Chapter 195: Sworn Brotherhood, The Martial Master Elder Brother

When Zhang Huaimin appeared, he was somewhat embarrassed!

He had learned of this ambush in advance and arrived early to lurk nearby, his motives not entirely pure.

He was, to some extent, harboring the intention of picking up a bargain.

First there were the vicious thugs led by Hua Zhuomo, and later the Primary Martial Master Gao Laozhuang; how could a mere vital energy and blood martial artist handle them? He only waited for the moment Zhou You was at his wit's end to appear as a savior and rescue him from the fire, certain he could have him in the palm of his hand.

Unexpectedly, he watched for a long time and never found an opportunity to intervene.

Seeing Gao Laozhuang collapse, he could no longer stay hidden; if he didn't show himself now, the show would be over.

"Ahem, young friend, I trust you have been well!"

Zhou You stared at him without speaking, his body language full of caution, calmly digesting the handful of Secret Medicine he had just consumed.

The young man was quite vigilant! From the moment he appeared, Zhou You had been continuously consuming medicine, recovering his Qi and Blood, and accumulating strength for a counterattack.

Such actions—his wariness was deep indeed!

Zhang Huaimin laughed, "Impressive, you even slaughtered Gao Laozhuang; the name 'Poison Goose' has truly established a foothold in Su City."

He paced over to Gao Laozhuang's corpse and said leisurely, "It's just that there is one thing you don't understand: a Martial Master's vitality is powerful and not easily extinguished; one must guard against feigned death..."

Halfway through his sentence, Zhang Huaimin's expression changed, his Qi and Blood swirling like a vortex, and he suddenly sucked the corpse from the ground into his palm.

Gao Laozhuang opened his eyes, his gaze full of terror; it turned out he had been feigning death just now.

"Zhang Huaimin, you are too unscrupulous! We are both Martial Masters; are you going to make things difficult for me just to curry favor with a junior?"

Gao Laozhuang's method of faking death had been exposed, and in his dying moments, he raved frantically.

He had barely shouted a few words before Zhang Huaimin's palm force, surging like a mountain, suspended him in mid-air and flattened him into a meat patty as thin as paper.

Zhang Huaimin plucked off the only intact skull, "Look, this is what you call thoroughly dead."

When an Intermediate Martial Master strikes, it is truly extraordinary, easily pressing Gao Laozhuang into a meat preserve.

"Lu Zhigang, to tell you the truth, I was ill-intentioned before and indeed had thoughts of taking advantage of your precarious situation."

"But you slaughtered Gao Laozhuang, proving your strength, so I have changed my mind. How about we cooperate?"

An Intermediate Martial Master talking about cooperation with him? Zhou You silently shook his head, "Sorry, there is too great a gap between me and you, old master; there is no possibility of cooperation."

"I say there is, so there is."

Zhang Huaimin's fingernails were as sharp as knives; he lightly sliced and peeled off Gao Laozhuang's entire face.

"There is a Thousand-Face Hall in Fucheng that collects wanted posters issued from all directions to exchange for bounties."

"The Thousand-Face Hall has peculiar rules: they don't need the head and don't want a live captive; they only recognize this piece of skin to claim the reward upon meeting."

"Hmm, Gao Laozhuang's bounty is 70,000 taels; now this money belongs to you."

He handed the human face to Zhou You and spread his hands, "Now that the sincerity is here, shall we talk about cooperation?"

Zhou You gritted his teeth, knowing that if he didn't give the other party an answer, it would be difficult to get away today.

Zhang Huaimin was an Intermediate Martial Master, and the gap between himself and him was something that could not be bridged no matter what.

Not to mention that he had just gone through two fierce battles, and he had reached his limit in every aspect; to fight again would inevitably lead to overexertion and damage his foundation.

"Old master, it is not that I, Lu, am unappreciative, but my business is too small to catch your eye."

This statement was sufficiently tactful.

Zhang Huaimin waved a hand, "It's fine, I'm not a picky eater; as long as it can make money, it's fine."

"Kid, the first time I saw you, I knew you were someone who could make big money; we have plenty to talk about."

To dispel Zhou You's vigilance, he simply said, "If you have any concerns, I can swear an oath with you and become your sworn brother."

Zhou You was stunned; this old guy was really willing to go to such lengths!

