Chapter 483 481: Younger Brother Mo

This was why Li Ba was absolutely loyal to Mu Lin, doing everything in his power to prove his worth.

Mu Lin hung up and tossed his phone on the table.

"Just relax and eat," he said calmly. "You'll be fine."

Just then, their food arrived. Mu Lin ordered a large bowl of rice and told Xu Tianming to eat without worry.

He even ordered a few more dishes to make sure Xu Tianming had a good meal.

Xu Tianming was still worried and peeked outside, only to find that the hooligans were all leaving.

'That worked? Mu Lin only made one phone call, right? And it worked immediately? This means things aren't what they seem!'

'I can't believe Mr. Mu has this much power in Di Yang.'

'I really can't underestimate Mr. Mu!'

Xu Tianming secretly told himself that Mu Lin was a patron he had to cling to no matter what. He had to hold on tight.

Meanwhile, Gu Qiang was unusually quiet, absorbed in her phone and ignoring their affairs.

Having been disconnected from society for two years, she was now absorbing information as if she were dying of thirst.

Mu Lin looked at Xu Tianming. "Why didn't you contact the main branch of the Xu Family directly? No matter how much you might dislike each other, this is a life-and-death situation. The main family has an obligation to step in, don't they?"

"Well, that's the thing," Xu Tianming said, his head lowered. "I couldn't get through. None of my calls would connect... Then I thought about going directly to the main family's compound, but there were people guarding the entrance who clearly weren't with the Xu Family. I didn't dare risk going in."

"I... what I mean is... could the main family be in trouble too?" Xu Tianming asked.

It was a frightening thought. What if this wasn't just happening to his branch of the family, but to everyone in the Xu Family?

Wouldn't that mean the Xu Family was done for?

For Xu Tianming, who wanted nothing more than to earn the main family's approval, this news would be a devastating blow.

Mu Lin took out his phone and called Xu Tianying.

Xu Tianying had previously tried to woo Zhou Ying, but now he'd settled for second best, styling himself as her guardian.

He should have answered a call from Mu Lin immediately.

But he didn't.

The ringback tone played until an automated voice announced that the call could not be answered.

Mu Lin's expression grew serious. "The Xu Family might really be in serious trouble..."

The last time Mu Lin ran into Xu Tianying at a bar, he'd asked him to tell Xu Jishan that he planned to visit the Xu Family in a few days.

Normally, Xu Jishan would have called to ask for the exact time so he could arrange a proper reception.

But this time, there was nothing.

This meant the situation was far more serious than Mu Lin had imagined.

Hearing Mu Lin say this, the color drained further from Xu Tianming's face. "The main family has such deep roots, yet even they're in trouble? How is that possible?"

Mu Lin sighed. Was there anything truly praiseworthy about the Xu Family? Not in his eyes. For a time, their expertise in psychic attacks had caught his attention, but in the end, he had easily surpassed them.

Besides, among the major public powers in Di Yang, the Xu Family was at the bottom of the ladder.

And that didn't even account for the major powers developing in the shadows.

Those who didn't know any better might praise the Xu Family to the heavens, but anyone who truly understood them knew they were nothing special, not even worth bothering with.

As they were eating, a group of men suddenly approached.

The leader of the group had an arrogant look on his face. He glanced at Mu Lin's table, then gave his men a hand signal.

The men immediately fanned out and began driving the other customers away.

Seeing that this group meant trouble, the patrons hastily left, a few of them without even paying their bills.

The manager was terrified and rushed out to try and smooth things over, but the young man sent him flying with a kick.

"Get lost! Keep running your mouth and I'll shut this place down!"

The manager knew he couldn't afford to provoke these people, so he could only watch as they ruined his business for the night.

Before long, all the customers were gone, leaving Mu Lin's group as the sole remaining table in the entire restaurant.

Xu Tianming's expression was grim. Needless to say, these men were here for him.

'Looking at the way things are going, maybe even Mr. Mu won't be able to protect me.'

He wondered if he should sacrifice himself to ensure Mu Lin and the others could leave safely. "Mr. Mu, thank you for protecting me, but..."

