Chapter 155: Wind Rises and Clouds Surge, the Situation Changes Abruptly

Compared to the terror of Qi Yuanjiang.

Gazing at the corpse of Gao Hailou, the surrounding members of the Golden Blade Group led by Cao Futian, and even the common folk, erupted into excited shouts after their initial shock:

"He died well, he died well!"

"This beast admitted it himself and committed suicide out of fear of punishment; what else do you foreign devils have to say!?"

"The ironclad evidence is like a mountain; let's see how you can still quibble!?"

The roars and curses surged like a tsunami; the crowd of thousands of commoners surged, nearly breaking through the human wall.

Williams and Victor, who had two fingers severed, also subconsciously took two steps back, staring at Lu Yuan with horrified eyes:

"Impossible, impossible."

"What did you do to Gao Hailou!?"

The Priests qualified to be sent abroad to preach were no ordinary people; they basically all possessed the cultivation of a Fifth Tier Knight or ascetic, and their will and faith were even more pious and firm, having passed through layers of trials.

Yet Gao Hailou's actions just now were as if he had been bewitched and manipulated by a devil; there was clearly a huge problem!

Lu Yuan did not even glance at these two people, merely saying to Cao Futian:

"Deputy Leader Cao, since this Gao Hailou has committed suicide to atone for his crimes, can this matter be temporarily settled?"

Cao Futian also understood at this moment that if Lu Yuan had not appeared, it would have been impossible for them to do anything to Gao Hailou, and it might even have led to the dire consequence of a bloodbath, so he immediately and gratefully decided to quit while ahead:

"Many thanks to Hall Master Lu for your righteous assistance. Since this beast Gao Hailou is dead, it can be considered an account to the victims; let this matter rest for now."

Lu Yuan looked at Qi Yuanjiang again: "Governor Qi, Deputy Leader Cao will lead the commoners to evacuate in an orderly fashion; I will leave these foreigners for you to handle."

Amidst the cheers and shouts of thousands of commoners, Qi Yuanjiang had just recovered from the horror of Gao Hailou smashing himself to death; he looked at Gao Hailou's corpse and then at Williams and the others, his head immediately swelling like a bucket, his face bitter:

"This, this..."

Gao Hailou had confessed and committed suicide in full view of the public; it seemed the commoners of Jinjin had gotten their wish, but the church had been burned down and the Priests and nuns killed; the Shenluo side would absolutely not let the matter rest.

Even if those three churches were dens of iniquity that had done filthy things to harm the people and deserved their punishment, the Shenluo side would never admit it; instead, they would play the thief crying "stop thief" and use it as a pretext to make trouble.

"Very good, very good..."

Just as he had thought, Williams, whose two fingers had been sliced off, gripped his severed fingers with a twisted face, staring at Lu Yuan through gritted teeth:

"Do you think you have won a great victory just like this? Wishful thinking!"

"Be rampant, be smug; believe me, your joy will be limited to today."

"Burning the church and murdering the Priests—the wrath of the Empire and even the Holy See will surely let you know what it means for the majesty and glory of the Lord of Heaven to be inviolable. All of you main participants will pay an unbearable price, including you, Lu Yuan!"

"Oh?"

Lu Yuan swept his gaze over them nonchalantly and smiled indifferently:

"Very good, then I shall wait."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves, and amidst the whistling of a light breeze, golden light bloomed over his entire body, and he then vanished into thin air from where he stood.

Dis, disappeared!?

Whether it was the Shenluo people like Williams, or those closer by like Cao Futian, Fan Zhenxiong, Qi Yuanjiang, and even the hundreds of people around, all were suddenly in an uproar, shocked beyond measure, completely unaware of how Lu Yuan had managed to do it.

"Waving his sleeves to create a gale, blooming golden light to block bullets, making Gao Hailou commit suicide out of fear with just a few words, and now vanishing into thin air..."

