My Profession is too Personal Chapter 196: A Minor Misunderstanding

Qingcang's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, looking as though it had been sared with a layer of dark ash.

Seeing him wave them off and sensing his suppressed fury, the crowd did not dare stick around to witness his miserable state. They quickly dispersed.

Wan Chen and the others cast a few backward glances before returning to the spaceship.

Su Chen, however, went to stroll around the nearby temporary settlent. It was quite large and heavily populated.

These settlents were not newly built. Ever since the ruins were discovered, the Four Cities had been constructing facilities nearby and stationing personnel here long-term.

This was not only to guard against other cities exploring in secret but also to prevent the area from being overrun by mutants again, which would cause trouble for future expeditions.

After years of continuous expansion, the overall infrastructure was quite comprehensive.

Each city stationed no fewer than a thousand professionals here. Supplies were delivered every six months, and the personnel rotated every three years.

Catering to the daily needs and dical care of these thousand people required several hundred logistics staff. Combined with the personnel brought in for the current expedition, the total population approached seven thousand.

Walking through the settlent, Su Chen even spotted a few young children. After asking Old Xia beside him, he learned that male and female professionals, lonely year-round, inevitably had their monts of indiscretion.

Because these stationed guards belonged to four mutually hostile cities, these liaisons often sparked significant conflicts.

Such disputes had only decreased since the Four Cities called a truce.

"That is truly..." Su Chen was left montarily speechless after hearing Old Xia's explanation.

Old Xia wore a dark expression, seemingly in a foul mood. The sight of his gloomy face caused a few toddling infants to burst into tears, and they were quickly carried away by their caretakers.

Old Xia's mood soured even further.

"What about the people trapped inside..." Su Chen, knowing the source of the man's distress, asked hesitantly.

"It has nothing to do with you," Xia Hanshi replied with a shake of his head, his deep-set eyes flickering. Judging from what Qingcang had said, this matter was already beyond Su Chen's ability to resolve.

He could only lant that they had known too little in the past, viewing things far too simply.

Xia Hanshi let out a heavy sigh, his chest tightening with anguish at the thought of the students he had personally sent inside.

Su Chen remained silent, unsure if the Ancient King could resolve the situation. Uncertain of the final outco, he refrained from rashly ntioning the Ancient King. Setting aside whether it could solve the problem, the only proof that an Ancient King was even accompanying them was Lan Hao's word alone.

Rather than giving hope only to have it replaced by despair, it was better to offer no hope at all.

The atmosphere grew oppressive. Su Chen changed the subject, asking when the power of the treacherous gods would be delivered.

Xia Hanshi pondered for a mont. "From Tianqing, which is the closest, it should arrive in about ten days. From Lieyang, the furthest, it will take over twenty days."

The Four Cities were located in different regions, so their arrival tis naturally varied.

Xia Hanshi voiced his thoughts, "This Cursed Fire and Punishing Thunder won't be resolved anyti soon. It would be best if we handle the matter of the treacherous gods' power without going through Qingcang."

"Once they arrive, I will have our people wait on the outskirts."

Su Chen shared the sa sentint. After chatting with Old Xia a bit more, he returned to the spaceship.

The settlent's infrastructure was decent, but it was rely habitable. He still needed to advance his class progression, so staying on Qingcang's ship was his best option.

However, Ming Lin chose to move out of the spaceship. With a bitter face, he explained, "I really can't get used to it. Living there makes feel incredibly restricted."

He wasn't referring to the living conditions, of course, but the psychological barrier. This group had absurdly imnse backing. Whenever he spoke to any of them, even the guards, he felt a subconscious sense of awe and dread.

He could only hole up in his room all day. But unlike Su Chen, who stayed in his room to advance his class progression, Ming Lin was simply hiding. The feeling was utterly agonizing.

At this point, he cast a complicated glance at Su Chen.

He still rembered when Su Chen first joined the Judgnt Court. When Ming Lin had first visited him and led him to the class repository, Su Chen's expression had been exactly the sa as it was now.

Back then, Su Chen had co from a lower-tier city under Yingfeng's rule, yet he held no reverence for Yingfeng or the Judgnt Court.

And now, facing the Royal Court and the Bronze Faction, he remained as composed as ever. Ming Lin genuinely envied such a powerful mindset, but alas, people were fundantally different.

Su Chen understood. He saw Ming Lin off, then returned to his room to continue advancing his class.

The current situation was beyond his ability to resolve. All he could do was dutifully improve his own strength.

Over the next few days, Qingcang continuously attempted to enter the Crimson Thunder Cauldron. The ti he spent inside gradually lengthened, proving he was delving deeper.

However, three or four days later, Su Chen was jolted awake by a frantic knocking at his door. Opening it, he found Xia Jie, the commander of the Bronze Cult Army brought by Qingcang.

This was the official military force of the Bronze Faction, the elite troops that governed thirty-seven life-bearing planets.

His expression was grave, his gaunt cheeks stern and cold, radiating a fierce, suffocating aura of killing intent. Holding a tal helt in his left hand, he asked the mont the door opened, "Have you seen Lan Hao today, or had any contact with him?"

