Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 124: Chapter 102: Taking Office

"Hahaha!"

Lv Xingmin laughed loudly. "Old Hei, get her!"

The large black dog, drool pooling on the ground, suddenly reared up on its hind legs, its two front paws landing on Zheng Wang’s wife’s shoulders.

"You beast! You monster!"

Tears of blood streamed down Zheng Wang’s face.

SWISH!

Just then, there was a soft sound.

The large black dog’s movements suddenly froze.

Lv Xingmin and his men looked over, confused, just in time to see the dog’s massive head roll onto the ground.

The foul-smelling dog blood drenched Zheng Wang’s wife, causing her to scream in terror.

"Who’s there?!"

Lv Xingmin’s expression changed as he roared furiously.

"This is the first time since I started practicing the blade that I’ve wanted to kill someone this badly."

A voice rang out.

As the voice faded, the flash of a blade suddenly bloomed within the small courtyard.

"Mercy—"

Lv Xingmin’s face was a mask of terror as he desperately scrambled backward.

But no matter how fast he moved, he couldn’t outrun that flicker of light.

He raised his saber in front of him. With a soft *shink*, the steel blade in his hand snapped in two.

The cut was clean and smooth.

Just like the saber, Lv Xingmin’s body was also severed into an upper and lower half.

He struggled to look down, his gaze falling upon his two lone legs. His eyes filled with regret.

Then, he plunged into eternal darkness.

THUD!

THUD!

The thud of bodies hitting the ground sounded one after another. Before Zheng Wang could even process what had happened, all the members of the Dog Fighting Gang had become corpses.

He looked up blankly. The light before him dimmed as a figure appeared in front of him.

"Sergeant Zheng, I’ve killed eight beasts for you. That will be eight taels of silver."

A voice spoke into Zheng Wang’s ear.

Zheng Wang finally snapped out of it. "Constable Xiao Su?"

He stared dazedly at the courtyard full of corpses. "Weren’t there only seven people?"

"Does the dog not count?"

Su Mu asked.

Zheng Wang wished he could slap himself. ’What am I saying?’

Forget eight taels of silver; he would have willingly handed over his entire life’s savings.

’Is Constable Xiao Su really concerned about eight taels of silver?’

’He’s doing this to put my mind at ease!’

He quickly fumbled in his robes, produced a ten-tael silver ingot, and handed it to Su Mu.

"Constable Xiao Su, what brings you here?"

Zheng Wang asked curiously.

"I’m not a constable anymore. I’m a Ghostwriter."

Su Mu chuckled, tossing the silver in his hand. "I’ll consider the extra two taels a tip.

Sergeant Zheng, don’t call me constable anymore. I’m not one."

"Lord... Su, you shouldn’t call me squad leader either. I’m not even a constable anymore."

Zheng Wang said with a bitter smile.

’Who would have thought that after taking off my Official Uniform, I’d end up in such a miserable state?’

"Are you sure?"

Su Mu said, "Are you sure you don’t want to be a squad leader anymore? The killing was just incidental to my visit.

I actually came to invite you to join me in East City and continue working as a constable leader.

But since you’re not interested, forget it.

I’ll find someone else."

With that, Su Mu turned and started to walk away.

"Lord Su!"

Zheng Wang froze for a moment. Seeing Su Mu about to walk out the gate, he quickly shouted, "What did you just say?

East City? I can go to East City and be a squad leader?"

He couldn’t help but use a respectful form of address.

’You never know what you have until it’s gone. Without his status as a squad leader, a mere group like the Dog Fighting Gang had nearly destroyed his family.’

’If Su Mu was willing to give him another chance, he, Zheng Wang, would repay this great debt with his life.’

"Your skills are more than enough to be a squad leader."

Su Mu said without turning back, "I’m about to take up the post of Sima at the East City Bureau, and I need a few trustworthy people to help me.

But since you’re not willing, I won’t force you."

"I’m willing!"

Zheng Wang shouted with all his might, "This subordinate, Zheng Wang, is willing to serve you with utmost loyalty, my Lord!"

He had no time to wonder how Su Mu had suddenly become the Sima of the East City Bureau.

All he knew was that this was the greatest opportunity of his life.

As Su Mu left with Zheng Wang, in a courtyard down the lane, a pair of eyes watched through a crack in the door, staring blankly.

The woman’s name was Liu Hongyu. Not long ago, through a matchmaker, she had been betrothed to the former employer of her late uncle.

Her future father-in-law had once been a constable leader at the South City Bureau.

Liu Hongyu stood frozen in place. After a long while, she heaved a long sigh—a sigh of both regret and relief.

’She had thought the distance between them had closed, but she never imagined it would instead grow ever wider.’

’If only, back then—’

’But alas, there are no ’if onlys’.

...

「A few days later.」

The East City Government Office quietly welcomed its new master.

