Chapter 307 306: Hypocrite

A flash of light illuminated Elder Meng, and he couldn't help but peek through the gaps between the bars.

'It looks impressive, but even I couldn't escape with my strength as a Peak Grandmaster. What makes this kid think he can?'

'What a joke.'

'Unless he's a Martial Arts Celestial Being or a Land Immortal, he shouldn't even dream of it.'

'Could this kid have the potential to be a Celestial Being? Ridiculous. Meng Jing'an knew Jin Cheng would never have the guts to imprison someone like that.'

'If he met a Celestial Being, he'd be groveling like a dog. How could he possibly lock one up?'

'It's utterly ridiculous.'

「Inside Anhua Hospital.」

Fei Ji had already woken up, but Mu Lin had beaten him so badly that he couldn't move a muscle.

The moment he awoke, he saw Jin Cheng at his side and tried to sit up. "Deputy Captain... I..."

Jin Cheng pressed him back down. "You're seriously injured. Don't get up."

Fei Ji said helplessly, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. The fault isn't yours. It's that Mu Lin's for being so blind as to challenge the authority of our Military Suppression Bureau! You did very well."

"Brother Jin, you have to get justice for me! That Mu Lin has absolutely no respect for the Military Suppression Bureau!"

Jin Cheng said, "I know, I know. I've already locked him up. I'll finish him off later!"

"Brother Jin, you're the man! I've been saying for ages that you should be the captain. Our actual captain is never around. If you weren't looking out for us, our squad would have been wiped out long ago!" Fei Ji said excitedly.

Jin Cheng shot Fei Ji a glare. "You don't know when to shut your mouth, do you? Did Mu Lin knock your brains loose when he beat you up?"

Fei Ji quickly shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant! I was just saying..."

Jin Cheng sighed. "I know, I know. Just watch what you say and where you say it!"

He stood up. "I'm going to find the files on Mu Lin's family and friends. Then, I'll cripple him for good."

"His woman! She's a real beauty! He killed Grandmaster Li for her!"

Jin Cheng chuckled dryly. "You think I need you to tell me that?"

He sauntered out of the hospital room as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Fei Ji's expression was grim. "Hmph, Mu Lin, you're a dead man. I can't think of a single reason why you should be allowed to live."

The moment Mu Lin was taken away, Tao Xinxin immediately found Xue Xi to tell her what had happened.

Xue Xi was stunned. 'The Military Suppression Bureau,' she thought, 'that sounds related to the Martial Dao. I should ask Liu Yifang for help.'

When Liu Yifang heard that the Military Suppression Bureau had taken Mu Lin, she panicked.

'The Liu Family go up against the Military Suppression Bureau? In your dreams!'

"I can't help! The Liu Family isn't as close with the Military Suppression Bureau as you think!"

"But..." Xue Xi's mind reeled. She never imagined the Military Suppression Bureau was powerful enough to frighten a prominent family like the Lius.

She realized then that the Military Suppression Bureau was not an organization ordinary people could afford to cross.

Mu Lin was in huge trouble. She frantically told Tao Xinxin, who was thrown into a complete panic.

Heaven only knew how she was going to save Mu Lin.

She got in her car and sped toward the Holy Medicine Hall.

Suddenly, halfway there, a man appeared in front of her car.

"Wh—"

Tao Xinxin slammed on the brakes. Luckily, her reflexes were quick, and the car stopped smoothly.

'What is wrong with this guy?' she thought. 'Does he have any sense of road safety at all?'

But after forcing her car to a stop, the man turned, walked over to the driver's side window, and reached his hand inside.

Tao Xinxin was about to scream in terror, but before she could make a sound, the man knocked her unconscious with a single chop to the neck.

"Hmph, still trying to scream? That'll teach you," Jin Cheng said coldly. That's right, the man was Jin Cheng.

"Mu Lin, oh, Mu Lin. Let's see if you can still talk so tough with such a beautiful woman on the line."

Jin Cheng hoisted Tao Xinxin onto his shoulder and swaggered away.

Nearby pedestrians couldn't help but turn to look. But when Jin Cheng's piercing gaze swept over them, they were so frightened they immediately looked away and hurried off, pretending they had seen nothing.

"Hmph. Pathetic," Jin Cheng thought smugly. 'These mortals have no backbone.'

