Chapter 254 253: Setting Up a Tournament to Give It Away

Flashes of blade light streaked through the air and crashed into each other.

BOOM!

The two torrents of blade force clashed, their power evenly matched.

An explosion erupted in the air, the shockwave blasting the surrounding walls to pieces.

Elder Bai laughed heartily. "Mu Xiaoyou, your strength is truly impressive! That was fifty percent of my power, no holds barred. How did you block it so easily?"

"Have you practiced with a blade before?"

Mu Lin replied, "No, this is my first time using one."

Elder Bai was even more astonished. Mu Lin had no reason to lie; after all, he was acquainted with Zhao Yang and could simply ask him later to verify it.

But if this was truly his first time wielding a blade, to have reached this level of skill meant Mu Lin's strength was already incredibly formidable. One could even say he was far ahead of most people.

'A genius is a genius, after all.'

"Mu Xiaoyou, let me put it this way. If your opponent had been an ordinary Sword Dao Grandmaster instead of me, I believe you would have already cut him down."

But Mu Lin asked, "Elder Bai, how do you think I compare to that Dong Wu?"

Elder Bai chuckled. "Mu Xiaoyou, you mustn't be too ambitious! Who is Dong Wu, and who are we?"

"Just tell me, how does my strength compare to Dong Wu's?"

Elder Bai pursed his lips in thought for a moment before saying, "Compared to him... it would probably take three of you to fight Dong Wu to a standstill."

Mu Lin's eyes narrowed. "I understand!"

'I have a baseline now,' he thought. He had only used twenty percent of his strength just now.

'That means if I go all out, I can surpass Dong Wu.'

'Besides, Elder Bai's assessment probably has a margin of error. Once I account for that, fighting Dong Wu on equal footing shouldn't be a problem at all.'

Once his initial excitement passed, he couldn't help but wonder, 'Why am I this strong?'

'Why was I able to master this Wordless Celestial Book so quickly, when it took Elder Bai more than a decade?'

After much thought, Mu Lin could only attribute it to his profound Qi Force. Because his foundation was so solid, he could achieve a greater effect when unleashing his blade's power.

Otherwise, it was truly difficult to explain.

Bai Zhenshan said, "Mu Xiaoyou, you and this Wordless Celestial Book are a match made in heaven!"

"Elder Bai, you're exaggerating. It was just a fluke," Mu Lin said. "Here, take the Wordless Celestial Book back. I'm finished with it, so it's time to return it to its rightful owner."

But Bai Zhenshan's face soured. "It's nothing but a curse in my hands! What use do I have for it?"

Mu Lin thought for a moment and sighed to himself. The Bai Family had paid far too dearly for this Wordless Celestial Book.

They were a classic case of 'once bitten, twice shy.'

He was afraid that the moment he took possession of the book, the images of his family members being slaughtered one by one would come flooding back.

Bai Zhenshan said earnestly, "Mu Xiaoyou, the fact that you could master this Wordless Celestial Book so quickly proves you two are truly fated to be together. Take it. By doing so, you'll also be ridding my Bai Family of a great scourge."

Mu Lin sighed heavily. "But as long as you make public appearances, people will always be reminded of your Wordless Celestial Book. How will you handle the situation then?"

"The attacks will keep coming for you, just as before! I don't think the Bai Family can withstand that kind of pressure right now, can they?"

Bai Zhenshan heaved a long sigh. "On that point, Mu Xiaoyou, you are right. The Bai Family cannot bear such immense pressure."

"But I have no other choice. My family's disciples are all a bunch of good-for-nothings. If even one or two of them had any real talent, I wouldn't have to worry about any of this. In this day and age, I, an old man, still have to carry the entire family..."

Bai Zhenshan's resentment for his useless descendants ran deep.

Mu Lin really had no way to help him, and could only sigh along with him.

"Elder Bai, I have an idea. Why don't you just hand over the Wordless Celestial Book in public? That way, no one will suspect you anymore!"

Elder Bai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "If I hand over this Wordless Celestial Book, will anyone in the world believe it? I'm afraid it would only cause an even greater disaster."

Mu Lin said, "What if I infuse it with True Qi to make the contents appear? Wouldn't that solve it?"

Elder Bai thought about it. That was a valid point.

'Mu Lin is incredible,' he thought.

"But who should I give it to? No matter who gets it, others won't accept the outcome!"

Mu Lin said calmly, "Why not set up a tournament? Let everyone use their strength to decide who the Wordless Celestial Book belongs to. That way, the winner will have everyone's heartfelt respect."

Bai Zhenshan's eyes lit up. This was a truly excellent idea.

