"What do you want?"
Xing Zhao Fu's tone was ice-cold, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees.
Su Mu, as if oblivious to Xing Zhao Fu's displeasure, spoke directly. "If I can prove that I am the best Hunter in South City, then I hope Your Excellency will permit me to join the South City Bureau as a constable!"
The number one figure in the South City Bureau was the Sima. According to the system of the Da Xuan Dynasty, a Sima was a seventh-grade official, equal in rank to a City Captain of the Inner City.
Beneath the Sima were the Minister and the Chief Clerk, both of whom were Eighth-Grade Officials.
Further down was Xing Zhao Fu, the Chief Constable.
The Chief Constable was Ninth Grade, a subordinate official.
Beneath the Chief Constable are two tiers of constables. The higher-tier constables are not officials, but rather functionaries. The lower-tier constables have the lowest status of all.
Generally speaking, new recruits to the South City Bureau could only start as lower-tier constables.
After seven or eight years in the lower tier, someone with a good record might be promoted to the higher tier of constable.
The position Liu Feng had applied for before was that of a lower-tier constable.
Su Mu had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Since he chose to face this head-on, he wanted to fight for a better starting point for himself.
"HAHAHA!"
Xing Zhao Fu stared at Su Mu for a long moment before bursting into laughter. "If you can prove your abilities, never mind a mere constable—what's to stop me from making you a squad leader?"
A squad leader was a minor leader among the constables, assisting the Chief Constable in managing them. If Xing Zhao Fu were promoted or… gone, the next Chief Constable would be chosen from among the squad leaders.
Of course, Su Mu didn't believe Xing Zhao Fu would actually make him a squad leader, but he said aloud, "Thank you for your high regard, Your Excellency."
"There's no need to thank me.
As I said, the precondition is that you can prove your ability!"
Xing Zhao Fu said, enunciating each word. He bit down hard on the word "ability."
"I will naturally not disappoint you, Your Excellency,"
Su Mu said.
'Someone is already trying to kill me. If I keep hiding my skills now, wouldn't I be a complete fool?'
'Only by showing my skills and fighting for more advantages will I have a chance to survive the attack on Black Dragon Stronghold. Only by surviving can there be a future. If I die, it's all for nothing.'
Su Mu was also taking a gamble.
'Xing Zhao Fu might want him dead, but he definitely wouldn't kill him inside the South City Bureau. He wouldn't even kill him within South City.'
'Otherwise, Xing Zhao Fu never would have summoned him to the South City Bureau in the first place.'
'Xing Zhao Fu can't call all the shots in the South City Bureau; he doesn't have the guts to kill someone here.'
Su Mu guessed that Xing Zhao Fu wanted him to die during the attack on Black Dragon Stronghold, preferably after killing a few of the stronghold's bandits.
That was why he dared to negotiate terms with Xing Zhao Fu.
Because he still had value to Xing Zhao Fu.
"Have Yang Jin brought to me,"
Xing Zhao Fu ordered. "Su Mu, Yang Jin is a veteran Hunter from South City. I've seen his skills; he could be called the best in South City. If you can defeat him, then I will acknowledge you as the best Hunter in South City."
"May I ask, Your Excellency, how will he and I compete?"
With things having come to this, Su Mu didn't waste a single word.
"Since you're Hunters, you will naturally compete with bows and arrows,"
Xing Zhao Fu said, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
This Yang Jin was originally an archer in the army. He was expelled for breaking military regulations and had no choice but to become a Hunter.
When it came to skill with a bow, no other Hunter in South City could compare to him.
As they spoke, Yang Jin had already arrived in the hall.
He was a man in his thirties, tall and broad with dark skin. His hands hung so low they almost touched his knees.
'What long arms!'
Su Mu marveled inwardly. He had only ever seen descriptions of hands reaching past the knees in ancient texts; this was the first time he'd witnessed it in person.
"Greetings, Your Excellency,"
Yang Jin said, cupping his fist.
"Yang Jin, this man claims to be the number one Hunter in South City. I, however, feel that's an injustice to you. I want you to compete with him. The winner can join the South City Bureau as a constable. Are you willing?"
Xing Zhao Fu said, getting straight to the point.
Yang Jin glanced at Su Mu, a trace of disdain in his eyes. "It's not that this humble one doesn't dare; I am just afraid I might accidentally shoot him dead."
