Ilena: Give Qiu Tu Thirty Percent

Qiu Tu's question was undeniably clever.

One must know that Qiu Tu had just witnessed the conflict between Mo Li and La Riluo firsthand.

So, if there was nothing between Mo Li and La Riluo, and Mo Li had no special feelings for La Riluo, then Qiu Tu's question would simply be the beginning of a very ordinary attempt to "mediate" a dispute.

It could be easily brushed aside.

But if there truly was the kind of relationship between Mo Li and La Riluo that Qiu Tu suspected,

Then Mo Li would definitely become wary, and even feel guilty.

And as long as her emotions changed, her demeanor and tone in the subsequent conversation with Qiu Tu would surely "distort," perhaps even revealing information she shouldn't.

In that case, Qiu Tu could further verify his suspicions.

However, although Qiu Tu's question was skillful, the Chaos Witch was no simple person either.

The moment she heard Qiu Tu's question, she realized that he had guessed something.

So, while her heart tightened, without a word, she temporarily sealed the memories between herself and La Riluo. She directly turned herself from an "open-eyed player" into a "closed-eyed player."

Thus, in just an instant, a hint of appropriate confusion appeared in her eyes.

She looked at Qiu Tu and said with a touch of bewilderment, "My impression of Little La sister?"

"I feel like she's quite good."

She continued her usual somewhat manipulative demeanor, lowering her head and saying with a hint of grievance, "Of course... Little La sister might not think so."

"She seems to have some hostility towards me."

Saying this, Mo Li timely raised her head again, looking at Qiu Tu with her watery apricot eyes, and said seriously, "But brother, don't worry."

"Even if she doesn't like me, I will still get along well with her."

As she spoke, she even clenched her fist and made a gesture of effort.

Mo Li's answer could almost be described as watertight. It not only fit her usual "green tea" persona but also her personality of competing with other women around Qiu Tu.

Even with Absolute Perception active, Qiu Tu couldn't find the slightest flaw.

More importantly, all the "key points" in her answer were focused on Qiu Tu. It was as if she didn't care about La Riluo at all.

This perfectly matched the mindset of a woman with no designs on La Riluo.

However, Qiu Tu naturally wouldn't believe Mo Li so easily.

So he gave Mo Li a deep look, continued the topic, and probed further, "Little La's personality is indeed a bit erratic."

"I've known her for so many years, and I still can't quite figure her out."

"She's actually a bit like your Chaos Path, somewhat unpredictable in her moods."

"So, you might indeed need to be more tolerant of her."

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Mo Li immediately pouted, then pretended to be annoyed and said, "Brother, you're misunderstanding our Chaos Path."

"Our Chaos Path isn't like that."

"Just look at me, my emotions are always very stable."

Saying this, she smiled sweetly again, her eyes curving, her dimples shallow, looking as pure as a first love.

"So, brother, if you get upset by Little La sister, you can come find me."

"I definitely won't make brother angry like Little La sister does."

Another perfect answer.

Mo Li's heart was completely focused on the female competition and on Qiu Tu. La Riluo, in her words, was entirely just a competitor.

Qiu Tu showed no reaction on the surface, but inwardly, he was somewhat hesitant.

Could I really have been overthinking things?

However, as soon as this thought arose, it was immediately dismissed by him.

After all, he wasn't just suspicious of Mo Li having designs on La Riluo because of one incident, but because of many different clues.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu also adjusted his mood again, and then casually continued chatting with Mo Li about La Riluo.

However, the method of "sealing memories" was indeed remarkable.

In Mo Li's heart, she truly didn't know La Riluo before, and she truly had no interest in her.

On the contrary, her main interests were Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji.

So, no matter what topic Qiu Tu brought up, she would eventually steer it back to Qiu Tu, and then use some manipulative words to sow discord between Qiu Tu and La Riluo, and indicate that she was actually a better fit for Qiu Tu.

To be honest, if he didn't know Mo Li's identity, Qiu Tu might have been slightly fooled by her sweet talk. But after knowing Mo Li's identity, Qiu Tu didn't believe a word she said.

Therefore, while he pretended to be receptive on the surface, his heart was incredibly calm.

Just like this, the two of them chatted in this small garden, each with their own hidden agendas, for over half an hour, until Qiu Tu felt he couldn't find any more flaws, at which point the conversation ended.

And Mo Li also promised that upon returning to her room, she would use a specially made Cataclysmic Treasure to report the "prisoner exchange" matter to the Shepherd Heart God King.

Qiu Tu was not in a hurry, only saying that everything would wait for the Shepherd Heart God King's reply.

Mo Li readily agreed and then left the courtyard.

Stepping back into her room, Mo Li paused, a hint of confusion in her eyes. She thought to herself,

Did I seal my memory again?

After returning to the room, a prompt triggered, telling me to unseal it again?

