"Charade...?" Chu Tianqiu forced a smile. "You think this is all a charade?"

"I care not whether you are the leader of {Passage to Heaven} or some deity who reigns over this realm," Qi Xia said coldly. "What is your reason for provoking me?"

"I..." Chu Tianqiu’s expression showed clear signs of confusion. He couldn’t fathom that Qi Xia would have such a personality. "How... have I provoked you?"

Qi Xia’s eyes narrowed, his voice steady but carrying a trace of icy frustration. "The last time I sought you out, you squandered a precious half hour of my time with empty talk. Do you understand the value of that half hour to me? Couldn’t you have simply said what needed to be said?"

His gaze shifted briefly as he scooped up a stone the size of a brick, the weight of his actions palpable. "This time, I placed my trust in you—brought my team here—and yet, you tied up one of my comrades without so much as a word of explanation. So tell me, Chu Tianqiu, why are you provoking me?"

Qi Xia weighed the stone in his hand, his gaze sharpening as he assessed its heft. It felt heavy enough to shatter a skull, and that thought lingered ominously in his mind.

"You—hold on!" Chu Tianqiu stammered, his voice faltering as fear seeped into his tone. He raised a hand in a futile attempt to stall, his face a mixture of concern and desperation. "Listen to me, there’s a reason for everything I’ve done!"

Qi Xia’s gaze remained cold and unwavering as he answered, his voice devoid of any trace of empathy. "Too bad you didn’t offer that explanation earlier." He took a slow, deliberate step forward, his grip tightening on the stone. "What I despise most in life is when things don’t go as expected. You may think your little theatrics make you seem important, but to me it’s nothing but childish posturing. Whatever truth you’re about to unveil, know this—I’ve already made up my mind to smash your skull wide open."

"Qi—Qi Xia... wait!" Yun Yao rushed forward, grasping Qi Xia’s arm with a trembling hand. "What are you doing!? You can’t kill Chu Tianqiu here!"

"Then {where} should I kill him?" Qi Xia asked. "Would you prefer I move him into the corridor?"

Yun Yao’s face drained of color, panic flickering in her eyes. "You..." She hesitated, trying quickly to reason with him. "I’m sorry, I apologize on behalf of Chu Tianqiu... but if you kill him now, we’ll have no chance of escaping!"

"It doesn’t matter; we’re bound to revive after death," Qi Xia sneered. "This time, I’ll smash your head in, teach you a lesson, and maybe in your {next life}, you’ll remember not to provoke me again."

"Don’t..." Chu Tianqiu’s eyes widened in fear. "I can’t die yet..."

Qi Xia’s gaze was like ice; there was no hint of bluffing in him.

As Chu Tianqiu and Yun Yao watched, panic written all over their faces, Qi Xia raised the rock high and brought it down with ruthless force.

A deafening crash reverberated, scattering dust in all directions.

Yun Yao instinctively shut her eyes and turned away, bracing for the gruesome aftermath, but to her surprise, the stone slammed into the ground beside Chu Tianqiu, not his head.

Qi Xia’s gaze stayed fixed on Chu Tianqiu, his expression impassive as he asked slowly, "Have you remembered what I told you?"

"I—I remembered..." Chu Tianqiu stammered.

"What do you remember?"

"Th—that I shouldn’t provoke you..."

"Well done," Qi Xia remarked coldly, dusting off his hands as he stood and casually sat in a nearby chair. His voice, though calm, carried a sharp edge. "Now answer me—why did you kidnap Qiao Jiajin?"

Yun Yao, still visibly rattled, hurried to help Chu Tianqiu back to his feet.

Chu Tianqiu forced an awkward smile, fumbling for his glasses, which had been knocked off in the scuffle. Once he settled them back into place, his gaze flickered uneasily toward Qi Xia.

"You truly are a formidable individual..." Chu Tianqiu forced a bitter smile. "I had intended to {crack the whip} today, but instead I almost ended up under your hoof."

"Chu Tianqiu, if you want me to be a reliable teammate, then put away your {tricks} and exchange sincerity for sincerity with me," Qi Xia retorted, his voice like ice. "I am no mere pawn; persist with your schemes, and you’ll only incur my wrath."

"Indeed, I’ve come to understand that deeply," Chu Tianqiu spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, then found a seat. His demeanor had noticeably shifted, becoming far more subdued. "From the look in your eyes earlier, I truly thought you might kill me..."

"But I’m a swindler," Qi Xia said flatly. "You should only believe half of what I say."

The three of them sat in different directions, the atmosphere thick with tension.

"You still haven’t answered me," Qi Xia pressed. "Why did you kidnap Qiao Jiajin? Where are the others?"

Chu Tianqiu steadied himself, lifting his gaze to meet Qi Xia’s. "Qi Xia, your situation is far more perilous than you realize. There’s a serious issue within your team."

"Serious issue?" Qi Xia frowned. "In what regard?"

"The numbers don’t add up," Chu Tianqiu said evenly. "The male-to-female ratio of those who left your room is off."

"Oh?" Qi Xia raised an eyebrow, studying the composed man before him. "The male-to-female ratio is off?"

"Precisely," Chu Tianqiu affirmed with grave certainty. "In truth, there should be {six men and three women}, but instead, {five men and four women} came out of your room."

"Mn." Qi Xia nodded. "I understand. And what of it?"

"What of it?" Chu Tianqiu blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Qi Xia, can’t you see the implication? It’s highly likely that an {Adherent of Judgment’s Domain} has infiltrated your team. I’m unsure how many intruders there are, which is why I restrained everyone."

"I said I understand." Qi Xia cut him off. "Is there any other reason?"

"I..." Chu Tianqiu faltered at Qi Xia’s indifference. Then his eyes widened in realization. "I see... You’re truly terrifying... Were you already aware of this?"

Qi Xia gave a silent nod. "Chu Tianqiu, I’m starting to have my doubts."

"Doubts?"

"Such commotion over something so trivial—does this reflect your supposed wisdom?" Qi Xia slowly rose to his feet, his inscrutable gaze fixed on Chu Tianqiu. "If you discovered an {Adherent} among my team, shouldn’t you have quietly removed this thorn? Instead, you made a spectacle of it, possibly alerting the enemy already. That hardly seems like the action of a wise man."

"You..." Chu Tianqiu shot Qi Xia a meaningful glance. "I admit, I misjudged the situation. I didn’t anticipate that you already knew."

"I suspected there was a high probability of an {Adherent} in my team, but this person is quite strange," Qi Xia replied. "I’ve teamed up with most of them and lowered my guard in front of many, yet no one has harmed me or attempted to seize my {Dào}. So I’ve been deliberating whether I should spend a few days resolving this issue."

Qi Xia was acutely aware that the only woman in his team he had never teamed up with was Xiao Ran.

But could she be from {Judgment’s Domain}?

Her behavior, her every action, screamed {suspicion}. Yet, would {Judgment’s Domain} really send someone so reckless to infiltrate their ranks? It didn’t °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° add up.

"Since no one seems to have any ulterior motives, how can you be certain someone from {Judgment’s Domain} is in the team?" Yun Yao asked.

"It’s both simple and oddly compelling," Qi Xia replied. "If I’m not mistaken, your probation room originally had {nine people}, correct?"

"Yes," Yun Yao nodded. "Don’t we all start with {nine people}?"

"No, our room had {ten people}."

His words struck like a thunderclap, freezing them in astonishment.

"Ten people?!"