Chapter 338 337: No Better Blade

"He beat me so badly I was bedridden for half a year, but I beat him until he coughed up blood and ruined his martial foundation."

"So who's stronger and who's weaker? What difference does it make?"

Mu Lin was speechless. If what Ghost Saber said was true, then Dong Wu wasn't all that special.

"I'm a dead man walking anyway. What do I care if he's strong or weak?"

"I heard he's about to break through to the Celestial Human Realm. It's a real shame I won't get to witness his magnificent breakthrough!"

Mu Lin narrowed his eyes. "Celestial Being? Is it that easy to achieve?"

Ghost Saber let out a long breath, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Dong Wu's talent is far beyond that of an ordinary person. He was already a Grandmaster at an age when others were still building their foundation. There's no comparison."

"If I were to face Dong Wu now, he could kill me with a single glance. It's not even a contest."

Mu Lin said, "Any other regrets? Perhaps I can help."

Ghost Saber paused for a moment before speaking. "No more regrets. Coming after you for revenge was the biggest mistake I've ever made."

"One last piece of advice. You have a grudge with Wang Zuguang, don't you? I suggest you go beg for mercy immediately. Stop all this pointless struggling."

"Wang Zuguang is not someone you can afford to challenge. As for who's backing him... heh heh heh..."

Mu Lin scoffed. 'As if Wang Zuguang would let me off the hook just because I begged for mercy.'

He was about to speak when he saw the light in Ghost Saber's eyes dim. He had lost consciousness.

He had killed himself.

'A man of conviction,' Mu Lin thought. 'Clean and decisive. Not like those who drag things out, putting up a pointless struggle until everyone gets annoyed.'

Seeing that the commotion had stopped, Tao Xinxin cautiously walked over, clutching her arm. She didn't dare look at Ghost Saber's body on the ground, so she just stood behind Mu Lin.

She peeked through the small gap by Mu Lin's feet and saw that Ghost Saber was completely still.

"He's dead? But wasn't he supposed to be really strong?" Tao Xinxin asked Mu Lin.

Mu Lin just smiled. "Strong is one thing, but he could never be stronger than me. I'm the strongest, you know?"

Tao Xinxin pouted and shot Mu Lin a look. "You're such a braggart!"

Mu Lin tilted his head and laughed. "Bragging or not, the world can judge for itself."

Mu Lin pointed at Ghost Saber. "If he was so strong, why did he end up dead at my hands?"

She was at a loss.

Tao Xinxin opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't say a single word.

"I don't know!"

Mu Lin shook his head. "I don't know either."

And just like that, things became awkward.

"You should stand back a bit. You don't want to smell the corpse. Go upwind, that way you won't catch the scent."

Tao Xinxin asked blankly, "Upwind? Which way is upwind?"

Mu Lin pointed in a direction. The wind was from the east, so he just told her to stand to the east of the body.

'Sigh, these spoiled rich kids,' he thought. 'Can't they even tell their cardinal directions?'

'This is just not right...' Mu Lin shook his head as he pulled out his phone and called Gu Wu.

"Mr. Mu, what is it? How can I help you?"

Mu Lin said, "Oh, Ghost Saber came looking for me. I dealt with him. You're on this case, right? Get over here and collect the body."

Gu Wu's expression flickered, then shifted dramatically.

"Let me confirm—you're talking about the one on the bounty list?"

"That's right. The very same," Mu Lin said.

"He's dead? And you killed him?"

"That's right. What's with the question?"

Gu Wu's voice turned grave. "Oh, it's nothing. Understood. Be careful. I'm on my way."

After hanging up, Gu Wu's face grew even darker. Ghost Saber was an Innate Grandmaster. Even as a captain, taking him down would be a monumental effort, and he wouldn't dare try rashly for fear of ruining his reputation if he failed.

Regulars on the bounty list like Ghost Saber could typically only be captured if command issued a direct order and dispatched the captains of Team One and Team Two.

Team Three and the divisions below it simply weren't capable of handling such a task.

Before long, Gu Wu arrived with his team. Beads of sweat dotted everyone's foreheads, a clear sign they had rushed over using Qinggong the entire way.

