My Professions Have Too Much Personality - Chapter 82: Double Red Gold

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Double Red Gold

“Hmph…” Xia Hanshi snorted coldly.

Zhang Hongbo’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He couldn’t help but think, ’After this punishment, on top of the previous compensation, Su Chen’s anger should be more or less appeased, right?’

Su Chen noticed Zhang Hongbo glancing his way from time to time. ’He must think I put him up to this.’

Xia Hanshi then said, “You, the little fatty, you can go now.”

Sun Tai was the only chubby person there. He shuddered, realizing Xia Hanshi was talking to him, and hastily said, “I’m going, I’m going right now.”

He hurried away, glancing back hesitantly at Su Chen as if to ask if he wasn’t leaving too.

Seeing Su Chen shake his head slightly, Sun Tai was confused but knew better than to ask. He could only tiptoe out and pull the door shut behind him.

However, just as the door clicked shut, he heard Su Chen begin to speak. “Teacher…”

’Teacher?’ Sun Tai froze. His first thought was, ’Has Minister Yuan returned?’

But he immediately dismissed the idea. Then, as if struck by lightning, the events that had just transpired flashed before his eyes.

Everything had happened so suddenly that he hadn’t had time to think inside. Only now did it all sink in, and a colorful series of expressions crossed his face.

’The student Judge Xia mentioned… was Su Chen?’

’Minister, your prize has been stolen!’

…

“Teacher, the City Lord was only trying to apprehend members of the Deceitful God Sect. His actions are understandable.”

Back in the room, Su Chen’s tone was placating.

Zhang Hongbo coughed dryly, spitting a bloody froth into the trash can, and looked up at him in surprise.

Xia Hanshi’s tone was calm. “Which is why he’s still alive. Bring the Talent Detector.”

“Yes.” Zhang Hongbo forced himself to endure the discomfort, activated his Wristband, and issued a command on the virtual screen.

“Elder Xia…” Zhang Hongbo took a few breaths, then braced himself and said, “Can you please think of a solution? We can’t just let the Deceitful God Sect wreak havoc in Southwind City.”

“Su Chen…” Xia Hanshi grinned. “You see? He’s the one who failed to investigate properly from the start, and now it’s suddenly my problem.”

“If I can’t come up with a solution, does that make me someone who disregards human life?”

Zhang Hongbo quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant.”

“Hmph…” Xia Hanshi sneered. “You say it’s not, so it’s not? If something really goes wrong in Southwind City, your teacher will definitely try to pin it on me to save you.”

“That’s how I got more than half of my fearsome reputation.”

He was explaining this to Su Chen. Now that Su Chen was his student, he couldn’t let him have too deep a misunderstanding of him.

Su Chen listened in silence. He hadn’t really believed what Gu Bing said, but he didn’t really believe what Old Xia himself was saying either.

Yang Yan and Gu Bing were breathing heavily, their expressions hesitant.

They had never worked with this man before. They were originally the only two assigned to this investigation; Xia Hanshi had joined them at the last minute.

Their knowledge of Xia Hanshi was based on rumors from the Judicial Court. Listening to him now, it seemed there was more to the story?

“If there’s a problem, solve it.” Xia Hanshi’s voice was deep. “Hoping for others to solve it for you is unrealistic. We don’t know Southwind. Where exactly that Priest is hiding is up to you to find out.”

“Based on my understanding of them, their hiding place is bound to be extremely secretive. If they want to summon a vessel for the Deceitful God, the preparations are very complicated. It would be impossible without a secret location.”

“Secretive?” Zhang Hongbo’s brows furrowed. “Southwind is only so big. What place could be that secretive?”

’A Deceitful God’s vessel? For Black Tuo?’

Hearing this, Su Chen, who was standing to the side, felt a growing sense of foreboding.

’I’ve already absorbed the power from the Deceitful Artifact several times. This guy isn’t descending just for me, is he?’

