Cultivating in Different Professions

Without the slightest hesitation, Lichuan kicked off the wall, his body leaping back violently. He covered twenty feet in a single bound, but instead of jumping again upon landing, he hugged the ground and rolled another ten feet.

The entire sequence was incredibly smooth.

Had someone been behind him, this maneuver would not only have been an evasion but also the prelude to a series of killing blows. If his opponent dared to pursue, he could have launched a swift counterattack.

Lichuan rolled to his feet and dropped to one knee. He leaned forward, holding his short blade horizontally before him as he stared ahead, his face a mask of vigilance.

The pursuit he expected never came. Lichuan saw a young man standing quietly beneath the window, watching him with a placid expression.

Lichuan’s face flushed with heat. ’The other guy said a single sentence, didn’t even lift a finger, and it sent me scrambling like a trained monkey?’

’How humiliating!’

’To think someone got this close before I noticed... Have I gone soft? Has my craft grown rusty after all this time?’

"Su Mu?"

Lichuan’s expression turned grim, his guard raised. He spoke in a deep voice.

"You know me?"

Su Mu replied calmly, "Of course. This is the East City Government Office. To dare come here, you must be no common thief."

"I’ve been a bit short on cash lately and was hoping to borrow some silver. Since you’ve found me out, I’ll just find another place. Farewell!"

As a veteran of the Jianghu, Lichuan would never reveal his true identity.

After saying this, Lichuan abruptly threw a small orb.

BANG!

With a loud crack, a cloud of black smoke billowed out.

Lichuan shot up like a great bird and fled into the distance.

He might not even be Su Mu’s match in a one-on-one fight, but even if he were, he wouldn’t engage.

This was the East City Government Office. The moment a fight broke out, countless constables would swarm the area.

A Jianghu veteran like Lichuan would never trap himself in such a situation.

Besides, head-on confrontation wasn’t his specialty. Why would he play to his enemy’s strengths while using his own weaknesses?

If the first strike fails, flee a thousand miles.

That was Lichuan’s style.

From the moment Su Mu appeared, he knew his mission had failed.

’Leave first, then find another chance to assassinate him. A thief can try for a thousand days, but no one can guard for a thousand nights. Sooner or later, I’ll find a moment when Su Mu lets his guard down.’

This was Lichuan’s plan.

As for whether he could escape...

Lichuan was supremely confident.

The Bone-Rotting Bewitching Smoke he’d thrown would at least stall Su Mu for a moment. In that time, he could already be halfway across East City.

Leaping onto the top of the wall, Lichuan even had the leisure to glance back at Su Mu, who was enveloped in black smoke. A mocking smile spread across his face.

"I’m done playing with you for today, boy. Until we meet again," Lichuan said.

The words had barely left his mouth when his eyes shot wide open.

In the next instant, terror washed over his face, as if his eyes were witnessing the impossible.

WHOOSH!

A fierce gale materialized from thin air.

The dense black smoke was dispersed in the blink of an eye.

Bone-Rotting Bewitching Smoke was a toxic fume extracted from countless corpses. A normal wind could never have scattered it so quickly.

’For this to happen, there’s only one possibility!’

’Su Mu hasn’t just mastered the Kan Water Realm—he’s mastered the Xun Wind Realm as well!’

’Two Realms!’

’What kind of monster is he?!’

’Throughout all of Wuling City, from the City Lord, the General, and the Taiping Bureau Governor, down to the experts of the Inner City’s various families—how many of them could master two Realms?’

’A mere Little Martial Artist in the Body Tempering Realm has actually mastered two Realms!’

’Who would believe it if word got out?’

Lichuan felt as if he had been plunged into an icy cavern. A bone-deep chill made him tremble all over.

He no longer dared to hesitate for even a second. Without looking back, he sprinted forward with all his might.

’Run!’

’Get away!’

’And never come back!’

This was the only thought in Lichuan’s mind.

"And where do you think you’re going?"

In an instant, Lichuan had already covered two streets, but a hair-raising voice once again drifted into his ears.