"Incredible, incredible; could Hall Master Lu be an immortal!?"

"Sure enough, I said it—Hall Master Lu is the Martial Star descended to earth!"

The god-like methods Lu Yuan displayed today were simply too many, leaving a tremendous shock on the thousands of commoners present even after he disappeared.

There was still a huge amount of trouble to deal with; Qi Yuanjiang was the first to recover his senses and hurriedly began issuing orders for Fan Zhenxiong to lead the effort to disperse the commoners.

Amidst the noise and commotion.

With Lu Yuan's words, Cao Futian and the members of the Golden Blade Group were exceptionally cooperative this time; they worked with the soldiers to maintain order to ensure the commoners retreated in an orderly manner, while simultaneously handing over the twenty-some corpses of the children to Fan Zhenxiong as evidence.

This riot had been led by the Golden Blade Group, and with the main culprits basically punished, the anger of the commoners was vented, and they gradually dispersed while talking about the events with relish.

Watching this scene, Williams, Victor, and the hundreds of soldiers under their command had ugly expressions, shame and fury alternating, yet they were helpless.

After all, as diplomatic combat personnel of the world's number one power, they had always been imposing and unbridled in every colony; when had they ever suffered such a big loss as they had today?

Qi Yuanjiang walked over with his Staff Officers and attendants at this time, revealing a forced smile to smooth things over:

"Consul Victor, Mr. Williams, I believe this should be considered a misunderstanding; we can sit down and talk about anything slowly, please do not resort to force."

"Talk slowly?"

Williams was so angry he laughed:

"Rest assured, once our various parliamentary ministers and even His Majesty the Pope learn of this, they will send an envoy to talk slowly with your Emperor and Empress Dowager!"

Having said that, he ignored Qi Yuanjiang, clutched his severed fingers, and hurried away to seek treatment.

Victor also completely ignored Qi Yuanjiang's show of weakness, immediately gathering his soldiers with an ashen face and retreating back into the Concession.

Qi Yuanjiang and his Staff Officers and attendants stood awkwardly at the gate of the Concession, at a loss.

"It's over, it's over now..."

The Prefectural Assistant Liu Guobai by his side said in terror:

"The Shenluo people won't really start a war over this, will they?"

Qi Yuanjiang's face turned pale at this moment, having completely lost the poise and composure of a second-rank official, his heart in chaos:

"Do you think the Shenluo people only threaten with words? Their nearest Ironclad Warship fleet is stationed in the Nanyang area; they can arrive in Jinjin in just a few days, and their Cannon fire is enough to cover half the city. This group of thugs from the Golden Blade Group has truly ruined everything!"

"And that Lu Yuan too, relying on his martial prowess to act so unscrupulously—how is this going to end, how is this going to end..."

Naturally unaware of Qi Yuanjiang's panic, in less than half a cup of tea's time, Lu Yuan had already flown back to Guangwu Hall, then descended and withdrew his Invisibility Technique.

He immediately summoned Zhao Shuhua and a few disciples who were learning his techniques; the few of them were all taken aback upon seeing him and asked impatiently:

"Hall Master, why have you returned so quickly?"

"How is it over at the Shenluo Concession?"

"Did our people suffer any losses?"

After being informed of the news, they and the disciples in the consulate had intended to go together, but were ordered by Lu Yuan to stay behind, so they knew nothing of what had happened in the Concession.

Lu Yuan smiled:

"Naturally not. The only Priest of Wanghailou Church who escaped committed suicide out of fear of punishment in public, and the other priests had already been beaten to death by the Golden Blade Group earlier; the ringleaders can be considered wiped out."

Everyone felt relieved, then asked in surprise:

"Committed suicide out of fear of punishment?"

"Hall Master, how did this happen?"

Lu Yuan omitted the details and briefly explained the process. After hearing it, everyone could not help but be filled with righteous indignation:

"What? With such conclusive evidence, those foreign devils still dare to deny it?"

