Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Ambiguity, Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill

"Come, come, have a seat. Quickly, tell me about the mission." Li Jingxuan personally lifted the Zisha Clay Teapot to pour Su Yu a cup. As the emerald-green tea flowed, steam rose like a fine mist.

Su Yu accepted the teacup, took a sip to wet his throat, and began his report.

He altered and omitted certain details of the mission. As for how he’d discovered the black stone’s properties, he didn’t directly reveal the Water Snake Gang’s oddities, instead attributing it to Lin Wanzhu.

’The Water Snake Gang affair is too entangled. I need to discuss it at length with Senior Sister.’

"Excellent, excellent! Not only did you slay two grotesques on this mission, but you also discovered the use of this black stone. A great merit, a truly great merit!"

Li Jingxuan pinched the black stone between two chubby fingers, scrutinizing it. Though he couldn’t see anything unusual about it, he couldn’t suppress the smile spreading across his face.

"Go back and rest for a few days. As for the silver and merits for slaying the grotesques, after I report to Commander Pang, I’ll personally issue them to you. You won’t be shorted one bit!"

"And if the function of this black stone is confirmed, that’ll be another huge merit! You’ll get your share of that, too!"

Su Yu rose and cupped his fist. "Thank you for your guidance, Commander!"

Then, a troubled look crossed his face. He sighed, his voice tinged with regret. "It’s just... there is one more thing. I must confess my failure to you, Commander."

"Oh? What is it?" Li Jingxuan, still in high spirits, asked casually.

"A member of my team, Zhu Rui... it was his first time facing grotesques, and he was inexperienced. In the chaos of the fight, he was unfortunately sprayed in the face by a grotesque’s toxic gas..."

Su Yu paused, his voice dropping low. "His eyes are blind, and his face is ruined. I’m afraid... he’s completely finished."

"Finished?"

"That boy from the Zhu Family... what terrible luck." He shook his head and sighed. "I’ll handle the aftermath with the Zhu Family. As for the empty spot on your team, you can fill it yourself. But the replacement must have reached the Martial Artist Realm!"

’Fill it myself!’

A sharp glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes.

’This means I can install one of my own confidants directly. I could even... cash in on this spot, worth five hundred taels, all over again!’

’Li Jingxuan must know all the angles to this. He’s probably saying this as a little bonus for me, a reward for my great merit.’

"Thank you for your trust, Commander!"

...

After leaving Commander Li’s room, Su Yu spoke with Song Mirror, telling him and Zhao Tie to rest for a few days and wait for their rewards.

Then, he headed for the Lin Mansion.

In the rear courtyard of the Lin Mansion, within a fragrant, embroidered boudoir.

After kicking Lin Xiaotian out, Lin Wanzhu poured Su Yu a cup of tea and listened carefully as he recounted the details of his mission once more.

"I never expected those grotesques to be so cunning. Their intelligence must be quite high." Lin Wanzhu sat beside Su Yu, a thoughtful glimmer in her beautiful eyes.

"Yes, Senior Sister. And there’s one more thing. I got this black stone from the Water Snake Gang!"

"What! The Water Snake Gang?"

A look of shock flashed in Lin Wanzhu’s eyes, and she abruptly sat up straight.

Su Yu immediately told his senior sister all the clues he’d found related to the Water Snake Gang, including the strange black stone and the map he had discovered in their hideout.

Lin Wanzhu grew more and more astonished as she listened, finally taking a deep, sharp breath.

"The Water Snake Gang, at most, is just a local nuisance. They don’t have the guts or the appetite to get involved in a catastrophe of this scale. Unless..."

Su Yu’s eyes flashed as he picked up her train of thought. "Unless they’re just the puppets, and someone else is pulling the strings."

"Exactly."

Lin Wanzhu nodded in approval, her brow furrowed. "This matter runs deep. It might even involve the Inner City... You did the right thing by not reporting it directly to Li Jingxuan."

"Keep this to yourself for now. I’ll find an opportunity to relay it to Master and let him decide what to do."

"Okay, Senior Sister."

With the serious business concluded, the tense atmosphere in the room eased.

Lin Wanzhu looked at the unnaturally composed young man before her. Her brow smoothed out, and a playful smile touched her lips. "Alright, let the higher-ups worry about it. As for you... you’ve earned great merit this time. You’ve impressed your senior sister yet again."

She leaned forward, displaying her voluptuous figure to its fullest.

"I was thinking that if you hadn’t earned any merits after three months, I would have to swallow my pride and plead your case for you. But I never expected you to be so young and accomplished."

The two were extremely close.

Su Yu’s gaze drifted downward, met by a weighty presence that seemed as if it could spill onto the table at any moment. The unique, breathtaking voluptuousness of a mature woman made the throat of Su Yu, a Martial Artist brimming with vigorous Qi and Blood, tighten.

