Drive Qiong away?

“Are you the undercover agent?!”

The moment Wanrenzhan blurted it out, he immediately rejected the idea himself.

“Impossible. You're not the undercover agent. We were never separated, and besides, with your eight combat power, you couldn't possibly do it!”

“So what exactly are you trying to do? What's your objective?”

[Bullet Comment: “...The idiot is even more idiotic than I imagined.”]

[Bullet Comment: “Why did I never realize Wanrenzhan was this dumb before?”]

[Bullet Comment: “Probably because He Yu makes everyone look stupid. I really want to see Wanrenzhan's reaction when he learns the truth. Hahaha.”]

He Yu glanced at Wanrenzhan.

The surrounding air burned with intense heat.

Below them churned a sea of fire.

It felt as though He Yu's body was being roasted alive.

The powerful Federation contestants found the heat uncomfortable, but their reactions weren't nearly as severe as his.

—No wonder his eight combat power was viewed so poorly.

Physical ability really was important in this competition.

But He Yu had always enjoyed surprising people.

And he especially enjoyed shattering preconceived notions.

The corners of his lips curved upward.

A brilliant smile appeared on his face.

“Wanrenzhan, weren't you asking who I discussed the plan with earlier?”

“I discussed it with Duan Yuchen.”

“Since we couldn't identify the undercover agent, we agreed to eliminate the strongest contestants one by one.”

That really had been the plan he discussed with Duan Yuchen.

Though it had been He Yu who proposed it.

During their secret meeting in the previous trial, Duan Yuchen had “confirmed” Wanrenzhan was the undercover agent and “convinced” He Yu to switch sides and cooperate with him.

His original suggestion had been to eliminate Wanrenzhan immediately after the Fourth Trial.

But He Yu rejected it.

Instead, he proposed something else.

He told Duan Yuchen—

Since Wanrenzhan's identity had already been confirmed, they could simply vote him out after the Fifth Trial.

Before that, however, they could take a gamble.

Eliminate Zhante after the Fourth Trial.

Then use Wanrenzhan during the Fifth Trial to eliminate Qiong.

If they could remove competitors while still guaranteeing the undercover's elimination later, the deal was extremely profitable.

Duan Yuchen thought the proposal was insane.

But He Yu wasn't afraid.

And somehow, He Yu's confidence infected him.

In a competition that constantly walked the edge of a blade, perhaps gambling was the correct choice.

That was why Duan Yuchen had cooperated earlier.

Why he had created an opportunity for them to remove Qiong.

Wanrenzhan stared blankly at He Yu's smile.

The two stood together on a single broom.

Very close.

Wanrenzhan stood behind him.

His massive two-meter frame only made He Yu seem smaller.

Fragile.

As though he could be wrapped in an embrace simply by extending an arm.

He Yu's usually pale face was flushed red.

Even his ears were red.

Like half-blooming peach blossoms.

Wanrenzhan found himself unable to look away.

It was probably the heat.

Sweat continuously formed on He Yu's skin.

Droplets slid down the smooth contours of his face.

Across his jaw.

Down his neck.

Finally disappearing beneath his elegant collarbones.

He Yu was very thin.

His collarbones were strikingly beautiful.

As he spoke, his Adam's apple moved slightly.

His jade-like skin glistened with crystal-clear droplets.

Not a single pore seemed visible.

The sweat looked like dew resting upon polished white stone.

It was impossible not to stare.

Wanrenzhan had never thought Infernal Fire Hell was particularly difficult.

Suddenly, however, he felt as though his entire body was on fire.

His throat was dry.

His heartbeat became irregular.

Sweat poured from his forehead.

His eyes became unfocused.

He simply stared at He Yu.

He Yu turned his head.

The coldness in his eyes intensified.

The lenses of his glasses reflected an icy gleam.

In a ghostly voice, he asked:

“Do you still want your eyes?”

Instantly, Wanrenzhan felt a chill run down his spine.

His hair stood on end.

In an environment hot enough to melt steel, he somehow felt a sinister cold breeze.

Startled, he took a step backward.

Then blinked.

That single step carried him off the broom.

Wanrenzhan immediately tried to stabilize himself.

But He Yu casually tilted the broom.

His footing vanished completely.

Down he went.

“AHHHHH—”

With a scream, Wanrenzhan nearly plunged into the sea of fire.

Fortunately, he grabbed the broom in time and ended up dangling beneath it.

“Fuck! He Yu! Pull me up!”

Wanrenzhan shouted.

He Yu lowered his gaze and looked at him.

Then sneered.

“Hang there.”

With that, he accelerated.

Wanrenzhan could only cling desperately to the broom to avoid falling.

