Chapter 210: The First Six-Star Wanted Criminal

"Tell me the details," Gu Mo said.

The bandit swallowed, suppressing his fear, and slowly began, "Sir... Sir, we are just small-time bandits. We live by robbing travelers and collecting tolls on Mount Dawu. About eight months ago, a few of us were robbing travelers on Mount Dawu as usual, but we ran into trouble. The moment we appeared, all of us were poisoned. That person was Ye Xiao. He then followed us back to our stronghold and poisoned all twenty-something people in our camp. But he didn't kill us; instead, he demanded that we work for him. We had no choice but to obey him. You should know what happened after that. He intercepted the Qian family's silver carriages four times. Our main role was to help him transport the silver. Each time, he approached us; we had no idea how to contact him."

At that moment, Qian Yue, who was circulating his internal energy to expel toxins, quickly asked, "What about the money? Where did you transport it?"

"We don't know," the bandit replied. "Each time, we were instructed to transport it to a different location. We would inexplicably fall unconscious midway, and when we woke up, the silver carriage would be gone. Then we'd dutifully return to Mount Dawu."

"So, you have no way at all to contact Ye Xiao?" Gu Mo asked.

The bandit started sobbing. "No way, truly no way... Please spare my life, Sir! We were forced into this! I have an eighty-year-old mother to support and young children waiting to be fed..."

Gu Mo reached out, gently took the bandit's wrist, and checked his pulse. He muttered, "There really is poison."

Immediately, he sent a surge of internal energy through the bandit's body. The bandit's chest tightened, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The bandit's eyes lit up. He quickly kowtowed, "Thank you, Sir, for saving my life! Thank you for not killing me! I will definitely turn over a new leaf and become a good person from now on..."

"You're overthinking it. You won't get the chance."

Gu Mo stood up and used his power to clear the poison from Qian Yue and the others. He said, "As for that bandit, you decide how to handle him. Will you investigate him yourselves, or hand him over to the Six Doors to see if any clues about Ye Xiao can be found?"

Qian Yue wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Let's hand him over to the Six Doors. When it comes to investigating cases, we certainly can't compare to them. Besides, so many people have died here; the Six Doors must be informed."

As he spoke, Qian Yue walked to the back door, staring at "Ye Xiao" for a long time. Then he reached out and vigorously rubbed "Ye Xiao's" face. Sure enough, a moment later, a human skin mask peeled off.

"Sir Gu, your meticulousness is truly admirable," Qian Yue said, cupping his hands in praise.

Gu Mo smiled faintly and said nothing more. To be honest, disguises were quite troublesome for him now. After all, he couldn't see, so he couldn't detect even slightly intricate disguises. Of course, if the disguise was of someone he knew well, he could still acutely sense the anomaly. As for this fake Ye Xiao, he was purely a "fake" certified by the system.

Qian Yue searched the fake Ye Xiao's body for a while, pulling out a pile of bottles and jars. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a tattoo on the fake Ye Xiao's chest. Immediately, he quickly pulled aside the fake Ye Xiao's clothing, revealing the full tattoo: a thumb-sized, green, bamboo-leaf-shaped design.

"It's someone from the Green Leaf Hall!" Qian Yue exclaimed in surprise.

"What is the Green Leaf Hall?" Gu Mo inquired.

Qian Yue's expression grew serious. "The Green Leaf Hall is a mysterious organization in Cangzhou that has existed for many years. They claim to be omnipotent, capable of doing anything as long as the price is met."

"Even help someone become emperor?" Gu Mo asked.

"They say yes, if the price can be paid. But that price, no one could possibly afford," Qian Yue replied.

Gu Mo chuckled. "So, they're just boasting, aren't they? They set the prices anyway. For what they can do, they set a market-acceptable price. For what they can't, they set an impossibly exorbitant price that no one can afford."

"This..." Qian Yue was momentarily bewildered, suddenly feeling that the supposedly mysterious Green Leaf Hall wasn't so mysterious after all.

