The Victim's Peeping

"This makes things much clearer." Su Chen nodded to himself.

And the second advancement requirement for [Arcane Apprentice] had also been revealed, but it was somewhat different from Jiang He's description.

[Arcane Apprentice Advancement Requirement Two: Raise the Candleflame Tempering Method to the proficient level.]

Not ten cycles?

Su Chen pondered it instinctively, then suddenly realized that no one else in this world had a way to measure proficiency.

They could only use ten cycles within one minute as the standard.

Thinking of this, he asked, "What about the Whispering Trial?"

Jiang He explained, "The Whispering Trial requires you to use the Blood-Drawn Inverted Cross in a sealed room to resist unknown mental interference. The longer you last, the better, but you must never exceed forty seconds."

Su Chen considered this quietly. The details of her description also differed greatly from the panel's, which meant these people were feeling their way through it as well. They were not certain what level was required to take up a profession.

But I know the most perfect method of advancement.

"Are these all requirements for a perfect advancement?" Su Chen pressed.

"I didn't lie to you." Jiang He spoke sincerely. Combined with her current outfit, it gave her an added touch of seductiveness.

Su Chen noticed that Jiang He's face was growing increasingly flushed. The effects of the potion were probably about to wear off. He silently raised his guard and asked, "Can we make the blood oath now?"

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Jiang He. If there was any chance she would go back on her word, he would strike forcefully.

Jiang He stared at him, sighed, and rose to her feet. "I need your blood."

Su Chen bit his finger, only to see Jiang He bare her chest, revealing a swath of pale flesh. "The blood oath diagram needs to be drawn on my chest."

Su Chen gave it a brief look and was secretly surprised. He had not examined her carefully before. This woman... really was a stunner.

Still, the blood oath came first.

Jiang He took Su Chen's finger and smeared the blood across her chest. Perhaps because the blood served as a base, the touch felt particularly smooth and delicate.

A moment later, an eerie symbol the size of a baby's head had been traced across her chest.

Jiang He had long since lost any mood for teasing. She looked up at Su Chen, parted her lips, and uttered a string of syllables.

The bloody symbol on her chest seemed to emit a faint, eerie glow. As though imbued with life by some force, it transformed into blood-red venomous snakes that rapidly spread across Jiang He's entire body before vanishing.

"Done."

Having given him leverage over her, Jiang He looked noticeably more relaxed. She sat on the soft leather sofa, her whole body sinking into it as she rubbed her brow.

Su Chen also felt something strange. A vague sensation told him that Jiang He's life truly had become bound to his.

For the time being, with this thing in place, Jiang He and he should be considered on the same side.

"What was the scandal you mentioned earlier?"

"Don't push your luck!" Jiang He's eyes widened, her chest heaving as she snapped angrily, "I've already made a Blood Oath Contract with you. What more do you want?"

"Just curious. I was only asking." Su Chen glanced at her and replied casually.

"Tomorrow, take the transfer letter to Southwind Academy. I'll take you to handle the paperwork then." Jiang He picked up where she had left off.

She was doing this to keep him under her observation. The Blood Oath Contract was difficult to remove, and she still needed to deal with the attempt on her life. She did not want Su Chen wandering around everywhere.

Of course, there was another reason. Whoever wanted him dead would surely be curious about what had happened tonight.

Su Chen's public records only identified him as a drifter. He could be used as bait.

"Fine." Su Chen nodded. This had been the original owner's intention, but it was now his as well. He needed a channel through which to learn more.

A certain silence fell between them. Each harbored their own schemes and neither trusted the other much, but this was as far as they could go for now.

"Then I'll be leaving first," Su Chen said.

"Wait, how are you going to get back with your clothes torn up like that..." Jiang He suddenly called out to stop him, then said flatly, "Come with me."

She led Su Chen to the walk-in closet and picked out an outfit: a fitted, narrow-cut black wool coat, a gray shirt, and straight black trousers. They fit him reasonably well.

"Your husband's?" Su Chen asked casually. Standing before a full-length mirror, he adjusted the details of his clothes and smoothed down his messy hair.

He touched his cheek. This body was top-notch, otherwise Jiang He would not have taken a liking to him.

Especially after becoming a Strongman, his physique had filled out. With this outfit, he gave off quite the air of a beast in human clothing.

Jiang He leaned against the side, her head tilted against the mirror, her legs crossed. Her nightgown was still tattered, and her gaze rested on Su Chen's face.

Compared with the frail little thing from before, whom she had wanted to bully and toy with,

the current Su Chen had an entirely different aura, as though he had changed from a puppy into a wolfhound.

"Yes." Jiang He swallowed, her legs rubbing together, but she turned away and said, "You can go now."

"Mm..." Su Chen hesitated slightly. Jiang He sneered. "Don't even think about it. I like playing with others, not being played with."

"No, do you have anything to eat?" Su Chen shook his head. Perhaps the adrenaline from the fierce battle was gradually fading, because only now did he feel the hunger signals coming from his body—and it was extreme hunger.

Jiang He's expression stiffened slightly.

Clatter—

Another porcelain plate was set aside, and the stack had already risen nearly to half a person's height.

"...The requirements for becoming a Rope Master are simple. You only need a carefully woven rope and several thousand rounds of weaving. That should basically do it."

"A carefully woven rope... does it have to be a first-tier item?" Su Chen asked.

"A first-tier item?" Jiang He sneered. "That won't be necessary. Slightly better materials will do. First-tier items are extraordinarily valuable. Even if a Rope Master sold himself, he could not afford one."

She made no effort to hide the disdain in her words. "This low-tier profession has no future. At best, there might be a chance to become a Magician. With better luck, perhaps a Puppeteer, but that's all."

Su Chen continued eating, but the panel had already opened.

[First-tier low-grade profession discovered—Rope Master. Complete the requirements to take up the profession.]

[Rope Master Advancement Requirement One: Obtain a carefully woven hemp rope no shorter than 1.5 meters.]

[Rope Master Advancement Requirement Two: Complete three thousand bindings with no fewer than thirty knots.]

It really was simple.

"Is there no more powerful profession above Puppeteer?" Su Chen asked.

Jiang He emphasized, "I said Puppeteers advanced from Rope Masters have no future. There should be professions above Puppeteer, but I don't know what they are."

Su Chen's movements paused briefly as he realized there were other secrets behind the profession advancement sequences.

"Burp—"

Setting down his plate, Su Chen gave a satisfied belch. "Thank you for the meal. See you tomorrow."

He rose, turned without the slightest hesitation, and left the dining room.

"The person who brought you here is still outside."

Bang!

Jiang He's gaze froze as she stared at the shut door, her expression gradually shifting.

A first-tier professional, yet he knew nothing about so much "common knowledge."

Just what secret was Su Chen hiding?

"An artificial sun?"

Outside, Su Chen looked up. A huge grayish-yellow light source hung in the sky, giving off a somewhat dim glow that barely illuminated the roads.

Sparse bands of light crisscrossed one another, like some kind of tracks?

But the sky above that light source was terrifyingly black, without even the faintest glimmer, let alone stars.

"Even an overcast day shouldn't look like this... Fog, black fog..." Su Chen frowned. After some thought, he followed the memories in his mind and searched for the way out of this district.

Blue ghostly flames hung from iron poles along the roadside, illuminating patches of the area.

In a dark corner farther away, a pair of pale blue eyes watched Su Chen gradually recede into the distance. The voice was filled with shock, then slowly sank into a low murmur. "Not... dead? He's even wearing my clothes..."