"Mu Chaosong didn't know he had offended Lord Lin Tanyu, it's my fault, and I am willing to pledge loyalty to Lord Lin Tanyu," Mu Chaosong said, his head bowed.
Fu Shengxue and Mu Wanqing both shuddered slightly.
Especially Mu Wanqing, seeing her once mighty father, whom she had held in high esteem, now bowing to a young man, ignited a burning rage within her that nearly consumed her reason.
"No, what you said is false, you are not Lin Tanyu..." Mu Wanqing said, clenching her white fists and suddenly smashing them towards Lin Mo.
"Wanqing!"
Mu Chaosong's eyes widened as he sharply scolded, his face showing a look of horror.
The name Lin Tanyu was synonymous with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. This king's path was paved with the bones of countless strong men, and Lin Tanyu was certainly not a man known to spare women out of compassion.
But it was already too late for Mu Chaosong to intervene; Mu Wanqing's fist flew towards Lin Mo, but in an instant, she seemed as if she were under a spell, frozen in place.
Her fist stopped less than ten centimeters from Lin Mo's nose, unable to advance any further.
"You're not convinced? Hiding in this small place in Jiangbei, dominating as king, thinking you are invincible?"
Lin Mo looked at her, shook his head, and then extended his right palm. From it, a golden flame emerged, transforming into a lotus flower. Each petal, sharp and radiant, seemed almost solid, dazzlingly brilliant.
Everyone watched the flame lotus in his palm, feeling from it a terrifying aura of annihilation, as though it could destroy anything.
"Lord Lin Tanyu, my daughter has been spoiled by me and is ignorant. I hope Lord Lin Tanyu will spare her life; I will surely discipline her well," Mu Chaosong said anxiously.
"So, you are also to blame?"
Lin Mo glanced at him, and a flash of golden light flickered in his eyes.
Mu Chaosong's expression stiffened, and then blood streamed from the corners of his eyes as his soul nearly collapsed under Lin Mo's mental attack.
Miao Sandao, who was watching, was deeply shocked. Mu Chaosong was a Half-step Martial God, yet he couldn't even withstand a glance from Lin Mo. He vividly remembered the Lin Mo he met a year ago definitely didn't possess such strength; in just a short year, Lin Mo's power had advanced so terrifyingly.
At the same time, Miao Sandao's resolution to follow Lin Mo strengthened.
In Lin Mo's palm, the flame lotus flew to Mu Wanqing's forehead and then merged directly into her, causing her eyes to widen. A strange sensation filled her body, feeling as if her life was entirely in Lin Mo's hands, who could kill her with just a thought.
"I have implanted a Fire Lotus within your body. Right now, with just a thought, a Flame Lotus will blossom inside you, burning you to ashes from inside out," Lin Mo said indifferently.
Not only did Mu Wanqing's face turn pale, but so did the faces of others, terrified at the thought of having a burning seed inside a body that could incinerate a person with a mere thought, akin to a grim reaper.
Feeling the fear of death wash over her like a cold bucket of water extinguished the rage in her heart, leaving only a chilling fear that swept through her entire body.
"Wanqing, kneel down now!" Mu Chaosong shouted furiously.
Mu Wanqing fell to her knees with a thud.
"Lord Lin Tanyu, my daughter realizes her mistake now. From now on, my life, Mu Chaosong's, is yours; I only hope that Lord Lin Tanyu will be merciful and spare Wanqing," Mu Chaosong said, bowing his head deeply.
"If she harbors no rebellious thoughts against me, the Flame Lotus inside her will not activate. But if she harbors any, even if she runs ten thousand miles, the Flame Lotus will consume her."
Having said this, Lin Mo no longer paid attention to the two. If this had been two years ago, Mu Chaosong might have caught his interest, but now, he was far too weak.
"Miao Sandao, is that you?"
"Mr. Lin, I am here." Miao Sandao bowed at a ninety-degree angle, respectfully responding.
"From now on, you will command both Jiangbei and Jiangnan." Lin Mo spoke and pinched a spell with his hand, a stream of green wood Qi entered Miao Sandao's body.
Miao Sandao's body shuddered, and immediately his face lit up with joy, he hadn't expected to be so fortunate!
The surge of green wood Qi entered his body and instantly devoured the True Qi left by Mu Chaosong completely, transforming it into his own True Qi. At that moment, he not only felt his body brimming with vitality, but he also felt his strength increase slightly, even on the verge of breaking through to the Realm of the Peak Martial Emperor.
Miao Sandao had always been a High-level Martial Emperor and with his advancing age, he had feared that reaching the Emperor Peak Realm would remain out of reach in this lifetime. However, a casual gesture from Lin Mo had such an effect, and now he was filled with confidence to even aim for the Half-step Martial God.
"Thank you, Mr. Lin. I will surely manage the affairs of Jiangbei and Jiangnan well for Mr. Lin, guaranteeing my utmost loyalty," Miao Sandao expressed even greater reverence towards Lin Mo.
The crowd was astounded. Lin Mo's arrival had almost instantly secured the status of Jiangbei and Jiangnan.
Mu Chaosong's face bore a bitter expression, wishing he could punch Mu Wanqing to death. He had spent over a decade trying to unite the north and south.
Now, due to provoking Lin Mo, his losses were massive!
As for Lin Mo, from then on, in both Jiangbei and Jiangnan, no one would not recognize him!
"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can go to him," Lin Mo said to Zhang Mengmeng.
"Okay," Zhang Mengmeng nodded.
Feeling the slightly envious and admiring glances of those around her, she couldn't feel happy. Her eyes somewhat dimmed, knowing she was drifting further from Lin Mo.
"I have things to attend to, I'll be leaving now," Lin Mo said, then began walking out of the mansion.
The crowd automatically parted, forming a path for him.
"When will I see you again?" Zhang Mengmeng hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, she quickly called out to his retreating figure.
"Until next time."
Lin Mo neither stopped nor looked back, only waving his hand as he faced away from her.
Only after Lin Mo disappeared from the sight of those at the mansion did everyone come to their senses.
This young man was only in his teens, yet possessed Divine Skills and powers that made Mu Chaosong kneel and almost killed Mu Wanqing.
In the face of such towering figures as those who commanded Jiangbei and Jiangnan, wealthy corporate directors seemed to be in a daze. To live life like him, what more could one desire? They held wealth and power, yet others moved through heaven and earth, commanding wind and thunder, almost like Immortals.
In the presence of such beings, their wealth and power were worth less than nothing.
"Xiao Meng, was that really your classmate just now?" Zhang Mengmeng's mother finally snapped out of her daze.
"Yep," Zhang Mengmeng gently nodded.
The looks others gave Zhang Mengmeng and the Zhou Family changed somewhat, suspecting that the Zhou Family lineage might rise to prominence in Jiangbei and Jiangnan, all thanks to the young man's good fortune.
Many silently resented why their children weren't classmates with Lin Mo.
Fu Shengjie wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, thankful that he hadn't rashly offended that person back in Xuzhou.
Tong Ling's face was blank, her expression numb, only now realizing that her best friend's words had been true, and that she had been the one mistaken.