Chapter 555: Tiger Corpses Arrive One After Another

Daqian Martial Arts Hall...

The vast martial arts hall was empty, devoid of its usual bustle and noise; at this moment, only two people were conversing calmly.

After Zhou You and Yin Sanfen left the Gongyuan, they chose the martial arts hall as their location, partly to see each other off and partly to discuss some matters.

Once Zuo Shier and the others were informed, they hurried to clear the area, moving all the Apprentices away.

The environment was very quiet, suitable for discussing matters, especially those of a private and important nature.

"Young Zhou, you and I are now square."

Yin Sanfen stood with his hands behind his back and said solemnly, "You have seen the situation with Xue Zhengming; the Tiger-Skin Banner is not so easy to wield. This time, he was nearly used by others, which would have resulted in his death and the destruction of his martial arts hall."

"Therefore, although I think highly of you, I will not allow you to use my name to conduct your affairs."

Zhou You cupped his hands, "The Venerable's words are reasonable; Zhou You thinks the same."

"From this day forward, the promise between me and the Venerable is written off; please take back the token."

He held up the fingernail belonging to Yin Sanfen, intending to return the original item to him.

Do not underestimate this fingernail; as a part of a Strong Martial Golden Body, its value is more than a hundred times that of a mountain of gold.

Unexpectedly, Yin Sanfen refused, "It is a gift for you; once integrated into a weapon, it can also add a few points of power."

It was far more than just a few points of power; although this fingernail was small, it could create a Strong Martial divine weapon comparable to a Calamity Charm treasure.

Zhou You did not decline, for he heard the determination in Yin Sanfen's tone; the accounts were settled, and the two would have no further intersection in the future.

Come to think of it, being able to retreat unscathed from this incident, forcing the Liu family to make concessions, and even obtaining many benefits, he had already gained a great deal.

All of this was entirely due to the support of Yin Sanfen; the prestige of a Qiangwu Jiuzhongtian was evident.

Especially at the end, when Yin Sanfen struck and killed Liu Chengen, taking on that karma, the Liu family would not vent their grievances on Zhou You even if they had complaints; instead, they would have to thank him for the kindness of sparing the rest of the Liu family.

It was a case of doing all the dirty work and leaving all the opportunities for being the "good guy" to Zhou You.

Otherwise, what virtue or ability did Zhou You have to be able to match the "Hate Overlord" Yan Shan at such a young age, or to obtain a Merit Cauldron that usually required generations of ancestral accumulation and countless victories? That Merit Cauldron was undoubtedly an official certification recognized by the joint families; from now on, the Yanshan Martial Arts Hall was the undisputed number one in Fucheng, and the second position belonged to the Daqian Martial Arts Hall.

Zhou You had passed through the storm safely and gained so much; besides his own efforts, the most critical factor was the help of Yin Sanfen, "Senior, Zhou You thanks you again for your help."

Yin Sanfen nodded, "When I first saw you, you were only at the Blood Qi stage; this time we meet again, you are already an Intermediate Martial Master. I wonder what realm you will be in when we meet next?"

An Advanced Martial Master, or perhaps... Strong Martial? "I will certainly not let you down, Senior."

Zhou You replied with a bow.

After a hurried farewell, not knowing when they would meet again, he watched Yin Sanfen leave with a heart full of melancholy.

Not long after, a fishy wind gusted over the wall, and the massive corpse of a tiger landed.

The golden fur fluttering in the wind was dense and soft, and the maiden's body, hidden and looming on the tiger's back, was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Young Zhou, Yin Sanfen has left; I have some things to ask you."

With one bite from the tiger corpse, the maiden's delicate voice directly stated her purpose.

Facing this ancestor of the Tiger Fist from the Beixuan region, Zhou You dared not be negligent; after all, his relationship with the various branches of the Tiger Fist was quite awkward.

If this Strong Martial tiger were to tear off the mask of civility, it would be truly difficult to resolve.

"Please speak, Senior."

"In the future, when meeting a Strong Martial, try to address them as Venerable."