Mu Lin shot him a glare. "But what? You think I need you to say that? Just eat. I'm here."

Xu Tianming could only swallow his pounding heart and say nothing.

The young leader of the group strode over and slammed his foot onto their table.

"Hey, beautiful. How about we get to know each other?" The young man leaned in close, his breath brushing against Gu Qiang's face.

Gu Qiang said, "I don't know you, and I'm not interested. Please don't disturb our meal."

Gu Qiang had never been one to be easily frightened. With a Grandmaster for a grandfather, there was very little in the world that scared her.

Still, such a raw and overwhelming show of force was not without effect.

"Heh heh heh. Not interested, huh? That's fine. I have my ways of making you interested! We'll see about that."

The young man's gaze fell upon Xu Tianming. "I'm Ning Xingyuan. Xu Tianming, even if you're just a nobody from a backwater place like Anhua, you must know who we are."

Xu Tianming was terrified. 'This arrogant punk is actually from the Ning Family?'

He was momentarily speechless. "Young Master Ning..."

Ning Xingyuan laughed. "Xu Tianming, you live up to your reputation as a cop. You sure can run. My men have been searching for you for a full day and night and haven't found a single trace."

Xu Tianming's gaze darkened. This man was very likely the one responsible for his parents' car accident.

"Were you the one who hit my parents?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You think I have nothing better to do than crash into cars? I was just looking for you, nothing special. Just hand over your company right now, and you can go back to being a Patrol Officer."

"Otherwise... the weather's been pretty bad lately. You'd better be careful."

Xu Tianming was so furious he felt his lungs would explode. 'So Ning Xingyuan really was behind my parents' accident.'

'This man is completely evil, an absolute piece of trash!'

"I'll never give you the company. You can forget about it!"

Ning Xingyuan's refined face instantly twisted into a ferocious snarl. The stark contrast made Gu Qiang uncomfortable, and her face paled slightly.

Ning Xingyuan narrowed his eyes and snorted. "This isn't up for discussion. You'll hand it over whether you want to or not. And if you refuse, I have plenty of ways to *help* you."

He shot a look at his men, who lunged at Xu Tianming like savage wolves breaking free from their leashes.

Xu Tianming tried to struggle, but the men were too strong. In an instant, they had him pinned down, unable to move.

One of them even forced his head down, filling Xu Tianming with immense humiliation.

He was a proud man; how could he endure such a disgrace?

Mu Lin's eyes flashed, and he made his move.

The chopsticks in his hand shot out like an arrow, striking the hand that was forcing Xu Tianming's head down.

The chopstick's momentum was so fierce that it pierced straight through the hand.

AARGH!

The goon immediately yanked his hand back, clutching the pierced appendage in agony.

Seizing the moment of reprieve, Xu Tianming lifted his head and gasped for air.

Ning Xingyuan stared at the chopstick in astonishment, then his gaze snapped to Mu Lin, hardening. "I didn't expect to find a Martial Artist here! Younger Brother Mo, it's your time to shine!"

As he spoke, a clean-cut young man in his early twenties stepped forward. He carried himself with a steady air and looked extraordinary.

Mu Lin took one look and immediately gauged the man's strength.

'He's achieved mastery of Inner Strength. That's incredibly impressive for someone his age.'

'His talent is undeniable; he's surpassed many of his peers.'

'Even someone as brilliant as Chen Jingyun was never able to condense his Inner Strength.'

'It just goes to show that in addition to hard work, you also need the right opportunities. Without them, you have nothing.'

Ning Xingyuan said, "No wonder you stopped running. So you found yourself a backer. Aren't you something."

The young Martial Artist with the surname Mo spoke. "My family taught me to be kind to others. This has nothing to do with you, sir. Please don't get involved. I can guarantee your safe departure."

Mu Lin smiled. "Your talent is impressive. To have cultivated to this level at your age shows that both talent and hard work are indispensable."

"I imagine you must have a master supporting you from behind, correct? For the sake of your 'be kind to others' sentiment, I can spare your life. But you can no longer aid a tyrant in his evil deeds by working for the Ning Family."