Chapter 258 – Mu Lin: I’ve Never Heard Such a Demand in My Life
Chapter 258 – Mu Lin: I've Never Heard Such a Demand in My Life
“Forget about Hua Man Lou, just take me for a stroll on the street, senior brother.”
“Alright.”
In the following hours, everyone wandered the streets with interest while chatting casually.
From their conversation, Mu Lin learned that the monk was a martial monk who had broken his vows—a wine-and-meat monk, not the Tantric practitioner he had initially assumed.
The shifty-eyed Daoist’s side profession was in the Yin Eight Gates, specifically the corpse-driving branch, while his main occupation was tomb raiding.
The swordsman was an executioner.
As for the two girls, one followed the path of the spirit medium, serving a white snake (with an ethereal aura), while the other was a mortuary cosmetologist… applying makeup for the deceased.
After learning about everyone’s affiliations, Mu Lin understood why the group of young men kept a respectful distance from the seemingly beautiful girl—her face was likely painted on.
As Mu Lin pondered this, during one of his glances at the girl, he noticed something unsettling. Her face, which had been smiling cheerfully, suddenly and without warning twisted into a sinister grin.
Though her expression returned to normal the very next moment, it was precisely this abrupt shift that made it all the more terrifying.
At the very least, the wine-and-meat monk and the tomb-raiding Daoist beside Mu Lin trembled inwardly.
Even the swordsman distanced himself from the girl.
As for Mu Lin… he naturally wasn’t frightened. Instead, he observed the girl with keen interest.
Don’t misunderstand—it wasn’t that he had taken a fancy to her. Rather, his Grandmaster-level painting skills allowed him to discern some secrets in the girl’s makeup.
‘She isn’t painting herself to look more beautiful but deliberately using makeup to make her appearance appear ordinary. And her cultivation level… she’s the highest among them all. This girl is hiding quite deeply.’
Surprised and curious after uncovering these secrets, Mu Lin took a few more glances at the girl.
The monk and Daoist beside him, however, lacked Mu Lin’s discerning eye.
Seeing that the girl had revealed her ‘true face’ and Mu Lin showed no fear—instead, he calmly stared at Hong Wen a few more times—they were astonished for the first time by Mu Lin’s bravery.
‘What a true hero—he actually dares to take an interest in Hong Wen.’
‘Who would’ve thought? Hong Wen is quite pretty, and even if her face is painted on, I wouldn’t mind. But that sinister grin is too unsettling, and it’s uncontrollable…’
The Daoist among them couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of Hong Wen suddenly flashing him that sinister grin at the most critical moment during an intimate encounter. Even knowing it was just an illusion, he felt a chill run down his spine.
All worldly desires vanished from his mind.
While the Daoist and monk were amazed, Hong Wen, standing opposite Mu Lin, was equally taken aback that he showed no fear of her.
This reaction annoyed her slightly, prompting her to deliberately trigger that unsettling sinister grin a few more times.
Finally, this display made Mu Lin speak.
However, just as Hong Wen expected him to show fear, what happened next left her stunned.
“Your sinister grin is decent, but it’s too focused on form and lacking in spirit. For you, the most terrifying smile is one where the face remains smiling but evokes a sense of dread, rather than actively revealing a sinister grin.”
As he spoke, Mu Lin casually pulled out a piece of paper, took out a brush, and swiftly began sketching.
Soon, a portrait of a smiling girl was drawn by Mu Lin.
This painting is derived from the Mona Lisa’s smile, but unlike that mysterious smile, Mu Lin’s depiction appears normal at first glance, yet the longer one looks, the more unsettling and terrifying it becomes.
“Hiss…”
At the very least, the monk and Daoist beside Mu Lin both shuddered involuntarily.
At the same time, they also felt deep down that Mu Lin was an oddity himself—it was no coincidence he took a liking to Hong Wen.
As for Hong Wen, she was completely stunned upon seeing the painting Mu Lin had created.
As a Painting Master of the Yin Eight Gates, this lineage not only requires cultivation in methods and Divine Soul but also demands mastery in Painting. The better one’s painting skills, the greater the enhancement to their cultivation methods.
Thus, Hong Wen understood painting, and precisely because she understood, she was utterly astonished.
“This is Master-level… no, even a Master Grade painter couldn’t have painted this as well as you!”
Looking at Mu Lin, the playful glint in Hong Wen’s eyes gradually transformed into one of admiration.
However, just as she exclaimed in awe at Mu Lin’s painting ability, a disdainful chuckle suddenly sounded from nearby.
