"Alright, what do you want to say? Begin."

Lin Mu sat in the master's seat of the ancestral house, leaning casually against the chair with his legs crossed. He wore a tranquil expression, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the people below him.

Everyone exchanged glances, seeing a sense of bewilderment reflected in each other's eyes. What was going on? Why did it seem as if Lin Mu was the head of the Qin Family?

This was especially puzzling for the members of the Chen Family. "Hongbo, who is this… person from your Qin Family?" a perplexed middle-aged man asked.

His name was Chen Sien, the son of Chen Ruoping and Chen Xinlan's second-oldest brother. He was also one of the main figures who had come to the Qin Family to demand an explanation.

With Elder Master Qin seriously ill and hospitalized, it stood to reason that Qin Hongbo, as the eldest son, was responsible for handling the matter. And so he was, which was why he had called Lin Mu and Qin Luoli back.

From the Qin Family's point of view, he was the eldest son and the future successor of the Qin Family, possessing both the qualifications and the ability. From the Chen Family's perspective, as the son-in-law of both the Chen Family Clan and Chen Ruoping, he was obligated and responsible for confronting Lin Mu.

Lin Mu had arrived, but Qin Hongbo quickly found that he couldn't actually do anything to him.

Lin Mu had beaten his son, Qin Hao, so badly that he was still lying in a hospital bed; he had even made Qin Hongbo himself spit up blood from rage. Afterward, Lin Mu gave his wife, Chen Xinlan, a severe beating, displayed astonishing methods at the hospital, and even forced Qin Hongbo to his knees.

In that moment, Qin Hongbo knew Lin Mu was not afraid of him at all and had never held him in any regard. It was also the first time Qin Hongbo had ever felt true fear toward another person.

But today, his father-in-law had been infuriated to the point of vomiting blood, and the culprit was, once again, Lin Mu.

Facing questions and even doubts from the Chen Family, Qin Hongbo braced himself and summoned Lin Mu and Qin Luoli. At the same time, he also invited several of his brothers from the family to bolster his courage. He believed that in the presence of so many elders, even if Lin Mu didn't compromise, Qin Luoli would persuade him.

But he had never anticipated that Lin Mu's arrival would completely disrupt his plans.

What he found most unbearable was that seeing the young man's smile stirred a faint fear deep within him. He was smiling, but behind that smile lurked a depth like an abyss and a majesty like a great mountain. He was merely sitting there casually, but in Qin Hongbo's eyes, his aura and presence surpassed even that of Elder Master Qin.

One man was intimidating two entire families!

In Lin Mu's presence, the members of both the Qin and Chen families dared not even breathe too loudly.

***

Slowly regaining his composure, Qin Hongbo said to Chen Sien, "He... he is Lin Mu, the person you're looking for."

"Oh?" Chen Sien looked at Lin Mu, a flash of surprise in his eyes that quickly vanished. He said coldly, "So you're Lin Mu."

Lin Mu glanced at Chen Sien indifferently and responded, "Are you talking to me?"

He couldn't miss the coldness in Chen Sien's tone. To think such an attitude could intimidate him… that was a serious underestimation of Lin Mu.

"Insolence!" Chen Xinlan shouted angrily. "Lin Mu, you're nothing but a live-in son-in-law of the Qin Family, your status as low as a dog's! What right do you have to speak to my second-oldest brother like that?"

"Believe it or not, I only need to say one word, and you'll walk in here but get carried out lying down!"

Chen Xinlan's tone was full of malice. She had been beaten by Lin Mu and even forced to perform a disgusting act at the hospital. Now, the mere thought of that horrific scene made her feel an urge to vomit. But today, with so many people from the Chen Family backing her, she refused to believe Lin Mu would dare do anything to her!

"Unrepentant vile woman. When I am speaking, you have no place to interject!" Lin Mu glanced at Chen Xinlan indifferently, his Divine Soul stirring.

"No... don't..."

Seeing Lin Mu's expression, Chen Xinlan's face changed drastically with fear, and she instinctively covered her mouth.

But it was too late.

RETCH—

Under everyone's shocked gazes, Chen Xinlan spewed incredibly foul-smelling contents from her mouth. It was the food she had eaten earlier, some undigested and some half-digested, making the sight even more revolting.

A pungent, rancid odor instantly permeated the grand hall. It was so intense that some people turned pale, clutching their mouths as they rushed outside. Soon after, the sounds of vomiting could be heard from the yard.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the Qin Family Ancestral House changed completely.

The only ones faring slightly better were Lin Mu, Qin Luoli, and Qin Hongbo. Lin Mu's expression remained calm, but his eyes were icy as he watched Chen Xinlan. Qin Luoli and Qin Hongbo, having anticipated this, had hurriedly looked away before she began to vomit, not daring to watch. Even so, the smell and the sounds still made their faces pale.

"Lin Mu, you've gone too far!" Chen Sien exclaimed angrily, his face ashen as he pointed at Lin Mu, his eyes blazing with fury.

He hadn't expected Lin Mu to stoop so low and humiliate Chen Xinlan in such a vile manner. It was a direct slap in the face to the Chen Clan, a complete disgrace. Seeing his sister in utter disarray, Chen Sien's face turned somewhat pale, and he felt a sudden twinge of relief.

Thank goodness it wasn't him. If it had been, his lifelong reputation would be in tatters.

"Gone too far?" Lin Mu simply smiled and said, "Didn't you all come here to cause me trouble? Since this woman's mouth is so foul, I merely helped her brush her teeth. Consider it a lesson she won't forget."

Taking a deep breath, Chen Sien stared fixedly at Lin Mu. "Today you humiliated Patriarch Chen, and now you humiliate my sister and me in front of the Qin Family. Do you really think I—Chen Sien—have no way to deal with you?"

His tone was laced with ice.

Yet, Lin Mu merely scoffed, "Whatever means you have, just bring them on. If I, Lin Mu, even frown, I'll write my name backwards."

"You..."

Suppressing his rage, Chen Sien turned to Qin Hongbo. "Qin Hongbo, what does the Qin Family have to say about this? If you don't make this brat give my Chen Family an explanation today, you'll be solely responsible for all the consequences!"

The Chen Family's influence in River City was not insignificant, and their connections in higher circles were even deeper than the Qin Family's. If Chen Sien harbored a grudge against the Qin Family because of this, a single word from him could cause major trouble for the Qin Corporation.

"This..." Qin Hongbo looked embarrassed, completely at a loss for words.

However, Qin Hongshu, who was standing beside him, said sternly, "Rest assured, Sien. The Chen and Qin families are relatives; we share honor and disgrace. Lin Mu's disrespect toward Patriarch Chen is disrespect toward the Qin Family. We will absolutely make this arrogant, self-important scoundrel give the Chen Family an explanation!"

Qin Hongshu had long disliked Lin Mu. Seeing Qin Hongbo's hesitation, he seized the opportunity to speak up. "Lin Mu, I order you to go to the hospital immediately and kneel in apology to Patriarch Chen. Otherwise, I, Qin Hongshu, will be the first to make you pay!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Luoli's expression changed dramatically. She knew her second uncle always did as he said.

Yet, Lin Mu only looked back with disdain. "Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? You want me to kneel and apologize to that old fossil, Chen Ruoping? You should first consider whether you can bear the consequences of making such a demand!"

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