"Lord Lin Mu, are you truly confident you can resolve this matter?"
Ning Fengzhi looked at Lin Mu, his tone tinged with doubt.
In his view, no matter how strong Lin Mu was personally, he couldn't possibly shake Spirit Hall, an organization that had stood for a thousand years, all by himself.
And indeed, Lin Mu currently couldn't contend with the entire Spirit Hall.
However, Lin Mu knew very well that Spirit Hall wasn't under Bibi Dong's absolute authority. At the very least, the Worship Hall (Douluo Palace) wasn't under her jurisdiction, and she herself was restricted by the Rakshasa God Trial, which greatly limited her ability to exert her full strength.
That was why Lin Mu wasn't afraid of Bibi Dong. As for this madwoman who attempted to destroy the world, she couldn't escape her fate!
Regarding her tragic past, Lin Mu felt a sliver of sympathy, but more than that, he couldn't understand it. Why did she have to fall for such an irresponsible good-for-nothing like Yu Xiaogang?
Heaven's sins can be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins are unforgivable!
Immediately, Lin Mu stepped forward, glanced at Yu Xiaogang with a meaningful look, and said, "Gangzi, you don't want Ma Hongjun to know about the 'lust relief' process you proposed, do you?"
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's pupils constricted sharply, his heart filled with suspicion and disbelief. 'How could Lin Mu know about this?'
If Ma Hongjun found out that his teacher was the prostitute girl who cured him, their master-disciple relationship would likely be completely shattered.
"No... absolutely not!"
Yu Xiaogang murmured, a hint of genuine fear in his eyes. If he lost his only disciple now, he would be utterly ruined.
He forced down his panic, looked up at Lin Mu, and asked, "What do you want?"
"It's simple. Let's pretend this confrontation never happened. After all, it was all your doing."
Lin Mu knew Yu Xiaogang's character best. Even when he made a mistake, he would righteously shift the blame to someone else to maintain his image as a "Grandmaster."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Seeing Lin Mu reveal his true nature, Yu Xiaogang was deeply provoked. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he gasped for breath, shouting, "Everything I did was for my disciple! How could it be my fault?!"
"Ridiculous! You're clearly doing this for your own ego, yet you keep saying it's for your disciples. You are utterly hypocritical!"
Lin Mu directly tore away Yu Xiaogang's pretense. He'd been a mediocrity his whole life, yet he loved taking geniuses as disciples, claiming it was for their own good. He even looked down on ordinary geniuses, only accepting top-tier ones to prove his own theories.
Undeniably, this was the lowest-risk approach; with a little guidance, any top-tier genius could become a Soul Douluo or higher, regardless of his theories.
"You...!"
Yu Xiaogang pointed a trembling finger at Lin Mu, his eyes blazing with anger. He opened his mouth but couldn't refute him, feeling a surge of blood welling up in his chest.
After a long while, he barely managed to suppress his rage, coldly snorting, "This Master is upright and has nothing to fear. Say what you will!"
"You just want money, right? Here's a million Gold Soul Coins for you."
With that, Yu Xiaogang flicked his sleeves, angrily turning to leave, trying to salvage his last shred of dignity.
The Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged a glance and turned to follow.
"What's the rush? I haven't finished yet."
Lin Mu flashed, instantly appearing at the entrance of the main hall, blocking their path.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang's face darkened considerably, and he said in a deep voice, "What else do you want? Are you really planning to fight to the death here?"
"I didn't say I was looking for you. I'm looking for them."
As he spoke, Lin Mu stepped past Yu Xiaogang and walked straight up to the Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
Ignored again, Yu Xiaogang was furious. Was he, the renowned theoretical Grandmaster of the Soul Master world, so insignificant in Lin Mu's eyes?
Seeing Lin Mu pressing closer, the Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression changed slightly, a hint of fear appearing in his eyes.
'Is this guy coming to cause me trouble again?'
The Ghost Douluo, standing to the side, wore a solemn expression. Although he had no personal history with Lin Mu, Lin Mu belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire, making him an opponent of Spirit Hall.