There wasn't even enough attention left to climb back up.

The constant danger of plunging into the flames instantly erased every inappropriate thought from his mind.

Clinging beneath the broom, he muttered darkly:

“You were the one tempting me.”

“Like I wanted to stare.”

“Just a little weakling...”

[Bullet Comment: “...Are all combat-oriented straight men like this?”]

[Bullet Comment: “No wonder he keeps taking the blame for He Yu.”]

He Yu ignored him and continued flying.

After muttering for a while, Wanrenzhan suddenly remembered what He Yu had said earlier.

His pupils contracted.

He jerked his head upward.

“Wait!”

“What did you just say?”

“You discussed it with Duan Yuchen?”

At last.

Back to the main topic.

He Yu almost rolled his eyes.

In a cold voice, he answered:

“Yes.”

“I discussed it with Duan Yuchen.”

“You'll pretend to be the undercover agent later.”

“Together we'll scare Qiong away and force her to spend two hundred thousand votes.”

Wanrenzhan frowned.

Even he sensed something strange.

Confused, he asked:

“There are only five of us left.”

“You and Ling Buchen don't have the strength to be the undercover.”

“I'm not the undercover.”

“That means the undercover is either Qiong or Duan Yuchen.”

“How are we supposed to scare Qiong away?”

“What if she's the undercover?”

If Qiong was the undercover, she would attack them.

And the proposal itself sounded suspicious.

It wasn't something a normal contestant should suggest.

He Yu adjusted his glasses.

“This is a test.”

“If Qiong is the undercover, she won't run.”

“But she'll expose herself.”

“Then we vote her out after this round.”

“Besides, with me supporting you, Qiong won't be able to kill us anyway.”

“If she isn't the undercover, then making her spend two hundred thousand votes is beneficial.”

“You were the ones who told me reducing opponents' votes is extremely important.”

“It is important,” Wanrenzhan admitted.

Then frowned again.

“But why would Duan Yuchen agree to this?”

“If Qiong turns out not to be the undercover, and he actually is the undercover, wouldn't he expose himself?”

“Unless he's certain Qiong is the undercover!”

If Duan Yuchen was already certain Qiong was the undercover, there would be no need for testing.

But if he wasn't certain and still suggested this...

Then didn't that prove Duan Yuchen was innocent?

He Yu inhaled deeply.

Looking down at Wanrenzhan, he spoke calmly.

His eyes appeared completely sincere.

“I think Qiong probably isn't the undercover.”

“I think Duan Yuchen is trying to frame you.”

Wanrenzhan:

“???”

His eyes widened.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“How is he framing me?”

“Why would he frame me?”

He Yu blinked innocently.

“Because we actually were separated during the Third Trial.”

“And you've always supported eliminating Earlie.”

“That makes you suspicious.”

“Your combat strength also makes you capable of threatening Qiao Yuan...”

Wanrenzhan:

“!!!”

Dangling beneath the broom, he struggled upward while shouting:

“He Yu!”

“Believe me!”

“I'm not the undercover agent!”

“If you were the undercover, would I have let you live?!”

He Yu's voice became ghostly again.

“Duan Yuchen said you're keeping me alive as cover.”

Wanrenzhan finally climbed back onto the broom.

Straddling it awkwardly, he hurriedly explained:

“Complete bullshit!”

“I am absolutely not the undercover agent!”

“I swear on my honor!”

“Fuck, that Duan Yuchen actually dared frame me!”

“How do we know he and Harvey never separated?”

“Harvey's dead!”

“There's no witness left!”

Across both livestreams, the bullet comments exploded.

“...First time in my life I've seen a non-undercover contestant desperately convincing the undercover contestant that he isn't undercover.”

“He Yu: I believe you, because I'M the undercover. Hahaha.”

“I'm dying. When Wanrenzhan learns the truth, he'll probably explode.”

“He Yu is incredible. Discussing plans with Duan Yuchen should have made him suspicious, but he immediately turned it around. Now Wanrenzhan is so busy defending himself he can't even look for flaws anymore.”

“Holy shit. One man is playing an entire team like puppets.”

...

He Yu frowned and carefully observed Wanrenzhan's expression.

Wanrenzhan roared:

“You have to trust me!”

“We were only separated for a tiny amount of time!”

“How could I possibly have had enough time to kill Siya?”

“And how would I even know where she was?”

He Yu still looked hesitant.

Wanrenzhan grew more anxious.

“Don't you suspect Duan Yuchen?”

“Why would he frame me?”

“Why would he send all the strongest contestants away?”

“His combat strength isn't high enough, so he's desperate to eliminate stronger competitors!”

