Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 202: Chapter 140: Request

Su Mu was noncommittal, but the drizzle from the sky had thinned, and the wind was gradually dying down.

"I can assure Captain Su that no one else will ever know about that matter."

Shi Ziran took a Jade Pendant from his robes, held it up, and said, "I implore you, Captain, if one day someone comes to you with this Jade Pendant seeking help, and if you are able, please help her once.

This isn’t a threat. It’s a request."

"Alright."

Su Mu said after a few moments of silence, nodding slowly.

"Thank you."

Shi Ziran clasped his hands, said no more, and turned to disappear into the darkness.

Su Mu’s hand rested on the hilt of his saber. He didn’t release his grip until Shi Ziran had vanished completely, but his brow remained slightly furrowed.

......

"Fragrance Sect... Shi Ziran..."

Inside a room in the East City Government Office, Su Mu sat under a lamp. Dipping his finger in tea, he wrote a few names on the tabletop.

When Shi Ziran revealed his power, Su Mu had already thought of something.

Back when he was still a Sima in the East City Bureau, someone had left the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique and a treasured saber at the entrance of the East City Government Office.

No one was alerted at the time.

Shi Ziran had the power to do so. And since Shi Ziran was from the Fragrance Sect, it was also possible he had the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique.

Connecting the dots, it was self-evident who had left that box at the East City Government Office’s entrance that day.

That was why Su Mu had stopped Shi Ziran when he was about to mention the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique.

Deep down, Su Mu wanted nothing to do with the Fragrance Sect.

He was a Taiping Captain with a bright future. He walked a different path from these heretical sects whose actions bordered on the demonic; there was no need for him to bring trouble upon himself.

Even if he cultivated the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique, that didn’t mean he had to be controlled by the Fragrance Sect.

Regardless of why Shi Ziran had given him the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique, Su Mu would not compromise on this point.

He would absolutely not get entangled with the Fragrance Sect over this matter.

If Shi Ziran had really tried to use this to threaten him, he would have killed Shi Ziran without a moment’s hesitation.

Fortunately, Shi Ziran was a smart man and hadn’t said those words in the end.

’If someone really does show up with that Jade Pendant one day, I suppose I can return the favor, as long as it’s within my power.’

Su Mu thought to himself, ’My heart is still a bit too soft, after all.’

’If I were truly ruthless and unscrupulous, I should have killed Shi Ziran just now, called for backup, and wiped out everyone in Wuling City related to the Fragrance Sect.

That way, I could have also whitewashed the origin of my Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique, instead of leaving things so ambiguous.’

’Thinking about it this way, that woman outside the city that night must also be a remnant of the Fragrance Sect.’

Su Mu pondered, ’But the Fragrance Sect remnants hired by the Hu Family didn’t seem to know her. It looks like the Fragrance Sect has different factions.

But why would she help me?

Could it be that, like Miss Luo, she saw my potential and wanted to invest in me?’

After thinking it over and over, Su Mu concluded this was the only plausible explanation.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why the woman from the Fragrance Sect had saved him, and why Shi Ziran had later given him the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique.

It was just that he was too exceptional. Neither Miss Luo’s Luo Family nor the Fragrance Sect could handle him, so their investments were doomed to be a total loss.

The Taiping Bureau, on the other hand, had gotten such an outstanding Taiping Captain for free.

’Why do I feel like such a scumbag? Taking everything they offer and then taking no responsibility.’

Su Mu muttered to himself.

He shook his head lightly, as if to toss these thoughts out of his mind.

He was an upstanding man. The Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique wasn’t really leverage against him, so there was nothing to worry about.

Midnight had passed. It was time for today’s blood exchange.

With a thought, Su Mu called up the system panel.

[Name: Su Mu]

[Status: Taiping Captain (7th Rank)]

[Points: 500]

[Realm: Blood Transformation Realm (Body Tempering Extreme Realm)]

[Divine Techniques: Indestructible Golden Body]

[Cultivation Technique: Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique (21,000/100,000/+)...]

