Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 208: Chapter 143: Standing Firm

”What about the civilians in the Outer City?”

Su Mu’s brow furrowed.

”This is the only choice we have. Against a Tier Five Demon Tide, we have to make sacrifices. We must consider the bigger picture,”

Zhang Chenchen sighed and said.

Su Mu’s expression turned ugly.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept a retreat, but to abandon the hundreds of thousands of people in the Outer City without even trying to see if they could hold the line...

That was something Su Mu couldn’t accept.

It wasn’t that he was having a bout of bleeding-heart altruism.

It was just that he was now the Outer City Commander. If he retreated just like that, what would happen to his performance Points?

This was a rare opportunity to earn unlimited performance Points, and he didn’t want to let it go just like that.

”Doesn’t Wuling City have Profound Weapons for city defense?”

Su Mu said in a low voice, ”If they can be used to defend the Inner City, then couldn’t we just move the defensive line forward and protect the Outer City?”

”Junior Brother Su, it’s not that simple.”

Zhang Chenchen said, ”The defensive Profound Weapons aren’t invincible. They can only be effective in specific scenarios.”

”Brother Mengren, I’ll be blunt.”

Wei Bufan came closer and said, ”The defensive Profound Weapons can only be used a few times. We have to wait until the demons have exhausted most of their stamina, then go for the killing blow.

The Outer City’s very existence is to wear down the demons.”

”The merciful don’t lead soldiers, and the righteous don’t manage wealth.”

Zhong Guizheng also spoke up. ”I don’t agree with this method either, but when necessary, it’s the only option. The Taiping Bureau has limited strength. We can only do what is within our power.”

If it had been anyone else, they wouldn’t have bothered explaining so much.

The Taiping Bureau doesn’t need to explain its actions to anyone.

But Su Mu was different. In their eyes, he was still too young and inexperienced. They didn’t want this incident to cause him to resent the Taiping Bureau.

They didn’t know that beneath Su Mu’s youthful exterior was a mature soul.

Su Mu understood all this. He also knew that from a strategic standpoint, there was nothing wrong with using the Outer City to exhaust the Demon Tide’s strength before concentrating their forces for a fatal strike.

But Su Mu was unwilling to give up just like that.

He thought to himself, ’Go big or go home. If I can defend the Outer City, I’ll definitely get a huge amount of performance Points. And if I can’t, I’ll still have plenty of time to escape back to the Inner City. I just have to make sure I don’t get too close to that Tier Three Demon.’

”I understand the reasoning, but I don’t want to retreat without a fight.”

Su Mu said slowly, ”I want to give it a try. Not for the people of the Outer City, but so I can live with myself.”

The Taiping Captains all fell silent.

”Damn it, Brother Mengren is right! Retreating without a fight... I’d be ashamed of myself!”

After a long moment, Wei Bufan spat. ”Bullshit ’for the greater good’! If you’ve got no balls, you’ve got no balls. Why make so many excuses?

They’re just demons, right? Let’s just fuck them up!”

”Brother Mengren, I’ll stay with you in the Outer City and take on those demons!”

he said, slapping his chest. The movement pulled at his wounds, making him grimace in pain.

”Count me in,”

Zhong Guizheng said.

”We’re living on borrowed time anyway. Let’s risk it all in the Outer City. Kill one and we break even, kill two and we’re ahead,”

the other Taiping Captains added.

”You all—”

Zhang Chenchen stomped her foot in frustration.

”This is no time to be swayed by emotions!”

she said in a low voice. ”Being this impulsive will accomplish nothing but getting yourselves killed. You can’t possibly stop a Tier Five Demon Tide.”

”Senior Sister Zhang, no need to be so anxious.”

Su Mu suddenly smiled. ”I only said I want to give it a try. I never said we had to defend it to the very end.

If it proves impossible, I’ll retreat to the Inner City immediately.”

Zhang Chenchen sighed. She knew that once someone like Su Mu set his mind on something, it was very difficult to change it.

He was a heaven-sent genius who had achieved so many impossible things before. That was why he was so full of confidence, thinking he could defend the Outer City.

But he was too young. He didn’t know how terrifying a Tier Five Demon Tide truly was.

Forget him—even if Captain Lin were here, even if they threw every single Taiping Captain from the Wuling Taiping Bureau at it, they still couldn’t stop a Tier Five Demon Tide.

