Cultivating in Different Professions

A ten times blood exchange meant only one thing: he had cultivated the Nine Times Blood Exchange Technique and then broken through its limits to reach ten.

Su Mu had reached the Body Tempering Limit. Even without a Blood Strengthening Pill, it was possible for him to break the limits in the Blood Transformation Realm.

But that was only possible if he cultivated the Nine Times Blood Exchange Technique!

Each breakthrough could only increase the blood exchange efficiency by a single level. If he wasn’t cultivating the Nine Times Blood Exchange Technique, it would be absolutely impossible for him to break through to a ten times blood exchange!

Ten times!

Ten times!

Those two words echoed in the minds of everyone in the hall. ’A ten times blood exchange...’

A nine times blood exchange already made one a dragon among men. What did a ten times blood exchange signify?

Even if it wasn’t completely unprecedented, it was certainly enough to rank among the top few in all of history.

A ten times blood exchange was even rarer than Physical Divine Techniques.

Physical Divine Techniques weren’t only awakened by reaching the Body Tempering Limit. A Martial Artist could awaken them in the Blood Transformation Realm, the Rebirth Realm, or even the True Essence Realm.

But the chance of achieving a ten times blood exchange was far rarer than awakening a Physical Divine Technique.

In the past century of the Da Xuan Dynasty, the only one to achieve a ten times blood exchange was the current head disciple of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect.

That person had achieved a ten times blood exchange, awakened a Physical Divine Technique in the Rebirth Realm, and was now a powerhouse in the True Essence Realm.

But that disciple had been cultivated with the full might of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect, enjoying the best Cultivation Techniques and the most abundant resources since childhood. Even so, he had failed to reach the Body Tempering Limit. His ten times blood exchange was only achieved with the help of the sect’s very last Blood Strengthening Pill.

And Su Mu?

He was just from a refugee background. Even now as a Taiping Captain, his post was in the remote and impoverished Wuling City. He hadn’t enjoyed any resources at all.

He had reached his current realm relying entirely on his own talent and hard work.

Even the dimmest person in the hall could see the difference between the two.

Wan Qing’s breathing grew heavy.

’I thought I already had a high enough opinion of Su Mu, but every time, he manages to give me a brand-new surprise!’

’A ten times blood exchange... If he gets another Blood Strengthening Pill, couldn’t he reach the unprecedented Eleven Times Blood Exchange Realm?’

Wan Qing’s body trembled slightly as he made a silent decision. This time, no matter what, even if it meant calling in favors from his old friends and staking his life’s honor, he would fight to win a Blood Strengthening Pill for Su Mu!

"The Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method? No, that’s not what I cultivate."

Su Mu shook his head and said calmly, "The Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method isn’t the only Nine Times Blood Exchange Technique in this world.

"Lord Dai, have you ever heard of the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique?"

"The Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique? How is that possible?!"

Dai Jin cried out in shock, "The Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique was lost long ago! How could you possibly have it? Are you a remnant of the Fragrance Sect?"

"Lord Dai, casually slandering people isn’t a good habit. Have you already forgotten what just happened?"

Su Mu said expressionlessly, his finger lightly plucking the string of the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow.

Dai Jin fell silent, inwardly seething with resentment.

However, Su Mu’s reminder also made him calm down completely.

He silently circulated his True Essence to evaporate the wet patch beneath him. Dai Jin took a deep breath, trying hard to compose himself, and said in a low voice, "Continue. I will report every word you say back to the Inspection Bureau."

"That’s more like it."

A smile touched the corner of Su Mu’s lips. "We aren’t thugs or bandits; we should do things by the book. If you had followed the rules from the start, Lord Dai, we could have avoided a lot of unpleasantness, don’t you think?"

Su Mu clicked his tongue in amazement. ’So True Essence can be used like that. But there’s no getting rid of that smell of piss.’

Though complaining inwardly, Su Mu spoke with complete confidence. "You could say I was quite lucky. Back when I was still a constable in the Outer City, I encountered a group of thieves. After a bitter fight, I killed them all, only to discover later that they were remnants of the Fragrance Sect.

"The Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique was the spoils I took from them."

"Fragrance Sect remnants? Where are they?"

Dai Jin blurted out.

"Did you not hear me, Lord Dai? I already killed them."

Su Mu looked at him as if he were an idiot, which infuriated Dai Jin.

’Another dead end with no witnesses!’

"If you don’t believe me, Lord Dai, you can check the records at the Outer City Bureau. The bodies of those Fragrance Sect remnants were all identified and processed by the Outer City Bureau at the time," Su Mu said.

