Chapter 217 - 216: Spiritual Sense, Storage

The air of romance under the iron locust tree grew heavy, and an intimate atmosphere spread between them like a sticky web.

He was a Martial Artist brimming with virility. She was a peerless beauty as succulent as a ripe peach. It was a tinderbox of passion, and their last shred of reason was about to be incinerated beyond control.

"My lord! An urgent message from the Public Security Bureau!"

Just then, the voice of the steward, Li Da, suddenly echoed from the front courtyard. "The Public Security Bureau requests your immediate presence!"

Hearing the approaching footsteps, the two people locked in a tight embrace on the stone bench sprang apart as if electrocuted.

Lin Wanzhu frantically straightened her disheveled clothes, her usually cool and detached face now so red it looked as if it might bleed.

’I can’t believe it.’ She was a dignified Vice Commander of the Public Security Bureau, an expert at Flesh Refining Realm Perfection. Yet Su Yu’s domineering, nimble hands had casually toyed with her, and she had become so flustered and infatuated that, in broad daylight, she had almost...

Su Yu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the heat surging within him. He looked at Lin Wanzhu, whose face was as flushed as a peach blossom. "Official business comes first," he said in a low voice. "Let’s head to the Public Security Bureau."

Upon hearing his words, Lin Wanzhu also circulated her Qi and Blood, forcefully suppressing her romantic thoughts. The clarity and cold severity quickly returned to her eyes.

"Right. To the Public Security Bureau," she said, her tone reverting to its usual coldness, though her voice still held the faintest tremor.

She quickly rose and was about to walk toward the front courtyard when Su Yu grabbed her delicate hand.

The warmth from his palm sent another flutter through Lin Wanzhu’s heart. She turned back, giving him a coquettish glare. "Business comes first, Ah Yu. Stop fooling around."

Su Yu chuckled. He pointed to her exposed shoulder, as smooth and white as jade. "Senior Sister, are you planning to go to the Public Security Bureau and give orders with your clothes in disarray? If those young pups outside see this, I, your junior brother, will be at a great disadvantage."

Only then did Lin Wanzhu realize her clothes were torn, revealing the faint outline of her high, full chest. Flushed with shame and annoyance, even the tips of her ears turned bright red.

"It’s all your fault, you brute! You’re so rough!" she snapped, pinching his waist in exasperation. "Still in the mood for jokes? Hurry up and find me something to wear!"

"Come with me, Senior Sister. You can change in my room."

Su Yu grinned mischievously and, without another word, pulled Lin Wanzhu into the adjacent bedroom.

A moment later, the two emerged from the room, looking as guilty as thieves.

Lin Wanzhu was wearing a moon-white, waist-cinching silk blouse.

The blouse originally belonged to Yang Zhen. The two women were similar in height, but Lin Wanzhu was more generously endowed. Fortunately, with the help of chest bindings, it seemed to fit quite well.

"Let’s go, Senior Sister."

Su Yu urged her, silently sighing in relief. ’Good thing Zhen’Er is out shopping...’

...

「Vice Commander’s Office, Public Security Bureau.」

"Commander Lin, the cultists of the Black Lotus Sect have begun to proselytize widely around Black Stone City, secretly establishing countless strongholds! This one we’ve discovered is likely just the tip of the iceberg!"

Lin Wanzhu nodded as she listened to the report from Peng Ye, captain of the first squad.

"No matter. We will deal with whatever comes our way. The higher-ups will handle the Black Lotus Sect’s invasion. Our current mission is to find and pull out every single one of their spies in our jurisdiction!"

"Peng Ye, immediately assemble two squads of Security Guards. I will personally lead the team to raze this stronghold!"

A fiercely sharp killing intent flashed in Lin Wanzhu’s eyes.

’Those damned Black Lotus Sect cultists! Of all the times to cause trouble, they had to pick now!’

After issuing the combat orders, she turned to Su Yu, Cai Yun, and Sun Dahuhu, who commanded the other three squads.

"Su Yu, the three of you are not to slack off either. Fully reinforce patrols in your respective jurisdictions! Anyone found to be a Black Lotus Sect member or spreading their vile heresies is to be killed without mercy!"

"Yes, Commander!"

...

After leaving the Vice Commander’s office, Su Yu didn’t hurry back to his jurisdiction. Instead, he went to the Public Security Bureau’s dark, damp prison.

"My lord, you’ve arrived." The old jailer bowed with a fawning smile. "I’ve already trained those three female prisoners from Linglong Tower to be completely obedient for you. They’ve completely broken down. All you need to do is go in and show them a little kindness, and I guarantee they’ll be so grateful they’ll treat you like their own father. Utterly devoted."

Su Yu nodded and entered the cell.

On a pile of straw in the corner, Yin Tao and the other two women were huddled together like frightened quails. Their hair was a mess, their bodies were covered in whip marks, and they were in a truly wretched state.

At the dull groan of the iron door turning, Yin Tao shot her head up like a startled bird.

When she saw Su Yu standing at the door, her bloodshot eyes first showed a flicker of shock, which was then replaced by a fanatical desire to live.

"Lord Su! Lord Su!"

Yin Tao scrambled and crawled over, desperately clinging to Su Yu’s black boots. "My lord!" she begged without a shred of dignity. "Yin Tao knows she was wrong! Please, I beg you, show mercy and get me out of here!"

"My lord, please save us..." the other two female disciples pleaded, as if clutching the last straw in a vast ocean.

