Chapter 397 396: Healing the Boy

As she spoke, the woman picked up her child and continued toward the door.

Mu Lin said, "I have Spirit Medicine for setting bones. It can help your child make a full recovery."

The woman had heard Zheng Ying mention Spirit Medicine before. Her eyes suddenly locked onto him, and she turned to stare intently at Mu Lin. "Are you serious? You have Spirit Medicine?"

"Yes," Mu Lin said.

"Someone like you has Spirit Medicine? You think I don't know how precious that stuff is? We're a working-class family. We can't afford something like that!"

Mu Lin said, "I respect Captain Zheng, so I'm providing this specifically for him."

"You'd better not be lying. If you are, I'll have Zheng Ying settle the score with you."

Mu Lin smiled faintly. "Of course. If I'm lying to you, may lightning strike me down! You can have Captain Bi be the first to finish me off!"

Hearing Mu Lin say this, the woman's expression finally softened.

"Then I'm entrusting my son to you!" the woman said earnestly.

Mu Lin smiled faintly. "Of course. Please, don't worry."

Mu Lin knelt in front of the little boy, who tilted his head to look at him. Mu Lin found it amusing.

"Mister, are you really strong?"

Mu Lin laughed. "Me? I'm not that strong. Your dad is way stronger than I am! He's the real man!"

The boy grew excited. "That's right! My dad is a great hero! He beats up bad guys!"

Zheng Ying sighed deeply and turned his head to look out the window, tears welling in his eyes. He was completely helpless.

Mu Lin took out the medicine, patting the child's head. "This might hurt a little. You have to endure it, okay? Great heroes aren't afraid of pain."

The boy was still young, so painkillers were out of the question. Mu Lin also wasn't comfortable using acupuncture for anesthesia on a child.

So, Mu Lin had no choice but to have the boy endure the pain.

There was simply no other way.

The boy's eyes sparkled. "I'm not afraid of pain!"

Mu Lin quickly prepared the Spirit Medicine, mixing it into a liquid paste.

Although it wasn't heated, the mixture of medicinal herbs began to heat up on its own, releasing billowing steam.

Mu Lin said, "I'm about to start. Are you ready?"

The boy clenched his fists and pressed his lips together. "I'm ready! Go ahead, Mister!"

Mu Lin applied the paste to the boy's leg. But a moment later, the boy let out a sharp cry.

Then he started bawling. The woman's heart ached, but she also knew that bitter medicine was effective medicine. The pain meant it was working, which actually put her heart at ease.

She grabbed her child's hand and comforted him softly, "It's okay, it's okay. Be a good boy, sweetie. Just hold on a little longer."

Mu Lin carefully applied the paste bit by bit over the boy's entire leg before he was finished.

The boy kept crying for more than a full hour before he finally stopped.

"That should do it," Mu Lin said. "The bone should have set. You can try walking on it slowly, but no running or jumping. Take it easy."

The woman let go of her son's hand. "Sweetie, get down and try to walk."

But the boy hesitated. For days, his leg had been broken, and the slightest touch to the ground was agonizing. Just looking at the floor now seemed dangerous.

Zheng Ying said, "Be a good boy, sweetie, just try! Come to Daddy!"

The boy gritted his teeth and stood up. He was immediately surprised.

"It doesn't hurt anymore!" he exclaimed with delight.

He took a few quick steps and then threw himself into Zheng Ying's arms.

"Dad!"

"Yeah!"

Seeing his son back to normal, Zheng Ying was overwhelmed with emotion.

"Mr. Mu, thank you, thank you so much!" Zheng Ying's wife gave Mu Lin a deep bow, her eyes filled with tears.

Mu Lin waved his hand. "This is all due to Captain Zheng's lifetime of good deeds. This is his just reward."

'The husband and wife weren't young.'

'They must have had their child late in life, which is why they treasure him so much.'

Zheng Ying said, "Mr. Mu, thank you! I am willing to repay this kindness with my life!"

Mu Lin waved his hand dismissively. "What's with all this talk about life and death? I'm not into that kind of stuff."

"If it weren't for the fact that I was moved by your integrity and fearlessness in the face of the Baiju Group, I definitely wouldn't have treated him."

