Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 226: Chapter 152: Blood Exchange Perfection

”You—”

The two strangers saw the duo confronting Su Mu at a glance. Their expressions changed, and with a flash, they moved to surround him.

Su Mu gave them a cool glance, his right hand resting lightly on the hilt of his blade.

”Wait.”

Seeing this, Luo Anning quickly interjected, ”Senior Brother Su, these men are Inspectors from the provincial capital. They want to question us about the details of Envoy Feng from the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect being ambushed and killed by Hu Guangshao. Master Wan is over there, too.”

Luo Anning explained the situation clearly in just two sentences.

’If anyone ever called Miss Luo unintelligent, Su Mu would have to disagree.’ He thought. ’She’s just a bit too stubborn about certain things, which makes her seem inflexible, but she’s actually quite sharp.’

Her words not only informed Su Mu of the other party’s origins but also let him know that with Master Wan present, they had backing and no reason to fear them.

’Inspectors?’

Su Mu glanced at the four men, a flicker of doubt in his mind.

’I’ve never heard of an official post called ’Inspector’ in the Great Zhou.’

”If you’re Inspectors, then lead the way.”

Su Mu said calmly, ”You may be Inspectors, but you should be more careful in the future. You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today. If I had mistaken you for criminals just now, wouldn’t you both be headless already?”

”You—”

The two men Su Mu had kicked away were flushed with anger.

’Hmph. At first, we doubted you were capable of killing Junior Brother Feng,’ the two men thought to themselves. ’But now it seems you really did take the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method from him! Without the Nine Times Blood Exchange, there’s no way you could be this strong! Let’s see how you talk your way out of this later!’

’We’re no match for this Su Mu, but Senior Brother Dai Jin can definitely take him down with ease!’

”Let’s go!”

The four Inspectors barked.

Su Mu calmly slung the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow over his back and walked toward the main hall, chatting and laughing with Luo Anning.

His relaxed demeanor made the four Inspectors grind their teeth in frustration.

On the way from the rear courtyard to the main hall, they ran into many Taiping Captains who were resting at the bureau.

Hearing that Inspectors from the provincial capital were going to interrogate Su Mu and Luo Anning, all the Taiping Captains menacingly followed them to the main hall.

After the battle against the Tier Five Demon Tide, the Taiping Captains of Wuling City had come to fully accept Su Mu as one of their own.

Someone was trying to bully their junior brother in their own headquarters? Unacceptable!

If not for Su Mu’s strenuous efforts to dissuade them, the four Inspectors would have likely been beaten black and blue before they even reached the hall.

Dai Jin sat in the main hall. When he saw his four junior brothers escorting a young man and woman inside, he knew they must be Su Mu and Luo Anning.

The next moment, he saw the dozens of Taiping Captains trailing behind them, and his brow furrowed.

”Captain Wan, is the Taiping Bureau plotting a rebellion?”

Dai Jin said coldly.

”Which of your eyes saw the Taiping Bureau rebelling, Inspector Dai?”

”The Taiping Captains are in their own headquarters. They can go wherever they please. If they wish to be here, I’m afraid that’s none of your business, Inspector Dai.”

Wan Qing said with a sneer.

”Very good.”

Dai Jin snorted. ”You’d best not give me any reason to act. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

”Su Mu!”

He slammed his hand on the table with a loud CRACK. ”Do you admit your guilt?!”

”You must be the Inspector, correct?”

Su Mu walked calmly to the center of the hall and looked at Dai Jin. ”There’s no need to shout. I can hear you just fine.”

”I am but a humble Taiping Captain. I don’t know what crime I’m supposed to have committed.”

Luo Anning stepped up beside Su Mu and also spoke. ”May I ask what your official post is, Inspector? Do you have the authority to question a Taiping Captain?”

”Unless it is by Imperial Mission, no one else is qualified to interrogate a Taiping Captain.”

”Captain Wan, why don’t you tell them who I am?”

Dai Jin said coldly.

”Dai Jin, third among the True Disciples of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect. Currently serving as an Inspector in the court’s newly established Inspection Bureau. I don’t know his rank.”

”And now that Inspector Dai has just broken through to the True Essence Realm, he’s so arrogant his tail is about to touch the sky.”

Wan Qing said mockingly.

Dai Jin’s face darkened. ’These people from the Taiping Bureau are truly detestable. Even now, they still dare to mock me!’

