Chapter 375 - 357: Numerous Rewards

「Two days later, Su Yu’s letter of appointment arrived.」

In front of the Su Mansion, gongs and drums resounded, and an auspicious air filled the scene.

The main street of Anping Square was already packed solid with a dense crowd. Countless neighbors and wealthy merchants held their breath, gazing in awe at the majestic mounted retinue delivering the reward before the Su Mansion.

Black armor clanged, and long halberds stood like a forest.

The announcer, Xue Ting, wore the armor of a Great Xia vice-general, his expression solemn. He passed between the soldiers lined up on both sides, holding a scroll woven from gold thread with both hands, and strode to the center of the Su Mansion courtyard.

"By order of the Public Security Central Bureau, with the vermilion approval of the Three Armies Command, and in accordance with the military system of the Great Xia, a special reward is hereby conferred—"

Xue Ting took a deep breath, channeled his Qi and Blood into his throat, and his words boomed, one by one, throughout the entire main street of Anping Square:

"Bestowal of office! Su Yu is promoted to the Junior Seventh Grade, Tiger-Might Capital Commandant! He shall assume the post of Great Commander of the Public Security Bureau and take charge of an independent guard post. He is granted full authority over the Outer City’s security, arrests, suppression of rebellions, and execution of criminals. His family is exempt from taxes and corvée labor! He is permitted to establish his own post and recruit elite personal guards!"

"Bestowed one Nine Revolutions Life-extending Pill—a secret, military-grade Profound Tier healing Spirit Pill!"

"Awarded one thousand taels of Gold for his diligence! Bestowed ten sets of superior-grade, heavy Profound Armor made from cold iron to strengthen his subordinates! Granted one Exotic Beast, a Crimson-Blood Dragon Scale Horse, to speed his travels!"

"May you be responsible in your duty to defend this land. Wherever your blade points, may all demons retreat. Deter the wicked and protect our Black Stone!"

...

After the announcer’s voice faded, the main street of Anping Square fell into a brief, dead silence before erupting into a shocking uproar.

"J-Junior Seventh Grade! Tiger-Might Capital Commandant! Great Commander of the Public Security Bureau?"

"Heavens above! Not only was he awarded a thousand taels of Gold and ten sets of Profound Armor, but they even gave him a priceless Crimson-Blood Dragon Scale Horse? I’m dying of envy!"

"What’s all that compared to the post of Great Commander of the Public Security Bureau! That makes him a truly important figure, in command of his own post! From now on, in the Outer City of Black Stone City, the Su Family will be the undisputed local tyrants!"

Countless neighbors and common folk watched the tall, handsome figure at the gate, their eyes filled with the utmost awe and envy.

"Su Yu accepts this decree. My thanks to the Mansion Master for his favor, and to the Court for this generous reward!"

Su Yu stepped forward, his expression calm, and accepted the Purple Gold Decree with both hands.

"Lord Su, congratulations! A joyous occasion indeed!"

Once the announcement was complete, Xue Ting’s solemn expression immediately changed to a wistful and fawning smile. He repeatedly cupped his fists in salute.

"I still clearly remember, a little over two years ago, when I was ordered to go to the gates of the White Ape Martial Arts Hall to bestow upon you the title of Jing’an Captain. Who could have imagined that in just two short years, you would not only become famous throughout Black Stone, but would also soar to the rank of Great Commander, holding the power of life and death in your hands! Such a promotion speed is truly a rare sight in this Black Stone City!"

Xue Ting’s heart was in turmoil. The Martial Arts Hall apprentice from back then now possessed a status and power that had long since far surpassed his own.

"Brother Xue, you’ve had a long journey delivering the reward today."

Su Yu smiled faintly. With a flash of light from his hand, a brocade box appeared, and he offered it to Xue Ting.

"This... Lord Su! I absolutely cannot accept this!"

Startled, Xue Ting hastily tried to push the brocade box away.

He truly didn’t dare to accept it. Su Yu was such an important figure now; how could he dare take such a gift?

"Brother Xue, on a joyous occasion, we do things for good luck. All the brothers who came today will get something. You should take the lead and accept it. Don’t make things awkward for me."

With that, Su Yu waved a hand behind him.

The sisters Yang Zhen and Yang Ai, who had long been prepared, immediately led Li Da and a group of servants forward. Carrying lacquered rosewood trays, they handed out handfuls of Broken Silver and copper coins to each of the escorting soldiers.

Xue Ting took a deep breath and accepted the brocade box.

He lifted the lid slightly and glanced inside. There were three Black Scale Blood Orifice Pills exuding a rich fragrance. His heart leaped with joy.

These three Pills were worth several dozen taels of silver, and they were exactly the kind of Pill he needed for his daily cultivation. He was, to say the least, extremely satisfied.

’Lord Su is truly worthy of his reputation. Not only is he generous, but he’s also so thoughtful in his actions.’

’The Su Mansion’s future is truly about to soar to the heavens!’

...

After the reward ceremony ended, Su Yu went to the stables to inspect the Crimson-Blood Dragon Scale Horse.

The Dragon Scale Horse stood a full eight feet tall at the shoulder, its build divine and powerful. Its body wasn’t covered in ordinary horsehair, but in layers of fine, palm-sized dragon scales that resembled dark red amber!

A thick, fiery-red mane danced wildly in the wind on its sturdy neck. Its anvil-wide hooves impatiently pawed at the stone slabs, and every snort sent out a puff of scorching white mist!

’What a divine steed! In the Great Xia army, this is an Exotic warhorse that only high-ranking generals can ride! I’ve heard that with its raw physical strength alone, this Exotic Beast can rival a Skin-Tempering Martial Artist!’