Soon after, mocking remarks drifted over from the side.
“To claim you have Master-level skill—how audacious.”
“It’s not even nighttime yet. Even daydreaming requires some self-awareness.”
“Master? A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well. Have any of you ever seen what a true Master’s painting looks like…”
The scornful words immediately made the swordsman and the monk’s eyes burn with anger.
At the same time, their gazes toward the group of young men nearby were filled with fury.
“Bastards, it’s you scum!”
“You’re the scum here…”
“Despicable traitors…”
The two sides clearly held grudges against each other, and in just a few words, the atmosphere grew tense and hostile.
Of course, in the end, they didn’t come to blows.
The people running the tavern here were also capable individuals, and they easily separated the monk and the other group.
Though no fight broke out, everyone’s expressions were grim as they left.
Mu Lin was no exception. Moreover, upon closer observation, he sensed that this ancient street was not particularly welcoming toward them.
“Who are those people? Do they have a grudge against us? And why does it seem like the people here aren’t too fond of us?”
Mu Lin didn’t keep his confusion to himself but asked directly.
Before the sociable monk and Daoist could respond, Hong Wen, who had been won over by Mu Lin, eagerly explained: “Brother Mu, those people aren’t like us. They’re the descendants of some shop owners on this street. With their family legacies, they consider themselves the true inheritors of the Yin Eight Gates, viewing us independent cultivators as opportunists who steal their cultivation methods.”
“That’s why they’re hostile toward us and often cause trouble.”
“Moreover, they see us, who work for the Demon Suppression Division, as the imperial court’s lackeys, traitors…”
“Hmph.”
Before Hong Wen could finish, the Daoist beside them let out a cold laugh.
“We don’t want to serve the imperial court either, but those bastards hoard the cultivation methods and resources of the Yin Eight Gates so tightly. If we don’t work for the Demon Suppression Division, how else are we supposed to cultivate?”
The monk said, “Exactly. At least the Demon Suppression Division pays fairly for services rendered. Working for those guys is nothing but being a dog, a slave.”
All of them were deeply dissatisfied with the Yin Eight Gates inheritors on this street, and their words shattered Mu Lin’s idealized view of the Yin Eight Gates.
“I originally thought that the Yin Eight Gates scattered across the land would help each other and gather together for warmth due to their difficult circumstances. Turns out, I was overthinking it.”
Now he understood that in this chaotic, feudal world, there were no completely kind and friendly sects. Such sects simply couldn’t survive in this treacherous world.
“Class and oppression—these are the eternal, indestructible things. They can never be eliminated anywhere.”
With a sigh of emotion, Mu Lin followed the monk and the others back to the courtyard where his grandfather and the rest were gathered.
Before they could say much, a “dong” sound echoed—a resounding bell tolled from the center of Ping’an Ancient County.
And the bell rang three times in succession.
Hearing this sound, Mu Lin didn’t feel anything in particular, but whether it was his grandfather or the other monks and Daoists, their expressions changed drastically.
“Is this… the Demon Suppression Division’s summoning bell?”
“Why is the Demon Suppression Division summoning us?”
“Who knows? Forget it, no point guessing. Let’s just go and see.”
After a brief discussion, everyone hurried toward the Demon Suppression Division, and Mu Lin did the same.
However, he didn’t just travel straightforwardly. Another Substitute Paper Figure was quietly released by Mu Lin and, after changing its appearance, transformed into the likeness of another person, also heading toward the Demon Suppression Division.
And in this figure’s hand was the Official Token given by the Demon Suppression Division.
…
Everyone was a cultivator, so their travel speed was fast. In a very short time, they arrived at the Demon Suppression Division’s outpost in Ping’an Ancient County.
What raised Mu Lin’s eyebrows was that this time, it wasn’t just their group gathering—others were there too.
Nearly all the cultivator factions in the city had sent representatives.
The gathering of so many people made the Demon Suppression Division’s outpost slightly crowded, and intense discussions broke out as they debated why the Demon Suppression Division had summoned them.
Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.
Soon, a fiery and imposing woman suddenly appeared in the sky above.
“Hum!”
The woman who appeared unapologetically released her aura… no, not just her aura—it was a Domain.
“Boom!”
The woman’s Domain was like a scorching sun hanging in the sky, filled with overwhelming power and dominance, along with a sense of immense yang energy.
Under that terrifying pressure, everyone present felt a chill in their hearts, their bodies trembling.
