Eldritch Horror Theatre

Admittedly, why A Gui would risk his life to snatch his mission target was well worth pondering.

He was a demigod, after all. In theory, escaping on his own wouldn't have been any harder.

Surely he didn't plan to sleep with it?

"Ji Ping, what is the meaning of this?"

Realizing the target had successfully escaped, Ji Xun decisively stopped wasting energy on maintaining the Ash Descent.

As color bled back into the world, he glared at Ji Ping and demanded an answer.

Even if they hadn't reacted in the moment, what just happened wasn't hard to figure out now.

Ji Ping's entire performance had been a ruse to get close to Old Man Lu, paving the way for the thing inside his mouth to launch a fatal strike.

From start to finish, his so-called honest confession and sudden remorse had been building to this exact moment. He had been on the Origin Council's side all along.

Yet Demigod Lu of the Rebirth Club had casually neutralized the ambush, treating it like a child's game.

Even Ji Liushuang's reaction throughout the whole ordeal had been unnaturally calm...

As a co-maintainer of the Ash Descent, Ji Xun was acutely aware of everyone's movements within it. He knew that even in the instant Lu Ming was ambushed, Ji Liushuang's aura had merely sharpened; she hadn't shown the slightest intention of intervening. It was as if she had absolute confidence in him.

This display only deepened his wariness regarding the true strength of that mysterious organization.

His reprimand to Ji Ping had been less of a question and more a clear declaration of where the Ji Clan stood.

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice..."

Stared down by the crowd, the abandoned Ji Ping quickly realized he had no room to argue. He decisively admitted fault and shifted the blame in the same breath.

"They threatened me! They said I had to do it. The other side had two demigods—I had absolutely no way to fight back!"

Another demigod?

Ji Ping's self-justification was utterly hollow, but it did deliver a rather startling piece of news.

Aside from the guy who had just fled, there was actually a second demigod who had remained hidden this entire time.

The atmosphere in the room immediately grew noticeably tenser.

"Just because your own life was in danger, you decided to drag the Ji Clan into peril? If the family really got tied up with the Origin Council, do you have any idea what would happen to us if we were exposed?"

Old Man Ji Tong, who had been keeping watch from the sidelines this whole time, no longer bothered to hide the murderous intent in his voice.

"And don't try to tell me you knew you'd run into Elder Lu here."

"I didn't... I just felt that, despite all the complications, the Miracle I possess would still be of immense value to the clan, no matter what..."

Ji Ping's defense was glaringly feeble.

"After struggling with it for a long time, I finally decided to risk bringing this information back, hoping I could find an opportunity to shake off their control later..."

Immense value to yourself, more like!

Hearing Ji Ping's excuses, more than a few people in the room scoffed inwardly.

He made it sound so noble, yet his very first move had been demanding control over the Gospel Team.

A clan defector like him had absolutely no right to make demands. Had it not been for the Miracle he carried, he wouldn't have had the standing to ask for anything.

However, seeing the two senior elders, Ji Tong and Ji Xun, deep in thought, the rest of the group sensibly kept their mouths shut.

"Elder Lu, we will leave this unworthy son of the Ji Clan for you to handle."

The two elders didn't stay silent for long. After a brief exchange of glances, Ji Xun turned directly to Fu Qian, adopting a mask of ironclad impartiality.

"Since he is a member of The Club, and given his cowardly ambush just now, please dispose of him however you see fit. We will have absolutely no objections."

Oh?

Fu Qian glanced at Ji Xun but didn't say a word.

It sounded fine on the surface. But if they were truly that resolute, wouldn't it be just as justifiable to clean house themselves in their capacity as Ji Clan elders?

It was obvious that the thing inside Ji Ping was still too valuable. The two elders weren't entirely committed to killing him.

After all, even though Brother Ji Ping currently looked ashen-faced and defeated, he was far from weeping and wailing in despair.

The moment his talent awakened, his very first instinct had been to turn around and bully the ordinary people he had once belonged with. There was no way a coward like that would act this tough if he truly believed he was about to die.

In moments of life and death, a person's instincts were always exceptionally sharp. This guy could clearly sense the lingering "warmth" of his clan protecting him.

Of course, Fu Qian believed that if he really went ahead and executed the guy, they wouldn't actually stop him. Old Man Ji Xun had at least that much credibility.

However, they were currently standing on Ji Clan territory. If an outsider like him forced the execution, he would essentially be playing right into their hands, allowing the Ji Clan to grandstand and show off their restraint.

By trading Ji Ping's life, the clan would effectively buy immunity from any further accountability. If Fu Qian tried to push for more after that, he would be the one acting completely out of line.

On top of that, by handing the decision over to him, they could use the ensuing discussion to probe his exact relationship with Ji Liushuang.

Truly worthy of being aristocratic elites. They never lost their healthy habit of maximizing their own interests in every situation.

Too bad for them...

A cold smile tugged at Fu Qian's lips. He ignored everyone in the room, turning his gaze instead to Ji Liushuang, who was sitting quietly in her seat.

The two of them locked eyes for several seconds. Though no words were exchanged, Ji Liushuang seemed to understand his intent perfectly. A moment later, she gave a slight nod.

"Elder Lu, why don't you go see our friend off?"

See a friend off?

That obviously didn't mean sending Ji Ping to his death. Which meant she was talking about...

Without another word, Demigod Lu turned on his heel and strode right out the door.

His clothes might have been in tatters, but his retreating back radiated a terrifying, undeniable authority.

He wasn't going to execute Ji Ping. He was going to execute those two hidden demigods. All by himself...

The sheer arrogance of it was staggering!

Yet, seeing his overwhelming calmness, everyone in the room couldn't help but feel that he could actually pull it off.

"Such trivial matters shouldn't trouble Elder Lu."

Ji Liushuang's voice rang out, dragging the onlookers out of their shock.

"I can handle things on this end."

Too modest. It was entirely obvious that he had only decided not to bother after getting her silent approval...

They were all seasoned veterans—how could they not see through that?

Leaving the "trivial matters" for oneself was the textbook move of a true leader.

Still, hearing Ji Liushuang's cold, soft voice sparked a great deal of quiet grumbling among the Ji Clan members.

Of course, they only dared to grumble in their hearts. At this point, absolutely no one had the guts to underestimate a girl who wasn't even twenty years old yet.

Especially since she was still theoretically the next family head...

A fact that had been deliberately ignored for far too long suddenly snapped back to the forefront of everyone's minds.

"So, Liushuang, how do you think we should handle this?"

The brief silence was broken by Old Man Ji Tong, who cleared his throat and asked for her opinion in a perfectly even tone.

"Also, I just discussed things with Ji Xun. Given the sensitive nature of the Gospel Team, it's highly likely that people will continue scheming against it. It would be best if someone reliable took charge to ensure its integrity remains intact. We were wondering... would you be interested?"

"As for the day-to-day management, we can arrange for someone to go directly to the Academy to assist you. It won't distract you too much from your studies."

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