Chapter 5

"**As long as you sell yourself to my family and become this young master's servant, I will not only save your mother, but also let her continue to run the tavern. How about it? Isn't this young master's sincerity enough?**"

Lin Yue narrowed his eyes, his gaze full of lewdness as he continuously sized up Wu Xinlian. Although she was only thirteen or fourteen years old, her body was clearly beginning to develop. She was already 1.6 meters tall, with her chest starting to rise slightly. Her figure was well-proportioned, and her snow-white skin, paired with a simple white dress, made her look stunningly beautiful.

She was the makings of an absolute beauty.

Although Lin Yue was not very old, he had enjoyed the company of countless women and had developed a keen eye. How could he not see it?

This time, he had come with the intention of targeting Wu Xinlian.

While he was sizing her up, he was also thinking to himself: Wu Xinlian is indeed a beauty in the making. There are very few such beauties in the entire Longmen Town. Before, I had to be cautious, but now, I'll make this little beauty climb into this young master's bed willingly. Heh heh, I will save your mother, of course. Wu Xinlian is just a beauty in the making, but your mother is a true beauty. That mature charm, tsk tsk... No, I can't think about it anymore, or I won't be able to hold back.

No one knew what he was thinking.

He just looked at Wu Xinlian with a leisurely expression, knowing that she was a filial daughter and would never stand by and watch her mother die.

He also knew that Wu Xinlian had only bought two Heart Nourishing Pills from the Rare Treasure Pavilion. One pill could last nine days, so two pills would last eighteen days. Now, they were almost at the limit.

She had no choice!

"No! I, Wu Xinlian, will never sell myself to your Lin family."

When Wu Xinlian heard Lin Yue's conditions, she almost instinctively rejected them. Even though she was young, she knew the name of the third young master of the Lin family. He was known for his indulgence in drinking, gambling, and womanizing. Especially with women, countless girls in Longmen Town had suffered at his hands. The evil deeds he had done in secret were countless.

How could Wu Xinlian possibly agree to sell herself to such a villain?

A determined look appeared in her eyes.

"Heh heh! Wu family's little sister, do you want to watch your mother die? I've given you the opportunity. Follow this young master, and you'll enjoy endless wealth and honor. If you refuse..."

A strange expression appeared on Lin Yue's face as he said, "It seems your mother isn't that important to you."

These words were incredibly malicious.

If she didn't sell herself to the Lin family, without the Heart Nourishing Pills, her mother would surely die. That would be filial impiety. If she sold herself to the Lin family, she would be throwing herself into a fire, a fate of eternal suffering and a miserable end.

These words made Wu Xinlian's face turn extremely pale, and her small body trembled violently. A look of struggle appeared on her face.

At this moment, the crowd around them began to murmur.

"Again, it's that young master of the Lin family. What a pity for this Wu family's little girl. She's been targeted by that young master and even had to pawn the tavern to the Lin family's pawnshop. This is going to be trouble. That little girl is likely to fall into the hands of that young master."

"Almost no woman that young master sets his eyes on can escape. If he can't get them openly, he'll take them by force in secret. Many good girls have disappeared, and it's said that he's behind it."

"The Lin family is powerful, and this little girl is very filial. She's likely to be in a desperate situation."

Many people watching sighed. The Lin family was a true power in Longmen Town, and no one dared to offend them. Now that this little girl had been targeted by that young master, her fate was likely to be tragic.

"Wu Xinlian, what do you think? As long as you agree, I'll give you the Heart Nourishing Pills immediately."

Lin Yue narrowed his eyes and took out a jade bottle, on which the ancient characters "Heart Nourishing Pills" were clearly written.

"I..."

Wu Xinlian's struggle grew more intense. She was about to refuse, but when she saw the white jade bottle, the words of refusal couldn't come out.

"The jade bottle contains Heart Nourishing Pills. With it, Mother can live."

"No, I can't agree. Mother always taught me never to disgrace the Wu family or Father. If I sell myself into slavery, even if I save Mother, she won't forgive me. Then, she won't be able to live either."

"But I can't just watch Mother leave me. My brother is already gone. I don't want to lose Mother. If Mother leaves, I'll have no family left."

"No family left."

These voices echoed fiercely in her mind.

