SSS-level catastrophe? That's my wife!

"And that monk, who's been hiding in that dilapidated temple on the mountaintop for over 20 years... wait, over 20 years?"

Lin Mu suddenly paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and his speech quickened abruptly: "Do you remember what Zhao Shanhe said? Those mysterious powerhouses who appeared out of nowhere 25 years ago!"

"I'm now certain that these four are definitely from that group back then!"

Gu Cang sat up abruptly, lit a cigarette with a "snap," and said in a deep voice amidst the swirling smoke, "I have a feeling that we are getting closer and closer to the truth."

"If we were to confront them head-on now, what do you think our chances of winning would be?"

Lin Mu was silent for a few seconds, then looked up at him: "Forty percent."

Gu Cang's eyes widened in surprise, and he pressed, "Have you considered all your trump cards?"

Lin Mu nodded: "Yes, so we need to eliminate their hidden forces as much as possible before they reveal their true intentions."

"But even if we do discover it, if we touch one stronghold, the others will immediately become alert... Do you want that!?" Gu Cang's voice suddenly stopped, his pupils contracted slightly, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes.

"Hmm." A sudden, intense killing intent flashed in Lin Mu's eyes, his tone icy cold.

"A wildfire spread, staining the kingdom with blood."

"Damn it, let's get them!"

Gu Cang immediately perked up, his eyes flashing with excitement, and then asked, "So what are you planning to do next?"

Lin Mu said calmly, "I'll go home tomorrow, and then I'll probably be in Zhen'e Court for the next two weeks, serving as their sparring partners."

Gu Cang took a deep drag of his cigarette, the image of the four being tortured flashing through his mind. He suddenly chuckled and teased, "By the way, why do you look so sullen?"

"Shouldn't it be a happy thing to not have to be a student anymore?"

"It's nothing, I'm leaving." Lin Mu said as he stood up and walked steadily toward the door.

Gu Cang's eyes suddenly lit up, his gossip-loving nature instantly ignited, and he quickly called out to him, "By the way, bro! What exactly happened to you yesterday?"

"Did the young couple have a fight? They were acting like nothing was wrong with their buddies before, but wow, they went up the mountain together at 3:00 AM."

"Wow, that's so damn romantic! You had no idea how shocked we were when we saw that girl!"

Lin Mu paused slightly, turned around to look at him, and said in a calm but slightly authoritative tone: "Gu Cang, I will also make time to train with you for the next two weeks."

After saying that, he strode away without looking back.

Gu Cang's lips twitched, and he quickly stood up and waved his hand, "Hey! No? I was just asking casually! I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Can't you just take it as a joke? Why do you have to take it so seriously?"

The only response he received was the dull thud of the tavern door slamming shut.

He slumped back into his leather seat, lit another cigarette, and sighed deeply as he exhaled the smoke: "This is really tough for me."

……

Yunjing Residential Area.

"Click—" The door was gently pushed open, and Lin Mu casually threw his black coat aside after entering the foyer.

For some reason, he always felt that the house was too quiet.

But then I thought: isn't quiet the norm for a house where only one person lives?

He walked toward the living room sofa, but his steps unconsciously slowed down, and his peripheral vision drifted uncontrollably toward the closed bedroom door—Su Nianhe's room.

Lin Mu leaned back on the sofa, tilted his head back, and sighed softly as he looked at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling: "Looks like I can't let myself be too idle."

"When I'm too idle, a strange emotion starts to surge inside me."

His gaze gradually became vacant, and every few minutes he would pick up his phone and turn on the screen.

But every time the screen lights up, the notification bar is completely empty.

Finally, he simply placed his phone face down on the coffee table and smiled helplessly: "What am I expecting? Why do I keep looking at my phone?"

The next second, his brows furrowed sharply, his eyes filled with doubt: "Su Nianhe, why haven't you messaged me yet?"

Just as he got up, the cell phone on the coffee table suddenly rang urgently.

A faint smile instantly appeared on Lin Mu's lips. He quickly picked up his phone, but when he saw the caller ID showed "Lin Yan," the light in his eyes dimmed for a moment, and a hint of disappointment flashed across his face.

But he answered quickly, his voice gentle: "What's wrong, Yan Yan?"

"Huh?" Lin Yan's clear, surprised voice came from the other end of the phone. "Brother! Why aren't you home yet? I've been here for ages!"

"Huh?" Lin Mu's eyes widened in surprise. "Aren't you not going home until tomorrow?"

"Brother! I just called you yesterday, have you already forgotten? I'm coming home today."

Lin Yan's soft laughter came from the other end of the phone: "Brother, are you crazy? You've never done anything like this before."

Lin Mu sat back down on the sofa, rubbed his temples, and then remembered that Yan Yan had indeed come home today.

He replied with a smile, "I've been too busy these past few days. Tell Mom and Dad I'll be back tomorrow."

"Alright then, Dad asked me to tell you to remember to ask for leave."

"And one more thing, I'll keep you in suspense for now. Your sister is really amazing now, so from now on, the responsibility of protecting our family will be yours!"

"I'll tell you the details when you get back tomorrow. I guarantee you'll be in for a surprise! Bye!"

"beep--"

After hanging up the phone, Lin Mu was somewhat taken aback, his fingers unconsciously tapping the sofa armrest: "Protecting family?"

He paused, a knowing glint in his eyes: Yan Yan is already the director of the research and development base, so she should have a dedicated guard team, right?

He stroked his chin, pondering: But who would those old men choose as her bodyguards?

Shouldn't we at least send a fifth-tier Awakened?

Fifth rank is still too low. Given how much those three old men like Yan Yan, it should be sixth rank...

But are sixth-tier awakened beings, who are all proud and arrogant, willing to seriously protect a young girl who is just over twenty years old?

His thoughts had barely drifted to this point when his brow furrowed again, and he murmured, "Su Nianhe, why haven't you messaged me yet? You used to send at least two messages an hour ago..."

He leaned back on the sofa, trying to reassure himself: "She's probably busy. She'll definitely contact me when she's done."

"Yes, you must be busy. I'll wait for you to contact me."

……

Mingcheng, deep in the mountains at the northernmost tip.

With an honest and simple look, Tieqiao walked out of his mud house, sat on the stone bench on the left side of the yard, took out something and started fiddling with it, his eyes particularly focused.

On a stone bench two meters away from him.

An Shuyao sat gracefully, the hem of her black dress casually draped over the cement ground, her long black hair loosely tied into a bun.

She continued to gaze blankly at the horizon.

Suddenly, she withdrew her gaze from the distance, her voice cool and clear: "Annoying."

He paused in his shovel-wielding motion, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. Without looking up, he said, "I'm warning you one last time. This is my home. If you find it annoying, leave."

"I won't hold what happened last night against you, but you're really pushing your luck."

An Shuyao frowned, a hint of impatience flashing in her calm eyes, her voice carrying a commanding coldness: "Fang Tieqiao, apologize to me."