Chapter 377: Extremely Proud

Watching Wang Zaixing laughing heartily, Lin Dong frowned slightly. He had carefully examined the strength of the two guards, both of whom were at the fourth level of the Mental Energy stage. With such strength, few people would be willing to serve as guards except for nobles. That’s why he already had doubts about Wang Zaixing and deliberately let Ma Chun go find Hua Wuyue to test him.

Seeing Wang Zaixing’s attitude, Lin Dong became convinced that this man was likely more than just a pawnshop owner and vice president of a merchant guild. There must be another identity behind him; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so arrogant. After all, if those two guards were merely the result of Wang Zaixing’s good luck—adopting two talented youths from a young age or saving them by chance—then, combined, their strength might be slightly greater than Hua Wuyue’s. Yet Wang Zaixing still had to be wary of the entire Hua family. If he really hurt the heir of the Hua family, the Hua family would never give up easily. Unless he could show enough strength to make the Hua family fear him, and as long as Hua Wuyue wasn’t in mortal danger.

Undoubtedly, Wang Zaixing had more than just those two guards as his backing. A hint of hesitation flashed through Lin Dong’s mind, but it was quickly dismissed. No matter what kind of power Wang Zaixing possessed, if he dared cause trouble at Lin’s Inn, he would have to pay the price. Besides, Wang Zaixing was also highly skilled in decoration. Even if he had a sect backing him, as long as he could keep his true strength hidden, it was still worth crushing that sect’s leader.

“Owner Lin, why do you want to take back what you just said?” Wang Zaixing said disdainfully.
“As long as President Wang keeps his word, I guarantee I’ll fulfill my promise,” Lin Dong replied calmly.
“I hope Owner Lin can keep his word. Otherwise… I’m not afraid of destroying Lin’s Inn,” Wang Zaixing sneered.
“The same goes for President Wang!” Lin Dong picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup leisurely, then ignored Wang Zaixing and sipped his tea in silence.

Before long, Hua Wuyue appeared around the kitchen corner, accompanied by Ma Chun’s respectful presence.
“Owner Lin, I heard someone came to cause trouble at Lin’s Inn?” Hua Wuyue had already heard Ma Chun explain what happened. To avoid revealing his true relationship with Lin’s Inn, he had to reluctantly pretend to stand up for Lin Dong.
“Youth Hua, I hope you’ll stay out of this,” Wang Zaixing said indifferently.

“Is that so? I’m curious to see…” Hua Wu Yue said with a sharp gaze, “Who dares to provoke my friend Hua Wu Yue?”
“In Lingnan City, there might not be any force bold enough to provoke the Hua family. But…” Wang Zai Xing wasn’t affected by Hua Wu Yue’s murderous gaze at all. The smile that had disappeared for a long time reappeared on his face.
“If the Hua family is considered within the entire Lingnan Commandery, they probably aren’t much of a threat. Any small sect could easily destroy them.”
“Are you from a sect?” Hua Wu Yue’s expression turned serious. There was truth to those words. The Hua family was powerful in Lingnan City, and they could be equally powerful throughout the Lingnan Commandery—as long as it was in the secular world. But if they encountered a sect, even the smallest one in the commandery, the Hua family wouldn’t be able to afford to offend them.
“It depends on Young Master Hua’s judgment,” Wang Zai Xing said indifferently. “I just want to advise him not to test them. Otherwise, the cost will likely be beyond what he can bear.”
Hua Wu Yue remained silent, struggling internally.
After casting a cold glance at Hua Wu Yue’s uncertain expression, Wang Zai Xing’s gaze shifted slowly toward Lin Dong, who was sipping tea. “Shopkeeper Lin, your backer isn’t very reliable. I suggest you just pay up honestly. I won’t ask for much—two million taels of silver will suffice. If you can’t gather it right away, you can use some hostages as collateral and redeem them once you can.”
Lin Dong remained unchanged, his eyes fixed on the tea in his cup.
Next to Hua Wu Yue, Ma Chun laughed. “President Wang is really good at doing business. In just a short while, the price has gone up by over a million taels of silver.”
“There’s no other way. Offending the Hua family for less than a million taels of silver isn’t worth it. Besides, there’s also the risk of your identities being exposed. How else can I ask for more?” Wang Zai Xing smiled.
“Young Master Hua, you really can’t believe his nonsense, can you?” Ma Chun looked at Hua Wu Yue and warned him, “He’s just a swindler. If he really had some significant backing, why would he engage in such schemes?”
Hua Wu Yue hesitated, glancing at Lin Dong out of the corner of his eye. His heart trembled, and the confusion in his mind vanished instantly.
The fact that Shopkeeper Lin hadn’t said anything clearly meant that, regardless of whatever force Wang Zai Xing had behind him, he had to be taught a lesson today. If that was the case, why hesitate? Shopkeeper Lin dared to offend the Tianjian Sect, one of the most prominent sects in the Great Han Kingdom, and still continued running his inn calmly after that. It was impossible for him to lack confidence.
If he wasn’t afraid of the Tianjian Sect, then Wang Zai Xing, who was resorting to fraud for just a few hundred thousand taels of silver, surely didn’t have much backing behind him either.

