to them?" Mu Lin asked.

Zhao Ling'Er pouted. Mu Lin said, "You didn't actually think this would get better with just rest, did you?"

"It wouldn't?" Zhao Ling'Er's mouth fell open, a hint of panic in her eyes.

Mu Lin sighed. "Things like this are never that simple!"

He stepped forward and placed a hand on Guo Lei's head.

"Uhh! Uhh!" Guo Lei desperately tried to say something to Mu Lin.

Mu Lin said in a low voice, "It's okay. Relax."

As soon as he touched Guo Lei, Mu Lin discovered the source of the problem.

Elder Zhao had indeed flawlessly performed the Five-Heart Rejuvenation Needle technique, healing Guo Lei's injuries. However, a strange aura was lurking inside Guo Lei's body, suppressing him.

It wasn't fatal. In fact, if he just endured it a little longer, his body would have absorbed it.

'But why wait? There's clearly a better way, isn't there?'

Mu Lin raised his hand and tapped the center of Guo Lei's brow. Then, with a phantom grasping motion, he pulled out a cloud of cyan-gray energy.

With a flick of his hand, Mu Lin dispersed the cyan-gray energy.

"Mr. Mu!" Guo Lei called out, testing his voice.

Mu Lin chuckled. "Hold on. I'll fix everyone else up first."

With that, Mu Lin walked a lap around the room, and one by one, Guo Lei's men were able to get up and walk.

"Thank you for saving us, Mr. Mu!" Guo Lei shouted, leading the chorus. His men immediately followed suit, shouting as well.

Mu Lin quickly raised a hand, signaling for them to stop. "You're all being too kind! If I hadn't asked you to guard Wu Long, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this."

Guo Lei said, "They weren't just guarding Wu Long because you told them to. They all have tragic pasts and were all wronged by Wu Long. They hate him with a vengeance."

"I specifically picked them for my crew for that very reason."

Mu Lin nodded slowly. 'So Guo Lei isn't entirely useless. He's actually using his head.'

Assigning a group of men who despised Wu Long to guard him was a genuinely effective move.

You wouldn't need to motivate them; in fact, you'd have to watch them to make sure they didn't kill the prisoner.

"Not bad. Very clever!" Mu Lin nodded slowly and pointed at Guo Lei. "You, come outside with me."

Guo Lei felt a pang of anxiety, wondering what Mu Lin wanted with him.

Mu Lin, however, was thinking that Guo Lei's performance had been impressive this time. In fact, ever since he started working for him, he had never messed up. His performance was truly excellent.

'Maybe I should give his abilities a boost?'

'It would make his operations in Anhua much easier.'

Guo Lei asked anxiously, "Mr. Mu, is there something else?"

Mu Lin pulled out a few printed sheets of paper. "Here, take a look at this."

Guo Lei glanced at the papers. They detailed things like horse stances and breathing exercises.

"Mr. Mu, what is this...?"

"Practice these while you're recovering. Get a feel for it. When you're ready, I'll teach you how to cultivate."

Guo Lei's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Mu!"

Mu Lin waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing."

Guo Lei, however, grew even more excited and was about to drop to his knees to kowtow. Mu Lin quickly stopped him, lifting him with an unseen force.

Held up by this invisible force, Guo Lei found himself standing straight again.

"What are you doing? Why kneel to me? Don't think you've learned it just because I gave you the papers. It looks easy, but it's hard to do. If you can't handle it, don't come to me with excuses."

The scolding left Guo Lei completely bewildered, and he nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, I understand!"

"Understand what?" Mu Lin asked.

"I'll practice hard!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "Just don't come crying to me then!"

"For now, keep recovering. Don't be in a rush to go back. Stay under observation for a while. If you feel any discomfort, go see Divine Doctor Zhao again."

Guo Lei looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Sensing this, Mu Lin asked:

"Is there something else?"