"Lan Hao?" Su Chen was slightly startled. He shook his head. "No, I haven't."

"What happened?" he asked.

"Lan Hao is missing." Xia Jie shot him a glance. Before coming to ask, he had already reviewed the spaceship's security footage. Su Chen had been in his room these past few days, so he wasn't lying.

"Missing?" Su Chen looked bewildered, genuinely surprised.

Xia Jie didn't say another word and hurriedly left. Su Chen's mind raced, and he followed the man out of the spaceship. Outside, the sky had already grown dim.

The surrounding Nether Mist had turned into a boundless black abyss, with faint, beastly roars echoing from within.

Qingcang's face was grim. Chong Jingtian and the others were standing nearby.

"Then I'll have to trouble you all," Qingcang said, suppressing his anger, though a hint of suspicion lingered in his eyes as he looked at Chong Jingtian and his group.

Wan Chen had co down slightly earlier. Su Chen approached him to ask what was going on.

"Lan Hao left the ship this morning and hasn't returned," Wan Chen replied, his brows slightly furrowed. Even though he didn't get along with Lan Hao, this was still bad news.

Su Chen's expression shifted slightly. He glanced in the direction of Chong Jingtian's group and saw Old Xia standing at the back of the line, staring at him intently.

'Could it be Old Xia?' Su Chen was startled, unable to stop himself from speculating. Killing Lan Hao right now wasn't a wise choice; it would only invite unnecessary trouble.

Lin Yue had just co down. After figuring out the situation, her eyes also swept over the people from the Four Cities.

Only their two groups were in this area. Wan Chen and the others wouldn't have made a move, which ant it could only be Chong Jingtian's people.

Chong Jingtian and the others realized this as well. The anxiety on their faces wasn't faked. If they were frad for this ss, the consequences would be severe.

They directed the stationed guards to fan out into the surrounding Nether Mist, ostensibly to search for Lan Hao.

Wan Chen and the others didn't stand idle either; they joined the search party.

Qingcang's brows were tightly knitted as his gaze swept over the crowd. He couldn't think of any reason for soone to kill Lan Hao, but there was always the chance soone had been foolish.

If sothing had truly happened to Lan Hao while under his protection, the fallout would be imnse.

At this thought, he couldn't help but feel frustrated. He looked at the deep, dark surroundings. If only the Nether Mist didn't suppress ntal perception so heavily...

Su Chen mingled with the crowd, casually wandering into the Nether Mist.

Soon enough, the ntor and disciple coincidentally crossed paths.

At first, neither spoke. They walked deeper into the mist until there was no one else in sight. Only then did Xia Hanshi transmit a ntal fluctuation. "Did you leave any tracks?"

Su Chen froze. 'Old Xia thought it was too?'

He did harbor a significant covetous desire for Lan Hao's restoration-type class, but he hadn't found a suitable opportunity yet. Looking helpless, he replied ntally, "I was just about to ask you the sa thing."

Despite his words, he felt a wave of relief. As long as it wasn't Old Xia, everything was fine.

Although they had so conflicts with Lan Hao, if the guy died on the Crimson Thunder Star, there was no telling what the repercussions would be.

"That's good, then." Xia Hanshi also let out a sigh of relief. He had genuinely feared that Su Chen had grown too impatient to eliminate the threat. Then, he grew suspicious again. "If it wasn't you or , who else would have tried to kill him?"

That was a good question. Su Chen remained silent for a mont, unable to co up with an answer.

The two wandered through the Nether Mist for a long ti but found no clues, forcing them to turn back.

As a result, right after stepping out of the Nether Mist, they heard Qingcang shouting angrily, "You bastard! Wandering into the Nether Mist without leaving a single ssage!"

"I thought you were dead, your corpse torn to pieces!"

In front of the spaceship, Lan Hao was standing there, very much alive. Not far behind him lay the corpse of a black, hill-sized elephant, a thick stench of blood perating the air.

Lan Hao kept his head bowed, explaining, "I was just curious. After all, I've only ever read about this kind of planet in books, so I wanted to see what it was really like."

"But after entering the Nether Mist, I ended up getting a little lost."

"Curious!" Qingcang could no longer suppress his fury, reprimanding him sharply. "Why aren't you curious about how the treacherous gods were born?! If your Mist Cloak had been damaged, you'd be in for a world of pain when we get back!"

Lan Hao put on a helpless expression and ekly accepted the scolding.

Chong Jingtian and the others trickled back. Seeing that Lan Hao was still alive, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. But after learning the reason for his disappearance, they couldn't help but curse him in their minds.

'Curious my ass! I was almost driven insane with worry!'

"There's sothing off about this kid," Xia Hanshi noted as he and Su Chen stood at a distance, his gaze profound. "Judging by how congealed the blood is on that elephant corpse, it's been dead for at least half a day."

"The mutants around here were cleared out ages ago. He must have wandered quite far, yet after killing it, he didn't return imdiately."

Since Lan Hao wasn't dead, no one paid attention to the ntal fluctuations between the two.

Su Chen's mind stirred. "What are you implying?"