Just as the three were lost in their own thoughts, Lin Mu continued, "Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, I want to talk to you alone."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, completely baffled by Lin Mu's intentions.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang walked over with his head held high, looking displeased. "Lin Mu, they are Elders of Spirit Hall. Why should they talk to you privately?"
"Who says Spirit Hall Elders can't communicate with others?" Lin Mu retorted sharply, then added righteously, "If you have a problem with that, then I'll have to tell Ma Hongjun the truth right now."
"You're clearly taking advantage of my misfortune!"
"So what if I am? I'll keep this secret for the rest of my life if you leave now!"
Lin Mu had Yu Xiaogang's psychology completely under control. In Yu Xiaogang's heart, Ma Hongjun's perception of him ranked higher than even Bibi Dong's orders. The matter of the lust relief proposal was undoubtedly his bottom line.
Threatened twice in a row, Yu Xiaogang was so angry that his lungs felt like they were about to explode. But he was helpless and could only leave in a huff.
Before leaving, he gave the Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo a look that carried a hint of a threat, reminding them of their orders.
After a moment of silence, the Chrysanthemum Douluo, his fingers delicately twirling a flower petal, asked somewhat nervously, "Lord Lin Mu... what brings you here?"
"I need to acquire my eighth spirit ring and would like your help. If you're willing to assist me, I'll do something for you in return, a win-win situation," Lin Mu said frankly.
Upon hearing this, both the Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were stunned. This guy was clearly on the side of the Heaven Dou Empire, yet he was asking them, Elders of Spirit Hall, to help him hunt for a spirit ring?
This was utterly baffling.
After a moment, the Ghost Douluo spoke first, his voice raspy. "We only obey His Holiness the Pope's orders; we can't possibly help you hunt for a spirit ring."
"Is that so? Bibi Dong treats you like insignificant pawns to guard her old lover. Why are you so loyal? Besides, this is just a cooperation; it doesn't require you to betray Spirit Hall."
Lin Mu looked directly at the Chrysanthemum Douluo. These two were very close; if he could persuade one, the other would naturally agree.
At this moment, the Chrysanthemum Douluo hesitated.
Although Bibi Dong's attitude toward Yu Xiaogang had already chilled him to the bone, her cultivation was unfathomable, and he had to consider the consequences carefully.
However, Lin Mu, with his Soul Saint cultivation, could already crush him. After breaking through to Spirit Douluo, his strength would definitely skyrocket, at least reaching the Super Douluo level.
Thinking of this, the Chrysanthemum Douluo made up his mind and solemnly said, "Lord Lin Mu, words are meaningless; how can we believe you?"
"This is your only chance. I spared your life last time, but I won't be so lucky next time," Lin Mu said calmly, as if stating a simple fact.
Hearing this, the Chrysanthemum Douluo's pupils dilated. He couldn't help but recall his tragic defeat last time; he never wanted to experience that again.
Then, the Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged a few whispered words.
A moment later, the Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed slightly to Lin Mu and said respectfully, "Lord Lin Mu, Old Ghost and I are willing to accompany you to hunt for the spirit ring."
"A wise choice. If you encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to me."
Lin Mu's lips curled up slightly. He then turned to tell Ning Fengzhi about the plan.
Ning Fengzhi naturally agreed readily. The stronger Lin Mu was, the more he could restrain Spirit Hall, which would be beneficial to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
After the matter was settled, Ning Fengzhi suddenly asked curiously, "Lord Lin Mu, do you really have some leverage over Yu Xiaogang?"
"You don't know?"
"If I knew, why would I have let him threaten me earlier?"
"Uh, actually... Ning Rongrong told me this too."
Lin Mu briefly explained the situation regarding Yu Xiaogang's proposal to use Ning Rongrong to cure Ma Hongjun. He only promised Yu Xiaogang he wouldn't tell Ma Hongjun, but he never said he wouldn't tell anyone else.
Moreover, this matter wasn't exclusive to him; Yu Tianheng and the others at the academy also knew.
After learning the full details, everyone showed strange expressions. No wonder Yu Xiaogang valued Ma Hongjun so much and was so terrified of the truth coming out; it turned out there was such a sordid secret behind it.