Chapter 44: Reactions from All Sides (Please follow, bookmark, and vote with monthly tickets and recommendation votes)

"You have the grace of promoting him, so am I the only one who has offended him?"

Zhao Ji cursed inwardly, calling him an "old fox," yet he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

On the surface, Sima He Yuxing indeed hadn't targeted Su Mu.

Although promoting Su Mu to a Squad Leader and assigning him to Guangfu Ward was clearly ill-intentioned, at least on the surface, Su Mu had truly received a promotion and a raise.

From beginning to end, even when Su Mu rejected He Yuxing's recruitment, He Yuxing never directly made things difficult for him—though a large part of that was simply because He Yuxing didn't think much of a lowly constable.

"Normally, my attitude toward him has been a bit harsh and demanding, but aside from that, it seems I haven't really offended him. Even though I sent him to Guangfu Ward to finish him off, he doesn't know that," Zhao Ji thought to himself, suddenly feeling much more relaxed.

"Zhao Ji, go and invite Su Mu here."

He Yuxing tapped the armrest of his chair and said, "Our South City Division has produced such a talent; that is a testament to my capability as Sima. Among the four outer wards of Wuling City—East, West, South, and North—which other City Division has a Squad Leader who has mastered Blade Intent at the age of seventeen? Our South City Division does!"

Zhao Ji's eyes widened.

Squad Leader?

Wasn't it agreed that you would remove the word "Acting" from my title?

Is this how you "remove" it?

"Sima, I may not have the merit, but I certainly have the hardship..." Zhao Ji said weakly. *I know all the dirty things you've done; you can't just burn the bridge after crossing it.*

"Hmph!" He Yuxing snorted coldly. "What are you competing for? A man who can master Blade Intent at seventeen—how long do you think he will stay in the South City? I'm telling you, it won't be long before the big shots in the Inner City recruit him. In the future, he will likely become a protected guest for some great clan. Even if I meet him, I'll have to be polite. Once he leaves, won't this Squad Leader position be yours?"

"Oh."

Zhao Ji realized the truth, and a sudden wave of nausea washed over him. He had been working like an ox and a horse all day, only to realize that the Squad Leader position he had yearned for his whole life was nothing more than a stepping stone to someone else?

"I'll go call him over immediately," Zhao Ji said, sighing inwardly.

"Wait," He Yuxing suddenly said. "I'll go personally. I, He Yuxing, treat the talented with respect."

***

"Brother Mu, please sit!"

"Brother Mu, please take the seat of honor!"

"Brother Mu, have some tea!"

"Brother Mu, have some fine tea!"

Inside the South City Division's squad room, various voices rose one after another.

The five Squad Leaders who had previously ignored Su Mu were now surrounding him with eager faces—some wiping the tables and chairs with their sleeves, others holding tea cups.

The display was so intense that Su Mu almost thought he had actually become the Squad Leader of the South City Division.

He found himself somewhat amused and exasperated.

To be honest, he had been a bit impulsive last night.

His personality was indeed cautious and steady, but he had a streak of ruthlessness in his bones.

When he encountered the demon back then, even knowing it meant certain death, he had insisted on landing a blow before he died.

Last night was the same. The Xu family had set a fire, nearly harming innocent people; when someone bullies you to your very face, you cannot endure it.

Forcing his way into the Xu residence had exposed part of his strength, which would likely bring trouble.

However, looking at the current situation, things didn't seem as bad as he had feared.

Perhaps his current strength was greater than he thought—maybe because there truly weren't many experts in the Outer City?

"Brother Mu, the leaders of the Fire Snake Gang and the Yellow Sand Gang are outside requesting an audience. They've brought some congratulatory gifts and wish to congratulate you in person on your promotion to Squad Leader."

The speaker was a Squad Leader named Zheng Wang, who managed Pingkang Ward, the wealthiest area in the South City.

When it came to being well-informed, aside from the Squad Leaders of the South City Division, it was the various gangs within the South City territory.

What did it mean to master Blade Intent at seventeen? These well-informed fellows knew exactly what it implied.

With such comprehension, he would surely catch the eye of the great clans in the Inner City. Although his age was a bit advanced for Body Tempering, as long as he had resources poured into him, there was a high chance he could reach the third stage of Body Tempering before the age of thirty.

