Chapter 209 208: Unexpected

Seeing the tense expressions on their faces, Mu Lin felt a warmth in his heart.

He had met both families by chance, but through their interactions, he'd found them to be decent people.

The fact that they had driven here meant they must have set off the moment they heard Sun Tiandang was on his way.

Arriving at the same time showed they had given it their all.

They must have driven all night!

Mu Lin committed this favor to heart.

Luo Wanqing was stunned. The core figures of the Lin and Xu Families had driven all the way from Di Yang City just to warn Mu Lin.

Moreover, their words were so exceedingly polite that for a moment, it was hard to tell whether they were the patriarchs or Mu Lin was.

"Mu Xiaoyou, you need to run! I'll go beg the Ning Family for mercy on your behalf!"

"Mu Xiaoyou, why don't you flee the country and lay low? I know a few people who can get you out. Mention my name, and they'll rush the arrangements."

Mu Lin smiled. "Don't worry. It's already been taken care of."

Taken care of?!

The expressions on the faces of the Lin and Xu family members flickered.

Lin Jin said, "What do you mean? I don't understand!"

Mu Lin replied, "Sun Tiandang already came. I beat him within an inch of his life. Just as I was about to finish him off, Master Ning came to beg for mercy. I let him pay a price to spare Sun Tiandang's life."

"But even if they took him back, Sun Tiandang is a broken man now. He'll never amount to anything ever again."

This news shocked both the Lin and Xu parties into silence.

This was Sun Tiandang, a name that could strike fear throughout all of Nanjiang Province.

And Mu Lin had crippled him...?

Xu Jishan suddenly slapped his thigh, exclaiming excitedly, "Mu Xiaoyou, you're incredible! A well-deserved beating! The Ning Family has been lawless in Di Yang City for too long. I've had enough of them for a long time!"

"Now that you've thrashed him like this, the Ning Family will definitely have to keep their tails between their legs for a while!"

Lin Jin and Luo Wanqing both had complicated expressions. Xu Jishan's bootlicking was truly shameless.

Luo Wanqing felt a little light-headed, the ground beneath her feet as soft as cotton.

Lin Jin and Xu Jishan were both powerful figures who dominated their respective territories; she absolutely could not afford to offend them.

Yet, here they both were, scrambling to curry favor with Mu Lin, calling him 'Mu Xiaoyou' with a sycophantic display that was hard to watch.

It was all for Mu Lin.

'So Mu Lin is this powerful? And I actually thought I could subdue him? What a joke.'

Mu Lin invited the four members of the Lin and Xu families to sit down and served them tea.

He slowly recounted the course of events, leaving the four of them looking as if they'd been struck by lightning.

But they quickly composed themselves and didn't lose their composure too badly.

Lin Jin said, "Mu Xiaoyou, please rest assured. My Lin Family and the Ning Family are both part of Di Yang's Upper Three Families. We have no problem keeping each other in check. If the Ning Family moves against you, I will definitely step in to counter them!"

Xu Jishan hastily added, "Us too!"

Mu Lin shot Xu Jishan a sidelong glance. The Xu Family had been stockpiling mind-control pills, preparing to make a big move.

'Their plan was ruined by me, and I got rid of all their pills. They must hate my guts.'

'And now he's here, pledging allegiance? Isn't that a bit pointless?'

Mu Lin's stare made Xu Jishan's heart race. "Mu Xiaoyou, our Xu Family has indeed made some mistakes. You corrected us in time, preventing us from straying further down the wrong path. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart and will naturally repay this kindness!"

Mu Lin listened, thinking he almost believed him. But it didn't matter. Right now, the strongest expert in the Xu Family was only at the Grandmaster level, someone he could easily suppress.

'If the Xu Family wants to show me goodwill, let them.'

Luo Wanqing stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Divine Doctor Mu, you said you would treat my injury. Does that offer still stand?"

Her humble demeanor made her look like a beggar pleading for food.

Mu Lin smiled. "Of course it does. Come to the treatment room."

Mu Lin immediately turned and walked into the treatment room, and Luo Wanqing hurried in after him.

Mu Lin closed the door. "What was your illness again?"

Luo Wanqing's face flushed, and she repeated what Mu Lin had casually said earlier:

"I've been feeling lethargic, nauseous, and unwell..."

Mu Lin chuckled. "There were other people outside, so I just said that off the cuff. I imagine Manor Master Luo is well aware of her own condition."

Luo Wanqing pressed her lips together, her eyes turning red.