"Abusing children, that Gao Hailou should be hacked into a thousand pieces and executed by slow slicing!"

"It is fortunate that you, Hall Master, were there; otherwise, the Golden Blade Group and the commoners present would likely have suffered a great loss!"

Lu Yuan was noncommittal:

"The commoners have now dispersed, and the situation has largely calmed down, but this matter is far from over. The Shenluo People have suffered such a great loss that they will likely make trouble because of this very soon. You, and even the disciples of the association, must all make preparations."

Lin Sheng could not help but ask: "Hall Master, it is clearly those priests who are wicked and guilty, and they are in the wrong first. Would the Shenluo People really provoke a war again and invade on a large scale!?"

Chen Zhantang said coldly:

"The Shenluo People rely on sturdy ships and powerful cannons to run rampant all over the world, acting entirely like shameless robbers. Where is there any sense of propriety, justice, integrity, or shame? This matter is an excellent excuse, and they will absolutely not let it go! As for a large-scale invasion—"

Zhao Shuhua's eyes flickered:

"I think the possibility of a large-scale invasion is not very high. After all, the fundamental interests of the Shenluo People in the Jin Dynasty are only two points: one is trade dumping, and the other is establishing churches to preach their doctrines. They do not covet our Shenzhou land like the Sha'e and Rizhao countries.

I estimate they will threaten to launch a war to propose various harsh conditions, and the Jin Dynasty has just experienced the defeat of Jin-Ri not long ago. The court will definitely not dare to start a war lightly and will inevitably try every possible way to agree to the conditions of the Shenluo People to negotiate for peace!"

Zhao Shuhua's judgment was very reasonable, and Lu Yuan nodded slightly:

"Shuhua is right. The Jin Dynasty is absolutely unwilling to fight this war. I wonder what price the Undying Demon Empress is prepared to pay to compromise this time."

"However, speculation is just speculation, but the necessary preparations must still be made. Peng Yidao, run over now to find Deputy Leader Cao of the Golden Blade Group and tell him I want to invite him to be a guest here. It is best if he stays for a few days to avoid encountering any accidents."

"Chen Zhantang, you go to Commandant Fan's place and ask him to keep an eye on the court's reactions and actions on my behalf. If there is any news, send someone to notify me in time."

"Zhao Shuhua, you go to Wu Taidou's place, inform him of the situation, and also ask him to notify everyone in the Martial Arts Association to be prepared so that they won't be caught off guard if a war really breaks out."

Chen Zhantang, Peng Yidao, and Zhao Shuhua all responded: "Yes!"

Lu Yuan waved his hand, and then the three of them, along with Lin Sheng, retreated to attend to their respective tasks.

After they left, Lu Yuan sat on the grandmaster chair and fell into deep thought.

It must be said that this sudden event had once again affected his plans.

As of now, his Dharma Power had exceeded two hundred and forty strands, and his strength and means were peerless in the human world; dealing with the so-called Eighth Realm Heavenly Gang was not a problem.

Originally, he intended to announce it to the world after Wu Yixian finished connecting with the others, then openly kill his way into the Capital to take the head of the Undying Demon Empress, maximizing the acquisition of Qi Luck.

However, an accident involving burning a church and killing priests forced him to postpone his plans and first guard against the Shenluo side acting out of desperation.

However.

Although the plan was disrupted, he was not without gains.

With a thought, the Heavenly Book in his mind vibrated and sent back feedback:

【Supernatural Power Master】: Lu Yuan

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【Mastered Arts】: -

Ingestion (Earth: 5%); - Guidance (Earth: 5%); - Invisibility (Earth: 3%); -

Staff Sending (Human: 12%); - Medicine (Human: 40%); - Earth Travel (Earth: 1%); -

Generating Light (Earth: 2%); - Sword Technique (Earth: 1%); - Boiling Stones (Human: 31%); -

Pot Heaven (Human: 20%); - Great Strength (Human: 8%); - Sprouting Head (Human: 7%); -

Wind Control (Human: 7%); - Obstacle Clothing (Human: 3%); - Dream Grafting (Human: 2%); -

Body Immobilization (Human: 5%); - Nightmare Prayer (Earth: 2%); - False Form (Human: 3%);

【Luck Power】: 8307 units

Originally, after advancing the three arts of Earth Travel, Generating Light, and Sword Technique, his Luck Power only had seven thousand-plus units left.

