Cultivating in Different Professions

’Who would have thought the system panel would give me such a huge surprise!’

’Before last night’s operation, I only had 6,700 Points on the system panel.’

’That means I earned three thousand five hundred Points in a single night!’

’Subtracting the Points I got from my Taiping Captain duties, my side job as the Silver-faced Killer must have brought in around three thousand Points.’

The result was enough to make Su Mu want to become a full-time professional killer.

’The pay is just too good.’

’No wonder so many people are drawn to shady dealings and heretical paths.’

’This must also be why Demon Martial Artists emerge one after another, no matter how many times they are suppressed.’

’But killing just for Points would make me no different from a fiend.’

Su Mu muttered to himself, ’A gentleman may love wealth, but he acquires it through righteous means. I’m not some bloodthirsty fiend. I kill because they force my hand.’

’Ten thousand two hundred Points...’

Su Mu took a moment to calm himself and refocus on the task at hand. ’I should be able to upgrade my Gen Mountain Realm to the Great Success Realm now.’

The difference between a realm at Great Success and one at Minor Achievement was immense. Among Martial Artists of the same cultivation level, one who had reached the Great Success Realm was at least twice as strong as one who had only reached Minor Achievement.

If his Gen Mountain Realm reached Great Success, the strength of his "Jing Ke" identity would increase significantly, allowing him to act with much more confidence.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Mu acted on the thought and tapped the system panel.

HUMMM!

In an instant, the scene before Su Mu’s eyes transformed.

He felt as if he had returned to the dawn of time, a vast, desolate land stretching out before him.

Suddenly, with a tremendous RUMBLE, the earth began to swell upward.

A moment later, a great mountain that pierced the clouds appeared, standing between heaven and earth.

Thick, heavy, and unyielding.

A calming force radiated from it. As Su Mu gazed at the mountain, he sensed the immense power contained beneath its motionless surface.

It was like the stillness before a volcanic eruption—seemingly calm, but containing infinite potential.

’The Gen Mountain Realm isn’t just about being solid and unyielding; it’s also about storing power, waiting to be unleashed.’

A realization dawned in Su Mu’s mind.

Beyond steadfastness lies eruption.

A mountain may be solid, but once it erupts, the ensuing landslide holds the power to destroy the world.

Su Mu slowly opened his eyes. The information on his system panel had already changed.

[Name: Su Mu]

[Identity: Silver-faced Killer (Part-time), Taiping Captain (Seventh Rank)]

[Points: 200]

[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 (Great Success), Xun Wind Realm (Great Success), Gen Mountain Realm (Great Success), Archery (Perfection)]

The Gen Mountain Realm had reached Great Success.

...

The Gubao Elder stared at the assassination orders before him, so shocked that he began to question his own existence.

Wuling City was a small place, so the Golden Wind Tower’s sub-branch here rarely saw much business.

The kickbacks he could skim as a Steward were, naturally, far less than what the Chief Stewards in major cities made.

’So what is all this?’

’Inspectors... What in the world did these people do to incur such universal hatred? So many people want them dead...’

The Gubao Elder muttered to himself, "Heh, the Golden Wind Tower just takes money to get things done. Since the clients paid up, I guess these inspectors just have it coming.

"The few Inspectors in the Blood Transformation Realm are one thing; that newcomer, Jing Ke, is strong enough to handle them. But Dai Jin is in the True Essence Realm. That’ll require a Golden-faced Killer."

He pondered for a moment before deciding to pass the contract on Dai Jin up the chain of command, letting his superiors find a Golden-faced Killer to execute the mission.

As for the other contracts, he would keep them. This year, he’d be celebrating a very prosperous New Year.

’That Jing Ke is worth cultivating, though. Perfection in the Blood Transformation Realm, Minor Achievement of Gen Mountain Realm, and he completed his first mission so cleanly. With a little more training, he could become the face of our Wuling Sub-Branch.’

The Gubao Elder chuckled. This was a bona fide cash cow.

...

’Someone else wants the Inspectors dead?’

A look of astonishment crossed Su Mu’s face as he read the message from the Gubao Elder.

’Inspectors Wu Keguang, Jia Ren, and Du Yuehua...’

He crushed the slip of paper in his palm, turning it to dust.

Su Mu reviewed the message in his mind.

Dai Jin had brought four people with him to Wuling City this time.

Apart from the already deceased Lu Dashou, the names of the other three Inspectors were all on the assassination list.

