My Professions Have Too Much Personality

He had a nagging feeling that something was off. It seemed Lan Hao and Lin Yue knew something he didn’t.

Qing Cang felt it was strange too. He kept glancing over, a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

After exchanging a few more words with Lan Hao, Lin Yue also sensed that the atmosphere was off and fell silent.

With the sudden quiet, Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

Before long, the ship connected to the port’s guidance rail with a loud CLANG, and a voice came over the channel:

“Please be aware, you have docked at a high-level berth of the Balance Dao Central Hub. Please cease all ship operations, shut down combat systems, and extinguish the propulsion engines. Please leave everything else to us.”

They had taken a high-speed channel, so there was no need to queue or undergo routine inspections.

VMMMM—

The ship slotted into the berth as several mechanical arms extended out to clamp onto its hull.

The cabin door opened, the gangway extended, and Su Chen and the others followed Qing Cang down.

Although giant metal plates cordoned off the area from the other berths to create a private space, the loud, grinding clang of metal on metal still reached them, transmitted through the vibrating floor.

A group of people was already waiting below. At their head was a refined older man in a well-tailored, wine-red suit. A gentle smile on his face, he quickened his pace to greet Qing Cang.

“Lord Qing Cang, you’ve finally returned.” The gentle smile on the man’s face turned warm as he masterfully positioned himself at Qing Cang’s side, falling into step with him.

His gaze, however, swept over Su Chen, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

“That’s the person in charge of the Balance Dao Central Hub. I think his name is Yuan Fusheng,” Lan Hao said in a low voice.

Yuan Fusheng followed at Qing Cang’s side, explaining helplessly, “My sincerest apologies. We did our best to coordinate, but that Nether Fog was smack dab in the middle of the shipping lane. Sending people to disperse it would have taken about the same amount of time as just waiting.”

Qing Cang’s expression was indifferent. “It couldn’t be helped. Waiting was the only option.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Your Lordship. Accommodations have been arranged. Please, follow me.” Yuan Fusheng’s attitude was very deferential as he led the group away from the port and onto a prepared luxury hovercar.

It was a full ten meters long. Inside, long sofas lined the walls, and the ceiling was high enough for a person to stand comfortably. There was ample room to move around, and several attendants with slender, graceful figures stood by.

Xia Jie and the others remained on the spaceship, with only a few guards accompanying the main group. This was partly because their ship needed to be resupplied—its various materials and Compressed Energy Blocks were nearly depleted. It was also to prevent anyone from snooping on the ship’s data.

’The difference between this place and Ying Feng really isn’t that big…’

On the hovercar, Su Chen looked down through the window. The buildings near the docking port were sparse, and some surfaces were even starting to show rust.

“When we first arrived in Ying Feng, Master Qing sighed with admiration. Your world is not that different from some interstellar cities,” Lan Hao said, sounding as if he genuinely wanted to be friends with Su Chen.

’This guy… he has a response for everything. I’m really not used to him being this friendly.’

“These so-called battlefield ruins, what kind of battlefield left them behind?” Su Chen asked.

“Either from wars with the Deceitful Gods or from infighting between factions,” Lin Yue explained, then added, “But the ruins on Red Thunder Star are a little different. There are too many Holy Word Stones.”

The others didn’t seem to be able to give a clear explanation, so Su Chen didn’t press the issue.

Listening to the others’ casual discussion, Su Chen learned that the shallow layers of the Nether Fog Realm had been more or less explored. The cost of going deeper was not proportional to the rewards, so the Si Xing Group now only dealt in guide and hub services.

Red Thunder Star’s location was no longer considered part of the shallow layers.

As they approached the central area, the surrounding buildings finally started to take on the atmosphere of an interstellar city. Skyscrapers stood shoulder to shoulder like colossal beasts wrapped in shiny silver alloy, and the seductive movements of virtual dancers were extremely bold.

Soon, Yuan Fusheng arranged for them to stay in the best hotel in the Balance Dao Central Hub, in the most luxurious rooms on the top floor—one for each person.

“If any of you need anything, just inform the front desk.” After making the arrangements, Yuan Fusheng took his people and boarded the elevator.

It wasn’t until he had gone downstairs and exited the lobby that he glanced back up, the smile finally disappearing from his face.

He led his men, boarded a flying device, and drifted off into the distance.

