"The people from the Qingyun King List?" Yingzi's eyes slightly betrayed her surprise.
Although Lin Mo didn't pay attention to the forums of the Huaxia Martial Arts World, Yingzi would occasionally visit them and naturally heard of these individuals. Indeed, she had secretly resolved to join their ranks someday.
Xiao Zhu, however, was completely unaware of their identities and looked at Yingzi with a suspicious gaze.
"What are you looking for my family head for?" Yingzi asked in a tone neither warm nor cold. She had heard from the Martial Arts Forum that these individuals were discontent with Lin Mo being crowned the Strongest King and were preparing to challenge him; naturally, she was not inclined to give them a warm welcome.
"We have come all the way from Huaxia to Han Country just to meet Lin Tanyu. Is he so high and mighty that he refuses to even see us?" Chen Yanghao raised his sword eyebrows slightly, displaying a hint of pride.
"We heard that Lin Tanyu has a little maid by his side. It must be you, young lady. We mean no harm; we have only heard of Lin Tanyu's reputation and wished to meet him," Zhang Yesheng said in a more courteous tone, a warm smile appearing on his face.
"Is he afraid of us then?" Zhuang Ziruo's beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly; a hint of chill appeared on her stunningly cold face.
It's an unspoken rule that kings do not meet other kings. These three held positions in the Qingyun King List because they came from renowned sects and were direct disciples of sect leaders or elders. They were famous in the Martial Arts World from an early age, yet Lin Tanyu appeared only recently and had already been crowned the Strongest King. No one was willing to accept that.
As for all the rumors about him, among these people, no one had witnessed with their own eyes; saying thousands of words did not equate to the truth observed firsthand.
Besides, these individuals were regarded as geniuses of the Martial Arts World, harboring extreme pride within their hearts.
"My family head is not afraid of people like you, hmph!" On hearing their mockery, Yingzi's pretty face displayed a trace of anger.
"A friend coming from afar, is it not a joy?" Suddenly a faint voice sounded in the courtyard, as a black-haired and black-eyed young man, with hands behind his back, slowly walked out from the house.
His appearance was ordinary, dressed in casual clothes, but his presence was unusually significant, yet indescribably ruthless.
"Yingzi, Xiao Zhu, serve the tea."
Lin Mo walked out and sat down on a stone bench next to a stone table, his gaze faintly sweeping over the three: "Since you've traveled all the way from Huaxia to find this place, please sit and have a cup of tea first."
Yingzi coldly glanced at the three, then entered the house with Xiao Zhu and brewed several cups of clear tea.
So this was Lin Tanyu who has stirred up the Martial Arts World?
Despite knowing he was just a teenager, seeing him still brought a sense of surprise and shock.
Zhuang Ziruo pursed her thin lips; in the Emei Sect, she was known as the sect leader's direct disciple, recognized as a genius, and as a woman, had made her place among the Qingyun List. Yet here stood a seemingly ordinary young man who had risen to be the Strongest King.
It unsettled her proud heart just slightly.
Chen Yanghao and Zhang Yesheng also displayed a hint of surprise, but they nonetheless took their seats on the stone benches.
"You three have traveled a great distance to find him, do you wish to compete in martial arts with me?" Lin Mo held the clear tea, gently sipped, and slowly spoke.
"Lin Tanyu, you are the Strongest King on the Qingyun List, and I, Chen Yanghao, a descendant of the Taiji Sect, have come from afar expressly to challenge you. I want to see if you truly possess the skills to justify your top rank," Chen Yanghao stated solemnly, his presence already emitting a powerful aura.
The Taiji Sect is one of the older sects in the Huaxia Martial Arts World, having produced many renowned martial artists, all famous throughout Huaxia. Chen Yanghao had become a Martial Emperor at nineteen and was hailed as a genius. Now at twenty-five, it was unknown how far his cultivation had advanced.
Yet, as Chen Yanghao displayed his suppression, only Zhuang Ziruo slightly furrowed her brows.
Zhang Yesheng revealed a trace of surprise, "Brother Chen, your power has grown much deeper."
However, Lin Mo, sitting on the stone bench, remained as calm as the light clouds and soft breeze.
"Brother Lin Tanyu, the three of us have come merely to exchange pointers with you and bear no hostility. The path of Martial Arts lies in such exchanges and mutual complementation," Zhang Yesheng said, bowing slightly and speaking tactfully.
"I want to fight a match with you," Zhuang Ziruo stated blandly, getting straight to the point.
Lin Mo raised his head to glance at the three of them and shook his head, "Challenge me? I don't have time to play with you right now."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the trio slightly changed.
Everyone was a King on the Qingyun List; though you're ranked first, and they are fifth, sixth, and seventh, the gap isn't that significant. Moreover, each of these three individuals had powerful forces supporting them, and they had never been so lightly insulted.
"If you don't want to leave, you can stay here. I'm preparing to kill someone right now," Lin Mo put down his tea cup and walked towards the door.
Chen Yanghao clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.
Zhang Yesheng slightly furrowed his brows, staying silent.
Suddenly, Zhuang Ziruo, gazing at Lin Mo's departing figure, said, "Since you have matters to attend to, we won't delay you. Come back in three days and fight with us."
Lin Mo did not reply and had already left the courtyard. Now that the Xuanyuan Sword had advanced further, there was nothing left in Han Country to hold him, except for one last matter—dealing with Cui Xuanjian, the tycoon controlling Sanhe Group, a head of a top-500 global enterprise.
It's said that the annual revenue of the Sanhe Group equates to the GDP of many small countries. Even some high-level authorities in Han Country have close ties with Sanhe Group. There's a saying in Han Country, "The underground emperor of Han Country is none other than Cui Xuanjian."
When Cui Xuanjian travels to other countries, apart from the major powers like the USA, France, the UK, and Russia, presidents personally receive him, which speaks volumes about his esteemed status. However, for Lin Mo, none of these presented any obstacle. Those who dared threaten him had only one path to take, and that was death.
Traveling day and night, Lin Mo soon arrived near Cui Xuanjian's villa in Seoul, which was heavily guarded by Martial Artist Bodyguards like a fortified castle, impervious even to a fly.
Inside his study, Cui Xuanjian waved away a disheveled, attractive young lady, then lay down on his sofa. Recently, tortured by fears of Lin Mo's assassination, his spirit had somewhat wilted—the more one has, the more one fears death.
Yet, half a month had passed as Lin Mo fought his way through adversaries, seemingly without any intention of seeking revenge, and the villa was even protected by the military. Given his standing, Lin Mo, however strong, wouldn't outright declare war on Han Country, and the upper echelons of Han Country would not permit Lin Mo to kill him.
Realizing this gave Cui Xuanjian some peace of mind, and finally, a long-lost smile appeared on his lips.
"Cui Xuanjian." Just then, a cold voice rang beside his ear.