Chapter 583: Tearing Up the Crocodile, Riding on the Tiger!
"Murder?"
Everyone was stunned.
Kong Ying asked in shock, "Instructor Lin, are you... are you really going to duel the Bagua Sect Leader?"
"You’re wrong," Lin Mu shook his head. "He isn’t qualified to duel me."
"Since he insists on seeking death, then I’ll oblige him!"
Lin Mu’s words carried a powerful, innate confidence, so natural that it seemed impossible to oppose.
But still...
"Ignorant junior!" Zou Ju sneered. "Do you even know who Qiu Yi, the Bagua Sect Leader, is? How dare you make such outrageous claims? You’re simply courting death!"
"I’ve always been this audacious," Lin Mu said coldly. "Do you want to test me?"
Zou Ju was still somewhat afraid of Lin Mu. For some reason, she always felt that this new instructor of the Divine Machine Camp was very... mysterious. His unique temperament was something she couldn’t begin to fathom.
But to kill Qiu Yi?
How is that possible?
Qiu Yi was a prestigious Martial Arts Grandmaster. It was even rumored that he had once captured a fierce tiger in the mountains and subdued a giant crocodile in the sea. Such a person was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. So, Zou Ju dismissed Lin Mu’s words as mere boasting.
"Fine. We’ll wait and see in three days!" Zou Ju said deliberately. "If you actually win, I can plead with the higher-ups to let the Divine Machine Camp continue in the competition. However... you’ll have to apologize to me!"
Although she knew it was impossible, Zou Ju still wanted to infuriate Lin Mu.
"Get lost!" Lin Mu rebuked coldly. "Or I can kill you right now!"
"You..."
Zou Ju wanted to fly into a rage, but she forced herself to hold it back.
Kid, I’ll let you be arrogant for three more days. After three days, you will surely die!
***
"Instructor Lin, are you really confident?"
After Zou Ju left, Kong Lin asked with concern, "That Qiu Yi is a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the chance to become the chief consultant of our Southeast Military Region."
Lin Mu smiled faintly. "Unfortunately, your chief consultant is doomed."
What did he mean by that? That Qiu Yi is certain to die? Where did Lin Mu get such confidence?
Kong Lin didn’t dare to ask, nor did he know how.
He could only resolve to plead with the higher-ups to call off this fight.
But Kong Lin soon received a reply: the Military Department had no right to interfere in a dispute between martial artists. Moreover, since the Martial Alliance had approved Qiu Yi’s request and Lin Mu had accepted the challenge, this battle was inevitable!
Kong Lin sighed helplessly and went to find Lin Mu. "Instructor Lin, the final battle is tomorrow. Are you really... going?"
"I’ve said it before. Since Qiu Yi is seeking death, I will oblige him," Lin Mu said with a smile. "Commander Kong, don’t worry. I’ve had Xiao Tian training the Divine Machine Camp these past few days. I definitely won’t delay the Southeast Military Region’s grand competition."
"Instructor Lin, you’ve misunderstood me," Kong Lin sighed deeply. "The higher-ups already know about this. The Military Department is just waiting for the result of this battle. If..."
If Lin Mu won, there might still be a chance for a turnaround. If he lost, all bets were off.
But defeat Qiu Yi? How could that be possible?
Although Lin Mu had been recommended by the higher-ups, no one had spoken up for him in the past two days. Kong Lin guessed that Lin Mu’s backer probably hadn’t been of much use.
However, Lin Mu appeared completely unconcerned.
"Alright, just relax," Lin Mu said. "He’s only a Grandmaster. It’s not like I haven’t killed one before."
「In the Capital.」
"Commander, this Bagua Sect is being too arrogant. Should I go give them a warning?" Han Xiaochuan’s face flashed with anger as he looked at the intelligence report in his hand. "And the Martial Alliance has been making a lot of moves lately, even daring to meddle in the Military Department’s affairs!"