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.

There was at least a sixty percent chance Duan Yuchen was the undercover.

And if Qiong wasn't the undercover...

Then Duan Yuchen was one hundred percent guilty.

He Yu finally seemed persuaded.

Taking a deep breath, he said:

“Actually, I've always suspected Duan Yuchen too.”

“And I trust you more.”

“That's why I told you the truth earlier.”

“That's why I said Duan Yuchen was trying to frame you.”

Earlier, He Yu's exact words had been—

If Qiong isn't the undercover, then Duan Yuchen is framing you.

Wanrenzhan finally relaxed.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, he said:

“At least you're not stupid.”

“If you wrongly accused me, then after eliminating Qiong and eliminating me, Duan Yuchen could kill you whenever he wanted.”

He Yu rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Murmuring to himself:

“Duan Yuchen forced Siya out and framed Earlie...”

“That makes sense.”

“Harvey said the three of them had a communication method.”

“That means if Earlie could find Siya, Duan Yuchen could too...”

Wanrenzhan nodded vigorously.

Exactly.

If Earlie could find Siya, so could Duan Yuchen.

He Yu continued.

“Then Duan Yuchen forced Qiao Yuan out.”

“He realized our partnership was terrifying.”

“So he approached me.”

“He told me you were the undercover.”

“And had me help you pretend to be the undercover in order to scare away Qiong...”

Wanrenzhan nodded and immediately continued:

“Exactly!”

“Once Qiong is gone, only four contestants remain.”

“You and Ling Buchen aren't threats.”

“Then he votes me out.”

“Kills Ling Buchen.”

“Forces you to support him.”

“Clears the Sixth Trial.”

“The plan is perfect.”

“Way too sinister.”

He Yu nodded in agreement.

Wanrenzhan cursed loudly.

“I actually trusted him before!”

“If he hadn't tried framing me, I'd never have suspected him.”

“Fuck.”

“The moment this round ends, we're voting him out.”

He Yu nodded again.

“Who would've thought Duan Yuchen was the undercover?”

“Why did Harvey lie for him in the first place?”

Wanrenzhan suddenly frowned.

That really didn't make sense.

Harvey had no reason to protect Duan Yuchen.

He Yu replied casually:

“Who knows?”

“Maybe there were other reasons.”

“For example, we also claimed we'd never been separated.”

Wanrenzhan froze.

Then his eyes widened.

“I get it!”

“Harvey was afraid we'd suspect him if he admitted they separated.”

“So he hid it.”

“He accidentally helped Duan Yuchen instead!”

He Yu smiled faintly.

“Possibly.”

“And Harvey died.”

“But nobody knows how.”

Wanrenzhan sucked in a sharp breath.

“That's right!”

“The only person who could kill Harvey would be someone stronger than him!”

“Duan Yuchen!”

“That bastard is shouting thief while playing thief himself!”

“And he still tried to frame me!”

Looking at He Yu, Wanrenzhan said seriously:

“Good thing you trusted me.”

“When this round ends, if Duan Yuchen tries anything against you, I'll protect you.”

He Yu nodded.

His eyes were serious.

There was even a trace of unease in them.

“I trust you.”

“Don't lie to me...”

Wanrenzhan practically wanted to tear his heart out and show it to him.

Raising his head, he shouted:

“I swear on my honor!”

“I've never lied to you!”

The bullet comments went silent.

“...”

“............”

“...For a moment, I genuinely don't know what to say.”

“He Yu's acting is unbelievable. Even knowing he's the undercover agent, I still catch myself believing him before remembering the truth.”

“Poor idiot.”

“It's okay. When voting starts, He Yu will probably give him enough time to escape.”

...

He Yu nodded.

A relaxed expression finally appeared on his face.

Clearly, he had “accepted” Wanrenzhan's explanation.

Looking toward him, He Yu asked:

“If that's the case, and we've confirmed Duan Yuchen is the undercover...”

“Should we still scare away Qiong?”

“Maybe we should tell her the truth and eliminate Duan Yuchen together?”

Wanrenzhan froze.

Then a malicious grin spread across his face.

“With your support, we're unbeatable.”

“Why should we fear the Sixth Trial?”

“Let's eliminate all of them!”

“Come on.”

“Let's scare Qiong to death.”

He Yu nodded obediently.

“Okay.”

“I'll listen to you.”

Wanrenzhan sat proudly atop the broom.

His chin was raised high.

The two accelerated toward Qiong's location.

The audience:

“...”

Inside the Transfer Station:

“...”

Zhante rubbed his forehead.

“When Wanrenzhan arrives, make him watch this segment repeatedly.”

