Chapter 401 400: Go Kneel and Beg for Mercy

He never imagined Mu Tianran could be so vicious, resorting to such methods to kill him.

If Mu Lin hadn't intervened, Mu Tianran would have likely succeeded.

"What the hell? I can't believe this," Yuan Kun said coldly.

Mu Lin turned his head. "Let's not waste time on that. Yuan Zhen, have you seen anything suspicious lately?"

Yuan Zhen frowned, thinking hard.

He had never really paid attention to such things, so it was a struggle to remember.

"I've mostly just been cultivating at the martial arts hall or resting at home. I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary…"

Yuan Zhen's head shot up. "I remember something!" he exclaimed. "A while back, I was on my way to a good friend's wedding when I saw a car crash. It looked like a single car had driven off a cliff… Then I saw someone pull two people out of the wrecked car and shove them into another vehicle."

Mu Lin felt a flicker of suspicion. 'Two people… could they be the missing Xu Jishan and his son?'

"Do you remember the license plate of the car that went off the cliff?"

Yuan Zhen shook his head helplessly. "I'm not very bright and my memory's terrible, but I do remember it was a license plate from Anhua."

Mu Lin's eyes lit up. 'This could be it!'

"What did the people in the car look like? Do you know?"

"One was older, one was younger, but they were both on the older side. The younger of the two was driving."

Mu Lin's eyes brightened. He pulled out a photo of Xu Jishan and his son. "Take a look. Is it these two?"

Yuan Zhen glanced at it and cried out, "Brother Mu, that's incredible! How did you know it was them?"

Mu Lin smiled faintly. "It's nothing. I came to Lanyang specifically to find them."

His smile faded, and his expression grew serious.

Nothing more needed to be said. Yuan Zhen had witnessed the kidnapping of Xu Jishan and his son.

'Even if Celestial Dragon Temple isn't the mastermind behind Xu Jishan's disappearance, they're at least the ones who carried it out. It's not unfair to blame them at all.'

Mu Lin turned to Mu Tianran. "Do you know of Xu Jishan?"

Mu Tianran hesitated before answering, "I've heard the name, but I'm not clear on who he is."

"Are they at Celestial Dragon Temple?" Mu Lin asked.

"I don't know. I just came out of seclusion."

Mu Lin sighed. 'He clearly doesn't know anything.'

Maintaining control over the man's soul consumed True Qi, so Mu Lin decided to let it go.

'I'll deal with other things later.'

He released his control. In that instant, Mu Tianran's mind cleared.

Mu Tianran felt a wave of confusion. He had the distinct feeling that for a moment, his very soul had been hijacked. He hadn't been aware of anything. 'What just happened?'

He looked up and met Mu Lin's gaze. Mu Lin asked, "Do you know Master Mingjing?"

Mu Tianran replied, "He's my martial uncle. Of course I know him!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "Then you'd better behave. Otherwise, you might lose your life."

Mu Tianran narrowed his eyes, not quite understanding Mu Lin's meaning.

"What right do you have to say that?"

"On the basis that I'm the one who killed him," Mu Lin said calmly.

Mu Tianran shuddered. 'This is too strange,' he thought. 'Mingjing was a Grandmaster. If Mu Lin could kill him, what does that imply?'

'Did he even need to ask?'

'It means Mu Lin is even stronger than a Grandmaster—or at the very least, on the same level.'

"Your Celestial Dragon Temple should have received Mingjing's body by now. How do you plan to get revenge on me? I'm guessing you'll definitely try. After all, you're so overbearing. How could you pass up a chance for vengeance?"

Mu Tianran said, "Why aren't you running? You're actually waiting here! My Celestial Dragon Temple has already dispatched masters to deal with you. Your chances of survival are less than one in ten thousand."

"Hahaha, is that so? Less than one in ten thousand? Are my odds really that low?"

Mu Lin found this hilarious. 'As expected of a thousand-year-old temple. They sure are confident in themselves.'

From Mu Tianran's words, Mu Lin could discern the mindset of the entire Celestial Dragon Temple. A domineering arrogance was ingrained in their very bones. Anyone who defied them would be killed, without a shred of mercy.