Gu Wu carefully surveyed the scene. "Mr. Mu, it really is Ghost Saber! Would you be willing to hand the body over to us? We'll report it as a meritorious service—you get the reward money, I get the credit, and all spoils of battle are yours to keep."

"No problem," Mu Lin said.

'The Military Suppression Bureau always operates like this. It's always the same procedure.'

Mu Lin knew he had to play along. His immediate goals were reasonable enough, but he still needed to consider the long-term consequences.

Still, he had to carefully consider the future ramifications of this.

The strangest part was never truly knowing what one's next move should be.

In every moment, you had to strive for the best possible outcome.

Mu Lin laughed. "Whatever. Do as you see fit."

"One more thing. I asked Wu Henghai for a blade a while back, and he recommended this very saber, Ghost Saber's blade. But the malevolent aura on it is too strong for my liking. Could you exchange it for another blade of the same quality?"

Gu Wu thought for a moment. "I'm afraid that's not possible. Ghost Saber's blade is likely the highest-grade weapon we know of. If you find it unsuitable, I'm afraid I have no other options for you."

Gu Wu's words left Mu Lin feeling resigned. If that was the case, he'd just have to find another way.

Profound Thunder flashed in his palm. With a series of sharp CRACKLES, the malevolent aura on the saber's blade was rapidly drawn out and completely purged.

The blade's intrinsic quality was slightly diminished, but it was still more than suitable as a personal weapon for a Grandmaster.

However, the dream Ghost Saber had of using this single blade all the way to the Celestial Human Realm was now completely out of the question.

Mu Lin thought for a moment, then turned to Tao Xinxin. "Miss Tao, I'm sorry you were frightened because of me. Please try not to dwell on it, alright? I need to handle a few things here."

Tao Xinxin said it was no problem.

But Mu Lin could still sense her unease. He said:

"Miss Tao, I can see you're still a bit shaken... The shock must have affected you. Let me write you a prescription for some calming herbs. You can have them prepared and drink them as a tea."

He took out a notepad, quickly scribbled something down, and handed it to her.

Tao Xinxin clutched the slip of paper, reading it as if it were a treasure. "I understand. I'll go have this prepared right away. Mr. Mu, you must be tired as well. Shouldn't you head back and get some rest?"

Mu Lin glanced at their surroundings and thought, 'What an interesting place for her to be telling me to go home.'

'We're in the middle of nowhere. Can you even get back by yourself?'

"How about I take you back to the city first?" Mu Lin said calmly.

Tao Xinxin thought for a moment, then replied cheerfully, "Okay!"

She also realized it was improper to part ways here, but the words were already out. It was instantly awkward, and she didn't know how to recover.

Now that Mu Lin had offered a way out, she could gracefully accept.

'It's clear Mu Lin is a gentle and considerate person,' she thought. 'Incredibly so.'

Tao Xinxin's mind began to wander. 'How wonderful would it be if he were actually my husband?'

'Mother was right. A guy like Mu Lin might seem unassuming, but he's actually a real catch!'

She only learned after joining the Li Group that many female employees privately loved to talk about the special team leader from the project department.

They would gossip excitedly, almost as if they were talking about a celebrity.

Tao Xinxin couldn't help but feel a little disheartened.

After parting ways with Tao Xinxin, Mu Lin immediately pulled out his phone and called Chu Chaoxiong.

The moment Chu Chaoxiong heard Mu Lin's voice on the phone, he began to tremble uncontrollably, shivering violently.

"Mr. Mu! Y-You were looking for me?"

"Where is Wang Zuguang right now? Do you know?" Mu Lin asked.

Chu Chaoxiong lowered his voice. "He's at Yun Tian Manor, soaking in the hot springs. Mr. Mu, do you have business with him? You can just come over. I'm here too!"

"Alright. You should hang up. It'll be bad if you're discovered," Mu Lin said.

"Don't worry," Chu Chaoxiong said. "I'm being very careful. How could I possibly get caught? That's ridiculous!"

As he spoke, a figure cloaked in black suddenly appeared beside him.

The next second, Chu Chaoxiong's phone vanished from his hand.

Chu Chaoxiong was stunned. He whipped his head around to see Wang Zuguang's personal secretary.

The secretary held the phone, examining it for a moment before it crumbled into dust in his hand.