Chapter 271 - 173: Harvest

Chapter 271: Chapter 173: Harvest

"Captain Luo already told me about this."

"Those Sect Martial Artists have already paid," Zhao Poni said nonchalantly. "We’re no exception—it was sixty thousand taels a head. Captain Luo has all the silver. Just take it and give it to them.

The Taiping Bureau keeps its word. Since they helped us, we can’t shortchange them."

Luo Anning nodded. "I have it all here. Including Lord Zhao and his men, that’s thirty-two people. The total comes to 1,920,000 taels of silver. I’ve already converted it into silver notes from Datong Bank, ready for withdrawal at any time."

Sixty thousand taels of silver was a lot of money, but for Rebirth Realm Martial Artists, it was an amount they could scrape together.

Although they all initially thought Su Mu had died in battle, with Zhao Poni stepping in, not a single Sect Martial Artist dared to default on their payment.

In Zhao Poni’s eyes, even if Su Mu had died, the Taiping Bureau would have helped him fulfill his promises.

He had originally planned to wait until after Su Mu’s funeral, then try to find out where the people Su Mu had hired came from. If they were still alive, he would give them the silver. If they were dead, he would give the silver to their friends or family.

Now, of course, it was no longer so complicated. He could just give the silver directly to Su Mu.

"Captain Su, you just got back, so you must be exhausted. Go get some rest. We can talk about everything else later," Zhao Poni said, coughing.

After urging Su Mu back to his own quarters, Zhao Poni hastily directed everyone to dismantle the memorial hall.

***

「The Inner City of Wuling City.」

Inside a tavern, an unremarkable-looking man was voraciously eating meat and drinking wine.

His collar was stained with wine and grease, but he seemed not to notice, completely engrossed in his meal.

This person was none other than Xue Shan, the Young Master of Golden Wind Tower.

However, even if Su Mu and Wu Yiqi were standing face-to-face with him, they probably wouldn’t recognize him as Xue Shan.

Because he had changed his face again.

This flawless Disguise Technique was a unique skill of Golden Wind Tower, one that ordinary killers could not learn.

Xue Shan had already mastered this Disguise Technique to perfection. Even within Golden Wind Tower, very few people had seen his true face.

After changing his face, he brazenly appeared in Wuling’s Inner City. No one could have known that this man was a killer from Golden Wind Tower.

"Have you heard? The Fourth-Grade Inspection Envoy from the Inspection Bureau and Taiping Captain Su Mu didn’t die. They came back alive."

Just as Xue Shan was feasting, a conversation suddenly drifted over from a nearby table.

"It’s strange, isn’t it? Aren’t the Inspection Bureau and the Taiping Bureau like fire and water? The Fourth-Grade Inspection Envoy of the Wuling Inspection Bureau actually operated alongside a Taiping Captain."

"That’s where you’re misinformed. I heard the Inspector from the Inspection Bureau originally didn’t want to help rescue the Taiping Bureau, but the Taiping Bureau just offered too much."

"How so?"

"I have a relative who’s a disciple of the Giant Elephant Sect. He was trapped with the Taiping Bureau personnel by some beasts. He told me that the Taiping Bureau was short on rescuers, so a Taiping Captain promised a hefty sum to hire two helpers. One of them was Wu Yiqi, the Fourth-Grade Inspection Envoy from the Wuling Inspection Bureau. It’s not clear who the other one was, but they were a top-notch expert too."

"A hefty sum? How much would it take to tempt a Fourth-Grade Inspection Envoy?"

"Sixty thousand taels of silver for each person rescued! My relative handed over sixty thousand taels to the Taiping Bureau. Sixty thousand taels! We couldn’t earn that in several lifetimes."

***

Xue Shan was initially listening with great interest. ’The other top-notch expert is me, Xue Shan. I just do good deeds without seeking recognition.’

He was feeling quite pleased with himself, but after hearing the last sentence, he could no longer smile.

’Sixty thousand taels?’

’That son of a bitch Su Mu! He charged sixty thousand taels for every person rescued but only gave me fifteen thousand?!’

’He’s utterly shameless!’

’He’s even profiting off my blood and sweat!’

’I risked my life and only made fifteen thousand taels per person, while he just opens his mouth and pockets forty-five thousand? Is there any justice in this world?!’

Xue Shan’s eyes welled with tears. The chicken leg in his mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

***

Su Mu placed the Gathering Spirit Stone under his bed and felt the air in the room instantly become much fresher.

