My profession is too unique.

Chapter 132 The Threat from Xia Hanshi
The hall fell silent for a moment, with only faint breathing sounds.

"Take this Black Tuo follower's body away and keep an eye on it," Jiang Shumo said. Several judges then came in from outside and carried the body out.

"What do you all think?" Chong Jingtian looked around at everyone.

“This Black Tuo follower has arrived at a very opportune time,” Wei Yufan said leisurely. “It just so happens that we are all gathered here. I hope no one secretly informed him.”

“If you’re going to speak, you need to provide evidence.” Minglin glanced at him; the two were already at odds. “The presiding judges just emphasized that you can’t just spout nonsense.”

"Although the Black Tuo believer arrived around the same time as Zhong Ming, it cannot be said that he has any connection with him."

Wei Yufan snorted coldly; he wasn't talking about Zhong Ming.

Zhong Ming's face darkened. Of course, he knew that Ming Lin was just using "coincidence" as an example.

“Not bad.” Lei Tieyan said. The internal relationships within the court were complex, and his most important task as the head of the adjudication department was to ensure that no one could find fault with him.

To prove that Meng Qi is problematic, evidence is needed; to prove that the followers of Heituo are connected with Teng Liang, evidence is also needed.

We can't just say it's a coincidence, because that would be no different from what Teng Liang just said.
Su Chen remained calm. He had just wiped out the Black Tuo priest's lair and discovered traces of divine blood, all thanks to the Black Tuo believers. No one would implicate him.

“The Ghost Gods may be fighting amongst themselves,” a section chief speculated. “Assuming Chu Xuan was killed by Meng Qi, and Meng Qi became a core seed, their infiltration objective has been achieved.”

He paused here, glanced at Chong Jingtian and the others, and felt that the topic was somewhat sensitive, involving the face of the judges.

He quickly changed the subject, saying, "But today, we wiped out the stronghold of the Black Turks in the city and had a very successful operation."

"This means that even though it was the Faceless Ghost followers who did the work and benefited from it, the Black Tor followers have to bear the consequences and suffer heavy losses."

“It’s normal for the followers of the Black Temple to be unwilling to accept this.”

He was right. Many people nodded in agreement. The conflicts between these believers of the evil god were no less than those between them, and perhaps even more severe.

"Is it really that simple to prove that Meng Qi killed Chu Xuan and that Teng Liang is innocent?" Some people shook their heads. "It's strange that his talent improved, but it's also possible that Meng Qi took up a certain profession."

"Based on those inexplicable white chains, it's possible that Teng Liang had planned this in advance."

Jiang Shumo's eyes flickered. He had followed Meng Qi personally because he was suspicious of her, but he hadn't found anything wrong until he was tricked away by Bu Siqi.

"Teng Liang, what do you want to say?" Jiang Shumo suddenly spoke, and brought Teng Liang back in.

“I didn’t kill him. He committed suicide. If I had killed him, he wouldn’t have even left a body.” Teng Liang repeated the same statement.

Jiang Shumo frowned, feeling that this matter was quite thorny and difficult to handle.

“Even if Meng Qi has problems, it doesn’t mean Teng Liang is without problems. There are too many things that can’t be explained,” Xue Fei said.
"He didn't test Wei Yufan, Zhong Ming, or Ming Lin, but he deliberately tested Meng Qi. This can't be explained by intuition."

"Just as they were about to deal with him, some followers of the Black Temple jumped out to clear his name."

“There is no direct evidence to prove a causal relationship between these two things.” A section chief shook his head: “Xue Fei, stop making sophistry.”

Seeing that the question of why he was targeting Meng Qi had come back to him, Teng Liang pondered for a moment and said, "If I had to say, I can only say that it was my teacher's instruction."

The room fell silent. Xue Fei snorted coldly, "I said from the beginning, don't think you can get away with it by pushing the blame onto Xia Hanshi."

"Xia Hanshi, is that who you called him?"

Su Chen, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, his gaze sweeping over Xue Fei. Xue Fei's face darkened with annoyance, and he said coldly, "Old Xia is unconventional and wouldn't care about such a trivial matter."

"Xue Fei, be careful," Jiang Shumo said calmly.

Xue Fei's expression darkened. "Whether Meng Qi has a problem or not, and how Teng Liang should handle it, needs to be determined. Otherwise, there may be many more 'tests' like this in the future."

Today, Teng Liang can "test" Meng Qi, and in the future, others can also test Su Chen and others.

Su Chen remained silent. Sending the Black Tuo followers was quite risky, as it was indeed a coincidence, but it was a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.

Just then, another commotion came from outside the hall; it was Bu Siqi.

He was panting heavily, as if he hadn't stopped for a moment, and barged into the hall, shouting as soon as he opened his mouth:
"Judge Xia has an urgent report!"

Xia Hanshi arrived late, and everyone's expressions were different.

