Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 166: Chapter 122: The Road Ahead

But for ordinary official positions, strength wasn’t the only factor. Promotions were a matter of sheer luck.

Even in the military, where strength was most valued, the person with the greatest individual power wasn’t guaranteed to become the Commander-in-Chief.

After all, those powerful enough to ignore the court’s established rules were few and far between.

The vast majority of Martial Artists might never reach the Rebirth Realm in their entire lives, and even those who did lacked the power to defy the imperial court.

Although Su Mu had confidence in himself, a life of constant scheming and backstabbing wasn’t what he wanted. The Taiping Bureau offered more freedom.

But the Taiping Bureau was responsible for slaying demons and devils, which was extremely dangerous.

When it truly came time to choose, Su Mu still felt a little hesitant.

”I’ve always felt that with your talent, being a regular official is a waste.”

Luo Anning said seriously, ”If you hadn’t been distracted by your official duties, you should have already cultivated to the Blood Transformation Realm by now.”

’For me, being an official *is* a form of cultivation,’ Su Mu thought.

There were two paths. One offered fast promotions and a high ceiling. The higher the rank, the faster he could earn Points, and the faster his strength would increase. But this path required battling demons and monsters, and the danger was great.

The other path had slow promotions, a low ceiling, and a slower rate of earning Points. But the danger—

was just as great.

In his previous life, Su Mu had heard a saying: in the wilderness, man is the most dangerous animal.

That saying could be adapted here: when there are no demons, humans are the most dangerous.

Not having to fight demons didn’t mean there was no danger. The struggles in officialdom were a war fought without smoke, and the level of peril was no less than the former path.

He had served as a constable in the South City Bureau and a Sima in the East City Bureau, merely fulfilling his duties. Yet, he had somehow managed to offend the Inner City Hu Family, leading to repeated assassination attempts.

If he wanted to go far in his official career, this kind of thing would be unavoidable.

’Since both paths are dangerous, I might as well choose the one that feels more satisfying.’

”I’ll stay with the Taiping Bureau.”

Su Mu said with some regret.

”Trust me, the Taiping Bureau is absolutely the most suitable place for you.”

Luo Anning was overjoyed, her eyes curving into crescents. ”Actually, you’ll progress faster in the Taiping Bureau. With your talent, you could reach the sixth grade in three years, the fifth grade in five, and in ten years at most, you’ll have a chance to become a fourth-grade Governor. Within thirty years, you could even aim for a Third-Grade Commander-in-Chief.”

”Did you know, it took my father a full forty years to reach his position as a fourth-grade City Lord, and that was with the family’s support.”

Luo Anning continued, ”And for my father, this is as far as he’ll ever go in his life. It’s almost impossible for him to take another step up.”

She had also learned the word ”progress” from Su Mu and was using it more and more fluently.

Su Mu nodded. He knew that being the Wuling City Lord was the ceiling for countless people.

Luo Anning’s father had been a rather talented Martial Artist in his youth and was now a Martial Artist in the Rebirth Realm. Even so, he was only a fourth-grade City Lord.

As for the Hu Family, another of Wuling City’s four great families, Hu Gongxiu had struggled his entire life and only managed to become the Chief of the Ministry of Works in Wuling City—a mere fifth-grade official.

Why had he been willing to exhaust his family’s resources to get Hu Guangshao into the Taiping Bureau?

Wasn’t it because, for a talented Martial Artist, the Taiping Bureau was a highway to the heavens?

You could question Hu Gongxiu’s character, but you absolutely could not question his foresight.

’Compared to these benefits, the exclusive nature of a position in the Taiping Bureau doesn’t seem so unacceptable after all,’ Su Mu thought.

A short while later, Su Mu followed Luo Anning to the Luo Mansion.

After a short wait, Luo Anning emerged in a fresh set of clothes.

”Here are the Kan Water Realm Map and the Xunfeng Realm Map. Take them to study. Just return them to me whenever you’re done with them.”

Luo Anning placed the two Scrolls directly into Su Mu’s hands.

”Are you going back to the East City Bureau, or are you coming with me to the Taiping Bureau for the test?”

Luo Anning only asked after Su Mu had put away the two Mental Realm Maps.

