Chapter 109: Didn’t Lose Unfairly

Chapter 109: Didn’t Lose Unfairly

“No problem. Those two were just bait to lure you here. We never planned to kill them. After all, you are my target.”

The Assassin waved his hand casually. The people behind him immediately untied the two captives. Then, one of them took out a vial, held it under their noses, and a moment later, both coughed and woke up.

“Lin Mu! Get out of here! Don’t worry about us!”

As soon as Xu You regained consciousness, she immediately shouted towards Lin Mu.

“Haha, so you are little brother Lin! Truly honorable! I never thought I’d meet you under such circumstances. Old Qi is ashamed. You even walked into danger for our sake.”

Qi Liancheng had also woken up. Seeing Lin Mu standing alone across from them, he let out a hearty laugh. “Little brother Lin, my gratitude for saving your life is immense. I can only repay you in my next life. Now, just go! I believe if you wish to leave, these people won’t stop you!”

“Brother Qi, Sister You, say no more. The feud between him and me needs settling sooner or later. Otherwise, I’ll never have peace. You two leave first. I’ll catch up soon.”

Lin Mu smiled faintly. He pulled out the car keys and tossed them to the pair.

“Heh, I’m afraid you won’t be leaving here alive today.”

The Assassin twirled the throwing knife in his hand, eyeing the composed Lin Mu with keen interest.

“Who gets to walk away alive will become clear very soon.”

Lin Mu focused his Qi into his Dantian. A surge of power exploded around him. A perfectly round circle appeared in the sand beneath his feet, all the grains pushed outwards.

“An Expert! If I kill you today, it’ll be a landmark in my Assassin career! A whole new height!”

The Assassin’s eyes lit up. He clicked his tongue in admiration, suddenly sounding more like a martial arts fanatic.

“Sister You, hurry and go. Don’t stay here. I don’t want to be distracted worrying about you.”

Lin Mu urged them.

Xu You and Qi Liancheng exchanged a look. As much as they wanted to stay and help Lin Mu, they knew their own limitations perfectly well. Staying stubbornly would only become Lin Mu’s burden.

“Alright! A-Mu! We’ll head back first! We’ll be waiting for your triumphant return!”

Qi Liancheng, decisive as a man should be, quickly weighed the pros and cons. He immediately helped his wife towards the car. Moments later, the car started and they drove away swiftly.

“You all can leave too! You’re of no use here!”

The masked Assassin also waved his hand, signaling the people behind him to leave. They were just ordinary people, utterly useless against an Expert like Lin Mu. Even many times their number would be just dead weight.

“Come then! Show me exactly how powerful you are! The one who made me fail three times in a row!”

“Hold on! Before we start, can you tell me who exactly wants me dead?”

Lin Mu raised his hand, stopping the Assassin.

“Sorry. Trade rules. I could never tell you. Don’t dream of it!”

The Assassin let out a mocking laugh. Then, with a flick of both hands, several streaks of white light shot like lightning towards Lin Mu’s body.

Although Lin Mu was wearing a Bulletproof Vest, he didn’t dare underestimate his opponent. From their last encounter at the hospital, he knew the Assassin’s Cultivation Power had advanced again. This opponent who kept gaining strength was not to be taken lightly.

With a soft shout, Lin Mu circled his hands. The Zhenqi (True Energy) from his Dantian surged straight into his palms. A pale golden mass of Qi instantly formed between his hands.

This pale golden Qi mass then transformed. In an instant, it became a small dragon, twisting and coiling between his palms. Though the little dragon’s form was a bit hazy, a faint sound of a Dragon’s Roar could be heard.

This fantastical scene, the kind only seen on TV dramas, was now unfolding in reality. Anyone witnessing it might have felt their eyes were about to pop out.

This was precisely the Martial Art documented on the USB flash drive Lu Shouyang had left hehind –a powerful Cultivation Technique purely driven by Zhenqi, with terrifying power. Wuxia fans were long familiar with its name.

That’s right! This was the legendary skill of the Beggars’ Sect in wuxia novels—the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms!

Though this palm technique wasn’t actually created by the Beggars’ Sect, in wuxia lore, the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are deeply associated with them. Made famous far and wide by the legendary leader, Hong Qigong.

Lin Mu had been a top-tier Expert in the Cultivation World in his past life. His learning ability and comprehension far surpassed ordinary people. Such an exquisite palm technique, he quickly grasped its essence completely.

Faster than one could speak, Lin Mu unleashed the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms in the blink of an eye. Pushing both palms forward, the Qi dragon shot straight towards the Throwing Knives.

The pale golden dragon and the white-glinting knives met mid-air. A powerful shockwave erupted instantly. Vast amounts of sand exploded, flying everywhere.

“Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms!”

The Assassin’s eyes widened. He looked astonished, almost disbelieving. This was a rare Master-level Cultivation Technique that relied purely on Zhenqi. Without abundant Zhenqi, executing it was practically impossible.

“Indeed, it’s the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms!”

Lin Mu nodded. With his experience cultivated over countless lifetimes, he could easily modify or create a suitable technique. But he chose not to. He opted to use Martial Arts acquired on Earth.

The main reason was to avoid revealing too much that was abnormal about him. After all, many possessed sharp eyes. Getting noticed by them would just lead to endless trouble.

“You are truly formidable. Honestly, I fall far short compared to you. When I was your age, I hadn’t even touched the threshold of Zhenqi Cultivation. Heroes really do emerge young!”

“You’re too kind. You’re not bad either. It’s just a pity to be an Assassin. Your heart is filled with killing intent. It’s bound to hinder your progress on the path of Cultivation.”

“Well said! Take this next move!” The Assassin roared with laughter. He leaped high into the air. His body spun rapidly midair. Dozens, hundreds of streaks of white light erupted violently from his spinning form in all directions.

