Xia Hanshi's smile actually looked quite sinister.
Su Chen pursed his lips.
Seeing his reluctance, Xia Hanshi's voice turned cold: "Did those two little brats, Yang Yan and Gu Bing, say something to you?"
"I've heard a few things." Su Chen didn't specify who told him either.
"Saying my reputation is in ruins, saying I'm bloodthirsty and tyrannical, saying I ruin good seedlings, right?" Xia Hanshi said without minding.
"I believe there must be a reason behind it," Su Chen said. "Although this is our first meeting, I can still see the integrity carved into your bones."
"Integrity?" Even Xia Hanshi was slightly taken aback and looked at Su Chen with interest. "Do you think I will force you to be my student?"
Su Chen's heart skipped a beat. His understanding of Xia Hanshi all came from Gu Bing, and the other party shouldn't have any reason to deceive him.
He was already Yuan Chenyang's student, and Yuan Chenyang's teacher was also a Chief Inquisitor.
If he went to Yingfeng, he would similarly have a Chief Inquisitor as his patron; the difference shouldn't be large. He still preferred things to be a bit more stable.
If the other party didn't force it, that would be for the best.
Seemingly seeing through Su Chen's thoughts, Xia Hanshi nodded. "That's right, you guessed correctly."
Su Chen: "........"
Su Chen remained silently speechless for a long time before forcefully tugging out a smile. Before he could even open his mouth, he was interrupted by Xia Hanshi, who wore a faint smile.
"Are you that afraid of me?"
"It's not fear." Su Chen immediately denied it. "I'm just lacking in talent and shallow in learning, afraid that I might tarnish your prestigious reputation in the future."
"I don't have any prestigious reputation." Xia Hanshi couldn't care less. "As long as you don't get involved with those Evil Gods, even if you flee before battle at times, I wouldn't care."
"Your way of doing things is truly unconventional, elder," Su Chen praised, then said helplessly, "But I already have a teacher."
"Yuan Chenyang?" Xia Hanshi smiled. "His teachers are also more than one. I believe he will also agree to this."
"What if he holds a different opinion?" Su Chen said carefully.
"To block his own student when seeing they have better prospects—what use is such a teacher?" Xia Hanshi said as if it were a matter of course.
Fine... the old man's logic was entirely self-consistent.
Su Chen collected his thoughts for a moment. "My grand-teacher is also a Chief Inquisitor. For a mere pawn like me, it's not worth causing a conflict between the two of you."
"Hmm..." Xia Hanshi pondered for a moment. "It seems there isn't a single Chief Inquisitor who I don't have a conflict with."
When there are too many lice, they stop biting.
It had been a long time since Su Chen felt this kind of speechless rebuttal.
"You can't just look at the disadvantages..." Xia Hanshi's attitude was very good. In order to make himself look amicable, he even revealed a smile, although it only made him look even more terrifying.
'I don't even know exactly how many disadvantages there are yet, how am I supposed to look at them?'
Su Chen felt increasingly helpless.
"Setting everything else aside, becoming my student guarantees you'll be an Inner Court Seed at the absolute minimum." Xia Hanshi explained, "The Adjudication Court is divided into the Inner and Outer Courts. The Outer Court is where grassroots personnel are cultivated; you will definitely enter the Inner Court."
"But entering the Adjudication Court as Yuan Chenyang's student, even with a Red Gold talent, you'd initially just be a Regular Inner Court Member."
Xia Hanshi said slowly, "For talents like you, selected from the cities governed by Yingfeng, the Adjudication Court receives over a hundred every year. Red Gold talents are indeed rare, but occasionally there are some."
"Adding them all up over the years, it isn't a small number."
"Resources are not inexhaustible. Talent holds a significant proportion in the evaluation criteria, but it's not everything. Temperament, capabilities, and actual combat strength are all within the scope of consideration."
Speaking up to here, Xia Hanshi's expression became even colder. "Of course, connections are also extremely important."
Then, he added, "However, you also have connections. If nothing unexpected happens, you would become one of the Inner Court Seeds within a year. But as my student, you can skip this step directly."
He continued, "Talent exerts its highest efficiency during one's youth. A delay of one year now might require three years to make up for in the future."
Su Chen's eyes flickered.
"Furthermore, as my student, you can also run amok and act tyrannically just like me." Xia Hanshi spoke candidly, "The Adjudication Court doesn't cultivate you all for nothing. Sometimes when missions are dispatched, you can directly refuse them."
Su Chen's expression turned slightly odd.
"Of course, there is one last and most important point." Xia Hanshi's voice grew increasingly frigid. "You and I are both refugees. No matter how much you alter your personal files, among the many Chief Inquisitors, I am the only one who won't view you through tinted glasses."
Su Chen sighed, straightened his posture, bowed slightly, and addressed him: "Teacher."
These so-called advantages were not the deciding factors. What was more crucial was Xia Hanshi's attitude.
He wouldn't even deign to look at Zhang Hongbo and the other two squarely, but toward himself, it could be said he was guiding and enticing him patiently. The other party had already reached this point in his speech.
If he refused again, he himself felt the other party would become annoyed.
Xia Hanshi nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. You are a bit different from those senior brothers of yours. You will have more promising prospects than them."
However, Su Chen still asked carefully, "I heard you've always been pursuing a certain goal?"
"As expected... conspiring against me in secret." A chilling murderous intent flashed in Xia Hanshi's eyes, quickly followed by a trace of sorrow, which was rapidly concealed. He shook his head and said, "Rest assured, I won't force you to do anything."
This simple promise at least put Su Chen at ease considerably.
Xia Hanshi took out a silver metal disk from his chest pocket. After looking down and seeing no reaction from it, he stuffed it back in and asked in a seemingly casual manner:
"How did you know the location of those Evil God Cultists? Do you have an informant?"
Su Chen fell silent once more.
'Old man, although it's true we now have a teacher-student relationship, don't you understand in your heart why we have a teacher-student relationship?'
'Must you ask such a sensitive question right now?'
Seeing him remain silent, Xia Hanshi didn't press him aggressively either, instead asking, "After you killed that Black Buddha Cultist earlier, did you find an Evil God Artifact?"
"Evil God Artifact?" Su Chen frowned. "What Evil God Artifact?"
Xia Hanshi shook his head. "It's nothing. It might have been a fake used to lure me away."
Having said that, the Chief Inquisitor confirmed one last time: "You have nothing to do with the Evil God Cults, right?"
Instead of answering directly, Su Chen said, "The last time I saw you was because someone framed me. The two special envoys from Yingfeng conducted a test on me and confirmed that I have absolutely no connection with the Evil Gods."
"Just as I thought. They already knew you had Red Gold talent last time." Xia Hanshi revealed a chilling sneer and added:
"Framed? That City Lord seems to have a problem with you. Kid, do you want a taste of 'running amok and acting tyrannically'?"
Su Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Could you please check outside to see if there are people sent by the City Lord?"
"There are. I've already apprehended them."
"3rd-tier?"
"3rd-tier."
Upon hearing this, Su Chen shook his head and said, "The so-called 'framing' also has its causes and is understandable."
"You kid are quite different from other refugees." Xia Hanshi clicked his tongue in wonder. "In the future, in front of me, there's no need to be overly restrained."
Su Chen smiled bitterly inwardly. Xia Hanshi then said, "Let's go. Come back with me and test your talent again. Don't misunderstand; I, your teacher, prefer seeing things with my own eyes."
Naturally, Su Chen had no objections. He merely silently speculated that compared to the last test, he now had the augmentation of the 【Sage】, so his talent would more or less undergo some changes.