He might even reach the fourth stage in the future.

At the fourth stage of Body Tempering with mastered Blade Intent, one would be considered a core strength even in the Inner City.

These Squad Leaders and gang leaders had no prior conflicts with Su Mu; if they didn't make connections now, they truly wouldn't be able to reach his level in the future.

Watching the forty or fifty-year-old Zheng Wang calling him "Brother Mu" with a face full of smiles, Su Mu felt as if his worldview was being overturned.

Just a few days ago, these Squad Leaders had treated him with indifference and disdain.

The shift in attitude was incredibly seamless.

No wonder when Xing Zhaofu was in charge, he managed the most lucrative Pingkang Ward, and when Zhao Ji took over, he managed it just the same.

Everyone's success has its reasons.

"Leave the gifts, but the people can go. Has that Steward Xu been imprisoned yet? I'll need to borrow an expert interrogator from you, Brother—" Su Mu mused.

"What are you saying?" Zheng Wang said with a stern face. "We are brothers. There's no need to talk about 'borrowing.' My people are your people; you can deploy them as you wish!"

"Then many thanks, Brother," Su Mu said. He remembered clearly how Zheng Wang had made all sorts of excuses when he tried to request personnel a few days ago.

Though he felt a hint of contempt, he maintained his outward politeness.

"Where is the prodigy of our South City Division? Let this Sima have a look, haha—"

Just then, a burst of hearty laughter rang out.

Immediately after, everyone saw He Yuxing, the Sima of the South City Division, walking in with several followers.

The constables and officers who had been hovering near Su Mu quickly parted to make a path.

"Greetings, Sima!"

Su Mu and the other five Squad Leaders cupped their hands in salute.

"No need for such formalities."

He Yuxing raised a hand slightly and stroked his beard. "I knew back then that our little Squad Leader Su was a talent. It's a pity my daughter is not the right age; otherwise, I would have recruited him as my son-in-law long ago."

He nodded slightly.

To an outsider, it would seem as if he held Su Mu in extremely high regard.

The hearts of Zheng Wang and the other Squad Leaders stirred.

In this world, titles were not given lightly.

For instance, previously, when they saw Su Mu, they would at most call him by his name, or even curse him behind his back as a "lowly peasant."

But now that they knew his strength, they had to at least call him Squad Leader Su, or more politely, Brother Mu.

A title like "Sima" was even more impossible to use casually.

This phrase, "little Squad Leader Su," was definitely not mere flattery; a Sima had no need to flatter a Squad Leader.

That meant—

"Congratulations to the Sima for gaining a talented assistant, and congratulations to little Squad Leader Su. As the saying goes, where there is a talent scout, there is a thousand-mile horse!"

Zheng Wang shouted loudly. "As they say, when gold meets jade, a perfect match is made! With the Sima having the assistance of little Squad Leader Su, our South City Division will surely continue to grow!"

"Congratulations to the Sima! Congratulations to little Squad Leader Su!"

The other Squad Leaders caught on and shouted in unison.

Zhao Ji's emotions were complicated, but he couldn't say a word.

The noise from the squad room drifted outside, and several constables quietly slipped out of the yamen.

A moment later, outside the South City Division yamen, news began to fly out in all directions.

"Su Mu has been promoted to Squad Leader! Double the congratulatory gifts! No, triple them!"

The gang leaders all sprang into action.

***

"Squad Leader? You need to stay alive to be one!"

In Guangfu Ward, at the Xu residence, a servant whispered a few words into Xu Mingchen's ear. Xu Mingchen slammed a teacup onto the ground, shattering it into pieces.

A few steps in front of him stood a tall, expressionless man.

"Wei Yongfu, eight hundred taels. Within three days, I want to see Su Mu's head!" Xu Mingchen stared at the man and said coldly.

"Su Mu is an officer of the South City Division, and he is an acquaintance of mine," Wei Yongfu said.

"Hmph, would a man like you care about that?" Xu Mingchen said disdainfully. Wei Yongfu was a man who worked for money; as long as the pay was right, he would do anything from escorting goods to killing and looting.

"No," Wei Yongfu shook his head, looking dead serious. "What I mean is, you'll need to pay more."