Zhou Yuanjue arrived at his destination shortly, riding in He Hong's sedan.
As the largest comprehensive entertainment district in all of Wuhai City, finding a place to eat was quite simple.
In the southern, ocean-facing area, a pavilion stood over the water, connected to the shore by a long, winding walkway. The pavilion, white with cloud-pattern engravings, had a classic Donghua aesthetic. This was one of Wuhai's most renowned private kitchens, named "Haiyun Palace." It only accepted bookings for exclusive banquets, frequented by the rich and powerful. The average person couldn't get a reservation, even if they had the money.
The car pulled up to the entrance of Haiyun Palace, and two hostesses in qipaos immediately approached with welcoming smiles. Their faces were both elegant and charming.
He Hong and Zhou Yuanjue got out of the car.
"Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Mengxi, and this is Lark. It is our honor to host you tonight. This way, please."
The hostess's voice was soft and gentle, naturally putting one at ease.
"It's not easy to get a reservation here. Their food is considered one of Wuhai's finest. I had to pull quite a few strings to make this happen. I hope you'll be satisfied."
He Hong said to Zhou Yuanjue with a smile.
"You've gone to a lot of trouble."
Zhou Yuanjue nodded. Guided by the two hostesses, Mengxi and Lark, they crossed the winding walkway and arrived at the main entrance of Haiyun Palace. The doors of the ancient-style pavilion were wide open and brightly lit, revealing a hall decorated in classical luxury.
"Welcome!"
Before they even stepped inside, waiters could be seen bowing to them from a distance.
"After you."
A slight smile on his somewhat chubby face, He Hong gestured for Zhou Yuanjue to enter.
However, Zhou Yuanjue stopped. Standing before the brightly lit entrance of the pavilion, he turned to face He Hong. "It's been about a year and a half since the last manager died and we started working together, hasn't it?"
"To be precise, it's been one year and nine months."
The smile on He Hong's face grew wider.
"Has it been that long? What a shame."
Zhou Yuanjue sighed faintly.
"It is a shame."
He Hong also said with a sigh.
SCREECH!!
Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of air bursting like a bird's cry rang out, and a piercing chill appeared at his neck.
He Hong's pupils shrank. His reaction speed was also extremely fast. He ducked violently and scrambled away with a desperate roll, escaping Zhou Yuanjue's attack range. His suit was in disarray, and a slight pain emanated from his Adam's apple, the skin broken and bleeding. A split-second later, and his entire larynx would have been crushed to dust.
He Hong was now covered in a cold sweat. As the Wuhai City manager for the Decisive Fist project, he himself was a former Duel Master and had been a top-tier fighter in his day. Although he hadn't competed in years, he had never stopped training. He hadn't expected to be nearly killed by Zhou Yuanjue in the very first exchange.
After watching the match between Wu He Mountain and Zhou Yuanjue, he knew this man's Fist Technique and physical conditioning had reached a terrifying, almost inhuman level.
Unfortunately, this was no longer the era of Fist Techniques.
CLICK!!
The moment Zhou Yuanjue attacked, Mengxi and Lark, the graceful and elegant hostesses beside him, reached for their lower backs.
Throughout the reception, they had never once shown him their backs. This seemed like a matter of professional etiquette, but in reality, it concealed a deadly intent.
Two black pistols instantly appeared in Zhou Yuanjue's line of sight.
However, he didn't dodge. Instead, he charged violently toward Mengxi, who was closest to him.
Seeing Zhou Yuanjue lunge at her, Mengxi's pretty face showed no trace of panic.
They were professionals. They knew the lethality of Duel Masters in close-quarters combat. Their terrifying speed and explosive power were something they could never hope to match.
At a time like this, dodging was the stupidest choice.
She hunched her back, her left hand instantly moving to protect her chest while her right hand drew the gun with undiminished, even greater, speed.
