Chapter 370 – Escape? I Won't Be the One Running!

Regarding the Yan Family Patriarch’s request, Yan Yunyu and the others agreed.

They did so not because they were willing to obey the Yan Family Patriarch’s orders, but because Si Ye and the others also did not want Mu Lin to act impulsively and end up losing his life in the East Sea Kingdom.

Yes, they believed that if Mu Lin sought revenge, he would undoubtedly die in the East Sea Kingdom.

It was not as if going without his true body meant there was no danger.

Mu Lin possessed long-range curses, but so did others.

Moreover, even if it wasn’t a curse, others could still strike Mu Lin from afar using just a trace of his aura—no matter what type of Mystical Art reached the Grandmaster Realm, it underwent a qualitative transformation. This transformation didn’t only apply to Mu Lin; the Grandmaster-level skills of others were also incredibly powerful.

For example, Sword Cultivators, when they cultivated to the extreme, could use a trace of aura to strike from a thousand miles away with their sword intent.

Demonic Cultivators had even more techniques in this regard: Thousand-Mile Soul Tracking, Soul-Devouring Blood Curse, Soul-Shifting Phantom, Shadow Shifting… In short, even with numerous Clones, Mu Lin’s safety was not guaranteed.

Although others did not have an Attribute Panel and reaching the Grandmaster Realm was extremely difficult, no matter how difficult, there were always those who could achieve it.

The East Sea Kingdom was vast and wealthy, with abundant resources, and thus could recruit many powerful individuals. Among them, many had reached the Grandmaster Realm. Therefore, Si Ye and the others believed that if Mu Lin went to the East Sea Kingdom now, the probability of him losing his life was very high.

To say it was one hundred percent was impossible, but nine out of ten times was not an exaggeration—one should not underestimate the accumulation of a kingdom over nearly a thousand years.

This was also the reason why the Yan Family Patriarch was so anxious and why Si Ye and the others wanted to persuade Mu Lin.

Yan Yunyu said, “Brother Mu, I don’t want to stop you from seeking revenge, but your talent is extraordinary. We don’t need to rush.”

“That’s right. A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. A temporary retreat is nothing.”

“Brother Mu, if you act impulsively, you’ll fall right into their trap. But if you hold back for now, they’ll be the ones anxious… They know your talent and understand how terrifying you are. As long as you endure, they’ll live in fear every day. That’s more satisfying than killing them outright…”

The words of Si Ye and the others had some merit, and Mu Lin was not unfamiliar with patience. When his strength was weak before, he had humbled himself for a long time.

However, the past was the past, and the present was the present.

After advancing to Mortal Shedding tonight, Mu Lin’s strength would undergo a tremendous transformation, making it difficult for him to be killed.

This gave Mu Lin the confidence to seek revenge.

—As for the possibility that the East Sea Kingdom’s accumulated power could kill Mu Lin from afar:

First, whether it was the accumulated power of a kingdom or that of aristocratic families, such things were never easily deployed.

Mu Lin only wanted to kill the East Sea King’s third son, not destroy the East Sea King’s Manor. The probability of the kingdom deploying its accumulated power was extremely low.

After all, the East Sea King had many such sons. Losing one might not necessarily cause him much grief—whether in the Prince’s Residence or among aristocratic families, when there were many descendants, familial bonds inevitably weakened. This was also why royal and noble families were prone to feuds and killings.

In Mu Lin’s view, if Ji Yu died, the East Sea King would likely feel not so much sorrow but rather that his face had been slapped and his pride wounded.

If Mu Lin were weak, the East Sea King, having lost face, would not hesitate to send someone to crush him.

However, if they were to use their family’s hidden resources just for the sake of saving face, they would never have survived until now.

Impulsive aristocratic families rarely last long.

Based on various analyses, Mu Lin believed that the East Sea King would not resort to using his family’s hidden resources.

Secondly, those hidden resources only had a probability of killing Mu Lin, not a certainty. Moreover, Mu Lin planned to hide in the Tomb of the Grave Lord when taking action. With this natural protection, along with his numerous defensive skills and three to five hundred Substitute Paper Figures, he felt his chances of survival were quite high.

Lastly, the East Sea King could not act recklessly.

Since it was the East Sea King who broke the rules, Mu Lin’s retaliation was justified. Taking action against Mu Lin would face significant resistance for the East Sea King.

The Southeast Region would exert pressure.

Of course, Mu Lin also saw the true nature of the Southeast Region. He knew that a stable life had dulled their edge, making them unwilling to take risks. Thus, their warnings would be almost useless.

But this world was not limited to the Southeast Region.

If Mu Lin had not demonstrated his strength, it would not have mattered, and other forces would not have stood up for him.

However, if he truly hurt the East Sea King, showcased his value—his extraordinary value—and expressed his willingness to fully assist the Northern Aristocracy, he believed the Northern Aristocracy would not stand idly by.

“Having them openly clash with the Southeast Region is probably something they would also be unwilling to do… The disparity in strength between me and the East Sea Kingdom is indeed immense. But having them send strong individuals to station themselves in the East Sea King’s city, preventing the use of certain forbidden methods, is something they should be willing to do.”

Even if the Northern Aristocracy were unwilling, Mu Lin was not afraid.

In this world, there were forces unwilling to see the East Sea Kingdom rise, such as—the Great Spirit Imperial Family.

“The East Sea King is ambitious. I refuse to believe the Great Spirit Imperial Family is unaware and unwilling to curb him. In the past, they may have lacked opportunities, but now, without needing to take action themselves, simply by stationing forces to suppress the East Sea King, I can humiliate him. I refuse to believe they would pass up such an opportunity.”

