Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 200: Chapter 139: Returning to the Outer City

Although Shi Ziran, the Sect Leader of the Qingcha Sect, was absent, Zhou Yin was here as their representative. He was the only one who could step forward and speak for the group.

Zhou Yin cursed inwardly. ’You lot don’t dare to speak, so you think I do?’

’Do you really think Captain Su wouldn’t dare kill me?’

’I used up all my courage just saying those few sentences.’

’Don’t you know what kind of man Su Mu is?’

’He might look approachable right now, but he could draw his blade and kill someone in the next instant.’

"Er—Captain Su, I can’t speak for the others, but our Qingcha Sect is genuinely short on resources. We have no problem reporting to the East City Bureau for duty, but considering the expenses involved... I was wondering if the East City Bureau might be able to provide a small subsidy?"

Zhou Yin said, forcing himself to speak.

Su Mu remained noncommittal, his gaze simply sweeping over the crowd.

The time it took to drink a cup of tea passed quickly.

"Alright, time’s up. You’ve had your say. Now, it’s my turn."

Su Mu said indifferently, "Bring them in."

"Yes, sir."

Yu Xiujiang said respectfully and clapped his hands.

Soon, several clerks walked in, each carrying a stack of dossiers.

"Distribute them according to the names," Su Mu ordered.

The clerks moved through the hall, placing the respective dossiers in front of each person.

Some had only a few dossiers placed before them, while for others, the stacks piled up into small mountains.

"Two points."

Su Mu held up two fingers. "First, for all Martial Artists who report for duty at the East City Bureau, we will provide food, lodging, weapons, equipment, and Healing Elixirs. If they die in battle, their families will receive compensation equal to that of the City Defense Army."

"Second, you each have a dossier. Simply put, based on the number of words written in it... it’s one tael of gold per word."

All eyes immediately fell upon the dossiers.

They couldn’t resist flipping them open for a look, and their faces instantly went pale.

The dossiers clearly recorded all of their illegal and corrupt activities.

Whether they were gang leaders or Patriarchs of large families, anyone capable of running such a large enterprise had certainly done their fair share of dirty work.

They might not look like much on the surface, but if their crimes were put on a scale, it would weigh more than a thousand pounds.

"I’ve said my piece. Who’s for it, and who’s against it?" Su Mu asked indifferently.

It finally dawned on the crowd. The East City Bureau hadn’t brought out these dossiers to punish them according to the law.

It was to make them pay for their lives!

One tael of gold per word... This was tantamount to making them fund the very Martial Artists they were being forced to provide.

’What a brilliant idea!’

"Captain Su, one tael of gold per word... isn’t that a little steep?" a gang leader said.

Even the thinnest dossier probably contained several hundred words.

The stack of dossiers before him was half a foot high. Weren’t there likely tens of thousands of words in there?

"So, you’re against it?" Su Mu said calmly.

"No—"

The gang leader started to say, but before he could finish his denial, a cold light flashed, and his voice died in his throat.

A thin red line appeared on his throat. It widened rapidly, and blood spurted out, instantly staining the dossiers before him crimson.

"Confiscate all assets of the Cyan Snake Gang. Investigate every member. Their Martial Artists will be allowed to atone for their crimes with meritorious deeds," Su Mu announced coolly.

With that, he rose and left without another word.

The hall fell deathly silent.

An unknown amount of time passed.

DRIP.

A drop of sweat hit the floor with a distinct sound. A collective exhale swept through the hall.

"Gentlemen, within three days, both the silver and the men must be delivered. Otherwise, I will have a difficult time answering to Captain Su," Yu Xiujiang said in a slow, deliberate tone.

"You should all look on the bright side," Shen Yizhi chimed in. "Captain Su is giving us a chance to turn over a new leaf. Pay the money, and all this gets wiped clean. Besides, the money we’re paying will be spent on our own Martial Artists. We’re not losing out."

The others shot him contemptuous glances. ’Everyone knows you’re his dog. Of course you’d say that.’

’One tael of gold per word... how much would that be? Our coffers will be completely drained!’

’How much could we possibly recoup from the provisions for the dispatched Martial Artists?’