Gu Mo stopped his teasing. "Sir Qian, please tell me more about this Green Leaf Hall!"

Qian Yue thought for a moment, organizing his words. "The Green Leaf Hall is an extremely mysterious organization, rarely seen, that first appeared about ten years ago. No one can contact them; they always initiate contact themselves. The Green Leaf Hall is an organization whose morality is hard to discern. They only care about transactions, not good or evil. Their presence has been noted in many incidents in Cangzhou over the years. The Green Leaf Hall truly rose to prominence seven or eight years ago. There was a ruthless group of bandits in Cangzhou who committed numerous heinous crimes, and neither the orthodox martial arts world nor the Six Doors could apprehend them. At that time, the Green Leaf Hall appeared, approached the Pure Yang Temple Master, and made a deal. The demanded item for the transaction was the Pure Yang Temple's supreme treasure, the Grand Void Divine Armor.

"For the sake of justice in the martial arts world, the Pure Yang Temple Master, Song Danying, agreed to the terms, offering the Divine Armor as payment for the Green Leaf Hall's intervention. To everyone's astonishment, that group of fierce bandits, whom the entire martial arts world had failed to track down, were all killed on the third day after the deal was struck. Thirty-three heads were found hanging outside the Pure Yang Temple.

"Later, the Green Leaf Hall undertook several other major deeds, and many evil ones too. Five years ago, the massacre of Clear Spring Villa in Cangzhou overnight was attributed to the Green Leaf Hall.

"However, among all the deeds of the Green Leaf Hall, the biggest and most sensational was undoubtedly the prison break three years ago. At that time, Xing Taichong, the leader of the Azure Dragon Branch of the Moon Worshipping Cult, had been arrested and imprisoned in the Six Doors' dungeon in Cangzhou. Yet, the Green Leaf Hall forcibly broke him out.

"Therefore, to a certain extent, the Green Leaf Hall's claim of being able to do anything for the right price isn't entirely an exaggeration."

Whether it was killing bandits or annihilating Clear Spring Villa, Gu Mo hadn't paid much mind, but when he heard that the Green Leaf Hall could break prisoners out of the Six Doors' dungeon, especially top-tier felons, he had to take it seriously. Even the Moon Worshipping Cult, known as the ancestral home of the demonic path, couldn't achieve such a feat, yet the Green Leaf Hall did. This truly meant the Green Leaf Hall's power was terrifying.

Gu Chuwinter asked, full of surprise, "Then, has no one ever tried to find the Green Leaf Hall?"

"How could they not?" Qian Yue replied. "Not only the orthodox martial arts world of Cangzhou, but also the Six Doors, could never tolerate the Green Leaf Hall's lawlessness. However, neither our orthodox martial arts world nor the Six Doors have any leads. The Green Leaf Hall is too mysterious; every appearance is sudden, and every disappearance is instantaneous and traceless, leaving no evidence behind."

Gu Chuwinter wondered, "Surely no one from the Green Leaf Hall has ever died?" She pointed to the fake Ye Xiao on the ground. "Is this the first?"

Qian Yue shook his head slightly. "Forget dead bodies, even live members have been captured, but they all committed suicide on the spot. From the corpses alone, nothing can be found. Either they are untraceable, or they turn out to be ordinary people after investigation. So, even now, no one knows what the Green Leaf Hall looks like or where it is."

"That mysterious?" Gu Chuwinter asked, surprised.

"That mysterious," Qian Yue confirmed.

Gu Chuwinter said, "Then, aren't there many wanted criminals from the Green Leaf Hall?"

"Not many," Qian Yue replied. "Because the Green Leaf Hall is too mysterious, no one knows who their members are. We also don't know how their internal hierarchy is divided; there's only a general concept. So, there is only one clearly defined wanted criminal, and he only has a codename: the Green Leaf Hall Master. He is currently Cangzhou's number one wanted criminal on the Black List, with a bounty of ten thousand taels of silver."

