'Success!'
Su Mu calmly returned to his rented courtyard. After closing the gate, a smile of immense relief finally appeared on his face.
A figure leaned out from the room. Who else could it be but Yang Jin?
"Phew!"
After hearing Su Mu recount the entire process, Yang Jin also let out a long sigh of relief. "This way, Xing Zhao Fu definitely won't dare to target you again before we leave the city.
But when the time comes to attack the Black Dragon Stronghold, he will certainly do everything he can to make sure you die outside the city walls."
"The attack on the Black Dragon Stronghold is set for a month from now."
Su Mu said, "Xing Zhao Fu needs to recruit more men. They'll leave the city to eliminate the bandits in a month."
A month. Su Mu couldn't help but sigh.
A month was, after all, too short. Even if his current identity and profession earned him at least 10 Identity Points a day, that was only three hundred points in a month.
At most, he could only train his Submerging Wave Saber Technique to the Great Success Realm.
It sounded great, but it definitely wouldn't be enough to make him a match for Xing Zhao Fu, who was at the Second Stage of Body Tempering.
Unfortunately, he had just tried to use Sima Hu Yuxing to get out of the bandit-suppression assignment, but Hu Yuxing had flatly refused.
Hu Yuxing had even made him a grand promise, saying that if he could perform meritorious service during the attack on the Black Dragon Stronghold, he would promote him to constable captain.
Su Mu knew those words were just hot air.
"Yang Jin, didn't you learn a Body Tempering Technique when you were in the army?"
Su Mu asked after a moment of contemplation.
"I did."
Yang Jin was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "But my aptitude was poor. I never even managed to reach the First Stage of Body Tempering.
Besides, I can't teach you this Body Tempering Technique."
"Rules?"
"Military Cultivation Techniques cannot be taught to outsiders."
Yang Jin nodded and said, "Not only that, military Body Tempering Techniques are somewhat tyrannical and cause immense damage to the body. If you had any other choice, I wouldn't recommend you practice a military Body Tempering Technique."
***
Ever since killing Pink Wolf Du Qian, Su Mu's life had returned to its usual tranquility.
Xing Zhao Fu was busy gathering men, and perhaps Sima Hu Yuxing's deterrence played a role, but in any case, he didn't bother Su Mu.
Yang Jin was also busy with something unknown; he had disappeared after that day.
Su Mu was happy with the peace. He quietly clocked in for duty and patrolled the streets every day, diligently fulfilling his responsibilities as a constable.
In the blink of an eye, twenty days had passed.
Su Mu sat cross-legged in his room, his eyes filled with excitement.
As Midnight passed, the content on his panel quietly changed.
[Name: Su Mu]
[Identity: Constable (Official)]
[Points: 300]
[Martial Arts: Submerging Wave Saber Technique (Minor Success/+), Archery (Initiate/+)]
The Identity Points had finally reached the required amount.
A "+" sign had appeared behind both the Submerging Wave Saber Technique and Archery.
He had been waiting for this day for far too long.
In theory, Su Mu's Submerging Wave Saber Technique had already reached the entry-level. Even without the system's help, if he cultivated it slowly on his own and was given enough time, he could also train the saber technique to the Great Success Realm.
Of course, with his talent, taking several years to cultivate the saber technique to the Great Success Realm would be considered fast. It might even take him more than a decade.
So, Su Mu had no intention of saving his Identity Points.
In the beginning stages, you had to go all-in.
'Submerging Wave Saber Technique, add points!'
Su Mu thought to himself without the slightest hesitation.
A flash of light flickered across the system panel, and the three hundred Identity Points were instantly consumed.
In their place, a new set of skills emerged in Su Mu's mind.
It was as if forgotten memories of practicing relentlessly through the summer heat and winter cold had resurfaced.
It felt like a completely personal experience. He trained bitterly day after day. He was practicing his saber at sunrise, and he was still practicing at sunset. He practiced in the rain, and he practiced in the snow.
Seasons passed, and several years went by in a flash.
When Su Mu opened his eyes again, his entire body was drenched in sweat.
Outside the window, the sky was already turning the pale white of dawn.
An entire night had passed.
When Su Mu gripped the long saber gifted to him by Sun Dazhao again, a new feeling washed over him.