’The Taiping Bureau used to be the sole power, so you could act as arrogantly as you liked with no one to stop you. But things are different now. The Inspection Bureau was established precisely to keep the Taiping Bureau in check!’

”Listen up! I, an Inspector, am a fourth-rank official! Even your Governor, Zhao Poni, would have to address me as Lord Dai!”

Dai Jin didn’t dare let Wan Qing continue his introduction, fearing what else he might say.

”I know perfectly well what you two have done!”

Dai Jin stared at Su Mu and Luo Anning, his voice cold. ”Confess. How did you murder my Junior Brother Feng?!”

”You mean Feng Zhengqian?”

Su Mu said, ”Lord Dai, don’t tarnish an innocent person’s name without cause. You claim we murdered Feng Zhengqian. Do you have any evidence?”

”If you have no proof, can I accuse you of slander?”

”Still trying to argue?”

The Inspector who had been kicked by Su Mu shouted from below the dais, ”You’ve gone through Nine Times Blood Exchange! If you hadn’t seized the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method from Junior Brother Feng, how could you have possibly achieved it?”

”You must have forced Junior Brother Feng to hand over the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method and then killed him to silence him!”

”Who told you I’ve been through Nine Times Blood Exchange?”

Su Mu asked, puzzled.

”You still deny it? If it weren’t for Nine Times Blood Exchange, how could you possibly—”

The Inspector yelled. He had been about to say, ’how could you possibly defeat both of us in one move?’

But feeling that would be too embarrassing, he changed his tack mid-sentence. ”If it wasn’t Nine Times Blood Exchange, how can you wield the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow?”

”Did you think we wouldn’t know?”

”That Profound Weapon, the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow, can only be used by someone who has completed Nine Times Blood Exchange!”

”Then you’re truly mistaken. Senior Brother Su has reached the Body Tempering Limit and awakened a Physical Divine Technique. A Physical Divine Technique also allows one to wield the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow.”

Luo Anning spoke up in his defense.

”A Physical Divine Technique?”

Dai Jin sneered. ”You might fool others, but you can’t fool me.”

”Just because others don’t understand Physical Divine Techniques doesn’t mean I don’t.”

”My own senior brother, the head disciple of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect, has mastered a Physical Divine Technique.”

”A Physical Divine Technique alone makes it absolutely impossible to use the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow.”

”So, Su Mu, tell me: the Wuling City Taiping Bureau doesn’t have the Nine Times Blood Exchange Technique. How did you achieve Nine Times Blood Exchange?”

”I haven’t gone through Nine Times Blood Exchange.”

Su Mu slowly shook his head. ”If Lord Dai intends to convict me based on this, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.”

”Still trying to argue?”

Dai Jin roared.

He shot to his feet.

BOOM!

A powerful wave of energy erupted from him, shattering the table in front of him to pieces.

He took a step forward, striking down at Su Mu with his palm.

”You dare!”

Wan Qing flew into a rage. His hair and beard whipped up, and looking like a furious lion, he slashed his blade toward Dai Jin.

Seeing Dai Jin attack, a sharp glint flashed in Su Mu’s eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, stepping forward and throwing a punch.

’I was eager to test my strength now that my blood exchange has reached Perfection.’

In that instant, the distinct sound of crashing waves emanated from Su Mu’s body. The crowd could even see a faint golden light radiating from the surface of his skin.

Though he hadn’t drawn his blade, as Su Mu’s fist shot out, a sudden gale swept through the hall. The water vapor in the air was whipped up by the wind and coiled around his fist like a ferocious serpent.

BANG!

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Su Mu’s fist collided with Dai Jin’s palm, producing a dull thud.

A look of astonishment appeared on Dai Jin’s face. At that moment, a whistling sound came from the side. He had no time to press his attack on Su Mu and raised his arm to block Wan Qing’s incoming slash.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Su Mu took three steps back, a faint flush crossing his face.

His expression was composed. The moment he steadied himself, he had already taken the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow from his back.

TWANG!

Dai Jin had just blocked Wan Qing’s blade and was about to follow through with a palm strike against him.

Suddenly, he felt as if he were being targeted by a primeval beast. A sense of mortal danger washed over him, making the hair all over his body stand on end.

”Move again, and you die.”

A cold, emotionless voice rang in Dai Jin’s ear.