Chapter 272: Chapter 269: The Worried Senior Sister
「The next morning.」
Su Yu stood bare-chested in the backyard. As he unleashed the final Mountain-Toppling Annihilation, the searing Qi and Blood steaming from his body like a furnace slowly receded.
He walked to the well and doused himself with a bucket of cold water, which felt much better. He then took a large swig of Spirit Wine and immediately began cultivating the Black Stone Body Forging Skill and the Vajra Fearless True Voice.
’Body becomes a black prison to lock a cerulean dragon; blood like lead and mercury forges a weapon’s edge!’
With a low shout in his mind, Su Yu’s center of gravity dropped sharply. His hands formed a seal as he assumed the core stance of the Black Stone Body Forging Skill: the Black Prison God-Locking Stake.
Instantly, every pore on his body sealed shut, completely locking the medicinal power of the Spirit Wine within the furnace of his body like a captive dragon.
As he moved with slow, heavy motions, as if pushing and pulling mountains of immense weight, the muscles and skin all over his body contracted inward to an extreme degree. It was as if his entire frame had been compressed by a full size.
His skin immediately took on an indestructible, blue-black metallic sheen. From within his body came a continuous series of CRACKING and POPPING sounds from his bones. His Qi and Blood, as heavy and viscous as lead and mercury, was frantically refined in his internal fire, squeezing out every last drop of the medicine’s power!
[Breakthrough Point Progress +2%]
[Black Stone Body Forging Skill Level +25]
The next moment, Su Yu’s hand movements changed again, and a sharp glint flashed through his deep eyes.
’The Bodhisattva lowers his brow in compassion for the six realms; the Vajra glares with fury to subdue the four demons!’
His chest swelled up high. He combined the extremely compressed turbid air in his body with his torrential Qi and Blood, transforming it into a soul-cleansing Fearless True Voice that he suddenly roared out!
"OM!"
A white wave of air, in the form of visible, transparent ripples, exploded outward in the courtyard. The surrounding willow catkins and fallen leaves were not blown away by a fierce wind; instead, they were obliterated into extremely fine dust in mid-air by the terrifying sound wave.
Now at the Minor Achievement stage, the power of the Vajra Fearless True Voice no longer relied on the simple external impact of a Qi and Blood-infused sound wave, but on the Buddhist tone resonating through the body!
If an enemy took this attack head-on, those with weak Qi and Blood or an unstable spirit would instantly have their Qi and Blood flow in reverse and suffer from cultivation deviation!
Compared to the Qian Family’s Grand Elder, Qian Lusheng, Su Yu’s cultivation of this technique had clearly surpassed his!
[Vajra Fearless True Voice Skill Level +5]
...
Su Yu exhaled a long breath of hot, white air, a contemplative look flashing in his eyes.
’Of all my Martial Arts, besides the Demon Ape Fist that governs my main cultivation realm, most of the others have already reached Perfection. Right now, only the Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber, the Black Stone Body Forging Skill, and the Vajra Fearless True Voice are still in the final push.’
’With my current strength at the Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, I can defeat those at Refining Flesh Perfection. Ordinary Martial Arts are no longer worth my attention; practicing them would be a waste of time. It seems I need to find some time to visit the martial arts hall and ask Master if he has any suitable high-level Secret Manuals.’
Just as Su Yu was making his plans, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the front yard.
The butler, Li Da, rushed through the ornamental gate with a hurried expression and reported, "My lord! An urgent message from the Public Security Bureau! All Vice Commanders and personnel of higher rank are ordered to gather immediately in the Mansion Master’s hall for an emergency meeting. There can be no delay!"
"Understood. Have my carriage prepared. I’m leaving immediately."
Su Yu’s eyes sharpened. He gave the order without any hesitation and turned, striding quickly into an inner room.
Inside the room, Yang Zhen had already heard the commotion. She immediately came forward, holding the dark purple, cloud-patterned martial robe that symbolized his status as a Vice Commander.
She extended her slender, soft, jade-like hands and, with gentle and practiced movements, helped Su Yu dress, carefully smoothing out every crease on his lapels.
"Brother Su," Yang Zhen said, looking up. A trace of worry filled her autumn-water eyes. "The Black Lotus Sect fiends are causing chaos all over the city. If you’re going on a mission, you must be extra careful."
Su Yu took her soft, delicate hand and comforted her gently, "Don’t worry, Zhen’er. With my strength, I won’t run into danger easily. You, on the other hand, must focus on your cultivation these next few days. A storm is brewing outside, and the estate’s guards are a bit thin. You should push through in one go and break through to the Flesh Refining Realm as soon as possible. I can only truly be at ease when you have the power to protect yourself."
"Mhm! Don’t worry, Brother Su. Zhen’er will absolutely not hold you back!" Yang Zhen nodded firmly.
Su Yu gave her a kiss and, without further delay, turned and strode out the estate gate. He boarded the waiting carriage and sped towards the Public Security Bureau.
...
「Public Security Bureau, Mansion Master’s Hall.」
At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive it felt frozen. The air was thick with a suffocating, murderous aura.
The four Commanders and over a dozen Vice Commanders were all present, lined up on both sides. Not a single one of them dared to make a sound.
At the head of the hall, Mansion Master Pang Xuan’s face was as dark as still water. The terrifying might of his Qi and Blood poured out from him without restraint.
"BANG—!"
Pang Xuan slammed his palm down, obliterating an incredibly hard table made of golden-thread nanmu wood into a cloud of powder! Splinters shot out like hidden weapons, grazing the cheeks of the commanders standing at the front, yet none dared to even raise a hand to block them.
"It’s been two whole days!"