She pondered for a moment and roughly came to a conclusion, 'It should be related to Qiu Tu's probing just now, right?'

Thinking this, she reached out and gently tapped her forehead.

The next second, a look of realization appeared in her eyes, followed by a hint of sharpness.

'Qiu Tu... did he guess something?'

'Why would he probe my opinion of La Riluo?'

'This isn't normal...'

As these thoughts ran through her mind, Mo Li's eyes darkened. She closed her eyes and reviewed all her conversations with Qiu Tu. After confirming that none of her answers had revealed any issues, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

'Fortunately, I sealed my memory in time. Otherwise, with his sharp perception, he would likely have discovered something...'

Thinking this, Mo Li's brows furrowed slightly, and her estimation of Qiu Tu's importance increased significantly once more.

She murmured softly, "He truly is a talent..."

"If such a talent cannot be used by the Chaos Faction, he must be destroyed."

Thinking of this, she seemed to make a decision in her heart. She took out a Communication Treasure Item, preparing to contact Bai Yi first.

'Fortunately, I didn't reveal anything today. I can stall for a bit.'

'There should still be some time for observation...'

However, what she didn't know was that at the same time, Qiu Tu was sitting in the courtyard, also reviewing their entire conversation.

But Qiu Tu had clearly reached a completely different conclusion than her.

'If a person perfectly avoids all problematic topics during a conversation, that in itself is the biggest problem.'

'In the conversation just now, La Riluo was almost completely invisible beside Mo Li. And in all of Mo Li's answers, I was the focus, while La Riluo was ignored.'

'You should know that La Riluo is Zhao Ji's sister. And Mo Li cares so much about Zhao Ji, how could she possibly ignore La Riluo like this?'

'This indicates that she is deliberately avoiding this topic.'

'So... my guess is correct. The Chaos Witch is indeed plotting against La Riluo.'

At this moment, the expression on Qiu Tu's face had slowly receded, becoming expressionless.

If his guess was true, then he would likely have to confront the legendary Chaos Witch, who single-handedly initiated the Chaos Era.

That was a true expert standing at the pinnacle of this world. The pressure was imaginable.

But precisely because of this, everything became even more interesting.

"Hoo." Taking a deep breath, the flames in Qiu Tu's eyes burned fiercely once more.

So what if she was the Chaos Witch? Wasn't she just a High-Level God King?

She wasn't the only High-Level God King in this world!

As long as he made good use of the resources around him, he might not be unable to achieve the High-Level God King rank!

This world was like this; as long as one's strength reached a certain level, all difficulties would resolve themselves!

Thinking this, Qiu Tu no longer hesitated and prepared to select his subordinate Heavenly Gods again.

During this time, through Qiu Tu's efforts to build momentum, he had gained some prestige and influence in the Execution Department.

Coupled with this major battle, where he mobilized a hundred Heavenly Gods and successfully completed the mission, earning merit, his status in the hearts of the Execution Department's Heavenly Gods had risen even higher.

This could be seen from the increasing loyalty of these Heavenly Gods.

And in these past few days, Qiu Tu had also received some self-recommendations from Heavenly Gods. Combined with the "loyalty" he had observed while leading these Heavenly Gods during this period, selecting 10 subordinate Heavenly Gods was a very simple matter.

With this group of subordinate Heavenly Gods loyal to him, plus confidantes from the Boundless Mind Sea like Guan Xiao and Heavenly King Zhi Yan and her daughter, Qiu Tu had completely stabilized his position in the God Hall.

Furthermore, this time he had calculated against the Star Founder God King and the Heavy Stone God King, giving them a handle regarding their collusion with the Chaos Faction.

When the time was right, Qiu Tu could completely reverse the situation.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu also called Zhao Ji and La Riluo, preparing to go to the Execution Department to select his subordinate Heavenly Gods and then be promoted to a second-level God King.

However, what he didn't know was that just as he was getting up to go to the Execution Department...

Above the magnificent hall of the Wine God Kingdom, Ilena was leaning on a couch, drinking wine, and looking at the Star Founder God King and the Heavy Stone God King below with hazy, drunken eyes. Heavenly King Qing E stood beside her.

Perhaps because she had drunk a lot, or perhaps because she had anticipated the arrival of the Star Founder God King, Ilena's eyes were slightly narrowed, and a faint smile played on her lips.

"Star Founder, Heavy Stone, you clearly know I am in seclusion cultivating, yet you still come to disturb me. Is there something urgent?"

"Do you know what a great sin it is to disturb my cultivation?"

Hearing Ilena's words, the Star Founder God King and the Heavy Stone God King exchanged glances, and then both bowed in unison.

The Star Founder God King spoke, "Your Excellency, we indeed have something urgent to report to you."

Ilena twirled a loose strand of hair around her finger and said softly, "What's the important matter?"

