Chapter 375 – One Against a Nation! Where Does Mu Lin Get the Nerve?

After advancing, Mu Lin’s strength surged dramatically. At this point, he not only possessed two Dharma Images, but his cultivation level had also leaped from Gang Sha Fusion directly to the late stage of Mortal Shedding—such is the convenience of having a solid foundation.

All the accumulated potential from his past was released during his advancement.

Moreover, this time, Mu Lin didn’t just experience a boost in his cultivation level; during the advancement process, he also integrated his cultivation methods and gained insights into many techniques and arts.

The explosive increase in strength gave Mu Lin greater confidence to confront the East Sea Kingdom.

And this, in turn, intensified his desire for revenge.

Others attempting to assassinate him had seriously threatened his life and crossed his bottom line, forcing Mu Lin to retaliate.

He had no intention of ending up like a certain Persian nation—first having its military commanders and scientists killed, then its president assassinated, and now even unable to protect foreign guests.

Such actions had turned that nation into a laughingstock, greatly diminishing its status.

If Mu Lin did not retaliate, he too would become a joke, just like that Persian kingdom.

Furthermore, if he didn’t strike back hard, the East Sea King would undoubtedly grow even more arrogant. By then, not only would Mu Lin face assassination attempts, but those close to him—such as Yan Yunyu, Chu Lingluo, Si Ye, and his grandfather—would also be in danger.

Thus, whether to avoid future calamities or to secure his own development, he had no choice but to seek revenge.

However, while Mu Lin held the mindset of “strike one blow to deter a hundred,” others did not share this view.

As Mu Lin completed his advancement, people once again reassessed his value.

And then, they realized that offending the East Sea King slightly for Mu Lin’s sake was worth it.

Note: slightly, not completely tearing apart all relations.

Therefore, during this period, both the North and South Clans had approached Mu Lin, explicitly telling him that they could warn the East Sea King and even strive to have him confine Ji Yu, preventing him from causing trouble outside.

The Dragon Clan also got involved.

They sought out Mu Lin, claiming to have some connections with the East Sea King and offering to mediate between the two sides, ensuring punishment for Ji Yu.

The price? Mu Lin joining the Dragon Palace.

“Mu Lin, this is the limit of what we can do. After all, Ji Yu is the East Sea King’s son. We cannot force him to kill his own child. Confinement is enough to make him suffer! Besides, your strength is in a period of rapid growth. There’s no need to seek revenge now. You can cultivate until you fear no one, including the East Sea King, and then take your revenge.”

There was some logic to this argument. However, most of the cultivators urging Mu Lin to temporarily set aside his grievances had overlooked one crucial point.

He didn’t need to wait for the future. With some methods at his disposal, the current Mu Lin was already unafraid of the East Sea King’s retaliation.

Thus, he didn’t need to wait ten years for revenge like a gentleman; he could seek it from dawn till dusk.

Moreover, Mu Lin scoffed at the promises of confinement made by the North-South Clans and the Dragon Palace.

“Confinement? I don’t believe the East Sea King would let his own son suffer. It’s less like confinement and more like letting Ji Yu enjoy a life of leisure and cultivate in peace at home.”

Letting his enemy revel in such comfort was not in Mu Lin’s nature.

Therefore, he ignored all their persuasions.

In fact, even as these people were trying to convince him, Paper Figures had already transformed into traveling merchants, wandering knights, Daoists, sword cultivators… and were making their way toward the East Sea Kingdom.

Beyond humans, some paper figures transformed into flying birds, soaring through the sky as they headed toward the East Sea Kingdom.

Similarly, there were land beasts and aquatic creatures making their way to the East Sea Kingdom by land and water routes.

For the sake of revenge, Mu Lin was going all out this time. As a result, hundreds of paper figures, taking on various forms, were driven by Mu Lin to the East Sea Kingdom.

With so many different forms and methods of travel, no matter how hard the East Sea Kingdom tried to eliminate them, it was impossible to completely destroy all the paper figures. This was the terror of the Yin Eight Gates Paper Artisan Lineage.

—Aside from Mu Lin, other Paper Artisans might not be particularly strong, but their ability to preserve their lives was truly extraordinary.

While the paper figure clones were on the move, Mu Lin’s main body, along with Yan Yunyu and the others, were also transferred by Mu Lin to the Tomb of the Grave Lord.

“Ji Yu, and you, East Sea King, I have made my preparations. Are you ready to receive my grand gift?”

…

On this side, Mu Lin was making every preparation for war.

In the East Sea Kingdom, the ambitious East Sea King had learned about the conflict between his third son and Mu Lin.

Upon hearing this, his first reaction was anger, and he severely punished Ji Yu, stripping him of many privileges.

But just as Mu Lin had predicted, Ji Yu was, after all, the son of the East Sea King. The most he could do was stop at this point.

In fact, a large part of his punishment was not because Ji Yu had acted against Mu Lin, but rather:

“Foolish, incompetent, and utterly useless. Targeting Mu Lin for Ji Lingsha and the influence of Prince Liang’s Manor is not wrong in itself, but since you decided to act, why didn’t you go all out and request an Earth Immortal to take action!”

“Do you not understand the principle that even a lion must use its full strength when hunting a rabbit?”

Being scolded like this, Ji Yu felt aggrieved.

“I understand the principle of going all out, but, Father, I thought a Mortal Shedding Adept would be enough to assassinate Mu Lin. After all, there was a whole major realm difference…”

  ”I don’t care what you think; I care what I think!”

After harshly reprimanding Ji Yu, the East Sea King summoned his advisors to discuss how to handle the matter.