Hearing Han Xiaochuan, Xiao Xuan chuckled. "What are you so worried about? Do you think the kid can’t beat him, or do you think he’s too arrogant for daring to threaten even Zou Ju?"
"No!" Han Xiaochuan said. "On the contrary, I think the kid is being quite domineering this time. He’s acting like a proper instructor! The Bagua Sect has gone too far, daring to set foot on the Divine Machine Camp’s base. Don’t they know that the Divine Machine Camp is..."
Before Han Xiaochuan could finish, Xiao Xuan laughed. "Alright, why bring up that nonsense?"
"As for the Bagua Sect and the Martial Alliance..." A cold smirk flashed across Xiao Xuan’s eyes. "The Martial Alliance has indeed overstepped these past few years. However, their little schemes are severely miscalculated."
Han Xiaochuan clenched his fists. "If it really comes down to it, I’ll just go and beat up the Martial Alliance Leader and tell him to quiet down. After all, with the situation at Changbai Mountain..."
Xiao Xuan glanced at Han Xiaochuan, who gave a sheepish smile and fell silent.
"Alright, when this battle is over, have that Zou Ju go home and take care of her grandkids. An old hag like her should have been kicked out of the Military Department long ago!"
「A forest adjacent to Hu Hai.」
In the mountains, fierce tigers roared; in the lakes, crocodiles hissed.
BOOM!
The lake’s surface exploded as a crocodile burst into a mist of blood. A figure shot out from the crimson mist, landing on the shore.
Tearing a crocodile apart with his bare hands! If an ordinary person were to witness this, they would be scared to death.
"Congratulations, Master, on perfecting your divine technique!" A group of men in robes printed with the bagua symbol stood ramrod straight. Their auras were sharp and powerful, their True Qi flowing. They were clearly experts.
"Master, he’s just a junior. Why must you personally act?" The one who spoke was Qiu Yi’s third disciple. "I will go take his head and present it to you to avenge our martial brothers!"
He’s just a military instructor. How formidable can he be?
Moreover, he had heard that it wasn’t this man who had killed their eldest martial brother. It was a mysterious expert from the Divine Machine Camp. With his eldest martial brother brutally killed, his second martial brother severely injured, and even his youngest martial brother crippled, the culprit had to die, no matter who their backer was!
"Do you really think a mere junior could force my hand?" Qiu Yi snorted. He was a Grandmaster. Why would he need to kill someone himself?
"Previously, when that man presided over the Divine Machine Camp, who in the Martial Arts World of the Southeast Five Provinces didn’t show Leng Shan some respect? Now that he’s disappeared, it’s time for someone new to take charge of the Southeast Five Provinces!"
Qiu Yi’s challenge to Lin Mu wasn’t simply about avenging his disciples. To become the chief consultant of the Southeast Military Region, one had to display some power. With his Grandmaster-level strength and his connections, conquering the entire Southeast Five Provinces would be child’s play, would it not?
And Lin Mu’s actions had given him the perfect pretext. Under the guise of revenge, he would make a move on the entire Southeast Five Provinces and truly establish the name of Qiu Yi of the Iron Eight Trigrams!
With his divine technique newly mastered, his heart was set on supremacy! Chief Instructor of the Divine Machine Camp? Nothing but an ant!
"Master is right. That’s why this time, I’ve invited half of the influential powers of the Southeast Five Provinces. Even three of the great clans are coming. They said they’ve already prepared a tournament stage as a sign of respect for you," said Qiu Yi’s third disciple. "However, it seems the Tang Family is feigning ignorance."
Qiu Yi smiled coldly. "Hmph. It seems that after I, Qiu Yi, have been out of the public eye for so long, everyone has forgotten my name. Since that’s the case, the Tang Family no longer needs to exist."
"Vile beast, come out!"
With a tiger’s roar, a fierce tiger emerged from the forest with a foul, bloody wind, then obediently prostrated itself before Qiu Yi.
Qiu Yi let out a hearty laugh, leaped onto the tiger’s back, and sped off toward Suzhou.