madnovel Chapter 48 Overwhelming Victory, A Counterattack!
Chapter 48 Overwhelming Victory, A Counterattack!
Zhou Tong's sudden attack, made without warning, completely surprised everyone.
The courtyard fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a chorus of low gasps.
No one expected that someone at the Stone Skin Realm would dare to launch a preemptive attack on Sun Wei, who was at the Iron Skin Realm!
Several veteran patrol officers leaning against the wall subconsciously shook their heads, looking as if the young people were still too impulsive.
In the shadows of the eaves, Zhao Han's pupils contracted, while Chang Xuan's brows furrowed.
The two exchanged a worried glance; Zhou Tong's perfect swordsmanship was indeed exquisite.
The difference between stone muscles and iron muscles is a real, comprehensive gap in strength, speed, and endurance!
No matter how skillful the technique, if the foundation is insufficient, it is like water without a source.
If Sun Wei can hold his ground and break through ten techniques with one punch, it won't be long before Zhou Tong suffers a great loss!
The two men kept their eyes fixed on the field, ready to provide immediate assistance should Sun Wei make any malicious moves.
The team members behind Sun Wei were slightly taken aback, then their sneers deepened.
Zhou Tong's reputation as a "martial arts prodigy" is impressive, but so what? His cultivation level is unparalleled!
Captain Sun has been fighting on the streets for over a decade, and he's not afraid of fancy tricks at all.
The group was already waiting to see Zhou Tong get himself into trouble and be brutally beaten to the ground by Sun Wei.
On the field, Sun Wei watched Zhou Tong pounce on him with a sinister smile.
"You're too young to be provoked into action with just a few words! Today I'll show you that before absolute power, all your genius and clever tricks are meaningless!"
In the blink of an eye, he lowered his stance and unleashed a fist the size of a bowl without any fancy moves!
The force of the punch stirred up dust on the ground.
This punch was incredibly powerful, demonstrating a strategy of overwhelming force.
He intends to use the powerful blood and qi of the Iron Muscle Realm to crush Zhou Tong in one fell swoop!
Zhou Tong looked at the fist hurtling towards him, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, but he neither dodged nor parried.
The slight adjustment in the trajectory of the slashing palm was precisely the essence of the "Tiger Crouching on the Mountain" defensive stance in the perfect version of the sword technique, which was incorporated into the edge of the palm. It seemed like a hard block, but in fact it contained the skillful force of deflecting and guiding the opponent's force.
"Bang!"
The fists and palms collided with a dull thud, like the sound of a leather being struck.
Sun Wei's sinister smile froze instantly!
The scene he had envisioned—the other party being shaken and staggered backward—did not occur.
A solid and refined power, far exceeding what an ordinary Stone Skin Realm cultivator should possess, flowed from Zhou Tong's palm!
More importantly, nearly 30% of his powerful punch, capable of splitting rocks, was deflected and slid away by the subtle tremors and angle changes at the edge of the opponent's palm!
The remaining force caused Zhou Tong to stagger, but he himself was even more exhausted, staggering back two steps, his right arm burning with pain!
"Um?"
Zhao Han and Chang Xuan, who were standing in the corridor, both let out a soft exclamation, their worries instantly turning into surprise and doubt.
They weren't surprised by Zhou Tong's skillful way of deflecting force, but they were surprised by the foundation of power he displayed under the direct confrontation.
This is not just about skillful technique; the level of power... is wrong!
On the field, Sun Wei was shocked. Before he could think, he viciously swung his left fist toward Zhou Tong's ribs, trying to disrupt the rhythm.
Zhou Tong remained calm, but with a strange twist of his waist and hips, he narrowly dodged the punch, while simultaneously transforming his right palm into a blade and swiftly slashing at Sun Wei's wrist!
The changes in tactics were so fluid and precise, as if they were made by nature itself.
Sun Wei hurriedly withdrew his hand, but Zhou Tong had already used the momentum of his sidestep to rush forward, sweeping his left leg low, silently but as fast as lightning, accurately striking the back of Sun Wei's supporting leg's knee!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Sun Wei's left leg buckled, and he fell to his knees with a "thud"!
