Chapter 183: Cultivation

"I spend all day on edge. It's not worth it."

Mu Lin rubbed his hands together and clenched his fists, ready to send Qiu Qianlong on his way with a single punch.

Qiu Qianlong's lips tightened. When he heard this, his expression changed drastically.

"It was you! So it was you!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "Who else could it be?"

Qiu Qianlong had assumed the expert staying at the Li Family's residence was not the same person who killed Qiu Qianhe.

Now that he realized they were one and the same, his eyes turned red with fury.

"You people are all the same," Mu Lin sneered. "Arrogant as hell at first, then trying to buy your way out right before you die. What's that all about? You think it's that easy?"

"Before you came after the Zhou Family, did you ever stop to think you'd end up like this?"

Qiu Qianlong was speechless. Mu Lin couldn't be bothered to waste any more time and struck out with his palm.

Qiu Qianlong's neck snapped, and the back of his skull shattered. He couldn't be any more dead.

Wei Jianjun reached out and checked for Qiu Qianlong's breath, exclaiming in shock, "He's dead! He's really dead!"

Mu Lin smiled faintly. "Isn't that to be expected?"

Wei Jianjun scratched his head in embarrassment, then suddenly grew excited again. "I never imagined you were such an expert! A Divine Realm master!"

Mu Lin said, "Something like that."

Wei Jianjun heaved a long sigh. "For a young man like you to have already reached a realm I've failed to attain in my entire life... it truly puts me to shame! It's like I've wasted my whole life."

Mu Lin chuckled. "You shouldn't sell yourself short. You might not have been able to endure the hardships I have. Besides, you're a master in the Grandmaster Realm. Countless people in this world would bow down in worship before you!"

"Once you reach a stage, you want to master it. After mastery, you seek transformation. After that, you want to command your Qi Force at will. Finally, you aim for the Divine Realm, and above that, there are countless other realms... The pursuit is simply endless."

"Contentment brings happiness, after all!"

Hearing Mu Lin say this, Wei Jianjun sighed deeply again. "You're right, young man. All these thoughts of mine are just needless worries. I'm already very successful, yet I still want to take another step forward."

Mu Lin added, "Elder Wei, if you just push a little harder, you still have room to advance a few more steps. This isn't a compliment; it's what I truly believe."

Elder Wei was deeply moved, but amidst his emotions, he suddenly realized that Mu Lin wasn't one to speak carelessly.

If he said there was a chance, then there most likely was a chance. "Do I really still have a chance?"

"You'll know once you go back and practice for a while," Mu Lin said with a smile. "Even if I told you now, you probably wouldn't believe me."

Elder Wei's heart was filled with anxiety. On one hand, he worried Mu Lin was just bluffing, but on the other, he was completely obsessed with that ethereal, elusive realm.

At that moment, he had no idea how to control his own heart.

Mu Lin smiled. "Why don't you try it right now?"

Wei Jianjun closed his eyes. Immersing himself, he felt a powerful sense of Qi flowing around him with a WHOOSH.

This was the first time he had ever felt such a sensation.

When he tried to summon his Qi Force again, countless streams of True Qi coursed through his broadened meridians like stampeding wild horses.

It was the very first time he'd had such a wonderful experience.

"Mu Xiaoyou, how can this be!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "When I was treating your illness, I unblocked your qi pathways. At the time, I just wanted you to recover quickly. It was only later that I realized it would also help with your cultivation."

"If you continue to cultivate at this speed, you'll become a Grandmaster in a few days at the shortest, or a month at the longest. The Wei Family's development can then reach a new level."

"Thank you, my young friend! I will never forget your immense kindness! From now on, whatever you ask, even if you want Nianru to warm your bed, I will not say a single word of protest!"

Mu Lin frowned. "Elder Wei, you're taking advantage of me! Miss Wei would probably be more than happy, wouldn't she? These past two days have been quite awkward for me."

A bead of sweat trickled down Elder Wei's forehead. "Then your meaning is..."

Mu Lin said, "Miss Wei is a nice person, but I'll be returning to the mountains soon. I'm afraid of holding her back."

Elder Wei pursed his lips, his eyes darting around. "Ah, Mu Lin, we're in a new age now! Who says everything has to be about 'forever'? Sometimes, it's about the experience you had, right?"

'This old fox... to think he'd say something like that just to rope me in.' Mu Lin hurriedly changed the subject.

"Elder Wei, I'll have to ask you to look after the Li Family for the next few days, alright?"

