Chapter 459 - 441: Masters as Numerous as Clouds

"Little Brother Su, look at the man next to Master Gu, the one with the blade on his back. That’s Grand Master Mo Guhong, another expert at the Divine Storage Realm. Rumor has it his blade techniques have reached the Transformation Realm, and he once split the eighty-foot-wide waterfall on Tiger Roar Mountain with a single strike!"

Su Yu didn’t dare to scan the area with his Divine Sense again. The Inner City was teeming with experts, so he couldn’t afford to be careless. He simply looked from afar with his naked eye.

Mo Guhong wore a conical bamboo hat, and all Su Yu could see underneath was the weathered face of a middle-aged man.

However, as a fellow master of the Sword Dao, Su Yu could still sense a sharp blade intent emanating from the man’s gaze and movements.

No matter the situation, the blade on his back could be drawn in an instant. This was a habit cultivated by masters of the Sword Dao over many long years.

’Mo Guhong... I wonder if I’ll ever have the chance to fight him.’

Of course, the current Su Yu was no match at all. Against a single strike from an expert of the Divine Storage Realm, he wouldn’t be able to withstand even one blow.

Nevertheless, a slight smile touched Su Yu’s lips as a fighting spirit surged within him.

’So many experts... This is much more interesting than the Outer City!’

Besides the two Grand Masters at the Divine Storage Realm, the Inspection Bureau also had three Grand Masters at the peak of the Profound Bone Realm.

One of them was named Jin Fugui. He was a large, jolly-looking fat man whose cheerful laughter was matched only by the wheezing of the small, jujube-red mare struggling beneath his weight.

The people from the Public Security Bureau stared, dumbfounded, but no one dared to say a word. After all, he was a genuine Grand Master; how could he possibly be weak?

Su Yu knew the other two. One was the voluptuous beauty Liu Longyu, who stood over two meters tall. The other was Jiang Wen, dressed in white, radiating an astonishing amount of Evil Qi.

Su Yu had an idea concerning Jiang Wen.

’I’m currently lacking a Cultivation Technique for controlling Evil Qi, and the Jiang family is famous for their Evil Qi-based Martial Arts. Perhaps I can make a trade with Master Jiang.’

The Inspection Bureau was divided into the Silver Armor Guard and the Golden Armor Guard. The Silver Armor Guards were all Martial Artists, while the Golden Armor Guard had a minimum requirement of the Flesh Refining Realm.

Once Pavilion Master Qian led his people to a halt, the Silver Armor Guards quickly fell into formation, completely sealing off the surrounding area.

CLANG! CLANG!

Armor clanked, ringing with the sound of striking metal. Their military bearing was imposing, and an iron-blooded, murderous aura spread through the air.

The Security Guards watched in shock. How could they possibly be a match for a force like the Silver Armor Guard?

And that wasn’t even mentioning the terrifying Golden Armor Guard. Even the Black Armor Guard probably wasn’t worthy of carrying their shoes.

"Pavilion Master Qian, I am Pang Xuan, Mansion Master of the Outer City’s Security Guards. I am here with the Security Guards and the representatives of the various families to attend the summit!"

Qian Zhiyuan nodded slightly and dismounted from the four-tusked white elephant. His voice was sonorous and majestic. "Excellent! The integration of our Inner and Outer Cities today is a monumental undertaking. I thank you all for your hard work!"

"The Black Lotus Sect is running rampant, and we must work together with one heart to fight against the Demons! This is the very purpose of opening the city today!"

"Open the city!"

Qian Zhiyuan acted decisively, giving the order without the slightest hesitation.

WOOO... WOOO... WOOO...

The sound of massive ox-horns echoed, the long, drawn-out notes spreading throughout the entire Inner City as countless fireworks shot into the sky.

POP! POP! POP!

In an instant, the sky was dyed a multitude of colors.

Everyone watched the vibrant sky, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

A century-old tradition had been broken in a single day. As for what the future held for Black Stone City, no one knew for sure.

This was especially true for the major families of the Outer City. They had weathered many storms over the past year. In the face of the Inner City’s powerful factions, would they become vassals, or would they bravely mount a challenge?

Every choice could decide the future rise or fall of their family.

...

After the city-opening ceremony ended, the real work began.

