Chapter 386 - 368: The Spiritual Energy is Ripe

「The next day.」

Su Yu discussed his plan with Lin Wanzhu, explaining his idea to implement a work-for-relief program.

"Ah Yu, your idea is excellent. Black Stone City has suffered widespread damage, and the city walls need to be reinforced and repaired. This plan has great potential!"

A glimmer of admiration flashed in Lin Wanzhu’s eyes as she gazed at Su Yu.

’This Ah Yu is truly a remarkable man. It’s amazing how adept he is at governance.’

Su Yu, however, didn’t think much of his senior sister’s praise. These ideas were merely memories from his past life.

Besides, it was just an idea. There was still much to do before it could become a reality, and it would all depend on his senior sister and the others to actually execute it.

"In that case, Senior Sister, please draft a formal proposal. I’ll submit it to the Mansion Master afterward."

"Okay, leave it to me."

"One more thing. I plan to expand the ranks of the regular Flying Feather Guard to at least a thousand members!"

"That many? Ah Yu, are you planning to bring the Flying Feather Institute to its full authorized strength?"

Lin Wanzhu asked curiously.

"Yes, the public security issues in the western district are quite severe. We won’t be able to manage with a small force. I plan to select a group of people from the western district and have them govern themselves. Then, we’ll recruit another batch of Flying Feather Guards from the major Martial Arts Halls and from places outside the city, like Qingxi Village!"

"The Public Security Bureau is now centrally funding our Tributors. This takes almost all the pressure off our payroll, so we might as well expand to full strength!"

"Will the Mansion Master have an issue with this? After all, that’s a lot of people to add all at once," Lin Wanzhu asked, still a bit worried.

"It won’t be a problem! The only thing the Mansion Master cares about right now is whether we can maintain public order. As long as we can do that, nothing else matters! The salaries for a few thousand people are a trivial amount. Between the Public Security Bureau’s own wealth and the silver taels allocated from the Inner City, it’s more than enough!"

"Alright, then let’s head to Qingxi Village this afternoon!"

...

「That afternoon, outside the city gate.」

Su Yu rode a Crimson Blood Dragon Scale Horse, heading to Qingxi Village with his senior sister. A squad of Flying Feather Guards followed behind them, cloth sacks hanging from their saddles.

At the city gate, a young man in coarse linen clothes watched Su Yu’s receding figure, a flash of malice in his eyes.

’So that’s Su Yu. As expected of the Great Commander. Even the Dragon Scale Horse he’s riding is a special breed. I bet that horse alone costs several thousand silver taels.’

’With that much money, if he just gave it to us, none of us would have to go hungry!’

’Damned officials like him all deserve to die!’

The man in coarse linen clothes immediately entered the city, hurrying off to deliver his report.

...

「East of the city, at the Huyan Family estate.」

Huyan Muyuan led Huyan Tong and Chen Fan to a study in the rear courtyard.

Once inside, he twisted a bronze beast’s head on a bookshelf. With the dull rumble of a mechanism, the bookshelf slowly slid aside, revealing a dark, deep corridor leading underground.

A bone-chilling, sinister wind, laced with the stench of blood, rushed out to meet them.

Huyan Tong, long accustomed to this, lifted the hem of her skirt and followed her father into the darkness. A sharp glint flashed in Chen Fan’s eyes as he suppressed his excitement and followed after them.

The secret room below was dim, lit only by a faint green phosphorescence glowing from the walls.

In the center of the room stood a black stone statue as tall as two men. The statue had innumerable eyeballs and many tentacle-like arms. It was not quite human, a horrifying sight to behold.

In front of the statue was a sculpture resembling a relief map of Black Stone City and its surrounding areas.

Huyan Muyuan walked before the statue and bowed reverently. The two behind him immediately followed suit.

"My God, please grant me your divine sight..."

With a pious expression, he cut his fingertip with a dagger and let a drop of blood fall onto one of the Divine Statue’s arms.