Just then, a system notification sounded in Gu Mo's mind:

**New Target Detected****Wanted Target:** Green Leaf Hall Master**Mission Level:** Six-Star**Mission Reward:** Max-level Innate Qi Shield

Hearing the system notification, Gu Mo felt a slight jolt of surprise. It seemed the Green Leaf Hall's significance was higher than he had imagined. This Green Leaf Hall Master was the first six-star wanted criminal he had encountered since his debut. Among the thousands of wanted criminals recorded in his system, there were only five or six five-star ones, and this was his first six-star encounter.

The six-star reward was also very powerful. The Innate Qi Shield originated from *Magic Sword, Fatal Chess*. It was a pure Yang energy from heaven and earth, a legendary invincible divine art of the demonic tribe. It allowed one to use their own internal energy as a guide to draw upon the natural energy of the universe, forming an offensive and defensive qi shield around the body. When cultivated to a profound level, it could transform the natural energy of the universe for one's own use, allowing a casual strike to kill enemies with the force of heaven and earth, and also serving for self-defense, toxin expulsion, muscle regeneration, hemostasis, and healing injuries and illnesses.

The defensive nature of this martial art was inherently flawless. The reason Guan Yutian in *Magic Sword, Fatal Chess* would suffer a debilitating backlash every full moon, causing a significant loss of cultivation or even complete loss of martial arts, was due to his impatience and forced cultivation. This issue did not apply to Gu Mo; he didn't need to cultivate it at all and could instantly master it to its max level.

At the inn, after listening to Qian Yue, Gu Chuwinter said, "Neither the Six Doors nor the Cangzhou martial arts world can find any clues. Isn't this Green Leaf Hall too mysterious? And with such power, couldn't they dominate the martial arts world?"

Qian Yue was disheartened, speaking with a hint of despair. "This is troublesome. We initially thought it was just a common brigand, but unexpectedly, it's the Green Leaf Hall... If their transaction with the Green Leaf Hall was to destroy our Qian family..."

Gu Mo was not from Cangzhou and was unfamiliar with its martial arts world, so he couldn't fully comprehend the oppressive feeling evoked by the Green Leaf Hall. However, he could sense Qian Yue's despair. Qian Yue and the Qian family held a prominent position in the Cangzhou martial arts world, yet they were intimidated to such an extent by just a name, indicating the immense deterrent power the Green Leaf Hall held over Cangzhou.

Gu Mo said softly, "Sir Qian, actually, you don't need to worry too much. If their goal was to wipe out your family, why go to such lengths to repeatedly rob silver carriages? Wouldn't it be simpler to strike when the Qian family is unprepared? The cause of this incident, as you well know, was Lin Xiangdong of the Lin family wanting to invest in Datong Bank. Combining that with the silver carriage robberies, it seems their transaction was likely to successfully gain a stake in Datong Bank."

Qian Yue suddenly realized this, feeling a sense of relief as if he had narrowly escaped disaster.

With Gu Mo's help in clearing the poison, the Qian family members quickly recovered. Qian Yue immediately dispatched a few people to the nearest county town to inform the authorities for follow-up work. The officials took it very seriously and arrived swiftly. It wasn't until late into the night that everyone finally got some rest.

The next morning, Qian Yue gathered his men and set off. After the events of the previous day, there was no longer any need for Gu Mo and Gu Chuwinter to conceal themselves. They had been hiding for days to bait the Heavenly Seer Scholar Ye Xiao. Now that they had caught a fake, the real one would surely know, making further concealment unnecessary. However, with their identities exposed, the Qian family's entourage suddenly became subdued. It was unclear whether this was due to the pressure of Gu Mo's Grandmaster status, the oppressive feeling brought by the appearance of the Green Leaf Hall, or perhaps both.

