My Professions Have Too Much Personality

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Hunting Qi Chuan

Su Chen watched Qi Chuan wolf down his food. Once he was nearly finished, Su Chen waited a bit longer before slowly walking in.

Qi Chuan’s shoulders twitched. He looked up, a flash of venomous hatred vanishing from his eyes as he revealed a helpless, bitter smile. “Younger Brother Su… I finally get to see you. Did it really have to come to this?”

“I…” He sighed. “I was just resentful, that’s all. I couldn’t control Jiang He, which is why I originally thought of… murder.”

“Later, when the accident happened, I just wanted to figure out what really went down that night.”

He immediately brought up the root of their conflict, appearing very sincere as he earnestly apologized for contacting Hu Xiang.

“It’s just that I saw how young, handsome, and dashing you are, and jealousy got the better of me. That’s what gave me the idea to kill you. From now on, I will never harbor any ill intentions toward you again.”

“Is that all?” Su Chen’s reaction was placid.

“Brother…” Qi Chuan said helplessly. “You’ve probably looked into my background. I’m just a live-in son-in-law. Jiang Rong keeps me on a tight leash, and I don’t make any extra money at the Research Department.”

“Who’s backing you?” Su Chen asked bluntly.

“I…” Qi Chuan’s eyes darted around, his face troubled. “Please don’t ask. It won’t be good for anyone if you find out. I haven’t contacted him since I was brought in. I’ll serve my time quietly for these few days. Consider it my atonement.”

“We’re all on the same path. Just give me a chance.”

He even added a hint of implication as he spoke that last sentence.

Su Chen stared at him. ’He can really bend and bow. Truly impressive.’

’The last time I mentioned we were on the same path, he nearly lost control. This time, to lower my guard, he’s apologized, complimented me, and now he’s even brought up that same phrase himself.’

“Jiang He came to save you,” Su Chen said with a sigh. “She’s just upstairs.”

’Upstairs?’ Qi Chuan gritted his teeth but managed to force a smile. “We were husband and wife, after all.”

“Sign this, and you can leave later tonight.” Su Chen took out a leather scroll.

Qi Chuan knew what it was, but he wasn’t surprised. He sighed. “It should have come to this sooner.”

He acted nonchalantly, taking the scroll and signing his name. The characters on it flashed with a faint light, and the entire scroll disintegrated.

Su Chen took it and turned to leave. “Wait until later tonight. I’ll let you out then.”

“I believe you, Younger Brother Su,” Qi Chuan said gently. ’It was only for a few days anyway; I was getting out sooner or later.’

BOOM!

The cell door boomed shut again. Qi Chuan snorted coldly to himself, but then he suddenly felt his heart clench with a faint, sharp pain.

’What’s going on…’ He touched his chest, but the feeling quickly vanished. The hunger in his stomach tormented him constantly, and every cell in his body was screaming.

’Just a few more days to endure at most.’

However, to his surprise, just three or four hours later, around ten at night, Su Chen actually let him go.

“I can go?” Qi Chuan was still a bit surprised.

“If you don’t want to go, you can keep staying here,” the guard said, his face expressionless.

“I’ll go, I’ll go.” Qi Chuan was already mad with hunger. He had wanted to retrieve the belongings he had before being jailed.

But he was informed that the person in charge had already gone home for the day. If he wanted his things, he’d have to wait until morning.

“Forget it.” Qi Chuan turned and left. The Inspectorate was in the Inner City, so it would only take three or four hours to walk back. If he waited until morning, who knew what other trouble might pop up.

The night was dim, and by this time, there were very few people on the streets.

’Why hasn’t it taken effect yet? Was the dose too small?’

From the shadows in the distance, Su Chen, wearing the Shadow-avoiding Robe and holding a pair of binoculars, tailed Qi Chuan from afar, but with a different face.

It was the Mimic Mask that Yuan Chenyang had given him. He could use it for disguise whenever he felt unsafe going out. It was even a Tiered Item.

[Mimic Mask (Tier One): Crafted from Ghost Demon Hide. Can be used to make simple changes to one’s facial features.]

’I wonder how far the plan has progressed?’ Qi Chuan subconsciously walked in the shadows, pondering to himself.