Everything is under Manager Lin’s control!
“A few scammersjust. How could I possibly be deceived?” Hua Wu Yue sneered.
“It seems Young Master Hua won’t cry until he sees the coffin. Manager Lin, I hope you won’t go back on your word. To be honest, I really don’t want to reveal my identity for money!”
Wang Zai Xing gently raised his right arm, then swung it down with force.
Two guards rushed forward, their long swords emitting a piercing light as they aimed at Hua Wu Yue’s chest.
“As long as you don’t lose an arm or a leg, that’s fine,” Wang Zai Xing said indifferently, then turned away from the battlefield and headed toward Lin Dong.
From afar, Hua Wu Yue thrust his sword forward, sending countless peach blossoms toward the two of them.
At the moment they were about to collide, Lin Dong smiled, his eyes suddenly gleaming.
The two guards attacking Hua Wu Yue suddenly felt their bodies stiffen, then they uncontrollably rushed toward the sword blows sent by Hua Wu Yue, as if those blooming peach blossoms had some mysterious attraction.
Shocked, they struggled desperately but couldn’t move an inch.
Seeing their fierce attacks suddenly stop and them rushing toward him like stiff puppets, Hua Wu Yue, who had experienced this before, guessed instantly that Lin Dong was behind it. He sneered and accelerated the momentum of his sword.
“Let me show you my newly learned ‘Immovable Peach Blossom Calamity’!”
Blood splattered, and torn cloth flew in the air…
On the other side, Wang Zai Xing sat across from Lin Dong and said with a smile, “Manager Lin, I suggest you count the cash and banknotes first. Young Master Hua won’t last much longer. Otherwise, we’ll end up in a mess and waste time.”
“It should be me who says that to you. Young Master Hua is the greatest genius in Lingnan City. Besides, he’s recently taken on a reclusive master as his teacher and learned a strange spiritual skill. With just your two guards, it’s really them who won’t last long.” Lin Dong’s smile was even more natural than Wang Zai Xing’s, which he had practiced for decades. Avoiding Wang Zai Xing’s body, he could see that the two guards had already been knocked down by Hua Wu Yue.
“A reclusive master? Reclusive masters are all in the mountains. What reclusive master could there be in Lingnan City?” Wang Zai Xing grunted dismissively.
“If President Wang doesn’t believe it, he can just turn around and take a look,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “Our Lin’s Inn only earns a little over thirty thousand taels of silver per month. Who would have thought we could make eight hundred thousand in one day—enough for over two years. President Wang, you truly are the great fortune god of our Lin’s Inn.”

Wang Zaixing stared at Lin Dong suspiciously, somewhat regretting having rushed over and sat down across from him so carelessly. With both guards absent, and himself being old and frail while the other man was in his prime, if things took a bad turn and he attacked suddenly while Wang turned his head, he would suffer greatly. Even if he were prepared, the distance of just one table meant that despite the guards’ strength, they might not be able to arrive in time for help.
“It’s fine to take a look!”
Wang Zaixing stood up, his smile forced. After deliberately drawing Lin Dong’s attention with his words, he stepped over the stone bench and slowly retreated behind.
Lin Dong smiled without saying a word.
After retreating about a dozen steps and feeling safer, Wang Zaixing’s smile became more natural.
“Shopkeeper Lin, trying to play tricks on me, Wang Zaixing? You’re still a bit too inexperienced.”
Lin Dong was speechless and said helplessly, “President Wang, you should turn around and take a look.”
Wang Zaixing frowned, uneasy. They were already separated by a dozen steps—could they really launch a sudden attack while he turned?
“Boss…”
A guard’s voice came from behind.
Wang Zaixing grinned, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening into sharp lines.
“Shopkeeper Lin, it’s time to keep your promise, right?”
“President Wang, please turn around and look,” Lin Dong said weakly.
“I already said, trying to play tricks on me, Wang Zaixing? You’re still too inexperienced.”
Wang Zaixing raised his right arm, pointing all his fingers upward, then waved them.
Lin Dong gave up and simply picked up his teacup, sipping tea while thinking about what to do next.
“Boss…”
The guard’s voice rang out again as Wang Zaixing waved four times.
Wang Zaixing grew annoyed. He had already signaled, but those two idiots still didn’t come over. Watching Lin Dong, who continued sipping tea as if nothing had happened, Wang Zaixing grew more suspicious. He must be pretending to be calm on purpose to trick him into turning around before launching a sudden attack. With those two idiots unable to understand gestures, he had no choice but to stay away from danger himself.
“Shopkeeper Lin, go ahead and drink. I won’t keep you company. If you pay on time… to be honest, your composure is quite good, and your expression looks natural. If you have time, I can teach you a few things. Once you’ve learned them, you might not be able to surpass me, but at least it will be far more promising than running an inn. Thirty thousand taels of silver in profit per month…”
Wang Zaixing shook his head sympathetically, crossed his arms, and stepped back slowly. The pride in his eyes made Lin Dong feel both amused and exasperated.
After retreating another twenty-odd steps, Wang Zaixing finally stopped, slowly lowering his crossed arms as well.