Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 122: Chapter 101: The Situation in East City

If something went wrong, Su Mu could just walk away scot-free, but they would be the ones left to clean up the mess.

In Yu Xiujiang’s view, it would be best if Su Mu adopted a hands-off approach and didn’t interfere with the established order in East City. Then, after a few months, he would get his promotion, and East City would remain peaceful.

”Did Luo Anning tell you to say this?”

Su Mu asked calmly.

”No, I’ve never met Miss Luo.”

Yu Xiujiang froze for a second, then shook his head. ”This is from the bottom of my heart.”

”Well said. Now don’t say it again. Words from the bottom of your heart are best kept there.”

Su Mu said flatly.

Yu Xiujiang was speechless.

A sense of foreboding suddenly washed over him.

”You’ve come at a good time.”

Su Mu continued, ”I just ’accidentally’ injured Captain Hu Guangshao of the South City Bureau. I want you to go visit him on behalf of the East City Bureau. Remember to buy a gift; we mustn’t neglect the proper courtesies.”

Yu Xiujiang’s eyes flew open. ’Injured the Captain of the South City Bureau? Hu Guangshao from the Hu Family?’

’Where did he get such nerve?’

He suddenly understood. This new Captain hadn’t gotten his position just because of his connection to Miss Luo. He’d earned it with his own strength.

He even dared to strike a direct descendant of the Hu Family, a man who was also the Captain of the South City Bureau. ’Things are about to change in East City.’

Yu Xiujiang thought to himself, no longer daring to offer Su Mu any more advice. He bowed in acknowledgement and hurried away.

After Yu Xiujiang left, Su Mu immediately summoned his system panel.

[Name: Su Mu]

[Identity: Ghostwriter / Taiping Bureau White Clothes / East City Bureau Captain (Seventh-Grade)]

[Points: 580]

[Realm: Third Stage of Body Tempering (Extreme Skin Tempering, Extreme Flesh Tempering)]

[Cultivation Technique: Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds Tendon Tempering Technique (Great Success)...]

[Martial Arts: Mountain-Opening Saber Technique (Uninitiated/+), Kan Water Realm (Minor Success), Xun Wind Realm (Minor Success), Archery (Initiate/+)]

A smile spread across Su Mu’s face as he took in the changes on his system panel.

’Seventh-Grade!’

’To jump from Ninth Grade to Seventh-Grade, skipping two ranks... it’s all thanks to Luo Anning.’

Working tirelessly as a Ghostwriter these past few days had only earned him 580 Points.

Without his status as a constable, the rate at which he earned Points had slowed to an unbearable crawl.

He was used to gaining hundreds of Points a day; going back to earning a few dozen at a time was something he just couldn’t stomach.

It’s easy to go from rags to riches, but nearly impossible to go from riches back to rags.

But now, his official status was back, and he had even been promoted two ranks.

In terms of grade, a Captain was on par with a Taiping Captain. Furthermore, the position put him in charge of a district in the Outer City with hundreds of thousands of residents.

While not as prestigious as a Taiping Captain, the position actually wielded far more direct authority.

Of course, a Taiping Captain’s true power wasn’t in how many people they managed, but in their authority to execute first and report afterward.

’The number of Points I get is related to both my grade and my actual position. As a Seventh-Grade Captain with real authority, I should get at least two hundred base Points a day.’

Su Mu mused.

It would take four thousand Points to advance the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds Tendon Tempering Technique from Great Success to Perfection.

The Mountain-Opening Saber Technique required ten Points for initiation, one hundred to go from Initiate to Minor Success, three hundred from Minor Success to Great Success, and one thousand from Great Success to Perfection. That was a total of one thousand four hundred and ten Points.

If he wanted to comprehend the Gen Mountain Realm, he would have to cultivate at least three or four saber techniques from the Gen Mountain school, which would be impossible without five thousand Points.

And if he wanted to advance his Realms or begin tempering his bones, he would need even more Points.

’I really have no choice but to find a way to earn more Points.’

’With my status as a Seventh-Grade Captain, I should be able to bring my Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds Tendon Tempering Technique to Perfection in a month at most.’

’Then I can start cultivating a Bone Tempering Technique.’

’Even if it takes me a full year to cultivate the Bone Tempering Technique to Perfection, I’ll still have only just turned nineteen.’

’Before I turn twenty, I will definitely reach the Blood Transformation Realm. A position as a Taiping Captain will be mine for the taking.’

