Tiger-Wolf Gang

"Huzi, I'm heading home for a trip. I'll be back tomorrow."

Zhou Yun packed his things and called out to Zhang Hu, who was lying on his bed recovering from his injuries.

"Alright, Brother Yun. Could you take these sesame cakes back for my mother to eat? It's been so long since I've been home."

Ever since Zhang Hu had let go of his obsession with breaking through to the Bright Force, he had become optimistic and cheerful again, grinning as he spoke.

He picked up two sesame cakes and carefully packed them into a bundle.

"There are some medicinal herbs in there that I saved money to buy. Please take them to my mother as well. I've left one sesame cake for you, Brother Yun."

Zhou Yun took the bundle and strapped it onto his back along with his own.

"Don't you worry, Brother Yun. I feel that ever since I let go of that obsession, my qi and blood have been flowing much more smoothly. I even feel that it won't be long before I open the seven apertures of the Martial Pass and touch the threshold of the Bright Force!"

Zhang Hu grinned. "When that time comes, don't you go getting outdone by me!"

"I'm off."

Zhou Yun waved his hand, turned, and left the dormitory.

Lying on the bed, Zhang Hu was beaming, his eyes shining with light.

"Mother, just you wait. One day, your son will make sure you live a good life!"

Outside the martial hall.

Zhou Yun greeted the gatekeeper and set off with his bundle on his back.

Despite the weight he carried, his pace was not slow at all; in fact, it showed signs of quickening.

Now that he had touched the threshold of the Bright Force and could freely mobilize the qi and blood within his body, his speed had naturally increased.

Furthermore, compared to an ordinary martial artist who had opened seven apertures, he would have been even faster had he utilized the Black Ape Movement Technique—he simply didn't want to be too conspicuous on the main streets.

A street with few pedestrians gradually appeared, and the surrounding environment became familiar.

Along the way, Zhou Yun only vaguely saw a few stalls selling steamed buns and sugar figurines; the street performers he remembered from his childhood had vanished.

By the roadside, an old man running a noodle stall saw Zhou Yun and couldn't help but rub his eyes.

"Eh? Zhou Yun, are you back from the Black Stone Martial Hall?"

The wrinkles on Grandpa Sun's face bunched together as he hurriedly tapped the boy squatting to the side:

"Why aren't you serving your Brother Yun a bowl of noodles yet? You spend all day playing with crickets here—you should learn a thing or two from him!"

The boy let out a pained howl and stood up impatiently, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw Zhou Yun:

"Brother Yun! You're back from the Black Stone Martial Hall! Can you teach me a move or two? Wang Dahe and his gang have been bullying me lately!"

Grandpa Sun's expression changed, and he immediately said in a deep voice:

"I've told you already, don't hang around Wang Dahe and his lot. What does his father do? He's a guard for the Sky Sea Escort Agency! Your father is just a noodle seller. When you run into them, stay out of their way, do you hear me?"

"But even if I hide, they still find me."

The boy muttered.

"Find you? Why would they find you? Why don't you look at the faults in yourself?"

Grandpa Sun's anger flared even higher: "If I weren't still saving up for your tuition, I would have thrown you into your Brother Yun's martial hall long ago, instead of letting you play with crickets here!"

The old man served a bowl of noodles, wiped his hands on the wooden table, and sighed with a smile: "Brother Yun, if only my son were half as sensible as you, I wouldn't have to worry so much all day."

"Don't worry, Grandpa Sun. Little Wu has the potential; sooner or later, he will learn real skills at the martial hall."

Zhou Yun pulled up a chair and sat down, eating the noodles in large mouthfuls.

Most people on this street knew him, including the boy Sun Wu and his grandfather. Whenever he returned from the martial hall, Zhou Yun would eat a bowl of noodles here and tell Sun Wu interesting stories about the hall.

Grandpa Sun had watched him grow up and was happy to have his son associate with a student from the Black Stone Martial Hall.

Although he heard that Zhou Yun had yet to reach the Bright Force, who knew? Maybe one day he would.

Trading a bowl of noodles for the friendship of a potential Bright Force martial artist was a bargain he didn't mind.

"Make way! The Tiger-Wolf Gang is on business! Get out of the way, all of you!"

A group of vagrants, looking like local thugs, held pitchforks and blades as they shouted loudly at the crowd.

They were collecting land fees from the stalls, and the people on the street scattered in fear, as if they had seen wolves or wild dogs.

"Master Sun, it's time to pay the land fee for your little stall, isn't it?"

