Chapter 496: Reward for merits, punishment for faults!
"Ah!" Zhao Xu screamed as he was sent flying.
Before he even hit the ground, this expert from the Eight Extremes Gate had already drawn his last breath. By the time he landed, the man who had once boasted he would cripple Lin Mu with a single punch had been reduced to a puddle of gore.
The members of the Eight Extremes Gate and Wang Zhuo were instantly drenched in cold sweat.
Zhao Xu! A disciple directly under the Sect Leader of the renowned Eight Extremes Gate! He couldn’t even block a single move and was slapped to death? Who would believe such a thing?
But it had truly happened.
In the Martial Arts World, Zhao Xu was also known as the Little Boxing King and was even called the foremost of the Three Sons of the Eight Extremes Gate. In the region of Yongzhou, the name Zhao Xu alone was enough to intimidate many. To now die so ignominiously in River City was simply unbelievable.
Lin Mu’s expression was indifferent as he looked down coldly from the floor above. In that moment, his mere glance was enough to make the men from the Eight Extremes Gate break out in a cold sweat, their hearts filled with terror.
Then, with a light tap of his toes, Lin Mu’s figure floated down like a falling leaf, descending gracefully from the second floor to the ground without stirring a speck of dust.
Instantly, the men from the Eight Extremes Gate and the Wang Family retreated, exclaiming in shock. Wang Zhuo swallowed hard and hurriedly presented a gilt-edged letter of challenge.
"Mr. Lin... Mr. Lin, this is..." Wang Zhuo couldn’t even complete his sentence, his voice filled with nothing but raw fear of Lin Mu.
At that moment, he dared not show the slightest contempt or disdain toward Lin Mu, only the terror and humility one would feel before a primeval beast. This young man, who appeared to be under thirty, had proven everything with his strength.
Lin Mu accepted the letter, a cold smirk gracing his lips.
This was the third challenge letter he had received.
The first was from Yun Xu, and he died.
The second was from Chang Wei, and he died too.
This was the third: a challenge from the Sect Leader of the Eight Extremes Gate. The man was summoning Lin Mu to a battle in Jiangling one month from now. This letter had even been distributed to numerous other sects, including Tai Chi, Emei, and Xingyi. Clearly, the Eight Extremes Gate was treating this challenge as a grand event, one destined to attract widespread attention.
After all, the Sect Leader of the Eight Extremes Gate was a monumental figure in the Martial Arts World. He, too, was a Martial Arts Grandmaster.
Wen Lie, ranked twenty-fourth on the Heavenly List.
To ensure victory, Wen Lie had even invited a mysterious expert to help preside over the battle. Given Wen Lie’s status, the person he invited would certainly be no weaker than him, and likely another powerhouse on the Heavenly List.
But Lin Mu couldn’t care less. With his current cultivation level, it made no difference how many opponents he faced. At his realm, numbers could not change the outcome.
As for these people from the Wang Family...
"Go back and tell your Wang Family that if they don’t want to suffer the same fate as the Fang Family, they’d better behave themselves," Lin Mu said indifferently, his hands clasped behind his back. "Otherwise, I don’t mind wiping out the Wang Family as well."
Lin Mu did not kill Wang Zhuo and the others. To him, they were nothing more than insignificant ants.
Seeing that his life was spared, Wang Zhuo breathed a huge sigh of relief. He and his men fled in a panic, scrambling away like stray dogs. Only after they had run a considerable distance did they dare to slow down, gasping for air.
"That scared me to death! My god, that was terrifying!" the man who had flattered Zhao Xu at the hotel exclaimed, slapping his chest, his face pale with lingering fear.
"I know, right? Who could have known he was so powerful? Luckily, he’s wary of our Sect Leader’s strength, so he didn’t dare kill us," another chimed in, his arrogance returning as his fear subsided.
"Exactly. It seems that even though he killed Senior Brother Zhao, he knows he’s no match for the Sect Leader. That’s why he didn’t dare to offend the Eight Extremes Gate too badly."
"He knows his place. But now that Senior Brother Zhao is dead, there’s no way the Sect Leader will let him off the hook!"
The men from the Eight Extremes Gate, accustomed to arrogance, began speaking insolently the moment they felt safe.
Standing to the side, Wang Zhuo was dumbfounded. Have these Eight Extremes Gate members practiced martial arts until their brains turned to mush? Do they really think he was afraid to kill them?
But then he considered the standing of the Eight Extremes Gate in Yongzhou and thought they might have a point. Though he knew little about the Martial Arts World, he understood the significance of the title "Grandmaster." At this thought, Wang Zhuo felt a flicker of reassurance.
As long as the Sect Leader of the Eight Extremes Gate makes a move, Lin Mu is a dead man! Besides, the Wang Family has its own masters as backing. That’s how we’ve maintained our foothold in Jiangling for all these years.
***
"Venerable Master, we... we have disappointed you."
As soon as the men from the Eight Extremes Gate had gone, Cheng Bugui sighed in relief, his face filled with shame. Qin Zhu Courtyard was the Venerable Master’s home, yet they had been confronted at their doorstep. If the Venerable Master hadn’t returned, who knew what might have happened?
"This isn’t your fault," Lin Mu consoled them. "You’ve already done very well."
Seeing the pitiful state Cheng Bugui and Qiao Tianhao were in, Lin Mu gave a faint smile. He moved like lightning, striking each of them with a palm. A jolt ran through them, and the severe pain wracking their bodies instantly vanished. Their injuries were mostly healed.
He took out an Elixir and tossed it to Qiao Tianhao. "You’ve handled matters well recently. I operate on a simple principle: merit is rewarded, and faults are punished. Take this Elixir. You will soon understand its benefits."
His tone shifted slightly as he added, "This medicine can increase the chances of your wife getting pregnant."
At this, everyone, including Qin Luoli, gave Lin Mu a peculiar look.
But Qiao Tianhao was overjoyed. "Thank you, Venerable Master!" he said, bowing deeply.
What did Qiao Tianhao want most right now? A child! Qiao Zishan was dead, and he now served Lin Mu. His fate was sealed, so he might as well accept it. He had tried countless methods to conceive a child, but nothing had worked. He was also getting older, and his stamina was beginning to wane. This Elixir from Lin Mu was like rain in a drought, filling his heart with immense gratitude.
"Rest assured, Venerable Master," Qiao Tianhao promised, his respect for Lin Mu deepening. "I will manage the foundation meticulously and ensure there are no mishaps!"
Cheng Bugui hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, "By the way, Venerable Master, about the Yan Family..."
"As I’ve said, merits will be rewarded, and transgressions will be punished," Lin Mu stated coolly. "Since the Yan Family revealed my address to the Eight Extremes Gate, let them vanish."
A shiver ran down Cheng Bugui’s spine, but he didn’t dare object. "As you command, Venerable Master!" he replied respectfully.
Qiao Tianhao’s heart trembled. The Venerable Master is truly the Venerable Master, as ruthless as ever. He would exterminate an entire family without a second thought. But the Yan Family brought this upon themselves. After receiving the Venerable Master’s favor, they dared to betray him by revealing his residence. It was a crime that deserved death.