Chapter 464 463: Spreading the Favor

Gu Wu said, "Young Master Ran, we will be the judge of whether or not this is a misunderstanding."

Ran Quan sighed. It would be difficult to resolve this matter smoothly today.

"Brother Mu, what will it take for you to let us go? Name your terms."

Mu Lin smiled and looked at Lin Shishi. "Shishi, do you like this place?"

Lin Shishi didn't know what Mu Lin was getting at, so she just said, "It's quite nice."

Mu Lin chuckled. "Good. Then give me this restaurant."

"I'm taking Ji Fan for a thorough investigation."

"And I want to meet the creator of the jade tokens!"

When Ran Quan heard Mu Lin demand the restaurant, he panicked. "Wanhua Restaurant is not for you to take! Don't even think about it!"

Mu Lin's eyes narrowed. "Then you can pay ten billion as an apology!"

Gu Wu felt his head spin. Mu Lin's words were truly venomous, spitting out an astronomical figure without a second thought.

Ran Quan was furious. What kind of madman was Mu Lin to spout such outrageous nonsense?

"Mr. Mu, are you dead set on making an enemy of the Jade Pavilion District?"

"What if I am? What if I'm not?" Mu Lin's attitude was nonchalant, because this matter was no longer so simple.

"You don't have the right to refuse."

Ran Quan's expression was grim. After a moment, he said, "I agree. Wanhua Restaurant is yours."

"You can take Ji Fan. But it's true that we haven't been in contact with the person who makes the jade tokens for years. I'll have to look for them."

Mu Lin said, "Then I'll give you two days."

"Two days?! What can I possibly do in just two days?!"

Mu Lin said, "Two days is enough time to fly around the world twice. You're telling me you can't find one person?"

"If you can't find him in two days, I'm afraid the Military Suppression Bureau will have to investigate the Jade Pavilion District for the crime of harboring a criminal!"

With that, Mu Lin grabbed Lin Shishi and left.

Lin Shishi's heart pounded, but a faint smile graced her face.

The moment they were out the door, Mu Lin let go of her hand, leaving Lin Shishi a little disappointed.

But she rallied her spirits. 'A girl should pursue her own happiness.'

"My dad is already investigating the Jade Pavilion District. He should have some news soon."

Mu Lin slowly nodded. "They definitely need to be investigated. This group isn't ordinary. To be able to hide right under the noses of the great families for so long means they're no common clan."

Mu Lin thought about the jade token Ji Fan had used. Its construction was simple and the cost was extremely low, yet its hallucinatory effect was incredibly potent against women with weaker spirits.

Heaven knows how many more of these despicable things existed in the world.

It was a worrying thought.

A short while later, Lin Jin's call came through to Lin Shishi's phone.

"Dad, did you find anything?" Lin Shishi put the call on speakerphone.

Lin Jin sighed deeply. "I didn't find anything. Really, not a single thing... Heaven knows what's going on..."

Lin Shishi was shocked. "How could there be nothing?"

Lin Jin said, "Exactly. The fact that there are no problems is what's so puzzling. How can an organization of this scale not leave a single trace?"

"I never paid attention before, but now that I'm investigating it myself, I've discovered that the Jade Pavilion District is as ubiquitous as sunshine and rain. It's everywhere, and it's terrifying."

"Their companies are all over Di Yang—legitimate and illicit, existing and non-existent. It's a good thing we discovered this early. If we had waited any longer, I'm afraid even our vital industries would have been infiltrated."

Mu Lin said, "The Jade Pavilion District claims they don't take the Lin Family seriously. Uncle Lin, what do you think?"

Lin Jin paused for a while before speaking slowly.

"With so many resources under their control, it's almost a given that they'd be brazen enough to disregard the Lin Family."

With that, Lin Jin hung up.

Mu Lin's expression grew serious.

Lin Jin had basically come up with nothing, aside from the feeling that the Jade Pavilion District was incredibly formidable.

This proved just how powerful the Jade Pavilion District truly was.

Lin Shishi was very smart and also sensed that something was wrong. "Mu Lin, this Jade Pavilion District is going to be very difficult to deal with. I've never heard of an organization that is both so powerful and so diligent."

Mu Lin said, "I agree. They really are extraordinary."

"But don't worry. They'll slip up and reveal themselves soon enough."