In an instant, Mu Lin considered many things and realized that with sufficient preparation, the danger of his retaliation was not as great as it seemed.

Of course, the premise for Mu Lin’s belief that the danger was minimal was that he could become invincible in the Mortal Shedding realm and withstand ordinary assassinations by Earth Immortal-level experts. Only the use of forbidden methods could pose a threat to him.

Without such value, the Northern Aristocracy and the Great Spirit Imperial Family would not intervene, nor could they prevent it—forbidden methods and top-tier Earth Immortals were extremely rare and closely monitored. Any movement would be noticed by others, which is why the Northern Aristocracy and the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty could block them.

This was similar to nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers in his previous life, which were closely watched and guarded.

However, while top-tier Earth Immortals were few, the East Sea Kingdom had many ordinary Earth Immortals and Mortal Shedding Adepts, making it impossible to monitor them all.

“The existence of a certain Eastern power made the Beacon Country afraid to even fight a group of slipper-wearing militias. With the Great Spirit Imperial Family and numerous aristocratic families closely watching, I refuse to believe the East Sea Kingdom would mobilize its entire nation’s strength against me.”

After sighing, Mu Lin prepared to continue his cultivation, aiming to reach the Mortal Shedding realm as soon as possible.

At the same time, Mu Lin was certain that after this retaliation, as long as he survived, no one would dare to recklessly attempt to assassinate him again.

Strike one blow to prevent a hundred more—this saying holds true.

In a previous life, an Eastern nation’s demarcated 38th parallel was disregarded by all, but after that war, the second line they drew at the 17th parallel was never dared to be crossed again.

And Mu Lin was preparing to deliver that agonizing blow.

…

Here, Mu Lin had already made up his mind, while Yan Yunyu, Si Ye, and the others were still trying their hardest to persuade him.

Knowing they were worried about him and had his best interests at heart, Mu Lin wasn’t angry. He simply said calmly, “Take a step back for a broader view? No, taking a step back only emboldens the enemy. If the East Sea King doesn’t learn that there’s a price to pay for provoking me, do you think they’ll stop the assassinations?”

“After all, if an assassination fails, there’s no real loss. If it were me, I’d keep trying until the enemy was completely eradicated.”

“Rather than waiting around to be assassinated, I’d rather strike back.”

“…”

This left Yan Yunyu somewhat speechless, but the Yan Family Patriarch did not agree with Mu Lin’s view.

“We will warn the East Sea King…”

Before he could finish, Mu Lin shook his head and said with utmost indifference, “What if he ignores the warning and continues the assassinations? Would you dare to take direct action?”

“Uh…”

This silenced the Yan Family Patriarch once more. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “We will protect you with all our strength.”

“Hah, there’s a saying: ‘A thief can strike a thousand days, but you can’t guard against him for a thousand.’ You can’t protect me.”

This time, Yan Yunlong… offered no further rebuttal.

If they were an ordinary Southern Aristocracy, unable to act at this moment, they would undoubtedly try to placate Mu Lin with all sorts of promises, temporarily calming his heart and preventing him from defecting to the Northern Aristocracy during this period.

As long as they could get through this time, even if Mu Lin died later, their losses would be much smaller.

But the Yan Family had invested heavily in Mu Lin, and his growth would bring them many benefits.

Thus, after some thought, Yan Yunlong gritted his teeth and offered Mu Lin a suggestion that no other Southern Aristocracy would ever propose.

“Mu Lin, you’re right. We lack the courage to openly confront the East Sea King and truly cannot protect you. But while we can’t, the Northern Aristocracy fears nothing. They are fierce and brave, truly daring to take action against the East Sea King and seize resources in the process. Moreover, the Northern Wastelands are extremely far from the East Sea Kingdom, a region where their power is weak, and they wouldn’t be able to capture you there.”

“You could go develop in the north.”

“If you find the Northern Wastelands too desolate, you could also go to the Central Continent and seek refuge with the Great Spirit Imperial Family.”

Yan Yunlong’s suggestion this time was sincere and had some merit.

However, all of this was based on Yan Yunlong’s belief that Mu Lin was no match for the East Sea Kingdom and would only be walking to his death if he went. That was why he suggested Mu Lin “flee” to the Northern Wastelands or go to the Central Continent.

Yes, he was advising Mu Lin to run away.

Objectively speaking, there was nothing wrong with this suggestion.

Mu Lin, with his limited strength, and the East Sea Kingdom, with its deep resources, were, in anyone’s eyes, not opponents on the same level.

However, while others might think this way, Mu Lin was brimming with confidence.

‘I will go to the Central Continent and the north, but I will never flee there in disgrace.’

Thinking this, Mu Lin didn’t reveal his true thoughts to Yan Yunlong.

There was no need. Actions speak louder than words.

“I’ll consider your suggestion.”

With that, Mu Lin had Yan Yunyu see the guest out.

After he left, looking at the several women in the room full of worry, Mu Lin smiled and calmly said, “Don’t worry, I value my life far more than you imagine. From my various Mystical Arts, you should already know how highly I regard my own life.”

“So, don’t worry about me acting impulsively. I won’t do anything I’m not confident about.”

‘And as it happens, this time, I am quite confident that I can both strike a painful blow against the East Sea King and retreat unscathed.’

…

Since the last sentence remained unspoken, Mu Lin’s words temporarily eased the hearts of the women, which had been filled with worry.

At the same time, as time passed, not only did Mu Lin learn that the mastermind behind the scenes was the third son of the East Sea King, but others also came to know the true culprit behind the assassination attempt on Mu Lin.

This sparked widespread discussion throughout Yuzhou City.

(End of Chapter)