Chapter 18: The Competition (Please follow, bookmark, and vote with monthly tickets and recommendation votes)

"What is it you want?"

Xing Zhaofu's tone was icy, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

As if unperturbed by Xing Zhaofu's displeasure, Su Mu spoke directly, "If I can prove that I am the best hunter in South City, I hope you will allow me to join the South City Bureau as a constable!"

The top figure in the South City Bureau was the Sima. According to the system of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the Sima was a seventh-rank official, equal in grade to the City Commandant of the Inner City.

Below the Sima were the Bureau Lieutenant and the Registrar, both of whom were eighth-rank officials.

Further down was Xing Zhaofu, the Head Constable.

The Head Constable was a ninth-rank subordinate official.

The constables beneath the Head Constable were not officials but clerks, and those of even lower status were runners.

Generally speaking, one could only serve as a runner upon first joining the South City Bureau.

After serving as a runner for seven or eight years with good performance, one might be promoted to constable.

The one who had come to enlist previously, Liu Feng, had been a runner.

Su Mu had no way to avoid this and nowhere to run. Since he had chosen to face it head-on, he wanted to fight for a slightly higher starting point for himself.

"Hahaha!"

Xing Zhaofu stared at Su Mu. After a long moment, he suddenly burst into laughter. "If you can prove your ability, let alone a mere constable, what would it matter if I made you a Squad Leader?"

A Squad Leader was a minor leader among the constables, assisting the Head Constable in managing them. If Xing Zhaofu was promoted or passed away, the next Head Constable would be selected from among the Squad Leaders.

Su Mu, of course, did not believe Xing Zhaofu would actually let him become a Squad Leader, but he still said, "I thank you for your appreciation, Excellency."

"I said, the prerequisite is that you prove your ability!"

Xing Zhaofu spoke word by word, placing heavy emphasis on the word "ability."

"I shall not disappoint you, Excellency," Su Mu replied.

Others were already after his life; if he continued to hide his skills, wouldn't that be the height of stupidity?

Only by revealing his prowess and fighting for more benefits for himself would he have a chance of surviving the attack on Black Dragon Fortress. Only by surviving could there be anything else; if he died, everything would be gone.

Su Mu was gambling.

Xing Zhaofu might want him dead, but he certainly wouldn't kill him within the South City Bureau—in fact, Xing Zhaofu wouldn't even kill him in South City.

Otherwise, Xing Zhaofu wouldn't have summoned him to the Bureau at all.

Xing Zhaofu did not have enough power to rule South City with an iron fist; he didn't have the audacity to commit murder here.

Su Mu guessed that Xing Zhaofu wanted him to die during the attack on Black Dragon Fortress, preferably after he had killed a few of the bandits.

That was why he dared to propose conditions to Xing Zhaofu.

Because he still held utility for Xing Zhaofu.

"Call Yang Jin to me," Xing Zhaofu commanded. "Su Mu, Yang Jin is an old hunter of South City. I have seen his skills. If you can defeat him, then I will recognize you as the best hunter in South City."

"May I ask, Excellency, how shall he and I compete?"

Now that the moment had arrived, Su Mu wasted no words.

"Since you are hunters, you shall naturally compete with bows and arrows," Xing Zhaofu said, a flash of coldness crossing his eyes.

Yang Jin had originally been an archer in the military but had been expelled for violating military regulations, forcing him to become a hunter.

When it came to proficiency with a bow, no hunter in South City could match him.

As they spoke, Yang Jin arrived in the hall.

He was in his thirties, tall and broad-shouldered with dark skin, his hands hanging down almost to his knees.

*What long arms!*

Su Mu marveled inwardly. He had only seen descriptions of hands reaching past the knees in ancient books; this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes.

"Greetings, Excellency," Yang Jin said, cupping his hands.

"Yang Jin, this man claims to be the number one hunter in South City. I find myself unconvinced on your behalf and wish for you to compete with him. The winner may join the South City Bureau as a constable. Are you willing?"

Xing Zhaofu got straight to the point.

Yang Jin glanced at Su Mu, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. "It is not that I dare not, but I fear I might accidentally shoot him dead."

