Chapter 292 291: The Conspirator

Liu Yiming frowned. "You were saying? What's wrong with her?"

"Yesterday, I noticed there was still something wrong with her legs..."

Liu Qizhou said, "Fangfang already told me about that. Are you suggesting my friend is the one poisoning her?"

Mu Lin nodded slowly. "It may sound disrespectful, but yes, that's exactly the case."

Liu Qizhou's expression was conflicted. "But we've been old friends for so many years. He's watched Fangfang grow up. How could he do something like this?"

Mu Lin sighed softly. "But those are the facts, and that's not something I can change. I can help Miss Liu expel the cold poison again, but it's not a permanent solution if I have to keep doing this repeatedly."

Liu Qizhou said, "He has to come by today for some business. Why don't you see for yourself? He has to go to work afterward, so he should be here any minute."

A few moments later, the booming voice of a middle-aged man echoed from outside.

"My dear niece Fangfang! Come give your uncle a hug!"

Liu Qizhou pointed outside. "See? He's here!"

Mu Lin said, "Then I'll go out and meet him."

With that, Mu Lin walked slowly toward the entrance.

Liu Qizhou added from the side, "My friend's surname is Cao, and his given name is Gong. We've known each other for at least thirty years, ever since we were just little kids."

"He loves children and was always playing with Fangfang. I just can't imagine him trying to harm her."

The Liu Family's villa was enormous, but in the time it took to speak, the group had already reached the main entrance.

Liu Yifang was walking slightly ahead. The moment Cao Gong saw her, he rushed forward excitedly and swept her into a hug.

"Aha, still so slim! But your Uncle Cao is getting old; I can barely lift you anymore!"

Cao Gong let go of Liu Yifang and then gave Liu Qizhou an enthusiastic hug.

The bond between the two men was clearly rock-solid.

But with the matter of Liu Yifang's cold poison hanging in the air, Liu Qizhou couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Cao Gong then greeted Liu Yiming, but when he finally saw Mu Lin, he was baffled.

"And who is this young man?!"

Liu Qizhou said casually, as if nothing were amiss, "Let me introduce you. This is Fangfang's boyfriend! Mu Lin, this is my sworn brother, Cao Gong."

Mu Lin gave a slight bow. "Hello, Uncle Cao!"

Cao Gong looked Mu Lin up and down with a critical eye. "The young man is quite handsome. Not bad. My friend, you're a lucky man!"

Liu Qizhou chuckled. "You bet! Having a son-in-law like Mu Lin is a blessing I couldn't have earned in eight lifetimes!"

This wasn't an exaggeration at all; it came straight from the heart.

If Mu Lin could really become the Liu Family's prized son-in-law, he would be ecstatic.

He would willingly trade ten years of his life for it, and that was no exaggeration.

Cao Gong's expression immediately turned serious. "Young man, a relationship isn't just about the thrill of the moment; it's about a long-term commitment. Understand? If you don't treat her well, you'll have to answer to me!"

Mu Lin smiled faintly. "Don't you worry. If I ever mistreated Fangfang, there'd be a long line of people waiting to teach me a lesson. You might not even get your turn!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Cao Gong and Liu Qizhou went to the office to take care of some business. Afterward, Cao Gong said:

"Well, I have to get to work, but how about we all go out for some rustic farmhouse-style lunch?"

Liu Qizhou was hesitant. Until the truth was revealed, he didn't really want to keep associating with Old Cao.

"Sounds good!" Mu Lin said with a smile.

Liu Qizhou was shocked. 'What is Mu Lin doing?'

But since he had already agreed, Liu Qizhou had no choice but to say, "Then I'll be waiting for you!"

Cao Gong left, laughing heartily.

After he was gone, Liu Qizhou pulled Mu Lin to a more private spot and said agitatedly:

"Why? Didn't you say he's extremely dangerous?"

Mu Lin said, "He is. I could sense a faint aura of cold poison on him, but it's not strong enough to be certain it's the source of Miss Liu's affliction. That's why I want to get a closer look."

"So..." Liu Qizhou's lips twitched, his reluctance obvious.

Mu Lin had already confirmed the man was dangerous, yet he was still insisting on wading deeper into the situation. God knew what kind of mindset that was.

'He's insane.'