Instantly, a dense barrage of Throwing Knives blotted out the sky, screaming towards Lin Mu.

But this time, Lin Mu moved second but struck first. The instant the Assassin leapt, Lin Mu also acted. He spun around once, clasped his hands together before thrusting them apart forcefully. A massive ball of Qi appeared instantly.

This ball then exploded violently, splitting into over a dozen smaller Qi dragons swirling madly around him.

Lin Mu still couldn’t freely execute True Qi External Release—this was limited by his current Realm, not achievable in a short time. However, using Martial Arts allowed him to control the flow of Zhenqi and achieve the effect of releasing energy outward.

Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!

A cascade of sharp sounds rang out. Countless knives rained down, colliding with the Qi dragons protecting Lin Mu. Most of the knives were deflected wildly away by his protective Zhenqi.

Compared to Lin Mu who could use Zhenqi to drive the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, the Assassin’s Qi cultivation Power was ultimately shallower. Their stalemate lasted less than a minute before the Assassin’s spinning form slowed visibly. He stumbled to land heavily on the sand.

At that moment, Lin Mu brought his palms together sharply again. The dozen-plus Qi dragons circling him surged backwards like rivers flowing to the sea. They concentrated directly between his palms, merging into one Qi dragon over a meter long, then shot straight at the Assassin.

“Bad!”

The Assassin inwardly cursed. He knew things had turned dire. The Sky Rain Scatters Blossoms technique was a skill he’d cultivated for years. Because it consumed an enormous amount of Zhenqi, he rarely used it.

Who would have thought the very first time he unleashed it, he met a Lin Mu whose Zhenqi was vastly deeper. Clashing head-on, he depleted his reserves first. Landing defenselessly gave Lin Mu the perfect opening.

Descending slowly from the air, the Assassin had nowhere to dodge. He lacked any reserve Zhenqi to activate a high-level Lightness Skill like Cloud-Soaring. He could only summon his last trickle of energy, crossing his arms defensively before him.

The pale golden Qi dragon struck him without any suspense. With a thunderous BOOM!, it blasted the Assassin flying over ten meters away.

From the moment they started fighting until the Assassin was defeated, Lin Mu hadn’t moved from his original spot. The sand around him had long been blown away by his intense Zhenqi, uncovering a circular patch of wet, black mud about seven or eight meters wide.

Gathering power beneath his feet, Lin Mu shot forward like lightning. In a blink, he stood towering over the fallen Assassin.

The Assassin’s arms hung at terrifying angles. Deep lacerations revealed white bone underneath — a testament that Lin Mu’s Zhenqi wasn’t yet intensely condensed, or the Assassin would have died instantly.

“Cough! Cough!”

“Well… you are the greater Master. I hardly lost unfairly…” The Assassin spat out bloody foam with each hacking word. He strained to prop himself up on shaking arms. Looking up at Lin Mu silently standing before him, he made a gruesome, gurgling sound that might have been laughter.

Watching blood froth from the Assassin’s mouth as he spoke, Lin Mu knew his last blow had completely shattered the man’s internal organs. On the surface, it didn’t look like a fatal wound, yet his meridians and vital functions were destroyed deep inside.

“You’ve lost. Will you finally tell me who wants me dead now? Since you won’t live much longer anyway… the Assassins Guild’s rules… hardly matter to a dead man.”

Lin Mu stated calmly, watching the fading killer.

“Heh… heh… Does it truly need saying? Haven’t you guessed who it is?”

The Assassin coughed violently, thick blood spraying with each expulsion. Struggling with failing strength, he ripped the concealing black cloth away from his face. Revealed was a startlingly average, forgettable visage.

“I knew… you had people watching him already. You knew long ago. Perhaps you just need me to say it aloud… to become absolutely certain in your mind.”

“So… it really is them. Such family misfortune. For your own kin to crave your death… only delighted by an enemy.”

Lin Mu’s expression shifted. His inner suspicion finally confirmed. Not knowing your foe leaves you vulnerable. Pinpointing the mastermind behind the threat settled something within him. A quiet breath escaped him.

“Your throwing knives technique was impressive… Shame it’ll vanish with you tonight.”

The Assassin managed a bloody grin. A coughing fit momentarily choked his words. Staining his lips crimson-red, he looked Lin Mu directly in the eye. “Heh… We fought… crossed blades… Call this dying stranger’s request… Just one little thing?”

Lin Mu didn’t respond. He simply stared down silently at the fading Assassin. Minutes crawled by. The killing sands witnessed only the Assassin’s increasingly shallow, labored gasps punctuating the quiet. Finally, just as the man seemed on the brink, Lin Mu gave the faintest nod.

“Ask.”

Relief briefly illuminated the Assassin’s pain-etched features. With immense effort that left his fingers trembling and coated in crimson, he reached inside his tattered jacket. Slowly, agonizingly, he withdrew a small photograph. Its surface was splattered with drying, ruddy stains. “My… sister…” he rasped weakly.

“I have…” He paused, chest heaving, “… some savings left. All yours.” A rasping breath escaped him. He pressed sweat-drenched fingers against the corner of the precious picture. “The Secret Manual… for the throwing knives… I need you… to get it to her.”

“Heh… if you wish to learn its secrets… before giving it… that’s permitted…” Fresh blood frothed at his lips as he forced the whispered plea out. “…Just… please… don’t let its knowledge… die with me.”

Lin Mu’s eyebrows raised slightly. Extending his palm, he used a minor Qi pull. The blood-stained photo flew neatly into his grasp. Fingers brushed new blood away revealing an image beneath. His eyes widened. Shock froze his expression as he clearly viewed the grinning woman in the picture.

“Tang Beibei?!”