My Professions Have Too Much Personality - Chapter 117 - 101: The Assessment Begins
Chapter 117: Chapter 101: The Assessment Begins
Zhu Xuan wore a calm expression and waved his hand, dismissing the crowd that had gathered. An air of indifference never left his eyes.
He walked to the center of the field and stopped. His gaze didn’t linger on anyone, as if he didn’t even consider the people present worth his notice.
“Is he an Ink Jade Level on the physical or Spiritual Side?” Zhang Hengyu asked with a hint of curiosity. When he turned his head, he noticed Su Chen looking up toward the high platform ahead.
That was the area for the Judicial Court’s upper echelons. It was shrouded by a blurry field, making it impossible to see anything clearly, unlike them, who were exposed in the audience stands.
’I wonder if Old Xia is back yet…’ Su Chen thought, glancing at his panel.
After “[Saint],” the two words “Assume Profession” shone with a brilliant light. He had completed all the requirements two days ago.
“Do you know?” Zhang Hengyu pressed when Su Chen didn’t respond.
“Hm? What?” Su Chen finally snapped out of it.
Zhang Hengyu repeated the question. Su Chen paused for a moment before saying, “I don’t know either.”
“Is it that much of a secret?” Zhang Hengyu muttered.
Su Chen didn’t know if it was a secret or not; he simply didn’t care about the question, so he naturally hadn’t made any special inquiries.
“So is he a Tier Three Professional?” Zhang Hengyu was full of questions.
“No… There are no Tier Three Professionals here.” Su Chen was certain of this, and guessed, “But he should have already developed into the latter half of Tier Two.”
As the two were talking, another black Flying Device arrived and docked with the high platform. A figure disembarked, paused deliberately, and then walked onto the platform.
’Old Xia is back…’ Seeing the figure, Su Chen couldn’t help but sigh in relief. With his backer returned, he felt much more at ease.
“The Judicial Court assessment is about to begin!”
A cold voice echoed throughout the training ground, so loud that even Su Chen was startled.
“Those who are late will be considered to have automatically forfeited!”
The gate at the entrance gradually closed. Su Chen watched as one person was stopped by the Judicial Guard just in time, their face filled with regret and despair.
The noise in the training ground also gradually died down.
……
Up on the high platform, the discussions immediately quieted down as Xia Hanshi walked in. Countless gazes were cast his way, each filled with various unspoken meanings.
“Only six have arrived. Where are the other three?”
Xia Hanshi said languidly, finding a place to sit for himself.
“The Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth haven’t returned yet. You’re late, too.”
The middle-aged man in the main seat spoke in a level tone. He had a ruddy complexion, a beard, and an air of authority without being angry. The most striking feature, however, was the crimson mark between his eyebrows.
The Chief Judge—Chong Jingtian!
“I was delayed by some business on the road.” Xia Hanshi said nonchalantly, his gaze falling upon the figure standing in the center of the field. His tone was filled with admiration. “Such a commanding presence. Truly worthy of an Ink Jade Level Talent.”
“Fourth, you’ve taken on a fine student.”
The Fourth Judge, Wei Yinsuo, had long, thin cheeks like a shoehorn and a gloomy expression. “Pure luck. I hear that you, Judge Xia, have also taken on a fine student.”
“Can’t compare to yours. Just a Double Red Gold.” Xia Hanshi waved his hand dismissively and fell into deep thought. “Second’s student… she was taken on three years ago, right?”
“Four years ago…” Chong Jingtian corrected.
“To produce just one Ink Jade in four years, how rare.” Xia Hanshi said with a look of sudden realization. “However, I heard you’ve been staying in Ying Feng this whole time. And the Fengping City Lord doesn’t seem to be one of your people. How did this prospect end up in your hands?”
Wei Yinsuo’s eyelid twitched. He said coldly, “What are you trying to say?”
Xia Hanshi still looked completely nonchalant. “Nothing much. Just asking. A man should get out more. What’s the point of always hiding in your shell like a coward?”
Wei Yinsuo’s expression turned ugly. He said in a low voice, “Xia Hanshi, do you have any idea how many Subordinate City Lords submitted protests to Ying Feng while you were away?”
“You didn’t even file a report before directly removing the City Lord of Southwind. You issued deployment orders to other cities without going through the Judicial Court, and then when their troops were halfway there, you told them to turn back.”
“Anyone who didn’t know better would think you run the Judicial Court! The Elder Council has questioned us several times, and the Judicial Court has been under immense pressure!”
“AHEM…” Yuan Poshan, who had been watching the drama unfold from the side, had to speak up. Even though he had his own minor conflicts with Xia Hanshi, the one taking over was his student, after all.
