Chapter 602: Shock

On the ruins, hounds darted up and down, nimbly weaving through the gaps between tiles and stones.

Corpse after corpse was dug out; from time to time, a hound would touch the remains of a poisonous insect or the potent poison on a body, then whimper and collapse to its death.

"This area must be washed with water at least ten times, and then burned with fierce fire several times, before the residual poison can be thoroughly cleared."

City Gate Guard Captain Zheng Qing said to his subordinates nearby in a heavy tone.

His gaze swept to a person not far away, and he opened his mouth, "Zhang Shiyu, come here."

The City Gate Guard who was called gave a start, lifted his head, trotted over to him, and respectfully cupped his fists, "What are your orders, Captain?"

The person who came was indeed Zhang Shiyu; he had been somewhat distracted in the ruins just now, and Zheng Qing had caught the strange look on his face.

"Captain, we have counted hundreds of corpses one after another; most of them were abducted by Fu Manlun and his followers, including managers from the Rare Treasure Pavilion, dispatched personnel from the Thousand Faces Hall, as well as servants and Apprentices from several martial arts halls..."

"Besides these, there were also some innocent women who were captured for lewd pleasure; they are all dead too."

"The rest are Fu Manlun's lackeys; we have already pulled the files from the Thousand Faces Hall and confirmed they are all notorious Poison Martial Arts scum."

Several City Gate Guards nearby reported the findings one after another.

Zheng Qing looked at the respectful Zhang Shiyu and reminded him, "Do you know who did this?"

"It is... Zhou You of the Daqian Martial Arts Hall."

Zhang Shiyu spat out this name, his feelings a complex mix of emotions.

The incident this time caused a sensation throughout the city, and even the City Gate Guards, who had always stayed out of such matters, were mobilized.

Although it was a case of locking the stable door after the horse had bolted, they still reconstructed a great deal of incredible intelligence from the scene.

Hungry Tiger Zhou You is already at the level of a Senior Martial Master; he went out alone this time, single-handedly avoided Fu Manlun and his crowd of lackeys, and his actions were clean and decisive, leaving not even half a living soul behind.

Afterwards, he even carried Fu Manlun's head to visit his good friend Pei Li.

At the time, when Zheng Qing heard these details, he simply could not believe it, thinking it must have been done by some expert with the same name.

However, the reputation of the Daqian Martial Arts Hall, plus the nickname Hungry Tiger, confirmed it was the Zhou You they knew.

Especially Zhang Shiyu; once upon a time, he had viewed Zhou You as a formidable rival and had always taken him as his goal.

But now, while he was still struggling to break through the Martial Master realm, the other party had already leaped to become a Senior Martial Master, standing at the peak of the Martial Master level.

The gap was growing ever wider, and he couldn't even muster the heart to feel jealous or hateful.

"If I were you, I would extinguish those thoughts you once had as soon as possible."

"You and he are simply not people of the same world, nor are you of the same level."

Zhang Shiyu looked back on Zhou You's deeds since coming to Fucheng: successfully challenging halls, opening doors to take in Disciples, making a name for himself by participating in the Great War of the Wu People, and even receiving personal Instruction from the Fucheng Monarch, as well as making friends with powerful martial artists as allies.

One thing after another, like the revered protagonist in a story, had left him further and further behind.

Now, even Zhou You's Disciple had broken through to Martial Master, while he, Zhang Shiyu, was still at the peak of Qi and Blood.

Looking back on those boastful, wild words of the past, Zhang Shiyu only felt he had no face to show anyone, so ashamed he could not lift his head.

"Thank you for the guidance, Captain; this subordinate understands."

How could Zhang Shiyu dare to harbor any thoughts about Zhou You now? He had no backing, had been reduced to an obscure City Gate Guard in Fucheng, and no longer had any capital to be proud of.

Back in Gongliang City, there were still people who appreciated his aptitude, but in Fucheng, sorry to say, similar talents were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river, and he couldn't stand out in the slightest.

Zheng Qing, on the other hand, had the strength of a Martial Master and had risen to the rank of Captain through military merit, carving out a world for himself.