They traveled for another five days, arriving safely in Rongcheng. There were no further incidents along the way. Gu Mo felt a bit helpless. This trip was definitely in vain. Not only was the journey to Rongcheng fruitless, but it was highly likely that the entire Cangzhou trip would be for nothing. Unless Ye Xiao was still stubborn and didn't believe in the Cloud State Hero's reputation. Moreover, based on the discoveries at the inn a few days prior, it was clear that Ye Xiao was likely a member of the Green Leaf Hall. Given the Green Leaf Hall's mysterious nature in Cangzhou, even if Ye Xiao hadn't left Cangzhou, the possibility of Gu Mo tracking him down alone was slim. Gu Mo discussed with Gu Chuwinter that upon returning to Cangyuan City, they would ask Qian Duoduo to arrange a boat to take them back to Cloud State.

Qian Yue, who had arrived in Rongcheng with Gu Mo, was busy with the handover, depositing the fifty thousand taels of silver into the Datong Bank branch in Rongcheng. Even after the silver was secured in the vault, Qian Yue still held his breath. The three words "Green Leaf Hall" had exerted immense pressure on him. Even now, he found it somewhat surreal that they had successfully delivered the silver, despite discovering the Green Leaf Hall's involvement, thereby plugging the Datong Bank's financial hole and allowing it to survive this crisis. This was highly uncharacteristic of the Green Leaf Hall's usual style.

However, just as Qian Yue confirmed the matter was truly resolved and let out a long sigh of relief, a carrier pigeon message arrived from the Qian family, delivering devastating news: Qian Duoduo had been assassinated.

"Boss Qian was killed? By whom?" At the inn, Gu Mo and Gu Chuwinter both looked stunned and shocked upon hearing about Qian Duoduo's death.

"Lin Xiangdong." Qian Yue's face was grim. "Three days ago, Lin Xiangdong formally met with Qian Duoduo to discuss investing in Datong Bank again. However, at that time, Lin Xiangdong clearly didn't know what had happened at the inn, but Qian Duoduo had already received my message, knowing that with your intervention, Sir Gu, our silver escort had been successful. So, during the meeting, Lin Xiangdong again pressured and threatened Qian Duoduo. Qian Duoduo then made it clear that the Rongcheng escort had gone smoothly, and in turn, taunted Lin Xiangdong, getting some revenge. Finally, the two got into a heated argument, and Lin Xiangdong ordered one of his guards to kill Qian Duoduo."

Gu Mo asked, a suspicious look on his face, "Is Lin Xiangdong insane?"

Qian Yue took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "I thought he was insane too. Honestly, when I first received the news, my initial reaction was to doubt its authenticity. But the messenger told me that Qian Duoduo was killed in broad daylight, in front of everyone."

"So, what do you plan to do now?" Gu Mo asked.

Qian Yue said in a deep voice, "The Lin family is powerful; my Qian family cannot contend with them. However, if the Lin family does not hand over Lin Xiangdong, my Qian family members are not afraid of death. Even if our family is annihilated, we will tear a few pieces of flesh from their Lin family! I want to see if they can truly control everything with a single hand! I have already sent word back, instructing all Qian family members to gather forces. At the same time, I have invited respected martial artists who have connections with our Qian family, and also invited the Pure Yang Temple to uphold justice. I am now heading directly to Tang'an County. Lin Xiangdong went into hiding after killing Qian Duoduo, so I can't search everywhere for him. I will go directly to the Lin family's ancestral home in Tang'an County and demand they hand him over."

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "I will go as well."

Qian Yue was overjoyed, thinking to himself that the rumors in the martial arts world were indeed true: the Cloud State Hero was righteous and hated evil. "With Sir Gu willing to go, my Qian family will surely get justice!" As he spoke, Qian Yue actually knelt directly before Gu Mo.

Gu Mo knew Qian Yue had misunderstood. His purpose in going to Tang'an County was to see if he could learn of the Heavenly Seer Scholar Ye Xiao's whereabouts from Lin Xiangdong, or perhaps find clues about the Green Leaf Hall. Gu Mo was still very interested in the six-star reward, Innate Qi Shield, from the six-star wanted criminal, the Green Leaf Hall Master.

