Chapter 372 - 354: Brother, What Realm Are You At Now?

If Su Yu hadn’t intervened just now, the Demon’s self-detonation would have caused immense damage.

The woman before, who wasn’t even a Martial Artist, had created such a powerful explosion.

If this Demon, whose power was comparable to the Flesh Refining Realm, had exploded, everyone within dozens of meters would have been blown to smithereens.

The nearest Black Armor Guard felt a wave of retrospective fear, cold sweat already drenching the inside of his armor.

Even as a Martial Artist wearing Black Stone armor, he would never have been able to escape that blast!

’If it weren’t for Lord Su, I’d be dead right now!’

’If I died, what would happen to my son? He hasn’t even become a Martial Artist yet. How would he survive in this chaotic world?’

At this thought, the man’s eyes reddened. He looked up at Su Yu’s back, as straight and unyielding as a pine tree, his gaze filled with a new, fervent awe and gratitude.

In a crisis like this, what incredible fortune it was to have a superior who valued his subordinates’ lives as his own and possessed the strength to shield them from harm!

"My god! Younger Brother Su, that reaction time... that speed... and that tyrannical Gang Force you used to blow up the Demon from a distance..."

Li Jingxuan strode forward, his face openly displaying his amazement and admiration.

He waved his hand, signaling the other Black Armor Guards to lock down the scene and clean up the aftermath. Then, he sidled up to Su Yu and lowered his voice, his tone thick with intense curiosity.

"Younger Brother Su, I saw you make your move. I even heard the snap of your Great Tendons. Tell me the truth, what Realm are you in now?"

Su Yu didn’t hide it. With the situation growing more chaotic by the day, he knew he had to display more of his strength.

He had been lying low for over ten days since his breakthrough to the Muscle Forging Realm; it was time.

Su Yu smiled faintly. "Brother Li, you have a sharp eye. As you’ve guessed, I had a stroke of luck a couple of days ago and just broke through to the Muscle Forging Realm."

A sharp hiss escaped Li Jingxuan’s lips.

Even though he had already made a bold guess, the moment he heard Su Yu confirm it himself, Li Jingxuan couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

"You... You’re only twenty, aren’t you?"

"I am," Su Yu nodded.

"And if I’m not mistaken, you only began your formal training at the White Ape Martial Arts Hall a mere two years ago?"

"That is correct."

"Amazing. I have to admit, your talent puts mine to shame. Even in my Li Family, you’d probably only be surpassed by a select few!"

"No, your talent is even greater than those young masters and ladies. The resources available to you are nothing compared to what they have!"

The more Li Jingxuan thought about it, the more astounded he became. He stepped forward and slung an arm around Su Yu’s shoulders, his voice full of admiration. "Younger Brother Su, I’m more impressed with you every day! With such astonishing talent, coupled with your calm and decisive temperament, Black Stone City will never be able to contain you. You’re destined to soar to great heights!"

"And we owe you for today, too. Your reflexes were lightning-fast. If that Demon had managed to self-detonate, I can’t imagine how many of our brothers we would have lost."

"Brother Li, you’re too kind. I just happen to have sharp senses and noticed the shift in the Demon’s aura a moment before it went berserk."

Su Yu humbly brushed off the compliment. His gaze swept over the rubble on the ground, and his expression grew serious once more.

"But Brother Li, these people were just civilians, manipulated and discarded by the Black Lotus Sect. The real prize—the Black Lotus Sect Incense Master who fled with the Evil God Statue—is still at large. As long as they remain free, they are a fatal threat to all of Black Stone City."

At this, Li Jingxuan’s expression soured. "Sigh. These Black Lotus Sect Demons are like rats in a sewer—slippery and incredibly difficult to deal with. This is too important. I have to return to the main Government Office immediately and report this to Mansion Master Pang. We need to order a city-wide lockdown and manhunt right away! We have to find this new Divine Statue!"

"But to fully activate the Divine Statue, the Black Lotus Sect Demons will need a massive amount of faith from living people. They’re bound to slip up sooner or later. Younger Brother Su, your senses are sharp, so keep an eye out. If you can find the whereabouts of that Divine Statue, it would be another monumental achievement!"

「 ... 」

In the days that followed, the entire Outer City of Black Stone City was placed under a strict lockdown.

Nearly every Commander and Captain in the Public Security Bureau was mobilized. They led thousands of Black Armor Guards, turning the Outer City upside down and searching house by house for any trace of the Black Lotus Sect Demons.

Meanwhile, a new faction emerged in the Inner City, also hunting the Black Lotus Sect Demons. Su Yu ran into them once at the Inner City gate.

He extended his Divine Sense and discovered this group was much like the Public Security Bureau, also searching for Black Lotus Sect Demons.

It was a group of Martial Artists clad in ornate, silver "flying fish" armor, with Yanling Sabers hanging from their waists. They were arrogant and overbearing, barging through the streets and either beating or cursing any civilian who dared to get in their way.

After finishing his patrol, Su Yu immediately sought out Li Jingxuan to ask about this new group.

"Younger Brother Su, that group of Silver Armor Guards you saw belongs to the Inspection Bureau, a new Government Office that was just established in the Inner City a few days ago."

"Their authority and duties are the same as our Public Security Bureau. The difference is, they’re in charge of the Inner City, and they’re stronger and better-resourced than we are."

