Chapter 468 467: I'm Complimenting You

Upon hearing Li Ba's explanation, Mu Lin gave him a deep, long look.

Li Ba immediately broke out in a cold sweat, thoroughly embarrassed.

Mu Lin retracted his gaze. "Stay here and watch him," he said. "When he wakes up, tell him to call his father."

"Yes, as you command!" Li Ba said, trembling.

Mu Lin turned and went to where Zhou Ying was.

'Thank goodness she wasn't assaulted,' Mu Lin thought. 'Otherwise, I'd have no idea how to explain this to Uncle Zhou.'

She was sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to the danger she had been in.

Mu Lin drew out a silver needle and inserted it into one of Zhou Ying's acupoints. Tiny beads of sweat immediately formed on her forehead—the residue of the drug that had been slipped into her food.

Zhou Ying's eyelashes fluttered, and a moment later, she awoke.

She rubbed her forehead, her delicate brows knitting together. "Ugh, I feel awful..."

She looked around. The decor, as exquisite as a luxury hotel, made her deeply uneasy.

'What on earth is going on?'

When she saw Mu Lin, she felt a bit safer, but was still utterly confused.

"This is what happened..." Mu Lin explained simply.

After listening, Zhou Ying's face went pale with anger. "That's outrageous! On what grounds?! What did I ever do to them to deserve being kidnapped?"

Mu Lin said, "Have you considered the possibility that you're just too cute, and since they didn't have a chance to get to know you normally, they had to resort to desperate measures?"

Zhou Ying pouted, about to retort, but then it occurred to her that Mu Lin might be complimenting her.

"Are you complimenting me?"

"Of course!" Mu Lin said.

A blush flashed across Zhou Ying's cheeks. "I... I... I..."

"Never mind that. Let's go downstairs," Mu Lin said to Zhou Ying.

Zhou Ying obediently followed Mu Lin downstairs.

Downstairs, they saw Ji Qingxu lying on the floor.

Ji Qingxu was already awake and glaring at Mu Lin with a venomous expression, no doubt already plotting his revenge.

Mu Lin sneered. "Why are you looking at me like that? Still not ready to admit defeat?"

Ji Qingxu spat, "You're the one who told me to call my dad! Don't come crying to me when he beats you to death! Your woman is going to suffer! You'd better not regret this!"

Mu Lin gave a faint smile. "'Suffer'? Yes, someone will definitely suffer. But I think the one who's going to suffer the most is you."

Zhou Ying looked Ji Qingxu up and down. "Just looking at this guy makes me sick. He's disgusting through and through, and he probably still thinks he's handsome!"

Hearing this, Ji Qingxu's forehead broke out in sweat. Seething with uncontrollable rage, he glared at Zhou Ying through gritted teeth. "What did you say?"

Zhou Ying retorted, "I said you're disgusting. Was I wrong?"

Ji Qingxu was so furious he wanted to scream curses at the heavens. He was already planning how he would make Zhou Ying suffer later.

'I'll make that ignorant bitch pay the price!'

Li Ba, standing to the side, couldn't believe how audacious Zhou Ying was being.

'Didn't she hear?' he thought. 'Ji Qingxu is the young master of the Jun Tian Association! Countless people would do anything for him.'

'Yet Zhou Ying was still cursing him out. She clearly had no respect for the Jun Tian Association whatsoever.'

'How could she be so bold? Her nerve is just off the charts.'

"Mr. Mu, perhaps you could ask your girlfriend to quiet down a bit... My head is starting to hurt... We really can't afford to offend the Jun Tian Association any more."

Mu Lin replied, "I'm afraid that would be difficult. Besides, the Jun Tian Association isn't anything to be scared of."

He was perfectly calm, but Li Ba was anything but.

'He was just an ant, struggling to survive at the feet of giants.'

'He was certain that if he got into trouble, Mu Lin wouldn't lift a finger to help him.'

'It was a profound sense of despair.'

'A big shot like Mu Lin didn't know a damn thing about the local power dynamics in Di Yang.'

'He was just dragging me along on his reckless rampage. When all was said and done, I'd be the one left to take the fall and face the consequences.'

'Once the blame fell on me, the karmic backlash would be endless. The thought alone was enough to make me despair.'

Suddenly, a powerful presence filled the doorway. Mu Lin turned to see a middle-aged man standing there, his face a stern, imposing mask of authority.

Mu Lin instantly discerned the man's cultivation level: Peak of Martial Arts Grandmaster.

'Already quite powerful in the secular world.'

'If this is the leader of the Jun Tian Association,' Mu Lin mused, 'then it's unlikely anyone else in their organization is stronger than him.'

Zhou Ying trembled. She couldn't gauge who was stronger, but the middle-aged man's presence was so overwhelming that for a moment, she had the illusion he was even more powerful than Mu Lin.