She prepared to take the full force of his charge to buy time and slow him down. Even if she were severely injured, her gun could still take his life. And even if she failed, her partner behind her could fire the moment she stalled him, killing him on the spot.
Trading injury for injury, willing to risk severe wounds or even death to complete the mission, able to overcome the body's instinct for fear in the midst of a high-speed battle to find the quickest, cleanest solution—these women were, without a doubt, true professionals trained by Heiwei Yuan.
Seeing Mengxi's instantaneous, instinctual reaction, Zhou Yuanjue immediately understood.
Two professional Suicide Squad Gunmen, a pincer attack from front and back, ready to trade their lives for his. This was a life-or-death crisis.
Even for someone as strong as Zhou Yuanjue, who had achieved Great Success in the Red Falcon Fist, facing modern firearms was like treading on thin ice.
The times had changed. Ten years of martial arts training couldn't stand up to the sound of a single gunshot.
Zhou Yuanjue could almost feel the era itself mocking him.
It happened in a flash, a single moment between life and death.
Mengxi smiled. In the end, she was a step faster. The instant Zhou Yuanjue was about to slam into her, her muzzle was already aimed at his body.
Taking his charge meant she might be severely injured, but taking her bullet meant he would definitely die.
The times have changed!!
BANG!!
The gunshot rang out. But all Mengxi heard was a series of sharp cracks from his bones. A strong gust of wind swept past her legs, and the figure that was about to crash into her simply vanished before her eyes at the very moment the gun fired, leaving no trace.
'Demon Technique?! A Daoist Skill?!'
For a moment, Mengxi almost thought she was in a Fantasy World.
The next instant, an intensely sharp chill came from behind her. Zhou Yuanjue had somehow gotten behind her without her noticing!
'How did he do that?!'
She couldn't comprehend what had just happened to her, but on the other side, Lark saw it all clearly.
The tall man, in the instant he was about to collide with Mengxi, had suddenly ducked. Amid a rattling of bones, his massive frame rapidly shrank, and like a nimble, cunning wildcat, he shot through the space between Mengxi's legs.
Because his speed was too fast and his movements too precise, it exceeded the capture speed of the retina, creating the illusion of a Wall Penetrating Skill or Instant Teleportation for the person involved.
The Bone Shrinking technique!
Ancient assassins created this technique to enhance their stealth and infiltration abilities. It allows one to shrink their skeleton or temporarily dislocate joints to perform movements that defy common sense, hiding in unimaginable places to deliver a fatal blow!
The next moment, she saw a large hand grip Mengxi's neck. He pushed Mengxi toward her as if holding a sack, his speed not a bit slower than before.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!
Lark didn't hesitate for a second. Muzzle flashes erupted from the dark barrel of her gun as she fired repeatedly at Mengxi, whom Zhou Yuanjue was now using as a human shield.
She knew very well that there was no point in trying to save someone who had fallen into the hands of a Boxer of this caliber. Death was almost certain, so she felt no psychological burden.
The immense force of the large-caliber pistol shots at close range blasted gruesome, bloody holes in Mengxi's body. The bullets tore through her and struck Zhou Yuanjue.
However, with Mengxi's body acting as a buffer, the bullets retained less than a third of their kinetic energy. While that might still be enough to fatally wound an ordinary person, it couldn't do the same to him.
The bullets broke his skin and pierced his superficial muscles, splattering blood, but they were clamped tight by his powerful muscles, unable to reach his internal organs.
In the blink of an eye, he had reached Lark, holding the mangled, bleeding body of Mengxi before him.
SQUELCH!!
A hand shot out from one of the bullet holes blasted through Mengxi's chest, precisely gripping Lark's throat.
It cleverly bypassed her bones, a move performed with the precision of a master butcher.
CRACK!!
A sickening crack of bone echoed from Lark's throat. A trace of disbelief lingered in her charming eyes, as if she never imagined he would kill her in such an inconceivable manner.