Just as Hikaru had planned—
after Ma Hongxian was captured, Qu Tong quickly arranged for his retrieval.
But even after successfully taking him back, Qu Tong didn't lower her guard.
She knew all too well that every step in a plan like this had to be made with caution.
So she immediately began investigating everyone involved in the incident.
Chen Duo, being just a temp worker for the Company with a clean background, didn't raise any red flags for her.
But Hikaru's sudden appearance did.
When she heard about how Hikaru had confronted Liao Zhong and the overwhelming strength he had displayed, her wariness reached its peak.
She understood clearly—
this man didn't just appear out of nowhere.
If he had ties to Ma Hongxian, her carefully woven plans might collapse entirely.
To avoid missteps, Qu Tong chose not to act.
Instead, she waited silently for an entire week.
During that time, she quietly investigated Hikaru's movements—
trying to figure out his motives and whereabouts.
And when she learned that he had spent the whole week traveling, relaxing, and enjoying life with two women,
her suspicions finally began to ease.
So, one week later, she arranged to meet Ma Hongxian at one of her secret hideouts.
But the disparity in information would prove to be her downfall.
The moment she saw Ma Hongxian's eyes—burning with hatred and fury—
she realized something was terribly wrong.
He had recovered his memories.
At that moment, Qu Tong understood—
she had been deceived by Hikaru.
Recalling Hikaru's space-warping ability and his prior contact with Ma Hongxian,
she quickly pieced it together:
She had walked right into a trap.
But giving up easily was never Qu Tong's way.
After a brief moment of shock and anger,
she composed herself and turned to leave.
But a hunter does not let the bird escape once it's taken the bait.
Her steps were quick but steady—she knew she couldn't panic.
The exit was just ahead. If she could make it out, she might still regain the upper hand.
Yet just as she reached the threshold—
an overwhelming force dropped from the sky and pinned her in place.
She looked up in alarm,
only to see Hikaru standing nearby, staring at her coldly.
A bitter smile curved at her lips.
"You came after all," she said, her voice laced with a quiet sense of defeat.
"I don't believe I ever wronged you…
So why come after me?"
She struggled to move,
but the unseen power holding her was absolute.
No matter how she resisted, she couldn't budge an inch.
That sense of powerlessness reminded her of her days on the run—
days that nearly broke her.
Hikaru answered calmly,
"You didn't wrong me.
But there's something you possess that I need."
Qu Tong's heart tightened.
She instinctively thought of the Twin Perfection Hands and the Grand Luo Vision—
specifically, the mysterious seed key within.
These were central to her most guarded secrets and ambitions.
Then Hikaru dropped a thunderbolt:
"I want the Grand Luo Vision. You know what I mean, don't you?"
Qu Tong froze.
Her eyes—usually full of calculation—widened in confusion.
Her lips parted slightly. She was momentarily unable to process what she had just heard.
She had expected layered schemes and hidden motives.
Not a simple, direct demand.
For a moment, she actually felt… relieved.
She had thought Hikaru's goal was one of the Eight Forbidden Technique seeds.
After all, he'd orchestrated so much, surely he understood their significance?
But no—
the seeds and the Eight Forbidden Techniques, though related, were fundamentally different.
Only by mastering a Forbidden Technique to perfection
could one give birth to a unique seed.
And when all eight seeds gathered in one person—
legend foretold that the Demon would awaken, unleashing apocalyptic calamity.
The seeds were one-of-a-kind.
Once someone formed one, no one else could ever generate the same type again.
If not for that limit, Qu Tong's plan would've already succeeded.
But here and now, she had to face reality.
So she quickly recomposed herself.
She studied Hikaru's expression carefully, trying to read his true intent.
And when she saw he was serious, her thoughts raced.
"I can get you what you want," she said firmly,
"But you must let me go."
It was her only leverage.
And she used it well.
Hikaru gazed into her eyes,
his look as piercing as a blade through the soul.
"Deal," he replied, without hesitation.
That made her even more suspicious.
But in her current position, she had no better option.
So after a brief inner struggle, she decided to cooperate.
"I don't have the Grand Luo Vision training method," she said quickly.
"But I know who does. I can get it."
Her words tumbled out, afraid any pause would cost her.
The moment she admitted she didn't have it,
she caught a flicker in Hikaru's expression—
A glint of murderous cold.
Even space itself seemed to freeze.
That confirmed it:
she needed to produce value, and fast.
Luckily, as she revealed her next move,
his gaze relaxed.
The pressure vanished—
Hikaru's silent way of showing patience.
Qu Tong wasted no time.
She pulled out her phone and called a number she knew by heart—on speaker, of course.
She knew full well:
Hikaru wanted to hear everything.
The line connected quickly.
A familiar voice came through:
"What now, Qu Tong?"
Qu Tong's voice held urgency and a trace of pleading:
"Help me, Gu Jiting."
Everything now hinged on what happened next.
But after her words, the other end of the call fell silent.
She knew exactly what he was doing—
Using Grand Luo Vision to divine the truth of what was happening here.