"Kneel." The voice was indifferent, but Pang Xingwen’s knees went weak. He collapsed onto the carpet with a thud, not daring to look up, his eyes fixed on a pair of black leather shoes. "Father..."
"Who gave you permission to send soone after him?" The voice was calm, yet it carried an innate authority.
"Father, I just wanted to gather so information..." Pang Xingwen explained hastily, his forehead slick with cold sweat. "He killed Zhou Xian, cutting off one of our family’s sources of inco. I just..."
"Zhou Xian was colluding with the Deceitful God Sect. He deserved to die!"
The voice turned frigid. Sothing thudded against the floor and ca rolling over.
Pang Xingwen’s pupils shrank. A pale, severed head had rolled to a stop right in front of him, its wide eyes staring, unable to rest in peace.
"Pang Qi!" he cried out, his voice trembling. "How is he dead!?"
This was the very man he had sent to track Su Chen. He had vanished a few days prior, and despite searching for days, there had been no trace of him. To think the next ti they t, he would be dead.
"Father, he dared to commit murder! He... he..." Pang Xingwen stamred, as if grasping at straws.
His father, however, seed unconcerned. Looking down at him, he said, "Go and apologize to him. I don’t care what it takes. Even if you have to kneel, you will get his forgiveness. Then, invite him to the family banquet tomorrow. I will diate this personally."
"If you can’t get him to co, don’t bother coming back."
"Father!" Pang Xingwen couldn’t stop himself from looking up at the expressionless middle-aged man, his expression one of disbelief. "I am your son! And you are the Vice Minister of Inspection for Ying Feng!"
"Even if I accidentally offended him, surely it hasn’t co to this? Zhu Xuan isn’t incapable of standing up to him, and who knows what the future holds?"
’How could Father be this cowardly?’
"Do you not understand ?" The middle-aged man looked down, his voice almost devoid of any emotion. "If he doesn’t co, you don’t co back."
"I..." Pang Xingwen gritted his teeth. In the end, he didn’t dare to resist. "I understand," he said, defeated.
The door closed. The middle-aged man suddenly spoke. "Are you sure it’s him?"
"The divine oracle said that the target would co from Southwind—the most unique, the most conspicuous one."
"Is there anyone more unique, more conspicuous than him?"
A voice suddenly echoed through the room, its source unknown.
...
"Two Ink Jade Level Talents appearing at the sa ti... Jingtian, my congratulations."
"The Judicial Court truly is the pillar that supports our Ying Feng."
"..."
In the silent, spacious room, five people sat facing one another. Among them was Chong Jingtian.
He was in a good mood, and though he could tell the others’ praise wasn’t entirely sincere, he paid it no mind. Instead, his expression grew solemn.
"A Talent is only potential, not a guarantee of success. For now, we have another matter to discuss."
"The Judicial Court has discovered that the Deceitful God Sect is planning a joint operation. So far, we have confird the involvent of Black Tuo, the Faceless Ghost, and the Crimson Pillar. Their goals are anything but small..."
As Chong Jingtian spoke, the other four grew grave as well.
"Furthermore, they have collaborators inside the city..."
...
The Judicial Court was enormous, and their pace was unhurried. By the ti night fell, Gu Bing had led him deep into the compound, stopping before a standalone villa.
This was the Chief Judge’s residence. It was utterly silent, and Gu Bing even seed to hold her breath.
’The hierarchy in the Judicial Court is so distinct,’ Su Chen thought to himself.
’It’s a structure that’s been in place for years, designed to motivate those at the bottom to climb the ladder.’
On the way here, they had run into several Senior Judges, and Gu Bing had stopped to greet them every ti.
When she introduced him, their expressions would invariably shift. Even the coldest among them would manage to squeeze out a smile for him.
"The supply of Potions is a long-term need. Regardless of whether the Court decides to provide Potions for two Professions, one vial a day might not be enough. If the Court is unwilling to break precedent, my family could offer so assistance..."
Gu Bing finally spoke, her voice hesitant, just as he was about to enter the villa.
"Oh?" Su Chen stopped and turned back to Gu Bing. She avoided his gaze, speaking in a low voice, "One of my ancestors was a Minister of Inspection. Though our family has declined in recent years, we can still offer so assistance."
"I understand." Su Chen gave a slight nod. After seeing Gu Bing off, he turned back around.
’Favors demand repaynt.’ Su Chen didn’t mind leveraging his status for a few perks, but he was still a newcor. ’Ying Feng’s power structure is a tangled ss; I need to understand it better before I do anything.’
The front door slid open automatically as he stepped into the villa. The living room was spartan, containing only a single off-white sofa.
Xia Hanshi was coming up from the basent, shirtless. His skin was withered and gaunt, looking almost devoid of flesh, yet he radiated the aura of a ferocious tiger. Veins throbbed visibly beneath his skin.
To Su Chen’s senses, the man’s Life Magnetic Field was terrifyingly powerful.
Several slender won waited to the side, ready to hand him his clothes.
’Are those all chanical puppets?’ Su Chen had thought Old Xia had so surprising hobbies, but a closer look revealed the won were rely automatons.
Another man stood nearby. It wasn’t Bu Siqi. This one was dark-skinned and silent. He rely glanced up when Su Chen arrived before looking away.
"So, you’re here." Xia Hanshi finished dressing, and the violent Life Magnetic Field around him vanished instantly. He reverted to looking like an old man with one foot in the grave. "A Celestial-Appointed Translator... You’re full of secrets, kid."
"I only found out after I arrived in Ying Feng. I couldn’t figure it out before either..." As soon as Xia Hanshi spoke, Su Chen knew that Old Xia understood why his Talent had suddenly beco Ink Jade Level.
"Got your hands on the Saint class, then?" Although Xia Hanshi posed it as a question, his tone was one of certainty.
"Yes, I’ll recite them for you now." Su Chen imdiately relayed the prerequisites for the Saint class. However, he omitted the detail that the "Do no harm to living things" requirent would remain a constraint on the Professional even after their advancent.
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