’The original idea was to plot slowly. Jiang He would die, I’d get Jiang Rong’s support, then use the theft of the Holy Word Stone as a pretext to take out Yuan Chenyang. Jiang Rong would then back Zhou Xian to take over as Minister of Inspection, and after that, I would just have to wait another year… A pity things went wrong right from the start!’

He couldn’t help but feel enraged. ’Where the hell did Su Chen come from?!’

The guy had too many secrets. He didn’t believe the rumors that Yuan Chenyang had long ago taken Su Chen as a student, laying the groundwork for a long-con by planting him as an undercover agent in the city patrol.

’…Damn it!’

The hunger in his stomach, the frustration in his heart, the shame of being cuckolded, and the memory of having to grovel before Su Chen just now—all of it stoked the flames of Qi Chuan’s rage.

’Sooner or later… Su Chen, Jiang He, I’ll make you wish you could die, but I won’t let you…’

“Urk!”

Suddenly, Qi Chuan, his expression contorting, collapsed to the ground. He struggled to breathe, his heart wracked with excruciating pain as green veins began to appear on his arms.

’This is? Corpse Shadow Poison!’ His pupils contracted. ’When did I…’

’Anti… Antitoxic Potion!’

The sudden mortal danger left Qi Chuan no time for other thoughts. He abruptly turned and rushed toward the Outer City.

’Where is he going?’ Su Chen was quite suspicious. He narrowed his eyes and quickly followed.

Qi Chuan was a Tier Two Professional, but after starving for days and now suffering from a potent poison, he staggered along, his speed slow. Su Chen could easily keep up.

Qi Chuan’s face was pale, his forehead drenched in a cold sweat. He ran for three or four hours before finally reaching the edge of the Inner City, just a step away from the Outer City.

Su Chen had been worried he would die a miserable death along the way, but somehow, Qi Chuan had managed to hang on.

Qi Chuan stopped in front of a dilapidated building and shot straight up to the top floor. Without even taking out a key, he forced the door open. Dust flew everywhere as tables and chairs were knocked over.

BANG!

He broke open a section of the wall and pulled out a metal box. After hastily verifying his fingerprint, he took out a glass bottle and began to GULP it down.

By this point, the green veins had almost reached his neck.

“HUFF… HUFF… HUFF…” Qi Chuan gasped for air, collapsing onto his back. His body twitched uncontrollably, as if he had just snatched his life back from the jaws of death.

As his taut nerves finally began to relax, he subconsciously started to wonder when he could have been poisoned.

’I’ve been in the Inspectorate this whole time, with almost no contact with anything from the outside, except… the Inspectorate’s food!’

Qi Chuan quickly sorted through his thoughts. His expression turned incredibly ugly as a name surfaced in his mind…

But suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. He turned his head to look.

He saw only a blurry shadow lunging at him from the doorway. The crackle of a long, thin whip’s shadow filled the air, striking terror into his heart.

Before he could react, he felt his head suddenly explode, as if needles were being driven into his temples. He could still withstand this level of interference, however.

“Who!”

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

But he was a step too late. The whip’s shadow tore through the curtain of fire and was already descending on his head. Qi Chuan instinctively raised his hands, which were wreathed in blazing flames.

However, the tip of the whip’s shadow suddenly unfurled like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, transforming into countless fine threads that lashed down viciously!

“AHH!” Qi Chuan let out a wretched scream. The metallic threads, like high-speed wire saws, sliced brutally into his arms, causing flesh and blood to explode outward!

’A Tier Two Item? Who? Who on earth wants me dead?!’ Terror filled Qi Chuan’s heart. His physical weakness had severely diminished his strength, leaving him with less than a tenth of his usual power.

’Su Chen! It must be him!’ In a flash, Qi Chuan understood.

’Poisoning, tracking, ambushing… only Su Chen would do all this.’

’So sinister!’ he raged inwardly, but it was already too late.

Two iron threads, winding like venomous snakes, slipped through the gaps between his arms and plunged straight into his eyes, churning viciously inside his brain.

SPLAT! Fragments of eyeballs mixed with blood sprayed out!

“Ugh!”

His body went rigid. Qi Chuan made no further sound as the flames surrounding him gradually dissipated.

[Promotion Requirement 1: Hunt and kill one Tier Two Professional without being detected by anyone else. (Completed)]