Before Chongjingtian could speak, Bu Siqi hurriedly said:
"My teacher said that anyone who dares to lay a finger on Teng Liang before he returns should make sure that all his relatives and friends who do so will never leave Yingfeng for the rest of their lives!"

"He's defying Heaven!" Chongjingtian roared in fury, rising to his feet and shouting, "What does he want to do? Does he want to rebel against the Court of Judgment?"

"Do you really think the court has to defer to him in everything? You are in charge of investigating Xue Fei's case. Teng Liang can handle it however he sees fit!"

When Xue Fei's name was called, his expression stiffened, and he hurriedly said, "Chief, I have to leave Yingfeng tomorrow to carry out a mission, and there is no time to lose."

"You can't do it? Then who do you think can take on this important task?" Chong Jingtian frowned. "Recommend someone to me."

Xue Fei was covered in sweat. He looked around and saw that everyone's eyes were darting around, and no one dared to meet his gaze. Those who did make eye contact had fierce eyes, as if they were threatening him.

No one dared to ignore the threat from Xia Hanshi.

More importantly, there are now suspicious points about Meng Qi, and there is a high probability that there is something wrong with him. If Xia Hanshi accuses him of framing someone, he will die in vain.

"Chief, I think we should investigate Meng Qi first," Xue Fei said helplessly. "There are quite a few suspicious things about him."

"What are your opinions?" Chong Jingtian's gaze was icy, and the crowd dared not look up, responding in low voices, "It would be better to investigate further."

Bu Siqi looked surprised. He hadn't expected his teacher's threat to be so effective. He had to bite the bullet and say it.

Killing a core seed is no small matter, and threats should be made in the right context. Threatening someone when the situation is already hopeless could provoke public outrage.

On the way back, he secretly sent a message to Su Chen asking what to do, but Su Chen told him to shout it out in public.

Surprisingly, it really worked wonders; these people are just too soft-hearted.

“Each of them is truly the backbone of my court.” Chong Jingtian shook his head in disappointment.

The crowd secretly grumbled, realizing that the matter was no longer certain after the appearance of the Black Tuo believer. Regardless of the other party's purpose, Meng Qi probably had something to do with it.

Even if they are colluding with Teng Liang, we should investigate thoroughly first.

Their own chief executive was clearly taking advantage of the situation to back down, and even threw the blame for being "cowardly" onto them.

“I’ll take charge of the further investigation,” Jiang Shumo said, “Take the body and Teng Liang away.”

The matter has been settled, changing from Teng Liang killing the core seed to killing a suspected follower of the Faceless Demon.

Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief. This was enough. Teng Liang was clean, but Meng Qi wasn't; the more thorough the investigation, the better.

"Chief!" Bu Siqi couldn't help but call out as he watched Chong Jingtian about to leave.

"What is it now?" Chong Jingtian frowned.

“There’s an urgent report…” Bu Siqi explained, his face showing alarm after regaining his composure. “It really is an urgent report.”

Chong Jingtian's expression hardened slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Come with me."

Chong Jingtian and the other two left with Bu Siqi. The crowd discussed in hushed tones for a while, and many eyes met and focused on Su Chen before quickly dispersing.

“Meng Qi… is truly a fake follower of the Faceless Demon.” Ming Lin said with concern, “Can the Faceless Demon really go to such lengths?”

Su Chen shook his head and said, "Didn't you hear what the Black Tuo believers said? Nine times out of ten, it's a vessel of a demon god, and it shouldn't be an ordinary believer."

"Thinking about it carefully, Meng Qi is a bit strange." Ming Lin speculated after the fact. "He didn't make any progress in becoming the Bloodthirsty Butcher, and the amount of potions he used was also wrong. After the arena battle, he even took Chu Xuan out a few times."

"Moreover, given his professional strength, even if Tier 3 is a top-tier profession, Tier 1 and Tier 2 are a drag on him. How could he defeat Feng Ze? What the Black Tuo believers said is most likely true."

"I believe in my senior brother," Su Chen smiled.

Meng Qi's question is beyond doubt, but until anyone questions his identity, others will not speculate too much.

Simply add a question mark, and others will naturally notice more that is amiss.

"That would be troublesome. Who can guarantee that there won't be a second Meng Qi?" Minglin sighed.

“We have the bodies in our hands, we’re sure we can find something amiss,” Su Chen said.

“That’s true…” Minglin nodded. The two chatted for a while before Minglin left, while Su Chen waited for Bu Siqi to come out.

It was two or three hours later that Bu Siqi emerged, looking dazed.

"Senior brother." Su Chen jumped out of the shadows, startling him.

"...A Black Tuo follower actually jumped out to identify Meng Qi?" Bu Siqi looked at Su Chen. When Chong Jingtian told him this news, he was quite frightened.

