’The Skill Level is only 100 points. This is much easier to grind than Martial Arts.’

Su Yu immediately began flipping through the book himself.

"...The Grand Ancestor pacified the northern barbarians in Beiping, conquered Baiyue and the Country of Ten Thousand Demons in the south, resisted Shixiu’s Buddha Countries in the west, and slayed a giant whale in the East Sea. He opened trade with all nations, and they came to pay tribute to his court!"

"From then on, he divided the world into nineteen prefectures and established one hundred and eight commanderies, using the Nine Cauldrons to suppress the nation’s destiny and command the obedience of all within the four seas."

[Reading Skill Level +1]

[Reading Skill Level +1]

Soon, an hour passed. Qian Shu’s mouth was dry, while Yaya and the other two students stared blankly, their minds wandering.

Only Su Yu’s eyes were bright and full of spirit; he even felt his mind growing clearer.

He assessed his condition. Although reading was mentally draining, as his Skill Level increased, he found it easier and easier. It even seemed to be replenishing his Spiritual Power, which was why his mental state remained so good.

Seeing that everyone was tired, Su Yu waved his hand. "Elder Qian, that will be all for today. You may all go and rest."

Qian Shu nodded and sent Yaya and the other two to rest, looking at Su Yu with a hint of emotion.

’I didn’t expect Lord Su to genuinely enjoy reading. He’s not just putting on airs.’

After everyone had left, Su Yu sat alone at his desk and continued to read.

Soon, another half-hour passed. By now, Su Yu was finally feeling some mental fatigue, and his Skill Level had all but stopped increasing, so he stopped.

He summoned his panel and took a look.

[Skill] Reading (entry-level 75/100)

"Fifty points of Skill Level in one day. That’s quite fast. It looks like I’ll be able to advance my reading realm tomorrow."

...

The next day, after finishing his White Ape Fist practice, Su Yu went to the study. He picked up a book Qian Shu had left behind the day before, *Ancient Chronicles of the Jiuzhou Land*, and began to read.

"In the Jiuzhou Land, cultivators abounded in ancient times... After a great calamity befell heaven and earth, the Immortal Path withered, and all traces of immortals vanished..."

[Reading Skill Level +1]

[Reading Skill Level +1]

...

In less than an hour, the ink-wash text lit up before Su Yu’s eyes.

[Reading Skill has broken through to the Skillful Realm]

[Skill] Reading (Skilled 1/200)

In that instant, a cool Qi Flow flooded his mind.

Su Yu felt as if his thoughts were a freshly polished mirror, becoming much clearer.

The obscure and difficult classical texts that had previously stumped him were now instantly understandable. Even the minor points of confusion he had encountered while cultivating his Martial Arts now offered a new layer of insight as he recalled them.

"Reading brings wisdom. The ancients were not wrong!"

A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Su Yu’s eyes. "This reading skill doesn’t just improve literacy, it enhances comprehension and wisdom!"

"In that case, I must set aside time every day to keep improving this skill!"

...

For the next ten-odd days, Su Yu lived a reclusive life of closed-door cultivation.

He practiced martial arts during the day to advance his Martial Arts progress, and burned the midnight oil to grind his reading skill.

At the same time, to quickly accumulate Breakthrough Points and advance his Martial Arts, Su Yu decided to be extravagant.

The Flying Dragon and Ice Perch raised in the mansion, the fifty-year-old Red Blood Jade Lingzhi from the Yang Family... all these priceless Treasures of Heaven and Earth were creatively prepared into medicinal cuisine by Mu Ying and went straight into Su Yu’s stomach.

In the Martial Arts Arena, Su Yu was bare-chested, steam rising from his sweat.

After finishing the last set of the White Ape Fist, he summoned his panel:

[Martial Arts]: White Ape Fist (Layer 1) (Minor Achievement 4575/10000)

[Martial Arts]: Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber (Layer 1) (Minor Achievement 3050/7000)

[Martial Arts]: Black Stone Body Forging Skill (Layer 1) (Skilled 4200/7000)

[Martial Arts]: Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step (Minor Achievement 600/3000)

[Skill]: Casting Net (Breaking Limit 3 times)

[Skill] Reading (Minor Achievement 400/800)

[Breakthrough Points]: 1 (Progress 51%)

"Whew!"

"As expected, after eating so many Treasures of Heaven and Earth, my Martial Arts progression has sped up considerably. If I could keep eating like this, my progress could be several times faster."

But Su Yu quickly shook his head. The cost was too high; he had already consumed all the Treasures of Heaven and Earth he had accumulated so far.

"The resources I’ve consumed in the last half-month would be worth at least thousands of taels of silver! Even the noble sons of the great families probably aren’t as extravagant as me."

