Killing Intent

Chapter 48: Murderous Intent

A man and a woman appeared within Luo Mu's line of sight. The woman clung to the man's arm, looking as delicate and dependent as a fledgling bird, while the man, dressed in white robes, carried himself with an elegant air, a faint smile gracing his handsome face.

Watching the pair, the gloom on Luo Mu's face instantly smoothed into indifference. Only his tightly clenched fists betrayed the fact that his heart was anything but calm.

The woman was none other than Xiao Ling'er, the one who had fed Luo Mu the "Heartbreak Pill." And the man was Bai Lin, the one who had coaxed her into doing it.

Seeing them so intimate, Luo Mu felt a sharp pang in his heart before he regained his composure. Yet, sparks of hatred flickered in his eyes. Coming to Jinxiu Academy to kill Bai Lin was the top priority in Luo Mu's heart. He had not expected to stumble upon his target the very day he arrived.

Scanning their strength, Luo Mu was startled. In the year since they had last met, Xiao Ling'er had raised her cultivation to the third level of the Qi Refining stage. However, that was not the source of his shock; it was Bai Lin's strength that stunned him.

With Luo Mu's current sixth-level cultivation, he was actually unable to see through Bai Lin. How could he not be alarmed?

Unable to gauge his opponent's strength or fathom his true depth, Luo Mu dared not act rashly. One misstep could lead to his own demise. Yet, as long as this thorn in his side remained, he would never find peace.

Luo Mu observed them without restraint, and Xiao Ling'er and Bai Lin returned the gaze.

As Xiao Ling'er took in the half of Luo Mu's face visible beneath his mask and his physique, her body trembled slightly, and her expression shifted instantly. Bai Lin, clearly sensing her anomaly, frowned. He suddenly felt that Luo Mu looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

Suddenly, Bai Lin's gaze turned cold, as if he had recalled something in an instant. But after only a moment, his eyes softened, revealing a trace of doubt.

"This person's cultivation has already reached the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage; how could he possibly be compared to that piece of trash who couldn't even gather spiritual energy? Besides, after swallowing the Heartbreak Pill refined by Cousin Bai Shu, that fool couldn't possibly have survived." The doubt in Bai Lin's eyes dissipated, and a smile returned to his lips. He spoke to himself in his heart as he looked at Luo Mu, feeling immensely confident.

At the mention of Bai Shu, Bai Lin's brow furrowed inadvertently. It had been a year since Bai Shu left to search for a medicinal herb, and he still hadn't returned, which left Bai Lin feeling puzzled.

However, Bai Lin was not worried about Bai Shu's safety. Bai Shu possessed several mid-grade magical artifacts and an array of poisons; unless he encountered extreme danger, he was more than capable of handling himself. Bai Lin simply did not believe Bai Shu could be in mortal danger.

If even Bai Lin, who had only met Luo Mu once, felt doubt and questioned his identity, it was even more so for Xiao Ling'er, who had spent over a decade with him.

At this moment, Xiao Ling'er's face was a mask of panic. Her previous, delicate demeanor had vanished; her hands had involuntarily released Bai Lin's arm, and her eyes darted away from the masked Luo Mu. Guilt was etched plainly upon her face.

"To lose your composure just because you see a new student—you really are a disgrace. Sense his cultivation realm properly. Could he really be that useless lover of yours?" Bai Lin knew exactly why Xiao Ling'er was acting this way. He sneered and used a sound-transmission technique to address her, though his tone was far from the gentleness one might expect.

Xiao Ling'er released her divine sense to probe, and her expression shifted immediately. She stared at Luo Mu with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Although this person looks exactly like Brother Luo Mu, it is common knowledge in the entire town that Brother Luo Mu's dantian could not gather spiritual energy. If even I cannot see through his realm, how could he possibly be Brother Luo Mu? But... this physique, this half-face outside the mask—it is identical to Brother Luo Mu's!"

Xiao Ling'er told herself in her heart that the person before her was definitely not Luo Mu. Yet, everything about his appearance forced her to associate him with him.

