Hunt Qi Chuan!

Su Chen waited until Qi Chuan had wolfed down most of the food before slowly walking in.

Qi Chuan's shoulders jerked. He looked up, the venom in his eyes vanishing in a flash, replaced by a helpless, bitter smile. "Brother Su... I've finally seen you. Did it really have to come to this?"

"I..." He sighed. "I was just unwilling to accept it. I couldn't control Jiang He, so back then, I thought about... killing someone."

"Then an accident happened, and I only wanted to find out what exactly had happened that night."

Right from the start, he brought up the root of their conflict. He seemed sincere and earnestly apologized for contacting Hu Xiang.

"I only saw how young and handsome you were, and jealousy got the better of me, making me harbor murderous intent. From now on, I will never have any ill intentions toward you again."

"Is that all?" Su Chen's response was calm.

"Brother..." Qi Chuan said helplessly, "you should have looked into my background. I'm just a live-in son-in-law. Jiang Rong keeps a tight leash on me, and I don't have much opportunity for extra income in the Research Department."

"Who's behind you?" Su Chen asked bluntly.

"I..." Qi Chuan's gaze flickered, his face full of difficulty. "Don't ask. It won't do anyone any good if you find out. I didn't contact him after coming in this time. I'll honestly serve out these few days. Consider it my atonement."

"We're fellow travelers. Give me a chance."

When he said those final words, there was a faint implication behind them.

Su Chen stared at him. He really knew when to bend and when to yield.

The last time Su Chen had mentioned fellow travelers, the other man had nearly lost control. This time, in order to dispel Su Chen's vigilance, he apologized, praised him, and in the end even took the initiative to bring up those words.

"Jiang He came to save you," Su Chen said with a hint of emotion. "She's upstairs."

Upstairs? Qi Chuan secretly gritted his teeth, but forced out a smile. "We are husband and wife, after all."

"Sign this, and you can leave tonight." Su Chen took out a scroll of hide.

Qi Chuan knew what it was, yet he was not surprised. He sighed. "It should have been this way long ago."

He appeared very composed. He took it and signed his name. The characters on the hide scroll flickered with a faint glow before the entire scroll disintegrated.

Su Chen took it back and turned to leave. "Wait until tonight, and I'll let you out."

"I believe you, brother," Qi Chuan said gently. He could not stay here for many more days anyway. He would have to leave sooner or later.

Boom!

The cell door shut again. Qi Chuan snorted inwardly, but suddenly felt his heart contract in a faint stab of pain.

"What's going on..." He touched his chest, but the sensation quickly disappeared. The hunger in his belly tormented him without pause, and every cell in his body seemed to be howling.

"At most, I just have to endure a few more days."

However, what he had not expected was that only three or four hours later, at around ten at night, Su Chen actually released him.

"I can leave?" Qi Chuan was still somewhat surprised.

"If you don't want to leave, you can stay," the guard said expressionlessly.

"Leave, leave." Qi Chuan had nearly gone mad from hunger. He had originally planned to retrieve the belongings he had before being imprisoned.

Instead, he was informed that the person in charge had already gotten off work. If he wanted them, he could only wait until the next morning.

"Forget it." Qi Chuan turned and left. The Inspection Department was in the inner city, and walking back would only take three or four hours. If he waited until morning, who knew what new trouble might arise.

The night was dim, and there were already few people on the streets at this hour.

"Why hasn't it taken effect yet? Was the dosage too low?"

In the shadows some distance away, Su Chen wore the Shadow-Hiding Garment and held a pair of binoculars as he trailed Qi Chuan from afar. However, he had changed his face.

It was the Mimicry Mask Yuan Chenyang had given him. If he felt uneasy when going out, he could use it for disguise. It was even a tiered item.

[Mimicry Mask (Tier 1): Crafted from Ghost Demon Hide, it can make simple changes to one's facial features.]

"I wonder how far the plan has progressed?" Qi Chuan instinctively walked through the shadows, thinking to himself.

"I originally intended to proceed slowly. Jiang He would die, I would gain Jiang Rong's support, then use the theft of the Holy Word Stone to take down Yuan Chenyang. Jiang Rong would support Zhou Xian in taking over as head of the Inspection Department, and then I would only need to wait another year... What a pity. Things went wrong right from the start!"

He could not help but grow furious. "Where the hell did Su Chen come from?"

That guy had too many secrets. He did not believe the outside rumors that Yuan Chenyang had long accepted Su Chen as his student, laying plans far in advance and placing him as an undercover agent in the city patrol.

"...Damn it!"

The hunger in his belly, the resentment in his heart, the cuckold's cap on his head, and the way he had just been forced to humble himself before Su Chen all left Qi Chuan consumed by rage.

"One day... Su Chen, Jiang He, I'll make you wish you were dead, beg for—"

"Urgh!"

Suddenly, Qi Chuan's shifting expression froze as he collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe. His heart was in agonizing pain, and green lines unexpectedly surfaced across his arms.

"This is? Corpse-Shadow Poison!" His pupils contracted. "When did I..."

"An... antidote!"

The sudden threat of death left Qi Chuan with no time to think about anything else. He abruptly turned and headed toward the outer city.

"Where is he going?" Su Chen was deeply puzzled. Narrowing his eyes, he swiftly followed.

Qi Chuan was a Tier 2 professional, but he had been starving for days and was now severely poisoned. He staggered along at a slow pace, allowing Su Chen to follow him easily.

Qi Chuan's face was pale, and cold sweat covered his forehead. After running for three or four hours, he finally reached the edge of the inner city, only one step away from the outer city.

Su Chen had feared that he might die halfway there, but Qi Chuan had stubbornly endured.

Qi Chuan stopped before a decrepit building and rushed straight up to the top floor. He did not even take out a key, instead forcing the door open. Dust flew everywhere, and tables, chairs, and stools were knocked over.

Bang!

He smashed open part of a wall and took out a metal box. After hurriedly verifying his fingerprint, he removed a glass bottle and gulped its contents down.

By then, the green lines had nearly crawled up to his neck.

"Huff... huff... huff..." Qi Chuan gasped heavily and sprawled on his back on the floor. His body twitched without stop, as though he had snatched his life back from the hands of death.

As his tightly strung nerves finally relaxed, he instinctively began to think about when he had been poisoned.

Then, a chill ran through his heart, and he turned his head.

A blurred shadow was already charging in through the doorway. A long whip cracked through the air, terrifying him out of his wits.

Before he could react, his head suddenly exploded with pain, as though needles had pierced his temples. But he could still withstand that much.

"Who is it?!"

He roared, blazing flames bursting from his eyes and instantly expanding into a curtain of fire.

But he was ultimately a step too late. The whip shadow tore through the fire curtain and was already descending toward his head. Qi Chuan instinctively raised both hands as fierce flames surged around them.

Yet the tip of that whip shadow suddenly scattered like celestial maidens scattering flowers, transforming into countless fine strands that lashed down savagely!

"Argh!" Qi Chuan screamed miserably. The metal strands were like high-speed wire saws, forcibly cutting into his arms and blasting apart flesh and blood!

"A Tier 2 item? Who? Who exactly wants to kill me?!" Qi Chuan was seized by terror. The weakness in his body had severely diminished his strength.

One or two of the wires twisted like venomous snakes, slipping through the gaps between his arms before shooting straight into his eyes and violently stirring through his brain.

Splat! Vitreous fluid sprayed out!

"Urgh!"

His body stiffened. Qi Chuan made no further sound, and the flames surrounding him gradually faded away.

[Advancement Requirement One: Hunt a Tier 2 professional without being noticed by anyone else during the process (Completed)]