'One little glare and they're scared witless.'

An unknown amount of time passed. The electrical energy crackling around Mu Lin's body had become so dense that, at a glance, it appeared to be black.

But upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be countless streaks of purple lightning, flashing so rapidly that they overlapped to create the illusion of blackness.

With a long exhale, Mu Lin stood up.

Hearing the movement, Meng Jing'an quickly turned his head. "You're awake? Given up on your cultivation? Well, lie down and let's have a chat. Since there's nothing to be done, we might as well get comfortable!"

Mu Lin obediently sat down. Meng Jing'an laughed. "That's the spirit, young man."

"Get some rest!"

Mu Lin smiled slightly. "Elder Meng, let me ask you something. If you could get out of here, what's the first thing you would do?"

Hearing Mu Lin's question, Elder Meng's smile widened. 'So he's completely given up,' he thought.

"I'd go see my dear granddaughter, of course. I've been in here for two or three years. In all that time, I have no idea what's happened in the outside world. The scariest part is that my granddaughter doesn't even know I'm locked up here. She works downtown, less than two miles away, but that short distance feels as vast and impassable as an ocean."

In that moment, Meng Jing'an was filled with a serene sense of hope for the life he longed for.

But it was all just a pipe dream.

Mu Lin chuckled. "When you get out, don't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you myself."

Meng Jing'an roared with laughter. "What are you talking about? I'm a Grandmaster!"

Mu Lin just smiled. "As if I'm not..."

Just then, footsteps approached. Jin Cheng had arrived at the cell door, his eyes fixed coldly on Mu Lin.

Gone was the politeness and humility from the day before. In his eyes, Mu Lin was nothing but a fat sheep ready for slaughter, looking utterly pathetic.

"Well, Mu Lin, did you rest well?"

Mu Lin replied, "Oh, I slept great."

His placid reaction made Jin Cheng uneasy. He had wanted to see Mu Lin terrified, to hear him beg hysterically.

But he got none of that.

He pulled out a photograph and tossed it to Mu Lin.

Mu Lin glanced at it. The Polaroid showed Tao Xinxin, unconscious, with her hands and feet bound.

Jin Cheng tossed a pill onto the floor. "Swallow that, then cripple your own cultivation. Otherwise, she dies right now."

The scoundrel had finally revealed his true, hideous colors.

'Meng Jing'an was right,' Mu Lin thought. 'This man is a complete and utter hypocrite.'

'To think he could hide his nature so well... It's no wonder people are fooled by him.'

But Mu Lin also understood that he had put too much faith in the three words "Military Suppression Bureau."

'Heaven only knows how deep the corruption in this organization runs.'

'It made perfect sense why Bai Zhenshan used to immediately drive away anyone from the Military Suppression Bureau. In fact, that was the normal reaction. Anyone who didn't hate the Bureau just hadn't been screwed over by them enough, or for long enough.'

Mu Lin let out a long sigh. "Well, this is quite the predicament."

Jin Cheng laughed. "What's so difficult? Swallow that pill, and life won't be difficult anymore. You'll be fed and looked after. What's so bad about that?"

Mu Lin smacked his lips. "You have a point, but that's not what I was talking about. I used to think the Military Suppression Bureau was a respectable organization. But looking at you now, I see that's really not the case."

"I'm very disappointed!"

Mu Lin took a step forward and ground the pill into powder under his foot.

Jin Cheng's expression turned ugly. Mu Lin was showing him zero respect.

"Kid, aren't you afraid I'll kill her right now? Look at her, such a pretty young woman. What will you do when I kill her?"

Mu Lin gave a cold smile. "You should be more worried about what's going to happen when I kill you."

"Hah!" Jin Cheng threw his head back and laughed. "You're in this cage for life. You'll never get out. What do I have to worry about?"

Mu Lin laughed. "You're so sure it can't be broken?"

"Unless your cultivation reaches the level of a Celestial Being, don't even dream of it!"

Jin Cheng was smug. He had absolute confidence in this prison cell.

Mu Lin smiled slightly. "Well, you're right, I'm not. But I think I can break it anyway."

"Bullshit!"

Jin Cheng turned away, a cold sneer on his face. "I'm done talking. I'm going to kill her now. You can spend the rest of your life wallowing in regret. No matter how much you suffer, you'll never be able to save her."