’Black Tuo’s Believers have been pouring resources into Southwind City. There’s a good chance it’s related to me.’

He mulled it over but didn’t speak rashly.

Just as Zhang Hongbo was about to say more, there was a knock on the door. His men had brought the Talent Detector.

“Come on.” Xia Hanshi opened it. Su Chen craned his neck to look and saw it was similar to the one Old Yuan had used last time.

He tossed out the Spirit Talent Detection Device. Everyone’s eyes turned to it. Su Chen had admitted to it last time, but he had never been officially tested.

Su Chen reached out and took it. Soon, a rich pillar of Red Gold light appeared above it.

No one was surprised. Xia Hanshi nodded in satisfaction.

’Still Red Gold… but it seems a bit richer.’ Su Chen muttered to himself. ’I thought it would be higher…’

’With a 100% boost from Wise Man and Scholar combined, even if my original Spirit Talent was Canyin, doubling it still didn’t break through the Red Gold level.’

“Let’s check your physical Talent as well, for the record.” Xia Hanshi thought for a moment, then tossed out another Detection Ball.

Su Chen reached out and took it.

Everyone had already looked away. Zhang Hongbo was busy thinking about where in Southwind could be secretive enough.

Xia Hanshi’s eyes glinted. He hadn’t expected to find a Red Gold prospect on this trip, and a refugee at that.

Because of his reputation, very few Red Gold prospects ever came his way, nor were they willing to become his students.

’His disposition seems decent. If nurtured properly, perhaps there’s a real chance…’

As he was pondering this, something flashed in his peripheral vision. ’Hm?’

Xia Hanshi snapped his head around, his gloomy eyes glowing like will-o’-the-wisps.

In Su Chen’s hand, a brilliant pillar of Red Gold light was shining brightly.

“His physical Talent is also Red Gold!?” Zhang Hongbo was stunned.

’Old Yuan, oh, Old Yuan, you really hide things deep. To think you were able to unearth such a good prospect.’

’A pity he belongs to someone else now.’

At this thought, Zhang Hongbo’s previously gloomy mood surprisingly lifted quite a bit.

“Double Red Gold? How rare…” Gu Bing’s eyes went vacant.

Yang Yan coughed twice, a sharp pain flaring in his abdomen. ’Elder Xia is still too shrewd. He only let me see Su Chen once, and just a few days later, he sensed something was off.’

’So my physical Talent has been raised to Red Gold Level…’ Su Chen himself wasn’t surprised.

“He was born to be my, Xia Hanshi’s, student.” Old Xia had already composed himself, but the suppressed excitement in his voice was still audible.

“Congratulations, Elder Xia,” Yang Yan said quickly. Gu Bing added, “The two of you were truly fated to be together.”

Zhang Hongbo was also smiling. “What’s meant for Elder Xia will ultimately be Elder Xia’s.”

Su Chen: “…”

Seeing that Xia Hanshi’s mood seemed to have improved, Zhang Hongbo seized the opportunity. “I’ve thought of a plan. Perhaps you could advise me on whether it would work.”

“Speak,” Xia Hanshi said, eyeing him.

Zhang Hongbo said, “Southwind is simply too large, and we’re stretched thin. It’s too late to get reinforcements from Ying Feng. I was wondering if you could requisition some manpower from the neighboring cities to support us.”

“They won’t send anyone,” Yang Yan frowned. “Even with an order from Ying Feng, they can make excuses. They can just claim to have found members of the Deceitful God Sect in their own territories. Why go save someone else if something happens on your own turf? Any casualties would be a tangible loss for them.”

Zhang Hongbo pursed his lips. He himself had used similar excuses to dodge orders from Ying Feng, so he naturally knew how those people would respond.

“He wants me to be the bad guy,” Xia Hanshi said indifferently. “The other City Lords aren’t afraid of being held accountable by Ying Feng. They can make their excuses, and at most, Ying Feng will reprimand them. But I’m different. I will actually show up at their door.”