Chapter 27: A Unique Bargain!
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Qinghe County Office.
Su Mu had barely reached the gate when several soldiers surrounded him.
“Unauthorized persons are not permitted to enter!”
Su Mu was not surprised. He calmly regarded the soldiers.
“I wish to see the Inspector.”
The men laughed rather than grew angry.
“The Inspector is occupied with countless affairs. Do you think just anyone can see him?”
“If you know what is good for you, leave at once! Otherwise, you will be imprisoned for disturbing the peace!”
Su Mu produced a medal and held it up before them.
“I slew a barbarian hundred-man commander and obtained vital intelligence. I must report it to the Inspector.”
“If this intelligence is delayed, you will bear the consequences yourselves.”
The soldiers froze.
A barbarian hundred-man commander?
When they saw the silver token in Su Mu’s hand, they all drew a sharp breath. One of them hurried inside the county office.
Before long, the same man came running back, gasping for breath.
“The Inspector summons you!”
Su Mu put away the token and entered the county office.
Soldiers stood guard everywhere along the way. Judging by their elite bearing, they were clearly not men from the Qinghe garrison.
They must have been brought here by the Inspector.
At this sight, Su Mu narrowed his eyes slightly.
This man was no simple character.
They arrived at a study. A middle-aged man with a hint of ruthlessness in his features sat behind the desk, idly rolling several beads between his fingers.
Several commanders knelt before him, terror filling their eyes.
“My lord! Please spare us! We will never dare do it again!”
“My lord! We may have rendered no great service to the court, but we have suffered for it! Please show us mercy!”
The man gave a cold laugh.
“Service? During all your years in Qinghe, you oppressed the people, abducted innocent women, and committed every evil imaginable. Those crimes alone would be enough to have you executed a hundred times over!”
“Drag them out and execute them!”
At his command, several soldiers hauled the commanders away.
Su Mu narrowed his eyes.
As far as he knew, these commanders of the Xilin Army were greedy for petty advantages, but they had certainly not committed crimes as grave as those just described.
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Moreover, they all shared one trait:
They were utterly loyal to Lei Yan.
It seemed that eliminating harm for the people was merely an excuse. What the Inspector truly wanted was to eliminate Lei Yan’s trusted subordinates.
At that moment, the Inspector glanced at Su Mu and said mildly, “Were you the one who slew a barbarian hundred-man commander?”
Su Mu handed the token to a soldier nearby.
After examining it several times, the soldier nodded at the Inspector.
“It is indeed the token of a barbarian hundred-man commander.”
The Inspector’s lips curved faintly. Leaning back slightly, he studied Su Mu.
“Oh? In that case, tell me directly. What intelligence have you brought?”
Su Mu cupped his hands.
“My lord, this matter is of great importance. Therefore…”
The Inspector raised his brows. After a moment’s thought, he waved his hand.
Once the soldiers had withdrawn, Su Mu nodded.
“My lord, I learned from the barbarian that several days ago, someone infiltrated the barbarian heartland, burned a month’s worth of provisions for their hundred-thousand-man army, and severely wounded the barbarian high priest.”
“That is why the barbarian armies have all withdrawn.”
The Inspector’s body tensed. He suddenly sat upright and stared fixedly at Su Mu.
“Is this true?”
“You should know what the price will be if you are lying to me!”
Su Mu met his gaze without changing expression and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, “It is true.”
“You may claim the credit for yourself. This is my token of sincerity in pledging allegiance to you.”
The Inspector’s lips lifted as his fingers tapped lightly against the desktop.
“Interesting.”
“You have some discernment, unlike those hotheaded fools who fill my ears with empty talk of righteousness.”
“Tell me. What do you want?”
Su Mu stepped forward and respectfully addressed him.
“I am a soldier of the Tiger Might Battalion. Some time ago, our battalion commander was framed and imprisoned. I beg Your Excellency to show mercy and spare his life.”
The smile vanished from the Inspector’s face. He stared intently at Su Mu.
“So you came here for him.”
Su Mu raised his head and replied calmly, “My lord, compared with you, our commander is an insignificant nobody.”
“Release him, and with this intelligence, you can instantly distinguish yourself from the other inspectors. You may even earn the Prime Minister’s favor. For you, this brings every benefit and no harm.”
“A man as wise and formidable as yourself must surely understand the advantages involved.”
The Inspector regarded Su Mu with some surprise. Then he spoke with considerable amusement.
“You are an interesting young man.”
“I can agree to your terms.”
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“However, how can you guarantee that this intelligence will not be leaked?”
Su Mu bowed and replied with perfect composure, “If what I have told you proves false, you may arrest me and our commander at any time.”
“Before you, the two of us could not stir up the slightest disturbance, could we?”
The Inspector nodded, smiling.
“Indeed. Negotiating with an intelligent man is so much easier.”
“I understand. You may withdraw for now.”
Su Mu turned and had just begun to leave when a gust of wind rose behind him.
In the next instant, the Inspector appeared with a drawn sword and slashed toward Su Mu’s shoulder.
Su Mu did not even turn his head. He drew the saber at his waist and blocked the strike.
“My lord, if this was merely a test, there was no need for it.”
Su Mu spoke with unruffled calm.
The Inspector’s pupils contracted sharply. In the next moment, he burst into hearty laughter.
“Interesting! I believe you really are capable of killing a hundred-man commander.”
“What is your name?”
Su Mu frowned.
The Inspector was from the capital. If Su Mu revealed his true name, there was a strong chance that his identity would be traced.
After considering this, he replied without the slightest disturbance in his voice, “Sun Mu.”
The Inspector nodded thoughtfully.
“Sun Mu, is it? I will remember you.”
“When my posting in Qinghe comes to an end, I will take you back to the capital with me.”
“A talent like you is wasted in a remote place such as this.”
Su Mu nodded without revealing anything.
“Then I thank Your Excellency.”
After Su Mu departed, the smile gradually faded from the Inspector’s face.
He glanced toward the corner and said mildly, “What did you discover?”
As soon as he spoke, a woman in black stepped out from the shadows, a cloak draped over her shoulders.
She watched the direction in which Su Mu had left, her eyes flickering faintly.
“This man certainly possesses the ability to kill a barbarian hundred-man commander. As for the intelligence, it should be genuine as well.”
“There is only one thing that struck me as odd. When you mentioned the capital just now, his body reacted ever so slightly unnaturally. I suspect he has an enemy there.”
“To preserve his life, he must have come to Qinghe.”
The Inspector’s lips curved upward.
“Oh? Then this man is a double-edged sword. If used properly, he will surely prove highly effective.”