A trace of fondness flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. He stepped forward and reached out to grab the reins, wanting to get a feel for them.

"NEIGH—"

This Dragon Scale Horse was extremely wary of strangers and had a violent temper. Feeling the touch of an unfamiliar person, a vicious glint flashed in its huge eyes. It let out a snort like a dragon’s roar as its front hooves shot up, carrying a terrifying, monstrous force sufficient to shatter a normal person’s sternum, intending to throw Su Yu off!

"Quite the temper."

Facing the Exotic Beast’s resistance, the Great Tendons under the skin of Su Yu’s right arm, the one holding the reins, tensed with a TWAANG!

A furious power instantly transmitted through the reins!

"BOOM!"

Su Yu pressed his arm down. The thousand-jin Dragon Scale Horse, which was rearing up on its hind legs, felt as if a small mountain had been dropped on its back. With a BANG, its two front hooves slammed back onto the ground, directly cracking the stone slabs into a spiderweb pattern!

"Whimper..."

Sensing the terrifying power contained within this human, the vicious light in the Dragon Scale Horse’s eyes instantly vanished. It let out a low, aggrieved whimper, its massive, once-proud head immediately drooping. The crimson scales all over its body tightened submissively, and it no longer dared to show the slightest resistance.

"Not bad! Your strength is even a cut above those Martial Artists who have just broken through. You truly are a rare, top-quality fierce steed!"

Su Yu stroked the mane on its neck, which was as hot as flames.

The Dragon Scale Horse was highly intelligent. Once it confirmed its new master’s strength, it stopped resisting and affectionately nuzzled Su Yu’s palm with its massive head.

"Intelligence makes things easier. Saves me the trouble of taming you by force." Su Yu patted its head and chuckled. "From now on, just stay here at the Su Mansion. Who knows, you might even have a great opportunity of your own."

...

「Black Stone City, West Side.」

In a sprawling shantytown, the streets were filthy, with sewage and excrement flowing everywhere.

Less than a hundred meters down the street, the roadsides were littered with emaciated paupers, curled up and motionless. It was impossible to tell if they were dead or alive.

「Deep within the slums.」

In front of a dilapidated house in a relatively secluded area, its doors and windows shut tight. A gaunt man in a tattered shirt, his hands half-rotted, glanced around furtively like a thief before stealthily knocking a secret code on the door.

A moment later, with a CREAK, the door opened a crack.

A flash of ecstasy crossed the gaunt man’s face as he slipped inside.

The door shut instantly.

The light inside the house was extremely dim. The man obediently followed a man in black, walking in silence down a flight of damp, musty stone steps toward a basement.

「Down in the spacious basement.」

Under the flickering green candlelight, the airtight space was packed with seventy or eighty haggard-looking paupers with fanatical eyes, all kneeling on the ground!

They were all prostrated, kowtowing frantically toward a long table covered with a yellow cloth. As if hypnotized, they chanted in a low, unified voice:

"The mortal world is a prison, all living beings suffer... Mother of Non-Birth, Vacuum Home... Praise my true name, find bliss and freedom from worry..."

The newly arrived man with the rotted hands made no sound, consciously moving to the back of the crowd to kneel. With a pious expression, he joined the others in their frenzied chanting.

And in the center of that yellow-clothed altar table...

...stood a Divine Statue, pitch-black all over, with a blurred face that somehow exuded a bewitching aura.

This Divine Statue was none other than the statue of Mother Black Lotus that the Public Security Bureau had failed to find!

「An hour later, the chanting ended.」

The crowd struggled to their feet as if recovering from a serious illness. Their faces, already just skin and bones, were now even paler, but their eyes shone with a morbid, expectant light as they stared intently at the cloaked man standing by the altar table.

"The Mother is merciful and pities the suffering of the world."

The cloaked man looked at the group of believers, his voice hoarse. "You have all devoted yourselves to believing in the Mother amidst this turbid world. The Mother feels your piety. Today, she has specially descended with divine grace, bestowing upon each of you one jin of coarse rice!"

With that, the cloaked man put on a mystical show, forming a hand seal in front of the Divine Statue. A black light flashed on his palm, and as if he had pulled them from the void, dozens of small cloth sacks filled with moldy coarse rice instantly appeared on the ground!

He casually kicked one of the rice sacks on the floor and ordered a few of his subordinates, "Distribute these to them."

"The Mother is merciful! The Mother is merciful! There’s rice! We finally have rice! My three-year-old son won’t starve to death!" A hunched-over woman knelt on the ground, wailing with excitement as she kowtowed furiously to the Divine Statue.

"It’s a miracle! A true miracle! The officials and crooked merchants in the city won’t let us live, only the Mother has come to save us! I can finally survive!"

"This is great, I’ve earned some rice! I’m going to take it back and make congee for my mom! Mom won’t have to starve!"

In a corner of the crowd, there was a boy of twelve or thirteen with a hideous scar on his face.

He stuffed the sack of coarse rice into his shirt with one hand while gripping a dagger in the other. His bloodshot eyes glared fiercely at anyone who dared to look his way.

For this sack of rice, he was ready to slit someone’s throat at any moment.

The cloaked man watched these scenes unfold, a smug look flashing in his eyes.

’With just a single sack of rice, I can harvest so many loyal followers.’

’What do you have to compete with my Holy Sect?’

"Remember, in three days, the most devout believers will once again have the opportunity to serve the Mother. After you go home, you must continue to chant piously."

"We will obey the Mother’s divine will!"

The crowd piously placed a hand over their chests and bowed with reverent fanaticism.