Li Guanqi’s expression was incredibly dark. He hadn’t expected them to destroy evidence right in front of him. “So... you’re that confident?”

The method had been covert. The soul-attacking spirit treasure appeared without warning, and even he hadn’t sensed it coming. A splitting headache throbbed behind his eyes. His sea of consciousness had developed faint cracks from the attack, though his foundation remained intact.

The four tower masters all remained calm, their expressions unchanged. While their faces gave nothing away, Li Guanqi had his suspicions.

His gaze lingered briefly on Yuan Hongyi. Since arriving at the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion, the only person he’d targeted was Yuan Hongyi. The man had been anxious at first, pacing in his courtyard, but partway through, he’d calmed down. That alone was strange. If he’d been worried about others misunderstanding his relationship with Li Guanqi, why stop worrying? There was only one explanation: he’d found a way to turn things around. And now, it seemed the answer was Song Yunshu. He’d used her to dispel everyone’s suspicions.

“Impressive.” Li Guanqi’s gaze turned icy.

He slowly walked past the crowd, his voice cold as frost. “Since you want to play like this... fine.”

Buzz!

He hung the jade token at his waist and tore open a rift in the domain. He turned. “The token is right here. If you want it, come take it.”

The words had barely left his mouth before a terrifying pressure erupted. Lightning surged around him, violent winds howled, and thunderclouds churned across the sky. Thunder rolled as a wave of pressure swept outward. Everyone inside the four towers was forcibly displaced, and four massive bolts of purple-black lightning, each over ten zhang thick, crashed down from the heavens.

Boom!

The barriers of all four towers shattered. The towering structures collapsed with a thunderous crash, and silence fell over heaven and earth. Everyone thought Li Guanqi had gone mad. He had just destroyed the four towers with his hands. And yet, not a single person dared to stop him.

Li Guanqi slowly turned around, his voice thick with killing intent. “From this moment on, all departments of the four towers report directly to me. Bring any matter to me first. Those who refuse will die.”

The world was plunged into a profound silence, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

“I was willing to match wits with you,” Li Guanqi said. “And you decided to play dirty? Fine. Don’t blame me for throwing out the rules.”

He walked past the crowd. Everyone bowed their heads in silence. Even the four tower masters didn’t dare provoke him.

When Li Guanqi returned to the Heavenly Intelligence Realm, the four of them let out a quiet breath. Ji Yuchuan rose without a word and left. Yuan Hongyi and the others stayed where they were, speechless.

They looked down at the thousand-zhang abyss beneath their feet and swallowed hard. Their cultivation was roughly equal to Li Guanqi’s, but that killing power...

Yuan Hongyi swallowed, unable to meet anyone’s eyes. He turned back toward the domain. Only Jiang Yi lingered behind, casting a strange look at Yuan Hongyi’s retreating back.

The moment Li Guanqi returned, the jade token at his waist flickered. Ge Er’s voice came through.

—Pavilion Master... a saber cultivator attacked Miss Song... I... did my best. She’s alive.

Li Guanqi’s gaze fell on the blood-soaked severed hand lying on the table. His eyes flashed with killing intent. “She only lost a hand? She’s alive?”

—Yes, Pavilion Master. Only her left hand was severed. She’s otherwise unharmed.

“Good. I understand. Keep guarding her. And master the technique I taught you as soon as possible.”

—Yes... I’m sorry. I failed in my duty.

Li Guanqi set down the jade token and stared at the severed hand, his expression grim.

He had no doubt he could suppress them all by force. But the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion couldn’t be controlled through brute strength alone. The six hall masters under the Yellow Tower were proof of that: crushing them wouldn’t give him true control of the organization. Besides, every one of those old foxes had held something back. That faint, concealed aura told him as much. He had to plant his own people, like Su You.

Soon, Su You’s voice came through the jade token too.

—Yuan Hongyi has started assigning me tasks. Some will hurt the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion’s interests. How should I proceed?

Li Guanqi’s eyes flashed with a cold glint. “Do it. Earn his trust first, and secure the position of Hall Master before anything else.”

He suspected Yuan Hongyi was misappropriating funds. That much was obvious, but the situation was slipping out of control. When Gu Yong was present, his overwhelming strength kept everyone’s ambitions in check. Now, with Gu Yong in seclusion and attempting a breakthrough, those ambitions were resurfacing.

Li Guanqi tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. His strategy against Yuan Hongyi only worked once. If the same thing happened in the other towers, the others would catch on. Huang Bin’s case was a one-time trick.

Li Guanqi murmured, “Jiang Yi... Yuan Hongyi... Tu Yongsi... Ji Yuchuan... Jiang Yi and Yuan Hongyi are likely aligned. Tu Yongsi is Song Yunshu’s protector, but why does something feel off about him too? When Song Yunshu took out the Pavilion Master token, he was clearly surprised.

“And then an assassin shows up right after... isn’t that too much of a coincidence? Then there’s the fact that Jiang Yi captured the assassin. Are the Red and Purple Towers really at odds? And Ji Yuchuan... what role is he playing in all this?”

He rubbed his temples. Every step forward felt treacherous. Even without knowing who was truly behind it all, he’d already placed the blame squarely on Yuan Hongyi.

Li Guanqi muttered softly, “Threatening me? You want me to stay put? I’ll take action just to spite you. And I won’t just do it—I’ll smash every bowl you have and scatter the pieces.”

A cold, near-sinister smile crept across his lips. “If I kill all four tower masters... Senior Gu won’t hold it against me, will he?”

Four towers? If they pushed him far enough, he’d destroy them all and rebuild the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion from scratch.