Tianjin's Room, Heavenly Master's Residence
Su Xiaoqi looked at Gong Qing standing before him and said coldly, *"Hello. You are currently suspected of involvement in a case involving the disappearance of underage girls. Please come with us for questioning."*
Beside him, Lu Linglong added, *"Not only that, we also suspect you of abusing women and the elderly. You will now return with us for investigation."*
Gong Qing stared at them blankly, completely bewildered. *Since when did I do any of that?*
Behind him, Tian Jinzhong—already aware of Gong Qing's true identity—let out a sigh. *"Xiao Yu, no matter what, thank you for taking care of me these past three years."*
Only then did Gong Qing, ever observant, realize his cover had been blown. But he couldn't figure out how.
*Escape?*
Pointless. He knew exactly how powerful the Heavenly Master was, and combat prowess was never his strong suit. There was no way he could flee.
Resigned, Gong Qing turned to the Heavenly Master. *"Heavenly Master, one last question—when did you discover my identity?"*
The Heavenly Master shook his head. *"Neither I nor Elder Tian ever imagined you were part of the **Quanxing Sect**, let alone their acting leader."*
*"Honestly, we were all shocked when we found out."*
*"It wasn't you?"* Gong Qing was even more stunned. His gaze shifted to the smirking man and woman in front of him. *"Lu Linglong… you figured it out?"*
He naturally knew of Lu Linglong, granddaughter of Lu Jin, but he hadn't watched today's preliminaries and thus didn't recognize the man beside her.
Lu Linglong grinned. *"Well, if you want to put it that way, sure. Acting Leader of Quanxing, **Gong Qing**."*
Gong Qing's expression flickered briefly before settling into a bitter smile. *"This… is truly unexpected. Do it, then."*
Su Xiaoqi glanced at Tokisaki Kurumi. *"Do it."*
*"Yes, darling~"*
Under the stunned gazes of the Heavenly Master, Tian Jinzhong, Zhi Jinhua, and Gong Qing, Tokisaki Kurumi activated her ability—**Zafkiel**.
***"Yod Bet."***
Two gunshots rang out as all of Gong Qing's memories were transferred into one of Kurumi's clones.
Once finished, Kurumi leaned weakly against Su Xiaoqi. *"Darling, mission complete. I'm a bit tired… Can I lean on you?"*
Zhu Zhuqing grabbed the back of her collar and yanked her away. *"You can fool the others, but we know better."*
Su Xiaoqi turned to Lu Linglong. *"Out of respect for how he treated Elder Tian, make it quick."*
*"Huh?"* Lu Linglong blinked. *"Aren't you short on points? Why give him to me?"*
Su Xiaoqi chuckled. *"Consider it thanks for you and Zhi Jinhua. Now quit hesitating—do it."*
*"...Got it."*
With a swift motion, Lu Linglong ended Gong Qing's life.
*"Heavenly Master, Elder Tian, we'll leave the rest to you."*
After Su Xiaoqi's group departed, Tian Jinzhong stared at the bloodstained corpse of the man who had served him for three years and sighed deeply.
The Heavenly Master placed a hand on his shoulder. *"After all these years, you can finally rest. With them around, the secrets you guarded no longer matter."*
Tian Jinzhong smiled wryly. *"True. Who knows what chaos those kids will bring to our world? But you…"* He chuckled. *"Aren't you worried about what'll happen when they catch **Xia He** and drag **Zhang Lingyu** into it?"*
*"That bracket draw of yours screwed Linglong over hard. That girl **holds grudges**, you know? Hahaha!"*
The Heavenly Master's face paled. *"Oh no… I forgot about that!"*
---
Meanwhile, Tokisaki Kurumi had already relayed all the memories extracted from Gong Qing. Most matched what they already knew, but a few Quanxing members had revealed their disguises to Gong Qing—information now in their hands.
*"Mostly small fry. Probably not worth many points."* Su Xiaoqi's eyes then locked onto a fat man in the distance, grinning. *"Didn't expect a big fish to deliver itself. Linglong, I'll grab you some points."*
In a flash, he appeared before the man, knocking him out with a single punch before tearing off his disguise—revealing **Xia He**.
