My Professions Have Too Much Personality

’Running into a teacher who had high hopes for you and them asking how you’re doing, years after graduation... What rotten luck.’

Su Chen watched from the side, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

’The situation was plain to see, yet he still had to ask. It just went to show how conflicted the man felt.’

Qing Cang didn’t elaborate, stating coolly, "It’s simple. Fan Zhao colluded with the Deceitful God’s Sons to assassinate the Star Seed, Su Chen, and I caught him in the act."

"No!" Fan Zhao struggled on the ground, his voice hoarse, yet he still denied it adamantly. "I never intended to do such a thing!"

There are many situations that involve colluding with the Deceitful God’s Followers, and many ways to handle them, but assassinating a Star Seed undoubtedly warranted the harshest punishment.

It was a charge he couldn’t bear.

"Even now, you still won’t admit it? I’ve already captured Fang Luoxun. A forced memory search will make it perfectly clear whether he was acting on your orders," Qing Cang said coldly.

Fan Zhao froze, his heart filled with both anger and regret. If he had truly been targeting Su Chen from the start, he would have been far more meticulous. He never would have appeared here, nor would he have sent Fang Luoxun.

Instead, he would have sent someone who had absolutely no idea of his identity. But the matter arose suddenly. Su Chen’s appearance was a complete surprise, and of all things, the Divine Sons were here as well.

This seemingly perfect opportunity presented itself, which led to this risky venture.

"Nothing left to say?" Qing Cang sneered.

"I wasn’t after Su Chen!" Fan Zhao gritted his teeth, his words tinged with a hint of sorrowful indignation. "I did secretly contact the Deceitful God’s Followers, but at first, it wasn’t to deal with Su Chen!"

Never mind Qing Cang. Even Su Chen, standing to the side, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’The evidence is ironclad. I’d like to see how Fan Zhao tries to argue his way out of this.’

"Since you’ve admitted to colluding with the Deceitful God, there’s nothing more to be said." Qing Cang’s expression was icy.

"No! The reason I colluded with the Deceitful God is because the Sect is unjust!" Fan Zhao shrieked, his voice cracking. "The Spiritual Fire was stolen right in front of me, but Chu Lingyuan turned a deaf ear! The investigation was a complete sham! What else was I supposed to do?

"Junior Master Qing Cang, if it were you, what would you have done? The chance to forge a Holy Profession just vanished into thin air. Would you have just accepted it? Wouldn’t you have wanted to get to the bottom of it, to find some answers?"

Fan Zhao grew more and more agitated as he spoke.

Hearing this, Su Chen quietly took a step back. ’This guy got in touch with the Deceitful God’s Followers just to find the Spiritual Fire?’

’So, Fan Zhao wasn’t actually after me. He was just investigating the disappearance of the Spiritual Fire. That in itself isn’t a huge crime, which explains why he came in person.’

’He only heard I was here by chance and had a sudden impulse to have those two make a move.’

"Seriously..." Su Chen was at a loss for words once he understood the full picture.

Qing Cang frowned. He also knew about the theft of the Spiritual Fire. It was indeed quite strange, but he only said:

"You say the Sect was unjust, but everything that could be investigated was. All personnel cooperated. None of the people you suspected have forged a Holy Profession. What do you want the Sect to do?"

The Nether Realm is inherently bizarre; many things happen without rhyme or reason. Fan Zhao might have just been incredibly unlucky.

"Besides, that’s no excuse for you to collude with the Deceitful God."

Qing Cang gave Fan Zhao no further opportunity to speak, sealing his mouth. Fan Zhao struggled relentlessly, but it was no use.

With the situation involving Qin Yun also on his mind, he decided against a private interrogation. Besides, the evidence in this case was ironclad and irrefutable. It was only natural to take Fan Zhao back for a public trial by the Sect.

Song Gang stood to the side, not daring to utter a word, cowering like a frightened quail.

"Also..." Qing Cang didn’t finish his sentence. His gaze swept over the two corpses of the Divine Sons and he froze. His eyes flickered as he walked over to the bodies, studying them from all angles with a thoughtful expression.

Su Chen’s heart skipped a beat. ’Did he find out?’

"Who moved their bodies just now?" Qing Cang asked.

"No one touched them. I’ve been watching the whole time," Su Chen immediately replied, then asked, "What’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing. I just have a vague feeling something’s wrong." Qing Cang shook his head, his brow furrowed. ’I already sent these two’s consciousnesses back to the Nether Realm,’ he thought. ’They shouldn’t be able to pull any tricks...’

However, out of caution, he still looked at Su Chen and asked, "Have you felt anything unusual?"

"No." Su Chen shook his head.

Qing Cang walked up to him. A green light flashed in his pupils, and only then did he seem to relax.

