"Master Liang, here's what happened..."
Zhou Yun recounted the whole incident truthfully, without embellishing anything, but he didn't mention that he had killed a Dark Force expert on his own.
Some matters were beyond the reach of a disciple like him. As a Black Stone Martial Hall disciple, he naturally had people above him to shoulder the burden.
So he naturally didn't want to draw too much attention.
During his account, Master Liang's brows kept lifting and settling. Clearly, the events had taken an unexpected turn.
Among the two Shen clans in Black Stone County, the Sky Sea Escort Agency had actually tried to target Shen Qingxue, the Shen Family's direct-line heiress, and then pin the blame on other forces to turn them against the Shen Family?
If it had been someone else, Liang Wanshan might not have intervened. As the hall master, he had already made a pact with the authorities.
But this time, one of his Inner Courtyard disciples was involved. Zhou Yun had only recently knocked on the gate of Bright Force, but that was still enough to give Liang Wanshan reason to step in.
"You handled this well. Here are ten taels of silver and a small bottle of Blood Coagulation Pills. Take them."
Master Liang's expression settled back into calm. He took a small porcelain bottle from beside him and handed it to Zhou Yun. "There are three Blood Coagulation Pills inside, enough to help you reach Bright Force mastery."
"Thank you, Master."
Zhou Yun stifled his excitement. He hadn't expected Master Liang to be so generous, giving him three Blood Coagulation Pills!
Not to mention the ten taels of silver—more than a month's salary as a guest steward, even at the rate Shen Qingxue had offered.
But it also confirmed that this incident ran deep and wouldn't be easy to resolve.
"Your senior brother Wang Lan will handle this matter from now on. For the next while, focus on training at the martial hall. Don't leave unless it's necessary."
Master Liang remained calm. He was one of the few Transformation Force masters in Black Stone County.
And as a pillar even among Transformation Force experts, he had many eyes on his every move. He could only send his disciples to act, but that would be enough.
Then Master Liang turned to Shen Qingxue.
"Qingxue, this is your family's affair, so I shouldn't say too much...but you are still my Inner Courtyard disciple. If you need the martial hall's help, don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Master. Having Senior Brother Wang Lan's help would be best."
Shen Qingxue bowed respectfully. Master Liang had only promised to help verbally, but he had already sent Wang Lan to get involved. Clearly, he knew something about what was going on.
Wang Lan was one of Master Liang's few personally taught disciples. He had reached the peak of minor Dark Force mastery and touched the threshold of major mastery.
If nothing went wrong, he would certainly break through to Transformation Force.
On top of that, with Wang Lan's standing in Xiang City and the martial arts techniques he had learned, he could hold his own even against someone at major Dark Force mastery.
How many Dark Force experts were there in all of Black Stone County? Outside the Black Stone Martial Hall, you could count them on one hand.
"Then, Master, I'll take my leave."
Zhou Yun cupped his hands. He hadn't slept for two whole days, and even as a minor Bright Force expert, he was feeling a little drowsy.
He had gained more than enough from this trip. All that remained was to digest it properly and turn it into strength.
"Junior Brother, go get some rest. I'll give you the escort reward for this trip later."
Shen Qingxue showed no sign of leaving. She was the one most deeply involved in this matter, and there were still details she needed to discuss with Master Liang.
Only after Zhou Yun had left did she grit her teeth and speak. "Master Liang, I think my third uncle has joined forces with my second uncle to seize the position of Chief Escort Leader."
"No, it's not that simple."
Liang Wanshan shook his head. "Qingxue, if your second and third uncles wanted the position of Chief Escort Leader, they would have started laying the groundwork and making their move ten years ago, while your father was still alive. They wouldn't have waited until now."
"The only possibility is that they want more than the position of Chief Escort Leader. They want to overturn all of Black Stone County."
Shen Qingxue's pupils contracted. The conclusion stunned her.
But when she thought it over, it seemed to make perfect sense.
Along the way, County Magistrate Liu's son had been killed first, then Second Master Shen's own son had died. The only ones left alive were her and the Black Stone Martial Hall's Inner Courtyard disciple.
No matter how the situation unfolded from here, she and the Black Stone Martial Hall were sure to become the targets of two major forces.
It would be difficult to explain things to County Magistrate Liu's side, since Liu Guyuan had been his only son.
As for Second Master Shen, his own son's death had made him look entirely innocent.
Even the only Dark Force expert who might have known something had been killed by Zhou Yun.
"Master, what do you mean by that...?"
Shen Qingxue asked instinctively.
"The Three Halls Martial Tournament is coming up."
Master Liang spoke slowly. "Everything needs a catalyst. Clearly, they want to eliminate the younger generation and use the Three Halls Martial Tournament to reshuffle Black Stone County."
"As long as someone from the Black Stone Martial Hall or your father's branch takes first place in the tournament, this matter can be dealt with gradually."
"The Three Halls Martial Tournament..."
Shen Qingxue fell into thought. In previous years, the Three Halls Martial Tournament had been open to young experts under thirty. Usually, only those at Dark Force level had a chance to place in the top three and earn an opportunity to go to the main city.
She was at minor Bright Force mastery. Even though she had touched the threshold of major mastery, she couldn't reach Dark Force in just one month.
That was why she cared so much about the Chief Escort Leader position. She wanted to use the Shen Family's influence to go to Xiang City.
At the Black Stone Martial Hall, the only people under thirty with Dark Force strength were Wang Lan and Senior Brother Chen Jingping. Liang Chengshi was also close to breaking through to Dark Force.
But both senior brothers were already from Xiang City. Whether or not they placed in the top three, they could still establish themselves in the main city. As for Liang Chengshi, he was Master Liang's adopted son. Either way, he had a place waiting for him in Xiang City...
"No, there's one more person."
A figure suddenly appeared in Shen Qingxue's mind. Just days after knocking on the gate, he had broken through to minor Bright Force mastery and mastered two martial arts.
During this escort mission, he had even killed a Dark Force expert with Bright Force. He was a genius among geniuses.
Zhou Yun hadn't told Master Liang about that, so she wouldn't blurt it out either. But she silently committed the man's name to memory.
"Zhou Yun..."
The Inner Courtyard.
Zhou Yun returned to his room and deliberately heated a bucket of water, then soaked in a good hot bath.
Yesterday's dangers were still fresh in his mind. Next time he took a job, he'd have to ask around beforehand. Otherwise, he could easily stumble into danger.
"But after all this, Shen Qingxue probably won't give me any escort missions for a while."
Zhou Yun soaked in the wooden tub, but didn't linger over this hard-won chance to bathe. He got out, dried himself, and dressed.
He went into the courtyard and practiced the mastered Black Ape Fist and Black Ape Movement Technique at the same time. His blood and qi surged once more.
After this experience, Zhou Yun had finally seen the gap between Bright Force and Dark Force.
To kill someone just by gathering force in your palm—that was almost beyond the bounds of humanity. It made him yearn for that power.
Before he knew it, afternoon had arrived.
Just as Zhou Yun was engrossed in training, someone suddenly knocked on the gate.
"Brother Yun, are you there? It's Zhang Hu."
At the familiar voice, Zhou Yun stopped practicing and couldn't help wondering.
"Zhang Hu? What's he doing here?"
Before you continue