Chapter 102: How about letting you have three punches?
The Guan Family was now guarding River City, and they were under immense pressure.
People thought Guan Chengye had returned to his hometown to enjoy a peaceful life, but Guan Chengye knew that the powerful figures in the court had already seen through it all.
Although they wouldn’t trip him up from behind the scenes, they were eager to watch the Guan Family become a laughingstock.
Should the Guan Family encounter any trouble, those hungry wolves would surely pounce, tearing the family to shreds.
Actually, Guan Chengye wasn’t afraid of these things.
A general facing death on the battlefield harbored no regrets.
What he feared was failing to meet his sovereign’s expectations.
What he worried about was the Dark Web lurking in the gutters.
Now, Guan Xinhe was seriously injured and would be unable to fight for three months.
Although Guan Feifei was capable of standing on his own, he still seemed naive when facing a behemoth like the Dark Web.
Guan Feifei couldn’t even solve the current dilemma the Guan Family faced.
But Lin Mu was different; he was a Martial Arts Grandmaster!
A single Grandmaster could stabilize a nation!
That was no exaggeration.
How many Grandmasters were there in the country today?
You could count them on one hand, and in his entire life, Guan Chengye had only ever seen one.
What glory was that? What prestige?
Although Lin Mu had only promised to do three things, it was enough to give the Guan Family more time to breathe and prepare to deal with the Dark Web.
"You don’t have to be so formal, Elder Guan."
Lin Mu sat down and said, "Elder Guan, you can tell me now. Who is that person outside?"
Guan Chengye was slightly startled. "Master Lin, you... you already know?"
A smile touched the corner of Lin Mu’s mouth. "With such a large commotion, it’s a bit difficult not to."
"What I’m curious about is what kind of background the other party has to hold the Guan Family in such contempt."
Guan Chengye sighed and said through clenched teeth, "That person, the one outside, is a descendant of an old enemy of mine. He’s here to fulfill an agreement we made years ago."
"A ten-year agreement, where life and death are not a concern!"
Lin Mu appeared surprised. "And you refused?"
Guan Chengye said, "It’s useless for anyone to refuse this wager. My old enemy has already sent word, giving me only three days to consider. If I avoid the fight, he will slaughter my entire family!"
"Does that person not know the status of the Guan Family?" Lin Mu raised an eyebrow.
A hint of fury and unwillingness filled Guan Chengye’s eyes, and he felt utterly humiliated.
"Because the opponent has a life-and-death contract signed by the Martial Alliance, he’s challenging me to a duel as a Martial Artist. Even if the authorities have objections, they can’t say much."
Guan Chengye said helplessly, "Moreover, that person’s identity is not simple, so..."
"So, Elder Guan, you have to fight whether you want to or not?" Lin Mu asked.
"Correct."
Guan Chengye sighed. "The problem is that my old enemy has already achieved Internal Energy Mastery; his realm far surpasses mine. If Xin He hadn’t been injured, he would have been strong enough to fight him, but now..."
Lin Mu said, "Can’t you ask someone for help?"
Guan Chengye replied, "Yes. As long as a life-and-death agreement is signed with the Martial Alliance, the outcome is irrelevant!"
Guan Chengye immediately stood up, bowed to Lin Mu, and said, "Master Lin, the Guan Family is in grave danger, and I have no other options. I must boldly ask you, Master Lin, to save my family this one time!"
"I’ll do it."
Lin Mu agreed instantly without a second thought.
The reason he had offered to do three things for the Guan Family was that he sensed they were in trouble.
Of course, there was another reason.
The Guan Family consisted of generations of loyal subjects who had served their country and its people.
In his past life, Lin Mu was the God of Slaughter of his generation. Though he had killed countless people, he only killed those who were utterly wicked and vile. He held the utmost respect for pillars of the country like them.
Otherwise, that divine war would never have happened.
"Guan Chengye... Thank you, Master Lin, for saving my life!"
Guan Chengye’s voice was choked with emotion as he bowed deeply.
This time, Lin Mu calmly accepted his bow.
After Guan Chengye composed himself, Lin Mu rose and said, "Let’s go. Take me to meet the person outside."
"I’m very curious to see just how formidable a junior trained by an enemy of Elder Guan can be."
"Master Lin..." Guan Chengye had a million things to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.
Only one thought remained in his heart: A Martial Arts Grandmaster is like a great mountain one can only look up to!
Outside the gate, a young man in a traditional long robe stood under the scorching sun.
His posture was ramrod straight, utterly unmoving.
There wasn’t a single drop of sweat on his face, and his gaze was perfectly calm.
However, a hint of disdain was visible in his expression.
It was as if he was mocking them.
What of a pillar of the country? So what if they were a family of loyal subjects for generations? This time, his master was coming as a Martial Artist to fulfill the ten-year-old bet with Guan Chengye. Publicly or privately, the authorities couldn’t find any pretext to object. Moreover, the person backing his master had a terrifyingly immense background.
The reason he was blocking the Guan Family’s main gate was to thoroughly humiliate them before the duel.
Stepping on the face of a General’s family was not something ordinary people would even dare to imagine, let alone do.
Seeing the infuriated yet silent members of the Guan Family inside the gate, Xu Feng felt a deep satisfaction. Even the sun overhead seemed to cool by several degrees.
It was like drinking a bowl of refreshingly cold sour plum soup.
"Heh," Xu Feng sneered, looking at one of the large men. "What’s the matter? Want to fight? Feel free. I, Xu Feng, will take you on."
That man’s strength was not low, perhaps even slightly superior to his own.
But Xu Feng was certain the man wouldn’t dare to act.
The Guan Family’s rules forbade its members from striking anyone outside of a battlefield.
Xu Feng’s words made many of the Guan family members’ faces darken, making them wish they could rush out and tear him to pieces.
"What’s wrong? Scared? If you’re scared, then get lost. Don’t embarrass yourselves here," Xu Feng jeered loudly.
"Bastard, I’ll kill you!"
A young Guan Family member, his face flushed red with rage, started to charge out to fight Xu Feng to the death.
"Xiao Wu, don’t be rash!"
The large man known as Da Jun stopped him, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Xu Feng.
"Don’t forget the Guan Family’s creed!"
Xiao Wu, his eyes red with fury, retorted, "But are we just going to let him trample on the honor of the General and the Family Head? To hell with it! I’ll beg the Family Head to kick me out of the family, and then I’ll go kill that son of a bitch!"
"Fool!"
Da Jun roared, "You may have no shame, but the Guan Family Army still has its pride!"
"Well said. The Guan Family can kill enemies on the battlefield and guard the frontiers, but this little insect isn’t qualified to scream and shout at our doorstep."
At that moment, Guan Chengye walked over. Everyone immediately fell silent, but they looked at him with excited eyes, hoping he would give the order to crush the bastard at the gate.
Guan Chengye ignored them and instead turned to Lin Mu behind him. "Master Lin, I know this cur isn’t worthy of your time, but I must still ask for your help."
Lin Mu nodded lightly, walked toward Xu Feng, and tilted his head.
"Kid, how about I let you have the first three punches?"