'So that's what Mu Lin was thinking. He really is considerate of me in every way!'

Mu Lin said, "Take off your top first. Let me see the situation."

Luo Wanqing felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. Her whole body trembled, overwhelmed with emotion.

She had sought out countless famous doctors, but not a single one had asked her to remove her top.

She removed her top, and Mu Lin saw a patch of black scars on Luo Wanqing's otherwise fair and lovely body.

The location of these scars was extremely unfortunate, right on the area that was a woman's greatest pride, and also her most sensitive.

They stretched from that spot all the way to the base of her neck.

"Pardon my forwardness." Mu Lin stepped forward and examined them closely.

Luo Wanqing bit her lip, her face flushed crimson. After all, she was being stared at in such a place.

Her heart was filled with shyness.

'But to cure my illness... I have no choice.'

Mu Lin said, "At the auction, Miss Jiang Lan mentioned that the Vermilion Fruit was picked personally by the Manor Master. Is that correct?"

Luo Wanqing nodded. "To gather auction items myself, I usually go out on expeditions personally."

"I found the Vermilion Fruit in a region of extreme cold."

Mu Lin asked, "And after you returned, you discovered these unsightly scars on your body?"

"Yes, that's right!" Luo Wanqing answered excitedly. Everything Mu Lin said was true, which filled her with admiration.

Mu Lin said, "I used the Vermilion Fruit to save one of my elders. I'm very grateful for Manor Master Luo's efforts. At the time, I had only a little over a day. If Hidden Sword Manor hadn't been selling the Vermilion Fruit, I..."

As Mu Lin spoke, he became choked with emotion and couldn't continue.

Luo Wanqing was also deeply moved. For Mu Lin to be treated with such deference by the patriarchs of two great families, it wasn't just about his strength; this genuine character of his must also be a major reason.

'He truly treats everyone who is good to him as one of his own.'

"That elder of yours... should be fine now, right?"

Mu Lin nodded. "Yes, of course! But I will remember this kindness."

Luo Wanqing felt her face heat up. As a young woman, she was especially sensitive to such words.

Mu Lin took out a silver needle, flicked it twice, and it landed straight onto Luo Wanqing's body.

"When you picked the Vermilion Fruit, I'm afraid there were others with you?"

"Yes, when you're out and about, it's normal to have a few companions..."

Luo Wanqing was suddenly taken aback. "What are you implying? You don't mean to say..."

Mu Lin let out a long sigh. "One should never intend to harm others, but one must always be on guard. You were harmed by someone. This isn't a poison, but an extremely insidious Qi Force."

Luo Wanqing's expression turned ugly. The idea that someone who traveled with her had betrayed her was completely unacceptable to her.

Mu Lin fell silent, giving Luo Wanqing some time to accept the reality.

After a while, a difficult expression appeared on Mu Lin's face.

Luo Wanqing's heart sank. "Divine Doctor Mu, is my condition very serious? Can't you cure it?"

Mu Lin said, "It's not that... but it might be awkward..."

As he spoke, Mu Lin reached out and pressed his hand against Luo Wanqing's chest.

This...

Luo Wanqing's entire body shuddered, and she didn't dare move a muscle.

Of course, due to the effects of the poisonous qi, her body was already numb. Even if Mu Lin were to make a more indecent move, it would feel to her as if nothing was happening.

'This is for treatment,' she thought.

But this was also the first time she had ever had such intimate contact with a man.

Hidden Sword Manor had a rather strict upbringing; she had never even had a crush on anyone.

In that moment, her mind was in turmoil, and her heart was pounding like a frightened deer.

Mu Lin, however, wasn't thinking about any of that. The poisonous qi inside Luo Wanqing's body was extremely troublesome. It had unknowingly merged with her True Qi, becoming indistinguishable.

'I can't just forcibly expel all of her True Qi, can I?'

'For a Martial Artist, True Qi is their lifeblood. She would never agree to that, no matter what.'

Therefore, Mu Lin could only choose to take it slow, employing the delicate precision of embroidery to carefully separate the poisonous qi from the True Qi.

After a moment, Mu Lin changed his palm into a fist and pulsed it against Luo Wanqing's chest.

Luo Wanqing felt a stirring in her throat. She quickly turned her head to the side and spat out a mouthful of thick, black blood.

At the same time, faint black wisps of qi began to emanate from the pores all over her body.

It was a sign that the treatment was starting to work.

For Luo Wanqing, who had suffered from this affliction for so long, this was an almost unbelievable relief.

Her eyes reddened, and she was on the verge of tears.