Su Yu slowly squatted down and gently helped Yin Tao to her feet.

"Don’t be afraid. I came today to get you out."

"R-really? My lord?" Yin Tao’s eyes widened in disbelief, her voice trembling violently as if she were afraid it was a lie.

"Of course. But right now, I have a few extremely important questions for you. I wonder if you... would be willing to answer them truthfully?"

Yin Tao clutched Su Yu’s sleeve, nodding frantically. "Ask, my lord! Ask anything! As long as you can get me out of here, Yin Tao will tell you everything she knows, even if it means being crushed to dust!"

Su Yu smiled faintly and lowered his voice. "Let me ask you, when your Linglong Tower fled to Black Stone City, did Yu Linglong... happen to be carrying any great treasures?"

"Yes! A great treasure!" Yin Tao answered without hesitation. "When Hall Master Yu evacuated us from Yun Jin City, she took more than half of the treasures from Linglong Tower’s vault with her!"

’More than half?’

Su Yu’s gaze sharpened.

This was a fortune large enough to stir up a bloodbath in Black Stone City!

One had to understand that Linglong Tower was a first-rate sect in Yun Jin City. Half the assets of such a major power would be more than enough to support a family for decades!

"No." Su Yu stared at her intently. "How could a few weak women like you carry a mountain of treasure? Why was there no sign of it when you entered the city?"

"My lord, Hall Master Yu has a Storage Magical Artifact! It’s an ancient Jade Pendant that she wears!"

A look of excitement appeared on Yin Tao’s face as she eagerly revealed everything, as if presenting a treasure herself. "All of the tower’s treasures are hidden inside it! And I also know a secret that even the other junior sisters don’t know!"

"On the eve of Yun Jin City’s fall, I accidentally overheard a secret conversation between the Hall Master and an elder. Sealed inside that Jade Pendant is a Spirit-rank peerless treasure!"

’A Storage Magical Artifact? A Spirit-rank treasure?’

Su Yu couldn’t help but take a deep breath. He had hit the jackpot. To think Yu Linglong was hiding such a massive benefit!

"Very good. Your information is extremely important." Su Yu patted Yin Tao’s cheek in satisfaction. "That storage Jade Pendant, where does she usually keep it? And how is it opened?"

Hearing Su Yu’s praise, a flicker of morbid ecstasy flashed in Yin Tao’s eyes.

"To answer my lord, the Jade Pendant is extremely important. The Hall Master never lets it out of her sight. She wears it close to her chest and never takes it off, not even when she bathes."

"As for how to open it, I once heard my master casually mention that you need to extend your divine sense into the Jade Pendant and use a verbal command to connect with the pocket dimension inside and retrieve items."

’This is trouble.’

’She wears it against her chest, and as a great master at the Perfection level of the Muscle Forging Realm, Yu Linglong is extremely vigilant. Stealing it secretly would be harder than climbing to heaven.’

’Even more troublesome, opening the blasted thing really does require extending one’s divine sense!’

Su Yu sighed to himself.

’He and Yang Zhen had suspected as much before, but divine sense was something developed through immortal cultivation. He currently had no way to cultivate it.’

’As for other methods, Yang Zhen had already scoured countless ancient texts without finding any relevant clues.’

’It seems I have to find a way to enhance my own divine sense. If I could also extend my divine sense, perhaps I could open the ring and the jade pendant in my storage and get the treasures inside!’

Su Yu’s mind raced. ’Right now, the only method I know for sure to enhance my divine soul is reading.’

’Reaching Perfection and Breaking Limit in my reading before had strengthened my divine soul considerably, but it wasn’t strong enough to be extended externally.’

’Wait, Yu Linglong gave me a Yun Jin fruit before. It can nourish the divine soul. Maybe I can try that.’

"This secret about the Spirit-rank treasure and the storage Jade Pendant, who else knows?" Su Yu reined in his thoughts, staring into Yin Tao’s eyes for confirmation.

Eager to prove her worth, Yin Tao shook her head. "My lord, I swear it! Besides the Hall Master and a few elders who died in battle, I am the only one who found out by accident! The other junior sisters only know that the Hall Master brought money with her; they have no idea about the storage Jade Pendant or the Spirit-rank treasure!"

Su Yu nodded, extremely satisfied.

Seeing Yin Tao earn such credit, the other two female disciples, not to be outdone, crawled over and clung to Su Yu’s legs, crying beautifully. "My lord, as long as you save us from this hellhole, in life we will be your women, and in death we will be your ghosts!"

Su Yu looked at these three women—once so proud and arrogant, now with their dignity completely shattered by the jailers, ready to obey his every command—and a thoughtful expression flickered in his eyes.

’Perhaps after they leave this prison and have some time to recuperate, their minds will gradually return to normal, and they might start having thoughts of resistance again.’

’But so what?’

’I’m just conveniently placing a few disposable pawns. If it works, it’s a massive gain. If it fails, I lose nothing.’

"In that case, I will arrange for your release now."

"After you get out, return to Linglong Tower and lay low. If you have any intelligence, report it to me immediately. Understand?"

"Yes! My lord! We swear our undying loyalty to you!" the two female disciples kowtowed repeatedly.

But Yin Tao remained kneeling, tightly clutching the corner of Su Yu’s robe. She looked up with her tragically beautiful, tear-streaked face and said plaintively, "My lord... Yin Tao doesn’t want to go back. I’m scared. I want to stay by your side and serve you..."

"..."