Chapter 422 - 249: Thunder God’s Roar

Chapter 422: Chapter 249: Thunder God’s Roar

Su Mu didn’t alert anyone, simply standing to the side and watching for a moment.

In that short time, Su Mu saw Zhang Tongxiang berate at least seven or eight people. Chen Yougong was the only one spared.

He came from a craftsman’s background, and when he cursed people out, he spewed all sorts of vulgarities that made even Su Mu blush.

’With a temper like that, he must have offended a lot of people,’ Su Mu thought to himself.

He figured that every person he’d cursed at probably wished him dead.

However, Su Mu found it unlikely that any of them would be willing to spend one hundred thousand taels of silver to have Zhang Tongxiang killed.

It was just a verbal lashing. These men wouldn’t go so far as to hire an assassin over it.

Besides, most of the people Zhang Tongxiang dealt with were common laborers and craftsmen.

Even if they wanted to hire a killer, they couldn’t afford it.

’Chen Yougong has money, but he wouldn’t do something as foolish as hiring a killer over such a trivial matter,’ Su Mu mused.

’An architect like Zhang Tongxiang... who could he offend? And to spend one hundred thousand taels of silver on his life... is that really necessary?’

As Su Mu stared at the construction site of the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy, a thought suddenly struck him.

’If Zhang Tongxiang dies, the construction schedule for the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy will definitely be impacted. If it isn’t completed on time, I, as the one in charge, will surely be held responsible.

Could it be... that the assassination is aimed at me?’

This wasn’t mere narcissism. The more Su Mu thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Someone willing to spend eight hundred thousand taels of silver on Su Mu’s head probably wouldn’t mind spending another one hundred thousand taels just to sabotage his work.

If the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy wasn’t finished on schedule, Su Mu wouldn’t be executed, but he would certainly be punished. If things went badly, he could even lose his position as the Taiping Bureau Governor of Songjiang Prefecture.

’But if the goal is just to delay the construction of the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy, killing Zhang Tongxiang isn’t the only way. Aren’t there cheaper methods?’

Su Mu thought, but then again, this method seemed a bit too clumsy.

There were countless ways to delay the project. Assassinating Zhang Tongxiang was undoubtedly the clumsiest of them all.

’So what’s the real reason?’

Su Mu frowned, lost in thought.

"You’re here."

Just as Su Mu was puzzling over the matter, Lu Mingyang approached him. "This place was originally supposed to be finished in another two months, but the supply of stone and lumber has been cut off. Now, I estimate it will take at least another four to five months to be fully completed."

Although Lu Mingyang was the Prefect of Songjiang Prefecture, Su Mu was the one officially in charge of the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy project.

Lu Mingyang’s keen interest in the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy stemmed mainly from the fact that he was a disciple of Zhu Jiuyuan. He was also an alumnus of Bailu Academy and had been a member of the Da Xuan Envoy.

This particular academy in Songjiang Prefecture was one of the passion projects conceived by the Da Xuan Envoy.

"Anything unusual at the construction site?"

Su Mu nodded. Four or five months was still enough time.

"Unusual?"

Lu Mingyang didn’t quite understand what Su Mu was getting at. After a moment’s thought, he shook his head. "Nothing seems out of place.

Did something happen?"

Su Mu shook his head.

Perhaps his line of thinking was flawed. The person who wanted Zhang Tongxiang dead wasn’t necessarily at this construction site.

"I have to go. If anything comes up, have someone notify me immediately."

With that, Su Mu turned and left.

Zhang Tongxiang came rushing over, just in time to see Su Mu’s retreating figure disappear at the foot of the mountain.

"Lord Su came and left so quickly? I was hoping to tell him about the situation with the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy."

Zhang Tongxiang said, clearly disappointed.

"You can just tell me,"

Lu Mingyang said.

"Never mind, then."

Lu Mingyang was speechless.

...

For the next several days, Su Mu didn’t return to the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy construction site, but he had his Taiping Captains keeping a close eye on the place.

At the same time, he sent men to investigate Zhang Tongxiang.

He wasn’t in a hurry, but someone else was.

The Golden Wind Tower sent him a message via a special coded signal. It stated that if he couldn’t kill Zhang Tongxiang within five days, the mission would be considered a failure, and they would assign other assassins to the task.

That day, Su Mu returned to the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy construction site.

"Lord Su, do you have any instructions for us?"

He had just reached the foot of the mountain when Chen Yougong hurried over to greet him, bowing and scraping.

"Go on with your work. I’m just going to look around."

Su Mu said with a wave of his hand.

Chen Yougong remained bowed until Su Mu had walked up the steps and was out of sight. Only then did he slowly straighten up. His face betrayed no unusual emotion as he returned to his work as if nothing had happened.

Even if someone had been watching him at that moment, they would have noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

His deference toward Su Mu appeared entirely genuine.

Su Mu walked up the newly laid stone steps and through the grounds of the Songjiang Prefecture Bailu Academy, which was already beginning to take shape.

He had to admit, Zhang Tongxiang truly had some skill. The entire academy’s design was ingenious. Once completed, it would be an eye-opener not only for the sheltered ’exchange students’ from the Demon Court, but even for the scholars of Da Xuan.

BOOM!

A huge explosion echoed from the top of the mountain.

Shattered rock flew through the air, and everyone scrambled for cover.

Su Mu calmly strode forward. With a flick of his sleeve, he deflected several flying shards of rock.

He came to stand before a dust-covered Zhang Tongxiang.

Zhang Tongxiang was in the middle of shouting at the craftsmen.

"Blast this section flat! Then build a wall running east to west!"

"Lord Su? Hang on a second, let me get these men sorted out."

Zhang Tongxiang said casually upon noticing Su Mu.

Watching the bustling Zhang Tongxiang, Su Mu thought to himself, ’He’s a true technician, through and through.’

After a good while, Zhang Tongxiang finally returned to Su Mu’s side. "My apologies, Lord Su," he said. "We laborers don’t have the strength of Martial Artists, so we have to rely on gunpowder to clear mountains and pave roads."