Cultivating in Different Professions

Wan Qing took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

"Wan Qing, I am a Fourth-Grade Inspection Envoy. You are merely a Fifth-Grade Captain. Is this how you speak to a superior officer?" Dai Jin said coldly. "The Taiping Bureau’s privilege of being one rank higher applies only to local officials. The Inspection Bureau and the Taiping Bureau are of equal standing. When you see me, you don’t get that extra rank!"

"Wan Qing, I am merely asking your Taiping Capital Captain to act as a guide. You keep making excuses. Are you trying to hide something? Or perhaps there were never any Profound Nether Sect remnants or Corpse Demons to begin with, and this was all just a performance staged by your Wuling Taiping Bureau?" Dai Jin sneered.

The Inspection Bureau had been officially established, and he was a formally appointed Fourth-Grade Inspection Envoy.

Moreover, he had brought a Fireproof Shield with him this time. Even if Su Mu dared to aim the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow at him again, he wouldn’t be the least bit afraid.

"Wan Qing, I’ll say this one last time. Your Taiping Bureau must assist my Inspection Bureau. Otherwise, I will certainly report you to the Imperial Court!" Dai Jin sneered.

"Master Wan."

Just then, Su Mu suddenly walked in from outside.

"Since the Inspection Bureau wishes to investigate the Profound Nether Sect remnants, that is a good thing for Wuling City. We should naturally cooperate fully," Su Mu said calmly. "I will guide Lord Dai."

"No!" Wan Qing said in a low voice.

"Master Wan, I’ll just be guiding him. Nothing will happen. Trust me." Su Mu said with a serious expression, his gaze toward Wan Qing filled with resolve.

Wan Qing looked at him for a moment before finally saying slowly, "Remember, you are only guiding him."

"I understand." Su Mu nodded. "I’m just acting as a guide for the Inspection Bureau. If there’s any danger, the Inspection Bureau will be the first to face it. As for me, I’ll definitely fall back on the best of the Thirty-Six Stratagems: running away."

Dai Jin’s expression darkened. ’This Su Mu really is a shameless scoundrel, speaking so brazenly about running away.’

He sneered inwardly. ’You want to run? Once we’re outside the city, it won’t be up to you anymore. Without the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow, a puny Blood Transformation Realm cultivator like you is completely insignificant.’

"I recall there were two Taiping Capital Captains at the time, weren’t there?" Dai Jin asked.

’That little girl... she’s a real beauty, the kind that makes you want to protect her. But since she’s from the Taiping Bureau, I guess it’s just her bad luck. Before she dies, though, I’ll let her experience the joys of being a woman.’

A vicious, sinister smile flashed in Dai Jin’s eyes.

"I’m enough to act as a guide," Su Mu said nonchalantly. "Junior Sister Luo has other duties. If Lord Dai insists on both of us going, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a month or two. Cooperating with the Inspection Bureau is no problem, but the Taiping Bureau has no idle hands. We can’t let assisting the Inspection Bureau interfere with our own regular missions, can we?"

"Hm?" Dai Jin frowned.

"So, Lord Dai, you have two choices. First, I can lead you right now to the place where the Corpse Demons were first discovered. Second, you can wait, Lord Dai. Wait until both Junior Sister Luo and I are free. But I can’t guarantee how long that will be," Su Mu said.

"That’s right. Inspector Dai, what is your choice?" Wan Qing chimed in.

Dai Jin looked at the two of them. Of course he knew these were just excuses.

But even knowing they were excuses, there was nothing he could do.

Unless he wanted a complete falling-out with the Taiping Bureau right now.

But the Inspection Bureau was not the Taiping Bureau’s superior. To put it nicely, the Inspection Bureau could oversee the Taiping Bureau, but that didn’t mean the Taiping Bureau had to obey the Inspection Bureau.

Whichever side was more domineering depended on which side was stronger.

The Wuling Inspection Bureau was newly established, and its overall strength was not yet a match for the Wuling Taiping Bureau.

Forcing the Taiping Bureau to concede this much was already his limit.

If he pushed any harder and the Wuling Taiping Bureau truly turned against him, the situation would be difficult to clean up.

Dai Jin thought to himself, ’I’ll deal with Su Mu first. There will be plenty of opportunities to take care of that little girl with the surname Luo later.’

