"Young Master Mu, do you think they will take the initiative to transfer the money?"
On the plane, Wang Zhengbiao's brows and eyes carried a trace of worry as he asked Mu Jinyu, "Should we make a trip to Jinling ourselves and keep an eye on them?"
Normally, Mu Jinyu would receive payment before carrying out a task and seldom provided his services first and then waited for payment afterward.
Even when he did, it was only with the backing and guarantee of families like the Xu Family and the Jiang Family, so if there were any issues, they could hold them accountable.
Or they could send their brothers to collect the debt, demanding ten times the compensation!
But Jinling was a bit far from them, and if the Lin Family decided to default, it wouldn't be so easy for them to collect the debt.
Therefore, on their way, Wang Zhengbiao kept thinking that they should have accompanied Lin Qingxue back to Jinling and kept the Spring of Life in their custody. After receiving full payment, he could then hand over the Spring of Life to save Elder Lin's life.
However, seeing that Mu Jinyu was having a pleasant conversation with Lin Qingxue, Wang Zhengbiao didn't dare to interrupt, only raising the question to Mu Jinyu once they were about to return to River City.
"No need, it's just a bit of money."
Mu Jinyu had long since become indifferent to money; he only continued to demand payment as a way to test people's nature.
Although one shouldn't readily test human nature with money, as it's easy to miscalculate, Mu Jinyu didn't care. Better to have a fallout with those recently met than to be disappointed later on when he might need them, right?
"It's just a bit of money, whether they give it or not, I don't really care, but in the future, they will be the ones to regret it."
Mu Jinyu looked out of the window at the cloudscape, withdrew his gaze, and said indifferently.
...
Eastern Sea.
One small unmarked island on the map.
The Old Dragon King, holding an Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, strode across the waves, with water splashing around him, creating a thunderous noise as he pursued a shadow in front of him!
On closer inspection, the shadow was a middle-aged man in a well-tailored tailcoat, pale-faced with dark circles under his eyes as if he often stayed up all night.
But judging by the two sharp fangs just barely visible at the corners of his mouth, this fellow didn't seem like a normal person.
After all, if he were normal, the Old Dragon King wouldn't have personally taken action to chase him and kill him!
"Cain, do you think dispersing the forces of the Dragon King Hall and attempting to test and kill me personally will be of any use?"
The Old Dragon King spoke and then let out a cold laugh, swinging his blade vehemently forward, immediately causing waves to splash everywhere and the tide to surge apart. A terrifying three-meter-high Sword Qi shot out from the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade!
"Even if my body is greatly declined, it doesn't mean a little Bat like you can pry into it!"
"Boom!"
The middle-aged man, running urgently across the waves ahead, tensed his body upon hearing the sound behind him, and suddenly a pair of gigantic Bat Wings flared from his back. Then with a powerful thrust, he soared up four or five meters high, barely dodging the Old Dragon King's strike!
"Bang!!"
The sea surface in front of him exploded with the cleave of the blade, and towering pillars of water shot up into the sky.
Following that, the Old Dragon King too leapt high, soaring five meters, and swung his blade horizontally. The blade's light swept across the sky, enveloping the middle-aged man and forcing him to retreat back to the sea's surface and continue rushing towards the small island ahead!
This man was none other than the lord of Fallen Splendor, the Blood Prince, Cain!
In the past several days, Fallen Splendor had been making frequent moves, threatening the borders of Shenzhou and causing the Hall Masters of the Seven Sub-Halls to head out to quell disturbances in various locations.
This had led to the dispersion of the high-level combat power of the Dragon King Hall!
At that time, Ruoxiang Man Hall had said to the Old Dragon King that it might be a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain. He had wanted to stay with the Old Dragon King to protect him.
But the Old Dragon King had refused. He knew that if Ruoxiang Man Hall or Jian Ruyan stayed by his side for protection, Cain would certainly not come in person.
He was aware of his own condition; though his body was in decline, he was still capable of wielding his sword. If Cain dared to come, he would capture this little Bat.
In doing so, he could use his battered old body to eliminate a great enemy for the Dragon King Hall!
Anyway, he didn't have many days left to live!
He had prepared all the follow-up arrangements for Dragon King Hall, waiting only for Mu Jinyu to return from Miao Zombie region!
After waiting for several days, Cain finally tested his strength and couldn't resist making a move against him!
Chased by him all the way from Capital City, he was now near the Eastern Sea Deserted Island!
At present, Old Dragon King began to feel his bodily functions rapidly declining, knowing he could not delay any longer. Since there was no one else nearby, he wouldn't force Cain, that little bat, into a corner to harm the innocent civilians!
"Ha!"
With a light shout, Old Dragon King gripped the hilt of the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade tightly, gathering a lifetime of cultivation into the tip of the blade, then suddenly cleaved forward!
"Boom!"
Instantly, a nearly thirty-foot-long terrifying blade aura, slashed out from the edge of the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, tearing through the air towards Cain!
The fierce winds along the way, and the waves kicked up by Cain's stamping, were instantly calmed as the unrivaled blade aura swept through them!
Cain, who was running ahead, sensed the blade aura from Old Dragon King's furious strike and was so scared that his soul scattered. Desperately flapping his bat wings, he tried to escape the range of the blade's reach!
But to his despair, he found that the blade aura was extremely terrifying, reaching more than thirty feet high, and within those few seconds, he simply couldn't fly out that high!
With no escape, his body was enveloped by the blade aura. In his despair, Cain decided not to let Old Dragon King have the last laugh.
He spun around violently, his body flashing with blood light, then threw a punch towards the blade aura, piercing through it and striking towards Old Dragon King, who was weakened after unleashing the slash!
"Boom!!!"
When blade and fist collided, the resulting explosion sounded like ceaseless waves crashing, with water soaring into the sky. Within a ten-mile radius of the sea area, it seemed as though hundreds of torpedoes had exploded at the same time!
Time passed, unknowingly.
Old Dragon King, ragged and disheveled, emerged from the water with great difficulty and crawled step by step onto a nearby deserted island.
"Uh... uh..."
Lying on a large rock, Old Dragon King let out a few weak breaths.
Cain's final retaliatory strike, although most of its power had been swept away by his blade aura, hit him as he was in a weakened state and unable to dodge, thus still damaging his heart meridian...
Now, his time had come; he only had a last gasp of life left, a mere flicker before the end.
The old man's pupils dilated as he looked up at the azure sky, reflecting on his life.
In those years, with armor and horses, his Qi dominated thousands of miles like a raging tiger.
Who could ask if Lian Po was old, whether he could still eat?
...
Then, the old man thought of his deceased wife, daughter, and grandchildren.
In his life as the Tiance True Dragon of Dragon King Hall, he never failed to meet the expectations of his leaders, nor did he disappoint the common people, but he had failed his own family...
He was a qualified general but not a qualified husband, father, or grandfather!
Lying on the rock, the old man murmured to himself: "As the Dragon King, representing Dragon King Hall, as a king, I was destined to give and take, emotion and freedom, all were destined to be sacrificed... "
"Hehe..."
The old man suddenly let out a few tragic laughs and with his last bit of strength, slowly stood up from the rock.
"Clang!"
The old man, tottering, swung the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, piercing fiercely through the rock, allowing his body to lean against the blade's shaft and finally stand firm.
"To live as a hero, and to die as a mighty ghost, may the spirits of Heaven bless my Huaxia, to never falter for a thousand autumns, all nations pay homage..."
As his words fell, the old man quietly passed away!
The figure standing with the blade, like a statue, would never move again.