Listening to his "colleagues" daydream, Su Mu was speechless.
'Is this what they call the emperor's golden hoe?'
No matter what they talked about, it always came back to the brothels.
'You're already a squad leader in this fantasy. Can't you at least enjoy some fine music before going to bed?'
'So vulgar!'
Su Mu scoffed.
He didn't care much for the three hundred taels of silver, but he certainly coveted the position of squad leader.
If he became a squad leader, the number of Points he earned each day would surely increase.
And his cultivation speed would increase significantly as well.
As he thought about it, he subconsciously called up his system panel.
[Name: Su Mu]
[Identity: Constable (Officer)]
[Points: 85]
[Cultivation Technique: Golden Scale Skin Tempering Technique (Adept)]
[Martial Arts: Submerging Wave Saber Technique (Perfection), Archery (Novice)]
Over the past few days, he had saved up eighty-five Identity Points. He wasn't far from the three hundred Points needed to reach the Mastery stage of the Golden Scale Skin Tempering Technique.
"Hey, you! The one up ahead! I'm talking to you, stop right there!"
Just as Su Mu was lost in thought, a loud shout suddenly rang out.
He looked up to see the constable named Li Fugui chasing a figure into a small alley.
The other constables followed, whooping and shouting as they gave chase.
A look of resignation flashed across Su Mu's face.
Ever since the murders had become frequent, the number of constables on a street patrol had increased from two to five.
With more people came more... experiences.
This wasn't the first time he'd seen a scene like this. In the words of Li Fugui and the others, it was one of the few "pleasures" of street patrol.
'Why be an officer if not to get rich? What's the point of being on duty otherwise?'
Whenever they were on patrol and spotted someone who looked like they had money but no connections, they would invent some pretext to "inspect" them.
They would never let the person go without fleecing them for all they were worth.
Even with such crude methods, these constables could rake in an extra few taels of silver each day.
Although Su Mu disdained their company, he was stuck in the muck with them. All he could do was try to remain unstained. As for stopping them, Su Mu knew he didn't have the clout.
Based on past experience, Li Fugui and the others would be back soon, wearing looks of smug satisfaction.
'A fish rots from the head down,' Su Mu thought. 'With a good-for-nothing Sima like Hu Yuxing in charge, it's no wonder his subordinates are a mess.'
He wondered how the Taiping Bureau would handle a situation like this.
Su Mu looked up toward the Inner City. 'Soon. In another year or so, I'll be qualified to enter the Inner City myself.'
Once there, he could find his acquaintance "Taiping." He might even have a chance to join the Taiping Bureau.
Su Mu's heart swelled with anticipation. Stuck in the mud, he only felt a sense of hope when he looked up at the sky.
It might be a pipe dream for others, but for Su Mu, as long as he worked hard enough, this path to advancement was one he could walk.
As he was thinking, he realized Li Fugui and the others still hadn't returned.
'How long does it take to shake down a pedestrian?' Su Mu wondered.
'Those bastards aren't up to something even more depraved, are they?'
He subconsciously took two steps forward. He could turn a blind eye to them extorting a bit of silver, but if they were pulling a "Pink Wolf Du Qian," Su Mu couldn't just stand by and watch.
Suddenly, a short, sharp scream reached Su Mu's ears.
The voice sounded familiar.
'Li Fugui!'
Almost on instinct, Su Mu rushed into the alley. By the time he came to his senses, he was already standing in the middle of it.
A jolt went through Su Mu. He was on a street in broad daylight, with bustling crowds just a short distance away, yet a chill ran through his entire body.
Compared to the bustling street nearby, this alley was unnaturally silent.
Deeper in the alley, four figures lay on the ground, their condition unknown.
Blood pooled on the ground, its smell so thick that Su Mu's vision seemed to be tinted red.
He saw a person lift their head from Li Fugui's body. Their mouth was full of blood, and their face was as savage as a wild beast's.
The eyes, filled with savagery and madness, made Su Mu feel as if he had been plunged into an ice-cold abyss.
He felt as if he were being targeted by a ferocious beast. His skin crawled, and a layer of goosebumps erupted on his arms.
Su Mu took a slow, deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Now he finally understood why the victims in the recent massacres had been dismembered.
The killer was a cannibal!
The killer crouched over Li Fugui's body, shreds of flesh torn from the corpse clinging to its mouth. It looked more like a beast than a man.
Su Mu didn't know whether to count himself lucky or unlucky. To run into the killer just by patrolling the streets...
And he had walked right into its lair.
He slowly gripped the hilt of the saber at his waist.
Turning to run was not an option. If he showed the creature his back, he feared he would end up just like Li Fugui and the others.
When cornered, the brave one wins.
With his current strength, he might just stand a chance.
In the blink of an eye.
A pair of scarlet eyes locked onto Su Mu, and the killer sprang forward like an agile cat.
The moment it moved, Su Mu moved as well.
His saber left its sheath in a flash of vicious light.
The sound of gurgling water seemed to fill the air.
The light from his blade rolled forward like a wave.
BAM!
The saber's edge slammed viciously against the creature's hands.
An immense force surged toward him, forcing Su Mu to stumble back several steps, his arm aching and numb.
The force of the blow also sent his opponent flying backward. It landed with a roll, dropping to all fours like a wolf, and fixed its gaze on Su Mu once more.
Su Mu glanced at his opponent's hands and was secretly alarmed.
His saber wasn't a Divine Weapon, but it was exceptionally sharp.
Yet his full-power strike had only left a tiny, almost invisible cut on its palms.
'The durability of its skin is far greater than mine.'
'It might have already reached Skin Tempering Perfection!'
However, based on that first clash, while his opponent was stronger, it wasn't an impossible fight.
Besides, he still had a trump card up his sleeve.
His expression hardened, and Su Mu erupted with ferocious power.
The saber in his hand moved like a raging tide as he brought it crashing down.
Submerging Wave Saber Momentum, Nine Waves.
The beast pushed off with all four limbs, pouncing like a starving wolf.
CRACK!
The two shot past one another.
Blood sprayed through the air as a beast-like roar echoed through the alley.
An arm slammed onto the ground with a THUD.
A look of regret flashed across Su Mu's face.
It had been too fast. At the last second, it had dodged his throat-slitting strike, trading a grievous injury for what would have been certain death.
It had lost an arm, but at least it was still alive.
As for Su Mu, he only had enough stamina to use his Submerging Wave Saber Momentum twice. He had just one use left.
"South City Bureau! Surrender now!"
Su Mu roared, his presence overwhelming.
'It's broad daylight, and I have the advantage.'
'One more strike. If it fails, I'm running.'
Su Mu charged forward, dragging his saber behind him. He tensed every muscle in his body, pouring all of his strength into this one final strike, holding nothing back.
Submerging Wave Saber Momentum—Nine Waves!