"The Inner Treasury only has three thousand taels of silver left. If I continue to consume resources at this voracious rate, I won’t last a month."

The saying "poverty for scholars, wealth for warriors" is true indeed.

Fortunately, he now had a steady monthly income. The Monthly Allowances from the Yang, Jiang, and Cai Families added up to five or six hundred taels. Combined with his salary and side income from the Public Security Bureau, he could just barely sustain the costs of his training.

...

DONG! DONG! DONG!

On this day, the deep and solemn sound of bells and drums echoed from the city center.

Today was the grand opening of the Public Security Bureau!

「At the gates of the Su Mansion.」

"My lord, the carriage is ready."

Li Da stood at the entrance, his eyes filled with awe as he watched Su Yu walk out from behind the screen wall.

Today, Su Yu had changed into a brand-new Public Security Bureau uniform.

It was a close-fitting martial attire woven from Black Cloud Brocade, with cloud patterns embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs and collar. Emblazoned on the chest was the totem of a black wolf howling at the sky—the symbol of a Ninth-Grade Jing’an Captain of the Great Xia Dynasty!

A dark red beast-hide belt was cinched at his waist, from which hung a Copper Seal and a Token symbolizing his authority. The long, black Mo Yuan Saber was slung at his left side, and he wore Cloud-Stepping Battle Boots.

This attire shed the rugged air of a wandering martial artist and added the dignified, deadly aura of a Court official. Paired with Su Yu’s ramrod-straight posture and handsome, star-like features, he truly looked the part of a dashing young nobleman in all his finery!

"Let’s go."

Su Yu placed a hand on his saber’s hilt and strode into the carriage. Song Mirror and Zhao Tie, also dressed in new uniforms, stood guard at his side with their heads held high and chests puffed out.

...

「Black Stone City, Central Plaza.」

The original City Lord’s Mansion had now changed hands.

A giant plaque was unveiled from under a red silk cloth. The gilt words "Black Stone Public Security Bureau" glittered in the sunlight, emanating a murderous aura.

This had once been the center of power in Black Stone City, but after the previous City Lord was sidelined and forced out due to conflicts with the three great families, the mansion had stood empty for many years.

Now, the Public Security Bureau’s move into this location not only signified an organizational upgrade but also a mission to reintegrate and maintain order in Black Stone City through the coming storm!

In the plaza, banners blotted out the sun, and the light glinting off the armor resembled golden scales.

Hundreds of Security Guards in black clothes and black armor stood in formation, their killing intent soaring to the heavens. The Public Security Bureau had directly transferred a unit of the Black Stone Army from the Inner City, greatly expanding its own strength!

Atop a high platform, several figures stood with their hands behind their backs, their auras as deep as an abyss.

The man in the center was built like an iron pagoda and wore dark red Fish Scale Armor. He was none other than the former Commander of the Black Stone Army and the Law Enforcement Team, and now the Mansion Master of the Public Security Bureau, Pang Xuan!

Merely by standing there, he was faintly surrounded by an aura of bloodlust—the presence of a true powerhouse forged in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Beside Pang Xuan stood four Commanders, side by side, all wearing official robes with a black tiger totem.

"My lord, it seems the rumors were true."

Song Mirror lowered his voice and whispered in Su Yu’s ear, "Commander Li Jingxuan is indeed from the Li Family. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been promoted."

Su Yu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the four men.

Li Jingxuan had a plump face and a smile, looking more like a merchant.

Zhao Sen had a brutish, fleshy face and a fierce gaze; he was from the Zhao Family.

Wang Yungui was calm and taciturn, from the Wang Family.

The last one, and the one with the most powerful aura, was Ye Xiaohong!

This man wore bright silver armor, had two sabers hanging from his waist, and had a cold expression. He wasn’t from a noble family but was a true power-holder within the Black Stone Army. He held the official rank of Standard Eighth Grade Dangkou Captain and was Pang Xuan’s most trusted subordinate.

Although the other three Commanders held equivalent positions, they were clearly a cut below Ye Xiaohong in the face of his almost tangible killing intent.

"The auspicious hour has arrived!"

Following a loud cry, firecrackers exploded in unison, filling the air with smoke.

Pang Xuan stepped forward, his voice like thunder. "By the order of Jian’an Prefecture! From this day forward, the Black Stone Law Enforcement Team is officially renamed the Public Security Bureau!"

"We will defend against rogue cultivators and anomalies from without, and suppress petty villains and traitors from within! All within Black Stone City, be they noble families or gangs, shall be subject to the Public Security Bureau’s control! Violators will be executed!"

The single word "executed," brimming with killing intent and amplified by his Qi and Blood, reverberated across the entire plaza, making the eardrums of the nearby crowd buzz.

Someone couldn’t help but whisper, "A storm is coming!"