Su Mu wasn't opposed to picking a side.
In this line of work, forming cliques and factions for personal gain was commonplace—not just in this chaotic era, but even in the world of his past life.
But not being opposed to picking a side didn't mean he was willing to be someone's dog.
If he were to pick a side, he would choose a group with like-minded people, or at least one that treated him with sufficient respect.
Clearly, Hu Yuxing didn't see him as an equal.
He had simply tossed a piece of meat on the ground and called out, "Here, boy. Come and eat."
If Su Mu had wagged his tail and accepted, he would have been nothing more than the Hu Family's dog from then on.
For an ordinary constable, the chance to be the Hu Family's dog was indeed an opportunity.
By simply agreeing, not only would he get a beautiful wife, but he would also immediately be promoted to squad leader.
With the Hu Family as his backer, he might even have a shot at becoming a Chief Constable in the future.
It was like a golden road had been laid out before him.
Hu Yuxing couldn't think of any reason for Su Mu to refuse.
A constable from a humble background like him might not even make squad leader in his entire life, let alone Chief Constable.
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking down on Su Mu, waiting for him to kneel and express his gratitude.
"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Sima."
Su Mu bowed slightly, clasping his fists in salute.
A smile spread across Hu Yuxing's face. 'As expected,' he thought, 'no one can resist the lure of power.'
But in the next moment, the smile froze on his face.
"However, your subordinate does not wish to start a family just yet."
"As the saying goes, how can one start a family before one has established a career?"
Su Mu continued, "Your subordinate is neither a scholar nor a warrior, with no accomplishments to speak of. I am simply not qualified to start a family at this time."
"Are you refusing me?"
Hu Yuxing asked, his face a mask of disbelief.
"I have dedicated my life to the Martial Dao and have no intention of taking a wife."
"A woman would only slow down the speed of my draw."
Su Mu said with a serious expression, "Therefore, I can only disappoint your kind intentions, Lord Sima."
Hu Yuxing's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within them as he stared intently at Su Mu.
Su Mu sighed internally. 'If you were offering your daughter, I might have considered it. But a handmaiden... It's not that I look down on people, but you're blatantly asking me to be your workhorse. My head isn't filled with water; it'd be a miracle if I agreed.'
He knew that rejecting Hu Yuxing's olive branch would certainly offend him. It wouldn't be surprising if Hu Yuxing suddenly smashed a cup as a signal, and five hundred Sword and Axe Hands rushed in to cut him down on the spot...
Su Mu secretly raised his guard. 'If Hu Yuxing really makes a move,' he thought, 'I'll have no choice but to show him the fury of a common man, whose rage can splatter blood five paces wide.'
Escaping was impossible, but at such a close distance, he had a decent chance of taking Hu Yuxing down with him.
Just as these thoughts flashed through Su Mu's mind, Hu Yuxing finally spoke.
"To each their own. Since that's the case, I, this Sima, will not force you. You may leave."
Hu Yuxing said, his tone cold.
Su Mu left Hu Yuxing's office with an uneasy heart. He didn't let out a long sigh of relief until he was back in the constables' quarters.
'Did I overestimate my own importance? A mere constable like me... a man like the great South City Sima probably doesn't even see me. His attempt to recruit me was likely just a whim. Even though I refused, he probably didn't think twice about it.'
Su Mu thought to himself, 'I can forget about being promoted, but he probably can't be bothered to waste energy targeting me either.'
Though he was reluctant to admit it, Su Mu knew that right now, he was just an ordinary constable. If it weren't for a stroke of luck that allowed him to kill a few criminals from the wanted list, Sima Hu Yuxing probably wouldn't even know his name.
Just as Su Mu was lost in thought, the acting Chief Constable, Zhao Ji, strode in.
"Ah, Xiaosu, for what matter did Lord Sima summon you?"
he asked, feigning nonchalance.