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Zhou Tong continued his actions without pause.
The moment Sun Wei knelt down and groaned in pain, his right foot suddenly rose and precisely stepped on the side of Sun Wei's other knee joint, grinding down with force!
Sun Wei let out a miserable scream, his knees hitting the ground, pinned to the ground.
At the same time, Zhou Tong's left hand, with fingers pointing outwards, was already poised like an iron arrow, stopping half an inch in front of Sun Wei's throat.
This was a remarkably swift and unexpected turn of events.
The onlookers were dumbfounded. They couldn't understand how Sun Wei, who was at the Iron Muscle Realm, could be defeated so easily by Zhou Tong. They were all quite confused.
Zhou Tong is indeed a martial arts prodigy, but his previously rumored combat prowess didn't seem to reach this level!
Just as everyone was filled with doubt, Sun Wei suddenly looked up, staring at Zhou Tong with disbelief, and shouted in a hoarse voice:
"Iron Skin! You...you've broken through to Iron Skin?! How is that possible?!"
As the one who fought against him, Sun Wei knew better than anyone that Zhou Tong's strength in the previous exchange was in no way weaker than his.
That exclamation was like the fuse that lit a powder keg.
The courtyard was deathly silent for a moment.
Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar erupted, a sound wave more intense than ever before!
"Iron Skin?! Captain Zhou has reached Iron Skin?!"
"My God! How long has it been?! From stone skin to iron skin, this... this speed is simply terrifying!"
"No wonder! No wonder he dared to make a move! So that's where his trump card was!"
"The perfect sword technique was already exquisite, and now, combined with the strength foundation of the Iron Skin Realm... My goodness, Captain Sun's defeat is well-deserved!"
"It's not just not unfair! It's a complete rout! Look, from beginning to end, Captain Sun didn't offer a single decent counterattack!"
The gasps and murmurs nearly lifted the roof off.
All eyes were fixed on Zhou Tong.
The members of the second team were so excited they could hardly contain themselves. Chen Yan's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and the admiration in Li Kang and the others' eyes almost became tangible.
The shopkeepers were pale with fear, their eyes filled with unease as they looked at Zhou Tong.
Behind the second-floor window.
Squadron Leader Liu Zhenshan's hand holding the teapot suddenly stopped, and a little tea spilled out.
He stared at the courtyard, his eyes dark and gloomy.
To reach the Iron Muscle level so quickly, your speed has already surpassed that of the two renowned geniuses of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, Liu Qing and Zheng Hao!
On the other side, Qin Lie's eyes suddenly flashed with amazing brilliance, and the corners of his mouth curled up, his smile widening.
……
After the discussion subsided, all eyes turned to Zhou Tong.
"Chen Yan".
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhou Tong spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clear and resonant, silencing all whispers.
Chen Yan jolted awake, as if whipped, jolting him out of his extreme shock and ecstasy.
He darted to Zhou Tong's side, chest puffed out and stomach in, his voice booming, even trembling slightly with excitement: "Here!"
Zhou Tong's gaze remained fixed on Sun Wei's deathly pale face, and he said calmly:
"Look carefully. I'll get your lost things back for you."
Before the words had even finished—
"Slap! Slap!"
Two crisp, powerful explosions rang out almost simultaneously on Sun Wei's left and right cheeks!
Zhou Tong acted swiftly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
Two slaps.
Sun Wei's cheeks swelled up at a visible speed.
The finger marks were clear, as if branded with a hot iron. The corner of his mouth cracked instantly, and a thin line of bright red blood seeped out, dripping down his chin and splashing into small spots on the dust.
Seeing this scene, Chen Yan felt a surge of hot blood rush to the top of his head, his scalp tingling. A mixture of exhilaration, relief, and triumph made his eyes burn and his nose sting.
He suddenly straightened his back, his face flushed and his neck bulging, and roared with all his might, his voice echoing like thunder in the courtyard:
"Captain! I saw it! I heard it too! It was crisp and loud! That felt great! Thank you, Captain!!"