"I don't know," Xia Hanshi said, shaking his head. "It's just a guess. Perhaps he really did just get lost."

Having caused a massive blunder, Qingcang ordered him to stay put and behave, but Lan Hao argued, "I'm just cooped up in my room with nothing to do. It's incredibly boring."

Qingcang paused. Lan Hao had given away his Spiritual Pressure Ring earlier to build a relationship with Su Chen.

Lin Yue tore her gaze away from the carcass, her hands itching for action. "Master Qing, it's rare for us to encounter an environnt like this. I am also quite curious. Please let us go out and hone our skills."

Qingcang frowned, but Wan Chen actually looked sowhat eager to try as well and chid in his agreent.

He pondered for a long ti but eventually shook his head.

However, the very next day, while Qingcang was deep inside the Crimson Thunder Cauldron, Lin Yue still snuck out and dragged back a massive boar with fur as tough as refined iron.

"This woman..." Su Chen leaned against the porthole, watching Lin Yue, who was covered in blood but wore an expression of absolute thrill. "Isn't she afraid her Mist Cloak will break?"

When Qingcang ca out and learned of the incident, he rely frowned but said nothing.

Having received tacit approval, Wan Chen and the others frequently ventured out over the next few days, delving deep into the Nether Mist.

Su Chen, on the other hand, rely increased the frequency of his visits to the settlent.

Early one morning, Lin Yue disappeared into the Nether Mist. Two or three hours later, Lan Hao also stepped out, entering the mist from another direction. The crowd was already used to this sight.

Su Chen stepped off the spaceship and blended into the settlent, quickly vanishing from sight.

Amidst the curling mist, Su Chen fastened his tal mask, his silhouette ethereal and illusive. Under the effect of his Wind Dance instinct, his movents were so fluid that not even the mist rippled as he glided past.

He kept his eyes on the faintly visible figure ahead, tailing him from a distance. With multiple stealth techniques in play, combined with the Nether Mist's natural ability to block detection, it was practically impossible for his target to spot him.

'This guy really is a bit strange,' Su Chen speculated inwardly. 'Unlike Lin Yue and Wan Chen, who are genuinely hunting prey, he just cos out, waits for enough ti to pass, and then goes back.'

Lan Hao had co out several tis, and Su Chen had tailed him on every occasion. He was genuinely interested in that so-called Undying Bird class. He had been tempted to strike several tis but had restrained himself.

Lan Hao was a Tier 5 professional. Whether or not Su Chen could defeat him was one thing; striking was easy, but covering his tracks would be exceedingly difficult.

And this ti, just like before, Lan Hao stopped after venturing deep enough into the Nether Mist.

However, unlike before, shortly after he stopped, the mist not far away suddenly began to churn.

Su Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he imdiately slipped into the spatial fold. He watched as a burly figure stepped out of the fog—a man standing at least two ters tall, wearing a leather jacket that left his thick, iron-like arms completely bare.

Because of the distance, Su Chen couldn't make out the man's facial features; he could only discern his vague outline.

'So Lan Hao laid all that groundwork just to et this person?' Su Chen suddenly experienced a mont of realization.

Lan Hao's first disappearance had likely been to test just how effective the Nether Mist's concealnt properties were.

His subsequent, seemingly aimless excursions had all been a front, leading up to this very eting.

'Who is that guy? Soone worth going through all this trouble to et...'

He definitely wasn't a native of the Crimson Thunder Star. Su Chen's mind raced, a faint flicker of excitent igniting within him.

"Ni Chuan..." Lan Hao looked quite surprised to see him. This man was one of the high-ranking officers of the Royal Court's Suppressing Cult Army.

"Like father, like son..." Ni Chuan laughed heartily. He withdrew his gaze from the distance, feeling a faint, peculiar sensation.

"Commander Ni." Lan Hao didn't know if this was the sa person who had spoken to him in the Nether Domain Space, but face-to-face, he didn't dare act arrogantly.

"What is the situation?" Ni Chuan nodded, cutting straight to the chase.

"Crimson Sun left his weapon here—the Crimson Thunder Cauldron." Perhaps unaccustod to playing the traitor, Lan Hao seed faintly nervous. He continued, "Qingcang is doing his best to clear the obstacles."

"The Crimson Thunder Cauldron!" A brilliant light burst from Ni Chuan's eyes. That was a Morning Star rank weapon, forged at an exorbitant cost. It was practically priceless.

"According to Qingcang, it's severely damaged," Lan Hao said, seeing through the man's thoughts. "As for the split consciousness of the Ancient King, we haven't seen it so far. I only heard Wan Chen ntion it previously. It might be false."

"Otherwise, Qingcang wouldn't be painstakingly trying to fight against that Cursed Fire and Punishing Thunder."

The intense gleam in Ni Chuan's eyes faded slightly as he pondered. "If it's just Qingcang, I can still go toe-to-toe with him. But if the Ancient King's consciousness is present, then we'll have to find a way to stall for ti."

"It's best if we don't stall," Lan Hao urged, his expression growing anxious. "The believers of the treacherous gods on this planet have already begun preparing for the Holy Banquet. If we delay too long, I'm afraid things will take an unexpected turn."