Lu Zijin was silent for a moment. "So you're saying he compared every single person in the school one by one?"
"Yes. By piecing together clues and information, he was able to create personality profiles and then compare them against everyone both in and out of the school. Xiao Gu knows most of the teachers at Peak City High School No. 2, and the students are too simple—it's not hard to see through them. If I had the time, I could do it too. But Gu Jianlin is sharper than me, so the moment an Ascender appears at the school, it's glaringly obvious to him."
Taixu added, "Finally, he used Joker's personality profile as a reference point to pinpoint the target."
Lu Zijin understood. "I see."
Taixu continued, "Gu Jianlin even managed to identify the combat forces we had stationed at the school. That's why he dared to face Joker alone—he knew reinforcements would eventually arrive."
"But he didn't expect the school reinforcements to be so useless, right? What a bunch of losers."
Lu Zijin stared at the photo of the young man for a long time, muttering, "Such audacity, such courage, such intellect…"
Actually, even if Gu Jianlin didn't have the ability to single-handedly kill the opponent, nothing would've gone wrong tonight.
Because Lu Zicheng was there.
Because Thunder was there.
But who would've thought this kid was this fierce?
"It seems the Lu Family may need to rethink who they're investing in..."
She whispered softly to herself.
For the first time in her life, she was genuinely satisfied with her brother.
It felt like striking gold.
Especially when he publicly embarrassed the Judgement Court, which delighted her.
On the other side, Nie, the Deacon, sat behind his desk, hands clasped, his face dark.
The young female secretary held a report and said from the side, "Report, Sir. Of the fourteen operatives in the task force, one is still in critical condition and currently undergoing emergency treatment. The remaining thirteen have stabilized and are no longer in life-threatening danger."
Nie, the Deacon, heard her but his face remained grim. He said, "That puts my mind at ease. What else?"
The secretary continued, "Ten minutes ago, Miss Nie regained consciousness."
"Hmm. Make sure she gets proper rest."
Nie, the Deacon, nodded slightly. "What else?"
The secretary added, "The incident site has been fully cleaned up. All traces of Transcendent activity have been erased by the appropriate personnel. We'll officially report this as a gas explosion."
"That's not what I want to hear."
Nie, the Deacon, took a deep breath and asked, "Was it truly Gu Jianlin who killed Joker?"
He slammed his hand on the desk.
The secretary, noting his expression, appeared apprehensive. "Yes. This has already been reported to headquarters. The Deep Space Network has confirmed it was part of his assessment mission, upgraded his rating, and awarded the corresponding Merit. In theory, our Judgement Court is supposed to commend him."
A long silence followed. Nie, the Deacon, got up and walked to the window, forcing a smile.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
He waved his hand and said, "How could a Zero-tier Divine single-handedly kill Joker?"
"No, it's entirely possible."
The secretary quietly responded, "Deep Space detected life-sign fluctuations showing that the task force lost combat capability within two minutes of engaging. By the time we arrived at the scene, five minutes had passed. In those crucial five minutes, Gu Jianlin fought alone and killed Joker."
Nie, the Deacon, turned around, staring at her expressionlessly.
The secretary didn't notice his expression and continued looking at her tablet. "What's more, according to the forensics report, the task force left very few traces during this hunt…"
Nie, the Deacon, asked coldly, "Have the two Mythical Weapons been recovered?"
The secretary froze. "No, as far as we can tell, they're likely in Gu Jianlin's possession."
Nie, the Deacon, staggered, his blood pressure spiking.
At that moment, Lu Zijin raised her beautiful eyes and said with a faint smile, "Nie, the Deacon, what did you say earlier? This was supposed to be a test for the prodigy, right? Your exact words. If that kid really managed to kill Joker, then those two Mythical Weapons should rightfully be considered spoils of war. You're a Deacon; surely you won't go back on your word?"
Nie, the Deacon, clenched his fists, as if his heart was bleeding. "I..."
"You wouldn't want the Judgement Court to lose its credibility, would you?"
Lu Zijin rested her chin on her hand, her face full of innocent mischief. "Even if he is the son of a Fallen, he still completed the mission, didn't he?"
"Hah, it's just two Mythical Weapons. Give them to me for free, and I'd still refuse to take them."
Nie, the Deacon, sneered as he turned to leave.
But after just a few steps, his eyes rolled back, and he stumbled.
In the secretary's shocked cry, he collapsed to the ground unconscious.
Just then, Lu Zijin's phone vibrated. She gleefully pressed the answer button.
"Sis, how's it going?"
Lu Zicheng's voice came through.
Lu Zijin smiled faintly. "Nothing much. Nie, the Deacon, was so thrilled by Xiao Gu's talent that he passed out from excitement. Your instincts were right: Xiao Gu's talent is truly exceptional, enough to bear the Karma of his father. He's a promising prospect. Let's hope he advances quickly. Until then, I'll protect him."