Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand (Seeking Reads)

"How did you let one escape? This will be difficult to explain to Second Master Shen."

Inside the corridor, Third Master Shen had long since shed his scholarly air, his face dark and gloomy.

"Who knew that brat was looking for death? He gave those two an opening."

The old woman spoke coldly, "Since that brat is in your Sky Sea Escort Agency branch, I will simply ensure he is buried here tonight."

"This was supposed to be a task for you to complete, yet you caused a mess in my branch, and now you expect me to clean it up? Is that not against the rules?"

Third Master Shen said no more, his voice dropping low, "I will pay at most seventy percent of the reward. Once it is done, leave these two counties and do not return for ten years."

"This matter is my responsibility, and I shall bear it... I just never expected that the Second Master of the Shen family would not even spare his own son. Truly, even a tiger does not eat its own cubs."

The old woman gave a cold laugh, the implication behind her words clear.

"That is no concern of yours."

Third Master Shen's expression was icy. If it weren't for the difficulty of finding a clean-handed expert of the Dark Force realm in Clear Water County, this old woman would have long since lost her utility.

Now, he was the one left to clean up this disaster.

But as long as an inner-court disciple of the Black Stone Martial Hall died within the walls of the Sky Sea Escort Agency branch, the news could still be suppressed.

"Remember, do not harm my niece... as for that brat, kill him at once."

Third Master Shen walked up to the old woman, leaned down, and spoke in a low voice.

"I have no interest in the secrets of your Shen family. I only want the final payment, and I will leave Clear Water County immediately."

The old woman flicked her hand, tossing the severed head of Shen Yichen onto the floor.

"As for that brat, I will go resolve him now."

Inside the guest room.

Zhou Yun quietly closed the window gap, his expression sinking.

He knew Third Master Shen was trouble, but he never imagined that the man would dare to have him, an inner-court disciple of the Black Stone Martial Hall, killed right here.

Not to mention the Dark Force expert coming to kill him, once any commotion broke out, the escorts of this Sky Sea Escort Agency branch would form an impenetrable wall.

No, that Third Master Shen cannot afford to cause a scene. This is my chance.

Zhou Yun's brain raced. Third Master Shen did not seem to intend to kill Shen Qingxue, which meant he only needed to ensure his own survival.

No wonder when that Dark Force old woman first fired her needles, he had managed to block them by sheer luck when he wasn't paying attention; it seemed she had been holding back.

Looking at the situation, it appeared they wanted to pin all the blame on Shen Qingxue, causing her to lose her chance at competing for the position of Chief Escort.

Time is running out. This is the only way to break the deadlock...

Just as Zhou Yun made up his mind, he suddenly sensed a strange, surging flow of internal energy approaching.

It was the heightened senses granted to him by the two Black Ape martial arts; he could now perceive the circulation of energy within a human body through the walls.

But this also meant that the Dark Force expert who wanted him dead... had arrived!

Creak—

The door was pushed open gently, and a hunched figure stood in the threshold.

The old woman's eyes were dim and yellow, yet sharp as a hawk's, scanning the room incessantly.

But after a full sweep, the room was empty.

"That brat, wasn't he sleeping in the room? Where did he run off to..."

The old woman frowned. The information Third Master Shen provided should have been accurate. Could the brat have just stepped out to empty a chamber pot?

Just as the old woman hesitated, a sound of wind being torn apart came from above.

Bang!

Zhou Yun descended from the ceiling, his perfected Black Ape Fist and long-accumulated internal energy slamming fiercely toward the top of the old woman's head!

"Above!"

The old woman reacted with lightning speed. Her perception as a Dark Force expert was razor-sharp; even if a killer were caught off guard, it would only be for a split second.

But even with the warning, Zhou Yun held the advantage of time and terrain, and his movements were simply too fast.

The old woman's body jerked violently to the left, but the fist, imbued with intense energy, still landed solidly on her right shoulder.

A heavy wave of pain surged through her; her withered arm was visibly crushed inward, and it was clearly impossible to lift it again.

