My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

The middle-aged man's voice still echoed in the arena.

"You little bastard! You dare to cheat! Do you really think the Marcus family—"

His words came to an abrupt halt.

Because a dark figure had already swept down from the high platform.

fast.

It happened so fast that no one could see what was happening.

So fast that the audience sitting nearby only felt a blur before their eyes and a gust of wind blew past them.

The anger on the middle-aged man's face hadn't even had time to turn into astonishment—

Lin Mo was already standing in front of him.

Black robes, black sword, and an expressionless face.

The two were no more than three feet apart.

The middle-aged man's pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively wanted to ask who the person was.

However, he opened his mouth, but only a "hoarse" sound came out of his throat.

He looked down and saw a very thin line of blood on his chest.

The line of blood stretched from the collarbone all the way to the abdomen.

Then his body slowly moved away along that line of blood.

puff--

Blood gushed out, splattering on the surrounding seats and on the faces and bodies of the Marcus family members nearby.

The body was split in two and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The entire arena was deathly silent.

No one speaks.

No one moved.

Even breathing was forced into his throat.

The group of people who rushed onto the ring with the middle-aged man were probably members of the Marcus family.

His body was stiff, his face was covered in splattered blood, and his eyes were so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

They opened their mouths, trying to scream, but no sound came out.

The spectators further away, who had been whispering amongst themselves just moments before, were now frozen in place, as if under a spell.

Some people were still holding up confetti for cheering, and some were still clapping, but the expressions on their faces were completely frozen.

The referee stood at the edge of the ring, his hand still raised in mid-air, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The entire arena, filled with nearly ten thousand spectators, was completely silent.

Only the wind blew in from the open entrance, swirling a few fallen leaves on the ground.

Lin Mo sheathed his sword.

He did not look at the body that had been split in two.

They didn't look at the Marcus family members whose bodies were splattered with blood.

They didn't even look at the stunned audience.

He simply turned around and looked at the ring.

There, a small figure was standing.

Mianmian stood in the center of the arena, her white dress still covered in dust from the fight.

Lin Mo stretched out a hand.

Mianmian blinked her big, dark eyes, and then she smiled.

That smile was silly, with eyes curved into crescents and a wide grin revealing a few tiny teeth.

She raised her hands, waved at Lin Mo, and then skipped over.

He completely ignored Lin Mo's outstretched hand, squatted down, and jumped with all his might—

With a "whoosh," she leaned onto Lin Mo's shoulder.

Then she rubbed her fluffy little head against his face vigorously.

It let out a giggle.

The laughter sounded particularly abrupt in the deathly silent arena, yet it was also particularly...warm.

Lin Mo's expression softened for a moment.

He raised his hand and gently touched her head.

Yin Xue floated down from the high platform and landed on his other shoulder—reverting to his miniature form.

She glanced at the corpse on the ground, then at the stunned audience, and pursed her lips.

"Let's go, this place is boring enough."

Lin Mo nodded.

He turned and walked toward the arena exit.

Li Yiguang followed behind.

The puppet still wore its standard smile.

He followed Lin Mo at a leisurely pace.

The three people and the puppet walked through the deathly silence towards the open exit.

It was as if nothing had happened, leaving the entire arena stunned.

The sunlight streamed in from outside, casting long shadows on them.

Only after the black-robed figure disappeared outside the door did the entire arena seem to suddenly come alive.

Some people slumped in their seats, panting heavily.

Someone covered their mouth and gagged repeatedly.

Some people were trembling all over and their faces were deathly pale.

The referee finally lowered his arm, leaning against the edge of the ring, his legs weak.

The remaining members of the Marcus family finally spoke up... not as screams, but as suppressed sobs, as if they were being choked.

They stared blankly at the body split in two on the ground, at the still-flowing blood.

What happened?

Who is that person?

How dare he... how dare he kill the head of the Marcus family in public?

But no one dared to ask.

No one dared to chase after them.

No one dared to move.

Because they all remembered the speed at which the dark figure swept past.

That speed, that power, that unwavering killing intent—

More importantly, the Second Prince Li Yiguang also left with that person.

This suggests that they are very likely Li Yiguang's men.

Power, influence, and strength are not things they can afford to provoke.

The Marcus family was just a nouveau riche family that made their fortune in timber decades ago.

Although they can be considered a second-rate family.

But in the capital, second-rate families are merely expendable pawns in the power struggle.

Not to mention that this matter involves the royal family.

"Go home and inform the old clan chief."

One of the Marcus family members said in a deep voice.

The others then realized: "Yes, hurry home and report it."

……

Outside the arena, the sun was shining brightly.

Lin Mo stood on the steps and squinted at the sky.

Mianmian nestled on his shoulder, still giggling, occasionally fiddling with his hair with her little hands.

Yin Xue flew off his shoulder, hovered in mid-air, and stretched.

"What's next? Just go back to sleep?"

Lin Mo shook his head.

He looked at Mianmian, reached out, and gently pinched her little face.

"Take Mianmian to the city for a stroll, buy some delicious food, and some fun things."

Mianmian's eyes lit up immediately.

She nodded vigorously, then looked at Yin Xue with anticipation.

Yin Xue raised an eyebrow: "And you?"

Lin Mo's gaze passed over her and looked towards the well-arranged houses in the distance.

That's the eastern district of the capital, a place where the powerful and wealthy reside.

The Marcus family mansion is in that direction.

"I'll go to the Marcus family and then come back to find you."

His voice was calm, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

Yin Xue paused for a moment, then laughed.

That smile held a hint of understanding, and even a touch of schadenfreude.

"Eliminate the weeds at the root?"

Lin Mo did not answer.

But he had already started walking in that direction.

Behind her, Yin Xue returned to Mianmian's side and reached out to rub her head.

"Come on, little girl, your dad has some errands to run. Let's go get something good to eat."

Mianmian blinked, looked at Yin Xue, and then at Lin Mo's departing figure.

She raised her little hand and waved in that direction, making "ah ah" sounds.

She seemed to have lost her ability to speak again.

Lin Mo did not turn around.

But he paused for a moment.

Just for a moment.

Then he continued walking forward, his black figure gradually disappearing at the end of the street.

The sunlight shone on him, casting his shadow on the ground, which stretched very long.

In the distance, the outline of the Marcus family mansion became increasingly clear.

He walked slowly, but each step was steady.

"Who is this person?"

The guard at the gate noticed Lin Mo and questioned him sternly.

Lin Mo ignored him and simply placed his hand on the hilt of the sword.

"Since we're going to destroy a nation, let's start with you."