"Mu Lin, he's terrifying! Can you beat him?"

Mu Lin replied, "I don't know. I probably can't... Oh, what are we going to do?"

The moment she heard that, Zhou Ying grabbed Mu Lin's arm. "Then I'll die with you! I'd rather die than be tormented by that Ji Qingxu. He's just too disgusting!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "Then I guess neither of us has to die. Don't worry, the Jun Tian Association is all bark and no bite—just a paper tiger that will fall apart at the slightest touch."

"I alone am more than enough to handle him."

Hearing Mu Lin's words, Zhou Ying couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. "Really? Then... were you just teasing me?"

Mu Lin said, "You're just so cute, I couldn't resist teasing you!"

Zhou Ying balled her little fists and lightly tapped his arm a couple of times in a playful pout. "How dare you tease me! Do you have any idea how scared I was?"

Mu Lin just laughed. He wasn't the least bit nervous. 'This is all just a trivial matter,' he thought.

The middle-aged man's face turned livid. Mu Lin was clearly not taking them seriously at all.

'He's still over there laughing and joking with that woman. This is outrageous.'

"Are you completely ignoring my presence?" the middle-aged man demanded, his face livid.

Mu Lin glanced at the man, his expression impassive. "The question is, do you recognize your mistake? If you did, you wouldn't be worried about whether I'm taking you seriously or not."

The middle-aged man glanced at his pathetic son on the floor, and his expression grew even fouler.

Ji Tianya had never met anyone who dared to treat his son this way. He was furious.

"Mistake my ass! Taste my Eight-Section Golden Dragon Roar!"

As he spoke, Ji Tianya inhaled deeply and threw his head back. A powerful Qi Force began to gather in his mouth, looking ready to erupt at any second.

Mu Lin sensed something was off and instantly focused his mind, raising his guard. A moment later, a powerful blast shot straight toward him.

He pulled Zhou Ying close, slapped a hand on her back, and injected a stream of Qi Force to protect her vital meridians.

This would shield her from the powerful shockwave.

The name "Eight-Section Golden Dragon Roar" alone sounded extraordinary, so Mu Lin had been on guard from the start. After feeling the true power of the attack, he reinforced his protection around Zhou Ying.

His protection for Li Ba was less refined; he simply kicked him in the direction of Ji Qingxu.

After all, Ji Qingxu was Ji Tianya's son; the man would never let his own flesh and blood get caught in the crossfire. Having Li Ba stay right next to Ji Qingxu was the safest place for him to be.

The powerful shockwave blasted through the entire private room, shattering the teacups on the table into dust.

Even the tempered glass coffee table was smashed to pieces.

The floor was covered in debris—a shocking sight.

Mu Lin mulled it over for a moment. 'The Eight-Section Golden Dragon Roar... just from the name, it sounds like it originates from the Buddhist Sect.'

'But one look at Ji Tianya and Ji Qingxu and you can tell they indulge in every vice, preying on women all day. Could they really be members of the Buddhist Sect?'

Seeing that Ji Tianya's attack was waning, Mu Lin instantly went on the offensive. His Yin Spirit shot out from his body and struck viciously at Ji Tianya's soul.

Ji Tianya's entire body convulsed. The projected True Qi, now cut off from its source, began to rapidly backlash.

It slammed violently into Ji Tianya's own meridians.

In effect, he had suffered multiple impacts in succession.

Blood splattered across the floor.

Terrified, Ji Qingxu scrambled over, wanting to help his father up.

Ji Tianya pointed a trembling finger at Mu Lin, gasping for breath. With all his remaining strength, he demanded, "Who are you?!"

Mu Lin replied calmly, "Mu Lin. Just a nobody."

Mu Lin? Mu Lin?

Ji Tianya quickly searched his memory. A moment later, his eyes widened in shock and he cried out:

"Mu Lin! Then you're...!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "Yes? What am I?"

"You're the one who defeated Vajra Zhenren!"

Mu Lin laughed heartily. "You guessed right. That was me!"

"Then... that means... you must be at least a Grandmaster..."

Mu Lin said, "You're pretty well-informed. But if you'd done your homework a little earlier, you might have avoided this awkward situation."

Right now, Ji Tianya's mind was consumed with one thought: he had to reconcile with Mu Lin, and fast. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

"I am so sorry. My son has done an unforgivable thing to you, but he is still young! I don't want his life to be ruined! Please, Mr. Mu, enlighten me! What must I do for you to spare him this once?!"

Mu Lin said, "See? Why didn't you have this attitude earlier?"

"However, your swift surrender has earned you a chance at survival."

Hearing this, Ji Tianya breathed a long sigh of relief. "You mean...?"

Mu Lin smiled. "I'm afraid letting him off won't be that easy."