Cultivating in Different Professions

With that, Su Mu strode outside.

"Captain Su, Wenren Jiangbo isn’t just anybody. Don’t take it too far."

Zhao Poni was taken aback, not understanding Su Mu’s intentions. He quickly called out a warning, "While the Taiping Bureau doesn’t fear the Wenren Family, there’s no need to completely burn our bridges with them."

With his back to Zhao Poni, Su Mu waved a hand to show he understood.

...

As Su Mu stepped out of the Taiping Government Office, he was taken aback by the sheer spectacle of Wenren Jiangbo’s arrival.

Outside the Government Office, more than a dozen men carried an enormous palanquin, upon which a young master was seated.

Behind the young master, several beautiful women fanned him with paper fans.

Beside the palanquin, there was even a massive drum.

The drumming from a moment ago had come from it.

Su Mu had seen people who brought their own theme music, but never someone who brought their own drum.

Su Mu was tempted to ask Wenren Jiangbo if he also happened to be called "Young Master Emptiness."

"So, you’re Su Mu?"

Seeing Su Mu emerge from the Taiping Government Office, Wenren Jiangbo sat up straight. His gaze fixed on Su Mu as he said coldly, "I was beginning to think you wouldn’t dare show your face.

If you’re a man, accept my challenge. Let those blind fools at the Hundred Knows Hall see which one of us is truly stronger."

"I don’t need to prove my manhood to you."

Su Mu said flatly, "I don’t know the people at the Hundred Knows Hall, and what they think is none of my business.

You’re causing a public disturbance in front of the Taiping Bureau. Believe it or not, I can have you thrown in jail right now."

"Throw me in jail?"

Wenren Jiangbo roared with laughter. "Fine! Come on, then! Let’s see if you have what it takes to capture me!"

In a blur of motion, he leaped from the palanquin to the ground. CRACK! The bluestone pavers spiderwebbed with cracks beneath his feet.

The instant he landed, a guard presented a longsword, the hilt arriving perfectly in Wenren Jiangbo’s waiting hand.

He drew the sword effortlessly.

One could only imagine how many times the guard must have practiced that single, fluid motion.

It would have been impossible to present the sword with such perfect timing otherwise.

With a flick of his wrist, Wenren Jiangbo executed a graceful flourish, leveling the sword’s tip at Su Mu.

"Weren’t you going to throw me in jail? Come on! Draw your Thunder Shocking Saber!"

Wenren Jiangbo demanded.

Su Mu stood on the steps, his expression completely unruffled.

He looked down at Wenren Jiangbo. "Are you sure you want to challenge me?"

"If you don’t dare to fight, that’s fine too," Wenren Jiangbo said arrogantly. "Just get on your knees, kowtow to me, and admit you’re weaker than I am. Then I won’t make things difficult for you."

"You’ve brought this on yourself."

Su Mu said, his face devoid of expression, "Wenren Jiangbo, you’re ranked third on the Dragon-Tiger Rebirth List, and I’m second.

If I accept your challenge and win, I gain nothing. But if I lose, I drop from second place to third. Tell me, why should I accept?"

"So you admit you’re no match for me,"

Wenren Jiangbo boomed with laughter.

"Whether or not I’m your match is another matter entirely,"

Su Mu said calmly. "If you want me to accept your challenge, that’s fine. But a challenge should have some stakes.

If you win, you can have my number two spot on the Dragon-Tiger Rebirth List.

But if I win, shouldn’t you have to give something up as well?"

Wenren Jiangbo frowned. Something felt off. If he won, the number two spot on the Dragon-Tiger Rebirth List would naturally be his. It wasn’t really something Su Mu could offer as a prize.

But he couldn’t think of a good counterargument.

Losing the number two spot was, admittedly, a loss.

"Men, bring me my Jade Water Sword!"

After a moment’s thought, Wenren Jiangbo shouted.

"The Jade Water Sword? Could he mean the one ranked tenth on the Divine Weapon List?"

"As expected of a young master from the Wenren Family! So extravagant!"

"The sword Young Master Wenren is holding must be from the Divine Weapon List. To think he alone possesses two highly ranked Divine Weapons!"

