"Understood!" Lin Qi narrowed his eyes. He studied Hu Xinzhu thoughtfully, then suddenly asked with a smile, "Though I don't really want to ask this, I still have to: when you made these plans, were you standing on humanity's side, or...?"
Lin Qi looked at Hu Xinzhu with a genial smile, while cold sweat suddenly broke out across Hu Xinzhu's back. A bone-piercing chill kept him from making the slightest move. He pressed his lips together and stared straight into Lin Qi's eyes. After a long, long while, Hu Xinzhu finally gave a soundless laugh and gently shook his head. "Why would you think that? I, Hu Xinzhu, I..."
With a heavy cough, Lin Qi said in a deep voice, "Cut the crap! That girl is pretty, and the power she holds is sky-high. She's an important figure among her people as well. Frankly, judging from the current trend, the gods are very likely to continue ruling this world in the future. And she will be one of the most powerful and influential figures among them. Following her would be better than following us, at the very least!"
After a moment of silence, Hu Xinzhu snapped his folding fan shut. Then, with utmost seriousness, he looked at Lin Qi and slowly let out a breath. "If I had sincerely defected to them, if I were wholeheartedly plotting for their sake—if I were currently using you, your clansmen, and your subordinates to wear down the combat strength of the other divine clans, while letting Mu Wei and the others hide behind the scenes and play the yellow sparrow—what would you do?"
After a long silence, Lin Qi smiled and held out his hand to Hu Xinzhu. "You wouldn't do that, would you? You wouldn't, right?"
Hu Xinzhu looked at Lin Qi,