"Uncle Liu, don't worry. In all this time, he's only afflicted Miss Liu with a tiny amount of cold poison. That shows he still has some restraint and isn't some utterly vicious monster, wouldn't you agree?"

Liu Qizhou paused, then sighed deeply. "You're right. I grew up with him; I know his character. I just want to know why he's doing this. Did I do something to wrong him?"

"Cao Gong's business is doing quite well, and everything seems to be going smoothly for him. Heaven knows what his intentions are toward us."

This all needed to be investigated when the opportunity arose.

「By noon, Cao Gong returned.」

Liu Yifang had been prepped by her father and Mu Lin. She knew she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go through with the plan.

"Uncle Cao!" she called out, trotting over to him with Mu Lin following close behind.

Cao Gong poked his head in and said to Liu Qizhou, "Come eat with us! It's more fun when everyone goes out together!"

Liu Qizhou shook his head. "I still have a lot of work to do, so I don't have time to go out. You all have a good time!"

Cao Gong laughed. "We will!"

Cao Gong drove the car himself, while his chauffeur, dressed in a crisp suit, sat in the back. It was an indescribably strange sight.

'Rich people probably just get the urge to drive themselves when they're in a good mood,' Mu Lin thought. 'Perhaps that's all it is. That's understandable.'

Cao Gong pointed to the passenger seat. "Fangfang, come on, sit here. It's more convenient! Your leg is just starting to heal, so you should have a bit more room."

Liu Yifang obediently got in.

Mu Lin sensed there was something unusual about the chauffeur. He was a cultivator. Upon closer inspection, Mu Lin realized something was very wrong.

The man was actually a master at the Grandmaster level.

Good heavens, in the entire Liu Family, only Liu Yiming had reached that level.

Cao Gong's family was certainly not as prominent as the Liu Family, so why would he hire a Grandmaster to be his driver?

That would cost millions a month in salary!

You don't burn through money like that even if you're rolling in it.

"My dear nephew Mu Lin, aren't you getting in?"

Mu Lin quickly ran over and opened the car door. Suddenly, a feeling put him on high alert.

The cold poison was definitely in the car! He could sense it clearly now!

And it was coming from the direction of the passenger seat.

Clearly, this was all premeditated.

Mu Lin got into the car and said, "Uncle Cao, what grudge do you have against the Liu Family? Why must you harm them like this?"

Cao Gong froze. "I don't understand what you're talking about. How have I harmed the Liu Family? Ah Zhou and I are sworn brothers! We've been through thick and thin together!"

Mu Lin said, "Then why are you inflicting cold poison on Fangfang? Don't tell me you don't know anything about it."

"What cold poison? I don't know anything!" Cao Gong exclaimed.

Mu Lin smiled faintly. "So that's the only line you've got?"

He shouted out the window, "Uncle Liu, now!"

Liu Yiming and Liu Qizhou appeared with a group of experts. Mu Lin scanned the crowd and, seeing two or three Grandmaster-level experts among them, immediately felt a sense of relief.

'So the Liu Family had this kind of hidden strength as well. Dealing with the driver shouldn't be a problem.'

The car was immediately surrounded. Liu Qizhou reached through the window and snatched the keys from the ignition.

Cao Gong's face darkened. "Ah Zhou, what is the meaning of this? You believe this guy's nonsense too? After everything we've been through, how could I possibly harm you?"

Liu Qizhou glanced at Mu Lin. "Mr. Mu, please show him the evidence."

"Alright," Mu Lin said, reaching toward the front passenger area. Liu Yifang quickly pulled her legs back.

"Look at this," Mu Lin said as he yanked open the glove compartment and pulled out a ghastly green stone.

"This is the source of the cold poison. It's incredibly precious; many low-level practitioners of heterodox arts could never hope to find a single piece. For a simple, honest businessman like yourself to possess one, Uncle Cao... what a stroke of luck!"

This poison crystal was extremely toxic. Even Mu Lin had to use a tissue to handle it before daring to take it out.

"What is that? I don't know!"

Mu Lin sneered. "You don't know? Then why do you keep coming over here? Under the pretext of taking Fangfang out for fun? In reality, you just want her to be paralyzed again, don't you?"

"It's fine if you won't tell the truth. I have my ways of making you talk. Whether it's hypnosis or torture, I'm a first-rate expert."