’This is a terrible deal! We’re losing big time!’

"Yu Sima," Zhou Yin asked, voicing the question everyone had overlooked. "If I may ask, why exactly is the East City Bureau conscripting so many Martial Artists?"

"There’s no harm in telling you. You’d all find out sooner or later anyway," Yu Xiujiang said calmly. "There has been a disturbance deep within Daxing Mountain. A large-scale Demon Tide may erupt in the near future, and the Inner City is taking preemptive measures.

Summoning the Martial Artists of the Outer City is part of the preparations to defend the city, just in case."

His words threw the hall into an uproar.

"Is that true?"

"Is a Demon Tide really coming?"

"Is there still time for us to leave Wuling City?"

Panic appeared on everyone’s faces.

"As of today, Wuling City has entered a state of war. The gates are sealed; entry is permitted, but no one can leave. You have no choice but to cooperate with the Taiping Bureau and the Government Office to defend Wuling City," Yu Xiujiang said calmly. "Captain Su came to the Outer City to oversee war preparations himself. You should be well aware of his methods. I’ll leave you to ponder the consequences of non-compliance.

Of course, Captain Su also never fails to reward those who serve him well."

A man is known by his reputation.

In the East City District, the name Su Mu was enough to stop a child from crying in the night.

You could call him ruthless and cruel, but you couldn’t deny that he got things done. And he never shortchanged his own people.

Yu Xiujiang, Chen Song, Zheng Wang, and Shen Yizhi were all prime examples.

Defy his will, and he would genuinely kill you.

But work hard for him, and he was truly generous with his rewards.

"Defending Wuling City isn’t just for his sake, but for our own. Gentlemen, I must return to report this to the Sect Leader. Farewell," Zhou Yin said, then departed in a hurry.

The others sighed and rose one by one. They still had to figure out how to scrape together the silver.

They couldn’t be short on either men or silver. Otherwise, Captain Su’s blade would show no mercy.

...

After leaving the East City Bureau, Su Mu headed to the South City District without a moment’s rest.

Four hours later, Su Mu departed from the South City Bureau, reeking of blood.

Similar scenes played out in the Xicheng and Beicheng Districts within the same day.

The only difference was that in the East City District, he had only killed one person, and in the South City District, it only took killing three to control the situation.

However, the people in the Xicheng and Beicheng Districts didn’t know Su Mu at all. At first, they even shouted at him to get lost.

In response, Su Mu didn’t indulge them. He simply gave them a bloodbath.

Might makes right, after all.

After that, the people of the Xicheng and Beicheng Districts became much more obedient.

By the time Su Mu had completed his circuit of the Outer City and returned to the East City District, it was the dead of night.

Su Mu’s heart was calm as he walked the empty streets.

Once, he had to tread carefully just to walk these streets at night. Now, he could move unhindered throughout the Outer City; there was almost nothing left that could threaten him.

It was a peculiar feeling. Su Mu couldn’t help but slow his pace, savoring the rare moment of peace.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the middle of the street ahead.

The man was tall and stood with his back to Su Mu, directly blocking his path.

Night was the most chaotic time in the Outer City. One could run into gang fights, thieves, or bandits at any moment. Ordinary people bolted their doors and wouldn’t dare step outside.

For someone to suddenly appear on the street like this was likely no coincidence.

Su Mu’s expression remained unchanged as he continued to walk forward calmly.

"Sect Leader Shi, surely you’re not out here admiring the moon? What a refined pastime."

As he drew closer, Su Mu recognized the man’s back and spoke slowly.

The man standing in the middle of the road was none other than the Sect Leader of the Qingcha Sect in the East City District, Shi Ziran.

Shi Ziran turned, his gaze falling upon Su Mu.

He didn’t speak.

BOOM!

He stomped his foot, his hair and beard flying up like the mane of an enraged lion as he lunged forward, throwing a punch down at Su Mu.

SWISH!

The Thunder Shocking Saber flew from its sheath like a bolt of lightning, transforming into a streak of white light that struck precisely against Shi Ziran’s fist.

With a crisp clang of metal on metal, a blast of energy erupted.

Shi Ziran stumbled back several steps, a look of shocked disbelief on his face.

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