Mu Tianran continued, "You should hurry to Celestial Dragon Temple and beg for mercy on your knees! Maybe they'll grant you a quick death. Otherwise, I can't even imagine the torture you'll face."

Mu Lin narrowed his eyes. 'This Mu Tianran really knows how to push buttons.'

He raised his hand and slapped Mu Tianran across the face again with overwhelming force.

Mu Tianran heard a CRACK from his own face, and his mouth filled with a sweet, metallic taste. There were four or five hard objects in his mouth.

'Teeth!'

His teeth! Mu Lin's slap had shattered several of them!

Overwhelmed by pain, he couldn't keep the broken teeth in his mouth, and they tumbled out.

"Oh? Your teeth fell out? Weren't you talking so tough? Let's see you act tough now!"

Mu Lin tapped Mu Tianran, and he could move again.

"Get lost. Go tell those bald donkeys at Celestial Dragon Temple that I'm on my way. Tell every last one of them to wash their necks and wait!"

Mu Tianran was stunned. "You… you're letting me go? Aren't you afraid I'll bring people back to kill you?"

Mu Lin just smiled. "Go ahead. I'm not afraid."

Panicked, Mu Tianran clutched his wound and scrambled away in a wretched state.

At the doorway, he shouted back, "You just wait! I'll never let you get away with this!"

Mu Lin just gave a faint smile, completely unfazed.

Chen Dingshan approached Mu Lin, saying nervously, "Mr. Mu, the power of Celestial Dragon Temple is not to be underestimated. Please don't be reckless. Otherwise, there's no telling what might happen."

Yuan Kun was equally anxious. He'd heard rumors about the temple. "Mu Lin, Master Chen is right. The masters at Celestial Dragon Temple are unbelievably powerful. Offending them is suicide! I'm only telling you this because I consider you a friend. Please, don't do something foolish!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "One little Celestial Dragon Temple is nothing to be afraid of. You can all rest easy and just wait for my return."

Mu Lin glanced at Shi Huiguang. "Elder Shi, you should stay here at the hall. It's safe. I'll contact you when this is over."

With that, Mu Lin walked out the door, leaving his friends calling out behind him.

Shi Huiguang shouted, "Don't you dare just abandon me here!"

He was genuinely worried.

Chen Dingshan sighed and pulled Shi Huiguang back into the hall. "Since Grandmaster Mu has made up his mind, what can we do? Nothing we say will matter. We just have to let him go!"

Shi Huiguang sighed again and again, completely at a loss.

"Sigh, that kid is just too stubborn. There's no way to rein him in."

"I hope he'll be all right!" Shi Huiguang had pinned all his hopes for another breakthrough on Mu Lin. If Mu Lin were gone, his own hopes would be dashed.

Chen Dingshan said, "Don't worry. That kid is tough as nails. If he senses real danger, he'll get out of there. He might not be able to defeat Celestial Dragon Temple, but they might not be able to defeat him, either."

Shi Huiguang let out a long sigh. "Let's hope so."

Meanwhile, Mu Tianran was desperately making his way to Celestial Dragon Temple.

He found a wrist-thick stick to use as a crutch.

But he fell while crossing a bridge, losing the stick to the river below.

He didn't have the strength to find another one.

'Sigh, what a shame.'

He had no choice but to crawl on all fours, scrambling desperately all the way to the gates of Celestial Dragon Temple. "Master! Master!" he cried out wretchedly.

His pathetic cries immediately drew the attention of two disciples. When they saw it was Mu Tianran, they rushed over.

"Senior Brother Mu, hang on! I'll get you to a room to rest right now!"

But Mu Tianran said, "Quick, find my master… I… I don't think I'm going to make it!"

Just as he uttered those words, he collapsed unconscious on the ground.

The two disciples were terrified. Not daring to waste a second, they quickly fashioned a stretcher and carried Mu Tianran into the main hall.

A moment later, a High Monk with a commanding presence emerged.

"What is the meaning of this? Who injured my dear disciple so grievously? I'll kill them!"

This was Master Mingjue, Mu Tianran's direct master.

"Go get the medicine kit! Quickly!"