Chapter 452 451: Foul Play

"I'm not interested. If you want to eat, go ahead by yourself."

Mu Lin said, waving his hand dismissively.

Just then, Jia Ming tilted his head. "Bro, you're being a real buzzkill. We're..."

Before he could finish, the door to the private room was kicked open, and a tall man strode in with several people behind him.

When Zhou Ying saw him, her face went pale, and she turned her head away.

'Zhou Ying rarely has this kind of expression,' Mu Lin thought.

Jia Ming was furious. He stomped his foot and snapped, "Xu Tianying, when did I invite you?"

'Ah, so that's who it is,' Mu Lin realized. 'This must be Xu Tianming's cousin, the one who's been chasing Zhou Ying.'

But the expert he sent last time had shamelessly tried to flee for his life, and had failed even at that. That incident had made Zhou Ying's attitude toward Xu Tianying change completely.

Xu Tianying took two large strides and said to Zhou Ying, "Zhou Tongxue, come with me, quickly. I'll take you home! This Jia Ming is up to no good—he's planning to drug your drink!"

Zhou Ying had been displeased to see Xu Tianying, but his words startled her.

'What's going on?'

Jia Ming's expression turned foul. He pointed at Xu Tianying. "Xu Tianying, you just came here to slander me, didn't you? Can't get the girl, so you take it out on me?"

Xu Tianying was just as furious. He pointed back at Jia Ming. "Jia Ming, you know exactly what kind of person you are! How many girls from school have you tricked into bed? Don't you think for a second those little tricks will work on Zhou Ying! She is an important and honored guest of the Xu Family! If you want to touch her, you'll have to go through me first!"

Jia Ming grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it, his voice dripping with menace. "The Xu Family? And who do you think you are?"

Xu Tianying couldn't believe someone would dare to disrespect the Xu Family. They were one of the six great families of Di Yang, a name that commanded respect from countless people.

And this Jia Ming was nothing more than the son of the president of the Heyang Commerce Association.

The Heyang Commerce Association was a minor league operation, not even on the Xu Family's radar.

So what did that make Jia Ming?

Xu Tianying sneered. "It looks like you won't back down until you've learned a painful lesson."

Zhou Ying still couldn't make sense of what was happening.

'Is Xu Tianying trying to play the hero to win my affection? That's impossible.'

'Why on earth would I like him?'

'He's so full of himself!'

'But he did say I'm an honored guest of the Xu Family. Is that true?'

Zhou Ying had never considered such a thing. The Xu Family was the Xu Family, while her Zhou Family was just a family from the small city of Anhua.

Although they had some standing in their local area, they were nothing compared to the great families of Di Yang.

'I've never even been to the Xu Family's estate, so how could I be an honored guest?'

Jia Ming hiccuped. All that wine was starting to get to him, and his face was flushed.

"Ah, Xu Tianying, look at you. You really don't know a thing, do you? It's time you learned how cruel the world can be!"

Xu Tianying's brow furrowed. He stared intently at Jia Ming, not understanding what he was talking about.

'Where does Jia Ming get the nerve to say such things? Does he have no shame?'

"What are you talking about? None of that makes any sense. The only cruel truth here is your own pathetic intelligence."

Jia Ming chuckled. "You don't actually think the Xu Family has any real influence, do you? You don't think your family name opens any doors around here?"

"Well, let me tell you, that's not how it is at all. The Xu Family is less than nothing."

"Of the six great families of Di Yang, only the Ning Family and the Feng Family matter. The rest are just there to round out the numbers, and your Xu Family barely even qualifies for that."

"Even within Di Yang, the number of powers that could wipe out your family is greater than you can possibly imagine."

"My Heyang Commerce Association surpassed your family's strength long ago. If we wanted, the Xu Family could be wiped out overnight."

"We keep a low profile, say a few nice things, and you actually start to think you're someone important, don't you? You're so naive."

"But naivety is good for us. The whole Xu Family is naive from top to bottom. How else could you have just stood by and watched us surpass you?"

Xu Tianying was stunned. He'd had no idea there were so many powerful forces in Di Yang.

