Hongmen Banquet-If We're Doing This, Let's Go Big; I've Exposed You All

The next evening.

As the sun set, its rays shone like gold, and a pavilion on the Back Mountain of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was brightly lit.

Lin Qingmo said he wanted to hold a dinner party in the pavilion to celebrate the successful completion of Soul Hunting Operation.

He specially prepared a large table of dishes.

A wide variety of delicacies were laid out, and the aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water.

Liu Erlong, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Yu Feng were all present.

With Lin Qingmo and Xiao Wu included, there were exactly eight people sitting around the table.

The pavilion is well-ventilated on all four sides.

The evening breeze carried the fresh scent of mountain plants, mingled with the steam from the food and the aroma of wine, creating a truly pleasant atmosphere.

But Liu Erlong, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan felt something was off.

After all, the major incident of Hu Liena's revelation in the Chat Group had just occurred.

Now they are like frightened birds, always feeling that this is a Hongmen Banquet.

Liu Erlong held a teacup in his hand, sipping it absentmindedly.

She wore a deep red dress today, her hair tied up high, and she still looked as dashing as ever.

But if you look closely, you'll notice that her gaze occasionally drifts towards Lin Qingmo, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

'What's this brat up to by suddenly inviting me to dinner?'

Ning Rongrong sat next to her, with a plate of delicate Osmanthus Cake in front of her. She picked up a piece, took a small bite, and chewed for a long time but couldn't taste anything.

She wore a light green dress today, which made her look elegant and refined.

But the absent-minded expression on her face clashed completely with her outfit.

A sudden dinner party or something like that just doesn't feel right.

Could it be that I said something I shouldn't have in the group chat and he found out?

That's impossible! I was so careful...

Zhu Zhuqing remained silent as always.

She sat in the pavilion by a pillar, her body slightly turned to the side, one hand resting on the edge of the table, looking like a cat ready to leap at any moment.

Her expression Bingbing.

But if you observe closely enough, you can see that her fingertips are tapping lightly on the table, in a fast and chaotic rhythm.

'Has A-Qing been watching me?'

'No, he's been looking at everyone. What does that look mean?'

Dugu Yan acted quite normally—at least on the surface.

She slowly peeled an Ju Zi.

The green nail polish traced a smooth and elegant motion across the orange peel.

However, she was not calm inside.

'Calm down, calm down. You're the granddaughter of Poison Douluo, what kind of situation haven't you seen?'

As for Ye Lingling and Yu Feng, neither of them noticed anything unusual.

Yu Feng clinked glasses with Lin Qingmo, one glass after another, until his cheeks were flushed and he started to slur his words: "Captain, this wine is really good, another one—"

Before she could finish speaking, her head lolled to the side, and she fell asleep on the table.

Ye Lingling isn't much better.

She's an honest girl, and she drinks whenever Xiao Wu offers her a toast.

He quickly collapsed onto the table and fell asleep.

Seeing this, Xiao Wu felt guilty and said, "Ye Lingling, I'm sorry!"

In less than half an hour, two pieces of food had already spilled on the table.

Strangely, Ning Rongrong, Dugu Yan, Zhu Zhuqing barely touched their wine glasses.

Ning Rongrong picked it up, took a sip, and put it down.

Dugu Yan simply said that she had an upset stomach and couldn't drink alcohol that day.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't even touch the cup the entire time.

The most unusual one was Liu Erlong.

The dean of the Tyrannosaurus Academy, known for his astonishing drinking capacity and who used to be able to drink everyone under the table at gatherings, was actually making excuses today.

When Lin Qingmo offered her a toast, she raised her teacup and clinked it against his, saying with a smile, "My throat isn't feeling well today, so I'll use tea instead of wine."

Lin Qingmo looked at the teacup in her hand, and the corners of his mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.

"Teacher Liu, your throat is sore? That's really rare."

"Well..."

Liu Erlong chuckled twice, lowered his head to drink his tea, and didn't reply.

Lin Qingmo didn't press the matter further.

He put down his wine glass.

He slowly picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks.

Carefully remove the fish bones and put it in your mouth to chew slowly.

His expression was one of blissful contentment, as if he were enjoying some exquisite delicacy.

But none of the remaining people at the table thought his relaxed demeanor was truly relaxed.

The atmosphere in the pavilion became subtle.

Like a rubber band stretched to its limit, it could snap at any moment.

Just then, Xiao Wu placed the fruit platter in the center of the table and sat down next to Lin Qingmo.

The moment she sat down, Lin Qingmo put down her chopsticks.

The porcelain chopsticks, placed on the chopstick rest, made a soft, crisp "snap" sound.

The sound wasn't loud, but all four people present felt a jolt in their hearts.

"!"

Liu Erlong's movement of holding the teacup froze.

The Osmanthus Cake in Ning Rongrong's hand fell back into the plate.

Dugu Yan's fingers, which were peeling Ju Zi, froze in mid-air.

Zhu Zhuqing abruptly stopped tapping her fingers on the table.

Lin Qingmo glanced around at everyone's expressions, and the smile on his lips slowly deepened.

He picked up a handkerchief from the table and slowly wiped his fingers.

Then he threw the handkerchief away and stood up.

Everyone's attention was drawn to his series of movements.

Then Lin Qingmo raised his hand, his index finger first pointing to Xiao Wu sitting next to him.

"A Rogue Rabbit."

He spoke clearly and slowly, like a judge reading a verdict.

Xiao Wu cooperated by making a shocked expression.

Although the acting was slightly exaggerated.

But those present had no time to discern whether her reaction was genuine or not.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Qingmo's finger moved towards Ning Rongrong, who was sitting opposite him.

"Little Witch."

The color drained from Ning Rongrong's face instantly.

"I..."

Her lips parted, like a fish thrown ashore, wanting to say something but unable to make a sound.

Lin Qingmo's fingers didn't stop; they turned to Zhu Zhuqing again.

"Big-Breasted Kitty."

Zhu Zhuqing's body visibly tensed for a moment.

His fingertips dug into his palm, and a crack finally appeared on that perpetually icy face.

"Yanzi."

The Ju Zi in Dugu Yan's hand fell onto the table with a "thud," rolled twice, and came to rest on the edge of the plate.

Finally, Lin Qingmo's finger stopped in front of Liu Erlong.

It was as if they were enjoying the other person's forced composure.

Then, slowly and deliberately, in a very certain tone, he uttered the name.

"Mother Tyrannosaurus?"

The rising intonation at the end of the note carried a strong sense of mockery.

"..."

At this moment, the pavilion was so quiet that one could hear the chirping of insects from the distant mountains and forests.

Liu Erlong's teacup hovered in mid-air, the tea inside swaying slightly.

Ning Rongrong's breathing became rapid, and her chest heaved violently.

Dugu Yan's lips pressed into a thin line, and a hint of panic flashed in her emerald green eyes.

Zhu Zhuqing remained completely still, like a frozen statue.

Everyone's expression broke down to varying degrees in that instant.

They never expected that Lin Qingmo would actually fight them!

Lin Qingmo stood before the table like a collector appraising a famous painting, arms crossed, calmly observing everyone's reactions.