C3 Chu Lin Challenged Mu Rui!.

In the heart of the Mu Mansion's reception hall stood an oval conference table, surrounded by the elite of the Great Barbarian City—leaders of mercenary groups and chambers of commerce alike.

The patriarchs of the Mu, Su, and Lee Mansions occupied the three chairs of highest honor. Flanking the hall were scores of young men and women, the promising next generation of the three powerful families.

"This year, the All States Chamber of Commerce will set up shop in the Mu Mansion market," announced one dignitary. "An auction will follow, featuring a vast array of beast hides, tendons, a limited selection of Beast Cores, and a single Grade One pill."

"Today, the Su family declares the Green Wolf Mercenary Group as the new protectors of the Su Mansion's southern market," another stated firmly. "Troublemakers will be dealt with—permanently."

"At year's end, the Lee Mansion will witness a changing of the guard," Lee Zhuang proclaimed. "I will cede the role of Patriarch to Lee Bing and invite you all to bear witness to this transition."

As the family heads shared their significant news, over a dozen faction leaders busied themselves with documents, whispering strategies for their upcoming statements.

Suddenly, the doors burst open. A young man in black strode in, ignoring the guards' attempts to block his path.

The hall erupted into murmurs as the leaders paused, smirks spreading across their faces. Confusion etched the features of most youths present, save for Mu Rui, who blinked in disbelief. Chu Lin, missing for two months after a fall from a cliff, was very much alive.

Mu Hee's countenance darkened at the sight of Chu Lin. "You dare show your face here?" he bellowed. Chu Lin's disappearance was no secret to the Patriarch, but he had kept it quiet to shield his son, Mu Rui. Chu Lin was expendable, a mere casualty if lost.

But here he was, disrupting the meeting. Mu Hee worried, "If this boy speaks out of turn before the city's luminaries, it could spell trouble."

"Remove him!" Mu Hee commanded the guards at the door.

Chu Lin's icy stare halted them in their tracks. "Would you really expel me? Remember, the first rule of Mu Mansion: servants who mistreat their masters face death."

The guards froze, not daring to advance.

Chu Lin then turned his scornful gaze to Mu Hee. "Do you not recall your own family's laws, Patriarch?"

Mu Hee's fleeting shock did not escape Chu Lin's notice. Clearly, Mu Hee had wished for his demise.

"If the Mu Mansion has no place for me," Chu Lin resolved, "then it's time to sever ties."

Mu Hee's face was a storm cloud of fury, unable to believe he was being challenged by this 'trash.' Yet, he found no words to counter Chu Lin, who seemed different, somehow more formidable.

Annoyance brewed within Mu Hee. He glanced meaningfully at the crowd and thought, "Let Mu Rui put this 'trash' in his place and expose the folly of his young master's pretense."

Mu Rui caught his father's cue and jeered, "Just leave. You're only bold among the help."

"Chu Lin, stop disgracing yourself," others chimed in. "It's one thing to be useless, quite another not to recognize it."

Mu Kai, Mu Nan, and the other Mu Mansion youths joined the ridicule.

Amidst the mocking laughter, Chu Lin closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and when he opened them again, his gaze was icy.

"Today, you all label me trash, taking pleasure in my humiliation. But what if one day I rise above you all? What then?"

The hall fell silent at Chu Lin's words, but the quiet was soon shattered by raucous laughter, not just from the Mu Mansion's juniors, but from members of the Lee and Su families as well.

The audacity of a nobody spouting such nonsense—it's the joke of the century.

Mu Rui's sneer deepened after his initial surprise. He taunted, "Chu Lin, you sure have a high opinion of yourself. How can a nobody like you even think to compare with us? It's an outright insult! Survive ten moves against me, and I'll call you 'Dad.'"

Chu Lin didn't bristle with anger; instead, he let out a light chuckle and held Mu Rui's domineering stare.

"Bring it on," he said, his voice brimming with confidence and clarity.

The room fell silent at his challenge, and even Mu Hee paused, his gaze hardening as he regarded Chu Lin with a mix of surprise and derision.

A nobody, daring to challenge Mu Rui, who had attained Body Tempering Level One?

"If it's death you seek, I'm happy to oblige," Mu Rui said, his eyes glinting with malice. Chu Lin had survived a fall from a cliff once before, but this time, Mu Rui was determined to break him for good.

Squinting, Mu Rui took his place at the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over Chu Lin with contempt. "Withstand ten of my strikes, and you win," he declared.

"If I don't have you on the ground within five moves, I'll concede defeat," Chu Lin countered, stepping up to face Mu Rui head-on. His voice was so serene it was as if Mu Rui's defeat was a foregone conclusion.

The onlookers were taken aback. Was Chu Lin trying to make a dramatic statement just to be noticed?

Pitying glances were cast in Chu Lin's direction from many in the crowd, all except for a striking young lady from the Su Mansion seated in a corner of the hall.

Resting her chin on her delicate, white wrist, the girl's youthful features were already hinting at her emerging allure. Dressed in a pale green gown, she resembled an elegant green lotus.

Watching Chu Lin confront Mu Rui, her previously indifferent eyes sharpened with interest. A smile played on her lips as she remarked, "After such a long absence, Mr. Chu Lin seems to have grown even more captivating."