The surrounding crowd was stunned!
Everyone stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
Everything had happened too quickly!
So fast that they didn't have time to react.
By the time they came to their senses, several corpses lay on the ground, each instantly killed by Zhou Yan with a single move, their deaths gruesome.
The black market merchant was also shocked, completely unprepared for such a turn of events. When he finally reacted, seeing Zhou Yan brimming with killing intent, he scrambled towards the arena, knowing only the arena could summon generals to protect him.
But he never expected that after running only a short distance, he would be pulled in by a powerful suction. The merchant's face turned green as he frantically unleashed a surge of power to resist.
"Bang!"
Then, Zhou Yan's fist slammed down towards the black market merchant's head, leaving him dizzy and the world spinning.
Zhou Yan, as if lifting a chick, grabbed the merchant by his collar and dangled him in the air, saying, "No one who has tried to cheat me has succeeded. You're the first. How do you want to die?"
The black market merchant tried to resist, but found himself sealed, his spiritual energy completely suppressed. He was powerless to use any abilities. He knew he had provoked an incredibly terrifying powerhouse, before whom he had no ability to fight back.
"Brother, spare my life! I was wrong, I was truly wrong! I shouldn't have deceived you, I shouldn't have forced you to trade. It was all my fault. Please, let me go."
"Those materials, I'll sell them to you at half price. Oh no, no, no, I'll give them to you! Just spare my life."
The black market merchant begged incessantly, completely unprepared for such a ruthless individual who struck without hesitation, killing instantly, terrifying the merchant into constant pleas for mercy.
The surrounding onlookers now understood what had happened. It turned out this black market merchant had sold fake goods and then tried to force a sale. When his deception was discovered, he attempted to keep the other person there.
Such a person deserved no sympathy. However, in the black market, such incidents were common, but daring to kill here, regardless of Zhou Yan's reasons, would still draw the attention of the organizers.
They did not allow murder to occur in black market transactions, especially not with such ruthless force, killing so many people in one go.
The surrounding black market merchants also didn't expect to encounter such a ruthless person. Many of them secretly put away their fake goods, fearing they might offend another strong and merciless individual like Zhou Yan.
"Why are you begging now? Weren't you very arrogant before? Come on, I'm right here, why aren't you arrogant anymore? Not so fierce? Did you have to force my hand? You like selling fake goods, didn't you? Let's see you sell them!"
With that said, Zhou Yan directly grabbed the merchant and threw him onto the table. He then channeled his spiritual energy, stuffing the fake materials on the table into the merchant's mouth. The merchant tried to scream for help, but no sound came out.
The onlookers did not intervene, choosing to watch the spectacle. As buyers themselves, they detested those who sold fake goods, especially those who then resorted to coercion.
What sympathy did these people deserve? If you were weaker, imagine the fate of being at their mercy, perhaps even being bullied more relentlessly.
"Well done!"
"These scoundrels should be dealt with like this!"
"I think it's a bit excessive, killing is one thing, but this..."
"Saintly person, when you encounter such a situation yourself, you'll find this treatment too lenient!"
"I also feel there was no need for this. Killing them would have been enough."
...
Many black market merchants had already sent people to summon the patrolling guards. Among black market merchants, few were entirely honest, but they rarely resorted to forcing transactions.
"Stop!"
A group of black market patrol guards arrived quickly and immediately shouted at Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan ignored them, which greatly embarrassed the patrol captain. He angrily shouted, "I told you to stop!"
Zhou Yan turned his head to look at the patrol captain, who suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had encountered something terrifying. However, with so many people watching, the patrol captain feigned composure and softened his tone, saying, "Let's talk calmly. Release the person."
"I didn't lay a hand on him," Zhou Yan said, extending his empty hands.
But the black market merchant was still stuffing the fake materials he had created into his own mouth, materials made of dirt, enacting a scene of "eating dirt."
"You..." The patrol captain was speechless. Wasn't this a blatant lie?
He hadn't made a physical move, but it was his spiritual energy that had been released!
However, the patrol captain sensed Zhou Yan's cultivation level, but could discern nothing. This was undoubtedly a powerful expert. He signaled to his subordinates to summon reinforcements.
As for the patrol captain himself, his strategy was simple: placate the opponent and avoid provoking him.
"Fighting and killing are forbidden in the black market. Did you kill these people?" the patrol captain asked.
"Yes, I fought, and I killed," Zhou Yan admitted readily, with an "what are you going to do about it" attitude.
Patrol Captain: "(￣ー￣)"
Patrol Captain's inner thoughts: Honestly, I'm terrified.
Couldn't you have been more tactful, or at least given a reason?
With so many people watching, how am I supposed to save face?
The patrol captain was truly at a loss. If he didn't act, he'd be held accountable by his superiors.
If he did act... He looked at the tragically dead bodies on the ground. He recognized these people; none of them were below the ninety-ninth heaven realm, yet they were all killed in a single encounter.
Acting was out of the question; he might even lose his own life. Thus, the patrol captain stepped forward and said, "Could you explain the sequence of events? We will ensure justice is served."
"This fellow sold fake goods, which this young brother here saw through. The young brother only wanted to buy the genuine items and set aside the fake ones. This fellow then tried to force the young brother to buy them and even had these people attack the young brother to keep him here."
"The young brother retaliated, taking them all down, and then made that unscrupulous merchant eat his own fake materials, to let him know how unforgivable and evil it is to create fakes. This is an act that should not be encouraged; combating counterfeiting is everyone's responsibility."
Before Zhou Yan could speak, a man with a crew cut beside him explained the entire situation in one breath.
The surrounding crowd listened with wide eyes. This guy was amazing, he finished all in one go.
Zhou Yan: "w(°o°)w"
Patrol Captain: "‼(•'╻'•)꒳ᵒ꒳ᵎᵎᵎ"
The crowd: "(๑°⌓°๑)(ﾉﾟ0ﾟ)ﾉ~щ(゜ロ゜щ)"