Pang Dahai was now absolutely certain. It was because of Mu Lin's presence yesterday that the four-man team had failed to deliver a "big gift" to the Li family's young lady.
"I can't do that," Mu Lin said, shaking his head firmly. "My master taught me from a young age that you can't forget you're a human being just to make money. You can't abandon your principles."
'This fatso is obviously bad news. He's rich but cruel, and he's probably done countless monstrous and vile things. If I had a lapse in judgment and agreed, my master would surely take me out for the sake of justice if he ever found out.'
'Master.'
Pang Dahai understood, a vicious glint in his eyes. 'This kid's background really is something else,' he thought.
"Haha, young man, your master isn't entirely right. A person with real talent is welcome anywhere."
"If I worked with you, the old man would definitely 'cleanse the family'," Mu Lin refused again.
Pang Dahai's lips curled into a cruel smile. 'This guy isn't right in the head, turning down money. Well, he can't blame me for what comes next.'
"In that case, you can die here."
Pang Dahai, who prided himself on appreciating talent, sighed internally. Then, the leader of the four-man team stood up again, and another member rushed toward Mu Lin, right hand raised to lock his throat.
The leader of the team flung four throwing knives, each one aimed at Mu Lin's vitals.
Number Four also rushed forward, grabbing tightly onto Mu Lin's calves.
This all happened in an instant.
Mu Lin calmly remarked, "You guys really play for keeps. My master wasn't lying when he said the city is full of tricks."
With a sudden flick of his hand, Mu Lin threw Number Two, who had been behind him, into the air. The man flew in front of him, intercepting the flying daggers. Blood splattered as Number Two died, his face a mask of disbelief.
He then drove his knee into Number Four's eyes and followed up with a kick to the chest. KRAK! Ribs shattered and pierced his heart. Number Four coughed up blood and died.
The leader of the four-man team was terrified. In the blink of an eye, he was the only one left.
The other three had been brutally killed by the man before him.
Pang Dahai's face was grim. He never could have imagined that this unassuming country boy could so easily kill three of his trusted confidants.
Mu Lin tilted his head, looking at Pang Dahai who had been watching from the sidelines. "Are you going to send more people to kill me after this?"
Pang Dahai instantly composed himself, hiding his murderous intent behind a gentle, harmless smile. "Of course not."
Mu Lin kicked his foot, sending a sharp shard of a broken vase flying toward Pang Dahai.
PFFT!
It struck Pang Dahai squarely in the throat, and a spray of blood erupted.
And just like that, Pang Dahai, a man renowned in both the criminal underworld and legitimate society, was dead.
Before he collapsed, he clutched desperately at his throat, his eyes full of disbelief.
"Nothing but lies. And I almost believed him," Mu Lin muttered, shaking his head.
The leader of the four-man team was trembling uncontrollably. The moment Mu Lin took a step forward, the man pulled out his own dagger and plunged it into his heart.
He died, too.
Mu Lin froze. 'I didn't even do anything yet. What was that for?'
THUMP!
Mu Lin looked over.
'Ah, this guy has such a weak presence. I almost forgot there was one left.'
It was clearly the man in glasses who had opened the door for Mu Lin earlier.
'Ugh, what's that smell?' Mu Lin covered his nose in disgust. 'A grown man actually pissed and crapped himself out of fear... Ew, that's disgusting.'
Mu Lin quickly took a step back. He was starting to lose his desire to deal with this man.
The man in glasses was named Guo Lei.
He was Pang Dahai's new adoptive son and had handled a lot of his secret affairs.
Right now, Guo Lei was scared out of his wits.
"So, tell me, why did you target Li Xue?" Mu Lin asked, sitting down on the sofa furthest from Guo Lei.
"Ma-Master Pang received a secret order from the chairman of the Yuelong Group. He was supposed to kidnap Li Xue, rough her up, and then use her to threaten Li Yinhe into making the Li Group publicly withdraw from the Dingli Group project."
"Is this project that important?" Mu Lin asked.
"Ve-very important. The Li Group invested nearly two-thirds of its liquid assets into this bid. To go all-in, they even passed up many other potential projects."
"And what would happen if the Li Group fails to win the bid?" Mu Lin asked after a moment of thought.
Guo Lei hesitated, but his fear of Mu Lin won out. "The Yuelong Group has wanted to acquire the Li Group for a long time. If they can stop the Li Group from winning this bid, all the capital they've mobilized will be tied up indefinitely, turning into useless numbers on a balance sheet."
