Chapter 381 363: Suppressing the Turmoil, a Saber Slices a House

In the face of a massive riot that had suddenly erupted across the entire city, the Public Security Bureau—that great engine of enforcement—roared to life.

Thousands of Security Guards, holding blazing torches, poured into the various city districts in an attempt to maintain order. But this time, the chaos was erupting in too many places at once. A single spark had already become a raging inferno.

Deploying a mere few thousand Security Guards into this massive city of several hundred thousand people was like a drop in the ocean; they were completely overwhelmed.

What's more, mixed among the mobs driven mad by hunger were numerous true Black Lotus Sect Demons. They ambushed the Security Guards whenever they had the chance, causing even greater casualties.

Public Security Bureau, Headquarters Command Post.

Report after report flew like snowflakes, rapidly piling up on the desk of Mansion Master Pang Xuan.

"Report!"

"The East, West, and North Districts... traces of Black Lotus Sect Demons have appeared in nearly every district simultaneously! They are inciting the commoners, leading them to burn, kill, and plunder everywhere. The situation is completely out of control!"

"In the central district, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce granary has been set ablaze by the rioters! A Demon appeared with a Black Lotus Sect Divine Statue. Commander Zhao Sen is leading his troops to encircle them, and Great Commanders Li Jingxuan, Wang Lingran, and Su Yu have gone to provide support."

"A massive riot has broken out at the South Gate! Demons are trying to break through the gate from the inside, coordinating with forces on the outside! Great Commander Wang Yungui has repelled the Demons and is now leading his troops in a desperate defense of the gate mechanism!"

"A report from the Inner City says that three thousand Silver Armor Guards are on their way out to provide support."

"In the North District, dozens of martial arts halls in the Martial Arts Hall Alliance, including Hongshan Martial Arts Hall and White Ape Martial Arts Hall, have taken the initiative to intervene! They are helping to kill the Demons and have barely managed to maintain order in the north!"

"..."

Listening to the string of battle reports, Pang Xuan's perpetually stern face was now as cold as frost.

"Mansion Master! We can't hesitate any longer!"

"If this continues, Black Stone City is heading for a disaster tonight! Let me take action!"

Standing beside the sand table, Ye Xiaohong stared at Pang Xuan, his expression icy as he spoke.

Pang Xuan remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, his voice sharp and cold. "Relay my highest military order! Effective immediately, the entire city is under martial law!"

"All Black Armor Guards are to follow Commander Ye's command completely. You are to suppress this uprising at all costs! Tonight, anyone who participates in the riots and refuses to stand down will be treated as a Black Lotus Demon and executed on the spot—no mercy!"

With that, a pure gold tiger tally appeared in Pang Xuan's hand, and he passed it to Ye Xiaohong.

"I accept your command!"

Ye Xiaohong accepted the tiger tally, his eyes sharp and cold, and strode out the door.

It seemed tonight was destined to be a sleepless night, one where rivers of blood would flow.

...

In the city, amid the fiery ruins outside the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce.

After Su Yu dealt with the Black Lotus Sect Demon, the Divine Statue's blessing vanished. The three remaining Senior Incense Masters were defeated and fled.

The commanders wanted to give chase, but they soon became aware of the riots engulfing the city.

Before long, the Mansion Master's order arrived.

"All commanders, hear my order! Suppress the uprising with all your might!"

Their expressions turned grim. They immediately gathered their subordinates and rushed to their respective districts to suppress the riots.

Su Yu once again found himself short-handed. His entire contingent of Flying Feather Guards numbered only around a hundred men. Faced with the chaos in the western district, they were stretched thin.

"The Public Security Bureau is here! Fall back immediately, or you will be shown no mercy!"

At the entrance to the red-light district, hundreds of raggedly dressed paupers were stopped by the Security Guards.

Song Mirror raised his long saber high and, with a single slash, shattered the wooden clubs held by the leaders at the front, stunning them into submission.

"Charge! Ignore these damn officials! There's good wine and meat inside, and even the Oiran you've only dreamed of! Charge! It will all be ours!"

"There are too many of us! They won't dare to kill us!"

"Charge! Mother Black Lotus will bless us!"

Someone shouted from within the crowd, whipping the mob into a frenzy once more as they surged forward.

Su Yu's eyes turned cold. His Divine Sense had already located the Black Lotus Sect Demon hidden among them.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

The Flying Locust Stones shot from his hand, each one as precise as a summons from King Yan. In an instant, three of the true Black Lotus Sect members had their heads blown apart.

"Kill the ones in the lead!"

He commanded coldly, and Song Mirror and the other Security Guards instantly moved to act.

Blood splattered as a forest of cold spears rose, instantly intimidating the frenzied mob.

"Fall back now, or you will be shown no mercy!"

...

The western district was home to a large population of paupers, with too many people unable to survive. As a result, the riots there were the most frequent and had even begun to spread into the central districts.

