I Really Came, and Now You're Unhappy Again!

"Stop right there! This is..."

It was already late at night. Seeing someone suddenly appear before the manor, dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat, the four guards immediately snapped awake. One of them stepped forward and blocked Zhou Qing's path.

But before he could finish speaking—

That guard was sent flying sideways, smashing heavily through the gate. Blood spurted ceaselessly from his mouth; he was taking in more air than he let out.

This sudden turn of events left the other three guards stunned.

"Y-you... who are you?"

But soon, one of the guards came to his senses. Suppressing the fear in his heart, he asked in a trembling voice.

Zhou Qing did not answer. He walked forward slowly, each step seeming to land upon the guards' hearts, filling them with an indescribable pressure.

"This is Zhou Manor. I-if you dare cause trouble, Master Zhou won't let you off."

"Zhou Manor isn't far from the county yamen. If you dare cause trouble, the night patrol constables will be here as soon as they get word."

The other two guards shouted fiercely, though they were weak within.

They tried to use Master Zhou's name and the county yamen's prestige to intimidate Zhou Qing.

"Master Zhou? I was just looking for him!"

Before his words had faded, Zhou Qing's figure shot forward.

Bang!

In an instant, the three guards were sent flying.

With Zhou Qing's current physical strength, he did not need to draw his blade or use any complicated moves against ordinary guards. As his body charged forward at high speed, he was like a speeding car. The three guards were instantly left with broken bones and torn tendons, collapsed on the ground and unable to rise.

At this time, the manor guards within Zhou Manor heard the commotion and rushed toward the gate with weapons in hand.

Huang Tao, the head of the manor guards, led numerous guards over. When he saw the shattered gate and the four guards lying on the ground, their fates unknown, a cold gleam rose in his eyes. Then his gaze fell upon Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing wore black clothes and a bamboo hat, his face concealed behind a veil.

"You brazen madman! You dare break into Zhou Manor at night and kill Zhou Manor's guards? If I do not take you down today, how can I, Huang, ever hold my head high in Black Stone County?"

"Get him!"

Before his words had faded, Huang Tao waved his hand, ordering the guards behind him to swarm forward and seize the black-clad, hat-wearing man before them.

"Kill!"

Having received the order, the guards immediately charged at Zhou Qing.

Among these guards were quite a few Third-rate Martial Artists who had cultivated an Internal Art.

Bang! Bang! Bang—

Zhou Qing moved, like a ferocious beast charging into the crowd. Every guard who rushed forward was sent flying.

Blades and swords struck Zhou Qing's body, yet not only did they fail to injure him, the rebounding force shattered the weapons in their hands.

Zhou Qing moved as though no one were there, charging straight into Zhou Manor.

"Shattering Void Fist!"

Seeing this, Huang Tao struck at once. Murderous intent filled his face as a fierce, powerful force tore through the air toward Zhou Qing.

Whoosh!

A flash of blade light swept past.

At once, Huang Tao stood frozen in place as though someone had cast a binding spell on him, still holding the posture of throwing a punch.

At that moment, a light breeze lifted the veil of the bamboo hat.

"Zhou..."

Huang Tao saw Zhou Qing's face as well, but his windpipe had already been slit. His lips moved, yet he could not utter a single word.

If he had known the newcomer was Zhou Qing, even if he had been given a hundred times the courage, he would not have dared strike at him.

After all, Zhou Qing was a ruthless man who could even kill a Peak Second-rate Martial Artist of the Eagle Wolf Guard. He acted without restraint, fearing neither heaven nor earth.

With a thud, Huang Tao's body fell to the ground.

For a time, Zhou Manor sank into dead silence.

The surviving guards all revealed terrified expressions as they looked at Huang Tao lying on the ground.

Huang Tao, the head of the manor guards, was a Second-rate Martial Artist at the Fourth Level of the Acquired Realm, yet the black-clad, hat-wearing man before them had slit his throat with a single stroke—clean and decisive, leaving no room for anything else.