Hearing this, Zheng Ying lowered his head in shame. "But I still let Lu Jing go. Once you have a family, you have a weakness. You become a target. My hands are truly tied. There was nothing I could do."

Mu Lin said, "You just need to investigate in secret. If you find any leads, tell me, and I'll be the one to step forward. You don't need to have any direct contact with the Baiju Group."

Hearing this only made Zheng Ying more anxious. "Mr. Mu, you must not underestimate the Baiju Group. On the surface, they're businessmen, but they do all sorts of things in the shadows. They're vicious! You absolutely must not..."

Mu Lin chuckled. "Must not what?"

"You absolutely must not confront the Baiju Group..."

Mu Lin said, "Then how would I be any different from a useless bum? Group Leader Jiang Long of the Military Suppression Bureau sent me here for two reasons: one, to investigate Xu Jishan's whereabouts, and two, to destroy the Baiju Group. Did you think I would give up?"

Zheng Ying grew even more worried as he listened.

"Mr. Mu, your medical skills are incredible, but the affairs of the Jianghu aren't as simple as treating an illness. They're incredibly complex. The Baiju Group has powerful backers. One or two people won't be able to do anything to them."

Mu Lin just smiled. "This matter is actually quite manageable. Captain Zheng, please rest assured."

Zheng Ying's wife said, "Mr. Mu, as grateful as I am to you, this business is too dangerous. We don't have any connections; we're just an ordinary, working-class family. We can't afford to cross the Baiju Group! Can't you find someone else to help?"

Mu Lin smiled. "If you're worried about your and your son's safety, I can ask the Military Suppression Bureau to send a team to protect you—a squad from out of town that won't be influenced by the Baiju Group."

Zheng Ying's wife said, "I'm not afraid for myself. I've already been through the worst. But what about our child?"

'The worst thing she was talking about must have been the time she was kidnapped and nearly violated.'

'That probably wasn't even the worst of it,' Mu Lin thought. 'If Zheng Ying hadn't gotten to them so quickly, what happened next could have been far more horrific.'

Mu Lin said, "Ma'am, I think there's a misunderstanding. I'm talking about a captain from the Military Suppression Bureau coming to protect you and your son."

What?! The woman's face filled with disbelief.

After all, as Zheng Ying's wife, she knew how powerful the Military Suppression Bureau was. She was all too aware of what a captain-level operative was capable of.

"How is that possible? Aren't those people always moving in lofty circles, above it all? How could ordinary folks like us ever be protected by them?"

Zheng Ying patted his wife's hand to calm her. "Mr. Mu has the authority to command captain-level experts in the Military Suppression Bureau. You could say that beneath the Group Leaders, his authority is absolute."

"I... I'm sorry, I understand now," Zheng Ying's wife said, mulling it over. A little more confidence filled her heart. "Then thank you for your protection, Mr. Mu!"

Zheng Ying felt as if a great mountain had been lifted from his shoulders, replaced by a wave of relief. The road ahead looked bright once more.

"Mr. Mu, if you have time, you could try discussing this with the mayor. To be honest, he's also at a loss about the Baiju Group. You might want to go see Mayor Li."

"Oh," Mu Lin said.

Then he simply pulled out his phone and dialed a number. The call connected almost immediately.

'Mu Lin is laying it on a bit thick,' Zheng Ying thought with a wry smile. 'How could he possibly have Li Hong's number?'

The call went through, and a voice on the other end said, "Mu Lin, what a rare surprise. What made you think of calling me?"

Zheng Ying was stunned. The voice coming from the earpiece was unmistakably Mayor Li's.

He sounded like he had a pretty good relationship with Mu Lin. The fact that Mu Lin was on such good terms with the mayor made everything feel unreal to Zheng Ying.

And yet, when it came to Mu Lin, it somehow also felt plausible. It was a strange contradiction.

How could these two contradictions coexist in one person?

Mu Lin smiled as he greeted Li Hong, then said, "Uncle Li, I'm planning to investigate the Baiju Group. I wanted to hear your opinion."

The person on the other end paused for a moment before speaking. "Mu Lin, don't be reckless. The Baiju Group is a behemoth. Are you sure you can handle them?"

"I should be able to. It's a small matter. We can't be paralyzed by fear of the wolf in front and the tiger behind."

"That's what everyone said back in Anhua, too."