In the small pavilion, Master Lei Feng was gasping for breath. Though his physical injuries were serious, they paled in comparison to the psychological trauma he had endured. Not only since he became the Director of the Inspection Office, but even when he was still just an unenlightened cultivator, he had never faced such a setback. He had always disapproved of surprise attacks, believing a true man should act with integrity and openness. Today, however, he was exceptionally fortunate to have been caught off guard. "The elder shook his head: 'It's useless. I have the true immortal body—no healing remedies of the cultivators have any effect on me. It's a complete collapse. I never thought our injuries would come from a general-level demon. By the way, we've lost several people.' Qingya's expression darkened slightly, and she said softly, 'A total of nine.' 'Nine?' The elder was startled, coughing up even more blood, 'Nine. That means half of our Office's personnel have been lost. It's all my fault. I didn't take them seriously. I had everyone gather together, and that was a mistake.' The surviving inspectors all looked deeply saddened and resentful. They longed to go out and avenge their comrades, yet they knew clearly that such a move would mean certain death. Qin gently advised, 'That's how wars usually go—there's never a situation where you only gain and never lose. For years, we've been chasing the demon forces, and countless enemies have fallen under our hands. To suffer one setback occasionally is entirely understandable.' Even though he said this, the elder still felt deeply troubled inside." Rei encouraged, "Director, don't overthink it. No one is happy when something like this happens. First, focus on recovering from your injuries, and then we'll seek revenge against the magical race." "Alright, that's the best we can do," the elder sighed. "Uncle, I'll go out and have a look," Qin Feng said. "It's too dangerous outside," the elder shook his head. "Miri definitely hasn't left yet. You can't go out." He smiled. "In fact, it's precisely because she hasn't left that I need to go. She's been complaining about us outside. If I don't go, she'll look down on me. Rest assured, she won't attack me directly—otherwise she wouldn't have chosen you just now. And she won't easily manage to kill me. If things go badly, I'll just retreat back in again." "Alright, be careful—she's not easy to handle," the elder said with concern. Isabella also sent over a quiet, attentive gaze—everything unspoken, yet clearly understood. Outside, Meili was still shouting, "You cowardly bunch! You only know how to run! Are you brave enough to step forward and face me directly?" "Hey, just hold on," Qin Shao's distinct, lazy tone cut in. "It's you, the young man from the Qin family," Meili gritted her teeth and turned to face him, ready to engage. "Wait a moment," he raised a hand, not bothering to see if she understood, and said, "We've met several times already. We've certainly got some acquaintance. Do we really have to start fighting the moment we meet?" Meili's initial anger instantly melted away, and she smiled gracefully. "Really? What kind of acquaintance do we have?" "Well, now that you ask," he stroked his chin, earnestly, "we're not exactly friends, but we're not quite enemies either. If possible, I'd like to develop our relationship further. In fact, I'm not opposed to having a magical race partner—after all, you're quite beautiful, aren't you?" "Partner-in-romance, what does that mean?" It was clear she didn't understand the term. Qin Shao chuckled softly. "It's a relationship one step above that of a lover." Indeed, it was one step above a lover's relationship—lovers at least shared a foundation of emotion, while partners-in-romance were merely driven by the most basic, primal needs. "Do you think we might work?" the beautiful magical being asked with thoughtful intent. "Heh, everything is possible." "Enough!" Mei Li snapped. "With your mediocrity, you're utterly beneath my notice. Tell me then, what exactly do you want? Considering our modest rapport, I'll let you finish your speech." He laughed even more freely. "After I finish, will you kill me—or will you bravely become my partner-in-romance?" "I'll dismember you and reduce you to a thousand pieces." She managed to force out those words. I wiped my brow and said, "Hey, what's the deep grudge between us? We just killed a few of your people—aren't they ugly enough to deserve that? Of course, I can only think this to myself. If I actually say it out loud, I'm sure things won't go well. He shrugged and said, "Your goal is to rule over humanity, but we humans don't like being ruled. So there's an irreconcilable conflict here. I'm asking—why do you want to rule us? Isn't it simply about exploiting our wealth and resources? Haven't you noticed that Earth's resources are nearly depleted and the environment is in terrible shape? What good is a planet like this to you?" The beautiful fairy mage coldly replied, "Then it's none of your concern. We'll simply destroy Earth entirely—this is our matter." Man, they really aren't being diplomatic. They haven't even fully conquered us yet, and already they claim Earth is theirs. He continued, "Well, I'd also like to ask—why can't we be friends?" "Because..." Mee-li said, word by word: "...you...you...don't...deserve..." In her eyes, humans were merely slaves to the magical races, noble and superior by nature—how could such a high-born race ever become friends with a lesser one? That would be pure folly. In truth, the very idea of friendship was merely a test. Qin Shao's long-standing belief had always been: "Those of a different kind are inherently alien to us." "Well, it seems we've truly come to nothing," he shook his head, expression full of resignation. "You said you wanted to kill me—what gives you such confidence that you believe you can actually do it?" The beautiful magical maiden smiled. "As long as you don't run, I will certainly kill you." "Isn't that obvious? When I attack you, don't you just stand there, not running, not dodging?" he exclaimed, eyes blazing. "I will absolutely not run." "The beautiful woman smiled, her branches trembling: 'With all your modest strength, you dare to challenge me? I'll stand right here and let you fight. If you can even touch me with a single hair, then you've won.' 'That's exactly what you said,' Qin smiled slyly at her, constantly glancing at her prominent chest."