"Those who block me will die," Zhou Qing said calmly.

Then he slowly walked deeper into Zhou Manor.

Under the threat of death, the surviving guards could only stand there like wooden puppets, not even daring to breathe loudly.

They knew well that the slightest movement would bring them the same fate as Huang Tao, the head of the manor guards.

Zhou Qing went deep into Zhou Manor as though no one were there.

Before long.

Zhou Qing arrived at the rear courtyard of Zhou Manor and found the Zhou family members preparing to flee through the back.

Master Zhou, Zhou Yunpeng, was naturally among them.

He was an elderly man dressed in luxurious clothing, with a dignified face. A group of guards and servants surrounded him, among them a figure built like an iron tower.

Ever since learning that Zhou Qing had killed members of the Eagle Wolf Guard, Zhou Yunpeng had lived in constant fear, afraid that Zhou Qing would come seeking revenge.

Thus, he had spent a fortune to hire a Peak Second-rate Martial Artist from the Prefecture City as his personal guard, paying him as much as three thousand taels every month.

But for the sake of his life, Zhou Yunpeng could only bleed heavily.

"Zhou Yunpeng, where are you going?"

Zhou Qing's body flashed, blocking Zhou Yunpeng and the others' path.

"Who might you be, sir? Why have you broken into Zhou Manor without cause and killed Zhou Manor's guards?" Zhou Yunpeng pretended to remain calm. "If there is some misunderstanding, sir, please speak freely. This old man is willing to hear you out and clear up the misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?" Zhou Qing sneered. "Zhou Yunpeng, you issued a martial world bounty for Zhou's head. News of it has long spread throughout the martial world of Anqing Prefecture, and you call that a misunderstanding?

Didn't you want Zhou's head? Well, Zhou has come.

If you have the ability, come take it!"

"What? You're Zhou Qing!"

At those words, Zhou Yunpeng's expression changed instantly, and his body trembled slightly.

The family members, guards, and servants at his side also wore looks of terror. Zhou Qing was now ranked one hundredth on the imperial court's wanted list, his vicious reputation resounding far and wide.

"You always wanted my life. So why are you unhappy now that I've come?" Zhou Qing said calmly.

"Master Zhou, leave first. I'll hold him back."

At this moment, the iron-tower-like burly man beside Zhou Yunpeng also showed a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. Still, he stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice.

According to the information released by the Eagle Wolf Guard, Zhou Qing had been able to kill Zhao Sheng, the Shadowless Sword, largely due to luck. Zhao Sheng had not known that Zhou Qing possessed considerable attainments in body refinement, and Zhou Qing had caught him off guard to kill him.

Therefore, although the iron-tower-like burly man, who also specialized in body-refining techniques, was wary of Zhou Qing, he did not believe Zhou Qing could kill him.

That was why he had dared accept the task of protecting Zhou Yunpeng.

"Zhou Qing, let me see what you can do!"

The iron-tower-like burly man let out a low roar and took the initiative to attack Zhou Qing.

Every muscle on his body swelled, bursting apart his clothes until they hung from him like strips of cloth, revealing skin as hard as rock.

At this moment, the iron-tower-like burly man's entire body had expanded by a full size. Muscles knotted all over him, erupting with a terrifying aura.

His fist, as large as a sandbag, smashed toward Zhou Qing's head.

"Competing with me in strength? You overestimate yourself!"

Zhou Qing snorted coldly.

Facing the iron-tower-like burly man, who resembled a small giant, Zhou Qing neither dodged nor evaded. He threw out a punch as well.

His qi and blood surged, empowering his fist.

As the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique activated, a layer of golden radiance spread across Zhou Qing's body, and the fist he threw gleamed brilliantly with golden light.

A distinguished reader asked about the update schedule.

During the new book period, there will be one chapter at 12:05 a.m. and one chapter at 5:00 p.m. After it goes premium, there will be a burst of updates.