For example, there appears a subordinate of a certain deity... hoping you could buy some time.

Su Muxue’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly, her face struggling to maintain composure.

"Mr. Su Qi, I know my approach was highly inappropriate, and I sincerely apologize again."

Her voice softened slightly.

"But I truly have an urgent and important matter I need to discuss with you."

"This concerns… many people, possibly even the safety of the young lady beside you."

Her words carried clear intent, an attempt to leverage Liu Yuan’s safety against Su Qi.

"I’m sure you wouldn’t want anything unfortunate to happen to your sister—"

Her voice cut off abruptly…

That feeling again…

Like death itself coiling around her throat, suffocating her.

Su Qi hadn’t moved—not even a flicker of motion.

Yet an uncontrollable flicker of fear crept across her face.

"My sister’s safety is none of your concern, esteemed guest."

Su Qi took a step aside, making the door’s position unmistakably clear: "The greatest security you can offer her is vanishing from here right now."

Just then, Liu Yuan tugged at Su Qi’s sleeve.

"Brother… maybe we should hear her out first…?" she whispered.

Only then did Su Qi realize his attitude had been overly harsh.

But considering his past—the hardships he’d endured alone, swallowing every bitterness until he could finally retreat to his room for a fleeting moment of respite—it made sense.

In a way, this place was half his "anchor."

No one would want their sanctuary invaded unannounced by outsiders.

To Su Qi, Su Muxue’s actions undeniably carried a whiff of provocation.

Seizing the lifeline, Su Muxue hurriedly continued, "Exactly. I’ll leave immediately after explaining."

She adjusted her posture, trying to appear more formal and convincing: "We may have a shared threat to confront."

Her gaze locked onto Su Qi’s face, grave and intent: "Recently, we apprehended a stowaway from the Source Realm—a Descender."

"Subsequent leads tied to this Descender revealed their ultimate goal: to assassinate a specific martial examinee during the trials. Specifically… Yun Huang, the one by your side at noon today."

"But… these clues came too easily, too smoothly."

"And our informants suggest this isn’t their true objective."

Su Muxue spoke rapidly: "These leads and the captured Descender were deliberate distractions—a feint to divert our forces."

"We still can’t discern their real plan…"

"Given the circumstances, Great Xia’s martial exams this year may lack full defensive coverage…"

"However… Guardian Jiang suspects…"

"The Descenders intentionally revealed their true target, laid out their entire scheme, making us doubt it—forcing us to ‘rule out the correct answer’ first."

"Our current position… is passive."

"Nearby cities also report Descenders causing disruptions timed to this event… we can’t spare much manpower to reinforce Great Xia."

"Of course… Guardian Jiang, under immense pressure, has already submitted a proposal to cancel this year’s exams…"

"However... it's probably hard to get approval. This is an open scheme by the other side."

"The parents of those martial examinees will likely raise hell..."

"So, for this year's Jiangxia martial examinations, we hope you can serve as an external consultant. If Guardian Jiang's worst-case scenario truly unfolds..."

"For instance, if subordinates of a certain deity were to appear... we'd need your unique ability to buy us some time."

"Unique ability?" Su Qi raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "What unique ability do I have? Is it my law-abiding nature or my punctual tax payments?"

Su Muxue choked back a retort. Was that terrifying killing intent from earlier just an illusion?

She suspected Su Qi's ability was some form of 'death deterrence.'

Even the subordinates of deities would sense a 'lethal threat' from him.

That would explain the incident at noon...

It was like holding a gun to an ordinary person's head—how many would dare bet the weapon was fake while staring down its cold, metallic barrel?

Thus, if an unstoppable entity truly emerged, Su Qi would be the ideal choice to stall for time.

On that day, Guardian Jiang would remain on standby, ready to reinforce any location.

"I've said all I needed to say."

"If you're interested, you can contact Guardian Jiang directly."

With that, she left without hesitation.

Su Qi fell silent.

He could disregard Great Xia's attempts to recruit him and brush off their probing.

But this trouble might spill over to Liu Yuan.

For the first time, his stance seemed to waver slightly.

Yet the situation now appeared to extend beyond mere "recruitment."

If Su Muxue's words held truth, this was a genuine latent threat.

After a moment of contemplation, just as Su Muxue reached the door, he finally spoke.

"I've considered it."

A flicker of hope flashed in Su Muxue's eyes.

"But," Su Qi pivoted sharply, "I have conditions."

Su Muxue visibly relaxed.

She paused at the doorway, awaiting his terms.

"First."

"From now on, have Guardian Jiang message me directly for any matters. No other methods—no disruptions to my private life."

Su Muxue nodded immediately. "Understood. I guarantee there won't be a next time. This was my oversight, and I sincerely apologize."

Her tone was deferential—both because she was at fault and because they needed his cooperation.

"Second." Su Qi continued, "I demand full access to all 'authentic' intelligence regarding this Descender operation—not some sanitized 'public-friendly' version."

He paused, then added, "Including Guardian Jiang's 'speculations' and 'worst-case contingencies.'"

Su Muxue's expression stiffened slightly.

This crossed a line.

Core intelligence, especially unverified conjectures and high-level strategies, wasn't meant for external personnel under protocol.

But she knew negotiation was futile.

This man refused to be kept in the dark as a pawn.

"...Regarding this point, I'll need to report to Guardian Jiang for authorization," Su Muxue replied cautiously. "But I'll advocate for it."

Su Qi gave no reaction.

"Third."

"My involvement will occur only when I deem it 'necessary.' I won't accept binding orders or participate in any official proactive schemes."

"In other words, my responsibility is limited to only the 'worst-case scenarios' during the Jiangxia Martial Exam that might threaten my sister's safety."

The words were blunt and undeniably selfish.

But what else could be expected?

He wasn’t there to be a hired thug, nor had he come to pledge loyalty.

His sole purpose was to add an extra layer of protection for Liu Yuan’s safety.

Of course, Su Qi wasn’t quite as selfish as his words made him seem.

To put it harshly, even if Liu Yuan skipped the Martial Exam altogether, it wouldn’t drastically alter the course of her future.

His stance leaned more toward: "I’ll be there during the exam, but my priority is my sister’s safety. As for the rest—I’ll help if I can, but if not, don’t expect miracles."