Idiot

In the darkness, a nimble figure leaped swiftly between the buildings, rapidly closing in on Kangxin Residential Community, where Xia Jie and Qiao Qiao were.

Lu Zhe moved at an astonishing speed, like a Wuling Hongguang taking a sharp turn at full throttle. Even an AE86 could only eat his dust from behind.

Yet despite such speed, his breathing was not the least bit disordered. Even while speaking on the phone, his voice did not tremble in the slightest.

Listening to the voice from the other end of the call, Xia Jie could naturally hear the threat in Lu Zhe's words.

However, the threatening tone was not particularly intense, and Lu Zhe had even "kindly" offered him a second choice.

Was he trying to keep me from hurting the Monster girl in front of me?

Xia Jie glanced at Qiao Qiao, whose cheeks were still being pinched, and thought that this little girl's identity seemed quite important to the "Lu Zhe" on the other end.

But... her name was actually Qiao Qiao? That was pretty interesting!

Xia Jie's thoughts briefly went off track before he pulled them back.

Compared to the Monster girl being named Qiao Qiao, the Monster Alliance mentioned by the other party, as well as the pact between the Monster Alliance and Jujutsu Sorcerers, were clearly matters more worthy of his attention.

Had China's Jujutsu Sorcerers reached some degree of reconciliation with Monsters?

No wonder this Monster girl named Qiao Qiao had appeared in an ordinary residential community. I thought she was hiding here deliberately for some reason... So she had been living here openly?

Xia Jie sorted through his thoughts, then became curious about the "Lu Zhe" on the other end of the call.

Though many years had passed, he still remembered the experiences of those more than ten years of his life vividly.

But based on voice alone, he had no way of determining whether this person was the "Lu Zhe" he knew. He would have to meet him in person to be sure.

Of course, when they met, the enemy had to be in the open while he remained in the dark.

After all, his identity was extremely sensitive. The Jiang Clan identity alone was enough to set many people's nerves on edge.

There were probably many people secretly coveting the Jiang Clan's secret arts.

Back then, after his father Jiang Changqing lost his Cursed Technique, he chose to leave China. It was not impossible that he had intended to evade pursuit from Jujutsu Society.

Now that he had returned and even come to Jiang Changqing's former residence, it was obvious that he and Jiang Changqing had some special connection.

If someone guessed his identity, he would likely find himself in a whole heap of trouble.

At this thought, Xia Jie could not help sighing to himself.

Originally, he had only planned to secretly take one look at his former home, bury his father's and mother's remains together, and then leave, lest he truly become entangled in this filthy business.

Yet he had happened to encounter the Monster girl Qiao Qiao in his own home, stirring up this whole mess and leaving him somewhat trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Although he could leave at any moment, the name "Lu Zhe" alone made Xia Jie decide to take a risk.

This was a perfect opportunity to uncover the truth of his origins.

Even if something unusual happened, if I can't beat him, I should at least be able to run, right?

Xia Jie pondered inwardly.

Then what identity should he use to face this "Lu Zhe"?

Should he really say that a friend of his also had a home here?

Or should he pretend to be a Curse User investigating the whereabouts of his father, Jiang Changqing?

Xia Jie's thoughts raced, and in the end, he decided to play the good guy for once.

He would pretend to be a friend of his father Jiang Changqing and test the waters.

Although this was riskier than posing as a Curse User, especially when he was unsure whether the "Lu Zhe" on the other end was good or evil.

Still, Xia Jie felt that even if this "Lu Zhe" was not the "Lu Zhe" from his memories, he should not be a bad person.

After all... how could a bad person have such a straightforward Monster girl as a friend?

Having considered everything, Xia Jie said to Lu Zhe over the phone, "Lu Zhe, right? You sound like a reasonable person!"

"Qiao Qiao and I have no grudge against each other. In fact, today is the first time we've ever met!"

"As for why we clashed, I think perhaps you can guess part of the reason?"

Xia Jie's rhetorical question was not made without purpose, but was instead a probing test laden with meaning.

Based on Lu Zhe's reaction, he could make an initial judgment as to whether Lu Zhe knew about the owner of this house—his father, Xia Changqing.

According to the memories in his mind, only a very small number of people had known that this was his father's residence back then. Even the Jiang Clan Secret Guard had gone to great lengths to find this place.

But after so many years, Xia Jie could not be sure how many people knew about this place now.

If Lu Zhe had merely obtained this property by chance, then there was no need for Xia Jie to continue speaking with him.

On the other hand, if Lu Zhe knew that Xia Changqing had once lived here, Xia Jie needed to test him in the guise of his father's friend and see whether Lu Zhe was man or monster.

Hearing Xia Jie's question, Lu Zhe's rushing footsteps paused for a moment, then became even faster. The expression on his face turned exceedingly dangerous.

"I don't understand what you mean!" Lu Zhe answered calmly. "I don't even know who you are! How could I know why you and Qiao Qiao got into a conflict?"

"Don't test my identity!"

Xia Jie raised an eyebrow. He had not expected the other party to refuse the bait entirely, answering without even the slightest hesitation.

But Lu Zhe's answer had been too decisive, which instead made him suspicious.

He gave a soft snort. "Do you really not know, or are you deliberately playing dumb? Do you need me to remind you?"

"The former owner of this house was quite an extraordinary person!"

Qiao Qiao looked at Xia Jie in utter confusion. What was this guy talking about?

Someone extraordinary had once lived here? How did I not know that?

She wanted to ask, but with her cheeks still being pinched, she could not utter a single word.

Lu Zhe suddenly tightened his grip on the phone in his right hand, and a faint crack sounded from the screen.

"Who are you?" Lu Zhe's tone turned cold. "And what do you know?"

For all these years, he had kept watch over Jiang Changqing's house here. It was not as though ill-intentioned people had never come looking, but nearly every single one had been sent by him to another world.

Only one or two people with some connection had been spared.

As time went on, no blind fools dared come here to provoke him anymore, even if they knew this had once been Jiang Changqing's home.

First, the risk was too great. Second, it was simply not worth it.

After all, this was merely one residence where Jiang Changqing had once stayed. If Jiang Changqing himself did not return here, continuing to investigate the place was actually meaningless.

Throwing away one's life here over something meaningless was something only idiots would do.

Lu Zhe had thought he had killed off nearly all the idiots, which was why he had temporarily arranged for the inexperienced Qiao Qiao to stay here.

Who would have thought that another idiot had now popped out of nowhere? Were there really so many people these days who weren't afraid of dying?