Chu Xingchen pacified Chen Baiqing with a single candy painting.
The originally aggressive Chen Baiqing hadn't even gotten a chance to demand answers from Master before seamlessly transitioning into an underling.
The Heavenly Dao Map was temporarily entrusted to Chen Baiqing, with strict instructions that no one else should see it. She was to record every detail of spirit-vein changes daily, and if anything went wrong with the spirit veins at any point, she was to contact Chu Xingchen immediately.
Additionally, since Chen Baiqing had arrived, there was one matter she could正好 [just right] handle—cracking down on Donggua's secret slacking.
Though Donggua had declared the ritual formation's effects and even solemnly promised to work hard, it was clear Donggua had also learned that words spoken were just… spoken.
When I'm willing to treat my words like flatulence, no amount of reasoning helps.
It was comparable to a timeless truth—I'm a barbarian, so what.
Naturally, Donggua wouldn't slack off openly. Being too obviously malicious was an easy ticket to the solitary confinement box. What it had probably picked up from Cui Hao was the art of appearing busy while doing absolutely nothing useful.
It would periodically "observe and study" the ritual formations delivered to it—each observation lasting ten days to half a month. After finishing its research, when asked what it had learned, the answer was always: "Not enough samples. Nothing useful."
If asked to deduce from past experience the hiding spots, coded signals, and interrogation questions of its former companions, Donggua would give answers—but when cross-referenced, they were essentially useless.
When asked why, Donggua's response was perfectly self-righteous: it had defected, so naturally Xu Linglong would have changed every code and phrase it knew. Of course nothing would match.
Naturally, subsequent investigations revealed that Donggua's claims weren't entirely honest, and even the earlier "honest" answers weren't that honest either.
This fence-sitting, not even betraying properly—using laziness as resistance, probably still hoping to return to Xu Linglong's dead-end path.
Clearly, Chu Xingchen's [Heart-to-Heart] words could only briefly move Donggua. Once it calmed down, it went right back to its "as long as I can live" mentality.
Sometimes slacking off was more frustrating than causing trouble.
A Donggua that slacked off like this couldn't even spread false intelligence.
Chu Xingchen had some hope that at a critical moment, Donggua might actually relay some [vital intelligence], so the task of having a proper heart-to-heart with it naturally fell to Chen Baiqing.
And with the Eastern Divine Continent sweep operation, that moment wouldn't be too far off.
Because whether it was a flaw Xu Linglong had deliberately left or not, it was becoming increasingly obvious—pointing straight toward Central Continent, seemingly intending to direct suspicion toward the Eighteen Immortal Sects.
The situation truly shifted dramatically as both sides revealed their cards.
If Xu Linglong's ultimate move was truly as terrifying as rumored, then preventing her from achieving her goals calmly and completely was the priority—otherwise the advantage of time wouldn't belong to Chu Xingchen.
Chen Baiqing accepted the task with understanding, ready to put pressure on this Donggua.
Eastern Divine Continent, Wanfang Screen, Yunxiao Hall temporary command hub.
Chen Baiqing finished her daily mapping tasks and turned to the freshly arrived daily assignment.
She walked into a specially cleared side hall, her gaze naturally falling on Donggua, who stood to the side looking somewhat apprehensive.
"Donggua?" Chen Baiqing sized it up and spoke.
Donggua glanced at Chen Baiqing twice, searching its memory, and recognized the person before it.
Back then, it had barely escaped with its life from her hands. Looking back now, that life had probably been deliberately spared by Chen Baiqing.
Donggua's expression took on a hint of humility:
"That's me. I wonder what Senior Chu wants me here for this time?"
Chen Baiqing acted as though she'd forgotten Donggua entirely, as if they'd never met. She held a jade token, seemingly reading, and after a moment slowly uttered two names:
"Cui Hao… Wukong."
Donggua's face froze instantly. Dead memories surged back like a tidal wave.
Chen Baiqing paid no attention to Donggua's expression. She pocketed the jade token, then tossed a new one into Donggua's hands.
"Read it first. After you're done, tell me what you want to say."
Donggua took a deep breath and probed the jade token with its spiritual consciousness.
Good news: the contents were completely different from what it had imagined. There was no mention of those two damn names—Cui Hao and Wukong—and the content had nothing to do with them either.
Bad news: the contents were even worse than mentioning those two. Worse than being immediately sent to Cui Hao to work like a beast of burden!
It was all the false information Donggua had fabricated, the intelligence it had made up, the dishonest answers and the deflection tactics.
At the end, the intelligence report rendered a judgment on Donggua—this kind of unreliable asset was best disposed of on the spot.
And it provided extremely detailed notes on the reasoning and evidence—mountains of proof, unassailable.
Donggua's lips moved for a long time, unable to produce a single word of rebuttal.
Chen Baiqing said nothing either, just gazed at Donggua with cold eyes.
The atmosphere dropped to freezing point. In the side hall, even faint breathing sounded heavy.
Donggua couldn't take it anymore. It felt like today might truly be its end. It struggled to speak:
"This… I… he… no… this…"
Five characters dragged out in long tones. Donggua hadn't even figured out how to start the first word.
"Master said he sensed your sincerity last time. He thinks perhaps there was some misunderstanding." Chen Baiqing's gaze drifted to a teacup on the side, cutting off Donggua's panicked facial performance.
Donggua quickly chimed in: "Yes, yes, yes—definitely a misunderstanding!"
Chen Baiqing lightly tapped the teacup, not turning to look at Donggua, as if it were completely beneath her notice. Instead of following Donggua's lead, she continued:
"I think so too. Master misunderstood your sincerity. Actually, you still care about Xu Linglong. After all, you're a demon—demons belong with demons. We're just lowly pests to be swept away, roadblocks on your path to a beautiful future."
"Donggua, isn't that right?"
Donggua's expression shifted into standard terror again.
Chen Baiqing placed the teacup lid back on, her gaze leisurely returning to Donggua:
"Whoever came today wasn't Cui Hao—that means Master has gone soft. My master is good at everything, except he's too soft-hearted."
"I'm a bit different. I'm even softer-hearted."
"Let me think of a way for you to clear your name with Xu Linglong. For example, you realize the greater good—that the fate of your kind outweighs all else. Seeing that further resistance is futile, you heroically take your own life, slitting your throat right before me."
"I'll spread the news to Xu Linglong on your behalf. It'll surely enshrine your statue above all other demons."
"I heard you used to be afraid of dying, then you weren't anymore."
"Also, I'm a curious person. If you say you're not afraid of death, I absolutely have to know if that's true."
"Donggua, answer me."
"Do you fear death?"
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