He had been secretly monitoring the situation ever since Su Mu went to see the Sima. The moment Su Mu returned, he immediately pretended to be inspecting the quarters and walked over.
"The Sima said he has a handmaiden in his mansion, around my age, and he wanted to reward her to me as a wife."
Su Mu said casually.
The smile on Zhao Ji's face stiffened for a fraction of a second, but it quickly returned to normal, as warm and friendly as ever.
"Younger Brother Su, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you were no fish in a small pond."
Zhao Ji clapped Su Mu's shoulder. "I've been observing you these past few days. I think with your abilities, you're more than qualified to be a squad leader!"
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Su Mu's face. 'A loss in the east is a gain in the west?'
'Sima Hu Yuxing may be tactless, but could it be that Zhao Ji has a keen eye for talent?'
"Thank you for the promotion, Chief Constable!"
Su Mu said with a salute. He certainly wouldn't refuse the chance to be a squad leader. After all, the higher his status, the more Points he would receive each day.
"Hey! Don't call me Chief Constable, call me 'Old Brother'!"
Zhao Ji put on a stern face, feigning anger.
"Zhao—Old Brother?"
Su Mu hesitated for a moment before saying it uncertainly.
"That's more like it!"
Zhao Ji said with a hearty laugh, "We're all on the same side, no need to be so polite. Younger Brother, you truly have good fortune. By marrying a handmaiden from the Hu Mansion, you'll be one of the Sima's own people from now on. Your future is limitless."
"In three to five years, you might even become my superior officer."
"You flatter me, Old Brother Zhao."
Su Mu said.
"I've been to the Sima Mansion a few times myself. I wonder which young lady the Sima has betrothed to you, Younger Brother? Perhaps I've even met my future sister-in-law."
Zhao Ji said.
"I don't know."
Su Mu shrugged and spread his hands. "I refused the Sima's kind offer, so I didn't ask."
"You—"
Zhao Ji blinked. "Refused the Sima?"
"That's right. I'm still young, my Martial Dao is incomplete, and I have no mind to start a family right now."
Su Mu said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Old Brother Zhao, I remember that squad leaders have their own jurisdictions, right? Which one will be mine?"
Su Mu asked.
"'Old Brother' who!"
Zhao Ji's face hardened. He snorted coldly, "Address me by my title during work hours!"
"Young man, you need to be down-to-earth and stop thinking about shortcuts. You've only been a constable for a few days, and you already want to be a squad leader?"
"Do you have the skill for it? Focus on being a good constable first, and stop being so ambitious!
"If you don't want to be a constable, then you can get the hell out and be a bailiff!"
After this tirade, Zhao Ji flicked his sleeves and stormed off.
"Chief Zhao, calm your anger! Chief Zhao, take care!"
Su Mu called out loudly, not taking Zhao Ji's words to heart in the slightest.
Once Zhao Ji's figure had disappeared, the smile on Su Mu's face slowly faded.
He couldn't help but sigh.
The tree wishes for calm, but the wind will not cease.
'I just want to do my job in peace,' he thought. 'Why is that so difficult?'
"My strength must still be insufficient."
Su Mu muttered to himself, "If I were already a Body Tempering Martial Artist, what could Hu Yuxing or Zhao Ji do to me? If this place won't have me, there are other places that will."
A Body Tempering Martial Artist could do so much more. Even if he wasn't a constable, there were plenty of other ways to make a living.
'In any case, Zhao Ji can't just fire me on a whim. I'll focus on doing my job, save up enough Points, and master the Submerging Wave Saber Technique to Perfection.'
Su Mu secretly set a small goal for himself.
"Brother Zhang San, isn't it your turn for the night patrol tonight? Do you have anything going on at home? Do you need me to cover for you?"
Just as he was thinking, a constable walked in, and Su Mu immediately asked.
The constable, Zhang San, looked pleasantly surprised and nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice. "You'll really cover for me? Thanks so much!"