Only then did they understand why the teacher's threats were so effective. Since there were already suspicious points, naturally no one dared to risk offending Xia Hanshi.

"Old Teng, could he be involved with the Black Tuo believers?" Bu Siqi suddenly asked, with a wild idea in mind.

Su Chen was speechless, and Bu Siqi also knew he had said something stupid, as the events of the day had left him overwhelmed.

He followed Su Chen back to his residence, looking hesitant, but finally couldn't help asking, "Su Chen, was it really the teacher who asked Lao Teng to keep an eye on Meng Qi before he left?"

"Yes, when the teacher told me, I was quite surprised. Meng Qi is so timid, what problems could she possibly have?" Su Chen also sighed, "I didn't expect that."

When he asked Bu Siqi to contact Lao Xia, he instructed him to subtly imply to Lao Xia that the blame for targeting Meng Qi should be placed on Lao Xia.

Old Xia was indeed reliable; he memorized it all.

"The teacher didn't tell me again." Bu Siqi felt a pang of jealousy. "Am I really that unreliable?"

"This kind of thing is something that Senior Brother Teng has to handle. The teacher is just concerned about you," Su Chen comforted him.

Bu Siqi nodded repeatedly, "That's right, look at Lao Teng, he'll probably be staying in the adjudication office for a long time from now on."

"It was supposed to be a meritorious achievement, but who knew Meng Qi would so decisively commit suicide?" Su Chen sighed and changed the subject, saying, "Teacher, do you have any urgent news?"

Bu Siqi was lost in thought when he heard Su Chen's words. He suddenly snapped out of it and slapped his thigh, "I almost forgot, something really serious has happened."

“Traces of large-scale activities by believers of the Strange God have been discovered in the southern cities of Baihe, Zixiao, and Biyue. The teacher killed three city lords and a large number of management personnel, totaling several thousand people.”

"Even so, those guys still managed to exploit a loophole, and one city was almost successfully sacrificed."

Su Chen looked shocked, but he wasn't surprised at all.

"Do you know what's most outrageous? The teacher actually notified the four judges who were going with him in advance to head straight to several cities, as if he already knew that there was something wrong with those places."

Bu Siqi exclaimed repeatedly, "The teacher is getting weirder and weirder. How is his nose shaped like that? Even Ying Feng could smell those strange gods."

The court has nine presiding judges. After Chong Jingtian became the chief presiding judge, he never left Yingfeng again. The other eight are often away from home.

Based on the information uncovered during the downfall of the Pang family, the court dispatched several presiding judges to the areas of suspicion.

“It’s a pity…” Bu Siqi’s tone changed, and he said coldly, “That damned Wei Yinshuo didn’t take what the teacher said to heart, which led to the blood sacrifice of two cities and his own disappearance.”

"Hmm?" Su Chen's expression changed drastically. Wei Yinshuo's whereabouts were unknown; truly, life is unpredictable...

Bu Siqi nodded: "This is today's urgent report. As for the things that happened before, it was the chief who told me."

"Moreover, the teacher also discovered traces of the Yuandu people's activities."

"Yuandu?" Su Chen looked inquisitive, something he didn't know.

“That’s right,” Bu Siqi added. “Besides the believers of the Ghost God, those cities also show traces of the activities of the Yuan Capital ‘Papal Court’.”

Yingfeng, Yuandu, Lieyang, and Tianqing are the four cities that govern the Crimson Thunder Star. This is the information Su Chen learned on his way to Yingfeng.

Each of the four cities has its own characteristics. The Papacy in Yuandu is one of them. In short, they also believe in gods, but they believe in so-called righteous gods.

“Those old charlatans, I wonder what kind of tricks they’re up to.” Bu Siqi sneered. “They’ve only been peaceful for ten years, and they’re already trying to cause trouble again. They’re courting death.”

Su Chen noticed the coldness in Bu Siqi's words and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't the relationship between the four cities supposed to be one of joint rule?"

"Join forces?" Bu Siqi scoffed. "That's all a lie. Between the four cities, it's not exactly an old feud, but it's pretty much one."

"Yingfeng was not the first city on this land. After it developed to a certain point, it began years of war, killing, and integration before it formed its current structure."

"It's possible that the four cities realized they could no longer completely annihilate the enemy, so they suddenly eased relations, started trade exchanges, and gradually erased the records of the war."

Su Chen listened attentively; this information was not recorded in any documents, and it was the first time he had learned of it.

He asked more questions, but Bu Siqi didn't know much either, only that the relationship between the four cities began to ease ten years ago.

"Moreover, the easing of tensions was quite inexplicable." Bu Siqi said, getting excited. "I was about the same age as you at the time, and the day before I was still paying attention to the battle between Ying Feng and Yuan Du, filled with righteous indignation."

"As a result, a ceasefire was announced the very next day, which was very strange, you know?"

(End of this chapter)