’Those men really were remnants of the Fragrance Sect. I’m not afraid of Dai Jin investigating. Even if he dug up their coffins for an autopsy, they would still be the genuine article.’

’As for whether they had the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique... well, you’d have to ask them.’

’Unless Dai Jin can make the dead speak, there’s no way to prove otherwise. It’s a dead end.’

In truth, Su Mu had been looking for an opportunity to resolve the issue of the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique for a while now.

It would be difficult to hide the fact that he cultivated a Nine Times Blood Exchange Technique forever. If it were ever exposed, the origin of his Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique would become a problem.

Dai Jin had given him the perfect chance. By using this opportunity to legitimize the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique, no one would be able to use it to slander him by linking him to the Fragrance Sect in the future.

His Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique was spoils of war—legal, logical, and legitimate.

"I have the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique. Do you really think, Lord Dai, that I would murder Feng Zhengqian for the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method?" Su Mu asked.

Dai Jin was silent.

He couldn’t bring himself to say that the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method was better than the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique.

It was common knowledge that the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique was indeed superior to the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method.

A Martial Artist could only cultivate one Blood Exchange Technique. Since Su Mu had the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique, there was no point in him wanting the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method.

Insisting that he had murdered Junior Brother Feng for the Hundred Herbs Blood Exchange Method was becoming difficult to justify.

But besides that, there seemed to be even less reason for him to murder Junior Brother Feng.

’Could it be... that Junior Brother Feng’s death was really as he described?’

"Lord Dai, I’ve said everything I need to say," Su Mu stated. "You have the right to suspect me, but if you want to convict me of a crime, please come back when you have evidence.

"With solid proof, I will submit to any punishment.

"But if you don’t...

"I have a rather short temper. If someone slanders me, I’m prone to doing some... irrational things."

Ashamed and enraged, Dai Jin got up from the floor and said in a hoarse voice, "Junior Brother Feng will not have died in vain. I will continue to investigate. I will go to the Outer City Bureau. With the establishment of the Inspection Bureau, the days of the Taiping Bureau ruling with an iron fist are over."

"Let’s go!"

With that, he was too ashamed to remain any longer. He and his four junior brothers hastily fled the Taiping Government Office.

Watching the five of them retreat like dogs with their tails between their legs, a thoughtful expression appeared on Su Mu’s face.

"Master Wan, what kind of organization is this Inspection Bureau? It seems to be targeting our Taiping Bureau," Su Mu mused.

"I don’t know either."

Wan Qing shook his head, his expression grave. "Perhaps it’s related to the changes in the Capital City."

They hadn’t even received any news yet, but an Inspector from the Inspection Bureau had already shown up at their door. This gave Wan Qing a bad feeling.

The fall of the Marquis of the Taiping Department seemed to have triggered some changes, and these changes were not necessarily a good thing for the Taiping Bureau.

"Although we can’t be sure of the Inspection Bureau’s background yet, they’ve clearly come with ill intent."

Wan Qing said grimly, "The Governor is not here, so it’s not wise for us to clash with them head-on.

"Su Mu, they’ve targeted you now. They want to use you as an opening to attack our Wuling Taiping Bureau—"

"Master Wan, we have nothing to fear if our conscience is clear. That Inspector Dai is no one special. Senior Brother Su scared him so badly he wet himself," Luo Anning said. "We don’t need to be afraid of them."

Her gaze towards Su Mu was a little reproachful, her big eyes seeming to speak for her. ’A ten times blood exchange, and you didn’t tell me...’

Su Mu cleared his throat awkwardly. ’I never said I was cultivating a Seven Times Blood Exchange Technique. You’re the one who just assumed that.’

"Dai Jin is nothing to worry about, but we can’t be sure if the Inspection Bureau has other powerful figures," Wan Qing said grimly. "Su Mu, you and Luo Anning should leave the city for a while to lie low. You can come back after the Governor returns."

"But we still have to compete for the Blood Strengthening Pill! What if we miss the chance because we’re hiding outside the city?"

Before Su Mu could speak, Luo Anning said anxiously.

"Leave the Blood Strengthening Pill to me. I will definitely secure one for the Wuling Taiping Bureau, and for Su Mu. You don’t have to worry about that. Our merits from defending against the Tier Five Demon Tide are undeniable. The Headquarters has to give us one," Wan Qing said. "You also worked hard defending the city recently. Take this as a chance to get some rest."

"I can leave the city, but not to rest. Master Wan, you have to assign me a mission. For example, patrolling the outskirts of Daxing Mountain?

"I receive a salary from the Taiping Bureau. If I don’t do anything, I won’t feel right taking the money," Su Mu said seriously.

’Can I earn performance points by resting?’

’Work brings me joy!’