Su Mu’s heart swelled with confidence.

Logically, since he was already a Seventh-Grade Captain at only eighteen, he could completely forget about the Taiping Bureau and just pursue a normal career as an official.

However, Su Mu knew that navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom was not so simple.

Even though he was a Seventh-Grade Captain at eighteen, if he continued down the bureaucratic path, he might not even reach Fourth-Grade by the time he was thirty.

To say nothing of the truly high-ranking officials above Fourth-Grade.

That wasn’t something one could achieve simply by being a good fighter.

While Su Mu understood a thing or two about social etiquette and human nature, he didn’t feel he had any particular talent for it. Following the normal path, he would be incredibly lucky to reach Fourth-Grade in his lifetime.

And even that would require navigating countless plots and schemes.

But the Taiping Bureau was different.

The Taiping Bureau cared only for strength and meritorious service.

Moreover, the ceiling in the Taiping Bureau was extremely high. As long as one was strong enough, becoming a Fourth-Grade Governor was practically guaranteed.

Above the rank of Governor, there was even the Third-Grade Commander-in-Chief.

And higher still, it wasn’t impossible to be granted the title of Marquis.

One path was a rugged trail with a low ceiling; the other was a wide, open road with almost no limit. The choice was obvious.

Hadn’t he seen how scions of powerful families, like Luo Anning and Hu Guangshao, were fighting tooth and nail to join the Taiping Bureau?

You could question their character, but you couldn’t question their foresight.

Why would they do something if there was no benefit in it?

Did they not know how dangerous the Taiping Bureau was?

It was because the potential rewards were great enough to make them ignore the risks.

With such a path laid out before him, how could Su Mu possibly give it up?

Even if it meant he could no longer hold a local government post after officially becoming a Taiping Captain, Su Mu felt the temporary loss was acceptable compared to the future gains.

Of course, it was still too early to be thinking about all that.

To officially become a Taiping Captain, to have the word ”Taiping” embroidered on the chest and back of his Brocade and Ink Shirt, he would first have to break through to the Blood Transformation Realm.

He still had a long way to go.

’To hold a position is to fulfill its duties,’ he thought. ’Since I am the Captain of the East City Bureau, I’d better make sure I max out the performance rewards.’

Su Mu sat at his desk, deep in thought.

He wasn’t some great hero dedicated to serving the country and its people. But if anyone dared to get in the way of him earning Points, they shouldn’t blame him for being ruthless.

...

「Inner City.」

In a lavishly decorated, flower-filled room, a young woman’s brow was slightly furrowed, a hint of worry on her beautiful face.

”Why did he go to East City?”

”I heard it was a promotion. He went from constable to Captain.”

The maid chirped in response.

”Of all the places he could have gone, why East City?”

Xiang Xiaoyuan murmured, her face etched with concern.

If any of Mistress Xiang’s admirers were to see this, they would surely be heartbroken.

It was the unmistakable look of a young woman experiencing the first stirrings of love.

”Mistress Xiang, isn’t going to East City a good thing? The difference between a Captain and a constable is like night and day.”

The maid asked, confused.

”You don’t understand.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan shook her head. ”Did you deliver the invitation I sent?”

”I delivered it, but Constable Xiao Su—no, Captain Xiao Su—refused it.”

the maid said. ”Mistress Xiang, we’ve invited him so many times. Since he’s so dense, why do we keep trying?”

”You don’t understand.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan repeated.

’I’m asking because I don’t understand. You could just tell me,’ the maid grumbled inwardly. ’Is that Constable Xiao Su even a man? So many men would kill to be Mistress Xiang’s private guest, and yet she personally invites him and he still refuses.’

’Does he have any idea what he’s passing up?’

”I’m tired today. I won’t be receiving any guests.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan hesitated for a moment before adding, ”I’m going to rest for a while. Don’t let anyone disturb me. You may leave as well.”

The little maid thought nothing of it. Ever since the weather turned cold, her mistress had become much more lethargic, needing a full ten hours of sleep each day.

She withdrew from the room, closing the door carefully behind her.

The night deepened.

Inside Mistress Xiang’s Anxiang Pavilion, a figure vaulted silently over a wall and sped off toward the Outer City.

The figure was as light as a feather, moving with a swift and nimble grace that attracted no attention. It easily scaled the Inner City wall, following the same route used by the city’s ”Knights.”