If it were an old fox like Yan Chen, upon discovering that his scheme had been seen through by Qiu Tu, he would likely keep a straight face as if nothing had happened. Then he would quietly lie low, continuing to set traps or lay snares for Qiu Tu.
As for someone like Secretary Bai, who enjoys speaking in riddles, upon discovering that his plot had been uncovered by Qiu Tu, he would most likely pretend not to notice, then start to tease and probe with many hints, engaging in a battle of wits and words with Qiu Tu.
But... Larilo is neither Yan Chen nor Secretary Bai. She is an Evil God, moreover, a brazen one with extreme confidence in herself!
So, she sneered at Qiu Tu and stopped pretending altogether.
She sat poised in the air, looking down from above at Qiu Tu, her crimson eyes deep and bright, her voice tinged with a devilish charm, "It seems I couldn't hide it from you, after all."
"When did you start to suspect something was amiss?"
Hearing Larilo's words, Qiu Tu also dropped the act. He leaned back in his chair and said with a smile, "I never trusted you to begin with."
In front of Larilo, Qiu Tu had always been obedient, and even when he occasionally broke free from Larilo's control, he would find various reasons to excuse his behavior.
Thus, although Larilo had long known that Qiu Tu was no ordinary man, she had never seen him in such a state before.
In that moment, her crimson eyes narrowed, a dangerous light flickering within them.
She ominously said, "It seems... you really think I can't escape, so you dare to be so arrogant?"
"Aren't you afraid I will survive and come after you?"
Upon hearing Larilo's words, Qiu Tu just laughed.
He pointed at Larilo, then at himself, and said, "You are an Evil God, and I am a human, moreover, a senior member of the Investigation Bureau. There's inherent hostility between us."
"Even if I don't provoke you, would you let me off the hook once you get out?"
"Very well," Larilo laughed merrily upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, her little feet twitching with delight...
Larilo, having laid out her plans in Xinjie City for so long and avoided being caught by Qiu Tu several times, was clearly not a simple character.
So, after she laughed, her pair of crimson eyes playful, she said,
"However, what I don't understand is, knowing that we are destined to be enemies, why didn't you keep up the façade and drag things out with me?"
"Instead, you deliberately mocked me, letting me see through it? Why is that?"
As she spoke, Larilo's eyes squinted in a quasi-smile, her lips slowly curling up as she said, "Unless... it was intentional."
"So... do you want to cooperate with me?"
Cooperating with an Evil God was a capital offense, so this was a proposition Qiu Tu would never entertain.
He flatly denied it, "Your Highness, you are mistaken."
"I just noticed that Director Yan's Illusion of the Law underwent a significant change today."
"I guess, he might have taken another step in devouring you."
"We are enemies, after all, so I came specifically to mock you. After all... if I don't do it now, I might not have the chance to mock you later."
Qiu Tu's words seemed righteous on the surface, and even showcased his arrogance to the full, seemingly without any issue.
But... just as Qiu Tu understood Larilo, Larilo also understood Qiu Tu.
In her mind, even if Qiu Tu was not a master strategist, he was definitely cunning and calculating.
Such a person would never act without purpose. There would always be a deeper meaning.
And for someone like Qiu Tu to start celebrating at halftime, that's even less likely to happen.
Thinking this, Larilo immediately guessed the reason behind Qiu Tu's seemingly contradictory behavior:
Qiu Tu obviously still wanted to cooperate with her, but didn't want to give her any leverage in his words, which was why he didn't take up her offer.
With this thought, Larilo felt a bit more at ease.
She looked at Qiu Tu and said seductively, "Is that so? Then my Young Pope really is heartless."
"However... you overestimate Director Yan and underestimate me. It's not yet clear who will win or lose between us."
As she spoke, Larilo paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "For example... if Zhao Ji makes a move, I will definitely turn danger into safety."
Larilo's message was clear: she still wanted Zhao Ji to take action.
But when Qiu Tu heard this, he decisively shook his head, "Stop dreaming. Your believers are either dead or captured. You have no one to summon Zhao Ji for you."
"Moreover, betraying an Evil God is a capital offense, they will never come out in this lifetime."
Qiu Tu's message was also unmistakable: no way. Consort with an Evil God is a capital offense, I am not taking that risk."
Larilo had never harbored any illusions about this plan—if Qiu Tu were willing to accept this, he would have done so already.
She was just throwing it out there to see his response.
So when she saw Qiu Tu's refusal, she didn't mind and continued, "But I might still have a chance to survive."
"Don't think that just because Yan Chen is devouring me now, my soul, my strength of spirit, is much stronger than his."
"Right now, he is burning his Life in a desperate rush, trying to become a Fourth Order by devouring my status."
"In the end... he even plans to turn his Fourth Order power into a Fourth-order pseudograde."
"Every step is like walking a tightrope, the slightest mishap could lead to utter disaster."
Larilo: You can't call for backup, then you help me affect Yan Chen. If he makes any mistake, he will fail, and I will be able to escape.
Hearing this, Qiu Tu shook his head and said, "I trust Director Yan's abilities. He's a master strategist."