Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 121: Chapter 101: The Situation in East City

"Brother, how’s my nephew? Is it serious?"

In the backyard of the South City Government Office, Hu Gongfu strode in. The moment he saw Hu Gongxiu, he boomed his question.

"His life isn’t in danger."

Hu Gongxiu’s expression was grim. He shook his head at his brother and said, "But it will take at least two or three months for him to fully recover."

"Bastard! Who did this? I’ll go hack him to pieces!"

Furious, Hu Gongfu spun around to leave.

Hu Guangshao was twenty, an age when his Cultivation should be advancing by leaps and bounds. An injury requiring several months of recuperation would absolutely hinder his progress toward breaking through to the Blood Transformation Realm.

Furthermore, such a severe injury was an extreme drain on one’s energy and blood. Replenishing it would take an unknown amount of time. All told, his breakthrough to the Blood Transformation Realm would be delayed by at least a year.

A whole year. The consequences were huge!

"Stop!"

Hu Gongxiu’s voice was low and stern. "Who are you going after? And on what grounds?"

"It was a one-on-one, a fair match. Guang Shao was injured because his skills were inferior. If you go after him now, are you saying the Hu Family hasn’t lost enough face already?"

Hu Gongxiu said coldly, suppressing his own rage.

"So we’re just supposed to swallow this loss?"

Hu Gongfu demanded, annoyed. "When has the Hu Family ever been forced to suffer such a grievance?"

"This matter isn’t over."

A venomous, cold light glinted in Hu Gongxiu’s eyes. "For daring to injure my son this badly, Su Mu must die. No one can save him!"

’He never imagined that a tiny, insignificant ant he thought he could crush at will would end up causing so much trouble.’

’Bao Tong is a useless piece of trash!’

"Su Mu? You mean *that* Su Mu?"

Hu Gongfu frowned. "The new Sima of the East City Bureau?"

"The very same," Hu Gongxiu sneered. "Trying to use my Hu Family as a stepping stone. He’s certainly played his hand well!"

He had just received the news that Su Mu had become the East City Bureau Captain when, moments later, someone reported that Hu Guangshao had been severely injured by him.

’A new official lights three fires to assert his authority, and the first one is aimed at my Hu Family?’

’He wants to establish his authority by injuring my son, paving the way to smoothly take his position as the East City Bureau Captain?’

"That kid seems to have hitched his wagon to the Luo Family. No wonder he dares to show our Hu Family such disrespect."

Hu Gongfu snorted. "Brother, how about I take care of him quietly?"

"That Su brat is clinging to the Luo Family, and he’s also one of the Taiping Bureau White Clothes. If you make a move and get caught, it’ll be a huge mess."

A glint flashed in Hu Gongxiu’s eyes as he spoke, his voice cold. "East City... Isn’t he going to the East City Bureau to serve as a Sima? Then let him die in his post as the East City Bureau Captain."

"Brother, are you saying..."

Hu Gongfu was a little slow on the uptake.

"East City is far more chaotic than South City. A Sima can die in South City, so what’s so strange about a Sima dying in East City?

The Qingcha Sect and the Ronghua Association in East City have been quite active lately. I’ll just add some fuel to their fire!"

Hu Gongxiu said coldly.

......

"The Qingcha Sect?"

Su Mu looked thoughtful. "Are they a major power?" he asked slowly.

"Extremely."

Yu Xiujiang nodded. "The Qingcha Sect gets its name from its initiation ritual: new members must respectfully offer three cups of tea to the Sect Leader," he said seriously.

"They preach about the afterlife, promising that as long as you pay ’blessing money’ to the Sect Leader, you can enjoy wealth and prosperity in your next life. Many of the poor and destitute have been duped into joining."

Su Mu frowned. ’This is far more troublesome than an ordinary gang.’

’Once brainwashed, those followers are no different from demons, completely devoid of reason.’

"How could the East City Bureau tolerate their growth?"

Su Mu asked with a frown.

"The East City Bureau was helpless as well."

Yu Xiujiang sighed. "At first, they spread their teachings in secret. By the time the East City Bureau realized what was happening, they had already become a major force.

"What’s more, the Sect Leader of the Qingcha Sect is a Martial Artist at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering, and the sect is filled with experts. The East City Bureau simply can’t do anything about them."

"The Qingcha Sect’s followers are mostly common folk from the lowest rungs of society. The Ronghua Association is different. It’s an organization composed of all the wealthy gentry and influential figures in East City. In terms of power, they are at least as strong as the Qingcha Sect, if not stronger."

Yu Xiujiang continued, "Aside from these two major powers, East City is also home to dozens of smaller gangs. The web of relationships is tangled and complex. When Xu Sima was in charge, the most he could do was barely keep East City from erupting into total chaos. As for truly governing the district, he had the ambition but lacked the strength."

Yu Xiujiang was a member of the Luo Family, as was Xu Guang, the former Sima of the East City Bureau. Because of this, Su Mu faced little internal resistance when he was appointed to the position of East City Bureau Captain.

However, the situation in East City was complex. Accomplishing anything there would not be so easy.

Yu Xiujiang had made a special trip to South City to find Su Mu precisely to inform him of these things in advance. He wanted to prevent Su Mu from rushing to his new post without understanding the local situation. If he got into a conflict with the Qingcha Sect or the Ronghua Association, the consequences would be difficult to manage.

"Sima, please forgive my bluntness."

Yu Xiujiang lowered his voice, his expression grave. "You are a Flood Dragon; there’s no need for you to wallow in this muddy water. You’ve only come to the East City Bureau to burnish your credentials. You don’t need to clash with these people."

Su Mu glanced at Yu Xiujiang. ’Was this man on his side, or on the side of the Qingcha Sect and the Ronghua Association?’

Yu Xiujiang’s expression was perfectly composed. He had made inquiries about Su Mu before coming and knew he had made a big name for himself in South City.

In his eyes, Su Mu was destined for the Taiping Bureau. This post as East City Bureau Captain was merely a formality, a stepping stone.

If Su Mu, in his eagerness for achievements, were to make a rash move against the Qingcha Sect and the Ronghua Association, it would be the East City Bureau that ultimately suffered.

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