Behind him, Li Kang, Zhao Hu, and other members of the second squad stared wide-eyed, their chests heaving violently.
Someone suddenly roared, "Captain is mighty!" which immediately drew excited responses from the crowd.
Under the scorching gazes of countless eyes, Sun Wei's cheeks burned with pain, and his heart felt as if it were being fried in boiling oil.
His teeth were grinding together, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, and his resentment was as venomous as a snake, as if he wanted to devour Zhou Tong alive.
But the icy chill emanating from the finger in front of his Adam's apple, and the excruciating pain in his knee joint, made his muscles stiffen, and he dared not move an inch.
The other two squad leaders of the first squadron stood at the edge of the crowd, their faces extremely pale, alternating between red and white. They exchanged glances and shifted their feet, as if they wanted to step forward to help.
But as soon as they made a move, Zhao Han and Chang Xuan, who were under the eaves, swept over with sharp, knife-like eyes, like leopards that had smelled blood.
Zhao Han crossed his arms, a cold smile playing on his lips, and raised his chin at them, giving them a "come and try, I'm itching for a fight" look.
Chang Xuan also moved half a step without making a sound, watching intently.
The two men felt a chill run down their spines, but ultimately did not take that step, and could only watch helplessly with grim faces.
On the second floor, Liu Zhenshan looked at Sun Wei, who was kneeling on the ground in the courtyard with his cheeks red, swollen and bleeding. His face twitched slightly, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the purple clay teapot became visible.
He took a deep breath, pressed his lips tightly together, and made no sound.
He was the one who initiated the provocation, and now that someone has come knocking on his door demanding repayment, if he, as the squad leader, were to personally intervene to reprimand or stop them, the nature of the matter would change, and it would become a case of the strong bullying the weak.
Moreover, Qin Lie was probably just waiting for him to speak, and he could already imagine the barrage of criticism that would follow once he opened his mouth.
After all this fuss, the only outcome is a complete loss of face and reputation.
He had no choice but to swallow his anger.
Just then—
"Slap! Slap!"
Two more merciless slaps landed squarely on Sun Wei's face, which was already swollen and red like a fermented bun.
Sun Wei's head snapped to the side from the blow, his hair disheveled. He struggled to turn his head back, his eyes bloodshot and bulging with fury, and hissed, "You...!"
Zhou Tong stared at him, his gaze icy and piercing.
"It is impolite not to reciprocate. These two gestures are my reward to you."
As he spoke, he leaned slightly forward and said coldly:
"You blind fool, spouting nonsense in front of me. I hit you, so be it. If you're not satisfied, you can come back to me anytime and get your money back."
These were the exact words Sun Wei used to humiliate Chen Yan and show contempt for Zhou Tong!
At this moment, Zhou Tong returned the favor word for word, like a whip soaked in salt water, lashing Sun Wei's face hard.
He made a "hoarse" sound in his throat, but was unable to refute it. He was so choked up that his vision went black and he almost fainted.
Zhou Tong stopped looking at him, straightened up, and called out lightly, "Chen Yan."
"Here!!" Chen Yan's voice was loud and clear, filled with barely suppressed excitement and joy, and his back was ramrod straight.
"Captain Sun is unable to act at the moment."
Zhou Tong said calmly, "Go, finish the chores you didn't complete this morning, and bring our things back yourself."
"yes!!"
Chen Yan shouted loudly, his spirits high, and strode over to Sun Wei, who was kneeling in a disheveled state. His eyes were disdainful, and there was no trace of the humiliation he had felt in the teahouse earlier.
Without any hesitation, he reached out and touched Sun Wei's chest.
Sun Wei's facial muscles twitched as a wave of humiliation washed over him.
He suddenly raised his hand, not to resist, but trembling as he reached into his pocket and rummaged around for a while before finally pulling out the stack of tribute silver notes that originally belonged to Zhou Tong's team and hadn't even warmed up yet.
He was furious and wanted to throw the silver notes on the ground, but when he caught a glimpse of Zhou Tong's ambiguous smile out of the corner of his eye, he felt a chill inexplicably and his movement froze in mid-air.