But Su Chen felt a chill run through him. He then heard Qing Cang admonish, "In the future, don’t touch things related to the Deceitful God so carelessly."

"It’s not a big deal," Su Chen said with a smile. "I came into contact with them a lot on Red Thunder Star. As long as you maintain a certain level of caution, there won’t be any problems."

"That’s true." Qing Cang then remembered that Su Chen was no hothouse flower protected in the Sect since childhood, but had been forged and tempered on Red Thunder Star.

"Song Gang," he called out.

Song Gang hurriedly responded, "Here!"

"Collect these two bodies and prepare two prison cages. I’m taking them back with me," Qing Cang ordered.

"Yes." Song Gang nodded again and again, then hurried to have his men prepare everything.

Qing Cang, meanwhile, walked over to the pile of objects Su Chen had collected. He glanced at them and rattled off a series of names:

"Corpse Skull, Rotting Bone Orchid... Quite the preparation."

With that, he sneered. ’That fool Fan Zhao. Did he really think he could get help from the Deceitful God for free?’

’I wonder what they were trying to accomplish this time, using Fan Zhao as a pawn.’

’Two Divine Sons acting in concert is no small matter. Fan Zhao just said killing Su Chen was a spur-of-the-moment decision. If Su Chen hadn’t left the Sect’s core, this whole incident wouldn’t have occurred.’

’In that case, what were those two originally planning to do?’

As Qing Cang’s thoughts swirled, an inexplicable frustration grew within him. Qin Yun had stirred up huge trouble, and the long-dormant Deceitful God had now fixed its gaze on the Bronze Sect... It felt as if a storm was brewing.

Suppressing his thoughts, Qing Cang turned and admonished Su Chen again, "From now on, do not leave the Sect’s core under any circumstances."

"Understood," Su Chen replied. If he hadn’t wanted to eliminate those two Divine Sons, he wouldn’t have left the Sect in the first place.

Then, Qing Cang’s gaze fell on Teng Liang. He called him over and asked him about how he had sensed the Divine Sons.

To avoid complications, Su Chen hadn’t told his senior brother anything.

Therefore, when facing Qing Cang’s questions, Teng Liang couldn’t give any clear answers. As for how he sensed the Divine Sons or what triggered it, everything he said was ambiguous.

Having failed to get any useful information, Qing Cang mused for a moment, then looked at Su Chen. "This senior brother of yours..."

Su Chen quickly said, "Senior Brother Qing Cang, I must ask you not to leak this matter. Otherwise, who knows what kind of malicious rumors will spread within the Sect."

Hearing Su Chen call him Senior Brother again, Qing Cang glanced at the embarrassed-looking Teng Liang, feeling a bit conflicted. In a way, he and Teng Liang were considered part of the same generation.

The Ancient King’s youngest disciple suddenly said irritably, "I know, I know."

Now that Fan Zhao was captured, Qing Cang didn’t plan to stay on Canglan Star for long. He would leave as soon as Song Gang had everything ready.

......

"This is your ship?"

At the Star Port, Qing Cang looked at the mottled, gray-black ship before him, an expression of disdain on his face.

"You didn’t take a ship here?" Su Chen asked in surprise.

"You told me it was best not to alert anyone, so I concealed my presence and crossed space with my physical body," Qing Cang said lightly.

"Fair enough." Su Chen shrugged, watching as Song Gang’s subordinates pushed the Divine Sons’ corpses and the metal cages holding Fang Luoxun and Fan Zhao into his small, shabby spaceship.

Meanwhile, Song Gang walked over and said in a low voice, "Master Qing, we just received news that the Star Gate to the core has temporarily ceased operations. You may have to wait a while before you can leave."

"Ceased operations?" Qing Cang frowned. "What’s the reason?"

Song Gang hesitated, then shook his head. "They’re saying it’s for maintenance."

"Maintenance?" Qing Cang’s face darkened. "What is the real reason?!"

Song Gang said helplessly, "Venerable Qin Yun has returned. To avoid causing a commotion, they’ve suspended all Star Gates that pass through the core."

"Qin Yun." A sharp glint flashed in Qing Cang’s eyes.

’So Qin Yun is back.’ Su Chen was also quite surprised.

’With this Venerable’s return, many things will have to be brought out into the open. The other Sects are bound to press for more answers about what happened in the Lost Flame.’

After a moment of thought, Qing Cang’s voice became frigid. "Establish a communication channel with the Sect. I want to speak with the person in charge of the Star Port."

Song Gang had already anticipated this. Others might have to make way for Qin Yun’s return, but Qing Cang didn’t have to.

However, he couldn’t make that call himself, so he had to inform Qing Cang and let him be the one to demand it.