The Only Way Out Was to Become an Official

Of course, the struggle between imperial power and the immortal path was far too distant from Su Mo and Chen Gan.

What loomed over them now was Zhou Meng.

If he truly received a hundred strokes of the rod and three thousand li of exile,

it would be no different from being sentenced to be beheaded.

The Registrar wanted to establish his authority; the yamen runners in charge of the rods naturally knew how to do it.

A hundred strokes would certainly beat a man to death.

Su Mo frowned. "Third Uncle, how do you plan to deal with the Registrar?"

Chen Gan took out his dry tobacco pipe and lit it. Only after drawing deeply did he say, "You're wrong again! We aren't dealing with the Registrar—we're dealing with Zhou Meng!"

"No matter what, the Registrar is an imperial official. He naturally has the court's protection and backing!"

"Are you thinking of dragging him down from his office?"

Su Mo...

Chen Gan tapped the dry tobacco pipe against the table. "If we take down Zhou Meng, we've won!"

"I've already had Zhang Si and Scar Meng pick out several households Zhou Meng has harmed."

"No matter what methods they use, I have only one demand: tomorrow morning, they must go to the yamen and accuse that bastard Zhou Meng!"

"If the Registrar backs down and both sides let the matter pass, that would be best. Paying him a hundred or eighty taels of silver would be nothing."

"However..."

Chen Gan's brows knitted tightly. "What I fear most is that he would rather abandon Zhou Meng than miss the chance to use you and me to establish his authority."

"If it truly comes to that, even if your uncle has to shatter jade and stone together, I won't let him gain a single advantage!"

With that, he waved his hand. "Your uncle has his own calculations for this matter."

"Go rest for an hour or two. Set out at the hour of the Tiger, and take your Third Aunt and the others with Chen Bao to Eagle Ravine Dock."

He frowned in thought. "The city gates open at the hour of the Rabbit."

"By the time the Magistrate signs the arrest order, the Fast Squad receives their tokens, and they finish the procedures before coming to seize us, it will be at least after the hour of the Snake. There should be enough time!"

"Once you reach Eagle Ravine Dock, stay there obediently. Do not go out unless necessary, and watch your words and actions at all times."

After a pause, he added, "Chen Bao probably won't dare harbor other intentions, but just in case he turns wicked, mention the four words 'Hedong Liu Clan.' They can save your life."

Su Mo was taken aback. "I have to leave too?"

Chen Gan glared. "If you don't leave, are you staying here to let Big Wart Ma sweep us all into one pot?"

"Between the Su and Chen families, you are the only sapling left. If you die, both families' incense lines will be cut off!"

He snorted. "Once you leave, when the case is submitted, the yamen will surely issue wanted notices for you."

"But that doesn't matter."

"If your uncle loses and falls, you naturally won't be able to return to Changping County. From then on, change your names and live your lives."

"If your uncle is fortunate enough to win, then after three or five years, once the Registrar's term ends and he leaves Changping, your uncle will find a way to cancel the wanted order and let you return openly and honorably."

Chen Gan could not help bringing up the old subject again. "Once you reach Eagle Ravine Dock, the only thing you must do is have a son with Qin Bi'er as soon as possible, so the family line may continue!"

Su Mo took a deep breath. "Third Uncle, tell me the truth."

"What are our chances in this battle?"

Chen Gan took a puff from his dry tobacco pipe before replying flatly, "Less than twenty percent!"

Su Mo was secretly shocked.

He had thought that, judging from his old uncle's confident appearance, they should at least have a fifty percent chance of winning.

Who would have thought it was less than twenty percent!

Chen Gan rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Don't look down on that twenty percent."

"An official is an official—the true ruling class of the Great Wu Dynasty!"

"All gentry and powerful clans, common folk... even immortal cultivators and spellcasters, before officials, are all ants on the ground, fish and meat on the chopping block!"

He let out a long sigh. "What a pity. You and I are Subordinate Clerks; for three generations, we are forbidden from taking the imperial examinations or becoming officials!"

"If the Su and Chen families were official households, even if we were merely petty officials without rank or grade, would Big Wart Ma dare humiliate me like this?"

Chen Gan's tone was incomparably solemn. "You must remember this: practicing martial arts... cultivating immortality... they are only means. Becoming an official is the fundamental goal! Becoming a high official is the ultimate goal!"

"The higher the office, the better!"

"If you ever get the chance, you must spare no cost to seek an official position."

It was not that Subordinate Clerks could not become officials.

They simply could not become civil officials through the imperial examinations!