Chen Yan ignored him completely, snatched the silver note, dusted off non-existent dust, turned around, raised both hands high, and respectfully handed it to Zhou Tong, saying loudly:
"Captain! We've brought back everything, not a single thing missing!"
Zhou Tong didn't take it, but only gave him a look that said "keep it for now".
Then, Zhou Tong chuckled, his gaze returning to Sun Wei's face, and said slowly and deliberately:
"Captain Sun, you're not capable enough to control the situation, so some things just aren't yours."
If you shouldn't have taken it, you should obediently let go.
So, how dare you accept that tribute from the west side of Wenchang Street!
His voice suddenly turned cold: "Now, Captain Sun, please return the portion you shouldn't have taken."
"Zhou Tong!"
Sun Wei suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and roared hoarsely:
"I admit defeat this time! Don't push your luck!"
"This is going too far!"
Zhou Tong chuckled briefly: "It seems Captain Sun's memory isn't very good. He just said it so confidently, and now he's denying it?"
Or is it that... your First Company, Third Squad has always had this fine tradition of 'treating words as if they were farts'?
He stopped looking at Sun Wei, and instead raised his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping over the group of shopkeepers who were silent as cicadas in fear by the courtyard:
"Gentlemen, have you all seen clearly and understood today? From now on, when dealing with people on Wenchang Street, you must keep your eyes open and recognize the people you are dealing with."
You actually trust someone who forgets what they said so quickly?
The shopkeepers felt uneasy as his gaze swept over them, and the forced smiles on their faces were more like cries.
Manager Wang bowed repeatedly, his voice trembling, "Captain Zhou, you are wise! Captain Zhou, you are wise... We, we understand..."
The others dared not speak, only nodding frantically.
Sun Wei's forehead veins throbbed violently, as if they were about to explode. He stiffened his neck and roared:
"I don't have any money! It was already distributed according to the rules! If you're not satisfied, then... if you're so capable, then kill me!!"
He only resorted to shamelessness because he had no other choice.
His team started collecting money a few days earlier than Zhou Tong's team. The money collected by his team was usually distributed according to the quota on the same day or the next day.
At this moment, he truly couldn't muster the filial piety shown to him on the west side of Wenchang Street.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong smiled and shook his head.
His left hand, which was still resting on Sun Wei's throat, remained still. He raised his right hand and slowly straightened Sun Wei's uniform collar, which had been disheveled during the struggle.
The movements were gentle and delicate, which clashed with the tense atmosphere on the scene, but made people feel even more uneasy.
Then, he leaned closer, a gentle smile on his face, and said:
"Captain Sun, what are you saying? We're all colleagues in the police station. Saying things like 'I'll kill you' is so hurtful."
If word gets out, outsiders will think there's discord within our police station. Do you think I, Zhou Tong, am the kind of person who wouldn't understand the bigger picture?
Sun Wei was chilled to the bone by his unusual behavior and tone, goosebumps rose all over his body, and a sense of foreboding surged into his heart.
Sure enough, Zhou Tong straightened his collar, brushed the dust off his shoulders, and then his smile suddenly vanished: "Chen Yan."
"Here!" Chen Yan replied loudly, always ready to respond.
"Some people say something they believe and then deny it. What do you call that?" Zhou Tong asked calmly.
Chen Yan spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground, puffed out his chest, and shouted loudly:
"Reporting to the captain! This is called spewing filth and being utterly shameless!"
"Well said."
Zhou Tong nodded in satisfaction:
"To ensure everyone can see Captain Sun's true character in the future, and to prevent any shopkeeper or colleague from being fooled by his 'foul-mouthed' words and suffering losses for nothing..."
Chen Yan, you've gone to all this trouble. Go to the back outhouse and scoop up a spoonful of fresh, hot "golden juice."
Let's force-feed it to Captain Sun and cleanse his intestines of all the filth and turbidity.
From then on, whenever he spoke, his words would be incredibly fragrant, and no one would be fooled by his flattery anymore.