"You know Lu Baichuan and Lu Yi, right?"

Mu Lin didn't understand why he was bringing them up. "I know them. Both were directors at the Li Group who were foolish enough to sell their shares. What about them?"

"A few days ago, on the day Wu Long was taken, he had called Lu Baichuan over and chewed him out completely. I thought you might find that interesting, so I wanted to mention it."

Mu Lin nodded and walked away. Left alone, Guo Lei paced back and forth in the courtyard excitedly.

The thought that he might one day become as powerful as Mu Lin—able to wound people with a leaf, or even kill with a flying needle—made him tremble with an excitement he could barely contain.

Having finished his business, Mu Lin went to find Elder Zhao to say his goodbyes.

Zhao Ling'Er stared at him with wide eyes as he left, which made Mu Lin scratch his head in bemusement.

"Alright now, go on back inside!"

As Mu Lin walked, he casually pulled out his phone and called Zhou Qianfan.

"Uncle Zhou!"

Seeing it was Mu Lin calling, Zhou Qianfan quickly asked, "How is Chairman Li's condition? Is there anything else I can help with?"

Mu Lin replied, "Uncle Li has already recovered and is back home. He just needs some time to rest."

Zhou Qianfan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "That's great news. Then the Li Group's operations won't be too affected. After all, my Zhou Family has..."

Although the money invested in the Li Group came from the Zhou Family, on paper, the investment was still from Zhu Qiyu.

He quickly cut himself off.

Mu Lin sensed something was off, but after a moment's thought, he decided to play along and not expose it.

"Speaking of the Li Group, there are two former directors, Lu Baichuan and Lu Yi. They've been cozying up to the Yuelong Group, planning to seize control of the Li Group. Uncle Zhou, could you help me keep an eye on them?"

Zhou Qianfan laughed. "Oh, them? I noticed them a long time ago. Ever since their company was founded, they haven't won a single bid. They're complete amateurs!"

"I haven't had to interfere yet. But even if they do manage to win a bid, I'll find a way to get it canceled."

'You can do that?' Mu Lin thought. "How do you get a bid canceled? Isn't there a set procedure for this?"

"You can use any number of excuses. Incomplete credentials, expired permits, questionable qualifications, failed fire safety inspections, unclear source of funds... there are plenty of ways!"

'I'm learning a lot,' Mu Lin thought. 'Truly, mastery of any field is a profound study in itself.'

"You're amazing, Uncle Zhou!"

"Hahaha, I'm nothing special. It's all for the family, and honestly, it's exhausting!"

"Ah, Mu Lin, remember this: enjoy life while you're young. Once you have responsibilities on your shoulders, the fun is over!"

Zhou Qianfan had actually started to grumble. Mu Lin couldn't be bothered to listen and quickly interrupted:

"Uncle Zhou, I've got a million things on my plate right now and I'm swamped. If the Lu family makes a move against the Li Group, please make sure to let me know!"

Zhou Qianfan chuckled. "The Lu family is nothing to worry about. However, there's something else I have to tell you. The Di Yang Li Clan is about to make a move against you. Seriously, come take refuge in our watchtower. It's better than facing them alone."

Mu Lin laughed. "Uncle Zhou, I told you, that watchtower is garbage. It's useless. It's fine for your own peace of mind, but don't actually use it as a shelter, or you'll get yourself killed! Just renovate it and turn it into a recreation space or something."

Zhou Qianfan pressed his lips together. He had to believe what Mu Lin said. "Then come to the Zhou Family villa. We have plenty of empty rooms. It'll be more lively with everyone living together."

Mu Lin didn't doubt Zhou Qianfan's sincerity for a moment. He smiled and said, "Uncle Zhou, thank you for the kind offer. But with both Elder Li and Chairman Li injured right now, I couldn't possibly impose on you to take care of them. It's better if I protect them myself."

"I have ways to make sure they never return."

With that, Mu Lin hung up the phone.