Brother? Sinking Boat?

That night, the moonlight was like frost, carrying a trace of biting cold.

Inside the Desolate House.

Shen Zhou lay on a pile of hay, gazing up at the star-filled sky, his thoughts racing for a moment.

Looking back on the half-month since he'd crossed over—from begging on the streets at the start, to later challenging halls with cheats... these experiences had all helped him quickly integrate into this world.

Sometimes, thinking back on his past life, it felt like a dream, an unreal sensation.

Just as Shen Zhou was lost in thought, Third Pockmark's cheerful voice suddenly rang out beside him: "Boss, I counted—we've got six hundred and seventy-three taels of silver now. You can't afford the 'Dragon Abyss Sword' or 'Thousand Jun' anymore, plus we're heading to Flying Bird City. After travel expenses, you could still buy a longsword called 'Autumn Water' to use!"

Shen Zhou snapped back to reality, then smiled and said, "No need. Before, I wanted to buy a sword because I thought only a good blade could let me go all out. Now, whether a sword is good or bad doesn't matter that much to me. The wooden sword works just fine!"

Third Pockmark didn't fully understand, but he didn't dwell on it, just thinking that not buying a sword was fine too—the saved money would be enough for him to eat a lot of good food.

A'Dai suddenly spoke up with a hint of melancholy: "After living in this abandoned house for so long, suddenly leaving tomorrow... I'm a bit reluctant to part with it."

That was true.

After Shen Zhou and the others finished challenging halls and gathered enough travel funds, they'd already decided to set out for Flying Bird City tomorrow.

Cultivating martial arts was now their shared goal.

Sensing A'Dai's low spirits, Shen Zhou sidled over, threw an arm around the latter's neck, and deliberately teased, "You're not that old, kid. Don't go acting all world-weary like an adult all day. Think about it—we're heading to Flying Bird City tomorrow. You and Ximei can learn martial arts and cultivate soon, then do what you want. Doesn't that make it less sad?"

Ximei softly hummed in agreement beside him, then her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Alright, we've got a long journey tomorrow. Everyone get some sleep early."

After a few more exchanges, Shen Zhou urged them to rest, and before long, the four of them drifted off into a deep sleep.

"Are you sure this is the guy?"

"It's him!"

"But didn't you say the 'Wooden Sword Guest' who wrecked your hall was a master at the fifth or sixth grade of the Transformation Realm? We've tied him up now and he hasn't even noticed. I checked his body just now—not a trace of Yuan power fluctuation, not even a sign of blood energy coalescing. He's completely ordinary. You're not messing with us, are you?"

"Uh... Commander Chen, how would we dare mess with you? How about... we wake him up and ask?"

"..."

Shen Zhou was half-asleep in the middle of the night when a conversation jolted him awake. He opened his eyes and saw...

Holy shit!

The originally dark and dilapidated Desolate House had somehow filled with a large group of people. Torches on all sides lit the place up as bright as day, like a ghostly apparition.

Shen Zhou snapped fully awake. He instinctively reached for the wooden sword beside him, but when he moved, he found himself bound all over, a cloth strip tied around his mouth, unable to utter a single word.

Shen Zhou's eyelids twitched: "Damn it—did we flash our wealth after the hall challenge and attract some bandits?"

He quickly glanced around, and when he saw that the three kids were in the same state—just tied up, unable to speak—he silently breathed a sigh of relief. "At least they're alive, that's what matters."

The three kids were terrified, but with their mouths gagged, they could only let out constant "mmm-mmm" sounds, as if calling out, "Boss Zhou, save us!"

Shen Zhou gave them a reassuring look, then took a moment to size up the "bandits" before him. But when he focused, he froze again.

Weren't these the hall masters of those fifty-eight martial arts schools?

In an instant, Shen Zhou seemed to understand something. He fumed inwardly: "These bastards can't take a loss, sneaking an ambush while I'm asleep for revenge. Fine, fine, fine... just you wait. Once I get my wooden sword, I'll teach you how to behave!"

Shen Zhou twisted his head to search around and spotted a wooden sword just two or three steps away—seemingly within reach if he rolled for it.

Just as he was about to take the risk and go for it, the City Guard Commander Chen, who had been talking with Wu Chang'an earlier, suddenly stepped forward, yanked Shen Zhou up from the ground, untied the cloth from his mouth, and demanded coldly, "You're Shen Zhou, the Wooden Sword Guest?"

Shen Zhou stiffened his neck, about to say "That's me," but a flash of insight struck him. He recalled the conversation he'd overheard earlier—this Commander Chen seemed to doubt his identity because he currently looked like a weakling.

With the sword out of reach, going head-on would definitely mean losing out.

So, with a roll of his eyes, he put on a frightened look and replied, "Sir, I... I'm not Shen Zhou. I'm his twin brother. My name is Sinking Boat!"

The fifty-eight hall masters tilted their heads: "???"

A brother?

Did that kid even have a brother?

The three kids' eyes went wide: "!!!"

Sinking Boat?

That name was way too thrown-together!

Commander Chen furrowed his brow slightly, half-doubting: "A brother? Then where's your older brother?"

Shen Zhou answered with an honest, simple look: "My brother took the plaques he won from the hall challenges, traded them for silver, and went off to enjoy himself at the Red Sleeve Tavern in the county!"

"Since you're his brother and friends, why didn't he take you along?"

"My brother said we're too young, so he wouldn't let us go."

Heh heh...

After that, someone among the City Guards couldn't help but laugh.

Because that was the exact excuse they used when they wanted to go have fun without bringing their younger siblings along.

