A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

The night breeze was cool and carried a hint of alcohol as it brushed against Zhou Yuan's body.

He walked slowly down the streets of the outer city, in complete silence.

My mind, however, was perfectly clear.

Wang Xuanzhao's fervent efforts to win him over surprised him greatly. Those three gifts—the second-grade pills, the inner city residence, and the 1,500 taels of silver—each hit the mark precisely where he needed them most.

This thoughtfulness is undeniably profound.

If it were the old him, he might have actually agreed tonight given such a generous gift.

But the Song Fang incident made him realize that he and the Salt Gang, and the Wang Family Business Alliance behind the Salt Gang, were ultimately not on the same path.

They forced women into prostitution, exploited the people, and treated human life as worthless.

He couldn't do such a thing, and even felt a deep-seated resistance to it.

Behind the three major gangs of Luochuan—the Canal Gang, the Salt Gang, and the Firewood Gang—lies the shadow of the Merchant Alliance. He had once been a laborer for the Canal Gang and knew it well as a ruthless den of monsters. Having witnessed the Salt Gang's methods firsthand tonight, he figured the Firewood Gang was no better.

The business alliance may appear prosperous and glamorous, but it is actually built on countless bones.

Zhou Yuan let out a long sigh.

In this chaotic world, he didn't want to become a ghost, nor did he want to turn others into ghosts with his own hands.

This business alliance was ultimately not his final destination.

Having made up his mind, Zhou Yuan smiled nonchalantly.

In a chaotic world of martial arts, overthinking is useless; only fists matter.

As long as your fist is strong enough, no one can force you to do something you don't want to do.

Another cool breeze blew by, and Zhou Yuan was instantly sobered up considerably. He stopped thinking about it and quickened his pace, heading home.

About an hour later, Zhou Yuan entered Blackwater Alley.

This is the only way home.

The moonlight is beautiful tonight; its cool glow illuminates the alleyway perfectly. At first glance, Blackwater Alley seems no different from any other day.

But Zhou Yuan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Not right.

Of the thirty-six alleys in the outer city, Blackwater Alley is the most chaotic. At this time of day, while other alleys might have already fallen silent, this one is at its liveliest.

People from all walks of life, including wanted criminals, mingled here. Fights and murders took place almost every night.

But tonight, it's unusually quiet here.

It was eerily quiet.

Upon realizing this, Zhou Yuan's mind sharpened, and the lingering effects of the alcohol were completely dispelled. His blood and energy began to circulate unconsciously, and he looked around warily.

Just then, a series of noisy footsteps suddenly came from the dark alleyway ahead.

The footsteps were very dense; just by listening, one could tell there were at least dozens of people.

As the footsteps drew closer, Zhou Yuan, by the light of the moon, finally saw the appearance of the person approaching.

The dozens of people were all dressed in black, their faces covered with black cloth, making their appearances impossible to discern. However, the chilling aura emanating from them caused Zhou Yuan's heart to sink slightly.

Among these dozens of people, there were as many as five or six martial artists whose cultivation had reached the Yi Jin realm!

There were more than a dozen martial artists at the Bone Forging Realm!

As for the rest, they were all experts at the Skin Refining Realm.

The moment these people looked at Zhou Yuan, their eyes flashed with undisguised killing intent; they were clearly there for him.

Zhou Yuan's heart pounded.

Such a lineup is terrifying in Luochuan County! Only a handful of forces can mobilize such power.

Just then, Zhou Yuan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and an extremely dangerous feeling came from behind him!

He turned around abruptly, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Suddenly, a man in black robes appeared silently behind him.

The man in black robes stood with his hands behind his back, his figure shrouded in the wide robe. His aura was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss, clearly indicating that he was a powerful expert at the Marrow Cleansing Realm!

In front of the man in black robes, a figure was kneeling.

The man was bound by thick ropes, his face was ashen, and he was barely breathing. He was none other than Xu Fu, the leader of the Black Tiger Gang!

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan, a pleading light flashed in Xu Fu's ashen eyes.

The man in black robes spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.

"I heard you're a formidable fighter, having defeated two powerful Yi Jin practitioners while only at the Bone Forging Realm."

The man in black paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and, seemingly with a light touch, struck Xu Fu on the head.

"puff."

A muffled thud.

The last trace of life vanished from Xu Fu's face in an instant, his eyes filled with terror and resentment. Then his entire obese body collapsed limply to the ground, clearly dead.

"I don't believe you're really that good at fighting."

As soon as the man in black finished speaking, he kicked out suddenly, using Xu Fu's corpse as a punching bag, and kicked it hard at Zhou Yuan.

Xu Fu's enormous body, weighing no less than several hundred pounds, was like a light toy under his feet.

Seeing Xu Fu so easily killed by this man, Zhou Yuan felt a chill run down his spine and dared not be careless in the slightest. He swung his arms, instantly activating the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, and raised his hand to catch the flying corpse.

"Bang!"

The moment it touched Xu Fu's body, an immense force surged forth.

Zhou Yuan groaned, his entire body involuntarily taking half a step back before he could completely dissipate the force.

This person's seemingly casual kick contained such immense power!

"Today's situation was orchestrated by you for my benefit." Zhou Yuan slowly laid Xu Fu's corpse down, looking at the black-robed man before him with a sharp gaze. "But who are you, sir?"

His brain was working at lightning speed.

There are only a dozen or twenty experts at the Marrow Cleansing Realm in the entire Luochuan County.

A martial artist at the Marrow Cleansing Realm who has a grudge against him and can mobilize such enormous power...

A guess slowly emerged in his mind.

"Why ask so many questions when one is about to die?"

The black-robed man's hoarse voice interrupted Zhou Yuan's thoughts.

He waved his hand gently.

Dozens of figures suddenly appeared on the rooftops on both sides of the alley.

These people were crouching down, each holding a gleaming crossbow bolt, the arrowheads all aimed at Zhou Yuan in the center of the alley.

With dozens of crossbow bolts locked on from afar, Zhou Yuan's heart sank completely.

The current situation is a dead end for him.

Not to mention the dozens of martial artists in front of him, this unfathomable black-robed man at the Marrow Cleansing Realm alone is someone he cannot contend with at present.

Bone forging and marrow cleansing are two major realms apart, which cannot be compensated for by innate talent.

Just as Zhou Yuan was secretly pondering a countermeasure, at this critical moment...

Outside Blackwater Alley, countless torches suddenly lit up, illuminating the dark night sky as bright as day.

Immediately following was the rapid sound of galloping hooves and the clanging of armor, rolling in from afar.

Upon seeing this, both Zhou Yuan in the alley and the man in black robes opposite him changed their expressions.

At that moment, at the entrance of the alley, behind the man in black robes, countless patrol soldiers in standard armor surged in like a tide, instantly blocking all escape routes.

A magnificent black horse, surrounded by a group of armored soldiers, slowly entered the quiet alley.

"Da...da...da..."

The crisp sound of horses' hooves was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence.

On that black horse sat a knight dressed in the armor of a thousand-household commander.

Zhou Yuan looked at the knight, his heart stirred slightly.

He had seen this person at a banquet at Wangjiang Tower a few days ago.

It was none other than Cheng Kang, the commander of the patrol battalion.

......