"I'm here to buy some Blood Coagulation Pills. I was wondering whether I could get a discount at the Martial Master Chamber of Commerce with a token from the Xiang City Chen Clan?"
Zhou Yun took out the support token Chen Jingping had given him. Since it worked in the Black Stone Martial Hall's cafeteria, he figured it ought to work elsewhere too.
"Junior Brother Zhou, you actually have a support token from Senior Brother Chen's family?"
Shen Qingxue was astonished. She had thought Zhou Yun had helped the Chen Family only because he and Chen Jingping were on good terms. She had never expected that he was already a martial artist sponsored by Chen Jingping.
So when I wanted to sponsor Zhou Yun back then, Chen Jingping had beaten me to it...
For some reason, Shen Qingxue felt a flicker of irritation, but she quickly quelled it and replied with an even expression:
"Tokens from the major families in the main city are certainly accepted... Is Junior Brother Zhou looking to break through? Our chamber of commerce has pills made specifically for the Gate-Knocking breakthrough. They're refined with herbs that are a hundred years old..."
"Oh? They have something like that?"
Zhou Yun grew interested. He had come to buy the resources he needed to knock on the gate to Dark Force, so finding a more suitable pill would be ideal.
As for the threshold to reach the peak of Bright Force, the force in his dantian was already as thick as five fingers. Breaking through to the peak would be as natural as water flowing downhill.
About the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, Zhou Yun arrived at the entrance of the chamber of commerce with the pills he had chosen.
"Thank you for the recommendation, Senior Sister Shen. I had no idea pills like Blood Solidification Pills still existed. I really was ignorant."
Shen Qingxue smiled faintly. "You're too kind, Junior Brother Zhou. It was only my duty."
After speaking, she gave a look to the elderly manager beside her. He immediately brought over a gleaming, cold suit of green-scaled armor.
"This is called Green Scale Soft Armor. It's a mid-grade undergarment that can defend against thirty percent of the force from attacks, as well as punches, kicks, and blunt weapons... Consider it my way of repaying you for saving my life last time."
Zhou Yun accepted the armor without thinking. It felt icy cold in his hands, as though it had been forged from some kind of cold iron.
On days as hot as these, it could even help keep the heat at bay.
"Thank you, Senior Sister. I'll accept it, then."
Zhou Yun didn't refuse. He simply put it away.
He had already planned to buy a suit of inner armor, so if Senior Sister Shen hadn't given him this one, it would have cost him a large sum of silver.
Besides, a gift like this shouldn't have been a serious burden for someone of Senior Sister Shen's standing... If he refused it, he would only seem cold and unfeeling.
"I'm glad you like it, Junior Brother... I still have business to take care of at the chamber of commerce, so I won't keep you."
Shen Qingxue's lips curved in a faint smile, but then her expression turned serious. "Senior Brother Wang Lan has been investigating the Shen Family's affairs with me lately. If you don't have anything important to do, stay inside the martial hall and try to go out as little as possible."
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. I'll head back to the martial hall."
Zhou Yun cupped his hands in salute and left with the Green Scale Soft Armor.
"The Xiang City Wang Clan, the Chen Family... and the Shen Family branch."
Shen Qingxue watched Zhou Yun's departing figure, feeling that his strength ran far deeper than she had imagined.
Perhaps the impression he had left by killing a Dark Force expert that night had been too profound...
"Now that I've given him the armor, I've repaid my debt of gratitude."
Shen Qingxue gathered her thoughts. She knew she had no time to concern herself with anything else just now. Becoming the Chief Escort Leader of the Sky Sea Escort Agency was what mattered most.
As for the other signs of trouble, there would be time to deal with them later.
"Now I've prepared five Blood Coagulation Pills and three Blood Solidification Pills. That should be enough to knock on the gate to Dark Force."
Zhou Yun rode back to the martial hall in a Chen Family carriage. Now he was in the courtyard, taking stock of what he had acquired.
