Chapter 361 360: The Reason for Being Targeted

The aroma of food instantly woke Jiang Lan.

The sight of the delicious food on the cart made Jiang Lan's mouth water, but she immediately recalled something more important.

"Mr. Mu! Please, you have to save our Miss!" Jiang Lan pleaded.

Mu Lin's expression was grim, but he wasn't flustered. He held up a hand to calm her.

"Don't rush. Fill your stomach first."

Jiang Lan immediately pounced on the food, wolfing it down. The sight was simply heartbreaking.

Mu Lin squatted beside her, waiting until she could catch her breath before he spoke.

"Jiang Lan, what happened? Why was Hidden Sword Manor suddenly targeted?"

He didn't dare tell Jiang Lan that Hidden Sword Manor had been razed to the ground, afraid she wouldn't be able to take it.

"The patron Hidden Sword Manor has relied on for years suddenly turned on us and forcibly took our Miss."

"My father fought back with all his might but was injured. By the time he could try to give chase, it was too late."

Mu Lin asked, "And who is this patron?"

"The Feng Family of Di Yang. It's always been a secret, as the Di Yang Feng Family hopes to keep its distance from the Jianghu. We, in turn, hoped to maintain our status as an independent and objective third party; otherwise, it would have been impossible to sustain the atmosphere of our auctions."

Mu Lin nodded slowly. 'That makes sense.' The auctions held by Hidden Sword Manor were unanimously recognized throughout the Jianghu, which was a clear testament to their successful operation.

Mu Lin considered this, then said, "Logically speaking, Hidden Sword Manor's auctions have become a vital channel for Martial Artists to trade for medicinal ingredients. They must be highly valued by every major power. The Feng Family, acting alone, shouldn't have been able to target you like this. After all, they would essentially be confronting the entire Martial World."

Jiang Lan nodded. "You have a point, but the problem is that none of the other powers have said a word. They're all silent, as if they've colluded to just stand by and watch. Not a single one of them offered to help..."

"Miss Luo did everything she could for them, and this is how they repay her... They're monsters..."

Jiang Lan was so furious that tears streamed down her face.

"Mr. Mu, what should I do? The Feng Family is so ruthless, and I'm just a helpless woman. There's nothing I can do."

Mu Lin gently patted Jiang Lan's shoulder. "Don't worry. Let me investigate whether Miss Luo has been transported to Di Yang. If she hasn't, it means she's still here in the city."

"How will you do that? It sounds so difficult. Is it even possible?"

Mu Lin smiled. "We'll see!"

He took out his phone and dialed Jiang Long.

Jiang Long was overjoyed to see Mu Lin's name on his screen and answered immediately.

"Hello, Mr. Mu. How can I help you?"

He was desperate to repay the favor he owed.

Mu Lin said, "Team Leader Jiang, I need to know if Miss Luo Wanqing from Hidden Sword Manor has been secretly transported to Di Yang City. Can you check for me?"

Since Jiang Long was with the Military Suppression Bureau, he naturally had the channels to investigate such matters.

Now that Jiang Lan had eaten her fill, much of the color returned to her face. Mu Lin performed acupuncture to help her recuperate. The treatment alleviated many of the internal injuries caused by her exhaustion, but it didn't heal them completely.

'Completely rooting them out will take a significant amount of time, and there's none to spare at the moment. I'll have to deal with it later.'

Mu Lin had He Zongshan bring Lu Jing over. Lu Jing's face was pale, and he was trembling with fear.

While guarding him, He Zongshan had already told Lu Jing just how formidable Mu Lin was.

Lu Jing was utterly shocked and filled with regret. 'I never thought I'd be facing such a big shot,' he lamented internally. 'I could just die from regret.'

Mu Lin clasped his hands behind his back, looking at Lu Jing with cold eyes.

Lu Jing looked at Mu Lin, then at Jiang Lan beside him, and a wave of weariness washed over him.

"Mr. Mu!" Lu Jing said with the utmost respect.

Now aware of Mu Lin's power, Lu Jing didn't dare make another wrong move. He stood there as obediently as a schoolboy.

Mu Lin said, "Start talking. Tell me every vile thing you've ever done. The sooner you start, the sooner it's over."

'How can I possibly tell him?' Lu Jing thought. 'Even one admission could be disastrous for me.'