Su Mu walked into the East City Government Office, followed by Zheng Wang and two other former squad leaders from the South City Bureau.

All three squad leaders were the ones who had angrily resigned in front of Hu Guangshao that day.

The incident had started because of Su Mu, and now, it was changing because of him.

Now, Su Mu had given them a new beginning.

Yu Xiujiang, along with several hundred of the East City Bureau’s existing constables, led by the bureau’s constable leader and seven squad leaders, gathered in the open grounds before the East City Government Office to welcome Su Mu.

Upon Su Mu’s arrival, Yu Xiujiang immediately led the assembly in a deep bow.

"The East City Bureau has a total of seven hundred sixty-one constables. Excluding those on patrol, the remaining four hundred are all present. We pay our respects to Lord Sima!"

Everyone shouted in unison. It was quite a spectacular sight.

Although East City was roughly the same size as South City, the East City District was countless times more prosperous than the South City District. The quantity and quality of the East City Bureau’s constables also far surpassed those of the South City Bureau.

In the South City Bureau, the Second Stage of Body Tempering was enough to become a squad leader, but in the East City Bureau, it wasn’t nearly sufficient.

The seven squad leaders of the East City Bureau were all Martial Artists at the Third Stage of Body Tempering.

Furthermore, the constable leader of the East City Bureau, Chen Song, had reached the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering, though he had only just entered the Bone Quenching sub-stage and was far from mastering it.

But Bone Quenching was Bone Quenching, after all. It was doubtful one could even find a single individual of that caliber in the entire South City District.

"At ease."

Su Mu’s gaze swept over the crowd as he recalled the information Yu Xiujiang had given him. He spoke calmly.

"Yes, sir."

The crowd responded in unison and straightened up, carefully sizing up their new Sima, Su Mu.

Everyone’s first reaction was the same: he was too young.

They had heard their new Sima was not yet twenty, but seeing him in person, they couldn’t help but marvel at just how young he truly was.

’So young, and yet they say he severely wounded the Sima of the South City Bureau before coming here.’

’The Sima of the South City Bureau... I hear he’s a direct descendant of the Hu Family, one of the four great families of the Inner City. A renowned young genius.’

’And both this new Sima and the South City Bureau’s Sima were selected for the Taiping Bureau White Clothes.’

’The threshold for the Taiping Bureau White Clothes is reaching the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering before the age of twenty!’

"So young, yet his power has reached such a terrifying level. Even our Boss Chen wouldn’t be a match for him, right?"

"Are you kidding? Boss Chen was over forty when he broke through to the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering. How can he compare to the new Sima?"

A few constables whispered among themselves.

Their gazes toward Su Mu were filled with astonishment and admiration.

There was no jealousy.

People only feel jealous of those whose strength is close to their own. Toward someone whose power far surpasses theirs, they couldn’t even begin to feel a shred of envy.

"Yu Zhubu, where is the Minister?"

Su Mu looked at Yu Xiujiang, who stood two steps away, and asked slowly.

"Reporting to Lord Sima, the Minister claims he is unwell and is resting at home."

Yu Xiujiang bowed and replied respectfully.

Ever since he learned that Su Mu had severely injured Hu Guangshao, Yu Xiujiang had changed his attitude toward him.

’Su Mu was not a vassal of the Luo Family, as he was.’

’Sooner or later, Su Mu would become an existence worthy of speaking to the Luo Family as an equal.’

"Since he’s unwell, let him get a good rest at home. Starting today, you will temporarily assume the duties of the Minister. Any problem with that?"

Su Mu said calmly.

’He had known all along that the Minister of the East City Bureau wasn’t one of the Luo Family’s people, but rather a plant from the Xie Family, one of the four great families of the Inner City.’

’Although Su Mu had no personal grudge with the Xie Family, he didn’t want a thorn in his side right under his nose. This was the perfect opportunity to pull it out.’

"No problem at all."

Yu Xiujiang bowed. The Chief Clerk was the third-in-command, while the Minister was second. This was a promotion for him, and he was pleasantly surprised, not expecting Su Mu to be so decisive.

"The constable leader and squad leaders will stay. The rest of you are dismissed."

Su Mu nodded and continued.

Before his words had even faded, a loud voice suddenly called out from outside the Government Office.

"The Qingcha Sect has come to congratulate the new Sima on his appointment! We bear a gift and request an audience with Lord Sima!"

Su Mu’s expression remained calm as he looked up.

’I just arrived at the Government Office, and the Qingcha Sect is already at the door.’

’Are they here with sincere congratulations, or do they have ill intentions?’

’I’ve only just arrived, and they’re already here. Are they trying to tell me they know my every move?’

Su Mu clasped his hands behind his back and walked slowly outward. "Yu Sicheng, let’s go. We’ll meet one of East City’s greatest powers."

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