Their only sliver of hope lay in relying on the reinforced walls of the Inner City and those defensive Profound Weapons.

”Junior Brother Su, you must remember what you said! If it proves impossible, retreat to the Inner City immediately!”

Zhang Chenchen said gravely.

She knew that if she didn’t let Su Mu try, he would never give up.

”I’ll go to the Inner City first to arrange for reinforcements, then I’ll come back to help you.”

With that, Zhang Chenchen dared not delay any longer and set off for the Inner City.

”Junior Brother Su, just tell us. What’s the plan?”

Zhong Guizheng and the others looked at Su Mu.

Although Su Mu was the least experienced among them, all the Taiping Captains tacitly acknowledged him as their leader.

This was mainly because Su Mu’s performance outside the city earlier had been too brilliant.

Body Tempering Limit, Physical Divine Techniques, and comprehension of two types of Intent. Even though Su Mu was a newcomer, his strength had already surpassed most of them.

”Senior Brothers, I’ll need you to hold the line for me for now.”

Su Mu said, taking charge without hesitation. ”You don’t need to make a move until we’ve run out of Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows.

When the Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows are gone, that’s when you’ll step in.”

He rested his hand on the hilt of his blade, his gaze fixed on the demons stirring restlessly three miles away.

’All that shiny silver wasn’t spent for nothing. As long as that Tier Three Demon doesn’t attack right from the start, these Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows in my hands will teach those demons a hard lesson.’

...

「Inner City, Prince’s Mansion.」

A young man with a somewhat flippant expression stroked his chin and muttered to himself.

’My Brother Mu is the highest commander in the Outer City now? Defending against a Demon Tide... this is a great opportunity.’

’Isn’t this the great undertaking I’ve been dreaming of?’

’If I pull this off, who in Wuling City will dare to look down on me, Wang Guan, ever again?’

His eyes flashed with excitement. The last time he went to the Outer City to serve as a Sima, his career had been over before it even began.

’This is a golden opportunity. I absolutely can’t let it slip by!’

”Wang Er! Wang Er! Where the hell are you!”

Wang Guan shouted, ”Hurry up and pack my things! I’m about to do something big!”

Not long after, two figures laden with bags slipped furtively out the back gate of the Prince’s Mansion.

「Meanwhile, in another part of the Inner City.」

A woman, whose fragile beauty could stir pity in anyone’s heart, stood with her brows tightly knitted in worry.

’Why is he still in the Outer City? A Tier Three Demon has already appeared in this Demon Tide. Isn’t it incredibly dangerous for him to stay there?’

Xiang Xiaoyuan gazed worriedly in the direction of the Outer City.

’It’s a shame Uncle Shi has left. But even if Uncle Shi hadn’t left Wuling City, he would be no match for a Tier Three Demon.’

’A Tier Three Demon is comparable to a True Essence Realm Martial Artist.’

’To deal with it, you’d need a powerful Profound Weapon.’

An idea flashed through Xiang Xiaoyuan’s mind. ’Perhaps... that could work.’

...

”Junior Sister Luo, where are you going?”

Zhang Chenchen had just returned to the Taiping Bureau in the Inner City when she ran into Luo Anning on her way out and couldn’t help but ask.

”To the Outer City, of course.”

Luo Anning said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. ”My work in the Inner City is done. I’m going to help defend against the Demon Tide.”

”What good will you be there?”

Zhang Chenchen looked helpless. ’Why are the newcomers these days so hard to manage?’

’When I first became a Taiping Captain, I was never this reckless. I was so obedient back then. I did whatever the Captain told me to do.’

”This Demon Tide has very likely reached Tier Five. The Outer City can’t be held,”

Zhang Chenchen said patiently.

”But Senior Brother Su and the others are defending it. The Taiping Bureau is supposed to suppress demons and protect the peace, isn’t it?

Now that the Demon Tide is here, shouldn’t we, the Taiping Bureau, be on the front lines?

Even if we can’t stop it, we have to try. We have to give it our all.

Isn’t that our duty as part of the Taiping Bureau?”

Luo Anning said, her face completely serious.

Zhang Chenchen was suddenly speechless. ’This Junior Sister Luo... how is she even more stubbornly principled than Junior Brother Su?’

’This year’s batch of newcomers is really too difficult to lead.’