"Kid, no matter what, you must be very careful," Elder Xiao said profoundly. "Sometimes, a person's strength isn't their personal power, but their influence—enough to make others dread them."

Lin Mu's brow furrowed slightly. Elder Xiao's words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.

However, Lin Mu didn't take it to heart. It wasn't arrogance. He simply knew that as long as he was strong enough, would he even need to worry about lacking influence?

Seeing Lin Mu was unmoved, Elder Xiao said, "Regardless of whether you destroyed the Fang Family, you must not spread it around, otherwise..."

He paused before continuing, "The Fang Family has been established in Jiangling for over a hundred years; it's foolish to think they have no power. Their patriarch, Fang Chang'an, has several powerful friends, and their in-laws, the Wang Family Clan, are a branch of one of the Capital's great Aristocratic Clans. Any one of those figures is a terrifying existence."

Elder Xiao added, "Lin, I know you're proud and high-spirited, so you probably don't care about these things. Still, you must be cautious when necessary."

Han Xiaochuan, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Lin Wudi, the Commander is worried those people will go after your family and friends. You may not be afraid, but others won't feel the same."

The moment Han Xiaochuan finished speaking, the temperature in Coiling Dragon Bay seemed to plummet, as if they had been transported to the frozen north. The wind became bone-chillingly cold. But Han Xiaochuan knew this wasn't a change in weather. It was a murderous intent so intense it was causing the very air to cool.

Lin Mu's eyes narrowed slightly, then he broke into a grin.

Instantly, Han Xiaochuan felt the temperature return to normal, as if the chill had been nothing but an illusion.

Lin Mu laughed. "I hate trouble, but I'm not afraid of it. If someone dares to bully me, I certainly won't show any mercy."

Glancing at Elder Xiao, Lin Mu said coolly, "As for your warning, I'll consider it."

Elder Xiao gave a wry smile. He knew Lin Mu hadn't really listened. This was one of the reasons he valued Lin Mu so much.

The young man's will was exceptionally firm, completely unswayed by external factors. To him, sufficient strength could crush anything, rendering conspiracies and schemes irrelevant.

Suddenly, Elder Xiao felt a pang of envy for Lin Mu. Wasn't he the same when he was young? But now, the fate of the nation rested on his shoulders. With great power comes great responsibility, and he simply couldn't afford to be as willful as Lin Mu.

Thinking this, Elder Xiao said, "Since you have your own plans, I'll say no more. I just came to give you a heads-up. If you run into any problems you can't handle, give me a call."

With that, Elder Xiao took out a business card and handed it to Lin Mu.

Han Xiaochuan watched in shock. That was the Commander's private number. In all of Huaxia, no more than ten people had it. Not even the Commander's own family!

Lin Mu took the card and nodded.

"Let's go." Elder Xiao chuckled and stood up to leave.

As Han Xiaochuan got up, he whispered, "Be careful lately."

WHOOSH!

Just then, a piercing sound whistled through the air, approaching at incredible speed.

Han Xiaochuan and Elder Xiao both looked up at the sky.

BANG!

A loud noise came from outside. The mist parted, and Feihu walked in. In his hand, he held an arrow with a piece of cloth tied to it.

"Mr. Lin, this just flew in from the sky, but it seems something blocked it. Mr. Fei asked me to bring it to you." Feihu presented the arrow with both hands, his demeanor respectful.

After delivering the message, Feihu turned and left.

Lin Mu took one look and was at a loss, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

It was a challenge letter, and it was from one of the four Grandmasters, Nangong Xiu of the Southern Heaven. What era was this? Couldn't they just send a text message? Why all this pomp and circumstance? Still, this showed that Nangong Xiu must be an extremely conservative person. Typically, such individuals possessed an exceptionally pure cultivation of the Martial Way and comprehended it in ways beyond an ordinary person's understanding.

"A challenge letter?" Han Xiaochuan sneaked a peek.

Lin Mu smiled faintly. "Indeed. But I don't know this person."

"Chang Wei?" Han Xiaochuan said. "Isn't that the junior brother of the Eight Extremes Gate's Sect Leader?" He knew a great deal about the Martial Arts World, so he had naturally heard of Chang Wei. "Never mind. He's just a minor character, not worth your attention."

Han Xiaochuan continued, "He must be here because of the Fang Family."

"The Fang Family?" Lin Mu asked, slightly surprised.

Han Xiaochuan explained, "Many people are now speculating that you destroyed the Fang Family. But no one knows your background, nor do they know that you and River City's Lin Wudi are the same person. So, this is likely someone testing the waters. Therefore, you don't need to pay him any mind. If you accept the challenge, wouldn't you be admitting that you were the one who destroyed the Fang Family?"

Lin Mu sneered. "Who said I was going to deny it? The Fang Family offended me, so they deserved to die. I'd like to see who else besides the Eight Extremes Gate dares to stand up for them!"

Elder Xiao spoke up, "Are you sure you want to fight?"

"Of course I'll fight," Lin Mu said, clutching the challenge letter. "But I won't do it myself. If word got out, wouldn't people say that I, Lin Mu, am bullying the weak?"

Elder Xiao grew curious. "Then you plan to...?"

Lin Mu smiled faintly. "I have my own arrangements."

After they left Coiling Dragon Bay, Han Xiaochuan couldn't help but ask, "Commander, how can you be so lenient with him?"

"Xiaochuan, what do you think of Lin Mu?" Elder Xiao asked, avoiding the question.

Han Xiaochuan was taken aback. "Confident, domineering, and... mysterious!" He then let out a bitter smile. "Honestly, Commander, I still find it hard to believe he defeated Zhang Daoyun in a single move."

Elder Xiao also sighed. "Indeed. It's truly incredible." But then, he smiled softly. "It's precisely because he can always achieve what others can't that he was able to become a Martial Arts Grandmaster before the age of thirty."

"But Commander, what about the Martial Alliance and the Military Department..." Han Xiaochuan asked, worried.

Elder Xiao laughed. "What's there to worry about? Since this kid is so good at stirring up trouble, just let him. If some people want to court death, let them."

「Three days later, Qilin Villa.」

This was the location Chang Wei had chosen for the duel. Qilin Villa was in the southern suburbs of Jiangling, on the opposite side of the city from Coiling Dragon Bay. On the surface, it looked like an agritainment farm, but it was actually a front for an underground fighting ring.

And as Lin Mu had already investigated, Qilin Villa was another one of the Fang Family's properties.

"Elder Brother Mu, what are we doing here?" Shi Potian asked, looking at the villa with a confused expression.

Lin Mu smiled. "You'll find out once we're inside."

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