Chapter 300 - 293: Rewards, Great Commander?
After a day of rest, the turmoil in the Outer City caused by the Black Lotus Sect finally settled down with the Public Security Bureau’s suppression.
Pang Xuan personally made a trip to the Inner City. Upon his return, his usual gloomy expression was gone, replaced by a rare smile.
"Pass down the order: summon all Commanders, Vice Commanders, and Captains to assemble in the Public Affairs Hall in half an hour."
After Ye Xiaohong had his personal guards relay the order, he hurried to Pang Xuan’s side. Lowering his voice, he asked with some trepidation, "My lord, judging by your expression... the Inner City’s plans to reorganize our Public Security Bureau... they aren’t going to take drastic measures anymore, are they?"
Previously, a sense of panic had gripped the Outer City. Rumors were flying that the higher-ups in the Inner City were enraged by the Public Security Bureau’s inadequate defenses, which had allowed the Black Lotus Sect Demons to attack the Inner City.
There were even rumors that Pang Xuan would be dismissed and a new Mansion Master would be "parachuted in" to thoroughly investigate the Outer City. The entire Public Security Bureau, from top to bottom, was in a state of anxiety.
Pang Xuan picked up his teacup, blew on the surface gently, and said, "There will still be adjustments. That’s the general trend, and it’s irreversible. However, this time we aren’t in such a passive position."
He took a sip of tea, his tone exuding composure. "This time, the Inner City will send a new ’Vice Mansion Master’ and a Great Commander. Furthermore, they will be bringing an elite unit of the Silver Armor Guard!"
"While this is certainly a move to divide our power, from another perspective, this delegation of the Inner City’s strength will also significantly boost our Public Security Bureau’s absolute martial power in the Outer City. When we face the Black Lotus Sect in the future, we will no longer be as stretched thin as before!"
Upon hearing this, the knot in Ye Xiaohong’s stomach finally loosened. He nodded slightly. "You are wise, my lord! As long as you’re in charge, the sky won’t fall on the Public Security Bureau, and the brothers under you can feel at ease!"
He was speaking from the heart. As one of Pang Xuan’s trusted men, he knew that if the Mansion Master of the Public Security Bureau were replaced, all of them underneath would suffer.
"This time, I owe it all to you." Pang Xuan set down his teacup, his tone filled with undisguised praise. "If you hadn’t found irrefutable proof of the Water Snake Gang’s collusion with the Black Lotus Sect, impressively slain that Incense Master, and seized the ’Vacuum Mother Statue’... When I went to the Inner City to give my report, I would have been completely cornered by those old foxes making things difficult for me."
"My lord, speaking of which, Su Yu is truly a uniquely blessed commander!"
Admiration flashed in Ye Xiaohong’s eyes at the mention of Su Yu. "He has repeatedly performed such great deeds; his luck and ability are simply monstrous. Your subordinate is increasingly convinced that there is likely a grandmaster-level Path Guardian secretly guiding him!"
Hearing this speculation, Pang Xuan nodded in deep agreement.
When Ye Xiaohong had previously reported in secret that Su Yu had single-handedly killed Hong Lei—a master at the Perfection of the Muscle Forging Realm—Pang Xuan’s first reaction had been to find it absurd. How could someone in the mere Flesh Refining Realm possibly cross such a vast gulf to defeat a superior foe?
But when Ye Xiaohong described the hemlock forest that had been completely obliterated by a divine talisman, Pang Xuan had fallen silent.
In the current climate of roiling undercurrents, whether it was a true divine talisman or a hidden expert—very likely a Martial Arts grandmaster—who had made a move, the implications were extraordinary.
A glint worthy of an ambitious overlord flashed in Pang Xuan’s eyes. "I have never been a petty man, jealous of the worthy. The more capable he is, the happier I am! For this round of rewards, I will reward him handsomely and bind him completely to the Public Security Bureau’s war chariot!"
...
「Half an hour later, in the Public Security Bureau’s Public Affairs Hall.」
The hall was a forest of gleaming gold armor, the atmosphere solemn. Pang Xuan sat upon the master’s seat, and below him to the left and right sat the four Commanders, led by Ye Xiaohong and Li Jingxuan.
