Chapter 137: You're Awake

Chapter 137: You're Awake

"Brothers and sisters of the Southwest Caoyun Group, did you enjoy tonight's exhibition match?"

On the fighting platform, the blood from the previous bout had yet to congeal when Brother Leopard flipped up onto it, exhaling and projecting his voice, his volume incomparably thunderous.

The labor-slaves below played along, howling like ghosts and wolves, shouting loudly that it was enjoyable.

"That was enjoyable?" Brother Leopard's expression was exaggerated,

He pointed a hand toward the left side of the arena, and Zhou You immediately cooperated by leaping onto the stage.

The movements were simple and unadorned; paired with that face which held not a trace of ferocity, they instantly drew a chorus of boos from the audience.

"This youth is one of the protagonists of today's finale exhibition match, Zhou You!"

Brother Leopard pressed his hand down, signaling for the crowd to settle down. "Everyone, don't look at Zhou You's young age; he is a bona fide expert, a mere half-step away from entering the Weapon Path sequence, truly unfathomable!"

As he spoke, he gave a slight nod to Zhou You, who immediately shook off the robe covering his body, revealing his physique.

It was a mechanical body, crude to the extreme, even somewhat hideous.

Hydraulic pipes thick as fists replaced his ribs; even the frayed, damaged edges of the chest plate's armor were visible.

The exposed spine at the back of his skull was covered in scratches; his native skin was clearly incompatible with the machinery, showing signs of ulceration, oozing yellow pus.

As Zhou You raised his arms and spun to display himself, the sour, grating sound of rusting machinery emanated from his frame.

This scene caused even Brother Leopard, standing nearby, to twitch at the corner of his eye; he thought to himself, *How did this kid end up in such a wretched state?*

But on second thought, he laughed.

This was perfect; once Zhou You was compared side-by-side with the strongman, these cunning labor-slaves would surely place their bets on the strongman.

Today, I'll let you know what it means to be too clever by half!

Not waiting for the crowd below to recover their wits, he pointed a finger toward the right side of the arena.

"As for the other contestant in today's exhibition match, his background is no small matter either."

Brother Leopard narrowed his eyes, feigning mystery. "I wonder if you brothers and sisters have ever heard of the Martial Path Sequence, which once shone with brilliance and tormented the Three Teachings until they suffered unspeakably?"

The moment his voice fell, a wave of gasps erupted below; the gamblers who had already written off Zhou You instantly perked up.

As the only administrative district in the entire Southwest region directly governed by the Empire, Chongqing Prefecture might not be vast in area, but it was teeming with outlaws and heroes alike.

In these years of the Empire's waning imperial authority, the power structure here had become even more chaotic.

The Three Teachings could not cover the sky here, and the Nine Streams clashed incessantly within it.

No one knew which way the Prefect's Yamen doors opened, but everyone knew where the Group's money came from.

Whoever had the biggest fist was the master.

In such a mixed environment of dragons and snakes, all manner of rumors and martial world hearsay were naturally countless.

Among them, a topic that frequently appeared in the common folk's idle chatter was the Martial Path Sequence that had once suppressed all sects and factions.

To actually see the legendary Martial Path Sequence in a small exhibition match like this today—it inevitably set everyone's blood boiling.

"Judging by everyone's reaction, I suppose no further introduction is needed from me. Let us welcome today's finale boxer!"

Amidst Brother Leopard's impassioned shouts, a black shadow flew onto the fighting platform; the instant it landed, the earth shook and mountains trembled, the iron pillar legs supporting the stage letting out groans of unbearable strain.

The strongman's expression was arrogant and unruly, hands thrust into his waist, displaying his exaggerated muscle lines, eliciting gasps from the audience.

"Brothers and sisters, today's exhibition match is an absolute rarity; you must keep your eyes wide open and watch closely!"

Brother Leopard dragged his speech to an extreme slowness, only shouting when he saw his subordinates below, responsible for taking bets, wave their hands in signal: "No more talk, the finale exhibition begins now!"

The moment his voice fell, Zhou You, who had long grown impatient waiting, stepped forward and charged, raising a steel fist larger than a sandpot and smashing it toward the strongman.

Seeing this, the strongman let out a wild laugh, his right leg stepping forward and knee bending, likewise throwing out a punch.