”What does the test for Taiping Captain involve?”

Su Mu asked after a moment of contemplation.

According to the Taiping Bureau’s rules, one had to break through to the Blood Transformation Realm to become a Taiping Captain, and there were age restrictions as well.

Su Mu’s current combat strength was no weaker than that of an average cultivator in the Blood Transformation Realm, but his actual realm was still the Body Tempering Realm.

”Strength and martial techniques.”

Luo Anning said, ”None of that is a problem for you. You’re at the Body Tempering Extreme Realm and you’ve grasped a realm of intent. You’re more than qualified to have the word ’Taiping’ embroidered on your Official Uniform now.”

”I’ll go with you,” Su Mu said.

Since he had already chosen his path, there was no need to hesitate. It was better to become a Taiping Captain a day sooner.

”Hey, if we both become Taiping Captains on the same day, does that make you the senior sister, or am I the senior brother?”

As they walked out of the Luo Mansion and headed toward the Taiping Government Office, Su Mu suddenly asked with a hint of puzzlement.

Luo Anning’s steps faltered, and her once-bright face suddenly fell.

***

「Inner City, Hu Mansion.」

Hu Gongxiu had smashed everything smashable in the room to pieces.

”Useless! All of you are useless!” he roared furiously.

The servants of the Hu Mansion were all terrified, hiding far away and not daring to approach the study.

Only the butler remained in the study, steeling himself.

”Master, please calm down. Don’t ruin your health over this.”

Seeing that Hu Gongxiu had almost finished venting, the butler quickly tried to console him.

”A bunch of idiots! You’ll be the death of me!” Hu Gongxiu raged.

”Yes, I was incompetent,” the butler said with a bitter smile. He had done everything according to Hu Gongxiu’s instructions, but in this situation, he certainly couldn’t say that his master had made a mistake.

”What did the Golden Wind Tower say?” Hu Gongxiu said coldly.

”The Golden Wind Tower said the mission failed because the information we provided was wrong, and it even cost them two assassins.

If we want to continue the mission, we’ll have to pay more,” the butler said weakly.

”Pay more? They have the nerve to ask for more money?!”

Hu Gongxiu roared, ”They took so much of my silver and couldn’t even kill two wet-behind-the-ears brats! It’s generous of me not to demand a refund, and they dare ask for more?!”

”Do they really think the Hu Family is a pushover?!”

Hu Gongxiu slammed his palm on the table.

CRACK.

The table instantly shattered into pieces.

”Well... Master, if we don’t continue, we won’t have to pay more,” the butler said in a small voice.

”Not continue? Then wasn’t the money I already paid wasted?” Hu Gongxiu fumed. ”Fine, tell me! How much more do they want?!”

The fury in his eyes looked like it could burn everything to ash.

”One million taels... per person.”

The butler’s face paled, but he summoned his courage. ”For the two of them, that’s a total of two million taels.”

A string of curses flew from Hu Gongxiu’s mouth, spittle spraying all over the butler’s face.

The butler didn’t dare to wipe it off. With a pained expression, he said, ”Master, the Golden Wind Tower also said that if we want to proceed, we must do it quickly. If we wait until those two become Taiping Captains, the price won’t be the same. It’ll cost even more.”

”Damn them to hell! To hell with them!”

Hu Gongxiu leaped to his feet. ”Do they really think I can’t touch the Golden Wind Tower? Without Butcher Zhang, am I supposed to eat a pig with its hair still on? Sons of bitches! I’m not using them anymore!”

”I’ll just consider the silver I already paid as feeding the dogs!”

Though furious, he ultimately retained a shred of reason and didn’t mention asking the Golden Wind Tower for a refund.

”I refuse to believe it! You think I can’t do anything about those two little bastards?”

Hu Gongxiu’s face was ferocious. ”Butler, when will Young Master Feng arrive in Wuling City?”

”News came yesterday. They said he’ll arrive in about a month,” the butler said.

A glint flashed in Hu Gongxiu’s eyes as he sneered. ”’Hard to kill a Taiping Captain.’ It’s only *hard* to kill one. That doesn’t mean they’re unkillable!

There are plenty of people in this world who can kill you!

I’ll let you two live for one more month...”

In his mind, another murderous plot began to form.