So many that could annihilate his family.

It was completely beyond his expectations.

But he never paid attention to family affairs, so he figured it was normal that he wouldn't know.

'But what if Jia Ming is telling the truth?'

'If I push my luck and provoke Jia Ming, will it cause a disaster?'

But Jia Ming didn't seem willing to let him off the hook. "Xu Tianying, you're the one who provoked me today. So no matter what I do to you, you'll just have to take it, won't you?"

Xu Tianying tensed up. He saw Jia Ming wave his hand, and an expert with a very distinct aura immediately stood up.

Mu Lin recognized him. This was the Grandmaster he had sensed earlier.

He'd finally revealed himself.

The Grandmaster strode quickly toward Xu Tianying. Xu Tianying grew wary and called for his bodyguards to protect him.

But the bodyguards were sent flying, their limbs twisted at unnatural angles.

The sight sent a wave of shock through Xu Tianying.

'God knows what's happening.'

He had paid a fortune for his bodyguards. They were all Martial Arts Masters, exceptional fighters.

'How could they be defeated so easily?'

It was utterly hopeless.

Mu Lin was speechless. 'The great Xu Family... after Patriarch Xu and Xu Jishan were kidnapped, you'd think they'd learn to hire better guards.'

'Then again, those bodyguards were at least Inner Strength experts. They would have been more than enough for any normal situation.'

'Unfortunately, this was a special situation. The expert with Jia Ming was overwhelmingly powerful, so of course they were defeated.'

Xu Tianying was terrified.

Jia Ming chuckled. "I warned you many times not to provoke me. Messing with me doesn't end well. But you just had to get in my face. Now you know the consequences."

"Do you... have any idea what a Martial Arts Grandmaster is?"

Xu Tianying trembled. As a member of the Xu Family, he knew. The Xu Family itself retained quite a few Martial Arts Grandmasters.

Jia Ming said, "This bodyguard of mine is a Martial Arts Grandmaster."

Xu Tianying was aghast. He never imagined the Heyang Commerce Association would be so wealthy and extravagant as to assign a Grandmaster Guard to a junior of no real importance.

In the Xu Family, such an honor was reserved for the Patriarch, the elders, and top executives of their family enterprises.

And yet Jia Ming, who was still in school, already enjoyed this level of protection.

It was terrifying.

The strength of the Heyang Commerce Association was terrifyingly profound and unfathomable.

Jia Ming said coldly, "I can spare you, but the Xu Family will have to pay two billion to buy back your life."

Xu Tianying's vision swam. He could barely speak.

At that moment, Zhou Ying suddenly began to squirm unnaturally. Her face was flushed, her eyes glazed over. Something was very wrong.

Mu Lin sensed something was amiss and examined the drink she'd had earlier.

He clearly remembered that no one had come near her, nor had anyone tampered with anything. His spiritual sense would have alerted him otherwise.

That was why he hadn't backed Xu Tianying's accusation about the drugging—there was simply no evidence.

But Zhou Ying's current state proved Xu Tianying had been right all along.

The drug was taking effect.

This meant that some special method must have been used to add the drug to the bottle.

Mu Lin said, "Jia Ming, why did you have to do it? I could tolerate your posturing. I could tolerate you bullying others with your power. But you never should have drugged Zhou Ying."

A sense of dread washed over Mu Lin. If he hadn't run into Zhou Ying and accompanied her to this party, who knows what would have happened.

How could he have faced Elder Zhou and Zhou Qianfan then?

Jia Ming sneered and barked, "What's it to you? Get the hell out of my way!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "I'm already involved. It's impossible for me to back out now."

"If you won't back out, then I'll just have to beat you until you do!"

"Master Ba, take him out! Make it so he spends the rest of his life in a hospital bed!"

Master Ba was the name of Jia Ming's Grandmaster expert.

Mu Lin's eyes narrowed. 'How interesting.'

'Since this Master Ba dares to act, then I'll be sure to give him the fate he deserves.'

But for now, the one who most deserved punishment was Jia Ming.

'None of this would have happened if it weren't for him.'