Chapter 283 282: Severing All Ties

Fang Longzhi glanced at Zhou Qishan. "Do you think I'm joking with you? Vajra Zhenren himself has come to Anhua. What other possibility is there? Mu Lin is a dead man! If we cut ties with him before he dies, Vajra Zhenren might spare us! Otherwise, it won't just be the Zhou Family—you'll drag the Fang Family down with you!"

Zhou Qishan lowered his head. Though he found it unbearable, he knew Fang Longzhi wasn't lying.

Even in his eyes, Mu Lin was no match for Vajra Zhenren.

While the Zhou father and son hesitated, Fang Longzhi reached out, snatched Zhou Qianfan's phone, found Mu Lin in the contacts, and placed the call.

Caught off guard, Zhou Qianfan tried to grab the phone back, but he was blocked by several of the Fang Family's attendants.

Mu Lin answered the call. "Uncle Zhou, what's up?"

Fang Longzhi said coldly, "You're Mu Lin, correct? I am Fang Longzhi, a name I'm sure you've heard. From this moment on, the Zhou Family severs all ties with you. As for the life you saved for the Zhou Family, they will compensate you with two billion. That's the end of it. You're going to die tonight anyway, so don't drag the Zhou Family down with you."

Mu Lin paused for a moment, then said, "Alright."

Then the call disconnected.

Fang Longzhi hadn't expected Mu Lin to dare hang up on him. He was furious but forced himself to calm down, reasoning that he shouldn't get angry with a dead man walking. Only then did he feel slightly better.

Fang Longzhi slammed the phone down in front of Zhou Qianfan. "Patriarch Zhou, come with me to apologize to the Yang Family. On my account, they will at least forgive you."

But Zhou Qianfan didn't move an inch. With a resolute expression, he said, "Mr. Fang, I'm sorry. I can't do that!"

Fang Longzhi was in disbelief. "Zhou Qianfan, what are you thinking? Your ass is on fire right now! And you're still here messing with me? Your life is on the line, don't you get it?"

Zhou Qianfan, however, said calmly, "Mr. Fang, I will not go to the Yang Family. The Yang Family brought this upon themselves with their evil deeds, and Mu Lin just gave them what they deserved. He simply did what had to be done."

The members of the Fang Family who had come with Fang Longzhi were all stunned. 'My God, where does Zhou Qianfan get this courage?'

'Has he gone mad? Or is he just tired of the Zhou Family's stable development?'

Fang Longzhi looked at Elder Zhou. "Elder Zhou, look at your son. He clearly doesn't value his life. Do you think he's fit to be the Patriarch of the Zhou Family?"

Elder Zhou glanced calmly at Zhou Qianfan and said, "I think he's doing a fine job. There's no problem."

Hearing his father speak of him this way, Zhou Qianfan was deeply moved. "Dad..."

Fang Longzhi stared coldly at Elder Zhou. 'It seems the Zhou Family wants to die right alongside Mu Lin.'

'But his Fang Family couldn't afford that.' Fang Longzhi said coldly, "Fine. Since you're dead set on this path, there's nothing I can do."

"The Fang Family has always treated the Zhou Family well. Even today, we only wanted what was best for you, but you refuse to see it. From now on, whether the Zhou Family lives or dies has nothing to do with my Fang Family. Our families' relationship ends today!"

After speaking, Fang Longzhi strode out of the villa.

The other members of the Fang Family hurried out after him.

However, the moment he stepped out of the villa, Fang Longzhi's mood lightened considerably.

He had wanted to shake off the Zhou Family for a long time but couldn't find an opportunity due to the opinions of other collaborating families.

With a crisis this big, he was confident he could convince all the other families who were watching from the sidelines.

Mu Lin put down his phone. Lin Shishi asked, "Who was that? The atmosphere felt so awful, like something terrible was being discussed."

Mu Lin asked, "Who's Fang Longzhi? It was Uncle Zhou's number, but some idiot named Fang Longzhi jumped in."

Hearing Mu Lin speak so bluntly, Lin Shishi wanted to clamp a hand over his mouth. "Brother Mu, be careful! Fang Longzhi is not someone to be trifled with!"

"Why not? What's the difference?" Mu Lin asked, confused.

Lin Shishi said, "Fang Longzhi is one of the current leaders of the Fang Family. He's generally in charge of their daily affairs and wields immense influence in Nanjiang Province."

