Jiangling.

Wufeng Town was a small town in the Jiangbei region. Though small, its location at the conjunction of Jiangling, River City, and Jiangbei made it a place where complex powers intertwined, creating a variety of channels. Moreover, this place was a breeding ground for countless evils.

Just over a year ago, a martial arts tournament was held here, and Lin Mu won first place in one fell swoop, becoming the Master of the Three Rivers. However, many people in the Martial Arts World were skeptical about Lin Mu's status as the Master of the Three Rivers. After all, most martial artists who participated in the tournament were from River City, with fewer people from the other two locations, which is why it was called the River City Tournament.

The participants' strength was truly not worth mentioning. Therefore, in the eyes of some powers and martial artists, Lin Mu's status as the Master of the Three Rivers simply couldn't withstand scrutiny. If the tournament were to be held again, many people swore they would turn that Master Lin into a sieve.

However, ever since Lin Mu battled Yun Xu above the Bolan River and killed him, his fame shocked all quarters, silencing many of those who harbored doubts. That man was a genuine Martial Arts Grandmaster, after all. For him to participate in their little tournament would have been nothing short of bullying. Thus, everyone had to admit that Lin Mu was indeed very strong.

But some still believed that even though Lin Mu was a Martial Arts Grandmaster, his claim to be the Master of the Three Rivers lacked credibility. Leaving aside all of Jiangling, Jiangbei alone had more martial artists than River City. What's more, Jiangbei was home to an ancient martial sect—the Crane Immortal Sect.

Lin Mu had a titanic battle with Liu Xianhe from the Crane Immortal Sect and ultimately managed to kill him. However, Liu Xianhe was not the strongest man in Jiangbei, nor was he the strongest in the Crane Immortal Sect. Even if Lin Mu had defeated the likes of Liu Xianhe and Yun Xu, his claim to the position of Master of the Three Rivers was still not fully justified.

It wasn't until the news of the battle in Southern Sky spread that the Martial Arts World was truly stunned by Lin Mu's strength. As number sixteen on the Heavenly Ranking, he had slain number ten. Such a glorious achievement was unique in the Martial Arts World; no one could tarnish it.

「Nowadays」

It was said that apart from the top ten on the Heavenly Ranking, Lin Mu was the strongest. Whenever people uttered the three words 'Lin Wudi', they would not only be shocked but would also exclaim, "The Master of the Three Rivers, truly worthy of the name!"

「That evening」

Lin Mu's party of three finally arrived in Wufeng Town, where a branch office of Boheng Pharma had been established.

"I've already called the other person in charge. He's waiting for us at the hotel," Su Ke'er said to Lin Mu, ending her call.

"Can this person be trusted?" Lin Mu suddenly asked.

"Don't worry," Su Ke'er replied. "Manager Dai is a friend of my uncle. They've cooperated for many years, and he's a senior who deserves our respect." Smiling, she continued, "We were only able to establish the branch here thanks to Manager Dai's help. We gave him a position in the company to thank him."

Lin Mu nodded and remained silent. He had left the company's affairs to Su Ke'er, and how she handled them was her business. He wouldn't intervene unless a problem arose that she couldn't resolve, such as Liu Zijian's disappearance.

Wufeng Town might be small, but its development had been quite rapid. It had a mixed population with all the necessary amenities. The only star-rated hotel in town was the Wufeng Grand Hotel, which in reality was just a slightly upscale guesthouse.

The person Su Ke'er had contacted was waiting there. As soon as the three of them got out of the car, a middle-aged man with a slicked-back hairdo approached from the hotel entrance. He was followed by a young man in his early twenties, whose eyes lit up when he saw Su Ke'er.

The middle-aged man said excitedly, "Ke'er, you've finally arrived."

A look of guilt then flashed across his face. "I'm so sorry about what happened to Manager Liu. For something like this to happen on my turf, I'm partly responsible."

"Uncle Dai, you can't be blamed for this," Su Ke'er said respectfully. "A major incident happened at the company, and you've been managing things here the whole time. I should be the one apologizing."

"This is the second person in charge here, Dai Yongqing, and the young man behind him is his son, Dai Yifeng," Su Ke'er whispered, then pointed at Lin Mu and said, "Uncle Dai, this is..."

Just as Su Ke'er was about to introduce him, Lin Mu took the initiative. "Just call me Lin Mu."

"Lin Mu?" Dai Yongqing was slightly taken aback and gave Lin Mu a few more glances.

"What's wrong, Uncle Dai? Have you seen him before?" Su Ke'er asked curiously. She knew Lin Mu didn't want to reveal his identity, so she didn't press the matter.

"Oh, no," Dai Yongqing laughed. "The name just sounds familiar, as if I've heard it somewhere. I suppose Mr. Lin is so young and successful that his name is quite well-known."

Su Ke'er simply smiled without explaining, while Dai Yifeng curled his lip, clearly unconvinced.

"Alright, let's not all stand around. You must be tired from the journey," Dai Yongqing said, leading them into the hotel. "I've arranged for some food and drinks. We can talk while we eat."

In the hotel's private dining room, after several rounds of drinks and numerous courses, Dai Yongqing sighed. "Wufeng Town isn't like other places," he began. "This is where the Three Rivers converge, and many of the locals are descendants of those who fled famine. Although life has greatly improved, some of the old customs have been passed down, making the power structures here quite intricate. Furthermore, Wufeng Town has always been a crucial passageway connecting the north and south, which adds another layer of entanglement."

Dai Yongqing gave a wry smile. "The difficulties of doing business here... well, they go without saying."

Lin Mu interjected indifferently, "But what does this have to do with Liu Zijian's disappearance?"

"Hey, do you have any manners? Can't you wait until my dad is finished speaking?" As soon as Lin Mu spoke, Dai Yifeng became unhappy.

He had heard from his father that Su Ke'er was single and was going to be introduced to him. Though initially resistant, upon seeing Su Ke'er in person, he had immediately regarded her as his woman. Lin Mu's arrival had displeased him, because he now discovered that not only was Su Ke'er married, but she even had a son. Otherwise, why would she keep serving food to her husband and son at the table? This realization soured Dai Yifeng's impression of Su Ke'er, and his hostility toward Lin Mu grew.

However, after taking another look at Su Ke'er, he smirked. A woman who's had a child... she might have even more flavor, right?

Lin Mu's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he eyed Dai Yifeng.

Thinking Lin Mu was angry, Dai Yongqing hastily scolded his son. "Mr. Lin is my guest! If you can't be civil, then get out!" After scolding him, Dai Yongqing turned to apologize. "I'm so sorry. I've spoiled Yifeng. I hope you won't take it to heart, Mr. Lin."

Liu Xiaolin, who had been eating quietly, suddenly spoke up, "If he's spoiled, you should teach him properly before it's too late." His words instantly made the atmosphere at the table freeze.

Lin Mu chuckled. "He's just a kid who doesn't know any better. I hope you two don't mind his words, either."

Su Ke'er was left speechless.

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