The Public Security Bureau and the Inspection Bureau were merging, and matters such as defense, territory, and merits all needed to be re-evaluated and re-divided. Each task was a significant undertaking.

In addition, there was the matter of reviewing and issuing the travel Tokens that would manage the flow of people, as well as the integration of shipping and the piers.

The Outer City’s South City Pier was the city’s primary supply line. The newly formed Public Security Bureau took the lead, combining investment from the Inner City’s powers with the shipping capacity of the Outer City pier to implement a state monopoly, managed by the Imperial Family, on the purchase and sale of strategic resources like grain, potent medicines, and Mithril.

Finally, there was the most important matter of city defense. More than ten massive Fire God Crossbows were transported from the Inner City and mounted on the city walls.

Su Yu also took the opportunity to gather several thousand refugees and start a work-for-relief program.

"Lord Su is a living Bodhisattva! We kowtow in thanks to Lord Su!"

"My son can survive now! Thank you, my lord."

"This old man can finally have a bowl of thin gruel. Heaven has eyes!"

At the city gate, a dense crowd of impoverished people knelt on the ground. Some wept bitterly, while others shouted their gratitude.

Now, with this work building and reinforcing the city walls, they could finally eat a full meal and survive.

Su Yu looked at these common folk, dressed in rags and starved to skin and bones, and his heart ached.

’Perhaps their wishes were simple: just to be able to eat their fill.’

’The Black Lotus Sect was able to rise so quickly simply because they capitalized on the circumstances.’

’Now that the work-for-relief program is underway, and the people of the western district are gradually being included, the fertile ground for the Black Lotus Sect’s survival will eventually be eroded, bit by bit.’

...

「In the following days, Black Stone City became bustling with activity.」

More and more factions from the Outer City obtained the so-called "passes" and entered the Inner City. But when they saw the prosperity within, they were so shocked they were left speechless, feeling as if they had been dealt a heavy blow.

No wonder the people of the Inner City had always looked down on the Outer City. They never imagined the disparity would be so great.

It wasn’t just the level of prosperity, but also the expert Martial Artists everywhere. Any one of them, chosen at random, would likely be a renowned expert in the Outer City.

Meanwhile, factions from the Inner City also began to move into the Outer City, investing money and sending people to reap greater profits.

Such was the hustle and bustle, all for the sake of profit.

Beneath this lively surface, countless undercurrents were surging.

「Outer City. Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall.」

Xiong Wu stared at the drunken Sun Yan before him, his expression terrifyingly dark.

This once-prodigal disciple of his had been in a slump ever since his successive defeats to Su Yu. He sank deeper into despair each time he heard news of Su Yu’s fame spreading through the city, and now he had completely degenerated into a useless drunkard.

"You’re an expert at the Flesh Refining Realm, and your talent is more than sufficient. Even with only one hand, you still have a future in cultivation. Are you sure you want to give up?"

Sun Yan, slumped in his chair, looked up drunkenly at his master. "What’s the point of cultivating... HIC... No matter how hard I train, I’ll never beat that Su Yu... HIC... and I’ll never get my revenge..."

"What if I told you there’s a chance for revenge right now? Would you get back on your feet?"

"Revenge?"

A flash of hatred crossed Sun Yan’s eyes, and his spirits seemed to rally for a moment. But then, as if remembering something, his gaze dimmed once more.

"It’s impossible..."

"You useless piece of trash!"

Xiong Wu’s face contorted in fury, and a flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes as he looked at Sun Yan.

The Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall had fallen into such dire straits almost entirely because they had provoked Su Yu. Following Su Yu’s rise, various factions had targeted the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, both openly and secretly, suppressing it to a precarious state and forcing it to lay low.

Now that the White Ape Martial Arts Hall had become the leader of the alliance, it was making even more aggressive moves, clearly intending to destroy their hall for good.

But even in such a desperate situation, Xiong Wu and the others hadn’t expelled Sun Yan, always holding out hope that he could still pull himself together.

’It seems my disciple is completely ruined now!’

’In that case, disciple, it’s time for you to fulfill your final purpose.’

In the next instant, Xiong Wu suddenly struck, bringing his palm down on Sun Yan’s head with full force.

"ARGH!"

With a final, wretched scream, his skull shattered and blood splattered everywhere. Sun Yan’s body slid limply from the chair, his life extinguished.