A Powerful Backer

Su Mo slowly came to, the back of his head throbbing with pain.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

After staring blankly for quite a while, he finally remembered: he had been feeling rather pleased with himself and was about to seek out the Imperial Guard as a powerful backer, only for his third uncle to catch him off guard with a blow!

"Damn it!"

"No matter how well you guard against thieves by day and night, it's hard to guard against the thief in your own home!"

Although Su Mo possessed the Demon Subduing Pestle Magic Item, which had multiplied his strength several times over.

His defenses had not increased.

Chen Gan looked like he had practiced martial arts for many years, and his copper pipe had been as swift as lightning. There had been no way to dodge it.

A jolting sensation reached him.

Su Mo discovered that he was on a horse carriage.

Peering through the curtain woven from bamboo strips, he saw that the driver was none other than Chen Bao, the salt-smuggling boss and his old uncle's foremost business partner.

"Old Uncle really was something. Couldn't he just talk things over properly?"

"Wasn't he afraid of missing and beating me to death, cutting off the Chen family line?"

Su Mo grumbled a couple of times, but inwardly, he could not help sighing. As expected of an old clerk with years under his belt.

He really has veteran experience in knocking people out from behind!

How many people did he have to hit to hone that skill?

Don't be fooled by what was shown on television, where special forces and the like casually struck someone on the back of the neck and knocked them unconscious.

In truth, that was highly technical work that demanded considerable experience.

Ordinary people absolutely should not imitate it.

Nine times out of ten, instead of knocking someone unconscious, they would give them a concussion—or even kill them outright!

In the former case, they would have to pay compensation.

In the latter, they would win the deluxe package of compensation payments plus stitching uniforms in prison!

Su Mo now knew that his old uncle had definitely practiced martial arts, and seemed fairly skilled at it too. Otherwise, he would not have dared partner with a salt smuggler like Chen Bao!

Su Mo also knew.

His old uncle had knocked him unconscious simply because he could not be bothered to waste his breath, using the most direct method to send him to Eagle Ravine Dock.

He had not considered Su Mo's feelings, but it was simple and practical—entirely in keeping with the way an old subordinate clerk did things.

Su Mo looked outside.

Bamboo groves swayed beside the mountain road, while the West Mountain Range was clearly visible in the distance.

The sky had fully brightened as well.

They had clearly been out of the county seat for quite some time.

"Damn it! Now I have to train for long-distance running all over again!"

But he should still make it in time.

Su Mo himself was an unofficial yamen runner.

He had a clear understanding of the yamen's efficiency and way of doing things.

To drag his old uncle into this, they first had to arrest him, then force a confession in the Torture Hall, making him unable to withstand the severe punishments and voluntarily speak up, dragging his old uncle into the water.

His old uncle had been a menial worker for so many years. How could he possibly have never done anything shady, such as smuggling salt?

Once they investigated that, they could naturally send his old uncle straight to death row!

Thinking this, Su Mo no longer hesitated.

"Uncle Chen!"

Hearing the movement, Chen Bao reached back and lifted the curtain with his horsewhip, grinning. "You're awake?"

Su Mo rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

Chen Bao...

Su Mo's expression turned serious. He pointed at a carriage roughly ten zhang ahead. "Are Third Aunt and the others in that carriage?"

Chen Bao nodded. "They're all there!"

"Another three to five li, and we'll reach Eagle Ravine Dock."

Su Mo went straight to the point. "Uncle Chen, keep escorting them to Eagle Ravine Dock. I need to return to Changping County."

Chen Bao frowned. "That won't do!"

"Brother Chen specifically instructed me that I must bring you to Eagle Ravine Dock and not let you do anything reckless!"

"Nephew Su, don't make things difficult for Uncle Chen."

Su Mo said gravely, "I have something urgent to do!"

"I'll explain it to Old Uncle later!"

Chen Bao frowned and thought for a moment before finally nodding. "In that case, then..."

As he spoke, his eyes suddenly widened as he looked to the left, crying out in alarm, "Brother Chen, why are you here too?"

Su Mo froze, instinctively turning his head to look.

Then he heard a whooshing sound.

The back of his neck stung faintly!

"Holy shit!"

Su Mo glared furiously at Chen Bao. "You want to knock me out from behind too?"

