Cultivating in Different Professions

He was making more progress studying the Li Fire Realm Map than the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique.

It originally cost ten thousand Points to advance the Li Fire Realm Map to the Great Success Realm. However, thanks to his recent insights from studying it, the cost had dropped to eight thousand.

Su Mu had long since saved up enough Points to advance the Li Fire Realm to the Great Success Realm, but he’d held off on doing so.

He mainly wanted to save his Points to rapidly level up the Four Symbols Rebirth Technique once he finally understood it.

As for the Li Fire Realm, upgrading it wasn’t as pressing.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, just as Su Mu was getting out of bed, he suddenly heard the sound of a drum.

His expression turned grim. With a flash of movement, he rushed toward the Front Office.

By the time Su Mu arrived at the Front Office, many Taiping Capital Captains had already gathered.

Su Mu spotted Zhang Chenchen, Zhong Guizheng, Luo Anning, and the others, so he naturally went to stand with them.

"What happened?"

Su Mu asked in a low voice.

The Taiping Bureau only beat the drums to assemble everyone when something major had occurred.

Since Su Mu had joined the Taiping Bureau, the drums had sounded only once before—during the outbreak of the last Tier Five Demon Tide.

’Don’t tell me the Demon Tide is back again?’ Su Mu wondered.

"Master Huang Shanzhi... has fallen."

Luo Anning said, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Su Mu’s expression turned grave.

’That old man who loved to laugh... killed in action?’

Huang Shanzhi had been injured during the previous Tier Five Demon Tide.

Afterward, without even taking time to recover, he left the city to stand guard at Daxing Mountain.

After Zhao Poni and the others returned, these elderly Taiping Captains had been gradually withdrawn.

"What happened? Master Huang Shanzhi should have been recalled long ago, shouldn’t he? How could he have fallen?"

Su Mu asked, his voice low.

"I don’t know the details either."

Luo Anning said, shaking her head.

Just then, several figures appeared at the main gate of the Taiping Government Office. They were Taiping Captains, carrying a stretcher. A white cloth, dyed crimson with blood, was draped over it.

"Old friend, we’re home,"

Wan Qing said softly, one of the men carrying the stretcher.

All the Taiping Capital Captains placed their hands over the "Tai" character on their chests and performed the Taiping Bureau’s military salute, their faces grim and solemn.

Huang Shanzhi’s body was cremated within the Taiping Government Office.

In the very center of the Taiping Government Office was a great hall named the Heroic Spirit Hall.

The ashes of the fallen were kept there.

In truth, for most of the fallen in the Heroic Spirit Hall, only a name remained.

It wasn’t always possible to recover the bodies of those killed in action.

Huang Shanzhi’s ashes were placed in the Heroic Spirit Hall in the morning.

Wan Qing and the other white-haired Taiping Captains left the Taiping Government Office that afternoon.

"Master Wan and the others went to avenge Master Huang,"

Luo Anning said, "Master Huang was tortured to death. He suffered unimaginable torment before he died.

Master Wan said that if they don’t succeed, Master Huang will not be able to rest in peace."

"Who exactly killed Master Huang?"

Su Mu frowned. "The demons in Daxing Mountain have never tortured a Taiping Captain to death before. They kill them outright, sometimes even eat them.

But torturing them to death is different."

"We don’t know for sure,"

Luo Anning said. "Master Huang’s body was dumped at the entrance of the supply point. This is a deliberate provocation.

It’s possible the demons in Daxing Mountain are intentionally retaliating.

They suffered a huge loss during the last Tier Five Demon Tide..."

Luo Anning noticed Su Mu’s expression darken and quickly added, "Senior Brother Su, that’s not what I meant. You were right to kill that Tier Three Demon.

If it weren’t for you, Wuling City would have been utterly devastated.

The Taiping Bureau has never feared retaliation from demons. You don’t need to feel guilty."

"I don’t feel guilty."

Su Mu shook his head and said, "I’m just worried about Master Wan and the others.

They’re at an advanced age, yet they’re still so impulsive. It’s hard not to worry about them."

"The Governor is not in the city. No one can stop them,"

Luo Anning also said worriedly.

’Master Wan and the others have high Cultivation, but they’re so old they can barely walk steadily. Can they really succeed in avenging Master Huang like this?’