Lin Yue didn't rush her. Instead, he watched the struggling expression on the girl's face with interest. He loved the feeling of personally sending someone to their doom.

This feeling was truly wonderful.

After a long while, Wu Xinlian's face turned pale, and she stared at the bottle of Heart Nourishing Pills. Her lips were bitten until they bled, and her eyes closed tightly. Two tears rolled down her cheeks as she slowly said, "I..."

Just as she was about to speak, a sudden, urgent running sound interrupted her. A loud shout cut off her words.

"I won't agree!!"

The sudden shout silenced the previously chaotic crowd.

Lin Yue, who was about to enjoy his victory, froze with a smile on his face. In an instant, his expression turned extremely fierce, and he scanned the crowd, shouting, "Who is it? Who dares to refuse?!"

His expression was so fierce that it seemed he wanted to devour the person who dared to stop him.

Crack!

A crisp sound of bones cracking came from his tightly clenched hands.

His fierce expression showed how angry he was.

Thud!

The crowd instinctively parted to the sides as a clear sound of footsteps approached. A figure in a green robe suddenly appeared.

Sss!

Many people's faces changed, and they drew in sharp breaths, staring in shock at the figure that had walked in. Wu Xinlian, who had been pale, was now full of disbelief, her mouth open in shock, and she even rubbed her eyes.

Lin Yue, who had been shouting angrily, was also stunned.

He pointed at the figure, shocked, and shouted, "Wu Mu? Are you Wu Mu? Impossible! Wu Mu is dead and has been buried for half a month. You can't be Wu Mu."

His voice was full of disbelief, but he had a feeling that this was indeed Wu Mu.

At the burial, Lin Yue had seen Wu Mu wearing the same green robe. There was no way he could be mistaken.

A dead person had come back to life.

And after being buried for half a month, he had crawled out of the grave.

A chill ran down his spine, as if his blood was freezing.

Who wouldn't be terrified to see someone they had seen dead and buried suddenly standing in front of them?

"Brother!! Is it really you?"

Wu Xinlian rubbed her eyes, her lips trembling as she called out.

Brother, it's definitely Brother. She knew it clearly. The blood connection was undeniable, and the green robe was one Mother had sewn by hand.

Even though she didn't know how her supposedly dead brother had suddenly appeared, she was certain that the person in front of her was her brother.

"Little sister, don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will bully you."

The person who had arrived was indeed Wu Mu. Seeing the almost desperate look on Wu Xinlian's face, he couldn't imagine what terrible things might have happened if he hadn't arrived in time. It would have been a fate worse than death. Thinking of this, his gaze immediately turned to Lin Yue.

His eyes were filled with a terrifying sharpness.

"Wu Mu!!"

Lin Yue's expression changed dramatically. However, after glancing at the crowd, his courage grew, and he sneered, "I don't care if you're a man or a ghost, dead or alive. Even if you've come back, what does it matter? Today, I'm taking the tavern. If you don't agree to your sister selling herself to my Lin family, I'll take the tavern today."

His words revealed his true, vicious nature.

"Really, it's Wu Mu. I didn't expect him to come back to life. Could he have awakened his bloodline?"

"Unfortunately, even if he's alive, what can he do? He's just an ordinary person, without an awakened bloodline or cultivation. He can't stand up to the Lin family."

"What a pity, another good girl will be ruined."

The crowd murmured, clearly shocked by Wu Mu's sudden return but not hopeful that he could change the situation.

Wu Mu was just an ordinary person, like a twig trying to resist a tree.

"Take the tavern?"

Wu Mu's expression was calm and composed. "When Xinlian pawned the tavern, the contract was for three months. If the tavern isn't redeemed within three months, it will belong to your Lin family. But if it is redeemed within three months, it will still belong to the Wu family. According to the laws of the empire, as long as the pawn period hasn't expired, the ownership still belongs to the original owner, who has the right to live in and operate the property. Only when the period expires does the pawnshop have the right to take possession. The three months haven't expired, so the tavern still belongs to the Wu family. Lin Yue, are you trying to challenge the laws of the empire?"

"Are you going to take the tavern before the three months are up? Do you even respect the laws of the empire?"

Each word was like an arrow, piercing Lin Yue's heart.