Siya nodded.

“Supported.”

Qiao Yuan sighed.

“Whenever I feel embarrassed, I just think about Wanrenzhan and immediately feel better.”

“What am I afraid of?”

“No matter what, someone else is always more embarrassing.”

Being scared away by a lighter?

Nothing special.

Being scared away by an illusion?

Nothing special.

Being voted out through deception?

Nothing special.

None of it compared to shielding the undercover agent while desperately trying to convince that same undercover agent of your innocence.

And being proud of it.

Qiong was still scouting.

Below her, the sea of fire bubbled endlessly.

The temperature was terrifying.

But Federation elites possessed extraordinary physical abilities.

Simply enduring wasn't difficult.

So then...

What exactly did Infernal Fire Hell mean?

Qiong searched carefully.

Yet even after flying for a long time, she discovered nothing.

Everything looked identical.

Which meant everyone else was probably seeing the same thing.

Unless...

They had discovered something different?

Qiong suddenly stopped.

—Something was wrong.

The undercover agent was still alive.

And it was someone capable of threatening Siya and Qiao Yuan.

Nobody knew how Harvey died.

But Siya and Qiao Yuan had both advanced through votes.

There was a strong chance they'd encountered the undercover.

Only five contestants remained.

Yet they had still split up.

Qiong's pupils shrank.

She immediately turned around.

—The undercover is coming to kill me.

But she was too late.

The familiar broom appeared before her.

He Yu stood atop it.

Wanrenzhan rode behind him.

Below was an ocean of fire.

Ahead stood He Yu and Wanrenzhan.

The perfect killing formation.

“You're here to kill me?”

Qiong pressed her lips together.

She made no attempt to flee.

After everything she'd witnessed, she already knew.

A Wanrenzhan supported by He Yu was unbeatable.

If they'd decided to kill her...

Escape was impossible.

Wanrenzhan raised his chin.

“That's right.”

“We're here to kill you.”

Qiong narrowed her eyes.

Then suddenly asked:

“Which one of you is the undercover agent?”

Before He Yu could answer, Wanrenzhan lazily swung his axe.

“I am.”

“So what?”

“Got any last words?”

Qiong pressed her lips together.

“So you're planning to kill me.”

“And then eliminate Duan Yuchen.”

“And clear the Sixth Trial alone?”

It was entirely possible.

With He Yu's support, Wanrenzhan was invincible.

Her gaze shifted toward He Yu.

“Why are you helping him?”

“If we kept the rest of us alive and voted out Wanrenzhan, wouldn't you be safe too?”

That was what confused her most.

Why would He Yu help the undercover agent?

The undercover certainly wouldn't help him clear the competition.

Even if he somehow advanced, the presence of an undercover meant failure.

He Yu sighed helplessly.

“I don't have a choice.”

“If I don't help him, I'll die immediately.”

“My votes are still slightly short.”

“I should be able to reach the requirement during the Sixth Trial.”

He didn't allow Qiong to continue questioning him.

Instead, he continued:

“Qiong, I genuinely wanted you as a teammate.”

“You, Eugene, Zhen Xing, Wanrenzhan, and Ling Buchen.”

“You were all people I wanted on my team.”

“I was sincere about inviting you.”

“But now you're still helping Wanrenzhan kill me.”

Qiong replied calmly.

At the same time, she gave He Yu a subtle look.

—A proposal for cooperation.

If He Yu switched sides, Qiong could protect him.

He could support Qiong.

Together they wouldn't fear Wanrenzhan.

Wanrenzhan couldn't kill them.

After the trial ended, they could vote him out.

He Yu might even survive.

Yet...

Something still felt wrong.

A strange sense of inconsistency lingered.

Unfortunately, the situation offered no time for deeper thought.

He Yu acted as though he hadn't understood her signal.

He merely continued softly:

“Perhaps we can cooperate in the next round.”

“For now... I'm sorry.”

A smile appeared on his face.

Then he raised his voice.

“Wanrenzhan.”

“Do it.”

The instant those words fell—

Qiong vanished.

The axe struck empty air.

Qiong had spent two hundred thousand votes to leave.

The plan succeeded.

The moment she disappeared, she entered the Transfer Station.

As soon as her eyes opened, Zhante, Siya, and Qiao Yuan greeted her with bright smiles.

In unison, they said:

“Welcome to the club, Qiong.”

Two minutes later, Qiong's furious roar echoed through the station.

“HE YU!”

“IF I EVER TEAM UP WITH YOU AGAIN—”

“IF I EVER TRUST YOU AGAIN—”

“I'M A DOG!!”

The plan had gone suspiciously smoothly.