He glanced at He Zongshan, but He Zongshan pretended not to notice.

'Even if he acknowledged me, what good would it do? It would just be a waste of time. Heaven knows what will happen to me.'

Despairing, Lu Jing began to spill everything, like beans from a tube.

After a long while, Mu Lin stared at Lu Jing. "Is that all?"

"Mercy, sir! I wouldn't dare hide a thing!"

Lu Jing wailed.

Mu Lin was silent for a moment, not bothering to say anything more.

He made a call to the Government, telling them to send someone to pick up Lu Jing and take him where he belonged.

A Government official arrived. Upon seeing Lu Jing, the official's expression soured.

He knew exactly who Lu Jing was and what his background was.

'Mu Lin actually called the police on Lu Jing? How naive. Bringing him in only to release him later... it's practically routine.'

'What difference does it make?'

Lu Jing was also stunned. 'Mu Lin actually plans to have me locked up?'

'Is this a joke? Can he really not know who I am?'

Mu Lin walked to the door and gave a slight bow to the middle-aged man in uniform. "And you are, sir?"

The man replied, "Bi Haitao."

Bi Haitao had some rank, and he was used to viewing people through that lens.

His rank outstripped everyone else's here, so he felt he deserved a measure of respect.

But Mu Lin offered none. He simply pointed at Lu Jing and said, "That's him. He's done more than enough evil. For the sake of peace for the people of Lanyang, you should take him away immediately!"

Bi Haitao's eyes narrowed. "I've been on the force for years. I don't need a lecture from you!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "And then you'll just take him outside and let him go?"

"How could I possibly do something like that?" Bi Haitao retorted angrily.

Mu Lin grinned. "Who knows? Our esteemed Deputy Captain must be well-practiced in this little play, having acted it out countless times."

"Who says!" Bi Haitao craned his neck, protesting.

Mu Lin gestured to the voice recorder app on his phone. "You tell me."

That made Bi Haitao's hair stand on end. He had given Lu Jing special treatment several times, letting him go on multiple occasions.

'Lu Jing might have confessed. If so, I'll be stripped of this uniform.'

Bi Haitao grew extremely tense.

Mu Lin said, "Handle him as you see fit. I just hope you can resolve this... smoothly."

"You don't have to say another word, I know what I'm doing!" Bi Haitao snapped. "Just hand him over to me. I'll take care of it."

Mu Lin chuckled. "That would be best! I just hope you won't be handling things 'as usual'."

"And how do I usually handle things?"

Finally, Mu Lin took out his phone and pressed play.

A series of audio recordings began to play.

The color drained completely from Bi Haitao's face.

'This is the evidence of me covering for Lu Jing time and time again!'

His expression flickered. If Mu Lin was determined to blow this up, his only option would be to take off his uniform and walk away.

But in the end, Mu Lin just said lightly, "You two need to behave."

Bi Haitao finally snapped. He pointed a finger at Mu Lin. "Are you done messing with me!?"

Mu Lin pulled out the credentials Jiang Long had given him and slapped them into Bi Haitao's palm.

"Recognize this?"

Bi Haitao glanced at the credentials. His hand trembled, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

"This... this is..." Bi Haitao stammered, his face a mask of horror.

Mu Lin said, "So? Think you can do your job now?"

Bi Haitao's tone became grave. "Rest assured, sir. I will watch him like a hawk and never let him escape! I'll make sure his testimony is airtight and that he doesn't get off easy!"

Mu Lin laughed. "Hahaha, listen to you now!"

He put the credentials away, his demeanor once again becoming as unassuming as any ordinary citizen's.

"I have complete faith in you. You'll be sure to bring Lu Jing to justice for me, right?"

"Yes... yes..." Bi Haitao could only force himself to agree.

"Then I'm relieved!" Mu Lin flashed a wide, toothy grin. "You're clearly a wise and brilliant Patrol Officer, dedicated to the people, someone who would never do anything wrong."

"Anyone who does wrong must be an impostor. And when it comes to impostors, I will definitely..."

Hearing this, Bi Haitao was so frightened he felt like dropping to his knees. 'Please, stop talking!' he begged internally. He was terrified that something terrible was about to happen.

"For that reason, I have to trust you," Mu Lin said, pushing Bi Haitao toward Lu Jing. For his own sake, Bi Haitao had no choice but to grab hold of Lu Jing.