Further back were Su Yu and the other dozen or so Vice Commanders. The rearmost seats were filled with a large contingent of Captains, clad in armor and armed to the teeth.
Every single mid-to-high-ranking officer of the Public Security Bureau was present.
Pang Xuan’s authoritative gaze swept over the assembly. He rose slowly and announced in a resonant voice, "I have summoned you all today to announce two things."
"First, in seven days, the Public Security Bureau will be expanding its forces. The Inner City will send a new Vice Mansion Master and a Great Commander, who will lead an elite unit of the Silver Armor Guard to be stationed here!"
This statement caused a brief stir in the hall, but it died down instantly under Pang Xuan’s piercing glare.
"The second matter concerns the case of the rampaging Black Lotus Sect Demons!"
Pang Xuan raised his voice, his tone infused with pride and killing intent. "The night before last, our Public Security Bureau struck like thunder and successfully eliminated the Water Snake Gang, that cancerous tumor that dared to collude with the Black Lotus Sect! Not only did we kill several powerful Stewards and an Incense Master of the sect, but we also seized the Vacuum Mother Statue! We have utterly foiled the demons’ plot to destroy the city!"
As he spoke, Pang Xuan’s gaze traveled over the crowd and landed on Su Yu’s upright figure.
"In this operation, Commander Su Yu’s contributions are the greatest of all. Not only did he discover the Water Snake Gang’s collusion with the Black Lotus Sect, but he also personally slew several Senior Stewards and seized a Black Lotus Divine Statue!"
Pang Xuan heaped on the praise, not mincing his words. "Commander Su is both wise and courageous, a pillar of our Black Stone City, and a brilliant young talent of the Great Xia!"
SWISH!
The moment he finished speaking, nearly a hundred pairs of eyes in the hall swiveled in unison to land on Su Yu.
Those gazes were filled with intense shock, curiosity, and awe!
Everyone who held the rank of Captain or higher in the Public Security Bureau was a formidable Martial Arts expert. Which one of them wasn’t proud and didn’t hold themselves in high regard?
Yet everyone present knew that only one person among them had managed to stand out and repeatedly achieve such monumental merits: Su Yu!
To achieve such feats and earn such high praise from Mansion Master Pang himself—everyone felt the heavy pressure!
Feng Ting, seated across from Su Yu, watched his impassive expression—as calm as an ancient well, even as he became the center of attention. A brilliant light danced in her beautiful eyes, and she couldn’t resist flashing him a radiant smile.
’This Commander Su is truly unfathomable. He had just finished dealing with the Zhenyuan Escort Agency’s Evil God altar, and now, just like that, he’d rooted out the Water Snake Gang for colluding with the Black Lotus Sect.’
’She hated that she hadn’t been shameless enough to tag along when he investigated the Water Snake Gang. She had completely missed out on a share of this monumental achievement!’
Feng Ting swore a silent oath. ’In the future, on any mission led by Su Yu, I will shamelessly tag along—even if it means climbing a mountain of blades or diving into a sea of fire!’
As for Zhao Mu and Qian Langxing, who had been promoted to Vice Commander at the same time as Su Yu, they looked at him with extremely complicated expressions.
This was especially true for Zhao Mu. He tugged down his signature heavy, black felt hat, and a rare, slightly stiff smile appeared on his deathly pale face as he took the initiative to give Su Yu a slight nod.
Seeing Su Yu become the focus of everyone’s attention, a gentle smile, as soft as spring waters, bloomed on Lin Wanzhu’s lovely face, and a swell of pride rose in her heart.
’I really have good judgment. I saw his potential back when Ah Yu was still starting out. Now, it feels like I’m watching a young boy grow into a real man.’
Sensing Lin Wanzhu’s gaze, Su Yu met it without flinching and gave her a small smile, his eyes then drifting, as if by accident, to her magnificent chest.
Lin Wanzhu’s heart leaped, and the tips of her ears flushed red at the thought of how that little rascal loved to squeeze her there.
’That damn little tormentor! How dare he be so brazen with so many people watching!’
Forcing herself to remain composed, she put on a stern expression and shot Su Yu a warning glare.
"Of course, besides Commander Su, the performance of our other newly promoted Commanders has also been commendable."