Wanrenzhan looked extremely satisfied.

“Excellent.”

“Now only you, me, and Duan Yuchen remain.”

As for Ling Buchen?

He didn't even count.

Effectively, only three contestants were left.

Duan Yuchen was the “undercover.”

But he believed he had successfully convinced He Yu.

Which meant he would be completely relaxed.

Once the trial ended, they would vote him out.

He'd never see it coming.

However—

Something felt wrong.

If Duan Yuchen truly believed He Yu had joined his side...

Why hadn't he killed Wanrenzhan?

The undercover agent could attack.

With He Yu's support, they should have been capable of killing him.

It seemed...

Contradictory.

Wanrenzhan turned toward He Yu, intending to ask.

But He Yu spoke first.

“You really haven't been lying to me?”

“You really aren't the undercover?”

Wanrenzhan exploded.

“HEY!”

“HE YU!”

“YOU'RE STILL SUSPICIOUS OF ME?!”

He Yu frowned deeply.

Looking troubled, he said:

“I lied to Qiong.”

“My votes aren't slightly short.”

“They're far short.”

“So I absolutely have to identify the real undercover.”

“Otherwise I'll die.”

Wanrenzhan grabbed his head.

“That's exactly why you should trust me!”

“Duan Yuchen is definitely the undercover!”

“You aren't.”

“I aren't.”

“Which means it's him one hundred percent!”

“And he even tried to frame me!”

Grabbing He Yu by the shoulders, he began analyzing earnestly.

“Look.”

“Forget the framing issue.”

“During the Third Trial, wasn't Duan Yuchen the only person who could contact Siya?”

“And weren't we only separated briefly?”

He Yu nodded hesitantly.

“Fourth Trial.”

“Didn't Harvey die?”

He Yu nodded again.

“Harvey was silenced by Duan Yuchen!”

“Otherwise he'd have revealed that they were separated too!”

All of these points had originally come from He Yu.

Now they were being repeated through Wanrenzhan's mouth.

Emphasized again and again.

Wanrenzhan became increasingly excited.

“He also could've threatened Qiao Yuan!”

“His combat strength isn't great, but he's a master craftsman!”

“He has plenty of methods!”

He Yu continued nodding.

“Finally, his elimination plan makes no sense.”

“He can't beat me.”

“So instead of attacking directly, he recruited you.”

Wanrenzhan pointed dramatically.

“Think about it!”

“If he wasn't the undercover, why eliminate Qiong?”

“Shouldn't he have teamed up with her to vote me out?”

“The reason he proposed the elimination plan is because he already knew he was the undercover!”

“That's why he dared reduce the number of contestants!”

Finally, Wanrenzhan delivered his conclusion.

“The person who proposed the elimination plan is the undercover.”

“Duan Yuchen.”

“Case closed!”

The bullet comments exploded.

“...Excellent analysis. Please never analyze anything again.”

“So, idiot, did you ever consider that the elimination plan was actually proposed by the guy standing in front of you?”

“He sounds incredibly convincing. It's making my scalp tingle.”

“Once again, He Yu's choice of teammate is absolutely incredible.”

“I guarantee Wanrenzhan will regret using the Binding Card on He Yu.”

“He used it to kill He Yu.”

“Now not only has he repeatedly refused to kill him, he's being played like a fiddle.”

“But seriously... He Yu isn't acting logically either.”

“Why propose the elimination plan?”

“With only eight combat power, he can't clear the Sixth Trial.”

“Whether Wanrenzhan survives or Duan Yuchen survives, once they realize He Yu is the undercover, they'll be furious.”

“Neither of them will help him clear the Sixth Trial!”

“So why?”

“What exactly is He Yu planning?”

...

The audience didn't know.

Their analysis wasn't wrong.

Whether Wanrenzhan or Duan Yuchen got eliminated after this trial, the survivor wouldn't help He Yu clear the Sixth Trial.

They would either leave.

Or refuse to protect him.

Or use the boss to kill him.

Anyone with a functioning brain would understand that.

He Yu certainly understood it too.

So why was he eliminating so many people?

The audience grew confused once again.

Nobody knew what He Yu was thinking.

Looking at Wanrenzhan, He Yu said seriously:

“Alright.”

“I believe you.”

“Don't reveal anything this round.”

“Let Duan Yuchen stay comfortable.”

“Once the trial ends, we'll vote him out together.”

At last, relief appeared on Wanrenzhan's fierce face.

He gave He Yu an approving look.

“The result will prove you made the right choice.”

He Yu nodded.

Just as he was about to say something—

His expression suddenly sharpened.

At the exact same moment, Wanrenzhan's face changed as well.

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