Mu Lin nodded slowly. "I see. So he's pretty powerful, huh? But why did he have Uncle Zhou's phone?"

Lin Shishi explained, "The Fang Family first made its fortune in Anhua and has had ties with the Zhou Family from early on. Their ancestors knew each other well. But later, when the Fang Family became wealthy, they moved to Di Yang to expand, so very few people know about their connection on the surface."

Mu Lin had a sudden realization. 'This relationship is actually quite complex. You really wouldn't know the details without looking into it.'

When Lin Shishi heard Mu Lin mention the Zhou Family, she immediately recalled some old stories.

She instantly connected the dots.

She was very clever and immediately understood the connection between the Fang and Zhou Families, and even more so, the extraordinary relationship between Mu Lin and the Zhou Family.

She even carefully considered whether there had ever been any bad blood between the Lin Family and the Zhou Family.

When she realized there was none, she let out a small sigh of relief.

'Thankfully, the Lin Family has always been kind to others, holding fast to the principle of never using their power to bully people. As a result, their relationships with those around them are quite good.'

Mu Lin sighed and turned to resume his cultivation.

But then, his phone rang again.

It was Zhou Qianfan.

"Mu Lin!" Zhou Qianfan called out.

Mu Lin said, "Uncle Zhou, what was that all about just now?"

Zhou Qianfan said, "Mr. Fang came to my family's home and forced that call. That's not what I meant at all! No matter what, the Zhou Family will stand with you. You can rest assured!"

Mu Lin was silent for a moment. "Uncle Zhou, I understand. But aren't you afraid that if I lose, the Zhou Family will be destroyed along with me?"

Zhou Qianfan's tone was incredibly firm. "The worst that can happen is we start over from scratch! There isn't a single pampered good-for-nothing in the Zhou Family. We can survive just fine without this vast fortune!"

"The Zhou Family has been groveling like grandsons to the Fang Family for too long. I absolutely refuse to go through that again."

Mu Lin laughed. "Uncle Zhou, you're really betting everything on me! In that case, when the dust settles, I'll make sure you get a piece of the pie in Di Yang!"

Zhou Qianfan said casually, "Then I'll be waiting for your good news."

Mu Lin put down the phone, tossing it onto the table.

Lin Shishi paused, waiting for the expression on Mu Lin's face to soften a little before asking, "The Fang Family abandoned the Zhou Family?"

Mu Lin shook his head. "No. The Zhou Family abandoned the Fang Family!"

He said this with such conviction that it sent a shiver through Lin Shishi.

But she quickly composed herself and said, "It can't be helped. The Zhou Family is already a top family in Anhua. If they want to keep developing, the only way is up."

"But the Fang Family never gave them that chance. They just kept dragging things out until the Zhou Family finally lost its patience."

Mu Lin scratched his head. "Aren't the Fang and Zhou families old friends?"

"Family friends are family friends, but when it comes to business, they won't pull any punches. It is what it is."

"The power structure in Di Yang has been fixed for a long time. The major families are all the same—none of them are willing to cede any ground. So what can you do?"

"The most awkward part is that the Fang Family's strength isn't that great to begin with. If they carved out a share for the Zhou Family, both of them would probably be pushed out."

"Under this balance of power, it's very difficult to find a way forward."

Mu Lin nodded slowly. "I think I'm starting to understand."

Mu Lin stretched. "I'm heading to work. You can walk around Anhua and have some fun on your own."

Lin Shishi was shocked. "Aren't you supposed to be having a decisive battle with Vajra Zhenren? Why are you still going to work?"

Mu Lin said, "A showdown is a showdown, but life goes on. You can't just stop doing everything, right?"

"Besides, he'll definitely come looking for me. No need to rush."

The group from the Di Yang Li Clan ascended, bringing two people with them. The atmosphere was quite intriguing.

Yang Qitian rushed to the front. He had received a call from his master early that morning and had immediately brought a group of people to welcome him.

Vajra Zhenren stepped out of the car, looking exceptionally dashing.

Yang Qitian immediately rushed forward and bowed deeply to Vajra Zhenren. "Master, I beg you to save my grandfather!"

Vajra Zhenren said, "Second Martial Uncle, you go. You're more familiar with this."

An old man dressed entirely in white, with only a black sash tied around his waist, stepped forward. He examined Patriarch Yang from head to toe for a moment.

"Whoever did this is a ruthless one. What a technique..."

"But they're a bit green. Their cultivation is still lacking."