Chapter 281: Revenge: An Intermediate Martial Master?

The trip to Fucheng was a complete success; the threat brought about by the bounty was resolved, and this long-term mission also had a convenience.

The projection function provided by the panel allowed Zhou You to be in two places at once, operating simultaneously under two identities.

On the surface, he was Winged Tiger Zhou You; in the shadows, he could be Du Yan Lu Zhigang, or even... Kaibeishou Yan Ping.

On his way back from Fucheng, he discovered that the little scorpion he had just subdued was restless.

It turned out that the corpses of the wiped-out Shadowless Poison Bees had triggered the Golden Money Scorpion's impulse to feed.

This swarm of poison bees numbered around 200, each as large as a baby's fist, and their corpses appeared semi-transparent.

"Fine, I'll let you eat."

The juvenile Golden Money Scorpion was overjoyed, pouncing on the poison bee corpses to feast.

The difference in volume was vast, like an ant pouncing on a grain of rice; it took most of the day to finish one poison bee.

To accommodate the little scorpion's eating pace, Zhou You had to linger in the wilderness for a while.

As time went on, the more the little scorpion ate, the more its size grew, and the faster it ate.

Suddenly, one day...

"Hm?"

Zhou You cradled the now palm-sized Golden Money Scorpion, examining it carefully against the sunlight.

Between its amber-colored shell, a golden luster shimmered faintly, presenting the outline of a coin at certain angles.

So that was how the Golden Money Scorpion got its name! By eating the poison bee corpses, the Golden Money Scorpion's growth rate surged significantly; although it hadn't reached the adult stage yet, it was already quite impressive.

It felt quite heavy in the hand, though it was a bit lazy, preferring to lie still.

Zhou You extended a finger to gently stroke the amber shell; it was smooth, cold, and hard, with a very high-quality texture.

As he stroked along the Golden Money Scorpion's spine to the tail, the little scorpion shuddered violently, its tail arching high, and a point of golden cold light protruded.

Before his fingertip could retract, it was pricked by the golden light, and a sharp pain instantly swept through his entire body like a tidal wave.

Pain, it was too painful, as if every bone in his body had been broken and crushed, his flesh and skin meticulously shredded into strips, thousands of steel needles piercing his internal organs, his entire physical body being folded and compressed over and over again.

After an unknown amount of time, the little scorpion's cold shell brushed lightly against the back of his hand.

Zhou You was drenched in sweat, as if he had just escaped from a vat of boiling oil, having narrowly survived death.

Following the rule that a tiger's backside cannot be touched, he had gained another law: a scorpion's tail cannot be touched.

The Golden Money Scorpion's place on the Strange Insect Ranking certainly had its unique aspects; the toxin on its tail stinger was something even a Martial Master's body could not withstand.

Hmm, let me carefully reflect on the experience just now...

The Golden Money Scorpion's tail stinger had only grazed a bit of his skin, yet the sensation of pain instantly spread throughout his entire body.

Even a Martial Master's level of defense couldn't block it!

Or rather, the Golden Money Scorpion's toxic attack did not act upon the physical body at all, but rather on the spirit and will!

That's it!

Zhou You recalled that the intense pain brought by the Golden Money Scorpion's tail stinger had caused no damage to his physical body.

The torture he had just experienced acted directly on the spiritual level.

In other words, the scorpion's potent toxin bypassed physical defenses; it took effect as long as it made the slightest contact with the skin.

What did this mean? Zhou You keenly realized that he had mastered another means of restraining Martial Masters.

He had experienced the intense pain himself; it was a short, explosive, and astonishingly intense burst, enough to make any martial artist lose their combat effectiveness on the spot.

Even if a Martial Master had a stronger will, being suddenly stung by a Golden Money Scorpion would cause them to lose most of their strength due to the agony.

"Little thing, you're quite useful."

Zhou You affectionately stroked the Golden Money Scorpion; this time he was careful not to touch its tail stinger.

There was still one question: was this toxin that brought such intense pain a bloodline ability of the Golden Money Scorpion, or a mutation caused by the little scorpion eating the Shadowless Poison Bees?

