Chapter 469 468: Room for Maneuver

Ji Tianya was stunned, his mouth agape in disbelief. "Why?!"

Mu Lin said, "Because what he did isn't something that can be easily forgiven."

He briefly recounted what happened to Zhou Ying, then leaned back against the wall and said slowly, "Do you still think he can be forgiven now?"

Ji Tianya opened his mouth, but for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid not..."

Mu Lin shrugged. "See? That's just how it is, isn't it?"

Ji Tianya said, "Based on his intentions alone, death by a thousand cuts wouldn't be excessive. But my son didn't cause any major harm to Miss Zhou. I wonder if there's any room for negotiation?"

Mu Lin said, "That depends on your sincerity. If your sincerity is lacking, then I won't forgive you either."

"One billion?" Ji Tianya gritted his teeth and asked tentatively.

Mu Lin smiled. "Chairman Ji, what do you think of that price? Is it high or low? Good or bad?"

"For my Jun Tian Association, this is already a huge strain. The Ji Family's savings over more than a decade amount to just this much."

Mu Lin said, "The money is indeed a lot, but if you can give me the secret manual for the Eight-Section Golden Dragon Roar, I'll forgive him."

Ji Tianya's expression changed when he heard this. "Mr. Mu, that's not quite right, is it? It's a secret technique of the Buddhist Sect that isn't supposed to be passed down! Are you really able to study it?"

Mu Lin said, "Are you part of the Buddhist Sect? You have a son. You don't look like a member of the Buddhist Sect."

"Of course I'm not. I obtained this manual by chance... It wasn't easy to cultivate to this level, and I know for a fact that it's far from the best choice for you."

"So you're refusing?" Mu Lin's face darkened, and he immediately turned and headed straight for Ji Qingxu.

What he was about to do needed no explanation. The mere act terrified Ji Qingxu so much that he trembled all over, unable to move.

"Dad! Help me! I don't want to die!"

Ji Tianya knew the situation was lost. Mu Lin could toy with him and his son as he pleased.

Rather than continuing to resist so imprudently, he had no choice but to hand it over quickly.

"Mr. Mu, wait! I'll give you the manual!"

Mu Lin clasped his hands behind his back. "Should have just said so from the start. Leave the money and the manual, and you can take him away."

"Also, keep a tight leash on your son. If he does anything inhuman again, I'll be the first to show up at your door with the Military Suppression Bureau to hold you accountable. Things will get ugly then."

Ji Tianya said obediently, "I understand! Please rest assured, Mr. Mu! It will never happen again."

Mu Lin could see the venomous resentment in Ji Tianya's eyes but pretended not to notice.

'Water that is too clear has no fish. Since he has already agreed, it's best to let it go!'

Ji Tianya obediently did as he was told. After putting the items down, he left in a hurry.

Mu Lin snatched the bank card from the coffee table and handed it to Zhou Ying. "Take it."

Zhou Ying took it, only feeling surprised after the bank card was in her hand.

She just remembered that this plain-looking card held a staggering one billion.

This sum of money had been so casually tossed to her, and Zhou Ying felt a little panicked.

She had never handled so much money in her entire life.

Mu Lin, however, sat to the side, opening the secret manual as if cradling a precious treasure.

He began to read it, hungry for knowledge.

Although the matter seemed to be over, Li Ba, who was standing at the side, was still terrified.

He was a small-time character surviving in the cracks. Mu Lin and Zhou Ying would be fine, but the same couldn't be said for him.

An enraged Ji Tianya might very well look for him to vent his anger.

Mu Lin looked up at Li Ba and asked, "Master Ba, is there something else?"

Li Ba said, "Of course there is! After what happened today, Young Master Qingxu will definitely come looking for trouble with me. I really don't want to blow this up, but things could get very complicated."

Mu Lin said, "Don't worry. If anyone gives you trouble, just tell me. I'll take care of it for you."

A look of ecstasy flashed across Li Ba's face when he heard this.

That was exactly what he was hoping for when he came over to ask.

'If I could become Mu Lin's subordinate and follow him from now on, my future would take off!'

Li Ba quickly dropped to his knees, looking the very picture of loyalty. "Mr. Mu, you are above me! Please accept my respects!"

Mu Lin calmly allowed Li Ba to kneel. A bow from a minor figure like him was worthless. Being too polite to him might actually cause him to look down on Mu Lin.