"Since it is a competition, why worry about injury? If you truly have the skill to shoot him dead, then it is merely a matter of his lack of training, and it shall not be considered a violation of the law," Xing Zhaofu said. He glanced at Su Mu and added, "The same applies in reverse."

"Since Excellency has said so, I have no problem," Yang Jin replied.

"Good. I will set the rules. You two shall each shoot three arrows, and the winner will be decided naturally," Xing Zhaofu said.

"Yang Jin, you shoot three arrows at him first, and then he shall return three arrows to you."

Xing Zhaofu did not ask for their opinions but dictated the terms directly.

Hearing this, Yang Jin understood perfectly.

He didn't know how this seemingly frail, pretty-faced youth had offended Head Constable Xing to the point that the Head Constable wanted him dead.

After he finished his three arrows, would the boy even have the chance to return three?

If three arrows couldn't shoot him through, wouldn't all his years of archery practice have been in vain?

Back in the military, his archery skills had truly reached a professional level.

"Kid, don't blame me when you're gone. Blame yourself for offending someone you shouldn't have," Yang Jin whispered as he drew his bow while passing by Su Mu.

Without waiting for a response, he walked straight into the courtyard and took his stance on one side.

Su Mu said nothing. He walked directly to the other side of the courtyard, holding a bow in one hand and gripping the hilt of the saber at his waist with the other.

Xing Zhaofu gave the command to start.

Yang Jin already had his left hand holding the bow and his right hand notched an arrow. He drew the bow to full tension and released an arrow toward Su Mu's chest with a *whoosh*.

Su Mu heard the snap of the bowstring and his body suddenly flashed aside.

The arrow struck empty air.

Seeing that the first shot missed, Yang Jin did not panic. His right hand quickly reached into his quiver for a second arrow and notched it.

Sighting Su Mu's position, he released another arrow.

This shot was faster than the first and came from a more awkward angle.

Just as Su Mu's momentum from dodging had subsided, it was too late to move again.

He parried with his mulberry wood longbow, and the arrow grazed his body before hitting the ground. As the fletching vibrated, a slit was torn into Su Mu's clothing by the sharp arrowhead.

It wasn't over yet; Yang Jin's third arrow came like a string of pearls, aimed straight for Su Mu's heart.

Xing Zhaofu's eyes were cold, and he thought to himself, *Excellent.*

Yang Jin truly lived up to his reputation as a former archer. This level of archery was something even Xing Zhaofu might be injured by if he were not careful.

How could this Su Mu possibly dodge it?

In the yamen, it was inconvenient for him to lay hands on Su Mu, but if Su Mu died during a competition, he could not be blamed.

In the blink of an eye, the arrow was right before him. Su Mu knew the opponent's skill was not inferior to his own; he could not dodge this shot no matter what.

Since he couldn't dodge, he wouldn't.

*Swish!*

A flash of white light appeared.

With a crisp *clink*, the broken arrow fell to the ground in two pieces.

Yang Jin blinked, looking bewildered; he hadn't even seen what had happened.

Xing Zhaofu's pupils contracted as he stared fixedly at Su Mu.

He finally understood why the third leader of Black Dragon Fortress had died at Su Mu's hands last night.

This Su Mu had actually practiced saber techniques!

And it appeared his saber skills had clearly reached the stage of minor mastery.

Even in the South City Bureau, one who could master saber techniques to this level was considered an elite among the constables.

How could a mere peasant possess such skill?

Xing Zhaofu's expression grew even more somber.

If this boy had already reached minor mastery at such a young age, what would he become in time?

If he caught the eye of the Sima, wouldn't the fact that he wasn't the one who killed the third leader of Black Dragon Fortress be exposed?

*Hmph, I wasn't overthinking it after all. This kid truly cannot be allowed to live!*

In an instant, countless ruthless thoughts flashed through Xing Zhaofu's mind.

Before one could even react, Su Mu's saber had cleaved through Yang Jin's third arrow, and his movements did not pause for a second.

His left hand was as steady as Mount Tai, his right hand held the bow as if cradling an infant; the bow was drawn like a full moon, and the arrow flew like a meteor.

The arrow struck Yang Jin squarely in the shoulder. With a heavy thud, the longbow hit the ground, and Yang Jin's face turned ashen with deathly terror.