Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 160: Chapter 120: Rushing to the Rescue

The night was dark and deep.

A figure moved swiftly along a rugged mountain path.

Luo Anning had wanted to return to Wuling City much earlier, but an outpost in the mountains had been attacked. She had no choice but to stay for a few more days to help defend it.

Only when the trouble was completely resolved did she set out on her journey back.

This long period of training outside the city had been arduous, but her gains were immense.

She had broken through to the Blood Transformation Realm. As soon as she returned to the city, she could go to the Taiping Government Office to take the test. Then, she would be qualified to have ”Taiping” embroidered on her Official Uniform.

Although it would only be with black thread.

’But sooner or later, I’ll be able to use silver thread, or even gold.’

’And besides, I’ll finally get to hear Su Mu call me Senior Sister.’

At this thought, her eyes curved into crescents, and her desire to return to the city grew even more urgent.

Traveling at night, especially outside the city, was an extremely dangerous affair.

However, with Luo Anning’s strength, she naturally had no fear of any danger.

Driven by her urgency, she was unwilling to wait for dawn. The sooner she could return to the city, the better.

Suddenly, Luo Anning’s steps faltered and she came to a halt. Her gaze shifted as she looked ahead.

”Who’s there? Come out!”

Luo Anning placed a hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist and shouted coldly at the path ahead.

Before her voice had even faded, a cold glint of light suddenly flashed in the darkness before her.

SWOOSH!

A sword light shot out from the darkness, silently stabbing toward Luo Anning.

Luo Anning’s expression turned grave. The longsword at her waist left its scabbard, instantly transforming into a great river of shimmering green waves.

As the sword light flashed, a series of sharp, metallic clashes rang through the air.

The two fighters met and separated in an instant.

Luo Anning took a step back, her face grim as she stared ahead.

A figure completely cloaked in a black robe, their face hidden by a jet-black mask, landed silently before her.

The opponent said nothing. The moment they landed, they pushed off with both feet, thrusting forward again with a longsword as black as ink.

’Golden Wind Tower!’

Luo Anning’s mind raced, but her hands moved without the slightest hesitation. With a flash of sword light, she met the attack.

...

”Sir, I have news about the Jiao Dragon Blood!”

Shen Yizhi rushed into the East City Government Office, his face flushed with excitement.

”Oh?”

Su Mu put down the scroll in his hands and looked up.

”Where is it?”

”Over twenty years ago, a few drops of Jiao Dragon Blood made their way to Wuling City. I looked into it, and they eventually ended up in the hands of Hu Gongxiu.”

Shen Yizhi said, lowering his voice.

”Hu Gongxiu? The current Patriarch of the Hu Family?”

A suspicious look appeared on Su Mu’s face as he stared at Shen Yizhi. ”Shen Yizhi, you’re not trying to use me to continue your fight against the Hu Family, are you?”

”Sir, you misjudge me!”

Shen Yizhi dropped to his knees with a THUD. ”I may hate the Hu Family, but you avenged my son’s death, Sir. Even if I were the most heartless man alive, I could never commit such an act of thankless treachery.

”I admit, if I had the chance, I’d gladly stick a knife in the Hu Family myself.

”But this business about the Jiao Dragon Blood is the absolute truth!”

Regarding the last incident with the stolen goods, although the East City Bureau never officially announced that the bandits were disguised members of the Hu Family, Shen Yizhi knew the truth.

”Get up. I believe you.”

Su Mu gestured with his hand. ”It being in the Hu Family’s possession does make things a bit troublesome.”

If it were in the hands of the other great families, like the Luo Family or the Wang Family, he had at least some friendly relations to draw on.

And while he’d never dealt with the Xie Family, there was no bad blood between them. With enough silver, he might have been able to buy the Jiao Dragon Blood from them.

But the Hu Family was another matter entirely.

He and the Hu Family had practically torn all pretenses of civility asunder. The only reason they hadn’t come to open blows within the city was out of consideration for the laws of Wuling City.

Under these circumstances, it was almost impossible for him to get the Jiao Dragon Blood from them.

”Sir, it’s not entirely impossible to get the Jiao Dragon Blood from the Hu Family,” Shen Yizhi suddenly said in a low voice.

”You have a way?”

Su Mu looked at Shen Yizhi.

He never underestimated these merchants.

Their Martial Dao prowess was lacking, but when it came to schemes and stratagems, most Martial Artists were no match for them.

’Scheming merchants, indeed. There’s no business without a bit of treachery.’

”These past few days, I’ve had people keeping an eye on the Hu Family, and they discovered something very interesting.”

Shen Yizhi glanced around furtively before lowering his voice.

Su Mu gave him a meaningful look. ’So this is what they mean by a treacherous merchant,’ he thought. ’He’s vengeful enough to have the Hu Family watched all this time.’

’If I ever make an enemy of someone like this in the future, I must be absolutely ruthless and eliminate them completely.’

’Otherwise... it’s not the thief who steals that you fear, but the one who is always watching.’

Shen Yizhi was certainly no match for the Inner City Hu Family, but if he set his sights on you, you never knew when he might take a bite.

Sometimes, even small figures could accomplish great things.

”What interesting thing is that?”

Su Mu asked, his curiosity piqued.

”Just yesterday, my men saw the steward of the Hu Mansion secretly meeting with someone from the Golden Wind Tower.”

After getting a nod from Su Mu, Shen Yizhi closed all the doors and windows in the room. Only then did he return to Su Mu’s side and say quietly, ”Think about it, Sir. With the Hu Family’s power, would they need to hire the Golden Wind Tower just to kill someone?

”If it were an ordinary person, the Hu Family could easily kill them on their own. There would be absolutely no need to hire the Golden Wind Tower.

”The only reasons they would go to the Golden Wind Tower are if their target is too strong for them to handle, or if the person’s identity is so special that it’s inconvenient for the Hu Family to act directly.

”Either way, the person the Hu Family wants to kill is definitely no ordinary individual.

”The Hu Family most certainly does not want this matter to become public knowledge!”

”Are you suggesting we use this to threaten the Hu Family and make them hand over the Jiao Dragon Blood?”