Chapter 467 466: A Troublesome Figure

Li Ba immediately sent word to all his subordinates, ordering them to start searching at once and to treat Zhou Ying with the utmost care if they found her.

After repeating the order several times, Li Ba began to wait anxiously.

A little over ten minutes later, Mu Lin received a call from Li Ba.

"Mr. Mu, we've found her, but the situation is a bit complicated. I was hoping you could come over and intervene!"

Mu Lin frowned slightly.

He didn't know what had happened, but he thanked Li Ba and headed over immediately.

Inside a club called Spyker, music was still playing, but everyone inside and out had vanished.

Something had happened. Something big.

A young man with a dark expression stared down contemptuously at the men below, who were beaten black and blue.

"You're Li Ba's men, aren't you?"

"Yes…" the man in the lead answered.

The young man's eyes were cold, his anger unabated. "So Li Ba has some nerve, huh? Does he not know who he's messing with? If he thinks he can offend me just because he has the Jade Pavilion District behind him, then he'll have to face my wrath!"

Li Ba's men were terrified. Anything they said now would be a mistake.

It was better to be submissive. That way, they might keep their lives and maybe even avoid a savage beating, or at least spend less time laid up in bed.

The young man snorted coldly and pulled out his phone, which displayed a photo of Zhou Ying he had just found.

His eyes lit up at the sight of the beautiful and vibrant Zhou Ying, and he practically started to drool.

"Is this Li Ba's woman? That bastard may be an idiot, but he sure knows how to pick them. Each one is more beautiful than the last."

His men didn't dare correct him, saying only, "Master Ba ordered us to find her and treat her with great respect!"

The young man leaned back on the sofa and sneered, "So, you're saying Li Ba is on his way? Good. I'll wait!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Ba arrived.

His expression turned grim when he saw his men beaten to a pulp.

"Young Master Qingxu, what is the meaning of this?" Li Ba asked, looking up at the young man in utter astonishment.

Ji Qingxu sneered. "You're the mighty Master Ba. How could I dare be impolite to you?"

To be honest, Li Ba was completely stunned. He never imagined he would run into Ji Qingxu here.

Li Ba hurried forward, smiling with forced familiarity. "Young Master Qingxu, you know I…"

Ji Qingxu abruptly raised his hand and slapped Li Ba across the face, leaving an alarming red palm print in an instant.

"Who told you to get chummy with me? Huh? As if you're worthy?"

"Get on your knees! That's a position that suits you!"

Li Ba was frozen with fear by Ji Qingxu's furious outburst. Normally, he would have swallowed his pride and submitted.

But not today. This concerned Mr. Mu's woman. The slightest misstep would leave him in an impossible position with no one to turn to.

Li Ba forced a smile. "Young Master Qingxu, this is all a misunderstanding! There's no need for this."

Ji Qingxu slammed his phone down on the table and pointed at it.

"Leave her here. I want her to spend the night with me!"

"You kowtow and apologize. If I'm satisfied, I'll consider sparing your worthless life for the sake of the Jade Pavilion District!"

Ji Qingxu was unbelievably arrogant, leaving Li Ba feeling utterly suffocated. But the man truly had the power to back it up, and there was nothing Li Ba could do.

"Yes, yes!" Li Ba nodded repeatedly. "If she were my girlfriend, I'd just take the loss."

"But she's not! She's the girlfriend of a great expert, and I absolutely cannot afford to offend him!"

Ji Qingxu paid his words no mind. "Great expert? I have all kinds of experts under my command, and none of them would dare call themselves 'great'! Tell him to get his ass over here. I'm going to tear him limb from limb!"

CRASH!

A loud crash erupted from the doorway, and a terrifying, murderous aura flooded the room.

Ji Qingxu looked up. "What the hell was that noise?"

"You want to bully my friend right in front of me? How many lives do you have to spare?" Mu Lin's cold voice rang out.

The voice made Ji Qingxu roar with laughter. "Look at this fucking poser. Anyone who didn't know better might actually be scared of you."

Li Ba was terrified. 'This Mr. Mu really has no idea who he's dealing with,' he thought. 'How dare he act so tough in front of Ji Qingxu?'

Li Ba repeatedly shot glances at Mu Lin, trying to signal him to say less, or at least watch his tone.

But Mu Lin paid him no mind, his demeanor screaming that he was the only one that mattered in heaven or on earth.

"Who the hell are you to be running your mouth? Get lost if you don't want to die!"

"Zhou Ying is my friend. You dare touch her, I'll dare to touch you."

