Chapter 289 288: Mind Control

What else could she do?

Liu Yifang knew she couldn't rush things. She had to take it slow.

"Goodbye, Mr. Mu!"

Xue Xi said, "Mu Lin, Yifang isn't a bad person. Why are you so wary of her?"

"If it weren't for her helping me back then, I would have been bullied to death by the bad kids at school."

Mu Lin replied, "I never said she was a bad person. It's just that some things… really can't be helped."

Xue Xi's face was filled with worry. 'That's what Mu Lin says, but is that what he really thinks?'

'You can't know what's in a person's heart. And Mu Lin acts so high and mighty... she really couldn't figure out what he was thinking.'

Suddenly, Mu Lin froze. His expression changed drastically as he patted the driver's shoulder. "Pull over. This is far enough."

The driver acknowledged and stopped the car.

Mu Lin paid the fare and urged Xue Xi to get out of the car quickly.

Xue Xi didn't know why, but she could feel Mu Lin's anxiety, so she hurriedly grabbed her bag and got out.

Mu Lin yelled to the driver, "Get out of here, fast! Don't stop for anything!"

The driver wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly drove off, not understanding why Mu Lin was so on edge.

Xue Xi moved closer and asked, "Mu Lin, what's going on? Why are you so nervous?"

Mu Lin shook his head, not saying a word for a moment.

Xue Xi obediently kept her mouth shut and didn't press him further.

Mu Lin closed his eyes, and his consciousness rapidly spread outwards.

It wasn't long before Mu Lin felt an exceptionally strange power rushing toward him, crashing straight into him.

It was like a prehistoric beast, its gaping maw reeking of blood and gore.

There was something terrifying about this feeling.

'What in the world is happening?!'

Even Mu Lin was startled. "What is this?"

But he forced himself to calm down, because he knew what this thing was.

It was curse power. There was a Curse Master nearby!

Mu Lin hastily focused his mind.

Chaotic voices ravaged his psyche.

He took a deep breath, let out a soft shout, and gathered a wave of Telekinesis, sending it rushing toward the source of the threat.

Just like that, the beast formed from mental energy vanished.

He let out a long breath, but he was already drenched in sweat.

His mental exertion in countering the hidden Curse Master had been immense, even if it was just for a moment.

Beside him, Xue Xi was pale with fright. 'What's wrong with Mu Lin?'

'She hadn't done anything to him. If people thought she had, it would be big trouble.'

"Mu Lin, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Mu Lin shook his head. "It's nothing serious, don't worry. I know my own body."

Xue Xi nodded. She was well aware of Mu Lin's abilities, so she wasn't too concerned in that regard.

"Then what was that...?" she asked tentatively.

Mu Lin said simply, "Just got ambushed by some petty villain. It's a common occurrence. I've dealt with it."

Just as he finished speaking, he saw a sedan pull out of the Liu Family estate.

Mu Lin's expression changed. "Miss Liu's mind is being controlled!"

Xue Xi's face paled. If Mu Lin hadn't been the one to say it, she would never have believed such a thing.

"How could that be..."

Mu Lin said, "Miss Liu is beautiful and comes from a wealthy family, which makes it a real possibility. Wealth moves people's hearts, not to mention her looks are in the picture too."

Hearing Mu Lin praise Liu Yifang like this felt strange to Xue Xi.

'What's so great about Liu Yifang that she deserves such praise from you?'

Mu Lin waved down another taxi. "Driver, please follow that car. I'll make it worth your while."

The taxi driver sensed Mu Lin's urgency, started the engine immediately, and kept his eyes glued on Liu Yifang's car.

The car drove to a hotel. Liu Yifang parked in a space, got out, and walked forward with a dazed, robotic gait.

Mu Lin paid and got out, then shot forward like an arrow. He tapped a point on the back of Liu Yifang's head, and she stopped in her tracks. Then Mu Lin moved to her front and pressed a spot on her forehead.

In an instant, the vacant look in Liu Yifang's eyes was replaced by clarity.

"Mr. Mu?! What… what are you doing here? Wait, why am I here? Wasn't I on my way home?"

Mu Lin said, "Someone took control of your mind and brought you here. They're no good."

Liu Yifang was shocked. Besides her identity as a member of the Liu Family, she was just an ordinary woman. Who would have a grudge against her?

