My Professions Have Too Much Personality

"What have you found out about the matter I asked you to investigate?" Su Chen asked, glancing at him.

"Ah, Qin Tianlin. I did find some clues," Lan Hao said. "He’s been looking for people who were once in the top one hundred of the Holy List but have since fallen off the path of professional advancement for various reasons—either due to injury or indulging in pleasure."

"These people don’t get much attention in the Sect on a daily basis. A few have already gone to the Qin Family’s base, but there’s been no news from them since."

’The old, the weak, the sick, and the crippled...’ Su Chen’s eyes shifted. ’What on earth is this Qin Tianlin up to?’

"You’ve done well." Su Chen looked at Lan Hao. "Now I have another task for you."

’As I expected...’ Lan Hao’s heart sank. He could faintly sense that the strange aura around the other man was growing stronger, but he could only brace himself and reply, "Please, go on."

"Take this..." Su Chen held out his hand. In his palm was a transparent, fingernail-sized bead. It was deep, dark, and crystal clear.

"Deliver it to a man named Qin Guang."

"Qin Guang?" Lan Hao’s head snapped up. He didn’t know what this thing did, but he was sure it was nothing good.

He hesitated, resisting. "Sir, Qin Guang is Qin Yun’s son and Qin Tianlin’s father. This is a matter of great importance..."

"That’s right," Su Chen interrupted him. "You’ve fulfilled my request, but I have yet to give you your blessing."

"A blessing?" Lan Hao was stunned. Before he could react, a thick stream of crimson mist shot out from the man before him and plunged into his body.

’What is this stuff?’ he thought, startled. He was about to make a move when his expression wavered, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in shock, "This... how is this possible?"

He suddenly had a feeling. One of the requirements for the Tier Six Main Profession he was preparing to complete had somehow been fulfilled by more than half.

’This... this... this is the power of a Deceitful God?’

Although he had heard that the Deceitful God possessed all sorts of unfathomable powers, the man before him was the first Deceitful God’s Follower he had ever encountered. He had no real concept of what that meant.

’This is too incredible...’

He was shaken to his core. No wonder so many people, willingly or not, fell into the embrace of the Deceitful God.

That requirement had been quite troublesome, needing a massive mobilization of manpower and resources, but now it was more than halfway done in an instant.

The time and energy he would have had to expend were cut by more than half. ’This really is a blessing!’

’It seems to have worked out well.’ Seeing Lan Hao’s reaction, Su Chen understood.

He could control Divine Power to influence the Pseudo-Spirituality perception attached to a Professional, thereby affecting their profession’s requirements, but this kind of influence was highly unpredictable.

Even though he had used the Crimson Divine Power, which the system panel had deemed capable of weakening the difficulty, he couldn’t be certain of the outcome.

But it seemed Lan Hao’s luck was quite good.

’This is good, too. It saves me the trouble of using harsher methods.’

"Do you have anything else to say?" Su Chen extended his hand, and the transparent bead in it floated over.

Lan Hao’s expression was conflicted as he stared at the small, transparent bead before him.

He had been on the verge of deciding to go back and confess everything, but this "blessing" now made him hesitate.

’If it’s just Qin Guang, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Although he’s an important figure, he himself isn’t highly regarded. Plus, he’s greedy and lecherous, always accepting all sorts of gifts. As long as I’m careful, I probably won’t be discovered...’

’If I can receive similar blessings in the future, my progress to Tier Six will be drastically shortened, and beyond that...’

His heart pounded. Gritting his teeth, he took the dark bead and nodded. "I understand."

"Very good." Su Chen nodded in satisfaction. "You will not regret the decision you’ve made today."

This was the method he had devised. The transparent bead was called an [Erosion Sphere], created by consuming one portion of High-tier Faceless Ghost Divine Power. Its main purpose was to guide the Centipede Dragon.

The Faceless Ghost was extremely skilled at Concealment. Using its Divine Power to create the sphere would minimize the chances of it being discovered prematurely.

He would have Lan Hao deliver this thing to Qin Guang, then have the Centipede Dragon make its move. The entire process would have no connection to him.

As for Lan Hao... if he was discovered, so be it. As the fourth sequence of the Phoenix, he would have to endure at least three years at his current level anyway.

In the short term, he couldn’t hope to obtain his fifth profession.

Besides, he didn’t have a good impression of the man anyway.

...

「A few days later, on Cloud Dragon Star.」

At the Qin Family’s base, patrolling Soldiers in heavy combat armor were everywhere.

Deep inside one of the brightly lit buildings, Qin Guang walked down a long corridor with a conflicted expression. He arrived at a metal door, hesitated for a moment, and then knocked.

"Come in," a cold voice said from within the room.

He walked in and said in a low voice, "Tianlin, everything is ready."

Standing in the room was none other than Qin Tianlin, his expression indifferent and cold.

"Then let’s go." Qin Tianlin didn’t even look at him, walking straight toward the door.

"Tianlin!" Qin Guang suddenly called out to him, hesitating. "Isn’t this a bit too risky? Although their status isn’t very high right now, they are ultimately members of the Sect. If someone investigates and finds out..."

"So what if they find out?" Qin Tianlin finally looked at his father, his gaze icy. A faint purple light flashed and vanished deep within his pupils.

A chill went through Qin Guang’s heart. For some reason, he felt that his son had undergone a world-shaking change ever since his defeat by Su Chen.

"Some risks must be taken," Qin Tianlin said indifferently. "Otherwise, you’ll just be like you are now—cautiously watching a few small-fry, or threatening others not to work for Su Chen. Do you really think that will have any effect?"

"You..." Qin Guang’s face flushed red and pale. In the past, Qin Tianlin had never been warm toward him, but he had never been so mocking, either. After all, he was still Tianlin’s father.