A Question of Who Holds the Better Hand

Naturally.

The moment Jiang Nannan heard Li Changsheng admit it himself, her exquisite face froze.

The softness in her eyes vanished completely, replaced by deep gravity and panic.

She instinctively swept her gaze around, and only after confirming that no one nearby was paying attention to them did she lean closer and lower her voice, urging him with urgency and sincerity:

"Then you absolutely must keep this identity hidden. You cannot let even the slightest detail be exposed!"

"And... Changsheng, have you ever considered leaving the Holy Spirit Cult for good?"

"Others may not know, but how could I not? You are fundamentally different from those evil soul masters who thirst for slaughter and harm living beings. You have never committed evil, nor have you ever indiscriminately killed the innocent. You should not be bound by this wicked path, much less bear such infamy!"

The girl's words were earnest and sincere, her heart filled entirely with concern for him.

Li Changsheng raised his eyes toward the brilliant streetlights, his gaze deep and tranquil as he slowly spoke the truth he had kept buried in his heart:

"Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Can I?" Jiang Nannan blinked and nodded instinctively before asking softly.

Li Changsheng's tone was calm, yet carried an unwavering certainty:

"I will leave. Sooner or later."

"But the day I leave will be the day the Holy Spirit Cult is completely destroyed and wiped from existence."

"You are right. The Holy Spirit Cult is made up of evil soul masters, stained with bloody sins. It should never have existed in this world."

"The only reason it can still stand on this continent and cling to life is not because it deserves to live, but because Shrek still exists."

Though his words were brief and straightforward, they exposed the ten-thousand-year balance between good and evil across the continent, as well as their tangled interests.

Jiang Nannan's talent might not have been outstanding, but fortunately, she was not stupid.

Thus, it did not take long for her to fully understand the meaning hidden within his words!

The Holy Spirit Cult was being kept to counterbalance Shrek!

Once the rotten righteous path crumbled and the hypocritical holy land was destroyed, once there was no longer any double-standard tyranny in the world, the wicked path would naturally have no reason to remain!

In other words, whether it was Shrek, which styled itself as orthodox, or the Holy Spirit Cult, which bore the infamy of countless evils, Li Changsheng saw no difference between them. Neither would escape!

First destroy the hypocritical righteous path, then purge the dark wicked path!

At that thought, Jiang Nannan's entire body trembled slightly. She suddenly sucked in a cold breath, her beautiful face filled with utter shock and disbelief!

If anyone else had uttered such wild words, declaring that they would overturn the ten-thousand-year order and destroy both righteousness and evil, she would have only considered them arrogant, ignorant, and full of nonsense.

Yet when the words came from Li Changsheng, she did not feel the slightest doubt in her heart. She did not know why.

After regaining her senses, Jiang Nannan suddenly thought of something else. She lowered her voice again and asked cautiously, with a trace of unease:

"Since the Holy Spirit Cult is destined to perish in the end... what about Senior Zhongli Wu?"

Li Changsheng did not answer. He merely turned his eyes slightly and gave her a calm look.

Just one look.

Calm, indifferent, utterly without ripples.

Yet Jiang Nannan instantly understood every answer!

None of them would escape!

It was simply that Holy Spirit Cult higher-ups like Zhongli Wu would live longer, only meeting their end after their usefulness had been exhausted!

Her heart trembled slightly. Jiang Nannan lowered her head in silence and said no more.

Li Changsheng withdrew his gaze and looked upon the neon-lit city. His voice remained calm and unruffled as he slowly stated the fairest principle in his heart:

"If they, whose hands are stained with the blood and sins of countless living beings, are allowed to peacefully live out their years and die of old age..."

"Then it would be far too unfair to the countless innocent lives who died at their hands."

Ever since he had revealed his identity as the Divine Son and bestowed the Seeds of Life, Ye Xishui, Long Xiaoyao, and Zhongli Wu had seemingly pledged their hearts to him and served with utter loyalty.

But those three had lived for centuries and controlled the course of entire regions. They were formidable figures in their own right.

Therefore, they had never truly settled down in their hearts from beginning to end.

They feared his divine power, coveted his divine bloodline, yearned for immortality in the Divine Realm, and lusted after the supreme divine throne.

Though they appeared to follow him obediently these past years, they had actually been plotting in secret at every moment, probing step by step and carefully laying their plans.

They wanted to completely control him, bind him to themselves, and attach themselves to him.

They wanted to use his God King bloodline and his path to godhood to rise to the heavens in a single step, break free of mortal restraints, ascend to the Divine Realm, and live forever through the ages.

That was the nature of formidable figures. There was nothing surprising about it.

After all, anyone who held a high position, wielded authority, and had lived for centuries would not simply sit still and allow themselves to be controlled.

Especially not by a child.

Because in their eyes, fooling a child was far too easy.

Even if that child possessed a frightening background, it did not make much difference.

It merely meant they could not use the same coercive methods they used on others.

As for him, he only wanted to use the Holy Spirit Cult's power to destroy the upper ranks of Shrek Academy and accomplish what came afterward.

In other words, both sides harbored their own ulterior motives.

The only question was whether they held the better hand, or whether he was one move ahead.

The heavy subject of the game between righteousness and evil quietly passed.

The evening breeze gently brushed against their faces, scattering the hidden undercurrents and maneuvers of their earlier conversation.

Li Changsheng and Jiang Nannan continued to stroll leisurely along Bright Capital's bustling streets.

Neon lights flowed around them, soul engineering lamps shone brilliantly like a river of stars, and crowds streamed endlessly through the streets. It was lively, yet relaxed.

Six years of familiarity had long turned this super metropolis, brimming with technological charm, into the second home they knew best.

Yet they had not gone far when a familiar, tall figure slowly emerged from the crowd ahead, blocking their path at just the right moment.

He was tall and slender, with an aristocratic bearing. His brows and eyes carried the proud sharpness of a favored son of heaven.

His neat elite uniform of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy accentuated his extraordinary poise, making him stand out from the crowd.

It was none other than the academy's acknowledged number one soul engineering prodigy, the grandson of Dean Jing Hongchen—Xiao Hongchen!

At that moment, Xiao Hongchen had clearly noticed the two standing side by side at once.

His gaze instinctively settled firmly on Jiang Nannan, whose graceful figure was breathtaking and whose temperament had grown ever more stunning. A flash of undisguised brightness crossed his eyes before he strode toward them.

He completely ignored Li Changsheng, who stood calmly at her side, and looked directly at Jiang Nannan. With the familiarity and concern unique to a young man, he was the first to speak:

"Nannan, are you leaving the academy tomorrow to go somewhere?"

Caught off guard at being addressed so suddenly, Jiang Nannan was slightly stunned.

After pausing for a moment, she instinctively raised her eyes toward Li Changsheng beside her. Her clear eyes held a faint trace of confusion, plainly asking: Did you tell him about it in advance?

Li Changsheng shook his head slightly, indicating that the matter had nothing to do with him.

Seeing the exchange of glances between them, Xiao Hongchen could not help raising his chin slightly. A trace of innate pride and confidence surfaced between his brows as he spoke with some self-satisfaction:

"No need to look at him."

"My grandfather is, after all, the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Whether it is the academy's major or minor affairs, or students reporting trips outside the academy, none of it can bypass the Hongchen Clan."

"I naturally learned about such a small matter long ago."

He was already a favored son of heaven, an unparalleled genius who cultivated as both a soul master and a soul engineer.

Having held a high position since childhood and been surrounded by praise and admiration, he was proud and flamboyant by nature, carrying an innate sense of superiority over his peers.