Chapter 119 - 100: Sima

Chapter 119: Chapter 100: Sima

South City.

The South City Government Office.

The back courtyard was brightly lit. Hu Guangshao sat quietly at a table, casually flipping through a case file.

After flipping through a few pages, he tossed the file onto the table in frustration.

’These South City gangs... their yearly tribute is only a few hundred taels of silver. Are they trying to dismiss a beggar? It seems I’ve been too good to you all...’

Hu Guangshao’s expression was grim as he muttered to himself.

He had deigned to come to the South City Bureau as a Sima for one important reason: to amass wealth for the Hu Family.

According to the original plan laid out by his father, Hu Gongxiu, after taking office, he was to use the excuse of avenging the South City Bureau’s constable, Su Mu, to lead men out of the city and annihilate the Feiyun Thieves.

The Feiyun Thieves had run rampant for years and amassed a great fortune. Wiping them out would have surely resulted in a massive windfall.

But who would have thought that those useless Feiyun Thieves would let Su Mu return alive!

Not only that, Su Mu had wiped them all out himself.

The glory and spoils that should have belonged to him, Hu Guangshao, had all gone to Su Mu. How could he not be furious?

Without the money from the Feiyun Thieves, he naturally had to turn his attention elsewhere in South City.

He hadn’t paid much attention before, but now that he looked, the various factions of South City were treating him like a beggar.

A few hundred taels of silver a year... Did they think he, Hu Guangshao, was young and easily bullied?

A ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.

’Might as well go all the way.’

’Find an excuse and uproot all these South City gangs.’

’These factions might be a bit poor, but squeezing a few tens of thousands of taels of silver out of each of them shouldn’t be a problem. With a dozen or so factions, that could add up to one or two hundred thousand taels of silver.’

’They all have their own connections, but that’s not a major issue.’

’When he, Hu Guangshao, did things, it wasn’t for those people to point fingers and interfere.’

’So what if they don’t like it?’

’What could they possibly do to me?’

’He, Hu Guangshao, would soon become the Taiping Captain. If they didn’t like it, they would just have to stomach it.’

’They’re just some gangs from the Outer City. If he dealt with them, he dealt with them. What could anyone do?’

’Yes.’

’That’s right.’

’Uproot them all, and the Hu Family won’t have to worry about silver for the next year or two. As for what happens to South City without these gangs, who cares?’

’He wouldn’t be the South City Bureau’s Sima for long anyway. Soon, he’d be the Taiping Captain. Whoever wants to take over this mess in South City can have it.’

At this thought, Hu Guangshao’s mood instantly improved, and a smile couldn’t help but creep onto his face.

Just then, a fine drizzle began to fall outside the window.

A warning bell suddenly blared in Hu Guangshao’s mind.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he kicked off the ground and shot backward.

As he retreated, he snatched a chair and hurled it forward.

At almost the same instant, a brilliant flash of a blade erupted. Accompanied by a terrifying, sharp whistle of air, it shattered the chair with a CRACK.

Then, with lightning speed, it descended upon Hu Guangshao.

The blade’s light was like a great river pouring from the heavens—surging, unstoppable.

Hu Guangshao did everything in his power to dodge, but he still couldn’t evade it completely.

Even though he had reached the realm of Bone Tempering Perfection, he was still struck by the slash that seemed to appear from nowhere.

SHLICK!

The blade’s flash struck Hu Guangshao in the chest and abdomen. He was sent flying backward, smashing straight through a wall and into the courtyard. After landing, he tumbled repeatedly until he slammed into the courtyard wall and finally came to a stop.

He struggled to his feet and looked down at his chest.

His clothes were torn, revealing the black-gold Inner Armor beneath.

A horrifying gash marred the Inner Armor. Beneath the gash, a thin red line was drawn across the skin of his chest and abdomen.

’So close. Just a little more and I would have been disemboweled!’

If he hadn’t been wearing this priceless Black Gold Inner Armor, he would already be dead from that single strike!

Both shocked and enraged, Hu Guangshao looked up and saw a figure approaching slowly, saber in hand.

"Su Mu!"

Hu Guangshao practically ground his teeth to dust.

"How dare you try to assassinate me?"

"Assassinate you?"

Su Mu shook his head. "You’re mistaken. I’m sparring with you openly and honorably. How can you call this an assassination?"

"Sparring?"

Hu Guangshao’s expression was so dark it could have been a thundercloud.

’To just barge right into the South City Bureau, nearly kill me with one slash, and you call that sparring?’

"Hu Sima, take another look. How does my skill compare to the constable you appointed?"

Su Mu said calmly.

"Su Mu, do you really think I wouldn’t dare to kill you?"

Hu Guangshao stared warily at Su Mu. Recalling that last strike, a chill ran down his spine.

Though the blow was almost a sneak attack, for a Martial Artist of his level, the distinction was meaningless.

Even if they were face-to-face now, he would suffer the same fate against that strike.

’That strike... he couldn’t block it!’

’Dammit, Su Mu! How did he suddenly get so strong?’

’The last time I tested him, his strength was clearly inferior to mine.’

’Why has his power surged so dramatically in just a few short days?’

’Could it be that he was hiding his true strength last time?’

’Or could it be... that comprehending an ’Intent’ really makes you this much stronger?’

Hu Guangshao’s mind raced, and a thick killing intent surged from the depths of his eyes.

’This Su Mu... he cannot be allowed to live!’

’I might not be able to kill him by myself now, but I’m not alone.’

’The South City Bureau has hundreds of constables. They can bury him under their sheer numbers.’

’So what if he’s comprehended an Intent? The Hu Family is not without experts who have done the same.’

Su Mu didn’t speak. Instead, he took a step forward, his face devoid of expression.

Hu Guangshao instinctively retreated, but his back hit the solid bluestone courtyard wall. There was nowhere left to run.