Chapter 47: Outside the Taiping Bureau
Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Outside the Taiping Bureau
Wuling City was vast.
Yang Jin’s residence, in particular, was located on the very edge of the Outer City, a great distance from the Inner City.
Normally, one would need to ride a horse to travel all the way to the Inner City from here.
But Su Mu had no horse to ride. And, not wanting to attract attention, he relied on his own two feet, slipping quietly through street after street. By the time noon approached, he had finally reached the Inner City of Wuling.
He had always heard people talk about the distinction between Wuling City’s Inner and Outer Cities, but it had never left a direct impression on him.
Today, however, the journey had given him a profound understanding.
The closer he got to the Inner City, the wider, cleaner, and livelier the streets became. Even the pedestrians seemed more vibrant and full of spirit.
His feelings deepened, especially when he laid eyes on the walls of the Inner City.
The Inner City’s walls far surpassed any ancient city walls he had seen in his past life. They were nearly twice as high and twice as thick as those of the Outer City.
Under the sunlight, the entire wall shimmered with a faint metallic luster, a clear sign that it wasn’t built from ordinary stone.
Outside the walls, there was even a moat tens of feet wide.
’This isn’t an Inner and Outer City. These are two completely different cities,’ Su Mu thought. ’With this kind of separation, even if riots broke out in the Outer City, it wouldn’t affect the Inner City at all.’
’If some hostile force were to attack Wuling City, the Outer City would be the first line of defense.’
Su Mu stared at the magnificent walls of the Inner City for a moment and shook his head internally.
’Class divisions are everywhere. I’m just a lowly squad leader; I can’t do anything about it.’
He walked straight to the gates of the Inner City, where he was stopped by the gate guards.
Entry into the Inner City was strict, though leaving was easy. Anyone who wished to enter had to pass an inspection.
Ordinary people weren’t qualified to enter at all. For a commoner to get in, they needed a pass personally signed by the Outer City Captain.
Su Mu was no commoner. He was an officially appointed squad leader, and he had also been verbally appointed as a constable by the South City Sima.
Su Mu walked up to the gate and stated his identity to the guards.
"You’re Su Mu? The one who stormed the Xu Mansion at night, killed several of their guards right in front of Xu Mingchen, and abducted the mansion’s steward?" the gate guard asked suddenly, sizing Su Mu up.
"I am."
Su Mu nodded. "I’m an officially appointed squad leader of the South City Bureau. My waist token just hasn’t been made yet. Also, my appointment as a South City Bureau constable is currently being processed."
"Without a waist token, I’m not supposed to let you in," the guard said with a deadpan expression. "However, your identity isn’t something one can fake. Go on in. Just remember to be out before nightfall. Until you’re officially appointed as a constable, you can’t spend the night in the Inner City."
’If I’d known I could get into the Inner City without a waist token, I would have come sooner.’
’Then again,’ he mused, ’if it weren’t for what happened yesterday, the Inner City guards probably wouldn’t have known who I was.’
’Causing such a scene did wonders for my reputation. An unexpected benefit, I suppose.’
Su Mu cupped his hands in thanks, then passed through the gate into the Inner City.
What he didn’t know was that just after he entered, the gate guard called someone over, whispered a few words, and that person then hurried into the Inner City.
...
Thanks to the map provided by Wei Yongfu, Su Mu didn’t get lost, even though it was his first time in the Inner City.
He followed a street that was more than twice as wide as the broadest roads in the Outer City and soon found the Taiping Government Office.
Although the Taiping Government Office wasn’t located in the very center of the Inner City, it still occupied a large plot of land in the eastern district.
The green brick courtyard walls were over ten feet high, and the black main gate was wide enough for ten people to walk through side-by-side.
The Taiping Government Office didn’t have a plaque hanging above its entrance, nor did it have the statues of Bi’an or lions commonly found at the gates of government offices.
If you didn’t know its location beforehand, you would just assume it was the estate of some wealthy family, never imagining it to be the renowned Taiping Government Office.
’Hmm, very low-key. I like this style,’ Su Mu thought with a slight nod.
He straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and knocked on the black gate.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
After a short wait, the heavy black doors creaked open a crack, and a man dressed as an attendant stepped out.
"Who are you looking for?" the man asked, glancing at Su Mu with a hint of confusion.
"I’m looking for a certain lord, about twenty-something years old..."
Su Mu described the appearance of the man from the Taiping Bureau. "I have an appointment with him. He told me to come find him," Su Mu added as a final point.
If he didn’t say that, they probably wouldn’t let him in.
"Do you know the lord’s name? In our Wuling City Taiping Bureau, we have several lords who match that description," the attendant asked thoughtfully, his attitude softening considerably upon hearing that Su Mu had been invited by one of them.
"He didn’t tell me his name, only that I should come to the Taiping Bureau to find him." Su Mu shook his head. "Are there many people in the Wuling City Taiping Bureau? Would you mind letting me in to have a look around?"
"I’m afraid that’s not possible."
The attendant shook his head. "There’s been some demonic beast activity in the Daxing Mountain Range outside the city, so all the lords have gone to investigate. If I don’t know which lord invited you, I can’t let you in."
"They’re not here?"
Su Mu was stunned. He had gone to so much trouble to get into the Inner City—was it all for nothing?
"You can leave your name and address. I’ll report this when the lords return, and we’ll send someone to notify you," the attendant said politely.
"I suppose that’s my only option."
Su Mu thought for a moment. "This saber technique manual was left for me by that lord. If you show it to him, he’ll know who I am. My name is Su Mu, and I’m currently serving in the South City Bureau. When the lords return, please trouble yourself to have someone inform me.
I’ll also try to come by again when I have time."
He handed the Submerging Wave Saber Technique manual to the attendant as proof.
He had already cultivated this saber technique to the Perfection stage, so the manual was no longer of any use to him.
The attendant took the manual, his attitude becoming even more respectful.
"You don’t have to call me ’big brother.’ I’m just an attendant at the Taiping Bureau."
He smiled. "Rest assured, I will report this promptly."
Watching the heavy black gate swing shut again, Su Mu couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
’Even an attendant here has the Cultivation of the Second Stage of Body Tempering. In the Outer City, someone like that would at least be a squad leader, maybe even have a shot at becoming a constable. But in the Taiping Bureau, he’s just an attendant.’
’The Taiping Bureau... this is where I truly belong.’
Su Mu walked down the steps, preparing to head back to the Outer City, when two men suddenly approached him.
"Su Mu, my young master wishes to see you."
The two men flanked him, one on each side, effectively trapping him. From their stance, it was clear that if Su Mu refused, they would take him by force.
"And who is your young master?"
Su Mu glanced at the two. Their skin was coarse and bore the distinct marks of skin tempering; they were Martial Artists of the Skin Tempering Realm at the very least.
They had called out his name immediately, which meant they had come prepared.
Though he wasn’t afraid, he knew it wasn’t wise to start a fight in the Inner City.
"You’ll know when you get there," the man on the right said. "This way, please."
Su Mu pondered for a moment, then decided he might as well go see who this person was.
"Lead the way."