Sworn brothers? The age gap between him and the old man was more than enough to be grandfather and grandson.

"Isn't that inappropriate?"

"It's perfectly fine," Zhang Huaimin said without another word, pulling Zhou You to a clean patch of ground nearby and clearing an open space.

He gathered loose soil into a 'mountain' shape to represent the mountains and rivers, kneeling toward the heavens above and the yellow earth below.

He removed three leg bones from the corpse, ignited them by rubbing them with his Qi and Blood, and stuck them into the yellow earth to serve as incense.

Amidst the scattered corpses, the two knelt to heaven and earth, binding themselves in a sworn brotherhood.

"I, Zhang Huaimin of Xi Lan City, bind myself as a sworn brother of a different surname with Lu Zhigang."

"I, Lu Zhigang of Su Cheng, bind myself as a sworn brother of a different surname with Zhang Huaimin!"

"May the heavens and the yellow earth bear witness: though we share no blood, we shall be comrades in life and share the same grave in death; we shall share the same enemies and repay all kindness."

"If this oath is broken, may the heavens not receive me, the earth not bury me, and may I be gnawed by insects and ants and have my corpse mangled by wild dogs."

After kowtowing three times, a pair of freshly minted sworn brothers was made.

Zhou You clicked his tongue; the oath was truly vicious, but he didn't take it to heart.

The Great Leader of the Mo Yun Stronghold, that dead ghost who was split into five pieces, was also Zhang Huaimin's sworn brother! The old guy had a record; don't expect him to value brotherly sentiment too highly. Without profit, a brother is no better than a passerby.

"Good brother, from now on, I will cover for you, and we will make a fortune together."

Zhou You smiled. You are in such a state yourself, how can you cover for me? Zhang Huaimin picked up Gao Laozhuang's head, exerted a slight force, and his Vitality vibrated at a high frequency, covering it.

In the blink of an eye, the flesh and brains on the head were shaken into a pulp, dripping onto the ground like water.

A white, glistening skull appeared, shimmering with a jade-like luster, as exquisite as a carefully carved work of art.

"Gao Laozhuang's Copper Skin Iron Lungs were mediocre, but he had tempered his skull to a profound level."

"This thing is not bad; go back and make it into a hand hammer or a pair of knuckle dusters; it will be handier than that sharp sword of yours."

The skull looked eerie, but it was actually a rare treasure; after all, it was something Gao Laozhuang was born with, tempered by his internal energy for who knows how many years, far higher in quality than the internal energy items circulating on the market.

Zhou You had once heard Jiang Hua mention that a Martial Master's corpse was a fortune, and it seemed that was indeed the case.

Since his cheap elder brother was so generous, he must have some great demand from him.

Zhou You accepted the skull and bowed to Zhang Huaimin, "Many thanks, elder brother."

"Haha, you and I are brothers, why stand on ceremony?"

Zhang Huaimin paused, then earnestly exhorted him, "There is one more matter you must pay close attention to."

"Please speak, elder brother."

"Among the jade and pearls you took to the Rare Treasure Pavilion to liquidate, one piece belongs to the Great Chief of the Cloud-Touching Stronghold."

Zhang Huaimin said with a smile, "I have already cleared away the traces for you; do not make such a mistake again in the future."

Hearing these words, the hairs all over Zhou You's body stood on end; had he been found out?

"Haha, brother, you obtained the treasures of the Cloud-Touching Stronghold, and your elder brother is happy for you!"

Zhou You's heart hammered wildly; how should he cover up this flaw? Facing a dangerous juncture, his brain spun rapidly, and he soon had a story ready.

"Elder brother, I encountered the fleeing Yan Ping by chance and wanted to ambush him while he was wounded, but I did not expect the Monument-Splitting Hand to be so well-deserved."

"I took two palms, my chest bones cracked, and I risked my life using Palm Poison to force him to abandon a few items and flee."

He stroked his chest, putting on a look of lingering fear, "Those items were earned by your brother with his life."

"Is that truly so?"

Zhang Huaimin stared into Zhou You's eyes, as if wanting to see through to his heart.

Zhou You's gaze was clear and sincere, "Between brothers, we should be open and honest; I have not spoken a single word of falsehood."

(End of chapter)