But after this period of cultivation, especially manifesting his holiness before the masses just now, he harvested several hundred more units of Luck Power, allowing his accumulation to recover by a significant portion.

And after the church case incident, the subsequent situation was changing rapidly and hard to predict, so he planned to advance a few more necessary Earthly Fiend Arts to prepare.

"A war might break out next, and I will face thousands of foreign armies, firearms, cannons, giant ships, and airships. The situation is likely even more dangerous than fighting the old demoness. If I am not careful and capsize in the gutter, that would be a joke."

"So, which Earthly Fiend Arts should I upgrade?"

Just as Lu Yuan was considering the choice of Earthly Fiend Arts.

The news that the Shenluo church had been destroyed and the Concession had nearly been stormed, resulting in a great loss, had swept through the entire Jinjin like a hurricane, and the other two foreign concessions had also received the news immediately.

Shenluo was the world's number one power, and it had never been seen suffering such a great loss. The first reaction of the Rizhao Consulate was to gloat, and at the same time, they moved upon hearing the news, considering the subsequent possible moves of Shenluo and whether their own country could take advantage of the situation to gain benefits.

And compared to the Rizhao Consulate, the reaction within the Sha'e Consulate was much greater.

"What?"

In the luxurious office, Valianjing, as a Golden Cross Star General and Sky Title Great Sacrifice, suddenly looked up:

"You said that Lu Yuan was at the scene, and with just a few words, that priest used a stone to smash himself to death!?"

"Yes, Lord Valianjing."

Sergei, who brought several intelligence officers, had a stern expression and said solemnly:

"I discovered this anomaly in the intelligence and immediately came to report it to you. Gao Hailou is a Fifth Tier Priest and ascetic of the Heavenly Lord Holy Church; his willpower and psychological quality are absolutely not weak, and it is fundamentally impossible for him to commit suicide out of fear of punishment.

According to the intelligence officers' speculation, Gao Hailou was very likely controlled in his mind at the time, which led to his actions being out of control, causing him to smash himself to death alive. And the person who controlled his mind... is likely Lu Yuan."

Valianjing stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth, his face turning livid:

"Absurd, could it be that I was deceived by that Lu Yuan!? No wonder I haven't been able to find any clues until now, but how did he do it? Even I couldn't possibly manipulate a Fifth Tier expert into committing suicide!"

The Tsar only gave three months for the investigation, and now the deadline has passed, yet as the chief officer of the investigation team, he has not found any useful clues so far.

And now, the intelligence brought by Sergei seems to indicate that his initial judgment and direction of investigation were wrong from the start.

However.

As one of the extremely rare Sky Title Great Sacrifice among the high-ranking officials of the Sha'e Empire, Valianjing practices the Dao of the soul, and his specialties are manipulating objects from a distance, bewitching enemies with illusions, or directly attacking the enemy's soul with Secret Technique.

As for manipulating others' minds with Secret Technique, he can do that too, but it is limited to those with weak souls and wills.

For a practitioner at the Fifth Tier level, he might be able to briefly confuse or manipulate them, but the extent is very limited; he can only control them to perform simple actions through hypnotic suggestion, and they will inevitably wake up once they receive strong external stimulation.

Therefore, even for a top-tier practitioner of his level, it is completely unimaginable how Lu Yuan manipulated Gao Hailou's mind to make him commit suicide in public!

(End of this chapter)