He laid all the pills out on a small table in the courtyard and rubbed his chin. "I spent twenty-one taels of silver in total. The five Blood Coagulation Pills cost fifteen taels, and the Blood Solidification Pills were two taels each..."
"If Senior Sister Shen hadn't told me, who would've thought I needed to guard against my force growing too violent after a successful breakthrough to Dark Force, making my blood and qi surge? It could even damage my foundation..."
Zhou Yun felt fortunate. It was a good thing he hadn't rushed things and had prepared early.
He put away the pills and silver, then went to the middle of the courtyard to practice martial arts. Just then, a knock sounded at the gate.
"What's this...?"
Zhou Yun opened the gate and found an unfamiliar Inner Courtyard disciple standing there.
"Are you Zhou Yun? Master Liang wants you to go to the Martial Hall. County Magistrate Liu has brought people to see you."
Before leaving, the Inner Courtyard disciple lowered his voice and added, "Those people don't seem to have come with good intentions. You'd better be prepared."
"Thanks for the warning."
Zhou Yun cupped his hands, but his brows furrowed.
"They must be here because of that escort job. County Magistrate Liu's son died on the road. I wonder how Senior Sister Shen handled things on her end..."
He had a rough idea what this was about. Zhou Yun didn't sit back and wait for trouble to find him. He straightened his clothes and hurried to the Martial Hall.
When he arrived, he saw a middle-aged man he had encountered at the White Phoenix Martial Hall sitting there. Beside him stood a hunched Grey-Robed Elder.
The man was lean, his narrow eyes utterly calm, yet he exuded an air of authority that pressed down on everyone around him.
Though he was merely a seventh-rank official and hadn't even knocked on the gate to the martial path, simply sitting there put people under immense pressure.
As for the Grey-Robed Elder, he looked like an ordinary old man. He stood beside County Magistrate Liu, seeming as though a gust of wind might blow him away.
"Master Liang, this must be your beloved disciple."
County Magistrate Liu's voice held no inflection. After watching the bout at the White Phoenix Martial Hall, he seemed to have deliberately changed into ordinary clothes.
"Every disciple of the Black Stone Martial Hall is my disciple, and Zhou Yun is no exception."
Liang Wanshan sipped his tea, letting a grandmaster's aura slowly spread. His tone was mild, yet his presence bore down on those around him.
"May I ask what brings you here, County Magistrate Liu?"
County Magistrate Liu was sitting beside the grandmaster, so he was the first to feel that oppressive aura. Yet he only gave a chuckle.
"What brings me here? Nothing in particular. I only want Master Liang to give my son an explanation."
"Escort work always brings death and injury... You, I, and your dead son all knew that."
Liang Wanshan's aura did not waver. He simply continued to sip his tea.
"Of course I knew... But precisely because I knew, I, Liu Bomin, have all the more reason to demand justice!"
County Magistrate Liu suddenly slapped the table and sprang to his feet, glaring furiously. "I had no intention of interfering in the matter between the Black Stone Martial Hall and the Shen Family... But you dared to lay a hand on my son. Did you really think I, Liu Bomin, had no means of my own?"
"Lord Liu, this is the Black Stone Martial Hall. Don't let your anger get the better of you."
Liang Wanshan's brows knitted. Wisps of steam rose from the teacup in his hand, and force visibly swirled around him.
"Little Liang, using a grandmaster's aura against an ordinary man is beneath you."
The Grey-Robed Elder gave a chuckle. Gray-white force burst from his body, faintly matching Liang Wanshan's aura.
Watching this from the entrance of the Martial Hall, Zhou Yun became far more wary of the Grey-Robed Elder.
A Transformation Force grandmaster—this man had to be one too!
"Zhou Yun, tell County Magistrate Liu how everything happened."
Liang Wanshan set down his teacup, and he and the Grey-Robed Elder withdrew their grandmasters' auras at the same time.
At that moment, all three men turned their eyes toward Zhou Yun.
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