Chapter 3362: Arrested
Chapter 3362: Arrested
Lin Mu could still sense the goblins with his immortal sense, but to mundane sight they were completely invisible. Like shadows melting into the bright street.
He watched as their faint footprints disappeared into the crowd.
Lin Mu then walked back into the tavern, placed several immortal stones on the counter, and apologized for the broken glasses and furniture. The tavern keeper shakily waved it off, too stunned to demand anything more.
Lin Mu returned to the tea house, where Daoist Chu, Meng Bai, Elyon, Cattaleya, and Little Shrubby were waiting.
Daoist Chu let out a long breath. "I did not expect that outcome."
Meng Bai raised a brow. "Expect what? That those pompous fools ran away?"
Daoist Chu shook his head. "No. I mean the goblins thanking Lin Mu at all. I swear the goblin language does not even contain a word for gratitude. Historically, they only acknowledged debts through violence or labor."
Lin Mu shrugged. "It is what it is."
Though Elyon frowned slightly. "I have a feeling this will not end quietly."
He was right.
Because just as Lin Mu and the others finished their tea and pastries, a sudden tremor passed through the plaza.
Thud thud thud
The sound of marching.
A whole troop of armored guards surrounded the tea house in a ring of silver metal and stern faces. The Western Immortal Court’s insignia gleamed on their breastplates. There must have been at least a hundred of them.
Two guards stepped forward and pointed at Lin Mu.
"You are Lin Mu?" the lead guard barked.
Lin Mu raised his brows. "I am."
"You are under arrest for the following crimes," the guard declared loudly. "Threatening citizens, initiating combat in a public establishment, cultivating demonic influence to incite panic, causing damage to a sanctioned business, disrupting commerce in an official outpost, endangering minors, colluding with hostile species, harboring malicious intent toward officers of the outpost, and provoking unrest."
Everyone stared at him.
Lin Mu blinked slowly. "That is quite a list."
Meng Bai jumped to his feet. "He did not do any of that! It was the young masters who started everything. Master was simply stopping a fight."
The guard snapped, "Silence! If he wished to intervene he should have reported it to the guards. Instead, he resorted to terrorizing the citizens with spiritual pressure."
Daoist Chu stepped forward with authority. "Release him immediately. You fools have no idea who you are attempting to arrest."
The guards burst into laughter.
"You do not know who you have offended," the lead guard said. "Captain Heng and Captain Qing have already lodged their complaints. We are acting under their command."
Lin Mu sighed softly.
He did not want to cause trouble for the outpost. He was not here to fight the Immortal Court. And technically, even if the charges were exaggerated, he had released his aura in public. That alone counted as a minor offense.
So he raised his hands calmly.
"I will go."
CLACK CLACK
The guards looked smugly pleased with themselves and slapped Qi restraining shackles onto his wrists. The metal glowed with runes, locking in place.
Meng Bai growled with clear frustration. "Those shackles... even if they are meant to restrain fifth tribulation immortals. They will not even tickle him."
Daoist Chu clenched his jaw. "We hold back. That is an order. This is an outpost. If we fight, we will all be prosecuted."
Cattaleya’s fists were balled so tightly that her knuckles cracked one by one. "If Lin Mu had not told me to remain calm earlier, I would have sent these toy soldiers flying out of the plaza."
Elyon nodded grimly. "We wait. Lin Mu is in no danger. These shackles may as well be paper ribbons for him."
The guards roughly pushed Lin Mu forward, marching him through the plaza like a criminal. Onlookers whispered and stared. Some looked amused. Some looked horrified. Some looked relieved that the goblin incident seemed to be resolved.
Lin Mu did not resist.
He simply walked with calm eyes, allowing himself to be taken toward the outpost’s detention halls.
Because he had already sensed something.
And it was not fear.
It was opportunity and he already had a few plans on how to get out of this situation.
The guards marched Lin Mu through the outpost prison’s iron-lined corridor with all the pomp of men who believed themselves to be important. Their steps clattered on the metal floors. The air was cold, stale, and tinged with suppressive formations. At every turn, glowing runes shimmered faintly like pale blue webs.
The guards stopped before a reinforced cell that pulsed with sealing energy.
"This is the one," the lead guard muttered.
Two guards stepped behind Lin Mu and gave him a hard shove.
Nothing happened.
Lin Mu did not move an inch.
"HRNGH!"
The guards blinked and pushed again, harder this time.
SQUEAK
The only result was the sound of their boots slipping slightly on the stone.
One of them muttered, "Is he glued to the floor?"
The lead guard scowled and barked, "Put your backs into it!"
Three guards pushed.
"HAAH!"
Lin Mu remained exactly where he stood.
To them, it felt like pushing a mountain that had chosen to wear robes for the day. Their arms strained. Their faces turned red. One even grunted like he was trying to lift a boulder.
Lin Mu sighed softly. "There is no need to behave like this. I can walk inside on my own."
He stepped forward calmly into the cell.
The guards stumbled forward with the sudden lack of resistance and nearly toppled over. A few cursed under their breath. One muttered something about "unnecessarily heavy freaks," though quietly enough to avoid being heard.
Lin Mu ignored them.
The lead guard regained his composure with exaggerated dignity and snapped, "Seal it!"
Two guards activated the formation panels on the wall. Threads of blue light shot across the bars, locking the cell with a shimmering lattice of sealing arrays. The sound of dozens of runes clicking into place echoed through the corridor.
The lead guard smirked. "Let us see you act tough now."