Chapter 176: Too Smooth

Hearing the busy tone from the receiver, Zhou Qianfan shook his head.

"Why is this kid so stubborn?"

Elder Zhou sat in his wheelchair. "If the Di Yang Li Clan really comes, it'll be all over! Why is Mu Lin so disobedient?"

"He's certainly powerful, there's no doubt about that. But no matter how powerful he is, can he be stronger than the experts the Di Yang Li Clan has cultivated with vast sums of money?"

"It must be that his past victories came too easily, making him think all the heroes in the world are nothing special!" Zhou Qianfan sighed.

"But when he runs into a true expert, especially a Grandmaster, I'm afraid he'll be taken out in an instant..."

Zhou Qianfan had a very good impression of Mu Lin. He really didn't want to see him get hurt.

Elder Zhou said, "Mu Lin is no fool. How could he be targeted so easily? Still, we really should help him take some precautions..."

"Contact Mr. Fang and ask him to step in and help!"

「In the old Li Family residence in Di Yang City.」

In the spacious courtyard, a dozen or so round-backed armchairs were arranged. The people sitting in them all wore solemn expressions.

A few even looked panicked, as if some terrible event was about to unfold in the quiet courtyard.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the courtyard. A sharp glint appeared in everyone's eyes.

'The backbone of the family has finally arrived!'

'We need someone who has weathered great storms to guide us through this crisis.'

'He's finally here!'

The current Patriarch of the Di Yang Li Clan, Li Tian!

The old man walked slowly, but each soft step seemed to land heavily on everyone's heart.

The matter weighing on their minds could truly no longer be suppressed.

The third young master, Li Tianxiang, whom Li Tian had doted on, had died in Anhua City!

Everyone knew about this, but no one dared to speak of it. This strange atmosphere simmered, creating an extremely ominous feeling.

The old man was supported by a woman with a graceful figure and excellent bearing. However, Li Tian's presence was so overwhelming that it completely overshadowed her.

She helped Li Tian to the centermost seat, then sat down in a seat to the side.

"Dad! You have to get justice for Tian Xiang!"

"Tian Xiang was diligently serving the family, yet he was killed in Anhua. Who did he possibly offend to deserve this?"

Li Tian's expression was grim. He said coldly, "To think someone in Anhua could be so outrageous as to lay a hand on my dear grandson!"

"We share the Li bloodline, yet they dared to be so ruthless!"

Li Tian's words stoked the crowd's anger even further.

"It seems the Anhua Li Family has no intention of showing mercy! Then there's no need for us to hold back either!"

"To think that even Elder Ying died... He was a Grandmaster Powerhouse, but it was no use. How can the Anhua Li Family have such a strong Grandmaster expert!"

"We need to send someone stronger!"

As everyone chattered excitedly, Li Tian listened quietly, waiting for them to reach a conclusion.

Someone shouted, "Why don't we find Grandmaster Qiu?"

Hearing this, everyone felt a pang in their stomachs. There was no questioning this Grandmaster Qiu's strength.

He was ranked among the top one or two in Nanjiang Province, at the Peak of Half-Step Grandmaster.

However, the man was insatiably greedy. The cost to hire him would not be low.

But the mood had reached a fever pitch; not calling on him was no longer an option.

If word got out that a junior from the Di Yang Li Clan had been killed by someone from a branch family, where would they put their pride?

Another advantage of Grandmaster Qiu was that he wasn't a gossip. He was extremely tight-lipped, and it was difficult to get him to reveal anything.

'He really is a good candidate.'

After reaching a conclusion that everyone could accept, the discussion gradually died down.

Li Tian stood up and nodded slowly. "Mm, it seems you all want to find Grandmaster Qiu, is that right?"

The crowd exchanged glances, not daring to say more. "It is still up to the Patriarch to decide."

Li Tian paced slowly in the courtyard. "You're not wrong! Grandmaster Qiu has countless merits; besides his high price, he has no other faults. Right now, the most urgent task is to bring me the heads of everyone in the Anhua Li Family. I don't care how much it costs!"

Everyone in the courtyard nodded in agreement. At such a critical moment, family unity was paramount.

"Then, let's invite Grandmaster Qiu!"

