"Please spare me this."

Enrico smiled helplessly, but no matter what, he couldn't suppress the urge to cry. It wasn't because of pain or despair, but because of the gratitude that surged within him amidst the sudden tranquility.

"Well then, thank you for the hospitality!"

Huaizhi Sushi slowly stood up, smiled cheerily at him, waved goodbye, and humming a tune, turned and left.

Just like that, in the deathly silence, the second Chef Demon duel thus concluded.

The final outcome was, without a doubt!

——Huaizhi Sushi, victorious!

At that moment, in the venue, as everyone gazed upon that face—so beautiful it was beyond words—they all felt a profound chill and terror emanate from the depths of their souls.

In just twenty minutes, she had presented two dishes, one of which couldn't even be considered Chef Demon cuisine…

Just like that, she effortlessly caused a battle-hardened Chef Demon to abandon all the pursuits of the first half of his life, willingly drowning in the thread of warmth she had woven.

It was incomprehensible, and incredible.

But that was the reality laid bare before everyone, accompanied by immense fear and a looming shadow.

The entire competition arena seemed to be enshrouded by that delicate, slender figure, making it hard for them to breathe.

"This is indeed a genuine 'Heavenly Demon'."

In the lengthy silence, only Guo ShouQue's unreserved praise and admiration, accompanied by his peculiar and piercing laughter, echoed in everyone's hearts.

Indeed, apart from a 'demon,' what else could manipulate a person's will to such an extent?

In that instant, no one harbored any more doubts about the intelligence reports from Tomorrow News.

The Beheaded Witch: Huaizhi Sushi!

「That had happened half an hour earlier.」

At the start of the match, Zhenxi heard a voice beside her. It sounded familiar. The tone was calm and polite, without any trace of intrusion. It simply asked, "May I sit here?"

When she turned around in astonishment, she saw the young man standing in the aisle. To be precise, he was a samurai with a sword.

This was Li Jian Jiu Jing, the adopted son of the previous family head and currently the most favored candidate to succeed him. He was also, nominally, Zhenxi's cousin.

Subconsciously, Zhenxi shrank back a little, while Raven, remaining beside her, lifted its crimson eyes and stared hungrily and fiercely at Old Jiujing. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Please rest assured, I won't do anything rude. After all, Zhenxi, you are my blood kin. Didn't you even call me 'brother' when you were little?"

Li Jian Jiu Jing smiled serenely and pointed to the chair beside him. "May I sit down? I have something I'd like to say."

After a long silence, Zhenxi nodded.

So, Old Jiujing sat down, his posture immaculate, his demeanor meticulous. Without any aura of oppression or cold severity, he calmly asked, as if it were a simple conversation between siblings, "Zhenxi, your collaborator... is Amber, isn't it?"

"..."

Zhenxi's body stiffened. She didn't know how to respond—whether to agree, refute, or simply remain silent.

"This isn't some highly secretive matter, after all. Your agent, Ms. SuZi, has publicly displayed a close relationship with Amber. It's actually quite simple to guess."

Old Jiujing waved his hand and said bluntly, "To be honest, this duel was initiated at my suggestion."

Zhenxi was startled, her eyes fixed wide, not relaxing for an instant.

Li Jian Jiu Jing continued, "It's true there was some personal motive involved; I hoped you wouldn't get involved in such dirty affairs and that it would be best for you to withdraw. However, my main aim was simply to create an environment where we could talk properly."

He thought for a moment, then after a brief silence, told her, "Although this may seem abrupt, I believe it's more honest to reveal my intentions from the start. Therefore, I won't hide anything."

He said, "Zhenxi, please break your alliance with Amber."