Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72: Harvest and Perfection
Two hundred taels of gold and one thousand five hundred taels of silver.
This was the sum of silver coins Su Mu had skimmed from the confiscated loot.
He kept only the real gold and silver. As for the other antiques and paintings, though valuable, Su Mu had no proper channels to cash them out, making them less practical than hard currency.
This amount was after deducting Wei Yongfu’s payment.
Su Mu never had a clear understanding of the phrase "get rich by being an official" before.
This time, he was truly experiencing it.
This single haul was more than what Wei Yongfu could make in a year of life-or-death struggles.
And Wei Yongfu was no ordinary person.
He was a Ghostwriter at the Third Stage of Body Tempering, considered a high earner.
An ordinary person would probably never earn this much money in their entire lifetime.
’It’s easier to cultivate within the government.’
Su Mu sighed inwardly. If not for his position as a constable, it would have been difficult to earn this much money, even with his current strength.
"Besides the silver coins, the biggest gain from this trip is actually this—"
Su Mu’s expression turned serious as he retrieved a bundle from the bottom of the chest.
Inside the bundle were three booklets.
He had deliberately kept these after discovering them at the No-Heaven Sect’s headquarters.
Three booklets: two Flesh Tempering Techniques and one Sword Technique.
The two Flesh Tempering Techniques were the Antelope Marrow Tempering Technique and the White Ape Marrow Refining Skill.
Antelopes leap across chasms; white apes scale heights.
Unlike the Wild Elephant Marinating Flesh Skill Su Mu was currently practicing, these two techniques focused more on developing agility and nimbleness.
If he could master all these Flesh Tempering Techniques, his body would not only be as solid as a mountain but also incredibly agile.
As for the Wind-Breaking Swordsmanship, it could supplement his Submerging Wave Saber Technique, compensating for the weakness of having only one combat style.
Su Mu spent the night carefully studying the two cultivation techniques and the one martial skill. The night passed without incident.
......
On his first day as an official constable, Su Mu had someone gather all the unsolved case files in the South City Bureau.
At first, squad leaders like Zheng Wang and Luo Chang thought Su Mu was just putting on a show as a new appointee. But they soon realized they were wrong.
From that day on, Constable Xiao Su went into overdrive.
He was either solving a case or on his way to solve one.
As a result, the entire atmosphere of South City began to change.
The petty thieves and pickpockets vanished from the streets—not because they had turned over a new leaf, but because they had all been thrown in jail.
The gangs, unsure of Su Mu’s methods for the time being, all chose to wait and see.
With the lesson of the No-Heaven Sect before them, they all became much more low-key.
After Su Mu’s series of actions, the happiest person, ironically, was Sima Hu Yuxing of the South City Bureau.
The case-solving rate in South City skyrocketed, and public order was completely transformed.
Hu Yuxing sat at home, and achievements fell from the sky.
......
"You work so hard, yet in the end, you’re just toiling for another’s benefit."
In the rear courtyard, Luo Anning sat across from Su Mu and spoke slowly.
"You didn’t have to go through all this hardship."
She looked at him, her expression earnest.
This wasn’t the first time Luo Anning had sought out Su Mu.
In the past few months, this was already her third visit.
She still hadn’t given up on recruiting Su Mu for the Luo Family.
"Hardship? I don’t see it that way," Su Mu said, shaking his head.
"For a monthly salary of just fifteen taels of silver, you’re wasting so much time on a constable’s duties. Don’t you know you’re wasting your life?"
Luo Anning frowned slightly. "If you continue like this, how could you possibly reach the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering before you turn twenty?"
’Impossible?’
Su Mu just smiled without saying a word.
"Miss Luo, I can promise you this: if I am truly eliminated by the Taiping Bureau, then I will come to the Luo Family for a living. How about that?"
She had made three sincere visits; he couldn’t just be dismissive.
"You said it yourself!"
Luo Anning was overjoyed.
In the future, she was certain to become a Taiping Captain, or even a Taiping Capital Captain.
Once she became a Taiping Captain, she could no longer conveniently manage the Luo Family’s affairs.
The Taiping Bureau had to maintain fairness and justice; it couldn’t take a side for any single family or clan.
But the Luo Family needed someone to be its public face.