"Senior Brother Bai Lin, what brings you here?" At this moment, the senior student who had been trying to recruit Luo Mu realized the newcomers were Bai Lin and Xiao Ling'er and spoke up happily. The adoration for Bai Lin in her beautiful eyes was unmistakable.

As for Xiao Ling'er, the senior student merely glanced at her with intense disdain, clearly holding no affection for her.

Xiao Ling'er ignored this, her gaze drifting back to Luo Mu again and again, her mind lost in thought.

"I was bored, so I came to look around. I didn't expect to find a genius at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage among this year's newcomers. It's truly surprising." Although he was answering the senior student, Bai Lin's eyes remained fixed on Luo Mu.

While he was certain that Luo Mu was not that useless fool from Dragon Gate Town, Bai Lin still felt uneasy. He had felt an inexplicable aversion to Luo Mu the moment they met, a hostility he couldn't even explain to himself.

"Indeed, this junior brother is only nineteen and has already reached the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage on his own. He is a rare genius; we've all been fighting over him," the senior student who had checked Luo Mu's identity token sighed with a hint of jealousy, even as she remained shocked.

"Oh? Only nineteen!" Bai Lin appeared nonchalant, but he was deeply shaken. When he was nineteen, he had needed countless spiritual pills just to barely break through to the fifth level. This person was either from a powerful background or a rare cultivation prodigy.

It wasn't just Bai Lin who was shocked; everyone nearby who heard this wore expressions of astonishment. Reaching the sixth level at nineteen was indeed rare, especially at Jinxiu Academy.

Xiao Ling'er was also exceptionally shocked, though her surprise stemmed from his age rather than his cultivation realm.

"Junior brother, this Senior Brother Bai Lin is one of the top experts in our Wood Department. His cultivation has already reached the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage, and he is a reserve disciple for the next recruitment of the Wanfa Sect. As long as he reaches the tenth level before the next recruitment, he can become a true disciple of the Wanfa Sect!"

Seeing that Luo Mu remained silent, the senior student took advantage of Bai Lin's arrival to heap praise upon him, hoping to boost the popularity of her department. Her words were meant not only for Luo Mu but for the other newcomers as well.

Sure enough, when the other newcomers heard that Bai Lin had reached the ninth level and was only one step away from joining the Wanfa Sect, their envy was undisguised. A few were already restless, looking as if they were ready to join the Wood Department.

It wasn't just the newcomers; even some senior students from other departments looked at Bai Lin with intense envy. However, others looked at him with disdain, believing that his achievements were entirely due to his family's influence.

Without the financial support of the Bai Family, given Bai Lin's aptitude, how could he have reached the ninth level at such an age? Compared to Luo Mu, Bai Lin's rate of progress was significantly slower.

"Bai Lin! Is this person also from the Bai Family? Heh... this is truly interesting." Luo Mu was not surprised by Bai Lin's realm, but rather by his surname.

The guy who had nearly taken his life was also a member of the Bai Family. Luo Mu sneered inwardly, his thoughts drifting to the Bai Shu he had already killed.

He really was at odds with the Bai Family. Luo Mu knew he had to kill Bai Lin. However, he was well aware that now was not the time. It wasn't that he feared Bai Lin, but the current circumstances simply did not allow for it.

Killing Bai Lin here would be a violation of Jinxiu Academy's rules; the academy would surely investigate and punish the culprit severely. Luo Mu did not want to invite unnecessary trouble. Although he had considered using the White Jade Ants to kill Bai Lin by surprise, doing so would inevitably leave traces.

Luo Mu had not been in the cultivation world for long, but he knew that it was full of mysterious and strange treasures. If he acted and made a mistake, he would be the one to suffer. Being a cautious person, Luo Mu decided to delay the execution.

Regardless, Bai Lin was a dead man walking.

"Excuse me, seniors." Suppressing the hatred in his heart, Luo Mu didn't even spare Bai Lin or Xiao Ling'er a second glance. He gently pushed aside the group of so-called senior sisters surrounding him, spoke in a cold tone, and began walking toward the Alchemy Department's recruitment station.