Li Ba scrambled back to his feet, feeling much more at ease. With a powerful expert like Mu Lin as his backer, he finally had a pillar of support.

"Mr. Mu, shall I escort you and Sister-in-law home?"

Mu Lin smiled. "Then I'll have to trouble you!"

Li Ba said hastily, "Not at all! You're being too polite! It's no trouble at all!"

Zhou Ying felt a bit strange when she heard Li Ba call her "Sister-in-law."

However, she didn't correct him. 'It's actually pretty nice to be called that,' she thought. 'It lets Mu Lin see just how well we fit together. Even Li Ba can tell at a glance!'

Li Ba drove the two home. After arriving, Zhou Ying slapped the bank card down in front of Mu Lin. "Here!"

Mu Lin said, "This money is from Ji Qingxu for you. You should just keep it."

Zhou Ying pointed at the bank card, dumbfounded. "Do you know how much money is in here? One billion! You don't want this much money? I think you're crazy!"

Mu Lin said, "It's not that much money. It's fine for you to have it."

He had fought his way up from nothing. He had over a dozen bank cards with a combined total of tens of billions, which obviously included the money from the Ran Family father and son.

Calling such a large sum of money "not much" was clearly absurd.

Zhou Ying could only assume Mu Lin was bragging.

"You keep it," Mu Lin said, stuffing the card back into Zhou Ying's hand. "I'm going to get some rest."

Zhou Ying pressed her lips together and asked, "Are you hungry? If you are, I can make you a late-night snack!"

Mu Lin said, "Not hungry. If you want to eat, go ahead. I don't want any."

Zhou Ying stood frozen in place, feeling a sense of loss as she watched Mu Lin's quickly retreating back.

She had wanted to express her gratitude to Mu Lin, but she hadn't expected this kind of attitude from him.

It really made her fume.

Zhou Ying stomped her foot, making the solid wood floor go THUMP THUMP.

Mu Lin turned a deaf ear, sitting on the edge of his bed and continuing to look through the manual for the Eight-Section Golden Dragon Roar.

'This is really interesting! Using sound to release the formidable power of righteous qi. With just a single roar, evil spirits are scattered. This is so much more powerful than splashing black dog's blood.'

'The techniques of the Buddhist Sect are also quite interesting. They can be used to exorcise evil and also to spiritually suppress an enemy. After a loud roar like this, no matter how strong their spiritual defenses are, as long as their Qi and Blood aren't stable enough, they'll be dazed.'

'It's certainly a viable method. Most people defend against spiritual attacks by strengthening their Spiritual Power, but the Buddhist Sect does the opposite. Their spiritual attacks are conducted through Qi and Blood. Some people who specialize in Spiritual Power would genuinely fall for this trick.'

The more Mu Lin read, the more interested he became in the techniques of the Buddhist Sect.

'They're simply brilliant!'

Mu Lin tried to circulate his True Qi according to the method in the manual. In just a moment, he felt a formidable power gathering in his mouth.

It was like a giant balloon.

His consciousness was the hand holding the balloon. As long as he let go, the air accumulated inside would rush out in a continuous stream.

Mu Lin found a secluded spot to test it out. After trying it a few times, he started to get the hang of it.

He then returned quietly before Zhou Ying woke up.

Zhou Ying had no idea Mu Lin had even left. With his protection, she had slept very well and soundly the previous night.

"I have to go out for something today. Don't wait up for me. If anything comes up, just call me."

"Can I go with you?"

Mu Lin said, "No. You'd need a strong stomach to come along."

Zhou Ying asked curiously, "What is it? Why do I need to be brave for it?"

Mu Lin said, "I have to go to the Patrol Team's morgue to pick up a body."

The mere thought sent a shiver down Zhou Ying's spine. "Okay, okay, I get it! Please, don't say any more!"

Mu Lin shrugged. 'I told you you couldn't handle it, but you insisted on hearing. You'll have to deal with the consequences yourself.'

Zhou Ying watched Mu Lin leave, and he headed for the Lin Family's residence.

After meeting up with the Lin Family, Mu Lin went straight to the Patrol Team's station.

At the Patrol Team station, the process of retrieving the body went very smoothly. Lin Jin had clearly made arrangements.

When he arrived at the location, he was surprised to see that Jiang Long was already there.

"Mr. Mu! Good morning!"

Mu Lin politely greeted Jiang Long, "Good morning, Captain Jiang. Thanks for making the trip!"

"Let's not waste words. Let's get the body out of here!"