Chen Bao looked at the horsewhip in his hand, which had been flicked taut as a stick. "Sigh, this horsewhip really isn't as handy as a proper club."

He grinned at Su Mo. "Want another try?"

"Uncle Chen guarantees there won't be a problem this time!"

Su Mo badly wanted to give him the middle finger!

But considering the locals might not understand what it meant, he had no choice but to let it go!

He snorted. "Uncle Chen, I'll forgive you this time. If there's a next time, we're done!"

"Please tell Third Aunt and the others later that I won't be going over."

Then he jumped directly off the carriage.

Watching Su Mo's rapidly retreating back, Chen Bao's expression became uncertain.

This kid Su Mo was not simple.

A whip infused with his Inner Force had actually failed to knock him unconscious?

That completely defied common sense!

Even though he had used only twenty percent of his strength, it was not something an ordinary person could withstand.

Especially when it struck the back of Su Mo's neck, it had felt as though he were hitting wood, as if Su Mo had cultivated some kind of tough-body martial art.

But no matter how he looked at it, this kid did not resemble someone who had cultivated a tough-body martial art!

Seeing Su Mo disappear into the distance.

Chen Bao pondered for a moment, then beckoned.

A lean, capable man carrying a whistle-stick appeared beside the carriage.

"Go keep an eye on that kid. Don't let anything happen to him!"

"If necessary, seize him outright and bring him back to the dock!"

The lean man paused, unable to stop himself from saying, "Big Brother, if he wants to court death, let him go!"

"Madam Qian and the others are here anyway. Would Chen Gan dare say another word?"

Chen Bao snorted coldly. "What the hell do you know!"

"In Chen Gan's eyes, those women put together aren't as important as that kid!"

The lean man did not say much more. "Fine, I'll go keep watch over him now!"

With that, he hurried after Su Mo!

As Su Mo walked, he rubbed the back of his neck and cursed under his breath. "That Chen Bao is a damn lunatic!"

"One soft little hit, and he thought he could knock me unconscious?"

"Did he think he was Old Uncle, who's used to knocking people out from behind?"

"Could he have done it on purpose so he could explain it to Old Uncle afterward?"

"Fuck it. No matter what, the people here are too cunning—all old foxes. I need to protect the back of my neck carefully from now on!"

After cursing for a while, Su Mo frowned. "Where can I find Lin Moyin?"

"The Imperial Guard Office?"

He could not remember whether he had heard it by chance or whether it came from the original owner's memories.

The Imperial Guard Office was near West Market in the county seat.

Forget it. He would check West Market first.

His mouth was attached to his own head. If he truly could not find it, he could ask passersby for directions.

Su Mo quickened his pace and broke into a jog toward the county seat.

His speed left the travelers along the mountain road staring in stunned disbelief.

Chen Hu, trailing Su Mo from afar, cursed as well. "Damn it!"

"Was this kid a mountain boar in his past life? How could he run so damn fast!"

He could only pick up his pace and chase after him!

With the mysterious power of the Demon Subduing Pestle strengthening him, Su Mo quickly ran back to the county seat without feeling tired in the slightest.

Tall, majestic city walls appeared before his eyes.

At the city gate, crowds flowed like a weaving stream, with people entering and leaving in an unbroken procession.

A population of one million would count as a fairly sizable city even in later generations.

The Great Wu Dynasty seemed to have a far larger population than the ancient eras Su Mo remembered, with several hundred million people!

Of course, in a cultivation setting, there was no point studying whether population numbers and productivity levels actually matched up.

The county seat was the economic heart of Changping County.

Great numbers of villagers from surrounding towns carried mountain goods and other wares into the county seat, hoping to sell them for a good price.

Su Mo did not bother checking the notice board at the city gate to see whether there was a wanted poster for him.

The yamen runners were hardly that efficient. It was not as if they were going to collect money!

Blending into the crowd, he entered the county seat with ease.

The price was one large coin in gate tax.

Entering the city required paying tax!

It was the greatest source of extra income for the Strong Squad yamen runners guarding the gates!

Naturally, most of it had to be handed over, or everyone would be fighting to become a Strong Squad yamen runner!

After entering the county seat.

Su Mo touched the money pouch at his waist. The Golden Lock was safely tucked inside.

There was nothing more to say.

He headed straight for West Market!

He was going to the Imperial Guard Office to get reinforcements!