C10 If You Are Slow

Tan Jingyao's residence was quite close by, and within roughly thirty minutes, they had reached the doorstep of his home. What Chen Fan hadn't anticipated, though, was encountering a familiar face before they even arrived at Tan Jingyao's entrance: Zhou Qianlong.

Zhou Qianlong hadn't changed much in appearance, making it simple for Chen Fan to recognize him. Then, out of the blue, a voice announced, "Additional mission reward: Sunbeam Blade +1. It has now been stored in your backpack and is available for use at any time!"

Backpack? He had a backpack while on a mission here?

Ignoring the matter of the backpack, Chen Fan was aware of the other people around him. Tan Jingyao was right there, observing. Chen Fan knew better than to reveal the Sunbeam Blade unless he had a death wish.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Fan continued to watch Zhou Qianlong, who seemed oblivious to his presence, as if he hadn't seen him at all. This unexpected oversight prompted Chen Fan to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

Tan Jingyao, on the other hand, was not so indifferent. He approached Zhou Qianlong with a furrowed brow and scrutinized him with a wary gaze. "Who are you?" he asked.

Zhou Qianlong chuckled at the question. After a brief hesitation, he produced his identification: the chief attending physician of the hospital, Professor Zhou.

Tan Jingyao, examining the credentials and Zhou Qianlong's demeanor, took a moment before responding with a chilly tone, "If I'm not mistaken, I don't believe we've met. What brings you here? Is there a particular matter you need to discuss?"

"Indeed," Zhou Qianlong replied, tucking away his ID and gesturing towards the door behind him with a confident look. "Master of Leg Techniques, Tan Jingyao, I would like to have a meaningful conversation with you. I believe I possess information you'll find valuable. What do you say?"

Chen Fan, arms crossed and an amused expression on his face, watched the exchange with interest. Zhou Qianlong had managed to track down Tan Jingyao without any knowledge of the unfolding story, a testament to his capabilities. Yet, he seemed unaware that Tan Jingyao had already encountered Feng Yuxiu and that they had clashed. With this in mind, Chen Fan decided to stick around for the unfolding drama, intrigued by the unexpected bonus that had come his way.

Chen Fan found himself at a loss for words.

Was it luck or something else?

Upon hearing this, Tan Jingyao's face took on an even more cautious expression.

In the span of a single day, two people had sought him out, both recognizing him as a Master of Leg Techniques. Yet, one sought his life, and the intentions of the other remained unclear.

This situation demanded a resolution; it simply wouldn't do to leave it unaddressed!

Hopefully, these two weren't in cahoots; otherwise...

If Feng Yuxiu couldn't finish Tan Jingyao off, that didn't mean he couldn't handle this other person!

Tan Jingyao seemed to come to a decision, nodding his head. "Since you've come, let's not waste words. Shall we get going then?"

With that, Tan Jingyao turned to Chen Fan, his demeanor completely transformed from moments before.

He nodded at Chen Fan, offering a smile. "Prof. Wang, after you?"

He then gestured towards the doorway.

Zhou Qianlong's face soured at the sight.

He was accustomed to being the one others sought after. In Tan Jingyao's presence, however, he felt disregarded, as if he were being openly insulted.

But recalling the reason for his visit, Zhou Qianlong managed to quell his rising temper and followed closely behind Tan Jingyao.

They soon entered the living room, where Tan Jingyao gestured towards the sofa opposite them and said with a smile, "Prof. Wang, please take a seat. We can discuss matters more comfortably."

Chen Fan took his seat without delay.

Once Chen Fan was seated, Tan Jingyao turned his attention to Zhou Qianlong.

"Please, have a seat."

This time, however, Tan Jingyao's smile had vanished, leaving his face expressionless, making it clear he was not to be trifled with.

Zhou Qianlong, fists clenched, sat down and faced Tan Jingyao, saying, "The alignment of shoulder with hip, elbow with knee, hand with foot—capture is to control, seize is to hold. Mastery of these techniques precedes the introduction of weapons, which are but extensions of the limbs, achieving unity between warrior and weapon."

"When the heart and mind align, the mind and Qi align, the Qi and strength align, harmonizing the inner Yin with the outer Yang, they become one energy. If one aspect is not in harmony, it becomes difficult to train in any other form."

"Mr. Tan, as a Master of Leg Techniques, you should understand the significance of this."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan raised his hand to his forehead, a look of surprise crossing his face. He hadn't expected Zhou Qianlong to be familiar with this concept.

'Has Xiahou Wu's mantra really become that widespread?'

It was fortunate that he had met Lu Xuanxin first; otherwise, he might not have been aware of Zhou Qianlong's head start.

This certainly demonstrated Zhou Qianlong's capabilities and the influence backing him!

Previously, no one had ever left the martial arts world on their own, which spoke volumes about the difficulty of the task. Without substantial experience, one couldn't possibly be privy to such knowledge, unless they had entered many times before.

Of course, that was out of the question. There was only one other explanation.

The Zhou family must have sent someone in who, by some means, discovered a loophole and relayed the information outwards, thus contributing to Zhou Qianlong's current prowess.

Despite Zhou Qianlong's knowledge, he was no match for someone who had seen the entire film, like Tan Jingyao.

Hearing this, Tan Jingyao fixed Zhou Qianlong with a cold stare and demanded, "How do you come by this knowledge? Who told you?"

Zhou Qianlong, pleased with the reaction he elicited from Tan Jingyao, smiled and shook his head. He continued to gaze at Tan Jingyao and suggested, "Mr. Tan, I think we should first discuss other matters. We can return to this topic later."

With that, Zhou Qianlong turned to glance meaningfully at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan shrugged nonchalantly and speculated, "So, are you implying that the next target for the murderer is Tan Jingyao? After all, he's not just looking for a duel; he's seeking a contest that will decide not only the superior fighter but also a matter of life and death, isn't he?"

Before this moment, Zhou Qianlong hadn't given Chen Fan much thought. But now, hearing Chen Fan's words, Zhou Qianlong started to take notice.

How could he possibly know what he intended to say?

And how did he figure out that the killer's next target was Tan Jingyao?

Chen Fan let out a sigh, looking at Zhou Qianlong with a sense of helplessness. "You're too late. The killer has already clashed with Tan Jingyao and has since left. He won't be going after Tan Jingyao again anytime soon."

"Impossible!"

Zhou Qianlong's voice cut in before Chen Fan could even finish his thought.