"Mr. Anke, your thinking is truly meticulous."
Although Aiko had made a breakthrough to demigodhood, Fu Qian was clearly the one under greater pressure, having helped guide her to enlightenment.
At that moment, Li He and Jining slowed their steps in unison, their eyes fixed on Fu Qian.
"Actually, now that you mention it, I have a question too."
Jining didn't deny it outright. Instead, a playful smile appeared on her face.
"Just now, we were clearly ambushed without warning. Why did you call out 'Thunder' as a code phrase? Did this place seem unhostile to you?"
As expected of an old hand in Jianghu—she had countered him with real skill.
Clearly, Jining had merely accepted his explanation of her earlier actions, not understood it.
Now, when faced with his challenge, she didn't dodge it. She made the same move in return and waited for an answer.
"It's simple. Given the role I play in the group, that was the choice with the highest expected payoff."
Seeing the lavishly assembled temporary alliance teeter on the brink after just a few exchanges, Fu Qian remained composed, unhesitatingly pursuing a deeper clash of ideas.
"I'm too weak."
Pointing at Aiko, Fu Qian made his second humble admission.
"Against a trap like this, where I can't even see who triggered it, there isn't much a non-high-tier like me—whose specialty is Flesh and Blood Power—can do beyond trying to break free with all my strength. Just making sure I don't get caught in the crossfire is already a decent result."
Although Jining's explanation had also made Aiko wonder, the words "caught in the crossfire" still made her feel a little awkward.
If Jining hadn't spoken up in time, Aiko's reflexive response would almost certainly have engulfed their temporary ally as well.
She had