Cultivating in Different Professions

The night was deep.

In an unremarkable alley in the Inner City lived an old bachelor who made barrels for a living.

He had lived here for a very long time. Even the oldest residents of the alley didn’t know when he had moved here.

He was quiet and reserved, with almost no presence.

Much of the time, his neighbors weren’t even aware they had such a person living among them.

In the pitch-black courtyard, the Gubao Elder shot upright, his eyes glowing frighteningly in the dark.

At this moment, a stark contrast to his daytime demeanor, his entire aura was incredibly sharp, like a drawn sword.

"Since you’re here, why hide?"

The old man said in a deep voice, "Since you found this place, you should know the rules.

A seventy percent deposit, paid now. The remaining thirty percent is paid upon completion."

"I’m not here to place an order."

A voice sounded, and then a person completely shrouded in a black robe walked out of the shadows, speaking in a hoarse voice.

His face was also covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes.

"If you’re not here to place an order, then leave. This is not a place for you to dally."

The Gubao Elder said coldly.

"I want to join the Golden Wind Tower."

The black-robed man did not leave, but said calmly.

"You want to join the Golden Wind Tower? On what grounds?"

The Gubao Elder raised his head, his eyes glinting sharply.

"On this!"

The black-robed man hadn’t even finished speaking when a blade flashed. With a SWISH, it slashed toward the Gubao Elder.

The Gubao Elder’s pupils contracted. He snorted coldly.

He neither dodged nor evaded, merely raising a hand thick with calluses and pressing it firmly against the edge of the blade.

DING!

With a clang of metal, the long blade swung back. The black-robed man stood where he was, as if he had never moved.

The Gubao Elder was still sitting on the bed. He looked at his finger; on the fingertip was a drop of fresh blood.

A hint of surprise flashed in the Gubao Elder’s eyes. His gaze shifted, falling on the blade in the black-robed man’s hand.

"The Divine Weapon List, thirteenth place... the Renowned Blade Po Jun?"

The Gubao Elder said slowly.

"Good eyes."

The black-robed man’s voice was hoarse and unpleasant, clearly not his own.

The Gubao Elder didn’t mind. In the Golden Wind Tower, few people showed their true faces.

"Of the two weapons that Xiang Wentian, the Sect Leader of the Fragrance Sect, once used to dominate the world, one fell into the hands of the Government Office, and the other’s whereabouts were unknown. I never thought I’d see Po Jun in your hands."

"A fine blade, and even finer blade work," the Gubao Elder said slowly.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a magnificent Gen Mountain Realm."

"Is this... enough to join the Golden Wind Tower?"

The black-robed man gave a dry cackle and asked.

"Do you understand the rules of the Golden Wind Tower?"

The Gubao Elder asked in return instead of answering.

The Golden Wind Tower isn’t a sect like the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect; it’s a very loosely-knit organization.

But no matter how loose, it still had its own rules. Otherwise, it couldn’t have flourished for so long.

"I’m willing to hear them."

The black-robed man said calmly.

"First, for every mission, the Tower takes a thirty percent cut."

The Gubao Elder said, "Second, you must complete one mission assigned by the Tower each year, without refusal.

Third, if you fail a mission, you must die before revealing the client’s identity.

These three are the iron laws of the Golden Wind Tower. If you can abide by them, you can join."

"Of course, by joining the Golden Wind Tower, you will have the opportunity to learn cultivation techniques and martial arts. You will also gain access to the Golden Wind Tower’s intelligence network, according to your rank,"

the Gubao Elder said.

"Agreed."

The black-robed man nodded.

"Those in the Blood Transformation Realm can generally only be Copper-faced Killers. But you have reached Perfection in the Blood Transformation Realm, comprehended the Gen Mountain Realm, and you have the Renowned Blade Po Jun in hand. I can make an exception and allow you to be a Silver-faced Killer."

The Gubao Elder said, "Give yourself a codename."

"Jing Ke."

The black-robed man said flatly.

A moment later, the black-robed man left the Gubao Elder’s small courtyard. He now wore a silver mask on his face, and his outer robe was of a different style, with golden embroidery on the lapels that looked like wisps of golden wind.

...

Su Mu circled through most of the Inner City. After confirming he wasn’t being followed, he returned to his quarters at the Taiping Government Office.

After closing the door, Su Mu put away the Golden Wind Tower assassin’s clothes and mask.

’This went more smoothly than I thought. But that makes sense; a common assassin wouldn’t be considered part of the Golden Wind Tower’s core, so the requirements naturally wouldn’t be too strict.’

Su Mu thought to himself. With a slight flicker of his will, he summoned the system panel.

[Name: Su Mu]

[Identity: Silver-faced Killer (Concurrent), Taiping Captain (7th Rank)]

[Points: 1600]

[Realm: Blood Transformation Realm (Body Tempering Extreme Realm)]

[Divine Techniques: Indestructible Golden Body]

[Cultivation Technique: Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique (Perfection)...]

[Martial Arts: Kan Water Realm (Major Accomplishment), Xun Wind Realm (Major Accomplishment), Gen Mountain Realm (Minor Accomplishment), Archery (Perfection)]

Looking at the contents of the system panel, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on Su Mu’s face.

’So that’s how it is.’

After a moment of thought, Su Mu understood.

Previously, after his promotion to Taiping Captain, his identities as East City Bureau Captain and Ghostwriter had disappeared.

Su Mu had always thought that the identity of Taiping Captain was unique and exclusive—that once he had this identity, he couldn’t have any others.

Now it seemed it wasn’t that the Taiping Captain identity was unique.

It was that a person, no matter how much work they did, couldn’t draw two salaries from the same company.

Whether as a Taiping Captain, an East City Bureau Captain, or a Ghostwriter, he was being paid by the imperial court, so naturally, the roles couldn’t coexist.

It’s like how one person can’t be the county magistrate and the town head at the same time.