"Vagrants?" Zhang Hengyu asked in surprise. "Didn't you say vagrants can't enter the Tribunal?"
"It's not that they can't enter." Zhang Yunqing looked irritated. "Their status is simply restricted. Take the Sixth Presiding Judge, for example. With his strength and achievements, if he weren't a vagrant, he would have become the Chief Presiding Judge long ago."
"Besides, his violent temperament may well be related to his experience as a vagrant. He sees us as an exploiting class and readily kills local higher-ups while carrying out missions."
"If his parents hadn't been killed by the Cult of the Strange Gods, he might have joined them instead."
Having said that, she looked at her younger brother again. "That Presiding Judge likes taking exceptionally gifted people as students. Luckily, you only have Brilliant Silver talent."
Zhang Hengyu fell silent.
"Don't tell Father about this. At the very least, it can't get out through us," Zhang Yunqing reminded him.
Faced with such a clear instruction, Zhang Hengyu nodded at once.
"It actually came to this..." Zhou Xian stood before the window, his cheek twitching faintly.
The entire room was icy cold. On the metal platform behind him lay Zhou Zong's nearly stiff corpse.
Although Yuan Chenyang had been transferred away, Zhou Xian's sense of danger had not weakened in the slightest. Zhang Hongbo was an even thornier problem than Yuan Chenyang.
Fortunately, Zhang Hongbo had always sought stability. Perhaps Zhou Xian still had a slim chance.
"The Holy Word Stone is gone, the Spatial Crystal is gone, and one of the two Strange Artifacts has even become an empty shell..." A long, distant sigh suddenly sounded from behind him. "Impressive. Sacrifice three things, lose all three."
Zhou Xian's pupils contracted. When he turned around, his face became even more horrified. The one speaking was actually his son, whose head had been half shattered?
"Who are you?" Zhou Xian demanded in a low voice.
"You already have the answer in your heart. Why ask?" the other replied calmly.
"Black Pagoda Priest." Zhou Xian's expression darkened. He knew this was the person who had been in contact with him all along. "Have you come to hold me accountable?"
"No..." Zhou Zong stiffly shook his head. "The great Sovereign deeply understands the pain of losing your son. He has given you a chance to redeem yourself through merit."
Zhou Xian silently clenched his fists. When he had first come into contact with them, he had hesitated. Now, he had no chance of getting away.
Zhou Zong's mouth kept opening and closing, making Zhou Xian's heart twitch. "When the great Sovereign happened to cast his gaze down, he discovered an exceptionally delicious soul here. You need to find it."
"A delicious soul?" Zhou Xian did not understand, then suddenly asked, "Do you know why the Strange Artifact became empty?"
"Because the corruption failed." The priest did not conceal it. "That delicious soul has extremely strong resistance."
The corruption failed?
Zhou Xian's heart shook violently as a name abruptly surfaced—Yuan Chenyang!
He actually had such ability?
The priest's voice seemed to come from somewhere even farther away. "You needn't concern yourself with anything else. Just find him, and the great Sovereign will grant you one small wish. For example... reviving your son."
Zhou Zong's eyes suddenly blazed with light. Yuan Chenyang's name was about to leave his lips, but the priest immediately added:
"But you only have one chance. Even I cannot be sure whether the target is the one the Sovereign needs. If you offer the wrong person during the sacrifice and the great Sovereign is angered, both you and I will die."
The name Yuan Chenyang was swallowed back down. Zhou Xian stared at his son and nodded heavily. "I understand."
Watching Zhou Zong lie back down again, Zhou Xian's expression shifted. Yuan Chenyang had already left. If he wanted to investigate this matter, he could only start with other people.
The next day, Yuan Chenyang left his loyal Inspection Department and headed to guard the ruins.
According to Fatty Sun, who came to deliver potions later that day, Zhou Xian had argued fiercely during the meeting, seeking to temporarily take charge of the Inspection Department, only to be rejected by Zhang Hongbo.
"Good thing it wasn't him..." Fatty Sun said with lingering fear. "Everyone knows he thinks you stood by and watched his son die. If he really took over the Inspection Department, none of us would have peaceful days."
"Besides, the suspicion that he's involved with the Cult of the Strange Gods hasn't been cleared. How could they let him take over?"
Fatty Sun muttered with him for a while, his attitude unchanged. Before leaving, he warmly advised, "Brother, don't keep cooping yourself up in your room to train. If it goes on too long, you'll develop problems. Go out for a walk when you've got nothing to do."
As Yuan Chenyang had said, Su Chen had only been transferred out temporarily. It wasn't as if he would never return.
"Brother Sun..." Su Chen called out to him again and asked, "Do we have ranked weapons here?"
Weapons were undoubtedly a good way to increase his strength. All he had on him was an iron chain.
Fatty Sun stopped and said matter-of-factly, "Of course. We're a force built for violence, after all."
"If you need a first-tier weapon, I can try to find a way. But second-tier weapons are more troublesome, and don't even think about third-tier ones."
"All right." Su Chen was visibly disappointed. First-tier items would not improve him much.
"Can't be helped. We can still make first-tier weapons ourselves, but second- and third-tier ones can only rely on Yingfeng." Fatty Sun changed the subject. "Still, there are weaponsmiths on the black market who can be commissioned to make them, though the price is a bit..."
"Handmade?" Su Chen asked in surprise.
"More or less." Fatty Sun nodded. "High-tier weapons are difficult to mass-produce and can basically only be handmade."
"What profession is needed?" Su Chen could not help asking.
"Brother, every profession has its specialty," Fatty Sun advised. "This kind of profession consumes a great deal of time and energy."
Su Chen said he was merely curious. Fatty Sun helplessly explained, "Most weaponsmiths use [Engineering Apprentice] as the foundation for their first-tier profession."
"The one Teacher gave me?" Su Chen's expression turned strange.
"Yes." Fatty Sun nodded. "The requirements aren't difficult, but it's only the foundation."
"As for the second-tier advancement profession, I'm not too sure."
Second-tier professions were not something Fatty Sun could obtain. Even Old Yuan would have to go through the proper procedures.
There was no rush for this. After seeing Fatty Sun off, Su Chen skillfully downed a vial each of Black Flame and Spirit Light Potion.
Spirit Light was also a first-tier potion, but its quality was better. Perhaps because he was about to be rotated out, Old Yuan had obtained it easily.
Blazing heat scorched his body, and his mind became highly active. Su Chen entered the gravity room and began training with all his might.
Not long after Yuan Chenyang left, Zhang Hongbo arrived at the Inspection Department, which was not quite so loyal to him, and summoned everyone at section-chief level and above for a meeting.
The meeting was simple enough, nothing more than calming people down, gathering the investigators, and having everyone perform their respective duties.
"Um, Section Chief Sun... stay behind."
After the meeting ended, Fatty Sun, who had blended into the crowd, was called out.
Gulp!
Fatty Sun's throat bobbed. Under the puzzled gazes of the others, he turned and revealed a chrysanthemum-like smile. "City Lord, you called for me?"
Before you continue