"Friend, your cousin is doing this for your own good. It pays to listen to good advice. You should just come along with us."
Lin Heng was incredibly fast, his body as light as a crane. He was already behind Zhou Yuanjue, his hand shooting out to grab his shoulder.
Just as he reached out, Zhou Yuanjue seemed to sense him. He turned and glanced at Lin Heng.
Lin Heng's pupils constricted violently. He felt a terrifying wave of malice wash over him, and every hair on his body stood on end. His muscles seized involuntarily, as if zapped by an electric current. With a push of his foot, he instantly put nearly ten paces between himself and Zhou Yuanjue.
When a common man is enraged, blood may fly five paces. But for a master of a Fist Technique, the attack range extends to ten paces. As the saying goes, within ten paces, one man is a match for an entire nation. Ten paces was a safe distance for an exchange between experts.
After retreating, Lin Heng's eyes burned as he stared at Zhou Yuanjue. He crouched, hunching his back. Every hair on his body was standing on end, even the ones on his head, making him look exactly like a startled cat with its fur bristled.
"Your senses are sharp, and you move like a startled rabbit. The moment your qi and blood stir, they flood your entire body. Your hair stands on end. These are the signs of a Fist Technique that has progressed from the external to the internal. Your Fist Technique is quite good."
Zhou Yuanjue turned and said to Lin Heng with open admiration.
"A gaze like lightning that pierces a man's very spirit... I misjudged you. I never expected you to be a master of the Dao as well. Since our paths have crossed, I must have a taste of your skill!"
Lin Heng took a deep breath. He felt he'd lost face by retreating from a single glance, and with a shift of his feet, he moved. His form was like a soaring immortal, as ethereal as a heavenly steed galloping through the sky or an antelope hanging by its horns—his path was impossible to trace, yet it secretly conformed to the principles of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.
In the blink of an eye, he was before Zhou Yuanjue. He threw a punch with a muffled WHUMP, striking like a viper from an impossibly cunning angle. It thrust toward Zhou Yuanjue's ribs—a truly vicious move.
It was less a Fist Technique and more a Sword Technique—ethereal and illusory, always striking from a vicious angle, seeking a fatal blow and leaving no trace.
This was a Fist Technique designed for one thing: killing.
The next moment.
GACK!!
Lin Heng collapsed to his knees, his face flushed crimson as he gasped for breath and dry-heaved.
He didn't even know what had happened. All he felt was a sharp pain in his chest before his entire body went weak. His qi and blood erupted into chaos, he couldn't breathe, and he was overwhelmed by nausea.
"An impressive technique. Your footwork follows the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and your fist's path is like a heavenly steed, an antelope hanging by its horns, a soaring immortal—a stroke of genius. If I'm not mistaken, this must be a Fist Technique derived from the Profound Heart Swordsmanship of the Ancient Daoist Xuan Sect. The Profound Heart Fist?"
Zhou Yuanjue pulled Lin Heng to his feet and gave him a sharp slap on the back.
COUGH!!
Lin Heng let out a violent cough and spat out a mouthful of white phlegm. Instantly, his breathing eased, and his qi and blood began to flow smoothly once more.
Only then did he feel a dull pain in the center of his chest. He realized that at some point during the exchange, his opponent had managed to strike a major acupoint on his sternum.
A wave of delayed fear washed over him. The chest was a vital area. If his opponent could strike that point in an instant, he could have just as easily stopped his heart and taken his life.
If this had been a battle to the death, he would be a corpse right now.
"How did you do that?!"
Lin Heng asked in disbelief. He prided himself on his Fist Technique, which he had received through a secret lineage. His physical prowess was like that of a wild beast, and his technique was so exquisite it was in tune with the Celestial Secret itself. Ten grown men couldn't even get close to him, yet he hadn't lasted a single exchange against this person. He hadn't even seen the punch coming.
"The principle is actually quite simple. First, physical conditioning. I'm in better shape than you—stronger and faster. That's the foundation of all combat. All that talk about 'Four Catties Move Thousand Pounds' is just bullshit. That's why when I struck, you couldn't react in time."
"The second is Heart Intent—you could also call it experience. Your Fist Technique is too raw. The Mystic Heart Sword emphasizes being ethereal and traceless, yet the moment you attacked, your eyes, your killing intent, your posture... they all exposed your objective completely. In my eyes, you were riddled with openings."
When it came to Fist Technique, Zhou Yuanjue didn't mind sharing his knowledge.
"I stand corrected. I never imagined your mastery of the Fist Technique had reached such a level. It's true that there is always someone better out there. I overestimated my own abilities. I have offended you deeply; please forgive me."
With a solemn expression, Lin Heng bowed to Zhou Yuanjue.
Standing to the side, Zhou Zhiyao was so shocked her jaw nearly hit the floor. She knew what Lin Heng was capable of. He was a disciple of the Nanjiang martial arts master, Gong Shouzhuo. She had once visited Gong Shouzhuo's dojo and watched Lin Heng spar. He had been surrounded by ten people and had taken them all down in a flash, with absolute ease.