"Since it's a competition, why worry about injury or death? If you really have the skill to kill him, it would only be due to his own lack of ability. It would not be a violation of the law."
Xing Zhao Fu said. After glancing at Su Mu, he added, "And the reverse is also true."
"Since Your Excellency has said so, then I have no problem,"
Yang Jin said.
"Good. I'll set the rules. The two of you will each shoot three arrows. The victor will be clear,"
Xing Zhao Fu said.
"Yang Jin, you shoot three arrows at him first. Then he will return three arrows to you."
Xing Zhao Fu didn't ask for their opinions, stating it as a final decision.
Hearing this, Yang Jin understood immediately.
'This pale-faced pretty boy, who looks like a gust of wind could blow him over… no idea how he offended Chief Xing, but Chief Xing actually wants him dead.'
'After I've shot my three arrows, will he even have a chance to shoot his three back at me?'
'If I can't turn him into a pincushion with three arrows, haven't all these years of archery practice been a complete waste?'
'Back in the army, my archery was considered truly proficient.'
"Kid, don't blame me in the afterlife. Blame yourself for offending someone you shouldn't have,"
Yang Jin whispered as he walked past Su Mu, bow in hand.
Before Su Mu could reply, he walked directly into the courtyard and took his position on one side.
Without a word, Su Mu walked to the other side of the courtyard. He held his bow in one hand, while the other gripped the hilt of the saber at his waist.
Xing Zhao Fu called out, "Begin!"
Yang Jin already had his bow in his left hand and an arrow nocked in his right. He drew the bow to its fullest and loosed an arrow with a WHOOSH, straight at Su Mu's heart.
Hearing the twang of the bowstring, Su Mu's body flashed to the side.
The arrow hit nothing but air.
Seeing his first arrow miss, Yang Jin didn't panic. His right hand quickly plucked a second arrow from his quiver and nocked it.
Locking onto Su Mu's position, he fired another arrow.
This arrow was faster than the last, its angle more treacherous.
Su Mu had just expended his momentum from dodging. It was too late to change position again.
He deflected it with his mulberry wood bow. The arrow grazed past his body and struck the ground. As its fletching quivered, Su Mu saw that the sharp arrowhead had already torn a slit in his clothes.
But it wasn't over. Yang Jin's third arrow followed like a rapid-fire shot, aimed straight for Su Mu's chest.
Xing Zhao Fu's eyes were cold as he silently cheered.
'Yang Jin is worthy of being a former archer. With archery skills like that, even I could get injured if I wasn't careful.'
'How could this Su Mu possibly dodge it?'
'He couldn't make a move against Su Mu inside the Government Office, but if Su Mu died during a competition, well, he couldn't be blamed for that.'
In the blink of an eye, the arrow was upon him. Su Mu knew the opponent's archery was no worse than his own. This was an arrow he could not dodge, no matter what.
'Since I can't dodge it, I won't.'
SHING!
A flash of white light burst forth.
With a crisp CLANG, the feathered arrow, now split in two, fell to the ground.
Yang Jin blinked, his face a mask of confusion. He hadn't even seen what happened.
Xing Zhao Fu's pupils contracted. He stared intently at Su Mu.
'He finally understood why the Third Boss of Black Dragon Stronghold had died at Su Mu's hands last night.'
'This Su Mu… he actually practices saber techniques!'
'And from the looks of it, his saber skills have already reached the stage of minor accomplishment.'
'Even in the South City Bureau, someone who has cultivated their saber techniques to minor accomplishment would be considered one of the best among the constables.'
'A mud-legged peasant has this kind of skill?'
Xing Zhao Fu's expression grew even darker.
'He's so young and has already reached minor accomplishment with his saber. What will he become, given time?'
'If he manages to catch the Sima's eye, wouldn't the fact that I wasn't the one who killed the Black Dragon Stronghold's Third Boss be exposed?'
'Hmph. It seems I wasn't just overthinking things. This kid truly cannot be allowed to live!'
In an instant, countless vicious thoughts flashed through Xing Zhao Fu's mind.
It all happened in a flash.
After cleaving Yang Jin's third arrow with his saber, Su Mu's movements didn't pause for a second.
His left hand was steady as Mount Tai, his right hand gentle as if holding a baby. He drew his bow like a full moon, and the arrow flew like a shooting star.
The arrow struck Yang Jin squarely in the shoulder. THUD. His bow clattered to the ground. Yang Jin's face was ashen, the color of dead embers.