Ji Qingxu sneered. "So that's her name! And she's your woman. You're not willing to let me have her? You think your refusal actually matters?"

Mu Lin said coolly, "You should be glad that there's still time to stop. If you had already laid a hand on her, this wouldn't be over so easily."

Ji Qingxu couldn't even process it. 'Is this guy Mu Lin insane?'

"You've got a lot of nerve, kid, you know that? You've never heard the name Ji Qingxu, have you?"

Ji Qingxu's gaze turned vicious and provocative. "She's just a woman. Your life is more important. You're going to squat right there and watch me closely!"

But Mu Lin simply walked toward Ji Qingxu, step by step.

Ji Qingxu slammed his hand on the table and pointed at Mu Lin.

A black shadow leaped out from behind him, shooting straight toward Mu Lin.

Mu Lin raised a hand and smashed his fist directly into the attacker's face.

The sickening crack of bone was loud enough to make everyone's skin crawl.

The effect was excellent; the man was knocked senseless in an instant.

Mu Lin was satisfied, but Ji Qingxu was shocked.

This expert of his was at the Peak of Internal Strength, capable of fighting off a hundred men with ease. How had Mu Lin sent him flying with a single blow?

Ji Qingxu thought for a moment, remembering the principle that discretion is the better part of valor.

"You can take her and go. I won't pursue the matter of tonight any further!"

He planned to go back and find more experts. 'At the very least,' he thought, 'I'll need to get a Grandmaster for this.'

Mu Lin said coolly, "You were shouting up a storm just a moment ago. Now you want to run?"

He could already sense Ji Qingxu's emotions. This wasn't fear. He was clearly still plotting something.

'If I don't put Ji Qingxu in his place for good,' he thought, 'there will be endless trouble down the line.'

Ji Qingxu's expression was dark as he stared daggers at Mu Lin. "Kid, let me tell you something. There's always someone stronger out there. I'm giving you an out, so don't push your luck. Even if you're a Martial Arts Grandmaster, you can't just act however you want in Di Yang!"

Mu Lin wanted to laugh. "Act however I want? I don't think so. I think I just have real skill."

As he spoke, Mu Lin dissolved into a blur of motion, appearing directly in front of Ji Qingxu.

This move of Mu Lin's thoroughly terrified Ji Qingxu.

His body couldn't react in time; only the shock on his face gave him away.

Mu Lin grabbed Ji Qingxu and hauled him to his feet.

He came up like a stubborn radish being pulled from the dirt.

Then, Mu Lin threw Ji Qingxu against the wall as if he were a rubber ball.

Ji Qingxu instantly spat up a mouthful of blood and collapsed in a heap at the base of the wall.

Mu Lin walked over, grabbed Ji Qingxu, and asked coldly, "To be this arrogant, someone must be backing you. Who is it?"

A savage grin spread across Ji Qingxu's lips. "I'm afraid you'll die of fright if I tell you! The Jun Tian Association!"

Mu Lin frowned. "The what now?"

Ji Qingxu let out a couple of loud laughs, but then, for some unknown reason, he suddenly passed out.

Mu Lin knew the man wouldn't die, so he ignored him and turned to Li Ba. "What is this Jun Tian Association? Are they that powerful? How can Ji Qingxu run rampant like this in Di Yang? Doesn't anyone dare to deal with them?"

Li Ba said, "The Jun Tian Association is a Martial Dao organization that has recruited many experts. You could say it's a gathering of masters. It's led by the four masters of the Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow Halls. Ji Qingxu's father is the master of the Profound Hall, Ji Tianya."

Mu Lin narrowed his eyes. "Why can Ji Qingxu run amok like this with no one to stop him? Di Yang isn't short on experts, and what about the Military Suppression Bureau?"

Li Ba replied, "Your strength is immense, so of course the Military Suppression Bureau is polite to you. But when has the Bureau ever truly cared about the lives of ordinary people? In fact, they're honored guests of the Jun Tian Association."

"This Ji Qingxu is very particular about his targets. He never messes with people he can't afford to offend. That way, no one bothers to stop him. In fact, quite a few people are in on it with him."

Li Ba rubbed his nose, a hint of shame in his voice.

He had plenty of his own men who broke the law, and he'd done his fair share of dirty deeds. 'Acting this righteous,' he thought, 'is probably a once-in-a-lifetime performance for me...'

'Can't afford to lose face like that! But to survive under Mu Lin's thumb, I'll just have to endure it for now.'