However, that being said, even though Gu Mo had his own objectives for going to Tang'an County, his accompanying the Qian family, even without saying a word, would be of immense help to them. It would be more effective than thirty or fifty respected martial artists going to the Lin family together. No matter how powerful the Lin family was, they couldn't be assertive in front of Gu Mo. The titles "One of the Ten Grandmasters of Qian Kingdom" and "Cloud State Hero" already spoke volumes. In all of Cangzhou, recognized as a prosperous martial arts hub in Qian Kingdom, only one person could stand on equal footing with Gu Mo in terms of martial arts status: the old Pure Yang Temple Master, True Master Lingxu, ranked fifth on Qian Kingdom's Heavenly Ranking.

Cangzhou, like other states, also had its own Heavenly Ranking and recognized Ten Grandmasters. And Cangzhou's Heavenly Ranking was considered the most valuable. It was widely believed in the martial arts world that Cangzhou's Ten Grandmasters, apart from Tianzhou, were the strongest among the Grandmasters of the other seven states. However, only True Master Lingxu made it to the overall Heavenly Ranking of Qian Kingdom.

Therefore, even if Gu Mo said nothing and did nothing, merely standing on the Qian family's side and accompanying them would be enough to give the Qian family the right to directly confront the Lin family, even though the Lin family was one of the seven great martial arts families of Qian Kingdom, boasting several Grandmasters. That was why Qian Yue was so grateful that he immediately knelt upon learning of Gu Mo's willingness to accompany them.

Gu Mo quickly held Qian Yue's arms, preventing him from fully kneeling. "Sir Qian, please don't do this. Just arrange to leave as soon as possible!"

Qian Yue tried to kneel two more times, only giving up when he found it truly impossible. He looked at Gu Mo, his eyes red and his voice somewhat choked. "Sir Gu, perhaps for you, this is just a trivial act of chivalry among many, but for my Qian family, it is an immense kindness. Our Qian family was originally an insignificant minor family in Cangzhou. Many years ago, we were caught in a great turmoil and almost annihilated. Even the then-family head, Qian Duoduo's father, died in that crisis. It was Qian Duoduo who took on the responsibility in that perilous time, leading our Qian family out of hardship and gradually developing it to its current prosperity. For our Qian family, he was a figure so exceptional that he merited a separate entry in the family genealogy, yet he was killed by the Lin family. Now, your willingness to support us is an enormous divine grace for our Qian family."

Gu Mo replied, "Sir Qian, I am not from Cangzhou; my influence might not be as effective here."

Qian Yue said, "Sir Gu, your presence alone is enough. After all, this is our Qian family's own affair; it's unreasonable to truly let you make enemies with the Lin family on our behalf. However, with you going, the Lin family will at least have to give us a chance for a confrontation."

Tang'an County, the ancestral home of the Lin family, was the largest producer of weaponry in all of Cangzhou. One could even say it was renowned throughout Qian Kingdom for its weapon output. In terms of the martial arts world alone, the Lin family of Tang'an County was the foremost weapon-forging family in the pugilistic world. The Lin family's weapons were highly sought after by martial artists, especially their numerous divine weapons and sharp blades. Gu Mo himself had used a weapon forged by the Lin family—the famous Spirit Rhinoceros Sword gifted by Meng Qingkong came from this very family. Many martial arts masters sought weapons from the Lin family, which meant the family was not only wealthy but also had extensive connections in the martial arts world. It was precisely for these reasons that the Lin family was ranked among the seven great martial arts families. Of course, such a top-tier prestigious and righteous sect, unlike demonic cults, could not disregard its reputation.

The matter of Lin Xiangdong, the eldest young master of the Lin family, killing Qian Duoduo, the head of the Qian family, caused a huge stir. The Qian family immediately invited many respected martial artists to the Lin family to demand justice. The Pure Yang Temple, the leading sect of Cangzhou's martial arts world, also responded to the incident and would send representatives to inquire about it.

