Chapter 573: No Holding Back, No Mercy!
Hearing Lin Mu’s words, Kong Lin was stunned.
He had intended to introduce the two individuals and their identities, reminding Lin Mu to be careful, but he never expected Lin Mu to be so dismissive. This put even Kong Lin in an awkward position.
"Young man, being spirited and headstrong is all well and good, but aren’t you being a bit too arrogant?" the woman surnamed Zou spoke up. Lin Mu had made a very poor impression on her.
Conceited and overbearing! Too proud by half!
She herself was quite influential. Never mind the Southeast Five Provinces; even in the Capital, who wouldn’t treat her with courtesy upon hearing her name? But Lin Mu was utterly oblivious.
The man surnamed Xie felt this even more strongly.
"I heard that you usually train people by making them sleep?" he sneered, glaring coldly at Lin Mu. "I’ve been with the Bagua Sect for quite a while, and I know a thing or two. Training troops this way is nothing short of ludicrous!"
Xie Hui, a disciple of the Bagua Sect.
At the same time, he was also an honorary advisor to the Southeast Military Region, specifically responsible for guiding the training of certain special forces. His strength was considerable, and he tended to look down on ordinary people, especially an arrogant ordinary person like Lin Mu.
Lin Mu understood.
So, they’re from the Bagua Sect. No wonder they looked at me with such disdain. They’re deliberately here to pick a fight.
"So you’re from the Bagua Sect," Lin Mu said mockingly. "It’s not your place to chime in on how I train. You should focus on teaching your own people first."
This remark was a deliberate reminder to Xie Hui: since disciples of his Bagua Sect had been thrown into the sea by Lin Mu’s men, there was a clear gap between them. He should stop complaining.
Xie Hui’s expression darkened, and his gaze grew even colder.
The woman surnamed Zou was furious. Since Xie Hui was someone she had brought, Lin Mu’s direct confrontation made her lose face.
Just as she was about to explode with anger, Kong Lin quickly interjected, "Sister Zou, please don’t be upset. I believe Instructor Lin has his own ideas. How about we listen to what he has to say first?"
"There’s nothing left to say," Lin Mu said, waving his hand dismissively. "If you question my training methods, I’ll leave right now."
He had no interest whatsoever in the Divine Machine Camp.
"Instructor Lin, I didn’t mean that!" Kong Lin panicked. This man was personally assigned by that important figure in the Capital, and Kong Lin didn’t want to offend him. He pleaded earnestly, "Instructor Lin, please, give this old man some face, won’t you?"
Glancing at Kong Lin, Lin Mu felt somewhat helpless.
"Fine. I’ll let you all see for yourselves today."
Lin Mu turned to the young man behind him. "Leng Feng, let’s go. To the training field!"
After Lin Mu led everyone away, Sister Zou pulled Kong Lin aside. "Old Kong, what kind of instructor did you find? He’s the one who drove Professor Feng away, right? And what’s with this training method of his? It’s simply absurd!"
"I read the report and thought the problem was with Professor Feng, but now, I feel it’s necessary to reinvestigate."
Walking ahead of them, Lin Mu overheard Sister Zou’s words and immediately understood.
So, this Sister Zou came for Professor Feng. One from the Bagua Sect, and a friend of Professor Feng’s. Looks like today is going to be lively.
A faint smile curled at the corners of his mouth as Lin Mu walked toward the training field, his demeanor relaxed.
"Hah, he’s too young. A mere boy, what does he know about training methods?" Xie Hui sighed. "I didn’t believe the rumors at first, but now that I’ve seen him in person, it’s even worse than I imagined..."
Xie Hui shook his head and sighed again.
"Xie Hui, did you notice anything?" Sister Zou asked.
"What could there be to notice?" Xie Hui scoffed. "In all my years with the Bagua Sect, I have never heard of such a method."
"This youngster is disrespectful and too full of himself!" Xie Hui sneered coldly. "When my senior brothers arrive, we’ll see how they deal with this brat!"
"Hmm." Although she frowned at Xie Hui’s tone, Lin Mu’s recent attitude made Sister Zou feel that he needed to be taught not to be so arrogant.
「...」
"What do you guys think? Can Teacher Lin really win this time? I feel like it’s a long shot," Monkey said helplessly.
"Of course not! Teacher Lin is formidable, but Leng Feng is just a kid. He’s never had any professional training. What could he possibly learn in just half a month?" Ma Biao said worriedly.
"Man, if Leng Feng loses, what will happen to Teacher Lin?" Mad Dog added, his face etched with anxiety.
He held a great deal of admiration for Lin Mu. The man had fought nearly a hundred people without so much as flushing or his heart skipping a beat. However, he fundamentally disagreed with Lin Mu’s training methods.
"Normally, it would be fine, but today we have leaders from the top coming for an inspection. We’re totally screwed," Monkey sighed.
Kong Ying was also getting worried. It was true that she wanted to see Lin Mu lose face. But if Lin Mu really lost, it would be far more serious than a simple loss of face.
"Captain, what if... we go easy on Leng Feng later?" Monkey suggested, his eyes darting around. He always had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and at his words, everyone’s eyes lit up.
"I think that’s a great idea!" Ma Biao clapped his hands. "As long as Leng Feng wins, the chiefs will assume Teacher Lin’s methods are correct."
Jiaolong and Kong Ying were both tempted.
"Then it’s settled," Kong Ying declared. "Later, you all just pretend you’re no match for him and admit defeat. But remember, you have to make it look convincing. Otherwise, watch out, because I won’t let you off!" At the end, she threatened them with a small, raised fist.
"Advisor Kong, you can rest easy," Monkey chuckled. "I’m a born actor."
"Get lost! When will you learn to be serious?"
As for them losing? That was simply impossible.
After all, Kong Ying had seen every member of the Divine Machine Camp training to their absolute limits over the past half-month. The memory of that brutal, extreme training was enough to make her shiver.
And how long had Leng Feng been training? Though it was half a month on paper, from what they had seen, it wasn’t even ten days. He was too young, after all.
He can’t endure hardship.
Kong Ying silently clenched her teeth. Lin, the bigger picture is more important. I’ll let you off this time! Just you wait, I’ll deal with you later!
If she weren’t worried that the Divine Machine Camp might not be able to participate in the upcoming grand competition, Kong Ying would never have resorted to cheating. But now, she had no other choice. Her grandfather was determined to see the Divine Machine Camp win a championship. Personal grievances could be set aside.
"Old Kong," Sister Zou said slowly, her eyes sweeping over Jiaolong and the others, "I want to be clear. You aren’t planning on having your people deliberately throw the match, are you?" She was clearly smart enough to have guessed something from their expressions.
"This..." Kong Lin had indeed been planning to do just that, but Sister Zou had called him out on it before he even had a chance to speak.
"Sister Zou, rest assured. I, Kong Lin, would not do such a thing," he could only say helplessly.
"That’s good," Sister Zou smiled. "Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how to explain it to my superiors."
Hearing her words, Kong Lin’s heart tightened. Just as he was about to plead with her, Lin Mu arrived with Leng Feng.
"Xiao Tian, pass down the order!" Lin Mu said coldly. "During the match, no one is to hold back or throw the fight! Anyone who doesn’t give it their all can get out of the Divine Machine Camp!"