'On the surface, this man seemed cheerful and easygoing, but she knew he was incredibly proud. Few people or things could ever truly win his respect. But today, he was bowing to someone a year or two his junior. It was practically the formal bow a disciple would offer their master.'
'When did her own cousin become so skilled?!'
Zhou Zhiyao looked at Zhou Yuanjue, suddenly feeling as if the cousin she thought she knew had become a complete stranger.
"You're from Nanjiang, and you practice the Profound Heart Fist. Is your master Gong Shouzhuo?"
Zhou Yuanjue asked Lin Heng, his expression shifting.
"You know my master? He's a guest at the Zhou Family residence right now. If you're interested, you could go and have a chat. I'm sure my master would be very interested in you as well."
Lin Heng nodded.
"I don't know him, but I've long heard of his reputation."
Zhou Yuanjue considered this for a moment.
'Gong Shouzhuo, an inheritor of the Profound Heart Fist and a renowned Fist Technique master in Nanjiang, was actually one of his future targets. Since fate had brought them together like this, it wouldn't hurt to meet him ahead of schedule.'
'Besides, for the Nanjiang Zhou Clan to be acquainted with a figure like Gong Shouzhuo and have his disciple working for them meant they already had one foot in that circle. There were some things they needed to know.'
With this in mind, Zhou Yuanjue nodded. "Alright, I'll go with you."
...
「The main courtyard of the Nanjiang Zhou Clan's residence.」
A hale and hearty old man in loose-fitting casual wear and a middle-aged man with fair skin and bright, alert eyes dressed in a modern Tang suit sat facing each other across a stone table, engrossed in a game of chess.
Behind them, a number of people stood watching the game. They were all trusted members of the Zhou Clan and Gong Shouzhuo's dojo, and the atmosphere was pleasant and harmonious.
"Checkmate! Younger Brother Gong, it looks like I've won again."
Zhou Shiyou, known as the shipping magnate of Nanjiang, boomed with laughter.
"Brother Zhou, you're a master of strategy, advancing with caution at every step. Truly worthy of your reputation as a self-made man. A simple brute like me is no match for you."
Gong Shouzhuo said with a laugh.
"You're too modest, Younger Brother Gong. We each have our own strengths, that's all. And regarding this current matter, I'll still have to rely on your help."
Zhou Shiyou said with a smile.
"That's a credit to your skill, Brother Zhou. You're the one who landed the deal. We're just providing a bit of support. By the way, have all of your family members been recalled to Nanjiang yet?"
Gong Shouzhuo asked.
"Just one left. I've already sent someone to get him, so he should be back soon. Is this situation really that serious?"
Zhou Shiyou asked, his brow furrowed.
"Absolutely. My investigation is complete. This time, the Jingchen Group has hired Harley Security. They're a motley organization active in the East Luoni region, made up mostly of mercenaries, military veterans, and underground fighters. They fight dirty and will stop at nothing to complete a mission. Kidnapping and extortion are standard operating procedure for them.
"We have no fear of a direct confrontation, but I'm worried they'll resort to underhanded tactics. So, until the contract is formally signed, I must ask you all to accept the inconvenience of staying home and not going anywhere. With me and my disciples here, this place will be perfectly secure."
Gong Shouzhuo said, his expression grave.
"I never imagined it was so chaotic overseas."
A middle-aged woman standing behind Zhou Shiyou remarked with a sigh.
"And this is one of the better scenarios. The country where the Zhou Group is doing business this time is a major power in East Luoni, with decent law enforcement and strong surveillance over the shipping lanes. The routes are short, so even if conflict breaks out, it's mostly with cold weapons like knives and clubs. At worst, you might see small-caliber handguns. If this were the Black Continent or some other volatile regions, facing heavy firearms would be a regular occurrence. We wouldn't dare take on business there, nor do we have the capability. That's where you find true chaos, where every deal and every fortune is built on blood."
A tall, powerfully built young man with a cold gaze, standing behind Gong Shouzhuo, spoke in a voice as firm as granite, each word resonating with force.
"A Nan is right. That is another world, one very distant from us. In truth, we should be grateful that we have a powerful nation and a stable environment."
Gong Shouzhuo nodded.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
Just then, the courtyard gate opened, and Zhou Zhiyao and Lin Heng walked in, following Zhou Yuanjue into the courtyard.
"Yuan Jue, you're here! Come over here. It's been half a year, hasn't it? You never visit your granduncle on your own. Have you forgotten about me?"
Seeing Zhou Yuanjue walk over, Zhou Shiyou stood up and beckoned to him, his expression warm but with a hint of gentle rebuke.
"Granduncle, have you been well?"
Zhou Yuanjue walked up and nodded to Zhou Shiyou.
"Yes, yes, I'm well. Just unhappy that you don't come to visit. Come, Younger Brother Gong, let me make an introduction. This is my second brother's grandson. I'd appreciate it if you'd look after him, should the opportunity arise."
Zhou Shiyou said with a smile, introducing him to Gong Shouzhuo.
"So you're Gong Shouzhuo?"
Zhou Yuanjue asked bluntly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sized up Gong Shouzhuo.