After suffering that heavy punch from Lin Mu, Flander felt as if his internal organs had ruptured. His blood and Qi churned uncontrollably, and his bones felt as though they were about to shatter into dust. He lay on the ground, coughing up several mouthfuls of thick, stagnant blood. His face was a mask of pure horror.
As a Level 78 Agility Attack Type Battle Soul Saint, his speed and reaction time were top-notch among his peers. Yet, moments ago, he hadn't even seen his opponent's movements clearly before being severely injured by a single, unadorned punch. Moreover, his opponent hadn't even released his Martial Soul!
After experiencing this terrifying power firsthand, Flander finally believed that this person's strength had truly reached the Level of a Title Douluo. He finally understood why Zhao Wuji was so afraid of this man. Compared to his physical agony, he was now more concerned about how to quell the anger of this young powerhouse.
Enduring the excruciating pain, Flander used his trembling arms to support his body and staggered to his feet.
"Your Excellency, please stop!" he gasped. "We are willing to pay the 100,000 gold soul coins, but it will take some time. Please, wait while I go and raise the money. I will definitely gather the funds!"
As a shrewd businessman, Flander was adept at assessing the situation. If he completely offended this young powerhouse, not only would he be unable to protect Yu Xiaogang, but the other teachers and students of Shrek Academy would likely suffer as well. This man was ruthless and clearly preferred violence over negotiation.
Lin Mu slowed his pace, glancing at Flander. After a moment's thought, he said calmly, "I'll give you half an hour. If you haven't raised the 100,000 gold soul coins by then, you will bear the consequences."
"Thank you for the grace period, Your Excellency. We will gather the money!"
Flander reached out to pull Yu Xiaogang up, intending to lead him away. If they really couldn't raise the money, he planned to use his speed as a Soul Saint to take Xiaogang and flee a thousand miles to hide. However, Lin Mu was not so easily deceived.
"Raising the money is a one-person job," Lin Mu stated, his gaze sweeping over the slumped Yu Xiaogang with a threatening glint. "You may leave to fetch the coins, but Gangzi stays here. If you don't return within thirty minutes, you know what happens."
Yu Xiaogang trembled violently. He wasn't necessarily afraid of death, but he was terrified that his incomparably great Martial Soul theory hadn't been recognized by the world yet. To die now would be a loss the entire Soul Master world could not afford!
Flander sighed inwardly, looking at his brother. He had to raise that fortune in thirty minutes to save Xiaogang's life. He activated his Martial Soul and vanished from the office at top speed.
Once Flander was gone, Yu Xiaogang could no longer maintain his last shred of dignity. He suddenly dropped to his knees, pleading, "Lin Mu, I know I was wrong. I promise I won't run away again."
"Gangzi, do you really think you have the ability to escape me?"
Yu Xiaogang panicked further. "I don't have that much money, but I can give you the Martial Soul theory I've compiled! This is the culmination of my life's work!" In his mind, his theory was priceless, certainly worth more than a mere 100,000 gold soul coins.
Lin Mu looked at him like he was a fool. "You wish. Your nonsensical Martial Soul theory is more worthless than trash."
Lin Mu knew the core of Yu Xiaogang's research was largely plagiarized from Spirit Hall records. His original ideas, like the theories on Soul Ring age limits, were mostly wild guesses with negligible practical use, theories that had even harmed several Soul Masters who tried to follow them.
"You... you're talking nonsense!" Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned bloodshot. His chest heaved with pent-up humiliation and anger. However, the moment he met Lin Mu's icy gaze, his fury vanished into fear. He had to live to prove his theories were right.
"Lin Mu, you know the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, right? They are one of the three upper sects," Xiaogang said, a hint of desperate pride returning to his face. "My father is the current patriarch. You can take this document to the clan and demand the money from them!"
Lin Mu's face showed a hint of genuine surprise. This man, to save his own skin, was bringing up the very background he claimed to despise. He had no shame whatsoever.
"Really? I heard they kicked you out a long time ago. What if they deny you? Besides, you owe me this money. Why should I do the legwork to collect it?"
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red. He had hoped Lin Mu might suffer at his father's hands if he went to the clan, but the scheme had failed instantly. He could only pray Flander was successful.
Meanwhile, Flander arrived at the teachers' dormitory area, blood still flecking his lips.
"Boss!"
"Dean, how did you get so badly injured?"
Zhao Wuji and the other teachers, Shao Xin, Li Yusong, and Lu Qibin, were shocked and rushed to support him.
"I'm not dead yet," Flander gasped, grabbing Zhao Wuji's arm urgently. "Old Zhao, everyone... quickly, give me all your savings! I need it right now!"
"What?" Zhao Wuji looked at him irritably. "Boss, where would I get any money? My salary is already low, and I lost everything to that Soul Saint in the forest last time!"
Flander cursed under his breath, remembering Zhao Wuji's previous encounter with Lin Mu. He turned to the other three. Faced with Flander's pleading eyes, Shao Xin, Li Yusong, and Lu Qibin exchanged looks of pure difficulty.
A teacher at Shrek Academy earned a meager salary. What little they had was for retirement. To hand it over now to a man known to be a "shrewd businessman" meant they would likely never see those coins again.