Shortly after, within two days, news spread that Gu Mo—one of the Ten Grandmasters of Qian Kingdom, the Cloud State Hero, the Foremost Blade-Wielder under Heaven, the youngest Grandmaster of Internal Arts in the world, and known for his righteousness and hatred of evil—would also accompany the Qian family to Tang'an County to seek justice on their behalf. As soon as this news spread, the Cangzhou martial arts world immediately erupted in commotion. Subsequently, it was also rumored that Song Danying, Cangzhou's second-ranked master and the Pure Yang Temple Master, greatly admired the Cloud State Hero. Upon hearing that the Cloud State Hero was going to Tang'an County, he even changed his own plans and decided to personally make the trip.

Suddenly, Tang'an County became the focal point of attention for the Cangzhou martial arts world, with many previously uninterested martial artists rushing towards it.

The Lin family of Tang'an County was a truly legendary family in the martial arts world. Its origin was merely a small village named Lin in Tang'an County. Thanks to an itinerant blacksmith who taught smelting techniques in the Lin family village, a large number of highly talented blacksmiths emerged from it. Later, under the leadership of a very capable young man, a dozen Lin family blacksmiths left the village, moved to the county town, opened a blacksmith shop, and gradually established the Lin clan. However, the true legend had yet to unfold.

The Lin family's legacy spanned two or three hundred years, and it had always enjoyed only modest renown in Cangzhou, even then merely considered a second-tier family, far from being a glorious legend. It wasn't until sixty years ago that an extraordinary woman emerged from the Lin family named Lin Qiniang, a woman who didn't even have a given name, simply called "Seventh Lady Lin" because she was the seventh child in her family. Her talent in weapon forging was unparalleled, earning her the title "Crafting Immortal" alongside the "Weapon Sage" Tie Zhu of Qingzhou. Unlike Tie Zhu, who focused on crafting top-tier divine weapons, Lin Qiniang delved into improving weapon technology and the art of hidden weapons. Her reforms in smelting technology were recognized by the imperial court, and the emperor himself once awarded a plaque inscribed with "God of Craftsmanship." However, what truly made Lin Qiniang famous throughout the martial arts world were her hidden weapons; she was a true Grandmaster of hidden weapons and still ranked third on Cangzhou's Heavenly Ranking today. The first and second spots on Cangzhou's Heavenly Ranking were held by masters from the transcendent Pure Yang Temple, the preeminent sect of the martial arts world. Thus, the significance of Lin Qiniang, ranking third, was self-evident.

Lin Qiniang was also the only female family head in the Lin family's history. She never married throughout her life, and in her old age, she passed on the position of family head to her nephew, the current Lin family head, Lin Chuan. The Lin family became one of the seven great martial arts families of Qian Kingdom thanks to Lin Qiniang. However, despite the Lin family's current prominence, it had never relocated, and its family center remained in Tang'an County. The Old Matron Lin Qiniang even moved back to the Lin family's ancestral village to live, spending her days fasting, chanting Buddhist scriptures, and praying, having refrained from worldly affairs for many years.

However, today, the Old Matron Lin left her residence, traveling by carriage to the Lin family estate in Tang'an County. Immediately, the martial arts world was shaken, and the Lin family estate itself descended into chaos, with everyone from the first and second branches to the collateral branches becoming nervous. Even with the huge commotion caused by Young Master Lin Xiangdong killing Qian Duoduo, the Qian family head, in the street recently, the Lin family internally had remained quite calm, especially the high-ranking members who hadn't taken it too seriously. But the moment Old Matron Lin emerged, everyone panicked. Even the usually unperturbed high-ranking members couldn't sit still and rushed to find Lin Chuan, the Lin family head.