For yamen Subordinate Clerks, if their ancestral graves smoked... no, if their ancestral graves directly caught fire, and they leaped over the dragon gate to become ranked military officials, such things were often heard of.

After serving as a menial for more than ten years, becoming an official had become Chen Gan's obsession, carved straight into his bones.

It was no exaggeration to say that if someone told Chen Gan they would give him an official post now but drag him to the execution ground tomorrow to be beheaded, Chen Gan would absolutely struggle for half a day over whether to accept!

If they added that the official position could be passed down to his descendants,

then there would be nothing at all to consider!

Like all parents and elders, unable to become dragons themselves, they could only hope their children would become dragons.

Those with better eyesight, who could see farther, hoped their descendants' descendants could become officials.

Su Mo could understand his old uncle's obsession.

Not just in the official-centered Great Wu Dynasty.

The later generations were much the same!

Chen Gan had said so much because he had likely seen the possibility in Su Mo of leaping over the dragon gate.

Su Mo had shattered Zhou Meng's bones with one punch. Chen Gan's eye was sharp as a blade; though he said nothing, how could he fail to notice something amiss?

He probably thought Su Mo had secretly trained in martial arts, perhaps even... cultivated immortality!

After a moment of silence, Su Mo let out a breath and slowly said, "Third Uncle."

"If we can take down that Magistrate Ma,"

"do you think we should do it?"

"Of course!"

Chen Gan was left speechless, then laughed. "If we can take him down, then we must take him down... killing him would be even better, to root out future trouble!"

"As long as he remains in Changping County for even one day, we will not have peace for one day!"

"But that is impossible!"

"You don't think your uncle, a mere menial, has that kind of ability, do you?"

"If I had that ability, your uncle would have become an official long ago!"

Chen Gan rarely spoke so deeply with Su Mo. He also knew that there might not be another chance in the future.

He would give his nephew as much guidance as he could, hoping Su Mo would take it to heart.

"Even a fierce tiger hunting sheep gives its all!"

"Once Magistrate Ma makes his move, he will be the same. He certainly won't leave any path of survival for us uncle and nephew!"

"Don't think your old uncle is ruthless and vicious in his dealings, born rotten to the core. The world is simply like this—if you do not pull up the grass by the roots, sooner or later it will strike back!"

"Once you make an enemy, you must never be soft-hearted. You must use every ounce of your strength to wipe out the source of disaster!"

Su Mo's heart turned cold!

He had been wrong again!

He had forgotten that this was an ancient world where the fittest survived, where people devoured people!

He had merely wounded Zhou Meng by accident, yet it had driven the Su and Chen families into the dreadful plight of shattered homes and ruined lives!

He had looked ahead and behind, too hesitant and indecisive—worse even than Qin Bi'er, a widow!

He had thought he would wait until this matter was resolved before seeking out Lin Moyin!

But in her way of thinking,

he was utterly foolish!

He had help yet refused to use it, instead wanting to rely on his own strength to shake a great tree like an ant.

If that was not stupidity, what was?

Building favorability?

He would be lucky if she did not stamp him with the label of idiot!

Damn it!

I'll go find Lin Moyin later. I'll bring out the Golden Lock, that great killing weapon, and it would be best if I could take the Registrar's head!

If Lin Moyin asks how I knew the Golden Lock belonged to her, I simply won't mention it. Let her guess!

This world was wondrous beyond measure.

If Lin Moyin was allowed to summon flying swords, why could Su Mo not possess some special divine ability?

For some reason, Su Mo suddenly felt utterly clear and unblocked.

It was as though his Dao heart had become bright and transparent!

Could this be enlightenment?

Su Mo's Dao heart had ascended.

Su Mo smiled.

"Third Uncle, let Third Aunt, Cousin, and Qin Bi'er go with Chen Bao."

"I'll stay."

Chen Gan was instantly dumbfounded.

After all that he had said, Su Mo still wanted to stay?

"Why?"

Su Mo smiled. "I want to try pulling that bastard Registrar down!"

Chen Gan...

Had the boy been scared witless and suffered another attack?

Seeing Chen Gan's stunned expression, Su Mo, who had been lectured by him all along, finally felt the smug satisfaction of turning the tables. "To be honest, Third Uncle."

"Your nephew still has a few connections. Can a mere Registrar truly turn the sky upside down?"

He was just about to tell his old uncle about the Golden Lock and the Female Captain...

when he suddenly saw his Third Uncle raise the bronze tobacco pipe and, without warning, smash it toward him.

Then pain flashed through the back of his neck, and his vision went black...

"You bastard..."

Su Mo only had time to curse once before passing out.