Chapter 227 226: I Am a Late-Stage Grandmaster

Young Master Zhong shook his head. "He's not here yet, but he'll definitely show up. I have a hostage. He wouldn't dare refuse."

Grandmaster Hu chuckled. "So, has he arrived?"

"He's on his way! He should be..." Young Master Zhong sounded uncertain.

"Why don't you tell me about this man, Young Master Zhong."

Young Master Zhong recited all the intelligence he had gathered.

"An expert in External Strength?" Grandmaster Hu quickly assessed, his eyes glinting with greed.

"That's right. But now he's run into you! You've got this!"

Grandmaster Hu smiled faintly and clinked glasses with Young Master Zhong. "A low-level Martial Artist like that isn't even worth mentioning."

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the ballroom, and a manager came running over in a panic.

"Young Master Zhong, we have a problem! Tang Shuang's brother is here!"

Young Master Zhong's eyes narrowed. "That bastard? Just throw him out. You don't need to report every little thing to me!"

The manager's forehead was beaded with sweat, but he had no choice but to continue.

"But he's a monster! He's already injured all the guards!"

Young Master Zhong was dumbfounded. 'What kind of useless trash am I paying?' he thought.

Grandmaster Hu stood up. "Rest easy, Young Master Zhong," he said. "I will go down and take a look. It's likely nothing serious."

Young Master Zhong's expression shifted. He gave Grandmaster Hu a slight bow. "Thank you for your trouble!"

To Young Master Zhong, Grandmaster Hu's exploits were the stuff of legend. Now, he would finally get to see them for himself.

Young Master Zhong was intensely curious about what a fight involving a Grandmaster actually looked like.

Grandmaster Hu took a quick look. "He's an expert with Inner Strength," he said. "It's only natural your guards would be no match for him."

Young Master Zhong felt a pang of anguish as he looked at the guards on the floor. He'd handpicked every one of them. They were his kind of people, his partners in debauchery.

Now they were injured. He wondered when they'd be able to party together again.

At that moment, the intruder stepped forward.

Tang Zhi roared, "You're the one who crippled my sister, aren't you?"

Young Master Zhong sneered. "So what if I am?"

'With Grandmaster Hu here, I'm not afraid of anything.'

"I graciously invited Miss Tang Shuang to spend the night with me. It was an honor she couldn't hope for in a dozen lifetimes! But she had to be difficult, so of course I taught her a little lesson. Perfectly normal!"

"But now you come here to disrupt my business. You must have a death wish, right?"

Seething with uncontrollable rage, Tang Zhi cursed, "You're not even human!"

In an instant, Tang Zhi shot toward Young Master Zhong like an arrow.

Young Master Zhong was terrified. All his talk was just bravado; when faced with a real threat to his life, he was still terrified.

But Grandmaster Hu stepped forward with casual indifference, raising a withered old hand to block the attack.

BOOM!

A terrifying burst of Qi Force erupted across the dance floor.

A look of astonishment flashed across Tang Zhi's face before he was sent flying by an immense force.

He slammed into a wall.

He vomited blood, a gruesome sight.

He had never imagined there would be a Grandmaster in a place like this.

He wanted to kill Young Master Zhong, but his body couldn't take it anymore, and he passed out.

Young Master Zhong's eyes filled with excitement. He'd never expected to see a battle between Martial Artists up close.

Tang Zhi was powerfully built, so it was incredible that Grandmaster Hu had subdued him so effortlessly.

It was just... unbelievable.

Hong Litian was also full of admiration for Grandmaster Hu. 'If I had that kind of power,' he thought, 'I could go anywhere and do anything I wanted.'

Young Master Zhong treated Grandmaster Hu with even greater respect, plying him with the finest food and entertainment.

「At the entrance to the ballroom.」

Mu Lin walked inside.

He immediately noticed a Martial Artist at the Inner Strength level lying on the floor.

'What's all this about?'

He reached out and sent a pulse of energy into the man. The chaotic aura within Tang Zhi's body instantly stabilized, and he began to regain consciousness.

Tang Zhi was extremely weak. He looked at Mu Lin and said, "Who are you? You saved my life. I, Tang Zhi, will be sure to repay this debt."

Mu Lin waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. It was nothing."

Mu Lin turned to head inside, but Tang Zhi grabbed him, refusing to let go.

"They have a Grandmaster! You have to get out of here, run for your life!"

Mu Lin was touched. 'Even as injured as he is, he's still worried about my safety.'

"I know what I'm doing. Don't worry."

Mu Lin was about to head upstairs when Young Master Zhong and his entourage happened to be coming down. They met face-to-face on the stairs.