Just taking a single breath was invigorating.

With the Gathering Spirit Stone, his small courtyard would become a "Grotto Heaven Blessed Land" for cultivation.

Cultivating Martial Arts here would be ten to twenty percent faster than anywhere else.

Su Mu thought for a moment before finally digging a hole under his bed. He buried the Gathering Spirit Stone inside, then carefully replaced the floor tiles.

Although this was the Taiping Bureau, and it was unlikely anyone would come here to steal, the Gathering Spirit Stone was simply too precious. Su Mu had no desire to use it to test human nature.

So he decided he would not casually tell anyone about the stone’s existence.

After securing the Gathering Spirit Stone, Su Mu sat cross-legged on his bed.

The earth didn’t block the Gathering Spirit Stone’s effect; he still felt clear-headed and refreshed.

With a slight shift in his thoughts, Su Mu summoned the system panel.

[Name: Su Mu]

[Identity: Silver-faced Killer (Part-time), Taiping Captain (Sixth-Grade)]

[Points: 29,000]

[Realm: Rebirth Realm (11x Blood Exchange, Body Tempering Extreme Realm)]

[Divine Techniques: Indestructible Golden Body, Blood Body]

[Cultivation Technique: Four Symbols Rebirth Technique (Vermilion Bird Body - Major Completion)...]

[Martial Arts: Li Fire Realm (Major Completion), Kan Water Realm (Major Completion), Xun Wind Realm (Major Completion), Gen Mountain Realm (Major Completion), Archery (Perfection)]

Almost a month had passed since he left the city for the rescue mission.

During this month, Su Mu hadn’t spent any Points.

He had saved all his Points, and now he had 29,000.

He was only one thousand Points short of the thirty thousand needed to advance the First Realm of the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique.

In another two days, he would have enough to reach thirty thousand Points, and then he could cultivate the First Realm of the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique to Perfection.

That would be the Perfection of the Vermilion Bird Body, which in terms of strength, was no less than the Perfection of the Divine Phoenix Body.

This was the terrifying aspect of the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique.

Just completing the First Realm to Perfection was comparable to the perfection stage of other Rebirth Realm experts.

And once the Fourth Realm was at Perfection, the Rebirth Realm would be cultivated to its absolute limit. His physique would be nearly flawless, far surpassing other Rebirth Techniques.

’This Rebirth Technique was truly wasted in Shi Ji’s hands,’ Su Mu thought to himself. ’Perhaps it’s because the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique is so heaven-defying that no one believed the one Shi Ji possessed was real.’

Shi Ji was already dead. Now, no one knew where he had obtained the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique, nor how he had managed to hold onto it.

But none of that mattered to Su Mu. As long as the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique was real, that was enough.

’Besides the twenty-nine thousand Points, my other gains from this trip were also significant,’ Su Mu calculated silently.

Besides the Points, he had also obtained the priceless Gathering Spirit Stone, plus over a hundred thousand taels of silver.

Furthermore, he had earned the gratitude of the Governor and the other Taiping Captains.

And on top of that, there was the special merit he had earned.

The value of a special merit was self-evident—it was equivalent to a first-class honor.

If Su Mu hadn’t just been promoted to Sixth-Grade Captain not long ago, this special merit alone would have been enough for him to take another small step up the ladder.

However, his seniority was still a bit lacking at the moment.

’At most, I’ll definitely be promoted to Fifth-Grade Captain within a year or so.’

Su Mu wasn’t in a hurry, though. His promotion speed was already like riding a rocket.

Only in the Taiping Bureau was it possible to be promoted at such a speed. In the system of the local Government Offices, one might toil for decades and still not reach the fifth grade.

Of course, promotions in the Inspection Bureau were also quite fast these days.

But Su Mu didn’t like the Inspection Bureau’s way of doing things.

’Even if I get promoted one grade per year, it won’t take many years to become a high-ranking official of the third grade or above. This speed is nothing to complain about,’ Su Mu mused. ’For now, I should pay Xue Shan the silver I owe him, and while I’m at it, see if there are any part-time jobs.’

Zhao Poni had told him to rest for a few days, so the Taiping Bureau had no assignments for him at the moment.

But Su Mu wasn’t one to stay idle. He still had his part-time identity: a Silver-faced Killer of Golden Wind Tower.