Lin Shishi's delicate brows furrowed. She didn't understand what Mu Lin was saying. "They've been hiding successfully for so long. Why would they suddenly slip up? That doesn't make sense!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "Why doesn't it make sense? I think it's perfectly logical! If you don't understand, don't worry about it. Just watch how things unfold! I wouldn't lie to you."

'What's the point of being so mysterious?' Lin Shishi thought.

She could only pout and huff, "How boring!"

Lin Tian and Lin Jin were waiting in the living room, their expressions grave.

Lin Shishi walked inside. "Grandpa! Dad!"

Lin Tian looked at Mu Lin and said, "Shishi, Mu Lin, you're back. Regarding the Jade Pavilion District, we truly have no leads. Back when I was in charge, I never even heard of them having this much influence."

"I always thought the great families were the pinnacle of power. To think that a peculiar entity like the Jade Pavilion District also exists... it's truly unbelievable."

Mu Lin said, "Grandmaster Lin, there's always a bigger fish. Nothing should come as a surprise."

"Uncle Lin, where is the body of the driver who hit you? Make sure you keep a close eye on it so they don't cremate it."

Lin Jin replied, "It's with the Patrol Team. They should be performing an autopsy now. The paperwork isn't even finished, so they probably won't cremate it."

"You should still confirm it. Tell the Patrol Team to stop the autopsy! Wait until I've had a look. I think I can find some special clues."

Mu Lin judged that his Yin Spirit was about to reach great completion. At that point, he would be able to directly question the driver's silver soul about the situation.

The result would be the same.

Lin Jin said, "Alright."

Inside Wanhua Restaurant, Ran Quan's father, Ran Xiong, had arrived. Ran Quan hurried forward. "Dad!"

Ran Xiong said, "Tell me, just how outrageous was that brat to make you this angry?"

"Dad, it's not just outrageous. He wants to wipe out our family, root and stem!"

Ran Xiong was puzzled by this. "Is it that serious?"

"It's more than serious! He wants to uproot the entire Jade Pavilion District! If we hand over Immortal Guan, who will ever risk their life for us again?"

Ran Xiong's eyes turned cold. "That is true!"

Ran Quan continued, "And he also wants Wanhua Restaurant! That's our cash cow, with an annual profit of four to five hundred million. That's no small amount. If we give it away, our Jade Pavilion District will suffer a huge loss!"

Killing intent filled Ran Xiong's eyes. "This kid is too insane. We can't let him live! We have to find a way to kill him!"

"He saw the connection between Ji Fan and Immortal Guan's jade token at a single glance. If we let him follow this trail and investigate further, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Ran Quan continued:

"He even dared to demand Wanhua Restaurant. He must die!"

The annual income Wanhua Restaurant brought to the Jade Pavilion District was no small sum; it was a considerable amount.

The father and son's position in the Jade Pavilion District was not stable. If they were to lose Wanhua Restaurant, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Having reached an agreement, the father and son turned to look at an old man sitting at a dining table.

The old man had a nonchalant expression as he ate from a jar of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the rich aroma filling the air. He seemed quite at ease.

A young maiden was pouring wine for him at his side. As the old man ate, he would also grope her. Although the girl was uncomfortable, she didn't dare react.

The father and son walked up to the old man. "Lord Shangguan, in light of the situation, would you be willing to lend us a hand?"

The old man chuckled. "No problem. The usual rules apply."

Hearing "the usual rules," Ran Xiong's heart settled. 'This old man is easy to deal with as long as you have money.'

This Lord Shangguan was at the Innate Divine Realm. His cultivation was incredibly high, and he specialized in killing from a distance, making him impossible to defend against. He never left his targets any chance to survive.

The Di Yang Patrol Team had countless records of accidental deaths, and who knows how many of them were actually Lord Shangguan's handiwork.

Relying on this, the Jade Pavilion District had eliminated countless obstacles.

Lord Shangguan's contributions were immense.

Naturally, the rewards given to Lord Shangguan were also very generous.

They had to give him one hundred million a year, with an extra ten million in funds for each job.

But from a broader perspective, the Jade Pavilion District's investment yielded very handsome returns.

Ran Xiong took out a bank card and handed it to Lord Shangguan. Upon seeing the card, Lord Shangguan's stern face softened considerably.

"Bring me the body. I need to collect the elements from it!"

His subordinates immediately brought the body over, and Lord Shangguan began running his hands all over the corpse.