"You’re right. One person is enough to act as a guide," Dai Jin said slowly. "It’ll be you. You’ll lead the way. We’re going to the place where you first discovered the Corpse Demons."

"Inspector Dai, please wait outside. He needs to prepare his things," Wan Qing said, shooing him out without hesitation.

After Dai Jin had stormed out, Wan Qing said in a low voice, "Once you’re outside the city, if anything seems wrong, remember to run to these locations!"

He took out a topographical map of the area around Wuling City, pointed to several locations, and said gravely, "Old Huang and the others will be here."

"I’ve memorized them." Su Mu didn’t refuse, simply nodding.

"Dai Jin might not dare to try anything anyway. This Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow in my hands is no joke." Su Mu patted the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow on his back.

Wan Qing shook his head. "The Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow is powerful, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be countered. Dai Jin knows you have the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow. If he really dares to make a move, he will definitely be prepared."

"I know. If I can’t beat him, I’ll run," Su Mu said. "I know the outskirts of Daxing Mountain better than they do. They won’t be able to catch me."

Wan Qing nodded and said, "Among the Wuling Taiping Bureau’s Blood Transformation Realm Taiping Capital Captains, no one is stronger than you. And all the Rebirth Realm Taiping Captains are currently on missions, so I can’t send anyone with you. But remember, if there’s real danger, run toward Old Huang’s position. They will protect you at all costs."

"Master Wan, maybe we’re judging a gentleman by our own petty standards. It’s not certain that Dai Jin actually wants to do anything to me. He might just be a new official trying to make his mark," Su Mu said.

"Hmph. No matter how you look at him, he doesn’t seem like the type to get things done." Wan Qing snorted. "Look at those eunuchs in the army who act as Military Supervisors. How many of them actually do a proper job? You can’t be too careful when it comes to others. You absolutely must not let your guard down."

"Mm." Su Mu nodded.

"The Governor and the others will be back in Wuling City in two or three days. If it really comes to it, I’ll find a way to stall for that long," Wan Qing mused.

He actually knew that you can’t grow a towering tree in a greenhouse. Su Mu’s talent and comprehension were excellent, but blindly protecting him might not be a good thing for his future.

But if he let go, he was worried some accident would befall Su Mu.

It was a very contradictory feeling.

"Dai Jin won’t agree to that," Su Mu said. "He likely chose this specific time to come to the Taiping Bureau precisely because the Governor and the others haven’t returned yet. So he will certainly do everything he can to make me lead them out of the city. Since that’s the case, why bother with the trouble? I’ll just go with them."

"That may be so, but it’s still too risky," Wan Qing sighed.

"When do we people from the Taiping Bureau not take risks?" Su Mu said with a smile. "If we ever stopped taking risks, we wouldn’t be the Taiping Bureau anymore. Master Wan, I have another question."

"What is it?" Wan Qing asked.

"You said the lands outside the city are crawling with demons, and Daxing Mountain in particular is fraught with danger. What if... what if Dai Jin and his men all die in the mountains? That would have nothing to do with our Taiping Bureau, right?" Su Mu asked.

"Dai Jin... dead in the mountains?" Wan Qing was stunned for a moment.

Dai Jin was a True Essence Realm expert. What danger on the outskirts of Daxing Mountain could possibly kill him?

Unless he ran into a Tier Three Demon.

But even if he encountered a Tier Three Demon, Dai Jin could still escape even if he couldn’t win.

"Dai Jin is in the True Essence Realm. He won’t die that easily..." Wan Qing said.

"I’m just saying ’what if’—a Tier Five Demon Tide has already occurred, so what’s impossible? There are quite a few demons at Tier Three and above in Daxing Mountain," Su Mu said.

"If we’re speaking hypothetically—" Wan Qing pondered for a moment. "Dai Jin is in the True Essence Realm. If even he dies, what could you do? Would a True Essence Realm expert like him need protection from someone in the Blood Realm like you? The Inspection Bureau doesn’t need our Taiping Bureau’s protection anyway. If he dies, he dies. Don’t you dare play the hero and try to save him. If there’s real danger, don’t worry about them. Just focus on your own escape. Even if every last one of them dies, no one can blame you for it."

"Understood," Su Mu said with a nod.

The Taiping Bureau wouldn’t be held responsible for whether Dai Jin lived or died.

Even if he died in Daxing Mountain, the Taiping Bureau would face no repercussions.

’That settles it, then.’