Lu Cheng was no longer at the manor.
At this moment, he was at the other end of the Demon City.
The Tianming Pavilion headquarters, that ancient Suzhou-style garden, was now beneath his feet, as tiny as an exquisite sand table.
And Lu Cheng was in the presidential suite of the skyscraper opposite, occupying the best 'viewing position'.
The suite was brightly lit, warm as spring.
Outside the window, the night wind howled, full of murderous intent.
Lu Cheng leaned leisurely on the sofa, and behind him, Ji Ling stood silently like a perfect black sculpture.
She wore a tight-fitting combat suit that accentuated her curves, her face expressionless... "Master, according to real-time monitoring, the target Ren Shitou has breached the Tianming Pavilion's defenses."
"The Master and Jueying are organizing core members to intercept him."
"Miss Dongfang Yue is on site mediating..."
Ji Ling paused, seemingly searching for a precise word.
"But her mediation is only intensifying the chaos on site."
"Is that so?"
A pleased smile played on Lu Cheng's lips.
He didn't even bother to look at the monitor screen, just listened intently.
From this height, he could vaguely hear the roars coming from the garden, and occasionally, dazzling energy impacts would illuminate the classical architectural complex, making it flicker between bright and dark.
It felt like watching a grand fireworks display.
"This is just an appetizer."
Lu Cheng's gaze retracted from the 'fireworks' outside the window and landed on Ji Ling.
"Go, move the sofa to the window."
He gave a casual command.
"When watching a show, one must look the part."
"Yes, Master."
Ji Ling didn't hesitate for a moment, effortlessly moving the seemingly heavy leather sofa to the floor-to-ceiling window with one hand.
Lu Cheng changed to a more comfortable position, crossing his legs and resting them on the coffee table in front of him, fully entering 'theater mode'... Meanwhile, inside the Tianming Pavilion, it had already turned into a living hell.
"False god! Thief! Get out here and die!"
Ren Shitou was like a madman, the system on him providing him with an endless surge of berserk power!
He was like a human Gundam, every punch, every step, stirring up terrifying airwaves, smashing all the meticulously arranged rockeries and corridors into dust!
"Evil spawn! Are you insane?!"
The Master's hair stood on end, as he awkwardly dodged a whistling boulder.
He formed hand seals, muttering incantations, attempting to suppress the opponent with his 'literary destiny'.
"Words Become Law · Bind!"
In the air, countless golden textual chains appeared out of nowhere, coiling towards Ren Shitou.
This was his proud ability, enough to bind most Tianming Zhe (Fated Ones).
However, those chains were directly shattered by an invisible force when they approached within three feet of Ren Shitou!
Ren Shitou was completely unaffected; instead, he felt the other party was provoking him, and with a furious roar, he punched out through the air!
Boom!
The force of the punch was like a cannonball, directly sending the Master flying backward, crashing into a stone pillar, and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Old geezer! There really is something fishy!"
On the other side, a ghostly black shadow appeared silently behind Ren Shitou.
It was Jueying!
The short blade in his hand, poisoned to kill with a single scratch, aimed at Ren Shitou's back with an incredibly tricky angle!
Clang!!!
A deafening clang of metal.
Jueying felt an overwhelming force in his wrist, his tiger's mouth instantly split open, and the short blade in his hand was directly knocked away!
And Ren Shitou merely swayed, the clothes on his back tearing open, revealing the skin beneath.
The berserker's abnormal defense turned Jueying's assassination into a joke.
"A bunch of petty scoundrels!"
Ren Shitou back-elbowed, directly smashing the unsteady Jueying into the ground!
The entire scene was a one-sided crush!
The elites of the Tianming Pavilion were as fragile as paper in the face of absolute power.
What made the Master and others even more frustrated was that Dongfang Yue was still 'helping' by the side.
"Master! Jueying! Show mercy!"
She pretended to be anxious, shouting at everyone from a distance.
"He is the Emperor Star! We just need to subdue him; we absolutely cannot harm him!"
These words made the already struggling Master and others even more constrained in their attacks, fearing they might actually damage this 'precious treasure'.
But then, she shouted at the bloodthirsty Ren Shitou:
"Ren Shitou, calm down! The Watcher must have a deeper meaning! There must be a huge misunderstanding here!"
This 'advice', however, only added fuel to the fire for Ren Shitou.
Misunderstanding?
I'll believe you when pigs fly!
These people are indeed in cahoots!
They say nice things, but their actions are darker than the last!