Mu Lin snorted, then jutted his chin toward the very dead bodies. "You killed all these people. You've never seen me before. Got it?"
Guo Lei stared at Mu Lin and blinked a few times. 'Is he... going to let me go?'
"You don't get it?"
Mu Lin prompted, clearly displeased.
A chill ran down Guo Lei's spine, and he scrambled to reply. "Yes, yes, of course! In my ambition, I plotted to kill Master Pang and his four henchmen. I've never laid eyes on you."
Mu Lin nodded in satisfaction. "Good. I really don't want to bother Grandmaster Li to clean up my messes, you know?"
"Yes, yes, I get it! I know what to do," Guo Lei said, nodding frantically.
Having narrowly escaped with his life, he wouldn't dare think of double-crossing him.
After Mu Lin left, Guo Lei rushed into the bathroom and scrubbed himself from head to toe. Only after waiting for several hours did he finally pick up his phone and dial a number.
...
"Mu Lin, are you on your way?"
"Just had to handle a request to leave the premises. I'll be there right away."
Mu Lin hung up and called a rideshare. For a moment, he actually felt a little like a city slicker.
In less than half an hour, the Volkswagen arrived at the Holy Medicine Hall.
Zhao Ling'Er was still in her pastel pink nurse's uniform, looking as gentle and adorable as ever.
"Grandpa! Mu Lin is here!"
Zhao Ling'Er called out happily, and Zhao Yang hurried over from the reception hall.
"Xiaolin, come and have a seat," Zhao Yang said, waving Mu Lin over.
There was another person sitting in the reception hall—Lin Jin, the man who had threatened Divine Doctor Zhao yesterday.
Mu Lin didn't even glance at him, asking directly, "Grandmaster Zhao, you were looking for me?"
Zhao Yang smiled. "You saved Elder Lin's life yesterday, didn't you? Mr. Lin came today to pay the consultation fee. Since you're the one who truly saved Elder Lin, it's only right that you accept the payment."
With that, he pulled out a bank card and handed it to Mu Lin. "It's not much, only one hundred and fifty thousand."
Mu Lin was a bit stunned. 'Not much?' He'd never received such an expensive consultation fee in his entire life.
He'd been saving for nearly twenty years and hadn't even managed to put away a hundred thousand, and then his skinflint master had run off with it all, leaving him with just a few dozen yuan he didn't even dare spend on a meal.
Seeing Mu Lin hesitate, Elder Zhao simply stuffed the card into his jacket pocket. "You earned this. Keep it."
"Also, Mr. Lin didn't just come in person to pay. There's another important reason. He wants to apologize to you for his insolence yesterday."
Mu Lin understood. Elder Zhao was deliberately trying to smooth things over and resolve his negative impression of Lin Jin.
Lin Jin's apology seemed sincere. "Brother Mu, I was out of line yesterday. I was just too worried, and that's why I offended Divine Doctor Zhao. Please forgive my transgression."
A man of his status was naturally unwilling to bow his head to a young upstart, but he couldn't defy his own patriarch, so he had no choice but to make the trip himself.
'How many years has it been,' he thought, 'since I, Lin Jin, have had to so sincerely ask for anyone's forgiveness?'
'If certain people found out about this, they'd laugh their heads off.'
Mu Lin could tell that although Lin Jin appeared sincere, he wasn't apologizing willingly. Still, the man hadn't offended him directly. Back then, Mu Lin simply couldn't stand seeing Elder Zhao, who was desperate to save a life, being treated with such disrespect. Since Elder Zhao himself wasn't holding a grudge and was even playing the peacemaker, Mu Lin knew how to read the room.
"Since you've put it that way, Grandmaster Zhao, of course I'll listen to you," Mu Lin said, pulling the bank card from his pocket and offering it back to Zhao Yang.
"I'm sure I'll be coming here for medicine often in the future, so you should keep the card."
Hearing this, Zhao Yang feigned anger. "Xiaolin, there's no need for such formalities between us! From now on, whatever herbs you need, just come and take them. If I don't have something, I'll find a way to get it for you!"
Mu Lin wasn't one for protracted pleasantries, so he simply accepted it.
Seeing that there was no other business, Mu Lin said he should be heading back. It was still work hours, after all.
With Lin Jin still there, Elder Zhao could only ask Zhao Ling'Er to see Mu Lin out.