Su Yu, holding his teacup, keenly sensed the political tension in the air. He frowned slightly. "Brother Li, the Inner City is about to be integrated with the Outer City. How are we supposed to coexist with this Inspection Bureau? And what will happen with the Public Security Bureau reshuffle you mentioned before?"

Li Jingxuan sighed, a bitter smile on his face. "Younger Brother Su, given our friendship, I won’t give you the official line."

"The bigwigs in the Inner City are all making their moves. The situation is changing so fast no one can make sense of it. Take the Inspection Bureau, for instance. It was never supposed to exist. The original plan was to expand the Public Security Bureau to govern both the Inner and Outer Cities, which would have meant a major reshuffle for us."

"But now that the Inspection Bureau has been formed... I can’t say for sure what will happen to the Public Security Bureau."

Li Jingxuan took a sip of tea, his gaze sharpening. "But don’t lose heart. For now, our Public Security Bureau has racked up significant merits suppressing the Black Lotus Sect, and Mansion Master Pang’s voice carries a lot of weight with the higher-ups. With a great enemy at the gates, no matter how much the Inner City powers squabble, they still have to prioritize the bigger picture of fighting the Black Lotus Sect. In the end, it’s highly likely the Public Security Bureau will be preserved."

Li Jingxuan stood and clapped Su Yu firmly on the shoulder, his tone earnest.

"Younger Brother Su, the only thing you need to do right now is take advantage of this chaos and rack up as many merits as you possibly can. As long as you can climb higher within the Public Security Bureau and secure a high-ranking position, then no matter what happens later—whether the two bureaus merge or the Public Security Bureau is expanded and reshuffled—your power will only grow. No one will be able to take what you’ve earned."

"Thank you for the advice, Brother Li. I understand," Su Yu said, draining his tea in one go. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

After leaving Li Jingxuan, Su Yu went straight to his senior sister’s office, closed the door, and spoke with her in private.

"Ah Yu, things are unstable right now. You need to secure your benefits first. Mansion Master Pang promised he would recommend you for promotion to Great Commander as soon as you reached the Muscle Forging Realm. You can’t let this wait!"

Su Yu nodded, squeezing a soft part of her as he spoke,

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing. And about that Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill... I’m still five thousand merit points short. I need to earn them as soon as possible!"

「 ... 」

For the next several days, Su Yu continued to lead his team on patrol.

But the Black Lotus Sect Incense Master seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Even with his Divine Sense, Su Yu couldn’t find a single clue.

The rest of the Public Security Bureau came up empty-handed as well.

However, while the Outer City remained quiet, the Inner City exploded into chaos.

Over the next few days, a series of brutal battles erupted in the Inner City. The massive explosions and blood-curdling screams pierced the thick walls separating the two districts, clearly audible in the Outer City.

On one occasion, dozens of the Inspection Bureau’s Silver Armor Guards even charged into the Outer City in pursuit of a heavily wounded Black Lotus Sect Demon.

Although they ultimately killed the Demon in the street, their brutal methods caused several buildings in the Outer City to collapse, crushing a number of innocent civilians to death and severely injuring more than a dozen others.

This blatant disregard for civilian lives by the Inspection Bureau left the populace furious but too afraid to speak out. Even the Public Security Bureau could only clean up the aftermath in silence.

For a time, the frequent, bloody battles and the oppressive lockdown stripped the once-bustling Black Stone City of any semblance of peace. A state of panic and extreme nervousness gripped the populace.

As if things weren’t bad enough...

Suffocating news arrived from the direction of Cangya Pass.

The Black Lotus Sect’s army, over a hundred thousand strong, had officially launched its assault on Cangya Pass. While the pass held, thanks to Great Xia’s heavily fortified position and the treacherous terrain, the battle on the walls was a meat grinder. In a single day, tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides had been killed.

The pressure of dwindling troop numbers at the front immediately created a backlash in the rear.

The Black Stone Army began a massive, forced conscription drive within Black Stone City.

All able-bodied men, even boys in their teens, were being rounded up. Anyone who dared to defy the military order was bound on the spot and shipped off to the very front lines.

"My son! Oh, my poor son! You have to come back alive!"

"Husband! If you go, how will your son and I survive? Please, sirs, have mercy! Let my husband go!"

"Wife! Stop crying! Take good care of our mother and our child! I’m sorry for the hard days ahead!"

At a muddy intersection in Anping Square.

Su Yu reined in his Dragon Scale Horse, sitting tall in the saddle. He watched as the Black Stone Army forcibly dragged a man away, and a shadow fell over his heart.

In this fucked-up, chaotic world, everyone was just a poor soul struggling against the torrent of fate. Whether anyone could ever break free was anyone’s guess.

The old couple from a few days ago had gambled everything for their son to become a Martial Artist, only to be brainwashed by a demonic sect, leading to the utter annihilation of their family.

And today, this man, forcibly conscripted... how long could he and the wife and child he left behind survive in this dog-eat-dog world?

Heaven and Earth are ruthless, and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs.

’Even I... even the Su Mansion... there’s no guarantee any of us will survive this chaos.’

’Once Cangya Pass falls and Black Stone City is destroyed, even a century-old noble family would be nothing more than a slightly tougher ant to be crushed under the heel of the Black Lotus Sect’s hundred-thousand-strong army.’

Su Yu took a deep breath of the cold air, his eyes flashing with absolute resolve.

’The only thing I can do now is get stronger.’

’There is no other path!’