A tall, thin youth with pockmarks on his face walked over, his tone malicious.

"Young man, this is just a small business. I paid the land fee just a few days ago, surely you remember!"

Before Master Sun could even pack up his stall, he couldn't help but plead bitterly: "Have some mercy, I still need to save up for my son's tuition at the martial hall. Whatever I earn on normal days, I've already offered up..."

"I almost forgot, Master Sun. This time, it's not a land fee—it's incense money."

The pockmarked youth sneered: "This money is an offering to the Earth God at the temple. Do you dare to disrespect the Earth God?"

"This..."

Master Sun was at a loss, looking toward the wooden table nearby, only to find that Zhou Yun had already vanished.

He gritted his teeth, preparing to fish some money out of the stall's coin jar.

"Wait."

At that moment, an indifferent voice rang out before the noodle stall.

The newcomer wore a black cloak and a bamboo hat, his face covered by a black cloth, his feet in black boots, his figure standing tall and straight.

It was none other than the masked Zhou Yun.

"Who are you? We of the Tiger-Wolf Gang are conducting business; you would do best to—"

The pockmarked youth reached out to grab Zhou Yun's shoulder, but a large hand instantly seized his arm, exerting a fierce force on the joint.

"Ah!!"

With his arm dislocated, the pockmarked youth let out a shrill howl of pain, snot and tears streaming uncontrollably down his face as he collapsed onto one knee.

"Since when is it the turn of the Tiger-Wolf Gang to run wild on the territory of the Sea Whale Gang?"

Zhou Yun spoke in a low, gravelly voice, his black-clad figure radiating an effortless, intimidating aura.

"You—you're with the Sea Whale Gang! Brothers, get him!"

The pockmarked youth endured the pain and signaled the thugs behind him, who had been hesitating, to swarm forward.

Those Tiger-Wolf Gang members, who had been wavering, seemed to be injected with adrenaline upon hearing the name of the Sea Whale Gang and rushed toward Zhou Yun, brandishing their weapons.

"Ignorant fools."

Zhou Yun swept his gaze across them and immediately unleashed the Black Ape Movement Technique, weaving through the eight or nine men. His punches were incredibly sharp, each one enough to drop a Tiger-Wolf Gang member instantly.

If it were anyone else, they might not be able to match Zhou Yun's efficiency, but with this movement technique, he was a cut above other martial artists who had opened seven apertures, whether in attacking enemies or retreating.

"He's a martial artist! Everyone, attack together!"

The pockmarked youth clutched his arm, his body instinctively shrinking back a few steps.

The remaining four or five men saw this and immediately bunched together, denying Zhou Yun the chance to pick them off one by one, and lunged at him simultaneously.

Zhou Yun dodged with a few flashes of movement, his brows knitting slightly. Just as he was about to use his fist techniques to force an opening, the sound of a club slicing through the air suddenly rang out from behind him.

Thwack!

A heavy blow landed squarely on the back of Zhou Yun's head. It was a short youth who had been lurking on the periphery from the very beginning.

He had hidden among the crowd, looking like an ordinary commoner, yet he was unexpectedly a member of the Tiger-Wolf Gang.

"A-Shui! Well done!"

The pockmarked youth couldn't help but shout. A blow to the back of the head like that would floor even a martial artist who had opened six apertures.

As for seven? Could he really shift his blood and qi to the Heaven Gate point at will to block the force of that strike?

Impossible!

Did they really think seven-aperture martial artists were a dime a dozen? Everyone was busy working honestly to make a living or engaging in petty schemes; who had the time to practice martial arts?

The number of seven-aperture martial artists in these gangs could be counted on two hands!

"Brother Rat, I claim the primary credit for this!"

The youth named A-Shui panted heavily, a look of excitement appearing on his fierce face.

The leader of the Tiger-Wolf Gang had issued an order three days ago: anyone who killed a member of the Sea Whale Gang would be rewarded with one hundred copper coins, regardless of status, and if it were a martial artist who had opened their apertures, the reward ranged from half a string of cash to six strings.

With this one strike, he wouldn't have to worry about food or drink for the next few months!

Perhaps he could even spend a few days at the Peach Blossom Kiln!

Just as A-Shui was filled with excitement and prepared to step forward to deliver a few more blows to finish the man in black off for good, he saw the masked man before him slowly turn around.

Not far away, Wang Ershu, who had been dragging his dislocated arm and preparing to rush in for a follow-up attack, stopped dead in his tracks.

"Damn it, he really is a seven-aperture master!"