Besides her, the other disciples of the Luo Family were not very accomplished. That was why Luo Anning had chosen Su Mu.
She had already pledged her heart to the Taiping Bureau and couldn’t look after her family, so she would find someone to take her place.
"A gentleman’s word is his bond," Su Mu said.
’Would he be eliminated by the Taiping Bureau?’
’Impossible.’
With a thought, a system panel that only he could see appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Su Mu]
[Identity: Constable/Taiping Bureau White Clothes (Ninth Grade)]
[Points: 900]
[Realm: Second Stage of Body Tempering (Extreme Skin Tempering Realm)]
[Cultivation Techniques: White Ape Marrow Refining Skill (Great Accomplishment), Wild Elephant Marinating Flesh Skill (Perfection)...]
[Martial Arts: Submerging Wave Saber Technique (Perfection), Wind-Breaking Swordsmanship (Great Accomplishment), Archery (Beginner/+)]
In the past few months, it seemed like he had been busy fulfilling his duties as a constable, but in reality, his strength had undergone a world-shaking transformation.
He had already reached Perfection in the Wild Elephant Marinating Flesh Skill, and his second Flesh Tempering Technique had reached Great Accomplishment.
Furthermore, he had also brought two martial arts to the stage of Great Accomplishment.
After tonight, he would have saved up another thousand Points and could push either the White Ape Marrow Refining Skill or the Wind-Breaking Swordsmanship to the Realm of Perfection.
Not yet eighteen, his flesh tempering was about to reach the extreme realm, and he was on the verge of mastering a second martial skill to Perfection.
Su Mu figured he was doing alright.
"Because of you, Hu Yuxing is about to be promoted," Luo Anning said.
"It’s a pity your seniority is a bit lacking, otherwise I could have found a way to help you get the position of Sima of the South City Bureau."
Su Mu: "..."
’So this is the benefit of latching onto someone powerful?’
A constable was merely a trivial Ninth Grade official, but a Sima was already a seventh-grade official.
It was no exaggeration to say they were worlds apart.
Under normal circumstances, a constable might never reach the seventh grade in their entire life.
Considering Luo Anning’s status, a seventh-grade Outer City Captain probably wasn’t a big deal to her.
"Hu Yuxing is getting promoted?"
Su Mu mused.
"He is being rewarded for his meritorious governance of South City."
Luo Anning glanced at Su Mu. Although she knew this was all Su Mu’s achievement, his constable position was indeed subordinate to the Sima of the South City Bureau.
"When is this happening?"
Su Mu asked thoughtfully.
"I don’t know the exact date, but it won’t be more than a month," Luo Anning said.
"If there are no surprises, his successor will be Wang Guan of the Wang Family."
"Wang Guan?"
Su Mu was a bit surprised. He remembered the name, but this person’s status seemed higher than Hu Yuxing’s. Why would he take over Hu Yuxing’s position?
"I heard Wang Guan requested the transfer himself,"
Luo Anning said casually, not caring much for these matters, and changed the subject. "Although it would be more beneficial to me if you were eliminated by the Taiping Bureau, I still hope you can improve your strength as much as possible.
If you have any questions about your cultivation, feel free to ask me."
"I’ve heard that beyond the Perfection of martial arts, beyond the saber’s force, there are other realms?"
Since Luo Anning had offered, Su Mu, who had quite a few questions, took the opportunity to ask immediately.
"That’s right. Above Force is Intent, and above Intent is Manifestation."
Luo Anning nodded. "I recall you practice the Submerging Wave Saber Technique, right?
The Submerging Wave Saber Technique isn’t considered a top-tier art. It’s quite remarkable that you’ve managed to develop a saber force from it.
However, it will likely be impossible for you to comprehend the state of Intent with it. I suggest you practice several other water-related saber techniques. If you can grasp the saber force from multiple water-related arts, you might be able to comprehend Intent."
"And what about Manifestation?"
Su Mu asked, lost in thought.
"The limit of martial arts is the Phenomenon. It’s said that experts who have grasped a Phenomenon can, with a single sword swing, make the waters of a great river fall from the sky. That is a heaven-and-earth Phenomenon,"
Luo Anning said. "But that’s just a legend. Martial Artists who have grasped Intent are already one in ten thousand. As for Manifestations, you don’t need to concern yourself with them."