Young Master Zhong narrowed his eyes. "So you're the one who spoiled my fun? State your name. I don't kill nobodies."

Mu Lin chuckled. "Mu Lin. Now, where's my man? Where are you keeping him?"

Young Master Zhong raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Lao Xiang was immediately carried up. Mu Lin saw that his body was covered in bleeding wounds.

Lao Xiang was already injured to begin with; these new wounds on top of old ones made his condition even worse.

Mu Lin said, "I told you not to hurt him. But you laid your hands on him anyway."

Hong Litian was gloating, and Mu Lin could feel the sheer arrogance rolling off him.

"Aren't you satisfied we left him alive? This guy Xiang is suffering in your place, you idiot! If you hadn't challenged Young Master Zhong, then none of this would be happening!"

Mu Lin's eyes turned icy, radiating killing intent. With a flick of his finger, a marble-sized bead shot toward Hong Litian.

A plate flew through the air and intercepted the bead.

In an instant, the plate disintegrated into dust, and the bead shattered, rendered useless.

Grandmaster Hu looked at Mu Lin with great interest. "You're a Grandmaster, too?"

Mu Lin didn't answer, merely staring coldly at Grandmaster Hu.

Young Master Zhong and the others nearly jumped out of their skins. 'Mu Lin actually has this kind of power?'

"You have a bright future. Why oppose Young Master Zhong? He's a good person, in his own way! Life with him is great!"

Mu Lin let out a cold laugh. If he were the type to listen to that, he wouldn't be himself.

Grandmaster Hu added, "Just give up this pointless resistance, and Young Master Zhong will immediately give you a position."

Mu Lin grinned broadly. "How much have you had to drink to be spouting such bullshit? Who the hell do you think you are?"

Grandmaster Hu's expression turned ugly. Mu Lin's attitude was utterly disrespectful.

With a roar, he shot to his feet and lunged straight at Mu Lin.

In that electric moment, Mu Lin stood firm, completely unmoving.

Seeing this, Grandmaster Hu felt a surge of confidence. 'This kid's all for show. He's not that strong.'

'At best, he's just a novice.'

'He's like an overinflated balloon, ready to be popped with a single pinprick.'

Grandmaster Hu was a Late-stage Grandmaster; dealing with a young punk like this would be child's play.

Grandmaster Hu decided to end the fight quickly, lest Young Master Zhong's patience wear thin.

He aimed a palm strike straight at the crown of Mu Lin's head. Mu Lin met it cautiously, clashing with him head-on.

BOOM!

For a moment, it felt as if heaven and earth had collided. The ground shook violently.

CRACK! CRACKLE! Mu Lin felt the ground beneath his feet begin to fracture.

Grandmaster Hu was smug. 'My strike has already taken effect.'

Mu Lin, however, was in no rush. Calm and composed, he threw another punch.

Grandmaster Hu didn't see it coming and took the full force of the blow.

Pain shot through him.

Then, Grandmaster Hu realized he had fallen right into Mu Lin's trap.

Mu Lin's hand appeared on Grandmaster Hu's back. He grabbed him and slammed him violently toward the ground.

In an instant, the old man's body met the already shattered floor.

Mu Lin continued his assault, grabbing the old man by the hair and slamming his head against the ground.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

In moments, Grandmaster Hu's forehead was a mass of bruises, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.

This time, he lost consciousness completely.

As a Grandmaster, his constitution was naturally strong. While it was unlikely he would die, he had certainly sustained significant injuries.

Mu Lin kicked the unconscious Grandmaster Hu aside, his gaze landing once more on Young Master Zhong and Hong Litian.

The men were terrified. They had believed Grandmaster Hu to be their invincible protector, yet Mu Lin had beaten him to a pulp with shocking ease. What hope was there for them?

Young Master Zhong suddenly dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the floor in an act of utter subservience.

Seeing this, Hong Litian scrambled to do the same, mirroring his posture.

"Lord Grandmaster, please spare our lives!"

Mu Lin said coldly, "What gave you the idea to target Hong Rui? You have to pay the price for your mistakes, don't you?"

Young Master Zhong was so terrified he broke out in a cold sweat that soaked through his clothes.

"I... I don't understand! Please, sir, enlighten me!"

Mu Lin sneered. "Heh. Fine. Stay right there. Don't move until you figure it out."

Mu Lin turned to Hong Litian. "You're Hong Rui's cousin?"

Hong Litian nodded frantically. "Yes, that's me! I wasn't in my right mind, I made a terrible mistake! Please, for Hong Rui's sake, spare my life!"