Some Yin Eight Gates cultivators and Demonic Cultivators suffered even more miserably—they felt as if their Mana was about to burn up.
No, it wasn’t just an illusion. Some wraiths, Malevolent Ghosts, and Paper Figures were actually ignited by this Domain imbued with immense yang energy.
Yet, despite being suddenly attacked, no one dared to utter a word or resist.
The woman’s Domain was too powerful, too domineering, making them afraid to act rashly.
Seeing everyone as silent as cicadas in winter, the woman in the sky nodded in satisfaction.
Then, she spoke directly: “This time, for the Grave Lord Inheritance, our Demon Suppression Division will not seal it off. However, to prevent the situation from escalating, only the younger generation will be allowed to compete for it. You, or the old-timers behind you, will just have to watch.”
“Remember, this is not a request, it’s an order! Anyone who disagrees can step forward now. I don’t mind exchanging a few moves with you first, and then issuing a nationwide warrant for your arrest.”
“Don’t think I can’t do it. I am from the Ji family.”
“…”
That last sentence silenced all the old-timers.
In this world, after all, it is the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty, the aristocratic families, and the orthodox sects that jointly govern the realm.
Demonic monsters, the Yin Eight Gates, the Demonic Sect… they may appear fierce, but just like the gangs of the previous life, they are ultimately just unorthodox paths or failures.
Gathered together, the Demon Suppression Division alone might be helpless against them—this was also why Chu Xuezhen said the Demon Suppression Division could not seal off the Grave Lord Inheritance.
But targeting just one person, the Demon Suppression Division could make him find no path to heaven and no door to earth.
Thus, under Ji Hongyu’s domineering attitude, this Grave Lord Inheritance became a contest among the younger generation.
Once the order was given, Ji Hongyu vanished without a trace, and the cultivators from the Demon Suppression Division on the scene began dispersing the gathered crowd.
Of course, only outsiders were driven away.
Those close to the division or part of its peripheral forces were allowed to stay.
They needed to discuss how to maintain the stability of Ping’an Ancient Town in the coming days.
This was no easy task. With the Grave Lord Inheritance about to open, a large number of demons and monsters would inevitably descend upon this place.
Most of those individuals were unrestrained, chaotic, and evil. Their arrival would undoubtedly plunge the area into chaos.
This was also why the Demon Suppression Division kept Mu Lin’s grandfather and others behind for discussion.
…
Thinking of the danger and madness of those evil demons and monsters, the monk, the Daoist, and the ethereal woman all grew worried.
They feared their elders or loved ones might perish. That would not only mean the loss of family but also signify the loss of protectors in this dangerous world.
Just as they were fretting, mocking laughter suddenly erupted in the area.
“Pfft…”
“Haha, dumbfounded, aren’t you? You traitors are about to face the most dangerous individuals.”
“Serves you right. Allying with the Demon Suppression Division—this is what they deserve.”
The sudden voices sounded familiar to Mu Lin.
Turning to look, he realized they were indeed acquaintances.
The second-generation heirs of Ping’an Ancient County were not far away, gleefully mocking Mu Lin and his companions.
Such taunts reignited the anger of the monk and the others.
But before they could act or argue, an unremarkable voice suddenly spoke up in the area.
“I’m curious, who gave you the courage to mock the peripheral forces of the Demon Suppression Division right here in the Demon Suppression Division?”
It was Mu Lin who spoke. However, invoking the name of the Demon Suppression Division did not frighten those second-generation heirs; instead, it deepened the mockery on their faces.
“Hahaha, using the Demon Suppression Division to pressure me? You think I’m scared!”
“What if I mock you? Let the Demon Suppression Division dare lay a finger on us!”
“Lackeys of the Demon Suppression Division, remember this well: whether Ping’an Ancient County descends into chaos isn’t up to your Demon Suppression Division. It depends on us, the people of Ping’an Ancient Street. This is our territory!”
The second-generation heir who spoke even thumped his chest arrogantly, shouting, “I’m right here! Come and arrest me if you dare!”
As he shouted, he stared at Mu Lin and the others with a contemptuous expression, eager to see their helpless faces.
However, just as they were arrogantly looking down on everything, a clanking sound of chains suddenly rang out in the area.
Then, like serpents, the chains tightly bound the second-generation disciples of the Yin Eight Gates before they could react.
As the chains ensnared these second-generation disciples, a calm voice also spoke up at that moment.
“To be honest, in all my years, I’ve never heard such a request.”
(End of Chapter)
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