Now Zhang Shiyu had no choice but to follow Zheng Qing in his career, and there was a job in front of him. "The Fucheng martial arts circle is about to change."

Zheng Qing looked toward the direction of the Jingui Martial Arts Hall and sighed.

Jingui Martial Arts Hall...

Swish, swish, buckets of water were poured onto the ground to wash the floor tiles and gaps, then dried with large rags; the water-soaked rags were collected, placed in buckets, and burned to ashes.

Pei Li's Disciples and Apprentices ate their dry rations in large mouthfuls and drank wine heartily, no longer needing to live in fear.

The Daqian Martial Arts Hall had already sent people to help rebuild the interior of the martial arts hall, collect and destroy food and clothing suspected of being poisoned, and clean the inside and outside of the courtyard; they even lent a group of hounds to sweep away hidden poisonous insects.

Although there were occasional casualties from poisoning, the Apprentices and Disciples of the martial arts hall were full of hope, no longer as lifeless as before.

Fu Manlun was dead, the invading Poison Martial Arts practitioners were completely wiped out, and the threat that had originally loomed over the martial arts hall had vanished into thin air.

And the one who brought all this about was the great savior, Hall Master Zhou You.

Hall Master Zhou was a close friend of their own Hall Master and a hero of immense righteousness; under the threat of the Poison Martial Arts practitioners, while other halls dared not step forward and remained silent, he stood up, killed Fu Manlun, and saved the Jingui Martial Arts Hall.

How could such a hero not be admired and yearned for?

"What Master did today is truly the act of a towering, upright man."

Qi Qingdi, as the Disciple leading the team for this trip, felt moved when seeing the grateful reactions of the Jingui Martial Arts Hall's Apprentices.

Fu Manlun, with his own strength, had made all the families in Fucheng dare not make a sound, wantonly capturing and torturing people to death and poisoning them; everyone was intimidated by the fierce reputation of the Ten Thousand Poisons Secret Workshop and dared not act.

Only Master dared to do what others dared not, and could do what others could not, killing a crowd of enemies single-handedly.

"Master is now a genuine Senior Martial Master."

Stepping into the Senior Martial Master realm meant that Zhou You was now firmly standing at the peak of the Martial Master level, on par with those famous Su and Zang elders.

Whether in status or position, there were few in the Fucheng martial arts circle who could surpass him.

"Hall Master Zhou, great kindness cannot be expressed in words; I, Pei Li, will remember your actions this time."

In the main hall, Pei Li pulled his Disciple to kowtow to Zhou You, "Baisi, hurry and thank Hall Master Zhou for saving my entire family."

Pei Baisi knelt down cleanly and decisively, kowtowing with a thud, putting force into each one; he thought to himself, with Zhou You's strength and status, if he were to transfer to his sect, would his future be even more...

"Hall Master Pei, you have also been hungry for many days; why don't I play host, and we go out to a restaurant for a meal."

"We must certainly go out to eat, but I must be the one to treat."

Pei Li said firmly, "Hall Master Zhou, I must also invite several more guests to accompany us, so that all the fellow practitioners in the martial arts circle can hear of your righteous actions in killing the poisonous villain."

"You are too polite."

Pei Li still had some words hidden in his heart that he didn't say, which was that Zhou You's speed of improvement was simply too fast.

He remembered that when he first entered Fucheng, he was still at the level of a Primary Martial Master; in just a few short years, he had reached the Senior Martial Master realm.

He, Pei Li, entered Fucheng at roughly the same time, and over these past few years, although he has had minor improvements, his realm has remained stagnant.

He had a vague premonition in his heart that ever since Yan Shan ascended, the position of the number one martial artist in Fucheng had been left vacant; but from this day forward, this vacancy would be filled.

The Hungry Tiger Zhou You is using one battle record after another to infinitely approach the former Hating Overlord, and quite a few people are already privately discussing that Zhou You increasingly has the trend of becoming the second Yan Shan.

Given time, it is not impossible for him to charge toward the Strong Martial realm.

(End of this chapter)