Let them offer their loyalty!

With this in mind, Qiu Tu did not make any rash judgments.

He acted as though he were merely gathering intelligence and casually asked, "So, when you found out where I was and how I was faring back then, what did you do?"

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's inquiry, the Bishop responded sternly, "When that Lord received the Messenger's notification, he made contact with you and determined that you were no ordinary person."

"But, fortunately, he still managed to extract your information from Qiu Tu. He mentioned that while you haven't fallen, your condition was far from ideal."

"Furthermore, you were not taken away by Zhao Ji, but were instead secretly imprisoned by Qiu Tu in the State Security Bureau's prison, guarded heavily by soldiers."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu's gaze grew increasingly dark...

However, he did not let this show. Instead, mimicking Muye's demeanor, he snorted coldly and remarked, "Well, his intelligence turned out to be remarkably unreliable!"

"I was kept under close confinement by Qiu Tu these past few days."

"It wasn't until yesterday that Qiu Tu secretly transferred me to the Security Bureau."

"But there's no way a few Third Order Cataclysmics could hold me."

"So, I took advantage of the opportunity to regain my strength and devised a way to blow open their detention facilities and escape during the chaos."

"If Qiu Tu had transferred me to the prison from the start, I would've fled long ago."

"Even though my current strength is greatly diminished, I was once a Peak Fifth Rank Great Evil God. Besides Qiu Tu, who's also an expert at the Fifth Rank, the others couldn't possibly restrain me."

Qiu Tu used a rebuttal to offer a simple explanation for Muye's escape.

As expected, what was visibly apparent was that Muye's confidants trusted him even more deeply.

If, at first, when they met Qiu Tu, they doubted whether Qiu Tu was actually Muye;

Later, after verifying his aura and using restrictive techniques, they believed Qiu Tu was Muye, but… still worried about the possibility that Muye had defected;

Now, after hearing about Qiu Tu's "escape story," their hearts harbored virtually no suspicions.

However, while their hearts were free of doubt, Qiu Tu's mind was filled with growing uncertainty.

He continued probing, "And what happened after that?"

The Bishop, following Qiu Tu's prompting, continued, "Afterward, that Lord suggested that we refrain from acting rashly or alerting the enemy."

"He advised us to employ the strategy of 'Surround Wei to rescue Zhao' and prioritize finding that natural treasure you spoke of."

"Perhaps locating that treasure would draw Qiu Tu's attention, thereby reducing the difficulty in rescuing you."

Hearing this, Qiu Tu nodded slightly.

In fact, the Bishop had embellished that portion of their exchange, but seeing that Qiu Tu did not detect it, he silently exhaled in relief.

He then continued, "After that, it turned into a game of wits between us and Qiu Tu."

"We dispatched a number of believers to various cities in Dongye State searching for the natural treasure."

"But due to Qiu Tu's traps, our efforts ultimately failed."

"After learning that our mission had ended in failure, that Lord finally advised we report the matter to Lord Yecha."

"Let Lord Yecha decide on the next course of action."

"Finally... that brings us to yesterday. That Lord sent word that the Dongye State Security Bureau had been attacked and that you successfully escaped."

"However, because of uncertainty over whether Qiu Tu was planting a false trail, fishing for us to take the bait, he instructed us to remain patient and await your contact."

After recounting all the actions taken during this time period, the Bishop noticed Qiu Tu, seated at the main chair, had plunged into deep thought. He gradually fell silent, granting Qiu Tu space to think.

He understood the gravity of his Deity. Even without considering his immense power, simply looking at his intellect was enough to carve out an empire in the Disaster Zone.

Thus, when "Muye" deliberated, these believers already knew to refrain from disturbing him...

At this moment, disguised as "Muye," Qiu Tu was indeed deep in thought, his mind racing at full speed.

If, at the beginning, Qiu Tu merely had a sudden flash of inspiration regarding the identity of the traitor but wasn't entirely certain;

After hearing the Bishop meticulously recount all recent events, his suspicion solidified into near certainty...

He realized that he had previously fallen into a "blind spot."

He knew that among the people who had come to Dongye State this time, there must be a member of the Fog Hidden Association.

He knew that this member was undoubtedly someone high-ranking.

And he knew that this person had been orchestrating everything since Muye's capture, even engaging in a prolonged battle of wits with him.

Had this person not been caught in the trap he'd laid, they might have truly discovered the "Earth Vein Flower."

Yet... Qiu Tu's suspicious gaze had long focused on Princess Xi and Kou Yu, speculating which of them might be the "Mask," the member of the Fog Hidden Association.

But he had neglected one possibility... the visitors to Dongye State weren't necessarily the envoy group—they might also be the reception team!

The reception team dispatched by the Sanctuary could also be considered "arriving" in Dongye State.

While Princess Xi and Kou Yu may be "envoys," they were simultaneously high-ranking officials from other Sanctuaries. When the Eighth Sanctuary hosted them, it was undoubtedly monitoring them and their retinue.

How could they easily have had the time to investigate "Earth Vein Flower" and "Muye"?

In contrast... Old Pang's freedom was far greater.

As one of the six chief leaders of the Sanctuary, head of the Academic Faction, no one would monitor or suspect him.

No matter what he did, no one would take notice.

And more importantly... Qiu Tu had been so deliberate in questioning whether "that Lord" had obtained information about "Muye."