Mu Lin had truly considered every angle for him. It was the perfect solution.

Bai Zhenshan reached out and grabbed Mu Lin's hand. "Mu Xiaoyou, you are truly the great benefactor of my Bai Family!"

Mu Lin smiled. "Elder Bai, you are Grandmaster Zhao's friend. Helping you is the same as helping Grandmaster Zhao."

Bai Zhenshan nodded repeatedly, deeply moved by Mu Lin's sincerity.

"Then... Mu Xiaoyou, will you participate? I truly believe you are the perfect fit for this Wordless Celestial Book."

Mu Lin smiled. "Of course. As you said, I have a strong affinity with this Wordless Celestial Book, so I wouldn't miss it for the world. Just let me know when you're holding the tournament, and I'll be there."

Bai Zhenshan's heart leaped with joy. He laughed and said, "Excellent! I'll go have someone check the calendar and pick an auspicious date."

With that, he walked away, laughing heartily.

Mu Lin shrugged. The training room had collapsed, so he could only find an open area to continue his practice.

The noise from his training drew Bai Zhenshan back over. He was still intensely curious about why Mu Lin was so powerful.

Mu Lin knew Bai Zhenshan was watching, but he didn't mind. If his training could offer some inspiration to Elder Bai, it would be his honor.

He trained until noon.

A servant ran to Bai Zhenshan's side and whispered a few words. Bai Zhenshan then called out to Mu Lin, "Mu Xiaoyou, it's time to eat! Rest for a while before you continue training!"

Mu Lin agreed cheerfully. He felt he had practiced enough for now.

This was the perfect example of balancing training with rest.

At the dining table were only Elder Bai, Mu Lin, Lin Shishi, and Hong Rui. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

When the other family members heard Mu Lin would be joining them, they all chose to take their food and eat back in their own rooms.

They had no desire to listen to the old man's nagging again; their ears were practically worn out from it.

Bai Zhenshan couldn't be bothered with them either, as he had no desire to see those buzzkills.

The feeling was mutual, and so, peace was maintained.

Halfway through the meal, Mu Lin felt his phone vibrate. He quickly picked it up.

'A call from Tang Shuang? What's going on?'

"Hello?" Mu Lin asked.

"Brother Mu, help me!"

Mu Lin's heart leaped into his throat. 'Could it be that scoundrel Zhong Haoyu? Hasn't his lecherous mind given up? Is he causing trouble again?'

"Calm down and speak slowly. Is it Zhong Haoyu?"

"No! It's my brother! He's badly hurt, he's dying!"

'How could this happen?' Mu Lin thought. Then he remembered that Tang Zhi was part of the Military Suppression Bureau—a high-risk profession. Getting into an accident was understandable.

Mu Lin stood up. "Elder Bai, thank you for your hospitality, but I have to leave on an urgent matter. It's an emergency. Could I borrow one of your men and a car?"

Elder Bai said, "Of course, no problem. Feel free to command them as you wish! Just let me know if you need anything at all."

Elder Bai called over a driver and told him, "This is my honored guest. You are to follow his orders."

The driver gave Mu Lin a respectful bow. He didn't dislike Mu Lin in the slightest; as a subordinate, he was actually quite happy to see someone who could put the boss in his place.

Mu Lin turned and left immediately. It was a matter of life and death; there was no time to waste.

「The car arrived at the hospital in no time.」

Following Tang Shuang's directions, Mu Lin hurried to the front of the emergency room.

Tang Shuang was sitting on a bench, looking utterly dejected.

A few men and women were gathered around her, their appearance similar to the members of the Military Suppression Bureau he'd met before.

'And since Tang Zhi is from the Military Suppression Bureau, these people must be his comrades,' he thought.

When Tang Shuang saw Mu Lin, she immediately rushed over. "Brother Mu, what took you so long!"

Hearing this, Mu Lin's heart sank. 'Was I too late?'

"I'm so sorry. I... I couldn't save your brother. I'm so sorry..."

Tang Shuang suddenly looked up and glared at Mu Lin. "Brother Mu, why are you cursing my brother to die?"

Huh? Oh, so he wasn't dead yet. Mu Lin let out a long sigh of relief, but was immediately faced with another problem.

"How exactly was Tang Zhi injured?" Mu Lin asked seriously. "Where is he hurt? If you don't tell me, how can I help you?!"

"Besides, you were the one who said something misleading in the first place."

"I thought Tang Zhi was a goner!"

As Mu Lin said this, Tang Shuang realized that her words had indeed been easy to misinterpret. She quickly shook her head and said:

"Oh, my mistake! What I meant was, I've been waiting for you for so long!"