Chapter 41: Undercurrents Surging!
"Bring Number Three to see me," the man said to the darkness, setting down his wine glass.
"Yes!" someone immediately responded, taking their leave.
"Also, get rid of this body. Don’t leave it here as an eyesore," the man added. "As for his family, throw them into the river to feed the fish."
"He couldn’t even handle such a small matter, yet he expected me to take care of his family. There’s no such deal in this world."
The person who was about to leave trembled, not daring to say another word. He quickly departed to carry out his master’s orders.
Soon, a short figure entered the room and said respectfully, "Greetings, Master."
The man asked, "Did you find anything out?"
"Master," Number Three replied, "we used thirty-six different methods, and Qiao Zishan finally broke."
The man waited quietly, saying nothing.
"Qiao Zishan said that he was in contact with Qi Fei and had even asked him to break Lin Mu’s limbs. That kid should have been dead by now. Unexpectedly, not only did he survive, but he also got into our Drink and Enjoy Bar."
Number Three reported everything about Lin Mu in detail; even his activities over the past few days had been thoroughly investigated.
Of course, he didn’t mention anything about Hundred Herbs Hall. It was unclear if they hadn’t had time to investigate it yet or if it was for some other reason.
"Hmm, that young master of the Qiao Family seems like a fool, but he has some cunning to him," the man said with a chuckle, his words dripping with disdain.
When it comes to schemes and methods, I, Dao Wuming, claim to be second, and no one would dare claim to be first!
"On the one hand, he orders someone to get rid of Lin Mu, and on the other, he sends people to his house to collect debts—all for a mere woman. It seems this son of Qiao Jinghao is nothing but a profligate."
This person was none other than the underground emperor of River City, Dao Wuming.
His assessment of Qiao Zishan was incredibly demeaning, his tone filled with utter contempt.
Having started from nothing, Dao Wuming now controlled River City’s underworld and possessed a fortune not much less than Qiao Jinghao’s. In terms of methods and capabilities, however, he was far more ruthless and insidious than anyone else.
Only a day had passed, and he had already found out who was behind the bloodbath at the Drink and Enjoy Bar. One could only imagine the extent of his power and connections.
"Although tonight’s mission was a failure, it wasn’t completely useless. At least now we can be certain that this live-in son-in-law of the Qin Family isn’t as worthless as he appears," Dao Wuming muttered to himself. "A dragon hiding in the city... will he soar to the heavens or remain trapped in the shallows? I’m actually looking forward to finding out."
"Keep a close watch on Lin Mu. I’ll have Number Two take action," Dao Wuming ordered.
"What? This matter requires Number Two to get involved?" Number Three exclaimed in shock.
Dao Wuming had countless subordinates, all meticulously organized into numerous departments, with each head identified by a number. Number Three was in charge of intelligence gathering, interrogation, and cleanup, while Number Two handled assassinations and purges. But among all of Dao Wuming’s subordinates, Number Two was the most formidable, second only to the mysterious Number One. There was no one else on his level. His strength was supreme, his assassination techniques unparalleled.
Why deploy such a major force to deal with a mere live-in son-in-law?
"You just need to follow my orders. Since when is it your place to interrupt?" Dao Wuming snorted coldly.
"This subordinate wouldn’t dare!" Number Three dropped to his knees, his voice trembling.
"Hmph!"
"Master, how should we deal with Qiao Zishan?" Number Three asked.
"Let him go. He is the son of River City’s richest man, after all. If something were to really happen to him, it could get a bit troublesome." Dao Wuming paused in thought before continuing, "But make sure he keeps his mouth shut. He can go about his business, and we can even cooperate to a certain extent. If he agrees, great. If he doesn’t... then his old man can come collect his body."
Dao Wuming’s tone was placid, as if discussing the life and death of a tycoon’s son was a trivial matter. Moreover, the confidence in his words was unmistakable.
"Yes!"
Number Three respectfully retreated.
Dao Wuming gently massaged his brow, muttering in frustration, "If it weren’t for our alliance’s grand plan, I wouldn’t need to bother courting that old fellow Ding Buxiu."
Ding Buxiu was Zeng Wen’s master, the renowned Master Ding of River City.
From the moment Zeng Wen was killed and the Drink and Enjoy Bar was washed in blood, Dao Wuming had deployed vast resources to investigate, eventually zeroing in on Lin Mu. His true objective, however, was just one person: Ding Buxiu.
This just went to show how a single figure like Master Ding could stir up a bloody storm in River City, a testament to his immense influence.
「The Villa.」
Dao Wuming, the Qiao Family, the Luo Family, even the Zhou Family and Qin Hongbo are all suspects. Qin Hongbo might not have the guts, but the Zhou Family is another story.
Lin Mu pondered the possibilities. He had beaten Qin Hao into an idiot and left Zhou Lan’s face a swollen mess. Qin Hongbo might be too intimidated to act, but the Zhou Family wouldn’t be. They were one of River City’s long-established families, with influence and heritage that could not be underestimated. It was reasonable to assume they could find an assassin to come after him.
Then there was the Qiao Family. Qiao Zishan knew he was still alive and would surely want to silence him for good. That was another possibility. Luo Jinping, whom I taught a lesson, might also try something given his temperament and the way Elder Luo spoils him. As for the loan company, although I killed two of their men, I doubt they have the nerve. Besides, there hasn’t been enough time. The most they’d likely try is coming to collect the debt as a probe.
Finally, there’s Dao Wuming. He’s the shadowy owner of the Drink and Enjoy Bar. I turned his establishment into a bloodbath and killed so many of his people. With a personality as domineering as his, he could never swallow that insult. Not to mention, it seems that Zeng Wen had Master Ding backing him. He has the motive, the means, and is the most likely suspect.
But at the moment, Lin Mu wasn’t certain who it was.
Regardless of who was behind it, he was not afraid. Since he had already made enemies of these people, he wasn’t afraid of retaliation. What truly worried him was that they might get desperate and target his family.
His mother, Lady Su, was a commoner with no power. Even a mere loan company could drive her to a dead end, to say nothing of the many hidden dangers lurking in the shadows.
And then there’s Qin Luoli!
His feelings toward this woman were now complicated. He could easily just walk away, but his enemies wouldn’t care about the details. They only knew that Qin Luoli was his wife in name. If they used her to threaten him, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
At this thought, Lin Mu decided to find time to prepare some protective Magic Artifacts for both Qin Luoli and his mother. That way, if they encountered danger, they would have a way to defend themselves.
The most pressing matter is to refine the elixir first. I’ll have Ning Xian help me prepare the materials.
To perform Artifact Refining, he naturally needed materials, and Ning Xian was just the person to make use of.
Having made his decision, Lin Mu took the medicinal ingredients and went straight to the rooftop to begin the alchemy.
And as Lin Mu began, an undercurrent moved through the entirety of River City, which was on the verge of a storm.