His advisors were highly capable and had a deep understanding of the temperament of the southeastern aristocratic families. Upon hearing the situation, they almost instantly deduced the likely actions of the southeastern aristocrats.

“The failed assassination violates the rules, which puts us at a disadvantage in terms of morality and reputation. Fortunately, the southeastern aristocrats are weak-willed. They won’t break ties with us over Mu Lin; at most, they’ll issue a warning. What we need to watch out for is Mu Lin himself. He is exceptionally talented, and precisely because of that, once we’ve offended him, we must go all out to crush him to avoid future troubles.”

“I agree, but it’s not advisable to act now. Although the southeastern aristocrats are a weak bunch and unlikely to sever ties with us over Mu Lin, this is the most intense period of the north-south conflict, and they need Mu Lin the most right now. Therefore, Mu Lin is bound to be well-protected by them. Their strength is still considerable, and Yuzhou City is not our territory. Acting rashly would give us little chance of success.”

“Brother Xun speaks wisely. In my humble opinion, we should wait. Once the north-south conflict passes and Mu Lin loses his support, we can strike. By then, the other aristocratic families will not intervene with full force.”

This statement was also agreed upon by the East Sea King, and just as he nodded in agreement, someone else spoke up: “Having been assassinated, Mu Lin is bound to be furious. Moreover, since the southeastern gentry now need him the most, he might force them to hold us accountable and demand that Your Highness punish Young Master Ji Yu. In that case, we might as well go along with his wishes, temporarily confine the Third Young Master, and let Mu Lin lower his guard.”

“Feasible, but we shouldn’t agree too easily. It’s best to drag it out for a while. That way, Mu Lin will inevitably pressure the southeastern gentry multiple times. Given their pride, such actions by Mu Lin will surely breed resentment and dissatisfaction among them. When that happens, we can then relent, telling them it’s for their sake, not Mu Lin’s… Maintaining good relations with the southeastern gentry means that once the North-South conflict ends, those gentry from the Southeast Region will no longer be obstacles but allies.”

“Brother Xun, what a brilliant plan…”

It must be said that these men were indeed capable. In just a few words, they deduced the likely course of action for the Southeast Region and devised a plan to turn the southeastern gentry from obstacles into allies.

If Mu Lin were weak-willed and truly acted as the southeastern gentry suggested, the outcome would indeed unfold in this manner.

Fortunately, confidence in his own strength led Mu Lin to choose a course of action no one had anticipated.

…

After the first meeting, the East Sea King quietly awaited the Southeast Region’s demands for accountability.

To their surprise, none ever came.

Upon learning this, they were initially quite astonished. After all, in their view, even if the Southeast Region was weak and easily bullied, it wouldn’t be so timid as to not dare utter a word.

In the end, it was the strategist surnamed Xun who realized something and chuckled softly.

“I miscalculated one thing… Young Prodigies always act on impulse. That Mu Lin must have felt that verbal protests were useless, so when the southeastern gentry brought it up, he was surely displeased and unwilling to agree.”

If the southeastern gentry had lodged a protest and demanded accountability from the East Sea King, and the East Sea King had indeed complied by confining Ji Yu, the matter would have been settled.

Thereafter, if Mu Lin sought revenge and assassinated Ji Yu, it would no longer be seen as retribution but as an assassination, and others would not support him on moral grounds.

Thus, the Cultivator surnamed Xun believed that Mu Lin couldn’t swallow this grievance and didn’t want Ji Yu merely confined. That was why he didn’t allow the southeastern gentry to demand accountability.

And this meant that Mu Lin harbored the hatred in his heart.

Regarding this behavior, the Cultivator surnamed Xun’s assessment was: “Foolish. If he had demanded accountability, even for the sake of reputation, His Highness would have had to offer him some benefits. Holding in resentment and asking for nothing is the most foolish act. The one who suffers losses and grievances is only himself.”

Others agreed with this assessment.

“Truly extremely foolish, but isn’t that just how young people are? Like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, they always let their blood run hot and do foolish things.”

“Hahaha, now I’m curious about one thing. That Mu Lin—could he be so foolish as to not even tolerate a bit of Resentment and directly attack us?”

“Well…”

These words left the room silent for a moment. Then, the Cultivator surnamed Xun shook his head and laughed wryly.

“What wishful thinking. Even if Mu Lin were the most foolish and brainless, he wouldn’t be so arrogant. He stands alone, while behind Young Master Ji Yu stands an entire kingdom—a powerful kingdom spanning millions of kilometers, with millions of armored warriors and countless elite experts. In our kingdom alone, there are over a dozen Earth Immortals. Mu Lin, a mere Gang Sha Sorcerer—do you think he’d be so brainless as to dare challenge such a mighty East Sea Kingdom with the strength of an ant?”

“Hahaha…”

This statement made everyone in the room laugh.

The strategist who had earlier claimed Mu Lin would come was now utterly embarrassed and tried to save face:

“Ahem, I didn’t actually think he’d come. I was just joking.”

“Even as a joke, that’s a bit too exaggerated and delusional.”

“Exactly. Even in a daydream, I wouldn’t dare imagine something so absurd.”

…

The fact that the gentry of the Southeast Region did not hold them accountable saved the East Sea King’s strategists a great deal of effort, leaving everyone in the room quite relaxed.

Just as they were chatting cheerfully, a sudden “thud” echoed from outside—someone was knocking at the door.

After being granted entry, an urgent voice rang out in the room:

“Report! Spies from Yuzhou City have sent word that Mu Lin refuses to heed the advice of the Southeast gentry and insists on coming to the East Sea Kingdom to assassinate Young Master Ji Yu. Please be cautious, Your Highness!”

“Huh?”

“What?!”

(End of Chapter)