[Martial Arts: Gen Mountain Realm (Minor Accomplishment), Kan Water Realm (Minor Accomplishment), Xun Wind Realm (Minor Accomplishment), Archery (Entry-level/+)]

After several consecutive days of slaying monsters and demons outside the city, his performance gains had been substantial.

His blood exchange progress had reached a surprising 21,000 drops, a twenty percent exchange. In terms of realm progression alone, he was already a bit faster than Luo Anning.

In terms of the blood exchange’s effectiveness, with a ten-times exchange, his strength—even without using Physical Divine Techniques—was comparable to an ordinary cultivator at seventy or even eighty percent blood exchange.

If he added the power of his Physical Divine Techniques, even someone at Blood Exchange Perfection would find it difficult to suppress him with raw strength.

Not to mention, he had also mastered three different Realms.

It wasn’t that he, Su Mu, was targeting anyone specific. It was just that when it came to the Blood Transformation Realm experts in Wuling City, every single one of them...

’I’ve heard that in the Taiping Bureau Headquarters, and in those great sects, there are true prodigies. Some are even born with skin of copper and bones of iron, able to reach the limit as soon as they start cultivating a Body Tempering Technique. Of the four stages of Body Tempering, they might cultivate three to the extreme realm. Some might even be like me, cultivating all four stages to their absolute peak to reach the true Body Tempering Extreme Realm.’

Su Mu thought to himself as he looked at the contents of the system panel.

In the grand scheme of the Da Xuan Dynasty, Wuling City was just a remote, small city. True prodigies often lived in truly prosperous places, or even in the Da Xuan Dynasty’s Capital City.

Besides that, the world was not lacking in great sects, which often had disciples of extraordinary talent.

Su Mu wasn’t so arrogant as to think he was truly invincible within his realm.

Never mind those far away; just take Feng Zhengqian from the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect. He cultivated the Nine Times Blood Exchange Technique, something even the geniuses of Wuling City weren’t qualified to learn.

And even so, Feng Zhengqian wasn’t considered a genius disciple in the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect. Despite his family’s considerable background, he still had to go out and search for herbs to build up his credentials.

One can only imagine how powerful the true prodigies were.

They possessed the best innate talent, enjoyed the best resources, and cultivated the best Cultivation Techniques.

In comparison, all Su Mu could rely on was his own effort.

’Even a Marquis from the Taiping Bureau can fall. What right do I have to be proud and complacent?’

Su Mu thought to himself. With a mental command, he pressed the [+] next to the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique.

His blood exchange progress quietly increased by five hundred drops.

The night passed without incident.

Starting the next day, the various factions in the Outer City District began to send men and money to the different City Bureaus.

The atmosphere in all of Wuling City started to grow tense.

The affairs of the Inner City were not for a minor Taiping Captain like Su Mu to interfere with.

But Luo Anning brought Su Mu a Command Token, giving him full authority to oversee the Outer City’s defense.

It was a Command Token issued jointly by the City Lord’s Mansion and the Taiping Bureau.

In name, Su Mu had become the supreme Commander-in-Chief of the four Outer City Districts.

As the nominal Commander-in-Chief, Su Mu did not interfere with the daily operations of the four City Bureaus. He simply gathered all the Martial Artists from the four districts of the Outer City and divided them into three groups.

One group was responsible for patrolling the city walls, one was in charge of security in the Outer City District, and the last group he personally led in saber practice.

The three groups rotated continuously, ensuring that everyone had sufficient time for cultivation.

Any last-minute preparations were better than none at all.

The silver contributed by the various factions of the Outer City also played a huge role. Weapons, meat, and Elixirs were all supplied in abundance.

Once the machinery of the state was fully mobilized for war, its efficiency was astonishing.

After several days, the morale and spirit of the Outer City District’s Martial Artists were completely revitalized.

One day, as Su Mu was on the training grounds instructing the Martial Artists in their saber practice, Zheng Wang suddenly ran over in a hurry.

"Captain, this is bad!"

Zheng Wang ran up to Su Mu, panting as he spoke, "News from the south city wall! They’ve spotted traces of monsters, a huge number of them! Minister Chen has already rushed over with his men. You should go take a look too!"

"Let’s go."

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Mu waved his hand and led the crowd of Martial Artists from the training ground towards the South City District.

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