Pang Xuan shot to his feet, his knife-like gaze scraping across every person below. He was so furious he began to laugh. "The fiends of the Black Lotus Sect launched a surprise attack on the Inner City, creating such a huge disturbance. And yet our Public Security Bureau hasn’t found a single clue as to how those fiends managed to sneak into the Inner City!"
"This is an utter disgrace! The Public Security Bureau has lost all face!"
Pang Xuan’s roar echoed through the hall, making everyone’s eardrums go numb.
"I don’t care what methods you use! Whether you have to turn the city upside down or resort to brutal interrogation! This Mansion Master will give you only one week!"
Pang Xuan’s tone was bone-chillingly cold. "Within one week, whoever can uncover the movements of the hidden Black Lotus Sect fiends in the city, or discover the channel they used to infiltrate the Inner City! This Mansion Master will not only personally request commendations for him, but will also reward him with a great treasure from my private vault! But if you can’t figure it out within a week, don’t blame this Mansion Master for being merciless when I deal with you!"
"Your subordinates obey!!!"
Everyone’s heart shuddered as they shouted their assent in unison.
...
「After the oppressive meeting was dismissed.」
Inside the Commander’s office at the Golden Scale Guard headquarters, Li Jingxuan dismissed all non-essential personnel, calling in only his two most trusted confidants, Su Yu and Lin Wanzhu.
He wearily rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh.
"Don’t be fooled by the Mansion Master’s temper tantrum in the hall just now. The truth is, he’s been forced to the edge of a cliff. He’s suffering, too."
Li Jingxuan personally poured tea for the two of them and said with a wry smile, "Previously, our Public Security Bureau rooted out one Black Lotus Sect stronghold after another, and our prestige soared. But who would have thought that the fiends would attack the Inner City directly this time! Mansion Master Pang just returned from reporting his duties in the Inner City this morning. I heard that not only was he chewed out by the higher-ups of the Black Stone Army, but he was also jointly condemned by the three great families of the Inner City. He was utterly humiliated."
Su Yu picked up his teacup, keenly catching the unspoken meaning. "Brother Li, about this one-week deadline from the Mansion Master... is there some kind of ultimatum?"
Li Jingxuan’s expression turned grim as he lowered his voice. "A rumor is spreading from the Inner City. The three great families are going to join forces to parachute in a powerful figure to serve as our Vice Mansion Master! It’s a blatant attempt to seize power and plant their own people! If we don’t get results within a week, the current Public Security Bureau will likely have a large portion of its authority stripped away!"
"And there’s something even more critical." Li Jingxuan glanced at Su Yu and Lin Wanzhu and said gravely, "The advance units of the Qingzhou Army and the Jian’an Army have already secretly stationed themselves on the northern border of Black Stone City. Soon, these two armies will enter Black Stone City in force, under the pretext of exterminating the Black Lotus Sect!"
"Although all three parties are here to fight the Black Lotus Sect, they first need to reach an internal consensus. To deal with them, the Inner City will most likely be opened up! At that time, the restrictions between the Inner and Outer City will be gone. They will merge into one, and everything will be reshuffled!"
Su Yu and Lin Wanzhu exchanged a shocked glance. The Qingzhou Army and the Jian’an Army were moving in? The Inner and Outer Cities were going to merge?
This news was grave. Black Stone City was on the verge of a massive upheaval!
...
After leaving Li Jingxuan’s office, Su Yu followed Lin Wanzhu into her own elegantly furnished office.
The agarwood door closed softly, shutting out the noise from outside.
Lin Wanzhu seemed to have a lot on her mind. She walked to her desk, sat down wearily in the large, plush chair, and raised a hand to rub her aching temples. Her beautiful, mature, and full face was filled with worry.
Seeing this, Su Yu lightened his steps and naturally moved behind her.
"Senior Sister, don’t push yourself so hard."
Su Yu said in a gentle voice as his hands slid slowly up her slender, graspable waist. Then, with great familiarity, they moved past the curve of her outer lapels and gently cupped the breathtakingly heavy weight there.
"Your Junior Brother is strong enough to help you carry that weight now."
The warm pads of his fingers gently kneaded through her clothes, easing her tension.
Normally, if Su Yu teased her so audaciously, Lin Wanzhu would have shot him a flirtatious glare.
But today, she just leaned back weakly against Su Yu’s firm abs and let out a helpless, quiet sigh.
"Ah Yu, stop messing around..."
Lin Wanzhu reached out a jade-like hand and gently pressed down on Su Yu’s restless one. Her voice was laced with vulnerability. "You heard what Commander Li said. The situation has deteriorated to this point—armies at our border, the great families ready for a reshuffle... My meager strength at the Flesh Refining Realm... in the face of this impending, overwhelming torrent, I don’t even have the ability to protect myself, let alone the Lin Family..."
She turned her head, her beautiful eyes filled with anxiety and unwillingness. "I must break through to the Muscle Forging Realm! But breaking through to the Muscle Forging Realm requires something called a Dragon Tendon... I’ve used all of my family’s connections, but I still haven’t found a single trace of it. Without a Fish-Dragon to temper my meridians, I can forget about ever crossing that threshold in this lifetime..."
Hearing the helplessness in his Senior Sister’s voice, Su Yu’s heart trembled slightly.
He immediately let the flirtatious, playful look in his eyes fade, and his hands stopped their teasing. He lowered his head, resting his chin gently in the fragrant crook of Lin Wanzhu’s neck, and wrapped his arms tightly around her full, soft body from behind, pulling her into his embrace.
"Senior Sister, don’t panic. I’m here."
Su Yu’s voice was low and firm. "Don’t you worry about the Fish-Dragon. Leave it to me."
Lin Wanzhu felt his sincerity, and warmth spread through her heart. At some point, this junior brother who once needed her protection had grown strong enough to share her burdens.
She nodded lightly. "Mhm. Ah Yu, I trust you."