"HMMMM—"

In the next instant, the densely packed eyeballs on the statue seemed to come alive, swiveling in unison to fix their gaze on the three people.

Chen Fan’s heart leaped in terror, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. At that moment, he felt like an ant being watched by some powerful, immense creature.

He immediately dropped to his knees without a second thought, keeping his head bowed low, not daring to meet the gaze of those eyes. He adopted a posture of utmost reverence.

’So this is the Huyan Family’s Evil God?’

Meanwhile, Huyan Muyuan glanced at the kneeling Chen Fan, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.

Then, he raised his head to meet the gaze of those bizarre eyes.

"SWOOSH!"

In an instant, his pupils vanished, his irises turning a ghastly, dead white. Within the sclera, countless black tendrils, as fine as silk, writhed madly.

In the bizarre vision granted by his assimilated Spiritual Eyes, he saw a wisp of gray mist, invisible to the naked eye, rising from Chen Fan’s body.

The mist was murky, but at its very core, a blue flame was coalescing, radiating a ghostly chill.

Upon seeing this, Huyan Muyuan was inwardly overjoyed.

His gaze moved impassively past Chen Fan, landing on the relief map.

He hadn’t paid it much mind before, but what he saw now gave him a shock.

A third of the area on the map was now shrouded in a vast green mist. At the center of the mist, a green lotus was faintly discernible, emanating an astonishing aura.

"This... this... this..."

Huyan Muyuan gasped in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief. Then, his expression erupted in ecstasy.

"Such powerful Spiritual Energy! It covers nearly half the city!"

"That girl, Yang Zhen... to be so blessed by the heavens! If I consume her, I could break through not just to the Divine Storage Realm, but all the way to the True Origin Realm!"

In the next instant, the white receded from his eyes, his black pupils returning. He looked at his daughter, his face filled with fanaticism and anticipation.

"The Spiritual Energy is ripe. The time for the Huyan Family to exact its revenge has come!"

"Immediately send men to track Su Yu’s movements. The moment he dares to leave the city, kill him without mercy!"

A look of surprise flashed in Huyan Tong’s eyes. She had never seen her father so excited; he clearly had high hopes for this person with great Spiritual Energy.

"Father, Su Yu is the Great Commander now. Are we really going to move against him?"

"He killed my brilliant son, Xin’Er! Our feud will not end until one of us is dead! I don’t care if he’s a Commander; even if he were the Mansion Master of the Public Security Bureau, I would still kill him!"

Finished speaking, he turned to the kneeling Chen Fan. "Chen Fan, you were once Su Yu’s junior brother, so you know him best. You will handle this matter. As long as you kill him, I will bestow upon you Divine Blood. Once you consume it, you will break through to the Muscle Forging Realm in a single leap and become a God-descendant! Your marriage to Tong’Er can also be held immediately!"

"Tong’Er, what do you think?"

A blush of shyness immediately crossed Huyan Tong’s face. "Father, Chen Fan and I truly love each other. As for the wedding, I will follow your arrangements."

Chen Fan immediately put on an excited expression. "Rest assured, Father. I will personally take Su Yu’s head within ten days. I will not go back on my word!"

"Excellent! With such conviction, this matter is sure to succeed!"

A moment later, the three of them emerged from the secret room, and Chen Fan took his leave.

After he had gone, Huyan Tong’s expression changed instantly. She giggled and said, "Father, that Chen Fan is so respectful, and his talent is quite good. I’m almost reluctant to kill him. How about this: I marry him first and conceive a divine-seed, then we can decide?"

Huyan Muyuan stroked Huyan Tong’s head dotingly. "You may do as you see fit. In the end, all of his Spiritual Energy will enter your body anyway. With your talent, the chances of you conceiving a divine-seed won’t be low."

"But for now, the most important thing is Yang Zhen! Her Spiritual Energy will be a great help to me as well. Once my strength has increased, we will wait for the Black Lotus Sect and those dogs from the Inner City to make their move. Then, our Huyan Family will surely rise from the chaos!"