Lin Chuan seemed to have anticipated this. He simply said, "You all should greet the Old Matron according to custom. I will handle the rest." Then, under the puzzled gazes of the Lin family's high-ranking members, Lin Chuan left directly.

Lin Chuan didn't go far. Instead, he made several turns within the Lin family estate and arrived at a secluded small courtyard. Upon entering, he saw a restless Lin Xiangdong.

The moment Lin Xiangdong saw Lin Chuan, he rushed over and asked, "Father... I heard... the Old... Old Matron is here?"

Lin Chuan nodded slightly.

Lin Xiangdong's body went limp, and he almost fell to the ground. He stumbled and sank into a chair, terrified. "Father... you... you have to save me, Father!"

Lin Chuan looked at Lin Xiangdong, sighed, and said, "Xiangdong, don't panic. The Old Matron's emergence might be to protect you..."

"Father, do you believe that?" Lin Xiangdong retorted.

Lin Chuan remained silent for a long time before saying, "Come with me to see the Old Matron now. Remember, when you see her, tell her everything you did, without the slightest concealment. Do you understand?"

Lin Xiangdong took a deep breath. "Father, why would the Old Matron emerge? It's just Qian Duoduo who died, isn't it? What is the Qian family? There are at least fifty, if not eighty, martial arts factions of that level in Cangzhou. Is it worth the Old Matron getting involved? If she doesn't get involved, what kind of waves can a single Qian family stir up? We can just hand someone over to take the blame, say they had a personal vendetta against Qian Duoduo and sought revenge, then we apologize and it's over. Why is she getting involved in such a trivial matter?"

Lin Chuan said gravely, "The Cloud State Hero Gu Mo and Pure Yang Temple Master Song Danying are coming personally. Do you understand how big a deal this is?"

Lin Xiangdong gritted his teeth and said sullenly, "Gu Mo, what is he? What business is it of his? He's from Cloud State; why is he acting so arrogant in Cangzhou? Does he really think that just because people call him 'Hero,' he's a righteous crusader? He's just a lone wanderer who gets praised because he has no personal stake. He pokes his nose into everything; he won't even know how he dies, he—"

*Smack!*

Lin Chuan slapped Lin Xiangdong across the face. "You unfilial wretch, shut your mouth! I think you've gone mad, daring to say anything. If you want to die, I won't stop you, but do you want to drag our entire family, your wife, children, and elders, to their graves with you?"

Lin Xiangdong clutched his reddened cheek, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He asked in confusion, "Father..."

Lin Chuan said in a deep voice, "A Grandmaster can be 'blown out' through praise, but one of the Ten Grandmasters? Impossible. Furthermore, what is Gu Mo known as in the martial arts world? The Cloud State Hero. That title represents the righteous path of Cloud State's martial arts world; it represents a belief in justice recognized by the entire Cloud State martial arts world. Do you understand the meaning of those four words, 'Cloud State Hero'? If your words just now were to spread, and if Gu Mo were to ever make a slight misstep while traveling the pugilistic world, the culprit could easily pin the blame on my Lin family. At that time, the Cloud State martial arts world, whether out of sincerity or concern for their reputation, will come seeking retribution from our Lin family, do you understand? The four words 'Cloud State Hero,' plus the identity as one of the Ten Grandmasters of Qian Kingdom—these two combined mean that as long as you wish to maintain your identity as part of the righteous path, you must respectfully address him as Sir Gu whenever you see him, regardless of your own status. Do you understand?"

Lin Xiangdong immediately deflated. "Then what do I do? Father, am I doomed?"

Lin Chuan shook his head slightly. "You acted foolishly and were exploited. And you ask me what to do?" Lin Chuan scolded him, then added, "Whether you live or not depends on the attitude of the Old Matron and the Cloud State Hero, Gu Mo. The situation has escalated to this point; I can no longer protect you. Hmm, there is one more way!"

Lin Xiangdong eagerly asked, "What way?"

Lin Chuan said, "Can you still find Ye Xiao?"

Lin Xiangdong nodded slightly.