The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

[As expected of my father-in-law, he's got something special, much more formidable than Liu Xiao.]

"Pah! You old scoundrel, that's my father-in-law!"

This isn't being brave, this is courting death. Making a deal with a demon god—does it ever end well?

[Those who came before, have you forgotten that Coffin Bro himself is one of them?]

[The coffin wasn't closed, so how can it be the same?]

"Knowledge."

Baal's voice rang out softly, interrupting the clamor of the comments.

"And Astaroth, that wicked fellow, possesses many wonderful forbidden knowledge."

The black energy churned within Chen Guan's consciousness, coalescing into a blurry image: the back of a man frantically calculating amidst countless scrolls.

"That old man, he wants to create a god, an artificially created superhuman."

"Isn't that a crazy idea?"

"He lacks the most crucial theory, the method of how to perfectly implant a conceptual power into a mortal body."

"Therefore, he found Astaroth's chosen ones."

"Yes, those who are universally reviled are cannon fodder, while others are like you, hidden in normal society."

As Chen Guan pondered, all the clues were connected at that moment.

"Hehehe..."

Before he could think it through, Baal let out his signature smirk, a laugh brimming with schadenfreude.

"Foolish humans are always so naive."

"Astaroth gave him the knowledge he wanted, but that knowledge itself was a fishhook."

"From the moment he received that knowledge, he became an anchor point for Astaroth to wedge into this world."

"The deeper he studied, the closer his connection with Astaroth became, and his own existence was constantly being eroded and assimilated by Astaroth's authority, just like that Liu Xiao."

"He thought he was creating a god, but in reality, he was just opening the door for another god to descend."

I get it, confirmed he's a tool.

[So the power of the Northern Territory wasn't left behind by Astaroth, but rather emanated from Lu Ming himself? Because he is essentially a clone of Laoya?]

Good grief, this is even worse than becoming a familiar directly.

【Then wouldn't our little Su be...?】

"Therefore, what I sensed in the North was not some residual power at all."

Baal's voice was filled with mockery: "That's Lu Ming's own aura."

Chen Guan finally understood why Su Jin wanted to seal away everything about Lu Ming, even going so far as to announce his death to the public.

Because that person himself is now a mobile source of pollution, a bomb that could explode at any moment.

"Where did he go after that?"

"Who knows?"

Barr's tone was nonchalant, as if he didn't care at all.

He truly did not know, for Astaroth did not know either. He said he could no longer sense the existence of that human, but he could sense his daughter.

For Astaroth, Lu Ming was just a minor incident. It didn't matter that he couldn't sense him, so he never bothered to look for him. If Baal hadn't asked about him, he would have almost forgotten about this audacious human.

"Perhaps he was sealed away by that Speaker, perhaps he hid himself, or perhaps... he has completely become an insignificant little thing among Astaroth's spoils of war."

None of this matters.

Baal's surging black energy suddenly approached the core of Chen Guan's consciousness.

"Kid, do you even know what's truly important?"

Chen Guan did not answer.

"The important thing is that this family drama has suddenly become interesting."

The voice was extremely low and seductive, a trick often used by demons.

"Guess what your friend, little Su Yuehe, has been up to?"

"I won't guess."

Chen Guan answered subconsciously, saying that not playing the guessing game had become his instinct.

Baal: "..."

After a while, He chose to ignore the cold face and continue sharing.

"That girl just had a fight with her mother."

"She's going to find her father."

After Bal finished speaking, he shut his mouth and said no more. Chen Guan was not surprised by Su Yuehe's decision. Given her personality, it would be strange if she didn't go to her father to ask him for clarification.

There's no need to worry about this. Even if there's been a recent upgrade, Su Yuehe can't just teleport to find her father. And that Ms. Su Jin isn't someone to be trifled with either.

As an outsider, he shouldn't get involved in such family disputes... right?

Besides, the matter in the North is not yet resolved, so how could Su Yuehe possibly take a trip on a whim?

He moved his left arm slightly, and a sharp, tingling pain immediately shot through his bones, making him gasp and directly contribute to global warming.

As expected, Dr. Zhou's medicine could only temporarily suppress the problem and did not cure it.

That lingering influence from Astaroth still clung to his arm like a venomous snake, and as Baal had said, it was difficult to eradicate.

Just as he was pondering what to do next, a small group of figures loomed over the entrance of the tent.

At the same time, the footsteps stopped outside the door.

Was it medical staff coming to check on him, or did Long Ao follow along out of concern?

Before he could sit up, the tent flap was gently lifted from the outside.

A face with a perfectly timed smile peeked in, its black hair motionless in the northern wind—it was Liu Feiyu.

Chen Guan's movements faltered.

How did he end up here?

Liu Feiyu's gentle voice came from inside, and she walked in on her own.

"Chen Guan, I heard you were injured, so I came to visit you."

As he spoke, he casually pulled over a folding stool and sat directly on the edge of Chen Guan's bed.

His expensive, custom-made combat suit seemed out of place in the simple medical tent, but he appeared quite comfortable.

Chen Guan's gaze swept across Liu Feiyu's face. He propped himself up on the bed with one hand and sat up.

"Thank you for your concern, it's nothing serious," Chen Guan said, knowing that Liu Feiyu couldn't possibly have come out of concern for him.

"This is no small matter."

Liu Feiyu's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze subtly swept over every corner of the tent, as if afraid that someone might be hiding in a corner eavesdropping on their conversation.