“The situation in Ying Feng was special and required special handling. With both a Priest and a Black Tuo Statue appearing, swift and decisive action was necessary. It’s understandable, understandable.”
“The Elder Council’s questioning was just for show, for the benefit of the Subordinate Cities.”
“Third really got a piece of the pie this time.” A middle-aged woman next to them spoke, her expression grim. Zhang Hongbo was her student.
The Second Judge—You Shan.
“Second Sister…” Yuan Poshan said, looking a bit embarrassed.
“His family colluded with the Deceitful God Sect. The fact that Zhang Hongbo is still alive is already giving you plenty of face.” Xia Hanshi didn’t pull any punches. You Shan snorted coldly but said no more.
Xia Hanshi continued at a leisurely pace, “As for you, Fourth, why are you in such a hurry? Could it be a guilty conscience? I haven’t even asked you about Zhou Xian yet. You haven’t been colluding with the Deceitful God Sect, have you?”
“You…” Wei Yinsuo flew into a rage and shot to his feet. This was a blatant humiliation.
A grin spread across Xia Hanshi’s lips as he tilted his head and stared at him. “Fourth, care to take this outside?”
Wei Yinsuo froze.
“Enough!” Chong Jingtian finally spoke, his expression grave. “The matter of Southwind is settled. Do not bring it up again.”
“The Judicial Court assessment is about to begin. Just watch.”
Xia Hanshi’s expression grew serious, and he said no more.
Wei Yinsuo’s already gloomy face was now ashen with rage.
But after sitting down, a cold sneer appeared on his lips. ’So what if Xia Hanshi has the upper hand for now?’
’Just wait. My student will win it all back!’
……
Down in the training ground, the numerous candidates for the assessment stood in place, surrounded by the Judicial Guard. The audience stands had also fallen silent.
“It’s finally starting.” Pang Xingwen stretched, looked at Zhu Xuan, and said with a touch of flattery, “Boss, this is your home turf. Time to let these country bumpkins have their eyes opened and see what a real gap in power looks like.”
Chu Yunze, however, lowered his voice. “Has Judge Wei given you a definite answer?”
“The Judicial Court has always had only four Core Seeds, all of them the most outstanding members. Currently, one has an Ink Jade Level Talent. The other three have Red Gold Talents, but the longest-serving one has been in that position for eight years and is deeply entrenched.”
“If they don’t make an exception and add a fifth Core Seed, given your situation, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a long time for an opportunity.”
The Chief Judge is only ever chosen from among the Core Seeds. At the same time, the Chief Judge is also a member of the Elder Council, one of the Sovereigns of Ying Feng.
This was why they had gathered around Zhu Xuan.
“Not yet. My teacher told me he’s only fifty percent confident.” Zhu Xuan looked up slightly toward the high platform.
“Fifty percent… is enough,” Chu Yunze said in a low voice. “In the upcoming assessment, you absolutely must go all out. Create a big enough shock to stun everyone.”
“No one in this group can pose a threat to you. You are the ceiling. The higher you raise it, the better. Leave the other Judges speechless, especially… Judge Xia.”
Zhu Xuan naturally understood this and nodded slightly.
To the side, Pang Xingwen’s eyes flickered. He said, “Hard to say. Isn’t there a Double Red Gold over there? He rejected our recruitment offer so decisively before. I’m afraid he’s quite confident in himself.”
Chu Yunze glanced at him with a frown and shook his head. “His background isn’t good. His Tier One was an Upper-tier Profession. His foundation is insufficient.”
Zhu Xuan’s expression remained placid, as if no one was worthy of his attention.
The Judicial Guard had already entered the field, instructing everyone to spread out. Su Chen followed their directions to the very front of the training ground. He glanced back and saw the others gathered in the distance.
’Are they grouping us by Talent?’ There were only five people in their row: Zhu Xuan, Pang Xingwen, Chu Yunze, Meng Qi, and himself.
Their assessment was the most eye-catching, and it would also be the first to begin.
“Your Talents were more or less calculated back in the Subordinate Cities, so there will be no further Talent testing. If anyone believes their assessment was inaccurate, they may request a re-evaluation after the assessment is over.” The person in charge of the assessment stepped forward and announced:
“We will now begin the combat assessment.”
Su Chen roughly understood the situation. The combat assessment was to see if people like them had wasted their Talents.
Even in a place like Ying Feng, there was no equipment to measure the degree of a profession’s development in detail. Professionals themselves could only make a rough estimate, so it could basically only be proven through actual combat.