"Yes, Venerable!"

The tiger corpse looked in all directions, confirmed it repeatedly, and asked, "Has Yin Sanfen really left?" Zhou You suppressed the smile in his heart and answered sincerely, "He has really left."

"That is good!"

The tiger corpse let out a breath and said in a normal tone, "The way your tendons and muscles ripple when you move is clearly based on the Crouching Tiger Fist; in terms of lineage, you are also one of my disciples and descendants."

"I do not care whether you are from the mountains or outside; since you are a descendant who has inherited my fist techniques, you should remember the source of the water you drink."

"Hmm, let me ask you, is the Tiger Thrall Separation Technique of Yan Baihu something you passed on?"

So it was for this matter.

Zhou You realized and answered honestly, "That is correct; he exchanged it from me with Mirror-Round Thousand-Gold Paste."

Hearing a satisfactory answer, the tiger corpse could not help but nod, "If that is the case, then it is correct."

Still not reassured, he raised a hand and said, "Release it for me to see."

This action was quite strange; as the mount tiger raised its massive claw, the maiden on its back also extended her slender, jade-like fingers.

Zhou You opened the clothes he had just put on to reveal his chest; he took a deep breath, and several human faces crowded onto his chest.

"Tiger Thrall Substitution Technique."

As he chanted, clusters of human faces pushed through his skin and flew out, wrapped in wrinkles like human-head balloons; some were sorrowful, others ferocious, all of them sighing.

For a moment, the surrounding atmosphere became gloomy and chilling.

Seeing these physical Tiger Thralls, the tiger corpse was overjoyed and let out a roar, "Good, exquisite."

"You are a genius to have actually cultivated this Tiger Thrall Substitution Technique to this level."

He would not believe Zhou You's excuse that it was Wang Jianxiong who innovated and completed the Secret Technique, leading to the second-stage secret technique of Tiger Thrall Separation.

In the eyes of the tiger corpse, this was the result of Zhou You's own research and breakthrough.

The wisdom of this ancestor could not be underestimated; he had already guessed to the point of being extremely close to the truth.

"Years ago, I discovered fragments and broken chapters on a dilapidated stone tablet buried deep underground; it was only after I organized and completed it myself that this Tiger Thrall Substitution Technique using essence and Qi as a guide came to be."

"Over the years, this technique has been like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat but a pity to discard—so I handed it down to be popular in the mountains."

"I truly did not expect that it would bloom inside the wall but be fragrant outside, and that you would be the one to discover the method for Tiger Thrall Separation."

The tiger corpse had a sharp eye and saw the mystery of this technique: if the Tiger Thrall could not separate, its function was limited to being a substitute for death, but once it could separate, it could attack, retreat to Defense, and even briefly carry people in flight.

With this technique, Dayin Mountain would be like a tiger with wings; that is no exaggeration.

He decisively stated his purpose, "Give this technique to me!"

Zhou You said in surprise, "Did I not pass it on to Yan Baihu?"

In his view, since Hu Shi was the ancestor of Dayin Mountain, demanding a Secret Technique from Yan Baihu was nothing more than a simple request. Hu Shi's old face flushed red, "You are giving it to him personally; I cannot bring myself to snatch something from a junior."

"I have come to find you today to ask you to hand this technique over to my Dayin Mountain."

Handing it over to Dayin Mountain meant that, from then on, all Disciples of Dayin Mountain could practice this Secret Technique.

Zhou You hesitated slightly; it was not that he was reluctant, but rather that the foundation of this technique required deep Essence Qi to manifest a Tiger Thrall. If it were to spread widely, wouldn't internal strife within Dayin Mountain become even more brutal, with everyone fighting to seize Essence Qi to manifest Tiger Thralls?

"Silly boy, isn't that exactly what this old man wants?"

Hu Shi seemed to see through Zhou You's thoughts, "As the saying goes, among ten tigers there is one Biao; I would rather have one Biao in Dayin Mountain than a whole litter of tigers."

(End of this chapter)