In the vehicle, the subordinate sitting next to him suddenly began to convulse. Wisps of black and red energy flowed out of his body.

But Yuan Fusheng was not surprised, merely watching quietly.

Soon, the overflowing streams of energy condensed into an illusory figure, covering the surface of his subordinate’s body. Its features were blurry and indistinct.

“Master,” Yuan Fusheng said, rising and bowing.

“They’re here?” the black and red illusory figure asked, its voice hoarse and grating.

“Yes, Qing Cang’s party just arrived. The newly born Star Seed is with them,” Yuan Fusheng reported.

“And how did it go?” the black-red phantom asked.

Yuan Fusheng said thoughtfully, “Qing Cang doesn’t seem to suspect anything and is willing to wait ten days. As for the new Star Seed, there doesn’t appear to be anything remarkable about him.”

“Spiritual… Spiritual… Spiritual…” the black and red phantom suddenly lamented. “How exactly does one gain the favor of the Spiritual?”

“A native from a Desolate Planet can succeed, so why can’t I even catch its eye?”

“The Spiritual is fickle and hard to fathom,” Yuan Fusheng said, then asked tentatively, “Right now, it’s just Qing Cang alone. Shouldn’t we make a move?”

“We snatch the Spiritual, kill the Star Seed, and hide in the Nether Fog. Rumor has it that the Bronze Sect’s Flame Fire is already on the verge of collapse. Once the Flame Fire is extinguished, we can make a comeback.”

“Rumors…” The black-red phantom chuckled. “Restrain your greed. We only need to hold them here for ten days and take our share. That will be enough.”

“The intelligence from the Royal Court is full of holes. I don’t believe Qing Cang alone could force Ni Chuan to stand down.”

“Treat them well,” the black-red phantom said, and then dispersed.

“Yes,” Yuan Fusheng nodded. When he looked up, the subordinate sitting next to him was no longer breathing.

…

In the room, Su Chen had just given it a cursory look—all sorts of facilities were available, including a conduction area compatible with the Spiritual Pressure Ring—when he was summoned by Qing Cang.

“You want me to go to the Prophet Council and buy a current events report?” Su Chen looked at Qing Cang, surprised.

’Under these circumstances, shouldn’t we stay inside as much as possible to stay safe?’

“I want to gauge the situation and see how many parties are spying on us in the shadows,” Qing Cang said bluntly.

Su Chen then understood. This was to use him as bait. He didn’t object.

’Right now, there’s only one goal: to reach the Bronze Sect safely.’

’The more information Qing Cang has, the better he can plan, and in a way, the safer we’ll be.’

’Besides, it would be great if I could complete my class requirements ahead of schedule.’

“You’re probably not familiar with this place. Have Lan Hao… accompany you. I’ve noticed he’s been much friendlier to you,” Qing Cang said, also intending to test Lan Hao.

“Alright.” Su Chen thought of what Lan Hao had said earlier and nodded in agreement.

Immediately after, Qing Cang called Lan Hao over.

When Lan Hao learned the reason for the summons, his heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Su Chen and said hesitantly, “This… is it really a good idea for the two of us to go out so rashly?”

’I don’t mind getting closer to Su Chen, but I really don’t want to do anything risky.’

Qing Cang shook his head. “Security in the Balance Dao Central Hub is quite good. You won’t be in any danger.”

“Alright.” Seeing that Qing Cang wasn’t giving him a chance to refuse, Lan Hao couldn’t help but feel a surge of resentment.

’Who knows how many eyes are focused on Su Chen. If I go out with him, I’ll definitely get caught in the crossfire to some degree.’

’What if…’

Once they were out the door, Lan Hao remembered his father’s instructions and could only adjust his attitude before heading out with Su Chen.

The hotel had flying devices ready for them to use for transportation.

“The Prophet Council… should be at…” Lan Hao was selecting the coordinates on a virtual screen.

“This Prophet Council, what is it exactly?” Su Chen, knowing nothing about the outside world, didn’t hesitate to ask.

“It’s an intelligence organization that spans the entire Dust Star Sea,” Lan Hao explained. “You can buy almost any piece of information you want from them.”

“An intelligence organization…” Su Chen was thoughtful, but also found it strange. “Do you have to buy it offline? Isn’t there some kind of website where you can buy it with one click?”