Chapter 209: The Road Out of the Hall is Easy, the Road Home is Hard

From noon to midnight, and from midnight to dawn.

The noise in Jian Xiong Martial Hall gradually died down; the Apprentices lay or sprawled outside the gate, one after another falling into dreams, for they were too tired.

Without a word from their Senior Brother, they dared not return to the courtyard, so they had to sleep on the ground.

What was happening inside? In the Inner Courtyard, Lu Qiang, Shen Sijing, and the others felt uneasy, waiting until the horizon grew slightly bright and the roosters crowed.

Finally...

Zhou You stepped out of the Inner Courtyard; several close friends rushed up, and seeing his hands and feet intact, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did the Hall Master, that old man, give you a hard time?"

Zhou You shook his head, indicating he was fine.

Shen Sijing gripped his shoulder and pressed down, "Junior Brother Zhou, the path you have chosen will not be easy to walk in the future!"

"Senior Brother, I have it in mind; in a month, I will visit the firm."

Shen Sijing had taken a risk to step forward, and he also wanted to return the favor by helping out at the firm for a period of time.

The relationship between the two had been inseparable since Zhou You entered the martial hall, and even the death of Zhong Shaoying had stemmed from this.

Shen Sijing nodded upon hearing this, "Master's strikes were heavy; you must rest well and not let your injuries worsen."

"I am fine; Master is actually quite easy to talk to."

As soon as Zhou You uttered these 'insincere' words, he immediately noticed the small gestures of his fellow disciples nearby curling their lips.

Wang Laohu could be easy to talk to? Why don't you ask outsiders if they agree?

They could well imagine that for Zhou You to walk out in one piece, he must have suffered immense hardship and endured immense pain.

"Once you step out of the martial hall's gate, I cannot help you on the road home."

Shen Sijing said to Zhou You in a low voice, "Be careful of people from other martial halls, and also the City Gate Guard."

Today, Zhou You had broken out of the hall, severing his ties with Jian Xiong Martial Hall on the surface.

From now on, he was a lone man; with no Master to back him and no fellow disciples by his side, he had to face malice alone.

His reputation as the Winged Tiger remained, and many martial artists eager to make a name for themselves no longer had any scruples; they wanted to step on him to achieve fame.

Bound by professional rules, Shen Sijing could not intervene; Zhou You would have to fight it out himself.

"Junior Brother Zhou, the previous agreement remains unchanged; I will wait for you."

After Shen Sijing left, Jiang Hua also found Zhou You; he had stepped forward for Zhou You once, and Zhou You had promised to help him take revenge.

Jiang Hua's father's killer was a Primary Martial Master, which, in Zhou You's eyes now, was not much of a threat.

Zhou You nodded immediately, "Come find me when you decide to act."

"Hmm, it will be within this year or so; once I find an external force, I will launch the attack immediately."

Zhou You found it a bit strange; with the two of them joining forces, they already had a seventy percent chance of winning, so why was there a need to seek external help?

He knew that Jiang Hua had been preparing in secret, sparing no expense to purchase two Blood God Leeches to strengthen his Blood Sand Palm, greatly increasing his strength.

"Du Yan Lu Zhigang."

Jiang Hua reported this name, leaving Zhou You stunned.

What a coincidence, that's me too! Jiang Hua explained patiently, "I went to Fucheng a few days ago and learned of a feat of his; he actually killed a Primary Martial Master single-handedly."

"With his help, my enemy will not escape death this time."

Zhou You kindly advised him, "This Lu Zhigang is sinister and vicious, not a kind soul; you must not trust him too much."

"Don't worry, Junior Brother Zhou; I will only ask him to strike once, to use his Poison Palm to break the enemy's protective fist technique."

"The subsequent business of revenge will be completed by us brothers together."

After Jiang Hua finished explaining his plan, he added, "Junior Brother Zhou, I am going to track Lu Zhigang's whereabouts; wait for my good news."