Upon hearing this, the entire courtyard fell into a moment of deathly silence.
Immediately, Zhao Han and Chang Xuan led the way in bursting into laughter, and the other members of the Second Squadron joined in the commotion.
Chen Yan was taken aback at first, then looked at Sun Wei, whose face was ashen, and his eyes were almost overflowing with pleasure.
He shouted at the top of his lungs and answered without hesitation:
"Yes, Captain! Don't worry! This is the kind of good deed I love to do, which helps to educate the unruly and clean up the streets!"
I'm off right now! I guarantee I'll pick the richest, most mellow, and finest quality for Captain Sun! He'll have his fill, and it'll be an unforgettable experience!
After saying that, he turned around and pretended to rush to the outhouse in the backyard, his footsteps thumping loudly.
"Wait! Wait! I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you!!"
Sun Wei was terrified and no longer cared about saving face or maintaining his dignity. He screamed in a shrill voice:
"I really don't have any on me right now! I... I'll send someone back to get it immediately! Immediately!!"
He was genuinely terrified. If that stuff were forced down his throat, he would never be able to hold his head up again in the police station or in Cangzhou City. It would be worse than death for him.
Zhou Tong raised his eyelids slightly.
Chen Yan immediately stopped in his tracks, turned around and looked at the terrified Sun Wei, then chuckled coldly.
Zhou Tong looked at Sun Wei, his face regaining that gentle smile:
"Captain Sun, wouldn't it have been better if you had been this understanding from the beginning? It seems that your habit of not keeping your word can still be cured."
He continued in a relaxed tone:
"I have nothing else to do, so I'll just wait here. I'll respectfully see Captain Sun off to rest whenever his men bring the money back."
Kneeling on the ground for too long will hurt your knees and is bad for your health. I hope the people you sent can run quickly.
"Bang--!!!"
Just then, the window of Liu Zhenshan's office on the second floor was slammed shut from the inside, making the window frame and glass vibrate and hum.
Almost simultaneously, a hearty, unrestrained laugh erupted from behind the window of Qin Lie's office.
"Hahaha...Good! Good lad! Well done!"
The loud laughter, filled with utmost approval and delight, echoed clearly in the suddenly quiet courtyard.
As the laughter subsided, Qin Lie's strong, satisfied, and friendly voice rang out: "Zhou Tong! The matter is settled. Come up and have some tea with me!"
Zhou Tong looked up and met Qin Lie's admiring gaze from the window. He quickly replied loudly, "Yes, Captain!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a clerk wearing a gray Zhongshan suit rushed from the office building into the backyard with a face ashen as the bottom of a pot and stiff, hurried steps. He was Liu Zhenshan's personal secretary.
Without even glancing at Sun Wei, who was kneeling on the ground in a disheveled state, he walked straight to Chen Yan, angrily threw a stack of silver notes into Chen Yan's arms, and then turned and left without saying a word.
Seeing this, Zhou Tong smiled slightly, not surprised at all.
Now, Sun Wei has lost face completely. If he delays any longer and sends his men to get the money, he will lose even more face. The longer it drags on, the wider the joke will spread.
No matter what, Liu Zhenshan had to end this embarrassing scene as soon as possible.
Zhou Tong knew that the time was right, and pushing further would be counterproductive.
He slowly withdrew his left hand, which had been resting on Sun Wei's throat, and then moved his right foot, which had been pressing on Sun Wei's joints, away as well.
"Captain Sun, please rise."
Zhou Tong took two steps back, his tone returning to its usual businesslike indifference.
With the help of two teammates, Sun Wei struggled to his feet.
Under the silent gaze of countless eyes, like a stray dog, he scrambled through the crowd and disappeared into the courtyard gate.
Having resolved Sun Wei's matter, Zhou Tong glanced around the room, then strode leisurely to the various shopkeepers.
(My darlings, my updates during the new book period are quite frequent, usually around 4,000 words. My introduction page shows a target of 5,000 words per day, but since I update at a set time every day, I've combined two chapters into one. This chapter is almost 6,000 words again, please give me a monthly vote.)