Su Yu's forces were small to begin with, making suppression extremely difficult.

However, thanks to his Divine Sense, he could accurately and swiftly pinpoint the hidden Black Lotus Sect Demons. This allowed him to deal with them with greater speed and efficiency, and he gradually managed to suppress the uprising.

During the chaos, a Senior Incense Master of the Black Lotus Sect even appeared and set his sights on Su Yu.

However, just as the man was about to sneak closer, he was discovered by Su Yu's Divine Sense.

He was no longer afraid of fighting experts at the Jiao Tendon Realm. A wisp of Taibai Primordial Magnetism golden energy silently coated his saber, Mo Yuan, as he prepared to deliver a fatal blow.

But unexpectedly, the Demon's sense of danger was incredibly sharp. He perceived the threat in an instant, turned, and fled. With the speed of a Jiao Tendon Realm expert, Su Yu found it impossible to give chase and could only let him escape.

'This Taibai Primordial Magnetism golden energy is born from a Divine Skill. Its power level is too high. It seems I can't release it ahead of time, or the enemy will sense the mortal danger.'

The thought flashed through Su Yu's mind as he analyzed the enemy's unusual reaction.

The Taibai Primordial Magnetism golden energy had left his Dantian and was beginning to dissipate. Before it vanished completely, Su Yu's Divine Sense locked onto a senior deacon at Refining Flesh Realm Perfection. The man was hiding in a burning house, waiting to ambush anyone who passed by.

Su Yu decided to test this strike on him.

The light of the blade fell, cleaving through everything in its path. The raging flames, the house, the Demon—all were neatly sliced in two. Even the fire itself seemed to freeze for an instant.

Seeing its power, Su Yu couldn't help but remark:

"What a waste of a good strike."

The Black Lotus Sect Demon, for his part, was filled with utter horror. In his final moments, his heart surged with frantic terror and indignation.

'What the fuck kind of monster is this? Using a strike that can cleave a house in two to kill a mere deacon at the Flesh Refining Realm like me?'

...

「The next morning.」

The rising sun illuminated Black Stone City, dispelling the darkness of the previous night.

Public Security Bureau Headquarters, Inner Hall.

Pang Xuan sat behind his desk, facing the six Great Commanders of the Public Security Bureau.

"Mansion Master, the uprising has been almost completely suppressed. There are still some sporadic disturbances in the districts, but they no longer pose a threat," Commander Ye Xiaohong reported, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

Pang Xuan quickly scanned the latest intelligence reports in his hand before looking up. "All of you commanders led from the front last night, fighting through blood to suppress the uprising. Your contributions are undeniable. However, the scale of this riot was simply too great, and it still resulted in thousands of civilian casualties. As for the burned shops and granaries, the financial losses are incalculable. This mess still requires all of you to follow up and resolve it."

"But before we get to that, let's address the most important matter: What is the status of the Mother Black Lotus Divine Statue from last night?"

Pang Xuan's gaze fell upon Su Yu. He had received four separate reports from Su Yu, Li Jingxuan, Zhao Sen, and Wang Lingran.

Su Yu took the palm-sized Divine Statue from his robes, rose, and placed it on Pang Xuan's desk. "Mansion Master, this statue was confiscated from a Black Lotus Sect Incense Master last night. It is, without a doubt, the Divine Statue of Mother Black Lotus."

Pang Xuan picked up the Divine Statue and inspected it carefully, his tone relaxing. "The material is indeed hundred-year-old Spirit Wood, capable of holding faith and Divine Power. There's no question about it. However, there's only a trace of the power of faith left in it."

"The Demon activated a divine blessing last night. That likely consumed most of the power," Wang Lingran added.

"Mm, you few have done well in this matter! With two Divine Statues now destroyed, we have dealt a massive blow to the Black Lotus Sect's plot! It will be some time before the sect can transport more statues here, which means the crisis in Black Stone City has been temporarily averted."

"Commander Su, in particular, performed exceptionally well. The top merit belongs to him!"

"Wait, Mansion Master," Zhao Sen interjected from the side.

Pang Xuan merely glanced at him but did not stop him from speaking.

Zhao Sen immediately continued, "I was the one who first discovered the Black Lotus Sect's Divine Statue and Demon in my district last night. If I hadn't intercepted that Black Lotus Sect Demon, the statue would never have been exposed."

"Furthermore! According to the consolidated reports from all sides regarding last night's city-wide riot, the vast majority of the rioters poured out from the slums in the western district! Those rioters not only severely disrupted public order but also caused immense financial losses!"

Zhao Sen's gaze fell coldly on Su Yu as he questioned him, "Commander Su is the one with the highest authority in the western district. Yet, so soon after taking up his post, he allowed such a massive riot to erupt in the area under his command! This is a grave dereliction of duty and a sign of incompetence! I'm afraid that far from deserving merit, Great Commander Su ought to be held accountable and punished!"