Martial Sovereign of the Turbulent World

Chapter 182: Chapter 180: The Toad-Fish Battle, a Drastic Change

In his Glazed Heart Realm, Fu Juemin’s mind was as clear as a mirror, reflecting everything yet remaining perfectly still.

This slap came from a place of no-mind, with no hint of killing intent or warning. Even with the peerless Martial Arts of a Gratitude Sensing Realm practitioner, it was simply impossible to predict.

The force was indeed weak, and the damage was negligible... but the humiliation was off the charts.

Fu Juemin’s hands hung naturally at his sides. With the sky reflected in his eyes, he peacefully "awaited" Zhao Jigang’s reaction.

Zhao Jigang’s expression shifted from stunned to shocked, then his face flushed with rage. Killing intent surfaced in his darkened features, only to... recede back into a bottomless, gloomy calm.

He said nothing, only gave Fu Juemin one last, deep look. Then, with a flick of his sleeves, his entire body was like a great black crane as he swept gracefully backward. In just a few bounds, he had vanished from the foot of the Xuanwu Platform.

’He... just left like that?!’

’He can even stomach that?’

Now, it was Fu Juemin’s turn to be stunned.

He looked at the last Black Jade Token lying forlornly on the ground nearby, at the eighteen Black Lacquered Coffins standing silently on the platform, and at the white banners bearing the character for "Mourning"... The surging, torrential battlelust he had felt just moments before was now doused as if by a bucket of ice water, cooling rapidly.

It all felt tasteless, even absurd.

Fu Juemin shook his head and exited his Glazed Heart Realm state. The Buddha Nature emanating from him naturally receded.

Bare-chested, he stood alone on the high platform in the winter air. The cold wind brushed against his skin, but he felt little of its chill.

’A man who can endure the violent death of his own son, the complete loss of his elite subordinates, and the public trampling of his own dignity without lashing out... The depth of his sinister and venomous nature is beyond ordinary comprehension.’

’To be mortal enemies with such a person, a Great Martial Family head at the Gratitude Sensing Realm...’

’I won’t sleep soundly at night as long as Zhao Jigang is alive.’

Fu Juemin’s expression was calm, but in his heart, he had already made his decision—he would find a dark and windy night, take his men from the Ghost Camp, storm the Zhao Family’s estate, and kill Zhao Jigang outright.

’In any case, the feud is already set. It’s either him or me. Rather than nurturing a tiger that will come back to bite me, it’s better to settle the score sooner rather than later.’

’Besides, I didn’t have to choose today of all days to test my Demon Martial Arts...’

As Fu Juemin thought this, he prepared to leave the platform.

Just then, a violent tremor, like an electric shock, shot through his heart.

The four Demon Souls within him stirred restlessly in unison. Fu Juemin spun around abruptly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

After absorbing and fusing the two Demon Soul Seeds from the Iron-Maned Demon Boar and the Tai Sui, Fu Juemin’s perception of demonic auras had grown far stronger and more acute.

Now, within his Perception, directly to the west of the Xuanwu Platform, two immense, primordial, and feral demonic auras were surging into the sky like signal pyres!

The "smoke signals" twisted and spread across the sky, faintly outlining two blurry and enormous bestial silhouettes—

one looked like a great fish flicking its tail; the other resembled a giant toad, lying in wait as it breathed out an aura of darkness.

’The direction of the Su River...’

’The fish-shaped Demon Qi must be from that White Dragon Fish Demon, the one said to hide gold in its belly. As for the other one...’

Fu Juemin stared at the two "Demon Energy Totems" that only he could "see." His eyes flickered as he murmured to himself.

"Is it... from the Toad Palace?"

.....

The ranks of the Patrol Police parted like a tide, and from behind the crowd, a middle-aged man in his forties emerged, walking at a slow pace. He was dressed in a dark, high-quality uniform.

The man had fair skin, and his ten fingers were long, clean, and neatly manicured. A single glance was enough to tell he was an important figure who had long held a high position and took good care of his appearance.

"He Renli!"

The moment the man appeared, the expressions of everyone on the side of the Woodcutter Gang and the Blue-clothed Gang turned grim.

Who in all of Shenghai didn’t know of He Renli, Director of the Shenghai Public Security Bureau? Nicknamed the "Smiling Tiger," he was Mayor Wen Zhiqiu’s most capable and most feared top enforcer!