"Master Wan and the others have higher Cultivation and more experience than we do," Su Mu said slowly. "Since they’ve decided to do this, there’s no use in us worrying."

"You’re right. Our Cultivation is too low. The Governor even told us not to leave the city carelessly for the time being,"

Luo Anning said, a little annoyed.

"I heard that the rare treasure that recently appeared in Daxing Mountain might be a Gathering Spirit Stone,"

Luo Anning suddenly said. "A Gathering Spirit Stone can gather the surrounding Spiritual Qi, increasing one’s cultivation speed.

Even an ordinary person who wears one can benefit from improved health and a stronger body."

"Gathering Spirit Stone?"

A thoughtful look crossed Su Mu’s face. He’d heard of Gathering Spirit Stones before.

The importance of Spiritual Qi to a Martial Artist was self-evident, and a Gathering Spirit Stone could concentrate it.

However, Gathering Spirit Stones were extremely rare. Su Mu had never seen one in Wuling City.

"If we had a Gathering Spirit Stone, our cultivation speed would increase, and then we could help Master Wan and the others,"

Luo Anning sighed.

’Unfortunately, with this rare treasure’s appearance, factions from all over have come to Daxing Mountain to fight for it. Forget about us, even Governor Zhao might not be able to secure a single Gathering Spirit Stone.’

Su Mu, however, didn’t dwell on it. While a Gathering Spirit Stone would be useful to him, it wasn’t a priority.

As long as he had Points, he could rapidly increase his Cultivation even without a Gathering Spirit Stone.

However—

A contemplative expression appeared on Su Mu’s face.

’If I went with Master Wan and the others to avenge Master Huang, couldn’t I earn some Points?’

’And I’d earn merits, too. With enough merits, I could get promoted faster.’

’It’s not just for the Points and merits. Master Wan and Master Huang were both good to me...’

Su Mu thought to himself.

"Junior Sister Luo, which supply point was Master Huang’s body found at?"

Su Mu asked.

"Supply Point Eleven,"

Luo Anning blurted out. "Senior Brother Su, you want to go too?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she clapped a hand over it in frustration.

"What do you mean, ’I want to go too’?"

Su Mu looked at Luo Anning and said, "You aren’t thinking of going to avenge Master Huang, are you?"

"Not exactly..."

Luo Anning said weakly, a little guiltily, "I just feel that if demons are appearing on the outskirts of Daxing Mountain, the Taiping Bureau should eliminate them all."

"Have you considered that even Master Huang was no match for them? What makes you think you can win?"

Su Mu said irritably.

"We can’t just ignore it because we can’t win,"

Luo Anning retorted. "Our Taiping Bureau’s duty is to slay demons. I know there are demons there, so of course I have to go."

"Junior Sister Luo, being dutiful is a good thing, but you also have to consider if this is something you should be doing,"

Su Mu said with a sigh. "You’re just one Taiping Capital Captain. The Bureau will handle avenging Master Huang. It doesn’t require a single Capital Captain like you to stick her neck out."

"Then what about you, Senior Brother Su?"

Luo Anning asked back, unconvinced.

"I have the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow, do you?"

Su Mu said, patting the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow on his back.

"I—"

Luo Anning’s face flushed red with frustration.

"I’ve reached the Body Tempering Limit. Have you?"

"I’ve awakened a Physical Divine Technique. Have you?"

"My blood has been exchanged eleven times. Can you say the same?"

"I have comprehended the Kan Water Realm, you—"

"I’ve comprehended the Kan Water Realm too!"

Luo Anning quickly said.

"And the Xun Wind Realm," Su Mu added. ’And I won’t even mention the Gen Mountain Realm or the Li Fire Realm. Or that my Kan Water and Xun Wind Realms have both reached the Great Success Realm. That would just be bullying you.’

"I don’t..."

Luo Anning said, a little dejected.

Suddenly, she snapped her head up, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Senior Brother Su, you said, you’ve exchanged your blood eleven times?"

she asked with wide eyes.

"Is there a problem?" Su Mu said calmly. "I cultivate the Xuanhuang Blood Exchange Technique. Reaching the Body Tempering Limit with it has a limit-breaking effect, which gives me a ten-fold exchange. Add a Blood Strengthening Pill on top of that, and what do you get? Eleven-fold."