Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 173: Chapter 126: A Show of Strength

By the time Su Mu and Luo Anning arrived at the Hu Mansion, the sky was already bright.

The gate Luo Anning had shattered had, of course, long since been replaced.

Su Mu walked up to the two brand-new, vermilion gates and knocked twice.

A moment later, the gates opened.

The person who opened the gate immediately saw a man and a woman standing outside, their bearing so extraordinary they seemed like celestial beings.

His gaze was particularly drawn to the Brocade and Ink Shirts they wore, and the flamboyantly written character for ”Tai” on their chests.

Taiping Captains!

The man’s heart skipped a beat. His gaze shifted upward, and upon recognizing Luo Anning’s face, he seemed to realize something. With a loud cry, he turned and ran.

”Patriarch, bad news! Miss Luo the Elder of the Luo Family is here again!”

He shouted as he ran.

”Junior Sister Luo, it seems your reputation is enough to make the Hu Mansion paranoid.”

Su Mu said with a chuckle. With a wave of his hand, he blasted the two gates wide open, then leisurely stepped over the threshold.

”If you’ve done nothing to wrong your conscience, you won’t be startled by a knock at midnight. They fear me because their consciences are far from clear.”

Luo Anning said calmly, walking in side-by-side with Su Mu.

The moment they stepped into the courtyard, a group of nervous Hospital Martial Artists swarmed out from all directions, surrounding them.

”Miss Luo the Elder, what are you doing here again?”

one of the Hospital Martial Artists shouted, his face full of vigilance.

”There is no Miss Luo the Elder here, only Taiping Captain Luo Anning.”

Luo Anning said, ”Taiping Captains Luo Anning and Su Mu are here on orders to assist the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect in their search for Spiritual Medicine. Go and announce us.”

”All of you, disperse!”

Just then, a scolding voice rang out. The Hu Family Patriarch, Hu Gongxiu, walked through the crowd from behind. ”Making a fuss over nothing! Aren’t you afraid of disturbing our distinguished guest?”

”Now, all of you, disperse!”

The Hospital Martial Artists exchanged glances, let out a collective sigh of relief, and scattered.

Hu Gongxiu came to stand before Su Mu and Luo Anning. He looked at the two of them, a faint smile actually gracing his face.

Just by looking at him, you would never imagine how tense the previous confrontation between them had been.

”When I woke up this morning, I was wondering if the people sent by the Taiping Bureau would be old acquaintances. I didn’t expect it to really be you two.”

Hu Gongxiu said with a smile, ”I have faith in your abilities. I’ll have to entrust Young Master Feng’s safety to you.”

Luo Anning’s expression didn’t change. She wasn’t overthinking it, focused only on how to complete the mission.

Su Mu, however, felt the corner of his mouth lift as he sized up Hu Gongxiu.

’Entrust his safety to us? What right do you, Hu Gongxiu, have to entrust anything to us on behalf of a True Disciple of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect?’

Hu Gongxiu’s words clearly implied that his relationship with Feng Zhengqian was anything but ordinary.

The Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect was a behemoth, qualified to deal directly with the Taiping Bureau Headquarters.

A True Disciple coming to a small place like Wuling City was naturally a high and mighty figure.

Especially since he was on a mission, representing the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect.

Even the Wuling City Taiping Bureau had to send people to protect him.

”Young Master Feng tired himself out last night and isn’t up yet. Would you two mind waiting in the main hall?”

Hu Gongxiu said.

”The Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect’s search party has to travel all over looking for medicine. It’s understandable that they’d be tired from the journey. We can wait.”

Luo Anning replied in a professional tone, not sensing anything amiss.

Miss Luo judged the matter, not the person. She assumed everyone was like her, taking every task seriously and doing it well.

’He’s trying to assert his dominance over you, Miss Luo.’

Su Mu thought to himself.

The Taiping Bureau was not a subordinate of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect, and Taiping Captains were not common bodyguards.

Feng Zhengqian adopting this attitude from the start was a clear message to the two of them about who was in charge of this medicine-seeking team.

’You Taiping Captains are just guards. He, Feng Zhengqian, is the one calling the shots. If he tells you to wait, you wait.’

Su Mu realized that this mission would probably not be so easy to complete.

Their mission was to assist Feng Zhengqian in finding Spiritual Medicine, and to protect him in the process.

If Feng Zhengqian refused to cooperate, things would get troublesome.

No matter how powerful the Taiping Bureau was, they couldn’t stop someone from courting their own death.

’I have to think of something. It doesn’t matter if Feng Zhengqian lives or dies, but the creation of the Blood Strengthening Pills can’t be affected. On top of that, I can’t let this damage the cooperation between the Taiping Bureau and the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect. This is going to be tricky.’

Su Mu thought to himself.

Another two hours passed. Just as noon approached, Feng Zhengqian finally got up.

A young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, surrounded by a crowd of people, arrived at the main hall.

He gave Su Mu and Luo Anning a casual glance, then walked straight to a chair and sat down.

Seeing him unceremoniously take the seat of honor, Su Mu knew his judgment of the man had been correct.

”Captains, please forgive me. I became engrossed in studying the Alchemy Technique last night and overtaxed my mind, so I slept in for an extra four hours. I’ve made you wait.”

Feng Zhengqian said with a faint smile, sizing up the pair.

”It’s no matter, as long as it doesn’t delay our official business,”

Luo Anning said.

Su Mu looked at Feng Zhengqian and grumbled internally, ’Can’t you do something about the perfume on you before you talk? Is this ”Alchemy Technique” of yours something you study alongside rouge and powder?’

”I, for my part, will certainly not delay our official business.”

Feng Zhengqian said, ”But, if I may be blunt, for the Taiping Bureau to only send the two of you... are they not taking this matter seriously enough?”

”Young Master Feng, that’s where you’re mistaken.”

Hu Gongxiu said with a hearty laugh, ”These two Taiping Captains are no ordinary individuals.”