’Dai Jin is in the True Essence Realm, but the others are only in the Blood Transformation Realm,’ Su Mu mused. ’Previously, I used another identity to place a contract on Lu Dashou’s life with the Golden Wind Tower. Their asking price was one hundred thousand taels of silver.’

One hundred thousand taels was a bit steep to assassinate a Blood Transformation Realm Martial Artist. However, considering Lu Dashou was an Inspector from the Inspection Bureau, and the Golden Wind Tower would face considerable trouble afterward, the price was reasonable.

After paying out that one hundred thousand taels, Su Mu only received seventy thousand back as payment for completing the job.

In one transaction, the Golden Wind Tower had made a profit of thirty thousand taels.

According to his plan, Su Mu was going to continue placing orders with the Golden Wind Tower and then accepting them himself under the guise of Jing Ke.

He would lose a bit of silver in the process, but the main advantage was how safe and foolproof the method was.

Having the Golden Wind Tower take the fall would save him a lot of trouble; it was worth spending the money.

But now, before he could even proceed, someone else was already paying to have the Inspectors killed.

Su Mu wondered to himself, ’Just how many people did these guys manage to piss off?’

The message claimed that several clients had simultaneously put out contracts on their lives, with the bounties on each Inspector reaching as high as two to three hundred thousand taels.

In other words, he could get paid two or three times for assassinating a single Inspector.

"I was only planning on killing them, I didn’t expect to make a profit," Su Mu said to himself.

’What am I going to do with all this silver I can’t possibly spend?’

A slight smile touched Su Mu’s lips. How could he possibly turn away silver and Points that were being delivered right to his doorstep?

...

The Inspection Bureau didn’t have an official Government Office in Wuling City.

Dai Jin had bought a residence to serve as their temporary headquarters.

The Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect was famously wealthy. The residence Dai Jin had purchased was none other than the former estate of the Hu Family—one of the four great families of the Inner City—and it covered a vast amount of land.

"Sir, who exactly did Junior Brother Lu offend?"

In a room in the rear courtyard, Wu Keguang spoke, his eyes betraying a hint of unease.

’A True Disciple of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect—what an esteemed status that is!’

’Even in the Da Xuan Capital City, they would be honored guests of princes.’

’Who wouldn’t want to buy elixirs from the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect?’

’It had been years since a disciple of the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect was murdered.’

But ever since the sect decided to get involved with the imperial court, things seemed to have changed.

’First it was Junior Brother Feng, and now Junior Brother Lu.’

’Who would be next?’

"This isn’t about who Junior Brother Lu offended," Dai Jin said coldly. "The enemy is targeting the Inspection Bureau.

"The imperial court established the Inspection Bureau and had our Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect and a few other powers take charge. It’s inevitable that some people would find us disagreeable."

"They think the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect should just slave away like beasts of burden, performing Alchemy for them."

He snorted. ’Why should the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect be subservient to anyone?’

"We knew when the Inspection Bureau was founded that we would run into these kinds of problems. It was all within our expectations."

Dai Jin continued, "No one wants to see a second Taiping Bureau emerge, but the Inspection Bureau is an unstoppable force. No one can stand in its way.

"These people only dare to resort to such despicable, underhanded tactics to assassinate us."

’But these tactics are highly effective,’ Wu Keguang and the other two thought.

’Senior Brother Dai is in the True Essence Realm, so he isn’t afraid of assassins. But the three of us are just in the Blood Transformation Realm, only marginally stronger than Junior Brother Lu Dashou was.’

"You don’t need to worry. What happened to Junior Brother Lu was due to my carelessness," Dai Jin said with a cold smile. "The assassin who killed Junior Brother Lu was probably the ace of the Golden Wind Tower’s Wuling Sub-Branch. Minor Achievement of the Gen Mountain Realm—is that supposed to be impressive?

"I have three sets of Black Gold Inner Armor here, a gift from the Divine Weapon Pavilion. An attack cannot break through their defense unless it’s backed by a Great Success Realm.

"The three of you, put these on. If that killer shows up again, you just need to delay him for a moment. I’ll make sure he never leaves this place alive!"

His face was a mask of confidence.

Judging from the wounds on Lu Dashou’s body, the opponent’s Gen Mountain Realm was only at Minor Achievement, and his cultivation was merely at the Blood Transformation Realm.

His three junior brothers were also in the Blood Transformation Realm. Protected by the Black Gold Inner Armor, as long as they weren’t killed in a single strike, they could hold the enemy off for a few crucial moments.

By then, he would be able to rush over. With his power, crushing a mere Blood Transformation Realm assassin would be as easy as flipping his hand!