Let them offer their loyalty!

Chapter 1857: Chapter 745: Zhao Ji: I’ve Been Set Up?

To be honest, Zhao Ji has always had somewhat complex feelings toward Qiu Tu.

And as time went by, as the gap in power between Qiu Tu and her became smaller and smaller, these feelings became increasingly complicated.

After all... having lived as a god for two lifetimes, Zhao Ji has always been a woman standing at the peak of the "Boundless Heart Sea." No matter who she faced, she was always the one taking care of others, never the other way around.

All these years, besides the two months her master took care of her, allowing her to feel warmth and emotion she had never experienced before, she was mostly the one who kept giving.

In her past life, for instance, she protected the living beings of the "Fog Cliff World" for ten years for a promise to her master. When the "Boundless Heart Sea" was invaded, she did not hesitate to take action against two Divine Kings. In this life, she protected Qiu Tu from being weak to becoming strong...

In her mind, that’s just how the world is. She’s used to giving silently and not asking for anything in return.

Or perhaps... the only reward was the slight joy it brought to her otherwise monotonous path to the top.

Just like tonight, even though she should have continued her arduous cultivation, she joined a four-person mahjong game at Qing Lan’s invitation.

It’s not that she thinks playing mahjong is useful, but because Qing Lan is someone she recognizes, and playing mahjong adds a bit of color to her life.

Yet, everything changed when she faced Qiu Tu...

The young man she "nurtured" and "protected" not only gradually closed the gap between them but also... wanted to take care of her in return?

This is not like during the "Heavenly God Trial," when Zhao Ji "hired" Qiu Tu to help her strategize—though Qiu Tu still influenced the situation, Zhao Ji remained in a dominant position.

But this time, the situation was different. From tricking little Yuan Yao, to inciting clashes between the two camps, to dealing with the white-clad one and the Chaos Witch, Qiu Tu handled everything on his own.

Moreover, the people he connected with were all beyond Zhao Ji’s current capacity.

In other words, if anything unexpected really happened, Zhao Ji couldn’t even help Qiu Tu now.

Yet, in such circumstances, Qiu Tu still didn’t forget her and was fighting for her interests.

Putting it coldly... Zhao Ji was no longer as valuable to Qiu Tu as before, yet Qiu Tu hasn’t... turned ungrateful? He even treats her the same as before?

This is what touched Zhao Ji’s heart.

Perhaps because of the feeling of being indebted, or the change in emotions, Zhao Ji found it a bit hard to maintain her usual icy demeanor.

She turned her head somewhat unnaturally to look at the distant scenery, remained silent for two seconds, and then quietly uttered two words, "Thank you."

Hearing the words "thank you" from Zhao Ji’s mouth was clearly a rare occurrence, so Qiu Tu was momentarily stunned, then smiled again.

He reached out to gently support the shoulder of Zhao Ji closest to him, saying, "With our relationship, there’s no need to be formal."

Zhao Ji: .....

Qiu Tu’s body language was very subtle. He didn’t embrace Zhao Ji nor touch any other part of her; he just gave a slight support to her shoulder.

This made his actions lie somewhere between ambiguous and intimate.

So, even though Zhao Ji felt Qiu Tu’s action was a bit inappropriate, she hesitated and wavered a bit.

And it was precisely because of this few seconds of hesitation that she missed the best moment to move away from Qiu Tu, and so... she tacitly allowed it.

Seeing that Zhao Ji accepted his physical contact, Qiu Tu’s lips curled ever so slightly into a small smile.

However, he didn’t become complacent, nor did he take any further action, instead, he brought up a serious topic again.

His expression turned serious as he started talking about the issue he was most intrigued by.

"Sister Zhao Ji. What exactly is your relationship with the Chaos Witch?"

As he spoke, Qiu Tu also detailed his analysis of the white-clad one’s identity, his purpose, and the oddness of the maid Li to Zhao Ji.

He hadn’t shared these speculations with Zhao Ji before because he hadn’t confirmed them himself. With Zhao Ji’s personality, she likely wouldn’t bother with conjectures.

But now that Qiu Tu had confirmed his suspicions and ensured there was a hidden conspiracy, he could discuss it with Zhao Ji properly.

Indeed, upon hearing Qiu Tu lay out the whole matter, Zhao Ji’s expression became much more serious.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and her icy face looked a bit solemn.

She didn’t immediately answer Qiu Tu’s question, but instead gazed into the distance silently pondering for a while.

Qiu Tu didn’t interrupt her and stood by patiently waiting.

After two or three minutes, Zhao Ji slowly returned to reality.

She looked at Qiu Tu and then said, "The details you mentioned are indeed ones I hadn’t noticed before."

"I also didn’t expect that after so many years, she... would still remember me. And even sent a Fifth-level God King to my side."

Saying this, Zhao Ji paused and then spoke slowly, "Actually... the way I met her... was quite peculiar."

"At that time, I had just entered the ’Heavenly God Battlefield’ and was wandering around."

"Then, along the way, I encountered someone pursuing her."

Qiu Tu was dumbfounded for a moment, "Pursuing the Chaos Witch?"

Zhao Ji nodded slightly, her deep and cold eyes devoid of much emotion, "Yes... and it was just two ordinary Heavenly Gods."

Qiu Tu blinked, and a look of realization appeared on his face, "Did she suppress her own power, or use a clone?"