"Debuting" alongside He Renli were two "cannon barrels"—black, heavy, long, and thick, with a cold metallic sheen—that required four Patrol Police apiece to carry.

As soon as the two cannon barrels were on the scene, the crowd smelled the thick stench of gunpowder. It was obvious that the shells that had flown in moments before, causing numerous explosions and casualties, had been fired from these weapons.

"This bureau has received a reliable tip that a group has gathered here with weapons, engaging in public brawling and murder, severely disrupting this city’s peace and disturbing public order..."

He Renli’s gaze swept slowly across the entire scene. His tone was unhurried, as if he were reading from some unimportant official document.

Finally, his gaze "unintentionally" fell upon Luo Chengying—

"Oh—"

He Renli put on a perfectly timed expression of "surprise." "Young Master Luo, you’re here as well?

What is Young Master Luo doing mixed up with these thuggish suspects?"

He Renli feigned a moment of difficulty, then strode toward Luo Chengying as if greeting a long-lost friend, his face plastered with an enthusiastic smile. "Never mind, let’s not talk about that.

I was just looking for you, Young Master Luo. You’re an expert on armaments; come and help me take a look..."

He Renli pointed, beaming, at the two long, black barrels behind him. "What do you think of these two ’Fire God Cannons’ our Public Security Bureau just acquired?"

Luo Chengying shot them a cold glance and spat out two words: "Utter garbage."

He Renli didn’t get angry at Luo Chengying’s assessment. Instead, he nodded in profound agreement. "Of course, they can’t compare to the quality hardware in Commander Luo’s barracks.

But for use here in the city, to deal with certain... characters who think that after a few years of kung fu and clinging to someone’s coattails, they can forget their place and start causing trouble...

...they’re just right. Perfectly suited for the job.

Wouldn’t you agree, Young Master Luo?"

He Renli’s tone was light and his smile never faded, but his cold gaze darted about like a viper. Almost everyone it touched subconsciously lowered their heads; few dared to meet his eyes.

In the entire square, only Luo Chengying was unafraid of his presence.

"He Renli, you’ve got balls."

Luo Chengying’s face was dark as he stared at He Renli, enunciating each word. "I’d like to see just how much longer you get to wear that skin of yours."

He Renli simply watched him with a placid smile, saying nothing.

Luo Chengying snorted, then turned and walked away. The members of the Woodcutter Gang, led by Chai Xiong, immediately followed.

The Patrol Police on both sides moved to block them, but He Renli shook his head.

Cursing under his breath, Luo Chengying led his men through the encirclement. As he passed the area where the families of the Martial Arts practitioners were gathered, he kicked over a bronze basin someone had placed on the ground to burn paper offerings. Ash and sparks flew everywhere, sparking a fresh wave of startled cries and commotion.

Once Luo Chengying was gone, the men of the Blue-clothed Gang also tried to take the opportunity to withdraw, but this time, their path was blocked by the cold muzzles of countless raised rifles.

"Cuff them all. Take them in."

The smile was now completely gone from He Renli’s face. He gave the order, his expression blank.

The Blue-clothed Gang’s leader, Bai Hexing, his face grim, was about to step forward to negotiate with He Renli when—

BOOM!—

A sudden, deep rumble, like the earth itself was roaring, echoed from the distance. The very ground of Xuanwu Square seemed to tremble slightly in response.

The sound startled everyone present. Before anyone could recover, two grotesque twin men from the Toad Palace, who were among the Blue-clothed Gang’s ranks, suddenly burst into action.

Though they were short and stout as barrels, their movements were exceptionally nimble and swift. Like two cannonballs, they slammed through the Patrol Police in front of them and shot off in the direction of the great boom.

"Don’t chase them..."

He Renli’s brow furrowed. He stopped the subordinates who wanted to give chase, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the direction of the boom and the scene before him. Suddenly, he changed his mind.

"Tell Bai Hexing to pick out a batch of his own men to take the fall. We’ll call it a day..."

"What about the Martial Arts practitioners?"

He Renli gave a cold laugh and said flatly, "Every last one of them. Take them all in.

If any of them resist, kill them on the spot!"

"Yes, sir!"

At He Renli’s words, the faces of all the Martial Arts practitioners present paled.