"You seek death!"

The old woman was utterly enraged, ignoring the searing pain in her right shoulder as she lunged toward Zhou Yun.

Whether it was the pride of a Dark Force expert or the fury of being wounded, there was only one thought in her mind now: take Zhou Yun's head!

Seeing this, Zhou Yun did not retreat but advanced, seemingly stripped of the pressure that a Bright Force practitioner should feel against a Dark Force expert.

This change caused the old woman's expression to flicker for a moment, but she immediately sneered, believing Zhou Yun was foolishly trying to stop a carriage with his bare arms.

A withered palm gathered internal force, striking toward Zhou Yun's face at a speed nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Swish!

The force from the old woman's palm grazed past Zhou Yun's cheek, leaving only a bloody scratch, failing to strike his vitals.

In that instant, the old woman froze.

She instinctively tried to raise her right hand, only to find she couldn't muster any strength at all.

"Chance!"

Zhou Yun's pupils constricted. He shifted his Black Ape Fist from a fist into a palm, swiftly coiled around the old woman's arm, and yanked with all his might.

Crack!

The sound of snapping bone echoed out; both arms of an Internal Force expert had been crippled!

"Mastery-level fist technique, mastery-level movement technique! Are you a hidden genius of the Black Stone Martial Hall? No, that's impossible..."

The old woman's pupils trembled. She felt the world go black as a fist struck her face, and then she lost consciousness entirely.

Until her death, she never imagined that a junior at the External Force stage could master two martial arts, and furthermore, had not even used them during their first exchange.

She had thought it was a hawk catching a mouse, never expecting it to be a fledgling eagle.

Coupled with having one arm crippled right at the start, every factor had conspired to create this lethal trap.

"I... killed an Internal Force expert."

Zhou Yun wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. The tension in his heart suddenly dissipated, leaving him feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

For someone at the minor success stage of External Force to kill an Internal Force expert alone—if word got out, no one would believe it.

Though the two realms differed by only a single word, the gap between them was a chasm, a gulf that countless people could never cross in their entire lives.

But now, Zhou Yun had bridged that chasm with two strikes!

"No time to delay, I must leave at once!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhou Yun knocked on Shen Qingxue's door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Shen Qingxue had already prepared for bed, but hearing the knocking, she rose in confusion to open the door.

"Zhou Yun? You..."

"Don't ask, come with me right now!"

Zhou Yun grabbed Shen Qingxue's arm. Although Third Master Shen likely wouldn't take her life, one could never be too careful.

Since killing the Internal Force expert had gone more smoothly than imagined, there was no harm in taking Shen Qingxue along to escape.

This senior sister was at the minor success stage of External Force herself, so the two could look out for each other along the way.

Shen Qingxue hadn't yet processed what was happening, but because of the events earlier that day, she trusted Zhou Yun and didn't press for details.

It wasn't until they passed the corridor and saw the corpse in Zhou Yun's room that Shen Qingxue fell into shock.

"Junior Brother Zhou, that corpse..."

"That's right, it's that Internal Force expert."

Zhou Yun didn't offer much explanation; the facts spoke for themselves.

"You actually killed an Internal Force expert all by yourself..."

Shen Qingxue was too stunned to speak, yet she had no choice but to accept the reality.

If today's events were to spread, other factions would likely go mad trying to recruit Zhou Yun, even offering astronomical rewards.

They might even pay a fortune to have Zhou Yun marry into their families.

A martial hall disciple who had only reached the External Force stage a few days ago was capable of killing an Internal Force expert; this was enough to be recorded in the history of the entire Black Stone County.

The two moved along the walls heading west, vaulting over the perimeter in a few swift leaps.

Suddenly, a cold, chilling voice rang out from behind them.

"My dear niece, where are you two heading?"

Third Master Shen's expression was grim as he slowly stepped out from the shadows.

Dozens of escorts behind him moved at his command, surrounding Zhou Yun and the girl in a tight circle.