Star Founder God King said excitedly, "It's wonderful news."

He continued, "Your Excellency, you've been in seclusion recently, so Heavy Stone God King, Qiu Tu God King, and I jointly devised a plan to counter the Chaos Faction."

"We used Qiu Tu God King's confidant as bait, the Heavenly Gods from Heavy Stone God King's Execution Department as the main force, and I arranged for my subordinates to spread rumors in the Chaos West Capital to lure out the Chaos God Kings and Heavenly Gods."

"We achieved a great victory in this battle. We captured a total of 3 Chaos God Kings, 16 Chaos Heavenly Gods, and hundreds of other lower-level Gods."

As he spoke, Star Founder God King's aged face was practically beaming with joy. "This is another great victory."

However, he then changed his tone and said, "But... this operation was planned by the three of us alone, and we didn't get permission from Your Excellency."

"While Heavy Stone God King and I were happy, we were also uneasy."

"So after much thought, we decided to disturb Your Excellency's cultivation to report the good news and apologize!"

After speaking, Star Founder God King and Heavy Stone God King exchanged glances again, then bowed in unison.

As Star Founder God King finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

Ilena, leaning on the couch, slightly drunk, didn't speak. She just propped her head up,眯着眼饶有兴趣的看着底下两位神王.

The two God Kings, who hadn't received a response from Ilena, didn't straighten up. They remained in their bowed posture, quietly waiting.

Time passed, minute by minute.

After they had maintained their bowed posture for a full minute, Ilena chuckled softly, then raised her hand slightly and said, "What crime have the two God Kings committed?"

"To achieve such a great result, this is naturally a meritorious deed, not a fault."

"As for the procedures, as high-level officials of the West Branch, you have the authority to act expediently when I am in seclusion."

"This does not violate the rules."

Hearing Ilena's words, Star Founder and Heavy Stone God Kings were visibly relieved. They straightened up and smiled at Ilena, saying, "It's all thanks to God King Your Excellency's excellent leadership."

Upon hearing this, Ilena raised her hand again and asked, "Since you captured so many Heavenly Gods and God Kings this time, were there any spoils of war?"

Star Founder God King and Heavy Stone God King had clearly prepared beforehand, so they quickly replied, "Yes, Your Excellency."

"This time we captured over sixty complete Heavenly God Level Boundless God Crystals, eight Heavenly God Levels, and..."

As Star Founder and Heavy Stone God Kings listed the "spoils of war" one by one, the expression on Ilena's face became increasingly gentle.

Finally, when Star Founder God King finished listing the last "spoil of war," she nodded in satisfaction, then waved her hand and said, "Alright, you did very well in this operation."

"I will have Qing E record it in detail."

Hearing Ilena's words, Star Founder and Heavy Stone God Kings immediately smiled. They quickly bowed again, then slowly retreated.

As they left, only Ilena and Qing E remained in the great hall.

Ilena picked up the wine gourd beside her and took a swig.

As the golden wine entered her stomach, her already snow-white skin gained two shades of flush.

After drinking, Ilena waved at Qing E and said,

"Send 20% of what those two guys handed over to Qiu Tu."

She paused, thought for a moment, and said, "Forget it, send him 30%."

"Of the remaining 70%, the old rule applies: 30% goes to the public treasury and 30% to my private treasury. The remaining 10% is yours."

Hearing Ilena's words, Qing E, who had been standing with her hands by her side, softly replied, "Yes, Your Excellency."

Ilena thought for a moment, then said, "When you send the spoils of war to Qiu Tu, give him another message."

"Contend but don't break..."

"This is the bottom line of the West Branch."

"We can't control what happened before joining the God Hall, but since you've joined the God Hall, you are all part of the God Hall. The rules must still be followed."

"Every God King is an important force of the God Hall."

Qing E nodded again and replied.

Then, seeing that Ilena had no other instructions, she bowed quietly and slowly walked out of the great hall.

Outside the dark great hall, Qing E looked at the clear sky of the Wine God Kingdom, a little lost in thought.

Everyone thought Ilena was a drunkard, always tipsy and knowing nothing. But only her confidantes knew that she held all the God Kings and all the forces of the entire West Branch in her heart.

How to proceed with each step, how to operate. How to make the God Kings below her oppose each other, and how to ensure they wouldn't completely split and oppose each other, was all in her mind.

This masterful use of power allowed Ilena to firmly control the power of the West Branch even while drinking heavily every day.

Even someone as strong as Heavy Stone God King, and someone with deep background like Star Founder God King, couldn't escape her grasp.

But for some reason, Qing E always felt that the new God King seemed a little different...

Would this set of tactics really work on that God King?

Thinking this, Qing E quietly contemplated for a while longer, then stepped forward, planning to follow Ilena's instructions to send the spoils of war to Qiu Tu and see the reaction of that God King.