Chapter 120: Didn't See That Coming, Did You?

"Go ahead, ask."

The proprietress, lounging comfortably on a bench with her legs crossed, exuded a charm far more captivating than her usual pure and innocent demeanor. She glanced lazily at Kong Jia, who had posed the question, and gave a slight nod.

"You had all of this calculated from the moment you returned. But if I hadn't withdrawn from the trial early, wouldn't your entire plan have fallen through?" Kong Jia asked with curiosity.

"I never intended for you to come out," White Lotus replied.

"You wanted to kill me during the trial?"

"No, I wanted to kill all of you," White Lotus said, exhaling a puff of smoke while staring straight at him. "Don't go telling everyone, though."

"......"

Kong Jia was rendered completely speechless. He suddenly realized that the proprietress, who had always appeared as pure as a lotus rising from the water, was in fact a flower laced with poison. Poisonous mushrooms were usually brightly colored, making them easy to identify, but who would have expected such a simple, elegant lotus to be so deadly? It was impossible to guard against.

"To think you could account for so much... I have nothing left to say." Kong Jia hung his head. He had become the prey trapped in a snare. With the victor decided, his former arrogance had vanished.

"I’m actually quite simple-minded; I couldn't have thought of all that. Isn't that right, Zheng Qiguai?" White Lotus smiled, a subtle, sweet expression on her face.

"Zheng Qiguai?" Kong Jia looked at her in astonishment.

"That's right. How much longer are you going to hide? Come out." White Lotus pointed her smoking pipe toward the kitchen rafters.

Sure enough, a dark shadow leaped down from the beams. His eyes were mere slits—it was Zheng Qiguai, the tavern’s waiter. He twisted his waist, walked before the proprietress, and bowed respectfully.

"You traitor! It was you..." Kong Jia pointed at Zheng Qiguai in fury. Only then did it dawn on him that White Lotus didn't need to overthink anything; a single traitor was enough to leak all his movements. He had assumed the waiter was dissatisfied with the proprietress, so he had gone to great lengths to recruit him, secretly ordering him to sabotage the Divine Furnace. Zheng Qiguai had indeed delivered—the furnace fire had been on the verge of extinguishing. Had Li Changluo not intervened, he likely would have destroyed the cold furnace long before the proprietress returned. Because of this, he had trusted the waiter implicitly, never suspecting that he was a double agent.

"Are you surprised? But I wasn't lying to you. I did want to help you, because I hate her too. I want to kill her every single moment..."

"Surprised that I betrayed you?"

"It’s because you’re a useless waste. You lack the ability to help me achieve my desires." Zheng Qiguai still wore a smile, his eyes hidden, speaking these words calmly right in front of White Lotus.

Even White Lotus, hearing such heartfelt words from Zheng Qiguai, found nothing amiss. It was as if a killer and their target were sitting together, drinking and calmly discussing the best way to carry out an assassination.

The killer: "I want to kill you like this..."
The target: "No, if you do it that way, I'll notice."

It made no sense. Kong Jia was dumbfounded. Were they both insane? They were absolute lunatics.

"The key operatives from those major demon clans have been sealed within the trial. As long as they are alive, you have some leverage against those clans. Only I can undo my seal..." Kong Jia threatened. It was his final bargaining chip, his attempt to buy his way to survival. He now realized that the woman had only been feigning injury earlier; her true strength was unfathomable. She had calculated everything and was far too clever to trap herself. To strike now would be suicide. Plus, with Zheng Qiguai and the equally mysterious accountant in the kitchen, he was at the end of his rope. He had lost.

"Is that so?" White Lotus asked, covering her mouth in feigned surprise.

"Yes." Kong Jia’s voice was deflated, like a defeated rooster.

"That’s wonderful." White Lotus beamed.

"..."

Kong Jia’s emotions spiraled. He had forgotten that this demoness’s original goal was to eliminate all the demons participating in the trial. By doing so, she would weaken the power of the major clans. Now, his actions had only played into her hands; she would reap the rewards while he took the fall for everything. It was a truly vicious ploy. He had thought he was the one in control, only to realize he was nothing more than a pawn being used. And now, this pawn was being discarded. He was unwilling to accept this. Absolutely unwilling.

He prepared for a final, desperate gamble. He had absorbed so much demon power that even if he couldn't win, he could fight to the death and perhaps win back some leverage. A surge of powerful demonic energy erupted from him. It was like a Super Saiyan transformation; he felt a massive surge of power.

He suddenly felt that the outcome was not yet set in stone; after all, his strength was still formidable.

However... when he launched himself at White Lotus with full confidence, he realized he had been overthinking. He was like a toy in her hands, tossed to and fro, kneaded at will. In her eyes, he was less than a child—merely a tattered, broken plaything. Thrown up, trampled into the ground.

The message the young demons who had escaped brought back was: The proprietress is risking her life to stop the scholar-demon Kong Jia from destroying the furnace; she is in grave danger; she is dying.

But the truth of the kitchen was that Kong Jia was being effortlessly beaten by White Lotus.

"Alright, playtime is over. I’m going to eat you now..." White Lotus crouched down, smiling at the dying Kong Jia on the floor, her eyes shimmering. "Since you love consuming the demon power of others, I’d like to taste what that power feels like."

White Lotus rolled up her sleeves, revealing her alluring, slender hands. She pressed a palm against Kong Jia, and a dazzling white light erupted. A crystal-clear bead slowly emerged from his body.

"Return... return my demon core! If my family finds out you did this, they won't let it go..." Kong Jia gasped, his voice thin as silk, reaching out weakly to reclaim his core.

"If I just throw you into the furnace and burn you, they won't know a thing." White Lotus smiled gently, as considerate and thoughtful as a caring older sister.

Kong Jia: "..."
Lin Dandan: "..."
Zheng Qiguai: "&￥#*（）%*&%"

Kong Jia was like a small afternoon treat, now laid out before White Lotus. She held up his demon core, acting with the elegance and ritualistic grace of a lady. All that was missing was a set of fine cutlery to enjoy this leisurely afternoon tea.

However, just as she prepared to savor this delicious little treat, the Divine Furnace in the back of the kitchen began to crack repeatedly.