Right from the opening, it was an intensely stimulating exchange of blows; the spectators below couldn't help but cheer excitedly, waving their arms.

*Bang!*

Zhou You's fist slammed into the strongman, failing to scrape off even a shred of skin; conversely, he was blasted back several steps by a single punch, his face exceptionally grave.

"Fuck, a bit over the top. But this grandson's strength is too fucking small; this act is going to be hard to pull off!"

But Zhou You was experienced, after all; one saw his entire mechanical structure suddenly activate all at once, the hydraulic rods in his ribs pumping up and down, the iron plates on his chest opening and closing as if transforming, looking utterly terrifying.

"Worthy of the Martial Path Sequence, deserving of my serious attention!"

While tossing out this idiotic line, he raised his fists again and charged at the strongman.

But seeing the big idiot opposite meet him with another dull, straight punch, a trace of worry couldn't help but rise in Zhou You's eyes.

What kind of goods did Brother Leopard find? Since he's pretending to be the Martial Path Sequence, couldn't he at least spend a little money on a few shots and learn some boxing techniques and footwork? He only knows how to spend money on cosmetic surgery.

The youth cursed inwardly, but his movements suddenly changed; he sidestepped and flashed past the opponent's fist, his left fist striking out from his waist, aiming straight for the strongman's ribs.

This change startled the strongman into a jump, and he instinctively tried to retreat backward.

*Bang!*

The youth's Liver-Bursting Fist landed solidly, emitting a dull thud, yet the strongman's figure didn't sway even a fraction.

The strongman's gaze dropped in confusion, happening to meet a pair of clear, bright eyes blinking gently.

He instantly understood; his two thick arms flailed wildly before him like a turtle paddling water.

Amidst the storm of fist shadows, Zhou You was like a rickety junk ship, struggling left and right, constantly on the verge of disaster.

In the eyes of the audience below, the strongman's boxing was the epitome of tyranny, beating the youth's mechanical body until it shrieked in agony, blood flying horizontally!

"Ah!"

The firmly suppressed Zhou You suddenly let out an explosive roar; armor stacked upon his mechanical hands, and in the blink of an eye, his pair of fists swelled to the size of adult human heads.

He lunged forward with a driving punch; flames actually jetted from his elbow tips, his fist tearing through the air with a sharp howl.

Facing an offensive of such terrifying momentum, the strongman's expression remained exceptionally calm; he spread his palm, the size of a cattail leaf fan, and directly clamped down on Zhou You's fist!

*Shred!!*

Amidst the sudden cries of alarm, the youth's two arms were actually torn off alive, and he was kicked in the chest by the strongman, screaming as he flew off the stage.

The verdict was decided!

But strangely, though the strongman had clearly won, the audience below was wailing in anguish.

"Brother Leopard, you truly are a master strategist; how did you know these labor-slaves would all bet on me to pull an upset?"

In a dark corner devoid of people, Zhou You reattached his own arms while looking at Brother Leopard with an expression of worship.

"Who is your Brother Leopard? I've been scrambling in Chongqing Prefecture for so many years; I know exactly what shit these dock labor-slaves are going to drop just by tapping their buttocks."

Brother Leopard took a deep drag of his e-cigarette, exhaling two streams of smoke dragons from his nostrils.

"What are they? Labor-slaves of the Caoyun Group! Their supervisors are all Congruence Sequence cultivators; could they not distinguish the real deal from a fake? Even the slightest suspicion, and these people would spare no expense to kill the house!"

"But what a pity—the fighters and referees are all my own people, and with the Chuan-Yu Gambling Association's golden signboard here, they can't avoid being fleeced even if they want to."

*Snap!*

A stack of banknotes was thrown into Zhou You's arms.

"Good work this time. Go get your face swapped as soon as you can, touch up the body while you're at it. Next job, don't let anyone recognize you."

"My work speaks for itself. Rest easy."

The boy shoved the money into the gap between his ribs and vanished into the darkness at a brisk pace.

Half a shichen later, after deliberately winding through the streets and alleys for what felt like ages, Zhou You finally emerged in a cluster of dilapidated shanties.

He'd barely pushed the door open when he saw a figure seated on a stool, watching him with calm eyes.

"Hey. You're awake."