Elder Wei readily agreed. "Yes! Of course! So, about Nianru..."

Mu Lin turned away. "I have to make a trip to the Zhou Family's place."

He left Elder Wei standing there, looking disappointed and lost.

After Mu Lin left, the members of the Zhou Family didn't dare to wander off, afraid some new trouble might arise. They just sat in front of the watchtower.

When Mu Lin returned to the watchtower, he looked at its heavily slanted state and walked over to Zhou Qianfan. "Uncle Zhou, see? Was I right or was I right? It got knocked over with just a little push."

Zhou Qianfan was somewhat weak and couldn't be bothered to respond to Mu Lin's joke. "What about the assassin who attacked us?"

Mu Lin smiled. "Dead."

Hearing that the assassin was dead, Zhou Qianfan finally let out a sigh of relief. "Good, that's good! So good that he's dead!"

Mu Lin placed his hand on Zhou Qianfan's wrist to check his pulse. After a moment, he said, "Uncle Zhou, you're not in any serious danger. Just make sure to get some rest."

Zhou Qianfan had been worried sick that he might have been hit by some hidden technique. Hearing Mu Lin declare him safe, he was so excited he almost cheered aloud.

"What about the Li Family? The assassin went in their direction after he left."

Mu Lin said, "The assassin was intercepted and killed halfway there. He never even saw them. They're perfectly safe."

"Uncle Zhou, Grandmaster Zhou, I think I need to make a trip to Di Yang City and confront the Di Yang Li Clan directly."

Zhou Qishan was stunned. "Ah, Mu Lin, Di Yang is nothing like our Anhua. That place is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. I'm afraid your usual methods won't work there!"

"That assassin just now was only a tiny fraction of the Li Clan's vast resources of experts. The moment you set foot in Di Yang, you'll be subjected to the stares and sneak attacks of countless people. It will be endlessly annoying."

Zhou Qianfan said, "If you insist on going, I can make arrangements for you. I'll do my best to ensure you have an escort the whole time to avoid any friction."

'I'm going to cause trouble for the Li Family, not on vacation. What's the point of all this?' Mu Lin thought.

"I already said, I don't want it!" Mu Lin was getting annoyed. "I can handle it."

"But how can you handle it? Such a powerful expert appeared out of nowhere... He beat us all down. We nearly lost our lives."

Mu Lin sighed and asked in return, "Uncle Zhou, do you know what cultivation level that Qiu Qianlong was at?"

Qiu Qianlong?!

Hearing that name, Zhou Qianfan was so frightened he practically jumped to his feet.

"Heavens! Are you kidding me? It was actually him?"

Mu Lin nodded. "That's right, it was him. And now, he's dead. I killed him."

Zhou Qianfan's eyes lit up.

Anyone with even a little knowledge of the Martial Realm knew what level Qiu Qianlong was on.

He was a terrifying Grandmaster! The kind of person who could walk around Anhua Street as he pleased.

Furthermore, Qiu Qianlong was among the top tier of such people, a top-ten existence.

And yet, he was killed by Mu Lin.

Zhou Qishan pondered for a while, not daring to speak.

Zhou Qianfan asked, "Mu Lin, forgive my rudeness, but what is your current level?"

Mu Lin said, "We're all on the same side, so I'll be blunt. If we're using the secular cultivation system, I should be at the Innate, Divine Realm, or Grandmaster level. I'm not too clear on the specifics."

The old man had never told Mu Lin just how strong he was. He had only just learned this knowledge from Elder Wei a moment ago.

He wasn't sure if he was saying it right, but as long as he got the general idea across, it was fine.

Elder Zhou's hands began to tremble uncontrollably, so much so that he could barely keep them still. Mu Lin saw this and hurried forward to help.

But Elder Zhou just laughed. "No need, no need. My body is fine. This must be from excitement..."

'The heavens have eyes! To think that my Zhou Family has befriended a Grandmaster!'

From the very beginning, Zhou Qishan had told Zhou Qianfan to build a good relationship with Mu Lin, even if it meant sacrificing some benefits to gain his favor.

Now, it seemed that judgment had been nothing short of brilliant and prescient.

Mu Lin said, "Time is of the essence. I'll be leaving now!"

"Ah, Mu Lin, take your Uncle Zhou with you. He often travels for business and is quite familiar with Di Yang. With him there, you won't be flying blind."

"As for his safety, I imagine that with you there, he won't be in much danger."

Mu Lin was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright!"