They just want to stall for time so that 'The Watcher', that false god, can steal my National Luck!
"Kill!!!"
Ren Shitou fought even more fiercely.
At the very rear of the battlefield, Mr. 'Tianji' had a pale face, clutching his precious astrolabe, his fingers frantically moving across it, muttering to himself.
"No... no... why would the Emperor Star backlash itself?"
"Why... why can't I calculate anything anymore?"
The more desperately he tried to deduce, the more chaotic the light spots on the astrolabe became, the star lines representing the trajectory of destiny tangled into a messy knot.
Finally.
With a soft 'puff'.
The astrolabe, forged from extraterrestrial meteorite iron, couldn't bear the strain and directly cracked, emitting a wisp of smoke.
The magical artifact... was Wasted!
'Tianji' watched this scene, completely stunned, his eyes hollow, muttering to himself.
"It's over..."
"The heavenly secrets... are completely in chaos..."
...In the top-floor presidential suite of the skyscraper.
Lu Cheng watched the comical 'farce' outside the window, the smile on his face growing wider.
He extended a finger, pointing at different people below through the glass, as if giving Ji Ling a vivid 'live lesson'.
"Look, Ling'er."
His finger pointed at Ren Shitou, who was rampaging.
"This is a perfect weapon."
"It doesn't need to have a brain; it only needs to have enough power and absolute loyalty to the commands given by its master."
"Look at him, how hard he's working. Doesn't he look like a mad dog that throws caution to the wind when it sees a bone?"
Ji Ling followed his finger and nodded.
Lu Cheng's finger moved again, pointing at Dongfang Yue, who was weaving through the battlefield, constantly 'tilting the scales'.
"And she is a top-tier work of art."
"Her weapon is not power, but language and human hearts."
"Look, with just a few simple words, she turned what should have been a concerted encirclement into a self-defeating internal struggle."
"What is this called? This is called professionalism."
Finally, his finger landed on 'Tianji', who was holding the Abandoned astrolabe, looking distraught, his tone laced with a hint of pity.
"As for that fortune-teller... he made a mistake that all actors make."
"That is, always trying to understand the director's script."
"A good actor just needs to play their role well, right? Thinking too much will drive you mad."
This condescending commentary, treating everyone as pawns and actors, made a flicker of fervent admiration flash in Ji Ling's eyes.
This was her Master.
Above all else, the only 'God' who toyed with all beings in the palm of his hand... Just as the civil war in the Tianming Pavilion reached a fever pitch.
On the other side, in the kitchen of [Taotie Pavilion].
Chi Baobao's phone screen suddenly lit up.
It was an anonymous email.
He opened it, puzzled.
The email contained no superfluous words, only a horrifyingly detailed personal profile.
Wei Guoan.
Home address, social connections, family structure, daily routine, even his habit of taking his dog for a walk at a specific time was clearly marked.
At the end of the profile, a photo of him in casual clothes, strolling in a park, was attached.
And at the very bottom of the email, there was only one line of text, as if carrying a devilish temptation.
"The main course is served."
Chi Baobao's pupils suddenly contracted!
He recalled the extreme pleasure of his strength soaring after devouring 'top-tier ingredients'!
Wei Guoan!
Concentrated National Luck! A great tonic!
This name, these words, exploded in his mind!
The bloodshot in his eyes instantly surged, an extreme greed and fanaticism for 'delicious food' from the depths of his soul could no longer be suppressed!
He put down the brightly polished kitchen knife in his hand, took off his spotless chef's uniform, and changed into the most inconspicuous gray casual clothes.
Then, like a ghost merging into the shadows, he silently disappeared into the night.
The hunter was unleashed... In the presidential suite.
Lu Cheng received a message on his phone: "Chi Baobao has departed."
He looked at the Suzhou-style garden outside the window, which had already turned into a chaotic mess, and a supremely pleased and expectant smile appeared on his face.
Actors, stage, script... Now, even the guy responsible for 'clearing the stage' was in position.
Ji Ling looked at the cruel smile on her Master's face and couldn't help but ask softly:
"Master, when... when do we make our move?"
Lu Cheng shook his head, his voice carrying the patience and cruelty of a cat playing with a mouse.
"No rush."
"Wait until the actors have all bled dry and exhausted their strength..."
"Wait until only the most hardworking winner remains on the stage..."
He paused, the curve of his lips rising even further.
"That's the best time for me, the director, to take the stage for a curtain call and claim all the trophies."