The saber felt like it had become an extension of his arm, moving as he willed, completely under his control.
The Thirteen Forms of the Submerging Wave Saber Technique, along with all its variations, flowed through his mind like water.
He had mastered all the moves. From now on, when he used the Submerging Wave Saber Technique, he would no longer be bound by rigid forms and variations.
With his saber technique at the Great Success Realm and saber in hand, two or three ordinary armed bandits would be no match for him. He could even handle five or six.
As long as he didn't encounter a Body Tempering Martial Artist proficient in martial arts, he could handle himself with ease.
Among the constables of the South City Bureau, you could count on one hand those who had trained their saber techniques to the Great Success Realm.
'Unfortunately, the gap between me and Xing Zhao Fu is still quite large.'
Su Mu thought to himself.
He glanced at the panel. To advance the Submerging Wave Saber Technique from the Great Success Realm to Perfection required a whole one thousand Identity Points.
'A constable's base Points are 10 per day. The 'performance' bonus fluctuates between 0 and 10. Just patrolling the streets only gets me two or three 'performance' points at most. Only by catching criminals from the wanted list will the 'performance' bonus skyrocket.'
Su Mu thought, 'Never mind that it's not so easy to run into criminals from the wanted list, even if I did, I wouldn't necessarily be a match for them.
Even if I only get the base Points, it will only take three months to accumulate one thousand Identity Points.'
As long as he could make it back from the Black Dragon Stronghold alive, he would have enough time to build up his strength.
He could even figure out a way to find a Body Tempering Technique.
'Black Dragon Stronghold…'
Su Mu muttered to himself.
There were only ten days until the expedition. It was obviously too late to cultivate the Submerging Wave Saber Technique to Perfection.
'The Great Success Realm of my saber technique isn't enough. But if I add these… at a critical moment, they might have a wondrous effect.'
Su Mu's hand fumbled inside his robes for a moment, then he spread his findings on the table.
Five round pellets spun and rolled across the tabletop.
Killing Pink Wolf Du Qian not only allowed him to make a good impression on Sima Hu Yuxing and earn a reward of one hundred taels of silver, but it also netted him these five knockout gas bombs.
Yang Jin had sneered at such things, but Su Mu felt that Du Qian was the evil one, not the gas bombs.
So, he had unceremoniously pocketed all five bombs.
'A flower thief like Du Qian doesn't keep extra wealth on him. He didn't even carry his Martial Arts Techniques on his person. But these five knockout gas bombs are worth a hundred taels of gold. Used well, they could even save a life.'
Su Mu thought for a while, a bit of confidence returning to him. He carefully stored the gas bombs close to his body, placed his long saber by his side, and only then lay down to sleep.
***
「Outside the city, at the Black Dragon Stronghold.」
A man with bronze-colored skin strode into Juyi Hall.
"Big Brother, just as you predicted, the South City Bureau has dispatched troops again!"
The man boomed, "That bastard Xing Zhao Fu! If he had stayed hidden in the city, it really would have been difficult for me to kill him.
Since he dares to leave the city, I will definitely rip his head off and avenge Old Third!"
Although the South City Bureau hadn't publicized the death of the Black Dragon Stronghold's third-in-command, the stronghold didn't actually know who had killed him.
In fact, even if the South City Bureau had announced the news, the person credited with killing the Black Dragon Stronghold's third-in-command wouldn't have been Xing Zhao Fu, but Sima Hu Yuxing's nephew.
Xing Zhao Fu had stolen the credit from Su Mu, but in the end, that credit didn't even fall to him.
Not only that, but he was also taking the fall for Su Mu.
The two leaders of the Black Dragon Stronghold naively believed that since Xing Zhao Fu was the constable captain of the South City Bureau, who else could have killed their third brother?
"The South City Bureau is determined to fight us to the death. Do they really think I'm a pushover?"
The leader of the Black Dragon Stronghold sat imposingly at the head of the hall and said coldly, "If that's the case, then don't blame me for being ruthless. I'll use you all to break through to the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering!"
Before his voice had even faded, a dense black energy suddenly appeared in his pupils, and strange, arcane patterns surfaced on his skin like tattoos, filled with a demonic beauty.