Zhao Xilai quietly gazed at the necklace.

According to the Council's intelligence, Owl was capable of crafting extraordinary sealed items… then this necklace must have come from his hand. To be able to banish a person's spirit with just a moment's wear was a terrifying demonic method.

Acknowledging all of this, Zhao Qi felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

He smiled and said, "I have no talent, no courage, nothing. I just want to live a little better."

"That's called selfishness," Zhao Xilai said faintly. "Compared to others, you already live very well."

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

From the moment he was born, he was destined to live a life of luxury.

"Then I want to live even more selfishly." Zhao Qi said, sounding casual, holding the necklace, and saying lightly, "Is there a problem with that?"

The old man looked at his son with disappointment.

"The things the Liberty Hall did… I didn't leave any evidence. All of you are in a dream, and the Hall's surveillance is damaged… no one will know I did it."

Saying this, Zhao Qi looked up and glanced around.

This was a specially customized exclusive ward. Given Zhao Xilai's status and position, there would be no surveillance or cameras in the room.

"Do you really think… you can make this airtight?"

The old man spoke slowly.

Zhao Qi was stunned for a moment.

"After everything is over, go to North Continent." Zhao Xilai slowly supported himself and sat up. He picked up the teacup from the bedside table and handed it to his son, indicating that the tea was cold… to help him pour it out.

Zhao Qi, with a murderous look between his brows, stood there blankly.

He subconsciously bent down, took the teacup, and replaced the tea leaves for his father, brewing it with hot water. He was very skilled in this action, having practiced it hundreds of times since he was a child.

When he was even younger, he would always trot over to pour tea and water for his father, but those memories had already faded.

He vaguely remembered that his father at that time was not so stern, not so cold.

"I still have some friends in North Continent… The Lin family has always been true to their word, they won't harm you," Zhao Xilai coughed softly, raising a hand to cover his lips, his voice becoming hoarse and weak, "Even if… they look down on you."

Holding the hot tea and bringing it to his father, Zhao Qi suddenly remembered what the real purpose of his "family visit" was.

He didn't want to pretend anymore.

He didn't want to endure anymore.

He knew that he couldn't hide the Liberty Hall's use of the necklace from his father, nor from that woman… in the end, he was the most superfluous existence in this struggle, a predator at the bottom of the food chain.

He spent an entire night convincing himself to live a little more selfishly.

A little more selfishly!

Coming here… was to lay his cards on the table with his father, and… prove his "ability."

Perhaps the bewitchment of the demon in his heart was at play, as a voice kept repeating in his mind, telling him to vent the pent-up anger to this world, to those around him who looked down on him!

With… this necklace!

"North Continent?"

Zhao Qi tried to make his voice sound cold and put on a disdainful smile: "What a joke, who would go to that kind of place?"

Zhao Xilai took the hot tea, gently sipped it, and looked at his child with pity.

Without saying a word.

Everything was understood without words.

Zhao Qi looked at the face that ignored him, and felt his fingers start to tremble again. He thought it was nervousness before, but now he realized… it was anger.

"Those who are greedy for life and afraid of death, do not enter North Continent."

Zhao Xilai said softly, "The fortress does not welcome cowards, nor does it welcome weaklings… The question now is not whether you are willing to go to North Continent, but whether North Continent is willing to take you in."

"..."

Zhao Qi silently clenched his fingers.

"You seem to want to say something."

The old man looked directly at his son, his tone neither fast nor slow, "If I guessed correctly, you want to angrily refute me, saying that you are not a coward… If you want to prove it… then put this necklace around my neck."

Zhao Qi thought he had misheard, and looked at the old man in disbelief.

"You came to see me today, didn't you have this idea in mind?" Zhao Xilai smiled and reached out, signaling Zhao Qi to stand closer. He gently stroked his neck, saying, "I'm very old, and I don't have the strength to resist. You put the necklace on me, I fall into a deep sleep… and before long, my spirit will be banished. To use your words, this is not called murder."

Zhao Qi looked at his father in a daze, subconsciously standing closer.

With a "smack!"

A loud slap knocked him to the ground.

The necklace was thrown into the air, falling to the ground and making a harsh scattering sound.

Zhao Qi covered his swollen cheek, all his spirit awakened by that fierce slap.

He looked up, fearfully… but he did not see the furious expression on his father's face that he had imagined.

"Do you know?"

"You have nothing left now… except for the last bit of conscience." The old man said softly, "Perhaps it's because of your cowardice, or perhaps it's because I protected you too well."

"From the day Nan Zhi publicly opposed the bill, I've been wondering which of the things I've done and the decisions I've made over the years are right and which are wrong…"

These voices vaguely reached Zhao Qi's ears.

"I've dedicated my whole life to Hua Zhi, to the building built by Lu Cheng… I don't have his talent, and all my life, I can only take Hua Zhi this far." Zhao Xilai murmured, looking at his child, "People's energy is limited. Having exhausted everything in my career, the other aspects… are very unsuccessful."

Zhao Qi silently cradled his face, huddled in the corner.

"The final will, I have already revised it. I will hand over this building to Lu Nanzhi, and Cui Zhongcheng will cash out a portion of the shares to establish a trust fund exclusively for you." The old man said calmly, "If you want to withdraw that inheritance, then honestly go to North Continent. If you are a man, then stay in the North Continent fortress for five years. If you don't desert, then after five years, return to East Continent, then that proves… you are not a coward, not a weakling, and you are worthy of my inheritance."

"There is still one road in front of you—"

"Kill me."

Zhao Xilai looked down at Zhao Qi, and said coldly, "Use this necklace, or anything you can think of… Let me sleep forever in this hospital room. If I die today, then you will have nothing to do with all the inheritance. But I guess you don't need it either, because being able to do such a thing is equivalent to completely abandoning the last bit of conscience. In this world, a person who completely abandons morality will definitely live well."

"Come on."

"Make a choice."

Zhao Qi looked at the necklace that had fallen in front of him. The demon's whisper in his heart sounded again. He mustered up the courage to hold the necklace, but found that he couldn't stand up at all.

All the strength was drained.

The flames that filled his chest, what he thought was anger… was not anger after all.

It was fear, it was dread, it was struggle.

He held his head tightly in both hands, knelt on the ground, and finally cried bitterly.

The necklace was clenched tightly in his hand.

And then… released again.