"He's just running his mouth." Mr. Jin said coldly, "You should be grateful that kid ran fast. If A Long had made a move, he'd be dead!"

"Mr. Jin is right. One punch from me and that kid wouldn't just be injured; he'd be half-dead," A Long added, clenching his fists, his face full of pride. He had immense confidence in his own strength.

"Mr. Jin, look out!"

At that moment, A Long's expression changed dramatically. He lunged in front of Mr. Jin and threw a punch.

BANG!

PFFT!

A Long was sent flying backward, spitting a mouthful of blood. Once he steadied himself, he stared at a small pebble on the ground, his expression one of utter shock. That very pebble had flown toward him, knocked him back, and injured him.

Not only that, but after he punched it, the pebble remained completely intact, without a single crack.

"Consider this a small lesson. Otherwise, you'd already be dead," Lin Mu said indifferently from a short distance away, then turned and left without a backward glance.

"This…"

Watching Lin Mu's retreating figure, A Long's eyes revealed a trace of horror.

Was it that kid who just struck? But how could that be? Plucking flowers and throwing leaves to harm people—that's a Grandmaster's technique. A single flying pebble injured me… Such strength, even if not a Grandmaster's, is infinitely close. But how could that kid possibly be a Grandmaster?

"A Long, what on earth happened? Did that kid ambush us?" Mr. Jin's face was also pale; the scare had clearly shaken him.

"It's nothing. I might have been mistaken." A hint of pain crossed A Long's brow. His dangling arm trembled slightly, blood trickling from his fist.

Mr. Jin nodded and said, "Don't worry. That kid is obviously no expert. He's not worth a second thought."

A Long considered this for a moment, then nodded slightly. He too found it hard to believe that Lin Mu had been the one to injure him. After all, with his strength, ordinary people were no match for him. Moreover, Lin Mu was too young and showed no signs of energy fluctuations; he seemed like a completely normal person.

"Heh, what a pair of fools." Guan Feifei shook his head and said, "I hope you don't regret this. You've offended Mr. Lin today. Asking for his help in the future will be next to impossible."

Leaving them with those words, Guan Feifei also departed.

That moron thinks he can save Li Qiran? Dream on! Even the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect failed, let alone these two idiots!

Guan Feifei's words left Mr. Jin and A Long seething with rage.

A Long nodded and asked, "Mr. Jin, the rescue plan?"

"We move tonight!" Mr. Jin declared. "Also, find a chance to teach that kid a lesson!"

"Understood!"

「...」

Lin Mu had considered calling Qin Luoli, but decided against it. Since he had given Qin Luoli his word, he would stick to it. He'd wait and see if the Safety Bureau could rescue her.

Honestly, Lin Mu wasn't keen on getting involved. He didn't know Li Qiran and they had no connection, so he wasn't particularly interested.

Just as Lin Mu was hesitating, his phone rang.

A number from Sichuan-Shu?

Lin Mu answered the call. A hesitant, elderly woman's voice came through the line. "Excuse me... are you Lin Mu?"

"I am. May I ask who this is?" Lin Mu frowned, wondering how the caller had gotten his number.

"Hello, hello! I'm Qiran's grandmother. It was Luo Li who told me that you could save her," the old woman said with some trepidation. "Can I meet you?"

After a moment's thought, Lin Mu agreed.

Just then, a car pulled up in front of Lin Mu. It was Guan Feifei.

"Mr. Lin, where are you headed? I can give you a ride."

Lin Mu nodded, got into the car, and gave him an address.

Soon, they arrived at a hotel room. The door opened a crack, and a stooped, elderly woman cautiously peeked out at the two men.

"Granny Li?" Guan Feifei clearly recognized the old woman and looked slightly surprised.

"You are... I remember you! You seem to be a director of some sort. Are you all here to rescue my little Qiran?" The old woman's face lit up with joy. After letting them in, she quickly shut the door as if afraid of being discovered.

"Granny Li, what are you doing here?" Guan Feifei asked, surprised. Since Li Qiran's kidnapping, the Safety Bureau had placed Granny Li under their protection. He never expected to find her here.

"Sigh, I didn't want to," Granny Li lamented, wiping a tear from her eye. She then turned to Lin Mu and asked, "Young man, are you Lin Mu?"

Being addressed as "young man" felt a little strange to Lin Mu. In terms of age, he was countless times older than her. But seeing as she was Luo Li's elder, he had no choice but to nod. "Yes, I'm Lin Mu."

"Oh, never mind then," Granny Li sighed, wiping her eyes. "Young man, thank you, but you should go back. Tell Luo Li that her granny thanks her as well, but this is Qiran's fate. We can't have you risking your lives to save her."

"Granny Li, what do you mean by that?" Lin Mu frowned, curious.

"You don't know?" Granny Li looked at him in astonishment. "Don't you know how dangerous it is to rescue Qiran? So many people have already died. I don't want anyone else to die."

"As much as I want Qiran to live, I can't bear to see you all walking into danger," she said, her voice breaking into quiet sobs.

Guan Feifei explained that there were nearly a dozen kidnappers, each an expert of the highest caliber that ordinary people couldn't handle. They had already sought countless masters and even mobilized an army unit to rescue Li Qiran, but every attempt had failed.

"They're that strong?" Lin Mu was taken aback. He hadn't expected the kidnappers to be capable of fending off an entire army.

"Correct," Guan Feifei said. "Not only are they incredibly strong, but they also possess heavy weaponry and are holed up in a mountain hollow that is easy to defend and hard to attack. Anyone who goes in is detected immediately."

"Our people were killed before they could even get inside!" Guan Feifei gritted his teeth, his face a mask of hatred.

"I see." Lin Mu nodded, offering no opinion.

"Mr. Lin, if it's possible, I still hope you'll intervene," Guan Feifei said gravely. "Li Qiran is very important to our country!"

Lin Mu's interest was piqued, but on the surface, he just nodded. "You think the people from the Safety Bureau will fail?"

"They will fail, one hundred percent!" Guan Feifei bit out. "They're a bunch of idiots! Otherwise, we wouldn't have lost so many people!"

"No, you mustn't," Granny Li pleaded. "Young man, listen to me. Leave now. Get out of here and don't get involved in this mess."

Lin Mu smiled. "Granny Li, you don't believe in me?"

"It's not that Granny doesn't believe in you," she replied, "it's just that this is truly too dangerous. If something were to happen to you, how could I ever face your parents?"

Granny Li's sincere words moved Lin Mu deeply. Her own granddaughter's life hung in the balance, yet she was worried about the safety of a stranger.

At that moment, Lin Mu made his decision. He would help.

Just then, Guan Feifei's phone rang. After he took the call, his expression drastically changed.

"Those idiots!"

Hanging up, Guan Feifei turned to Lin Mu, his expression grim. "Mr. Lin, Jin Kui's rescue attempt failed. He's been captured, too."

"The military in the Sichuan-Shu region is requesting your assistance!"

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