Just as Jiang Hua left, Shi Gaofei rushed up aggressively, "Well, Zhou You, you are really not being a friend."

"It turns out they all get benefits, but I was forced into this, and I got nothing." "No, I don't agree; you must give me a promise."

This lazy tiger Senior Brother was indeed innocent, belonging to the 'filler' of this palace-forcing plan; not only did he work hard, but he also ended up pleasing no one.

Zhou You's heart stirred; he had never been able to see through Shi Gaofei, so he might as well take this opportunity to form a connection.

"Whatever Senior Brother Shi wants, Zhou You will certainly find a way to satisfy."

Having obtained Zhou You's promise, Shi Gaofei calmed down instead.

"Junior Brother Zhou is thoughtful; I will follow the pattern and learn from Jiang Hua, and ask you to help me with a favor in the future."

After he finished speaking, he noticed Zhou You's strange expression and hurriedly explained, "My father is still alive; it's not what you think."

So it wasn't to avenge his father!

Zhou You decisively cupped his hands, "When Senior Brother Shi comes to find me, whatever the request, Zhou You will not refuse."

A day begins at dawn, with everyone going out to work, and the surrounding streets becoming bustling.

The martial hall's Apprentices received orders and began to return to the courtyard to clean up the mess and move the rubble.

This battle had caused a large number of houses and walls to collapse, which could not be restored in a short time.

Zhou You turned his head to look at the martial hall's sign, and in a flash, he returned to the day he entered; that was the starting point where he turned his fate around after obtaining the panel.

The past is like turning a page; the road under his feet must start from now! "Zhou You, there are people blocking the road ahead; I will go out and fight with you."

Zuo Shier looked anxious as he hurried over from the street ahead.

After one night, the news of Zhou You leaving the martial hall had spread throughout the city; after dawn, many people knew.

The enemies he had made before, such as Zhang Shiyu, were already waiting ahead to block him.

There were also disciples from other martial halls attempting to defeat him to make a name for themselves.

The road from the martial hall to his home had never been as full of crises and dangers at every step as it was today.

Zhou You was no longer a martial hall disciple; even if he were beaten to death, no one would uphold justice for him; this was the cruel and cold reality.

"You go to my house now and help look after my family."

With Tie Niu looking after things at home, Zhou You feared he might be spread too thin, so he entrusted Zuo Shier to go and help.

Zhou You said to Zuo Shier, "I will handle the matters here."

He took long strides onto the street and advanced several hundred paces; the pedestrians ahead crowded to both sides of the street, clearing a large space.

Zhang Shiyu, dressed in the uniform of a City Gate Guard, had been waiting in the middle of the main road for a long time.

"Zhou You, now that you have no Wang Laohu to back you up, let's see how you can still be so arrogant?"

"I'll have you know, from now on you are a traitor who has abandoned your sect, and everyone has the right to kill you."

"Our new grudges and old hatreds shall be settled once and for all today."

Zhang Shiyu had already broken through the Qi and Blood barrier, reaching about the 2nd or 3rd Stage of Qi and Blood; no wonder he had the confidence to come and block him.

Zhou You's public cultivation level was the 4th Stage of Qi and Blood, so for him to challenge someone at the initial stages of Qi and Blood, he must certainly possess methods to defeat opponents of a higher level.

The system of the City Gate Guard was vast and mysterious, hiding countless strange arts and secret techniques, posing no small threat to Zhou You.

"Zhang Shiyu, let's not get hung up on reputations or anything like that."

"If I remember correctly, you originally came from the Dazhuang Fist; don't think that just because you took a godfather, you can forget your own origins."

"You, a mere three-surname house slave, what right do you have to talk about me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shiyu's face flushed red; he inhaled and activated his Hard Qigong, and the sunlight falling upon his body shimmered with a glistening golden light.

In front of the public, Zhou You had picked at his old scars, which could be called a supreme humiliation.

The killing intent in his heart gushed forth, and he decided that he absolutely had to kill Zhou You!

(End of this chapter)