It seemed that ever since he started practicing the Poison Palm under the Lu Zhigang persona, things like Blood Qi Gu and Blood God Leeches had come one after another, and now there was a Golden Money Scorpion; he wasn't far from the style of the Five Poisons Sect.

With matters finished, it was time to set off! He returned to Gongliang City with the Golden Money Scorpion, intending to handle one more thing under this identity.

The target... Bao Tiefeng.

He had specifically prepared an adult-stage Mind-Bewitching Blood Vital Energy Insect, intending to repeat the method he used against Jinhe Mountain.

Gongliang City...

The second leader of the Mourning Dog Gang, Bao Guo, was flipping through the account books with a mournful face, feeling that he couldn't go on like this.

He was one of Bao Tiefeng's disciples, at Qi and Blood Stage 2, who could sprint for Stage 3 with effort, and with more effort, could even sprint for the middle stage.

However, a sudden change occurred, and the Mourning Dog Gang leader died.

His master had no one to do the dirty work, so he was conscripted to fill the vacancy.

What kind of future was there in being a gang leader? Spending all day managing shitty, troublesome matters, overseeing a bunch of scumbags, and doing nothing but rotten work.

If this continued, he felt he would rot away completely.

How he missed the days at the martial arts school; the days were pure, the people were pure, and all they did was practice boxing and spar.

"Sigh!"

Just as Bao Guo was sighing, trouble suddenly came knocking.

"Leader, watch out! Someone has attacked us! Ah!"

A loyal gang member cried out with his dying breath, and was killed just as he finished speaking.

Bao Guo perked up his ears with a start; where were they? His bones had been rusting from idleness, and he could finally show off his skills.

When he saw the invading enemy, his excitement was doused by a bucket of cold water—terrible!

Du Yan Lu Zhigang! This guy was specifically targeting their Mastiff sect; why had he come to attack again?

"Lu Zhigang, you just wait!"

Bao Guo had been sent to manage the gang naturally because he was quick-witted, unlike the brutes who only knew how to kill and fight.

He knew he was no match, so while calling for his gang members to go forward and die, he fled rapidly toward the outside.

The Mastiff's Lightness Skill technique also had its own unique features; with a leap on the ground, he darted a great distance in the blink of an eye.

"Master, come quickly and save my life!"

Bao Guo was so scared that cold sweat drenched him, and he desperately employed his movement technique to flee, looking exactly like an injured old dog running for its life.

He bounded a few steps and let out a heart-wrenching dog bark; the sound had immense piercing power, and in the blink of an eye, it passed through countless building walls and houses, transmitting to the location where the Tiefeng Martial Arts Hall was situated.

Du Yan Lu Zhigang was famous for his Lightness Skill and Poison Palm; if you met him and couldn't win, you were as good as dead.

His only hope was his master, Bao Tiefeng.

This time, Bao Tiefeng arrived very quickly; the sound of the dog bark had barely settled into the dust when his figure whistled, tearing through the air as he descended.

At the same time, Zhou You had already arrived later but reached first, using his Lightness Skill to catch up behind Bao Guo and raising his foot to kick him into a somersault.

Bao Guo was in a wretched state, his sweat and dust mixing on his body to turn him into the image of a drowned rat covered in mud.

"Master, save me!"

Bao Tiefeng's face was as cold as iron; while still 50 meters away, he raised his only remaining arm to throw a punch.

A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Zhou You's mouth; was there enough time? With a flip of his palm, the distance was closed, and Bao Guo would undoubtedly die.

A shocking scene occurred...

Bao Tiefeng's arm elongated like a noodle, instantly spanning the 50-meter distance to strike Zhou You's wrist, halting the Poison Palm.

"Holy crap, Rubber-Rubber Fruit, is that you, Luffy?"

"No, that's not it—able to bend and stretch, extreme hardness turning into softness; a mid-level Martial Master, can he break through even with one arm?"

Seeing Bao Tiefeng again, the old guy had given him a huge surprise.

(End of this chapter)