Lu Linglong winced. *"That punch looked painful."*
Tokisaki Kurumi smirked. *"Ara~ If only darling could punch that **cow** too."*
Zhu Zhuqing raised an eyebrow. *"When did you give her **that** nickname?"*
*"Just now."*
Zhi Jinhua hesitantly spoke up. *"Um… should we check on her?"*
---
When Xia He awoke, the first thing she saw was Zhang Lingyu—followed by **excruciating pain** from her abdomen.
Before she could speak, a cold voice cut in.
*"Quanxing's **Four Scourges**—**Xia He, the Bone-Carving Blade**. You have two choices."*
*"One: Cooperate fully. After the **Rakshasa Ceremony**, you can leave with your lover Zhang Lingyu. I'll vouch for you—no one will dare oppose it."*
*"Two: Say your goodbyes. Then I kill you."*
*"Oh, and you can try to run. But you won't escape. And if you do, any chance with Zhang Lingyu vanishes forever."*
Zhang Lingyu's eye twitched.
When this group had suddenly dragged Xia He before him and **exposed every detail** of their past, he had been equal parts horrified and mortified.
Su Xiaoqi had given **him** two choices as well:
1. Execute Xia He on the spot.
2. Persuade her to surrender intel.
His first instinct had been to deny any connection to her—but the words died in his throat. His feelings for Xia He were… complicated.
Yet before he could even hesitate for long, Su Xiaoqi had **punched him** for being "indecisive and weak."
Thankfully, Lu Linglong intervened, explaining part of their group's nature—and some of Xia He's hidden secrets.
Su Xiaoqi crossed his arms. *"Xia He, I'm not patient. I still need to avenge Zhi Jinhua."*
*"Huh?"* Zhi Jinhua blinked. She **knew** about certain events from the original story, but since they hadn't happened yet, "avenging" her felt odd.
Su Xiaoqi grinned. *"We're friends now. Anyone who dares mess with you answers to me."*
*"O-Oh… thanks."*
Zhang Lingyu spoke up. *"Can I speak to her alone first?"*
*"Fine. Only out of respect for the Heavenly Master. But don't keep us waiting."*
---
Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Lingyu called them back inside. Xia He had revealed everything she knew about Quanxing.
Su Xiaoqi nodded. *"One last thing—why show yourself? If you'd hidden properly, finding you would've taken effort."*
Xia He smiled bitterly at Zhang Lingyu. *"Because of him… and because of **you people**."*
After witnessing Su Xiaoqi's power during the preliminaries, she had grown wary. When she spotted his group leaving Tian Jinzhong's quarters, she followed—only to be caught and punched.
Su Xiaoqi smirked. *"I didn't know your disguise beforehand. But Gong Qing's memories filled in the gaps."*
*"Oh, and Gong Qing's dead. The rest of Quanxing will follow. Since you've talked, I assume you're done with them. You and Zhang Lingyu can stick with Linglong—she'll protect you."*
*"What?!"* Zhang Lingyu bristled. *"I accept losing to you. But bowing to **Lu Linglong**? Never!"*
Lu Linglong's eyes flashed. *"Zhang Lingyu! You think I'm still the girl your **Black Lightning** crushed?!"*
*"In front of Su Xiaoqi, I can be cute. But to you? Call me **Big Sis** from now on!"*
*"And don't piss me off—or I'll have Su Xiaoqi **blow up Longhu Mountain**!"*
Zhang Lingyu scoffed. *"Change your damn threats! Unless you beat me in the tournament, forget it!"*
Lu Linglong sneered. *"I'll **one-hand** you. I'm **way stronger** now!"*
Xia He suddenly burst out laughing before smiling at Lu Linglong. *"Then we'll rely on you from now on, **Big Sis Linglong**."*
Lu Linglong smirked. "Good. At least someone here appreciates being saved."
Zhang Lingyu glowered. "Xia He! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Xia He sighed fondly. "Oh, Lingyu… you're still so dense. Whether before or now… you'll never beat Lu Linglong."