Pang Xuan’s words brought everyone’s attention back to the proceedings. "Feng Ting, Cui Wanhe, Zhao Mu, and Qian Langxing! You have all led from the front during the recent manhunts, repeatedly achieving great merit. You will all be rewarded handsomely!"
"However, my colleagues, do not grow complacent with this momentary victory!" Pang Xuan’s voice suddenly turned sharp. "With their core Divine Statue intercepted, the Black Lotus Sect is certain to launch an even more frenzied counterattack! The entire Public Security Bureau must remain on high alert and defend Black Stone City to the death!"
"We will die for the Mansion Master! We swear to defend Black Stone City to the death!" the assembled officers roared in unison.
...
After the rally concluded, the officers filed out in an orderly fashion, until only Su Yu remained, kept behind by Pang Xuan in the now-empty hall.
"Commander Su, this is the reward I promised you for securing the highest merit." Pang Xuan walked to his desk, personally retrieved a brocade box made of red sandalwood, and offered it to him.
"Your reward this time is twenty thousand Merit Points, plus a top-grade wild ginseng!"
Su Yu took the box with both hands and gently released the latch.
Instantly, a rich ginseng aroma washed over him, so potent it made his Qi and Blood stir.
Within the box, nestled on a bed of gold-threaded satin, lay an old mountain ginseng coiled like a horned dragon.
It was completely different from an ordinary mountain ginseng of several decades, which would have messy rootlets and a dull color. The skin of this wild ginseng had a dark golden sheen, its texture as deep as old bark. Its roots were thick and distinct, faintly intertwining to form a profound pattern.
’What a treasure!’
Su Yu couldn’t help but marvel.
This type of wild ginseng underwent a minor transformation every ten years. Once it survived for a century, it would experience a complete metamorphosis. Judging by this ginseng’s dark golden hue, it was probably a century old!
A hundred-year-old Spirit Medicine of this caliber was already considered top-grade. It had one foot across the threshold of the Mortal Tier, brushing against the legendary Spirit Tier of Treasure Medicines!
Su Yu was in high spirits as he put it away. The last time he used his Divine Skills, he had consumed all three of the high-grade Treasure Medicines he possessed, and he was in dire need of replenishment.
With this terrifyingly potent century-old ginseng as a backup, he wouldn’t have to worry about the subsequent state of weakness no matter what he did. Plus, it was sure to grant him a great deal of progress toward his next Breakthrough Point!
"Commander Su, more than these rewards, I’m interested in your future. Be straight with me—what is your true Realm right now?"
Su Yu’s mind worked fast. "To answer the Mansion Master, I am approaching the Perfection of the Flesh Refining Realm and preparing to break through to the Muscle Forging Realm!"
He deliberately reported his Realm as a bit higher than it was, right on the cusp of Perfection.
He did this to create a plausible bottleneck period for himself before he revealed his Muscle Forging Realm strength. After all, the leap from the Flesh Refining Realm to the Muscle Forging Realm was a huge chasm on the path of Martial Arts. If he broke through too quickly, it would seem far too abnormal.
Once he secretly reached the Muscle Forging Realm, he would deliberately conceal his strength for a while and wait for a suitable opportunity to reveal it. That way, his progress would seem more natural and less shocking to the various factions.
"Good! Good, on the verge of Perfection!"
Upon hearing this, a flicker of shock flashed through Pang Xuan’s authoritative eyes.
’This boy’s cultivation speed is truly terrifying!’
’He’s only in his early twenties and already at the threshold of the Muscle Forging Realm?’
’Such talent would place him among the most peerless, top-tier prodigies, even in the Inner City!’
’What’s more terrifying is that Su Yu has no major Inner City faction backing him! He’s just a fisherman’s son who crawled up from the muck of the Outer City. How can he, relying on his own insight and opportunities, possibly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the top geniuses of the Inner City?’
’Excellent. Since a peerless, uncut gem like this has landed in my Public Security Bureau, I must invest in him early and heavily!’
"Commander Su!"
Pang Xuan’s tone was grave, carrying both a promise and an offer:
"In the coming days, as soon as you break through to the Muscle Forging Realm, I promise you, I will immediately grant you the position of Great Commander!"