The woman at the side said, "I'll go contact Grandmaster Qiu at once. If he agrees, it will take him an hour to get here. Perhaps everyone should go rest for a bit. It will inevitably be dull sitting here."

"No! We can afford to wait!"

"We're about to lose all our face. What's a little fatigue?"

"We'll leave when Grandmaster Qiu brings us the heads of the Li Family!"

The woman's expression shifted several times before she turned and left.

An hour later, an old man with a gloomy expression appeared outside.

The woman bowed to him, her graceful figure on full display.

"Grandmaster Qiu, you've finally arrived. Please, follow me."

Then, she announced loudly into the courtyard, "Grandmaster Qiu Qianlong has arrived!"

Qiu Qianlong was the brother of Qiu Qianhe, the man Mu Lin had killed.

Qiu Qianlong was much stronger, though Qiu Qianhe had been no slouch either.

But in Mu Lin's hands, neither of them were a match.

The courtyard erupted. After waiting anxiously for over an hour, Grandmaster Qiu had finally come!

"Grandmaster Qiu, as long as you take care of the Anhua Li Family, money will be no object!"

"We all know you have a big appetite, but feel free to name your price. We won't even blink."

Qiu Qianlong said calmly, "That won't be necessary. Five million will suffice."

Everyone exchanged glances. For a Grandmaster, that price was practically free.

'What's with Qiu Qianlong? Has he had a change of heart?'

"No! Grandmaster Qiu, please take more. As long as the job is done beautifully, anything is fine!"

But Qiu Qianlong said, "My trip to Anhua is not just for you, but for myself as well. My poor younger brother died at the hands of a mere attendant of the Li Family. We're all in the same boat, so I won't quote a high price."

Hearing this, everyone was even more horrified.

Qiu Qianlong was talking about Qiu Qianhe. He was a powerful Grandmaster too!

There had indeed been rumors of his death, but most people didn't know the details of how he died.

Now, the truth was finally out. He had also died at the hands of that expert from the Li Family.

'I can't believe that expert is so powerful.'

Not only did he kill Elder Ying, but even Qiu Qianhe couldn't escape his grasp.

"There's no time to lose. I'll depart at once!"

"Wait!" Li Tian suddenly called out. "There is one more thing. Teach the Anhua Zhou Family a little lesson for me."

"No need to wipe them out. The Zhou Family is very close to the Government. Killing them might cause instability, which may not be beneficial for our Li Family. Just give them a small punishment to let them know that the Di Yang Li Family is not to be trifled with!"

"Fifteen million. Combined with the first job, that's twenty million total."

Li Tian answered decisively, "Done!"

For Qiu Qianlong, this was practically a clearance sale. It was absurdly cheap.

"Grandfather, what does this have to do with the Zhou Family?"

Li Tian spoke with extreme indifference, "The Zhou Family convinced an old friend of mine to plead with me to spare the Anhua Li Family."

"Spare them my ass! My dear grandson is dead! What else is there to say? Killing them is the only answer!"

"I usually give him face, but now he dares to meddle in this matter? He really thinks he's someone special!"

"It's time to teach him his place, and the place of my Li Family."

「Mu Lin found a secluded mountain forest and took out the cool jade he had carved from the raw stone.」

When he kept it on his person, Mu Lin felt pleasantly cool, completely unaffected by the scorching weather.

Here in the humid depths of the forest, its effect was even more pronounced. Mu Lin faintly felt frost starting to form on his palm.

He grabbed the cool jade with his other hand and carefully examined his palm, discovering a wisp of something that looked like fine fuzz.

A moment later, the fuzz condensed into a droplet and vanished.

The quality of this cool jade was exceptionally good.

Mu Lin was quite excited.

He was now preparing to do one thing: drain the jade completely. He would extract every last bit of its cold marrow and merge it with his internal energy.

From then on, his internal energy would be filled with cold qi. With every move, he would be able to unleash a beautiful frosty aura.

More powerfully, when striking someone, it would easily cause their entire body to stiffen, even causing damage in some areas.

This was something any Martial Artist desperately needed.

He took a deep breath and channeled all his power into the cool jade. A layer of white frost slowly appeared on Mu Lin's arm.

The air temperature plummeted, and snow actually began to fall in the middle of summer.