Cultivating in Different Professions

"Wei Zhankui, you stole a Demon-Breaking Crossbow and tried to assassinate me. Believe it or not, I can execute you right here and now!"

Su Mu’s voice echoed inside the Weapon Forging Shop.

By the time the Autumn Water Saber was pressed against Wei Zhankui’s neck, the crowd still hadn’t processed what had just happened.

"Wei Zhankui, are you trying to stage a rebellion?!"

Chen Song saw the Demon-Breaking Crossbow in Wei Zhankui’s hand. He drew his saber at once and roared, "Protect the Captain!"

The clang of steel rang out as all the constables drew their long sabers in unison and fell in behind Su Mu.

Although Su Mu had only been in his position for a short time, he had already, without anyone realizing it, established his authority.

The apprentices and workers of the Weapon Forging Shop, on the other hand, just stared at each other, at a complete loss.

Wei Zhankui glanced down at the Demon-Breaking Crossbow in his hand, then looked up at Su Mu, the smile completely wiped from his face.

"Su Sima, do you think anyone will believe this?"

Wei Zhankui said.

’Su Mu, the East City Bureau Captain, a Martial Dao genius who grasped intent while still in the Body Tempering Realm. He even heavily injured the Hu Family’s young master, who was at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering.’

’And me? Wei Zhankui. A man with no talent for the Martial Dao, an ordinary person through and through.’

’Me, assassinating Su Mu on the street? Would anyone even believe it?’

"Eyewitnesses."

Su Mu pointed at Chen Song and the other constables, then at the Demon-Breaking Crossbow in Wei Zhankui’s hand. "And physical evidence."

"This isn’t mine!"

Wei Zhankui said.

The Weapon Forging Shop had indeed hidden Demon-Breaking Crossbows before, but knowing the East City Bureau was about to make a major move, he had already transferred them away. The only contraband left in the shop was insignificant.

This Demon-Breaking Crossbow right here had just been shoved into his hands by Su Mu.

It was just that everyone’s view had been blocked by Su Mu a moment ago...

Wei Zhankui finally understood. Su Mu had called him aside simply to frame him!

"With both witnesses and physical evidence present, Shopkeeper Wei, you can save whatever you have to say for the official hearing."

Su Mu said calmly, "Chen Song, seal the Weapon Forging Shop. Take everyone back to the East City Bureau. Anyone who resists is to be killed on the spot."

"Yes, sir!"

Chen Song and the others felt a rush of vindication. They roared in unison, their voices nearly blowing the roof off.

Wei Zhankui’s face was bitter. He had originally planned to frame the East City Bureau to cause them some trouble.

He never expected this Su Mu to play even dirtier than him!

He hadn’t even succeeded in his own frame-up before he was framed himself.

He knew very well that if he showed the slightest hint of resistance now, Su Mu would truly kill him on the spot. Then there would be no one left to testify.

"Don’t resist! This is all a misunderstanding. We just need to go back with Su Sima and explain things clearly,"

Wei Zhankui said, trying to prevent his impulsive apprentices and workers from getting him killed.

Wei Zhankui and the others were led away, dejected.

Chen Song immediately had his men place official seals on the Weapon Forging Shop.

This scene was witnessed by many people, including spies from various factions.

These people hurried away to deliver the news to the leaders of their respective factions.

...

「East City District, Ronghua Association headquarters.」

Ma Shuangcheng listened to his subordinate’s report, a look of surprise flashing across his face from time to time.

’This Su Mu... he’s full of surprises.’

Seizing the opportunity, framing his opponent... his skillful use of these tactics gave Ma Shuangcheng a strange feeling.

He felt as if Su Mu were one of his own kind, not a teenager of eighteen or nineteen.

If it were a man in his forties or fifties doing these things, it would be understandable. But how could a boy of eighteen or nineteen play so dirty?

"It seems I’ve really underestimated him,"

Ma Shuangcheng mused. "Even if you beat him to death, that old stick-in-the-mud Xu Guang would never have done something like this. Our new Captain... he’s really forced me to see him in a new light."

He tapped his fingers on the table, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Help me send an invitation to the East City Bureau. Three days from now, I will host a banquet for Little Su at the Drunken Full House."

After a long moment, Ma Shuangcheng said slowly, "Since he’s so flexible in his methods, there are some things we might be able to discuss."

...

"Sir, aren’t you going to interrogate Wei Zhankui and the others?"

Yu Xiujiang watched, somewhat numbly, as Chen Song and his men threw Wei Zhankui and dozens of workers and apprentices from the Weapon Forging Shop into the East City Bureau’s cells. He couldn’t help but ask.

He was now beginning to fully understand the methods of this new Captain.

Calling his actions swift and decisive was an insult to Little Su.

He had only just informed him that the factions in East City were connected to the Inner City Hu Family, and the next thing he knew, Su Mu had taken down the entire Weapon Forging Shop!

The tea in his cup was still warm, for goodness’ sake.

’He went out for one trip and came back with Wei Zhankui and all his people under arrest?’

’The Weapon Forging Shop is the Hu Family’s biggest business in the East City District.’

’Is this the legendary "never let revenge wait overnight"?’

’The Inner City Hu Family just hired someone to assassinate you, and you immediately turn around and cut off their biggest source of income in the East City District?’

"Lock them up for a while first."

Su Mu said calmly, "If we interrogate them now, they definitely won’t talk."

"After being locked up for a while, they’ll start to recognize reality."

"Yes, sir."

Yu Xiujiang replied.

’He didn’t know if Wei Zhankui and the others would recognize reality, but he knew the Inner City Hu Family certainly would.’

’The Weapon Forging Shop in the East City District provided the Inner City Hu Family with at least tens of thousands of taels of silver every year.’

’With Wei Zhankui and his people all locked up, business at the Weapon Forging Shop would surely come to a halt. For every day they were imprisoned, the Inner City Hu Family stood to lose several hundred, or even over a thousand taels of silver.’

’It would be strange if they *didn’t* recognize reality.’

’However, the Inner City Hu Family would never bow down to a mere Outer City Captain. As for what they would do next, Yu Xiujiang couldn’t imagine.’