"Brother Chuan, this man seems to be more than a Bright Force martial artist. He's a Dark Force martial artist too..."
Li Futian whispered, afraid the other martial artists would hear him and the words would reach the ears of that Dark Force martial artist called Zhou Yun.
That was Dark Force! A level that people with a First Form Bone like them could scarcely hope to reach in a lifetime... Just knocking on the Bright Force gate to gain tax exemptions was already a blessing from their ancestors' graves.
As for Dark Force? They didn't even dare think about it, let alone dream of it.
Once someone entered the Dark Force realm, they became a first-rate expert in Black Stone County. Every faction would treat them like an honored guest.
That was different from an ordinary Bright Force martial artist, whether in the ability to project their force outward or in the difference in status between the two...
"I'm not blind!"
Zhou Chuan snarled under his breath, afraid Zhou Yun might hear him.
Others might not know, but he knew all too well... He had enjoyed his elder cousin's resources since childhood, and had even made it into the Sky Sea Martial Arts Hall later on.
Their grandfather couldn't even afford the tuition. It was only thanks to his mother's dowry that they managed to get by for a few months...
Though they claimed Zhou Yun had severed ties with the Zhou family, Zhou Chuan knew better. Given his grandfather's temperament, he and Zhou Yun had probably fallen out badly long ago.
What Zhou Chuan hoped most now was that Zhou Yun hadn't heard what he'd just said.
Then, during the patrol ahead, he'd keep as low a profile as possible and avoid giving Zhou Yun the urge to "look after" him.
Otherwise, with a Dark Force martial artist's prestige, even if Zhou Yun didn't act personally,
the people in this group—even the Bright Force martial artist from the authorities—would see Zhou Chuan as a thorn in their side. They might trip him up on a whim and make sure he didn't survive this patrol.
Back when he was at the Sky Sea Martial Arts Hall, he'd seen Outer Courtyard disciples Zhou Yun disliked get treated that way, so he knew exactly how it worked.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yun hadn't paid Zhou Chuan any attention at all.
He gave a slight nod, acknowledging the martial artist from the authorities.
"All right, then. Our group will patrol Old Fisher Street for two hours... To be frank, the Snake-Person Race appeared on this street just last night. Otherwise, there'd have been no need to ask Lord Zhou to come and oversee things."
The middle-aged martial artist continued, "My name is Sun Kui. We may only be working together on this assignment, but we might run into each other again in the authorities' ranks. That makes us half-colleagues..."
"If no one has any objections to this assignment, we can set off at once... If we lose track of time, I won't be able to explain myself to my superiors."
The martial artists had no objections. Their main concern in choosing a patrol inside the city was their own safety.
With Lord Zhou, a Dark Force martial artist, present, even if they encountered the so-called Snake-Person Race, most of them would only have Bright Force strength or would not yet have knocked on the gate.
Even if they did run into trouble, it would be easier to escape in the city, and the Dark Force martial artist would surely be the first one targeted.
The martial artists understood each other without a word. Apart from a few hotheads, anyone who'd spent years taking jobs outside was an old hand.
"We'll be counting on you all."
Zhou Yun cupped his hands and offered a polite remark, then took the Black Iron Great Spear and walked at the front of the group.
There was no helping it. He'd taken the most money, so he naturally had to do the hardest job.
Though Zhou Yun knew the odds of encountering Snake-People along the way were low, it was better to guard against the unlikely.
"Dark Force, Dark Force..."
Those two words kept circling in Zhou Chuan's mind. His eyes reddened with jealousy, but he gritted his teeth and didn't dare say another word.
He knew all too well that the gap between him and Zhou Yun was now like heaven and earth. He might never catch up, no matter how long he lived.
Though he had a Second Form Bone and a sliver of a chance of knocking on the Dark Force gate, it was only a sliver.
Without plentiful medicinal supplements, and after taking Taboo Medicine several times in his youth that had drained his potential, reaching the sixth aperture at his age was already no small feat.
Though years of hard training could have brought him to the sixth aperture, like Li Futian, Zhou Chuan had grown used to taking shortcuts. Even practicing his punches at the Martial Arts Arena each day was agonizing.
Once he'd trained for a while, he'd think of how quickly the Taboo Medicine had opened his apertures, and then he'd take it again and again.
"Brother Chuan, don't worry. You'll at least become a Bright Force martial artist one day. There's still a gap between you and Dark Force, but a Second Form Bone doesn't rule out knocking on the Dark Force gate..."
Li Futian said quietly.
"Do you think I don't know the difference between Bright Force and Dark Force? Are you doing this on purpose to torment me?"
Zhou Chuan gritted his teeth, glaring at him in fury.
"No, Brother Chuan, I just..."
Li Futian lowered his head and fell silent. He was only afraid that what had happened with Zhou Yun would affect Zhou Chuan's state of mind and stop him from knocking on the Bright Force gate.
If Zhou Chuan couldn't reach Bright Force, the silver he'd invested in him would all have gone to waste.
"Bright Force. I have to reach Bright Force as soon as possible. That way, I can register with the authorities and Zhou Yun won't be able to kill me at will..."
Zhou Chuan gritted his teeth and made up his mind. As soon as he returned to the martial arts hall, he'd take Taboo Medicine, and increase the dosage.
He'd already decided to stop taking it, and at Peach Blossom Kiln he'd found other desires to distract himself from the urge.
But Zhou Yun's appearance had rekindled the fear and jealousy in his heart. He had to knock on the Bright Force gate as quickly as possible, or that surge of blood and energy within him would dissipate completely.
Along the way, the group made two or three rounds around Old Fisher Street but found no trace of the Snake-Person Race.
Old Fisher Street was just a small street, with most of its stalls selling seafood from the coast.
If not for last night's Snake-Person incident, most of those present probably wouldn't have visited the place even once.
About an hour later, Li Kui, who was leading the group, said, "You're all free to find somewhere to eat and rest for a while. We'll meet back here in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
After speaking, Li Kui went to a nearby pancake stall and asked the owner for a baked flatbread, naturally without paying.
The other martial artists did the same. The stall owners didn't dare complain, not only because of Li Kui's official uniform,
but also because none of the martial artists looked like ordinary men. Just their faces marked them as people who'd trained in martial arts for years.
In these times, martial artists were born a cut above the rest, whether because of the benefits of exemption from taxes and forced labor or the tangible improvements to their bodies.
If they encountered one or two martial artists on an ordinary day, they might judge them by their appearance and ask them for a few coins. But when so many gathered together, no one dared open their mouth.
"So there really aren't any Snake-People."
Everything was just as Zhou Yun had expected, so he went to a noodle stall and ordered a bowl of plain noodles.
He casually handed the stall owner a handful of copper coins. When the other martial artists saw this, they gave up on eating for free and each paid the stall owners a few coppers.
At least half an hour had passed by now, far longer than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, but Li Kui said nothing. He was still eating his flatbread himself.
Clearly, he'd done countless uneventful patrols like this before.
"No Snake-People? Our luck's not bad..."
Seeing that no Snake-People had appeared, Zhou Chuan's taut nerves finally relaxed a little.
"Boss, I'll have another candied hawthorn skewer."
Li Futian said to a stall owner, handing him a few copper coins.
He had just taken the skewer when his eyes caught sight of a patch of blue scales on the back of the owner's hand. His pupils contracted sharply. "Scales... snake scales!"
Pfft.
A snake-like hand pierced through Li Futian's chest. The bloody sight left Zhou Chuan frozen in shock.
"Snake-People! There are Snake-People!"
Someone shouted, and the street instantly erupted into chaos.
Before you continue