Lichuan used all his strength to hurl his short blade.

He hoped to buy himself a little more time.

But at that very moment, a flash of light flared.

"Sp—"

Lichuan didn’t even have time to finish begging for mercy before he felt all the strength drain from his body.

He struggled to look down and saw his lower body continue to run forward two more steps.

His upper body, however, remained where it was.

"I..."

Lichuan’s eyes filled with regret. ’Why did I ever have to provoke him?’

’How could I ever afford to provoke a monster who had mastered two Realms?’

’How could the Hu Family ever afford to provoke him?’

With that last thought flashing through his mind, Lichuan’s consciousness finally sank into darkness.

Even in death, his eyes were wide open, filled with lingering shock and indignation.

Su Mu flicked the blood from his blade and calmly sheathed it.

He waited a moment before the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from behind.

The constables of the East City Bureau had caught up.

As they caught up, they were followed by a group of men in varied attire.

Those men were from the various factions of the East City District.

The East City Bureau had caused quite a commotion. With so many constables mobilized at once, the various factions were curious about what had happened.

"Take the body back and find out who he is."

Su Mu paid the onlookers no mind and gave his order with composure.

"Yes, sir!"

The squad leader on duty tonight walked over to Lichuan’s corpse and turned it over.

When he saw Lichuan’s face clearly, his own face filled with shock. He exclaimed, "Lichuan! It’s Lichuan!"

"Lichuan?"

A commotion erupted among the watching faction members a short distance away.

Some who had never heard the name whispered questions to those next to them.

Those who had heard the name began to explain.

"Lichuan was once the sixtieth most notorious criminal on the Most Wanted List. He was captured by the Government Office seven years ago and publicly executed. To think he’s not actually dead," a slightly older gang member said in a low voice.

"Sergeant Xu, are you sure he’s Lichuan?"

One of the gang members couldn’t help but call out.

"I’m sure!"

Sergeant Xu spoke with conviction, not to the gang members, but to Su Mu. "Sir, seven years ago, I was just an ordinary constable. I was lucky enough to take part in the operation to capture Lichuan. Although I was only on the outermost perimeter, I saw his face.

I saw it crystal clear. It was definitely this face.

He is absolutely Lichuan!"

Su Mu’s expression remained calm.

The onlookers all wore different expressions.

"To fall into the hands of the Government Office and still escape with his life... Lichuan truly lived up to his reputation as a notorious criminal on the Most Wanted List."

"Lichuan was already ranked sixtieth on the Most Wanted List seven years ago. After seven years, how strong must he be now?"

"And such a formidable criminal was killed by Little Su? Little Su’s strength is terrifying!"

The gang members watched for a while longer, then turned and hurried away. They were eager to report back to their bosses: ’Whatever you do, don’t mess with the East City Bureau.’

"Take the body back. Place it next to the last one and put them on public display for three days."

Su Mu said calmly, "Also, inform the Inner City that Lichuan was not dead."

For a notorious criminal who was supposed to be dead to suddenly appear, it went without saying that someone had bent the law for personal gain.

However, that was not something Su Mu could control.

He would report it to his superiors. Whether they investigated or not was their business.

’It’s a pity Lichuan is no longer on the Most Wanted List. Otherwise, I could have collected a bounty.’

"Chen Song still isn’t back?"

Su Mu paused before returning to the East City Government Office and asked.

"Sir, Chief Chen hasn’t returned since he went to the Inner City. He was probably delayed, and with the Inner City gates closed, he must have had to stay the night there," Sergeant Xu said.

The round trip to the Inner City was long, so it was common for people on business to stay overnight.

A squad leader had no choice and had to leave before nightfall, but a chief constable was senior enough to be permitted to stay overnight in the Inner City.

"Good. Have him come see me when he returns," Su Mu said nonchalantly. "Furthermore, first thing tomorrow morning, gather all constables in front of the main building. I suspect Lichuan has accomplices hiding in East City. They are an unstable element threatening the peace of East City. It is the duty of the East City Bureau to protect this peace. We must capture all of Lichuan’s accomplices."