Chapter 3932: Crest Of A Benefactor?

A massive man emerged from the center of the village.

He stood nearly as tall as Lin Mu himself. Broad shoulders supported thick layers of beast fur secured beneath heavy wooden armor plates carved from some enormous tree. His exposed arms resembled tree trunks as old scars crossed every inch of visible skin.

Most importantly several intricate tattoos covered his body.

Lin Mu’s gaze immediately narrowed and there upon the man’s left shoulder, curving downward across his upper arm was the exact same horn design that he had been looking for.

His eyes remained fixed upon it for a brief moment.

’The same horns.’ His heartbeat quickened slightly.

There could no longer be any doubt. He had found the correct settlement.

The large man stepped forward until he reached the highest platform overlooking the village.

His voice boomed across the clearing. "Who are you? And why have you come here?"

Lin Mu calmly looked down at him. "My name is Lin Mu. I came to talk and I have no desire to fight."

The burly man’s eyes narrowed and he folded his thick arms across his chest.

"No desire to fight?" He gave a low snort. "Or... are you afraid?"

Several nearby warriors grinned.

It was an obvious attempt to provoke him and Lin Mu immediately recognized the tactic. The village leader wanted to judge his temperament. Someone easily angered often revealed their intentions through careless reactions.

Lin Mu smiled faintly.

But instead of answering he slowly turned toward the forest beside the village. His right arm casually rose and the motion appeared almost lazy. Then, he threw a simple punch. There was no elaborate stance or lengthy preparation.

Just one straightforward strike.

BOOM!

The air itself exploded as an invisible wave of pressure burst forward. The surrounding trees violently bent away and leaves erupted into the sky as the shockwave continued racing through the forest.

Hundreds of meters away, a section nearly ten meters wide simply disappeared. Towering trees shattered into countless fragments as massive trunks exploded apart. Branches, leaves, vines and pretty much everything within that path instantly became splinters scattered across the forest floor.

A powerful wind swept back toward the village several breaths later.

The villagers stared toward the newly created clearing in stunned silence. The destruction remained perfectly visible. A straight corridor now stretched through what moments earlier had been dense forest.

Lin Mu slowly lowered his fist.

His voice remained completely calm. "I’ll leave the rest for you to figure out."

Witnessing this display, several warriors had unconsciously swallowed. One older hunter quietly looked toward the flattened forest before looking back toward Lin Mu. His hands had begun trembling slightly.

Strong warriors certainly existed within the village, many possessed terrifying physical strength despite their cultivation remaining sealed. Some could split boulders while others hunted powerful Spirit Beasts with bare hands.

Their village chief himself could uproot ancient trees during battle.

Yet, nobody present believed they could casually produce such destruction with a single relaxed punch. The man could fly, had overwhelming strength and even a calm demeanor. The combination unsettled everyone.

Whispers soon spread through the gathering.

"We should hear him out."

"It could be a trap."

"What if he attacks while we’re distracted?"

"He came alone."

"Maybe others are waiting."

Another warrior quietly shook his head.

"If he wanted to attack..." He looked toward the devastated forest. "...why would he bother talking?"

Several people fell silent as the argument carried weight. The village chief himself continued watching Lin Mu without speaking. His experienced eyes carefully evaluated the stranger as everything about him felt unusual.

He possessed the confidence of someone who never feared losing.

Yet he showed remarkable restraint. The chief slowly turned toward the gathered warriors and they immediately surrounded him. A lengthy discussion followed.

Some insisted upon refusing while others argued that provoking such an individual served no purpose. Several older hunters reminded everyone that the village had always survived through careful judgment rather than reckless pride.

"If he’s lying..." One man muttered. "We’ll regret it."

Another immediately replied. "If he’s telling the truth and we attack first, we’ll regret that even more."

The debate continued for several minutes while Lin Mu simply waited in the air. He neither interrupted nor displayed impatience. Eventually five minutes passed and the village chief finally raised one hand.

The discussions immediately ceased.

He looked toward Lin Mu. "I’ll speak with you."

Lin Mu nodded and without another word, he stepped downward through empty air. Each invisible foothold carried him closer to the village until he gently landed upon the elevated platform directly before the chief.

The surrounding warriors instinctively tightened their formation.

Even so none pointed weapons directly toward him. The chief remained standing only a few meters away. Now that they faced one another at equal height, the similarities became obvious.

Both possessed unusually imposing physiques and both carried themselves with quiet confidence.

The chief spoke first. "You said you wanted information."

Lin Mu nodded. "I only have one question."

He reached into his storage ring and the familiar scroll appeared. That single action alone caused several villagers to widen their eyes once more. Even now watching someone freely use a storage treasure while wearing shackles felt deeply unsettling.

Lin Mu calmly opened the scroll and the crest became visible.

He held it toward the chief.

"Have you seen this symbol?" His finger moved toward the tattoo decorating the chief’s shoulder. "And what relationship does it have with your tattoo?"

The instant the chief looked upon the crest his expression completely changed. His eyes widened and several nearby warriors gasped as well One elderly woman actually took an involuntary step backward.

The chief slowly lifted his gaze toward Lin Mu and his voice carried genuine shock.

"You..." He looked back toward the scroll. "...how do you have this?"

Lin Mu immediately understood that look: Recognition.

There could be no mistake.

"So..." A faint smile appeared upon his face. "You’ve seen this crest."

The chief remained staring at the parchment and his breathing gradually deepened. Several nearby villagers exchanged astonished looks until finally the large man slowly nodded. The man’s voice carried unmistakable reverence.

"This..." He looked once more at the crest. "...is the symbol of our benefactor."

The words echoed through the suddenly silent village and Lin Mu’s calm expression finally broke as genuine surprise appeared upon his face.

"Your..." He paused. "Benefactor?"