"Who? This is completely baffling," Liu Yifang said.

"I don't know, but we'll find out if we investigate, won't we? Give me a strand of your hair," Mu Lin said, gesturing to Liu Yifang.

Liu Yifang pursed her lips, pulled out a long strand of hair, and handed it to Mu Lin.

Mu Lin glanced at it and smiled. "Perfect."

Mu Lin unfolded a piece of talisman paper and quickly drew on it.

"What's that?!" Liu Yifang asked.

"It's rather complicated. Just think of it as a talisman that will help us find the culprit."

Mu Lin clapped his hands, and the talisman paper floated into the air, its edges smoldering and burning very slowly.

It slowly drifted off in one direction.

Mu Lin said, "Let's follow it. The culprit is that way."

In a hotel room, the Curse Master's face contorted, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Jiang Ting jumped in alarm and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

The Curse Master's face was grim. "Someone interfered!"

"And the curse to kill Mu Lin... there's been no response. I really don't know what happened."

Jiang Ting's expression was incredibly grave. "How is that possible? You're already a top-tier Curse Master. How could there be someone stronger than you?"

The Curse Master shook his head repeatedly. "I don't know. There isn't much I can do right now."

"It doesn't feel like it failed. It's more like the casting was directly interrupted. This person's cultivation must be incredibly formidable."

"But Anhua is so small. How could there be such a figure here? If there were, I would have known long ago. Perhaps there's a Daoist Sect member here. If so, it's not a big problem. My sect has a good relationship with the Daoist Sects. A calm discussion should be able to resolve the issue."

Jiang Ting was slightly relieved. "That's good to hear."

'If something had gone wrong, it would have been disastrous.'

Suddenly, the Curse Master's gaze sharpened as he looked toward the door.

An instant later, the door was kicked open. The lock bolt snapped and fell to the floor, and the door swung limply on its hinges.

A single Talisman slowly flew in.

It flew before the Curse Master, dissolving into a cloud of smoke that slowly swirled around him.

Mu Lin said, "See? I told you someone was up to no good."

Seeing the talisman paper combust on its own, the Curse Master's expression changed several times. He forced a smile and said, "Are you from a Daoist Sect? Our curse lineage has very close ties with you! Brother, why not do me a favor? Turn a blind eye to what's happening here, and I'll be sure to reward you handsomely later!"

Mu Lin gave a cold smile. "Who said I was from a Daoist Sect? Don't be so presumptuous."

Liu Yifang stood behind Mu Lin. The first person she saw was Jiang Ting, who was holding a glass of red wine with a leisurely air. It was clear the Curse Master was working for him!

'It was Jiang Ting who wanted to control me! Mu Lin was so right when he said Jiang Ting was no good!'

"Jiang Ting, so it was you behind this! I can't believe you're so vile and despicable. I was truly wrong about you!"

Liu Yifang had actually had a very good impression of Jiang Ting before. Now, that was completely different.

Jiang Ting's face was extremely dark. He hadn't expected his scheme to be exposed.

Mu Lin said, as if to himself, "My master told me that practitioners of the curse arts have been bad news since ancient times. I originally thought it was just some passing Out-of-Body Immortal trying to borrow some of your vital energy—that would have been fine, as they have no malicious intent and wouldn't harm you."

Liu Yifang's lip quivered. She had always thought those Out-of-Body Immortals were terrifying, but it turned out that wasn't the case.

Humans are, and always will be, more detestable than monsters.

Mu Lin let out a long sigh and said,

"Unfortunately, that wasn't it."

He looked at the Curse Master, a slight smile playing on his lips. "You said yourself that you're from the curse lineage, right? That means there must be a sect behind you, I suppose?"

The Curse Master's lips curled into a smirk, and he chuckled. "Hahaha, what a worldly little brat. Don't be in such a hurry. I'll kill you first!"

Mu Lin laughed. "You already tried that, didn't you? And you failed."

"Enough talk! I have my ways to make you submit!" As he spoke, a doll appeared in the Curse Master's hand. Its features were eerily lifelike, and it wore a strange smile, giving it a particularly bizarre look.

The doll was wearing strangely colored clothes, a date-red color. It was an uncommon color, and it reminded Mu Lin of the upholstery on the hotel seats.

'Could that be the cushion from the chair he just sat on?'