The onlookers murmured amongst themselves.

The murmurs reached Su Mu’s ears as he watched a guard hurry over with a sheathed longsword.

"This sword will be the wager,"

Wenren Jiangbo said, pointing to the sword in the guard’s hand. "It’s ranked tenth on the Divine Weapon List. That should be enough to cover your potential loss, don’t you think?"

"Not enough."

Su Mu calmly shook his head. "My honor isn’t that cheap.

And a man like you, Wenren Jiangbo, shouldn’t be so stingy."

"Stingy? Me?"

Wenren Jiangbo laughed, incensed. "Men! Bring me the Rebirth Technique manual I acquired recently!"

"Young Master—"

The expression of one of his guards changed. "Young Master," he cautioned, "isn’t that too great a wager?"

"What? You think I’m going to lose?"

Wenren Jiangbo shot him a cold glare.

"Of course not! The Young Master is invincible—"

the guard said hastily.

"Since I’m not going to lose, what does it matter how high the stakes are?"

Wenren Jiangbo sneered. "You are to follow my orders, not question them!"

Though the guard was still worried, Wenren Jiangbo had made his stance clear, and there was nothing more he could do.

He could only reluctantly signal a companion to retrieve the item Wenren Jiangbo had requested.

A short while later, a manual was placed in Wenren Jiangbo’s hands.

"Su Mu, this is the Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique, which I obtained after slaying a powerful foe not long ago,"

Wenren Jiangbo declared proudly. "Given your crude origins, you probably don’t know what this is.

Let me tell you, the Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique is one of the most powerful Rebirth Techniques in the world. It’s not much inferior to my Wenren Family’s Celestial Pig Rebirth Technique, or your Taiping Bureau’s Divine Phoenix Rebirth Technique.

I am now wagering it, along with the Jade Water Sword. If you can defeat me, they are both yours."

"If it were a True Essence Technique, it might just be enough. But what use do I have for another Rebirth Technique?"

Su Mu said, shaking his head.

"You might not need it, but you could offer them to the Taiping Bureau."

Wenren Jiangbo didn’t lose his cool this time. A True Essence Technique? Even if he could produce one, which he couldn’t, he would never be willing to use it as a wager.

"From what I know, if you were to offer this Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique to the Taiping Bureau, you’d be handsomely rewarded. It might even be possible to exchange it for a True Essence Technique,"

Wenren Jiangbo sneered. "All this stalling... it couldn’t be because you’re afraid to fight me, could it?

The Jade Water Sword and the Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique together are worth more than your life!"

Seeing that Wenren Jiangbo was getting desperate, Su Mu decided to quit while he was ahead.

If he pushed him any further, he risked losing everything.

"Alright, I suppose I can accept a small loss,"

Su Mu sighed and said slowly. "Let everyone here bear witness. With these two items as the stakes, I accept Wenren Jiangbo’s challenge."

The faces of the onlookers lit up with excitement.

It wasn’t every day you saw a spectacle like this in Wuling City.

The two items being wagered were enough to get everyone’s blood pumping.

A divine sword ranked high on the Divine Weapon List and the Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique, one of the world’s strongest Rebirth Techniques... Either one of those would be considered a priceless heirloom for a major family.

Truly befitting the young master of the Wenren Family. No one else in Wuling City could afford such extravagance.

"Draw your saber!"

Wenren Jiangbo pointed his sword at Su Mu and yelled, "If you want to use your Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow, go ahead. I am not afraid of it."

"There’s no need for the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow in a friendly duel,"

Su Mu smiled and said lightly. "Even if I won with the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow, I doubt you’d accept the outcome.

I won’t take unfair advantage of you. You should make the first move. Otherwise, I’m afraid you won’t get the chance."

"Are you looking down on me?"

Wenren Jiangbo’s eyes narrowed, a flash of fury in their depths. "If that’s how it is, then you can just die!"

He let out a furious roar and thrust his sword forward. A piercing shriek cut through the air, and a vision appeared before the crowd’s eyes: a torrent of Celestial River Water, crashing down from the heavens and surging toward Su Mu.