As if sensing his gaze, Lin Wanzhu didn’t shy away. Instead, she deliberately gave a long, lazy stretch.

"Mmm~"

A lazy hum escaped her lips.

The already form-fitting cyan dress was pulled taut, outlining her exaggerated curves. At her collar, a dazzling sliver of snow-white skin rose and fell with each breath, threatening to burst free from the fabric.

"Junior Brother."

Her tone was teasing. "That girl, Lin Jing. After she joined the Law Enforcement Team, she got some rewards from the family. Her strength has soared, and now she’s clamoring for a rematch with you. Aren’t you going to go... give her a few pointers?"

Su Yu suspected she was doing it on purpose but had no proof. He forcibly suppressed his surging Qi and Blood. "Senior Sister, don’t you know my strength? Even if Lin Jing breaks through to the First Acupoint, she’d still be no match for me. Why would I bother competing with her again?"

"That’s true. Especially since your strength seems to advance by leaps and bounds every few days. It makes me wonder if you really have a Lower-Grade Root Bone."

"But you felt my bones yourself, Senior Sister. Could you have been mistaken?" Su Yu said helplessly. ’There are still some questions about my root bone, though.’

"Not necessarily!" Lin Wanzhu’s eyes lit up. "I’ve heard that taking certain Treasures of Heaven and Earth can cause one’s root bone to undergo a second stage of development."

"Let me feel your bones again!" As she spoke, Lin Wanzhu’s warm, jade-smooth hand was already on Su Yu’s arm.

’I’ll confirm his root bone one more time, and then I can tell him the news.’

This time, her touch was light and gentle. Her hand slid slowly up his arm, following the lines of his muscles. When she needed to apply a bit of pressure, she’d whisper to let him know.

"Relax, why are your muscles so tense?"

Lin Wanzhu’s breath was fragrant, and a warm puff of air tickled Su Yu’s ear. As she moved, her soft, full body inevitably brushed against his shoulder and chest.

Soft, yet firm.

The soft contact made the Qi and Blood surge within him. He couldn’t help but exhale a hot breath, which landed directly on her snow-white neck and the valley between her peaks.

Lin Wanzhu’s body trembled slightly, the hot breath causing the skin on her chest to flush pink. A strange, tingling numbness spread through her. As if possessed, she didn’t pull away. Instead, her hand movements slowed, her fingertips tracing light circles on his chest.

An ambiguous tension flowed silently through the room.

Su Yu was finding it hard to suppress his Qi and Blood, but it wasn’t his fault. Martial Artists were naturally vigorous, after all.

’Besides, this body is still a virgin, so a strong reaction is only natural.’

So, he couldn’t help but breathe another puff of hot air toward that snow-white valley.

Just as the heady atmosphere was about to consume them both... 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"BANG!"

Just then, the door was kicked open, and Lin Xiaotian charged in, whimpering.

"SWISH!"

With a SWISH, Lin Wanzhu moved with the full speed of the Flesh Refining Realm, instantly retracting her hand. She sat perfectly upright, forcing a calm and unbothered expression, though the blush on her chest had yet to fade.

Su Yu also gave a light cough, quickly adjusted his posture, and stared intently at nothing, a picture of perfect composure.

"Lin Xiaotian! Don’t you know how to knock?" Lin Wanzhu’s eyebrows shot up as she snapped at him.

Lin Xiaotian flinched, shrinking his neck. He’d never seen his aunt yell like that before. He scurried over to Su Yu and held out a porcelain bottle as if presenting a treasure. "Big Brother! These are Nourishing Spirit Pills I... uh, *borrowed* from the storeroom! You have to take them! By the way, that stone-throwing trick you showed me, I’ve already mastered it! You have to teach me a new move later!"

With that, he bolted out the door as if his life depended on it.

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Su Yu picked up the pill bottle from the table and glanced at his senior sister.

"Take it," she said. "Even if Xiaotian hadn’t given it to you, I was planning on continuing to sponsor you anyway."

With Lin Xiaotian’s interruption, the heady atmosphere in the room mostly dissipated.

Lin Wanzhu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her expression returning to its usual state. "Junior Brother, your root bone is definitely Lower-Grade. I’ve checked twice now, there’s no mistake. However, with your aptitude for comprehension, if you could just get your hands on a Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill to improve your root bone, your future in the Martial Arts would be limitless!"

Su Yu gave a wry smile. "Senior Sister, I’d love to get a Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill, but Senior Brother Jiang said only one pill like that becomes available every few years. It won’t be easy to find."

"That’s true. But... I brought up feeling your bones because I’ve heard a whisper of some news."

"What news?" Su Yu’s heart jolted, his gaze instantly sharpening.

Lin Wanzhu noticed his intense gaze and gave a bewitching smile. She leaned in close again, speaking coyly. "This information wasn’t easy for your senior sister to come by. How are you going to repay me?"