Commander Chen suddenly yanked Shen Zhou closer, staring into his eyes with a blade-like glare, pressing hard: "Is that the truth?"

Shen Zhou's heart pounded under the scrutiny, but he forced himself to stay calm and replied, "It's true. I wouldn't dare deceive you, sir."

Commander Chen stared for a while without spotting any flaw, then tossed Shen Zhou back onto the haystack. Turning to the hall masters, he gave orders with a cold face: "Leave two men to watch these lot. The rest of you come with me to Red Sleeve Tavern to arrest Shen Zhou."

As he hit the ground, Shen Zhou rolled with the momentum and, without making it obvious, grabbed the wooden sword lying on the floor.

Thud, thud...

The City Guards and hall masters began filing out.

Now that he had the wooden sword in hand, Shen Zhou steadied his nerves. But he didn't act immediately. Instead, he looked at the two hall masters left behind to watch them—Tie Zhan and Ma Hong—and asked, "You two hall masters, what exactly do you want with us?"

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Ma Hong was straightforward and not particularly shrewd. Seeming to believe that the man before him was Shen Zhou's younger brother "Sinking Boat," he didn't hide anything. He just sighed and replied, "Kid, don't blame us. This is all Lord Wu's doing."

Lord Wu?

Shen Zhou furrowed his brow. "But we haven't offended the city lord."

Tie Zhan sneered and cut in, "Who told 'your brother' to be so arrogant? He kicked his way through every martial arts school in the city. Lord Wu was wary of his strength and afraid he'd challenge for the city lord's seat, so he used us as pawns to deal with him."

Now Shen Zhou understood everything. His voice turned cold as he asked, "And what will you do to my brother once you catch him?"

Ma Hong answered honestly, "The city lord's orders: cripple his cultivation and banish him from the city. Don't worry, we won't kill you!"

At this point, the whole picture was clear.

A smirk tugged at Shen Zhou's lips. He finally stopped pretending. Lifting his gaze, all the pitiful weakness from before vanished from his face. With a cold expression, he looked toward Commander Chen and the others, who were about to leave the courtyard, and called out, "Hey, no need to go. Shen Zhou... is right here!"

Hearing the shout, Commander Chen and his men, who were nearly out of the Desolate House, halted mid-step. They turned sharply and looked back toward the room.

Bang...

The word was activated.

Yuan power erupted.

With a light flex, Shen Zhou snapped the ropes binding him. He rose calmly, his blood and qi swirling around him, exuding an oppressive aura that brooked no defiance.

"???"

The sudden change in the room stunned Ma Hong and Tie Zhan.

What's going on?

Wasn't this guy supposed to know no martial arts? How did he suddenly—

Their bodies jolted as realization struck. Ma Hong exclaimed in shock, "No—you're Shen Zhou!"

With that, Ma Hong and Tie Zhan lunged at him from both sides.

A cold light flashed in Shen Zhou's eyes. He shook his arm once.

Awoo!

A phantom dragon's shadow materialized out of thin air, domineering and fierce.

Ma and Tie were instantly blasted back, crashing to the ground with looks of terror.

Shen Zhou paid them no further attention. He walked straight over to the three little ones and flicked his fingers, freeing them from their bonds.

"Zhou boss!"

"Brother Zhou..."

Shen Zhou waved them off. "Stay back, so you don't get caught in the crossfire."

His voice was calm, but his tone carried an unprecedented seriousness.

The three little ones looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, but they quickly snapped out of it and scurried away to hide.

This time, Zhou boss was truly furious!

By then, the people outside had also recovered.

Commander Chen narrowed his eyes, flames seeming to dance within them. He stared hard at Shen Zhou and barked, "Kid, you dare toy with us?"

The moment Commander Chen finished speaking, a blur flashed before his eyes, and Shen Zhou was already in front of him.

"What—so fast!"

Commander Chen's expression shifted drastically. He moved to strike, but the next second, Shen Zhou grabbed him by the throat and lifted him one-handed.

Shen Zhou said coldly, "I was sleeping here just fine, and you lot barge in the middle of the night, tie us up without a word, and now you say I'm the one toying with you?"

Gck, gck...

Shen Zhou's hand tightened. Commander Chen struggled desperately, his face turning red, but he couldn't get a single word out.

What horrified him even more was that this guy was too strong. Not only had his speed been too fast to react to, but now that he was caught, he couldn't muster even the slightest resistance.

What kind of strength was this? Even the city lord might not be able to do this, right?

"How dare you lay hands on him!"

"Release Commander Chen!"

At that moment, the surrounding City Guards finally snapped out of it. Shouting angrily, they drew their blades and charged at Shen Zhou.

Shen Zhou didn't even glance at them. He simply wrapped the wooden sword in Yuan power and swept it across.

A terrifying Sword Qi burst forth like a sluice gate releasing a flood or a volcano erupting, exploding outward in an instant.

Boom, boom, boom...

The armor of a dozen City Guards instantly shattered. They were flung backward, crashing over ten meters away before hitting the ground heavily, coughing up blood, unable to rise again.

The Desolate House fell silent once more.

The Hall Masters who had been about to make a move were all frozen in fear by Shen Zhou's display.

Too strong!

Though they had all crossed hands with Shen Zhou before, back then he had felt like someone they could at least touch—not yet untouchable or undefeatable.

But today was different.

Now, Shen Zhou was terrifyingly powerful, so strong it made their hearts race, so strong they didn't even dare to entertain the thought of making a move!

Someone suddenly realized something, their pupils contracting like an earthquake. "Could it be... he's a Celestial Firmament Realm powerhouse?"