Hearing his own expected time of heavenly tribulation, King Hong was shocked. Usually, this was information that only the person who is about to undergo a heavenly tribulation should be able to know.
If it was to be anyone else judging, they would have to be at a very high cultivation level to be able to do so since it was not simple. Heavenly tribulation was related to the restrictions of the heavens, and it was not something anyone could just casually pry into.
'Even I didn't know it was going to be 23 days from now a week ago… how did he know it so easily?' King Hong wondered.
The king's uncle was stunned as well and didn't know what to think of it.
'This man is not simple…' was all he could think for now.
"Ahem~ what is it that brother Lin Mu wanted to talk to us about more? The two brothers mentioned it. I heard this will be the compensation you want from us instead of anything material?" The king's uncle asked.
"Yes, that part… I believe you may already know about me." Lin Mu said.
"Know about you?" The King furrowed his brows, and the uncle did this as well.
"Your name is relatively common, so it's hard to tell…" The King's uncle said, but after a few seconds his brows were raised.
"No, wait… there is only one Lin Mu that comes to mind in the recent times… the one wanted by the sects and the empire." The king's uncle said.
"Ahah! Uncle, you jest. It's surely not that." The king said upon hearing this for the fear that they might offend Lin Mu.
He was here to offer them help, and they were certainly not going to deny it by just saying things casually.
"No, Adviser Liu is actually right. That is indeed me." Lin Mu admitted.
"This!" The king's eyes went wide and so did his uncles.
They didn't expect it to truly be like this. According to the general thinking, no one would admit them being Lin Mu like this, even when they weren't actually Lin Mu and were just joking. Doing something like that would be problematic and would end up with them in the hands of law.
"How can this be? No… you are surely joking. I've seen the portrait of Lin Mu that they sent out. You look nothing like that. The original Lin Mu disguised as a young boy but was actually an old cultivator." The king's adviser replied.
"Oh, that's one of the least problematic things they made up about me." Lin Mu stated.
It was now that the two disciples thought they should speak up.
"There is a lot more hidden than meets the eye King Hong, Adviser Liu. Senior Lin Mu is telling the truth and even our sect has had our doubts about all that has been happening recently." Hua San stated.
"Indeed. Please hear out senior Lin Mu and then you can decide on your own." Hua Wu added.
Hearing the two disciples also pleading on Lin Mu's behalf, the king still felt doubtful, but knew that it was worth listening to it at the very least.
"Alright, please go ahead and explain to us." The King finally said.
The King's uncle also decided to hold his tongue and decided to listen in.
"Very well…" Lin Mu said before explaining the entire series of events from the start while omitting things that should not be said, of course. Two entire hours passed by and the king and the adviser listened closely.
Learning more about Gu Yao and his ability to control others made them shiver involuntarily. To them, Gu Yao being able to control the Zither Wind sect and the entire alliance meant that they were mere fishes on a chopping block if Gu Yao truly decided to target them.
When Lin Mu was finally finished, the king and his uncle took Deep breaths. This time though, the first one to speak was the king's uncle.
"How can we truly believe you? You must understand what you are saying goes against all that the top sects and the empire are saying." Adviser Liu spoke.
"I know… and that is exactly why Gu Yao's plan is incredibly nefarious. He is making the sects and empire target each other while the Northern Tribes take this opportunity to infiltrate the empire secretly.
In the months that I've been investigating this now, I have seen signs of Gu Yao's interference in many places, but yet I haven't seen the Northern tribe's people. This only makes me wonder where exactly they are and what they have in plan.
But I can tell one thing, if they are hidden for this long and are not acting, they must be waiting for the right opportunity. Perhaps when Gu Yao has the control over most of the powers of the world, they might appear and snuff out the resistance from the remaining.
Now it is up to you whether you want to keep your free will or become the pawns of Gu Yao as well." Lin Mu explained.
Silence descended in the room for about five minutes, in which no one spoke. Unlike the two disciples who had seen the undercurrents of the events happening through the lens of their sect, the King and his adviser didn't have access to information such as what Lin Mu had brought forward.
In fact, they didn't even know the proper history of the continent and about the existence of the Jing clan, and how they were once one of the strongest powers of the world.
Lin Mu was observing the two the entire time and realized that they weren't fully believing him even now.
"Seeing as how Gu Yao works, I'm pretty sure there is already someone in your kingdom's higher ups that are being controlled as well." Lin Mu stated.
Hearing this adviser Liu furrowed his brows and spoke, "that is a tall assumption to make brother Lin Mu."