As Lin Yu's words fell, Sleepless Sky Huoxing exclaimed in astonishment, "What did you say? The employer of this commission is Mother?"

She looked at Lin Yu, "Are you joking?"

Lin Yu shook his head, saying nothing.

Someone answered the question for her.

"Ooh hoo hoo... Of course he's not joking, my useless daughter."

The voice sounded beside the two of them. At some unknown time, the Sleepless Night Family Head had already appeared between Sleepless Sky Huoxing and Lin Yu.

With her petite frame and waterfall-like long hair, the Sleepless Night Family Head sat cross-legged on a small mountain of piled-up books, her hands resting gently on the shoulders of the two.

"Ah, Mother, why have you come out personally?"

Sleepless Sky Huoxing immediately cried out, then promptly hugged her mother's arm, "You really startled me!"

The Sleepless Night Family Head looked at Sleepless Sky Huoxing, pursed her lips and spoke, "Let go. I have no intention of holding you accountable... I've always been clear about what kind of temperament you have. Although what you did tonight truly exceeded my expectations, in my view, it wasn't exactly crossing the line."

Hearing the Sleepless Night Family Head say this, Sleepless Sky Huoxing released her hand, instead looking somewhat disappointed.

"Ah, Mother, this doesn't count as 'crossing the line' in your view?"

"You, as a Peerage Noble, have indeed already acted quite rebelliously. But if you want to exceed my expectations, this level is far from enough."

The Sleepless Night Family Head said this, then looked at Lin Yu.

"As for you... You truly did exceed my expectations. I thought even if you weren't Furbollo, you would at least consider Sleepless Sky Huole's courteous treatment."

Lin Yu curled his lip, "Your Excellency, don't make me sound like some cold-blooded creature. I was just forced by circumstances."

"After all... I'm not sure what Your Excellency's attitude towards me really is. If we're talking cold-blooded, Your Excellency is the truly cold-blooded one, like a machine."

"I seriously doubt whether Your Excellency even considered paying the reward after issuing this commission."

The Sleepless Night Family Head chuckled softly, "You already know I issued the commission. Do you really think I'd skimp on your measly little reward?"

"Is that amount of compensation really significant to me, the Head of the Sleepless Night Family?"

Lin Yu said seriously, "What if you just wanted to save that little bit?"

"Are you joking?"

The Sleepless Night Family Head narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

Lin Yu nodded, "Yes, that was a joke just now... But I am genuinely worried about whether you'll pay the reward normally—I'm afraid Your Excellency might want to silence me."

The Sleepless Night Family Head chuckled lightly, "Indeed. Even though Arlan chose not to pursue the matter further, for me, of course it would be most convenient if everyone involved in this matter were dead."

"But don't worry... I won't actually do that—release Huole."

As the Sleepless Night Family Head spoke, Sleepless Sky Huoxing immediately interjected.

"Freud, make her swear to the God of Truth."

The Sleepless Night Family Head looked helplessly at Sleepless Sky Huoxing, "Huoxing, are you my daughter or this guy's daughter?"

Sleepless Sky Huoxing wasn't afraid, just retorted, "Does this shock you, Mother?"

The Sleepless Night Family Head sighed, no longer paying attention to Sleepless Sky Huoxing.

"So, you're not suited to be the heir... With your temperament, you could never care about things like family interests or Sleepless City's stability."

She looked at Lin Yu and asked, "So, do you want me to swear?"

"If possible, then please swear one."

Lin Yu nodded as he spoke.

Hearing this, the Sleepless Night Family Head didn't refuse either, directly raising her finger toward the sky.

"By the name of I, Sleepless Sky Yonglian, I swear to the God of Truth I believe in that from this moment, I will absolutely not harm any person involved in Commission C-77 that I issued, in any form."

"This vow is certified by my heart, made in the name of the God, absolutely not allowing me the slightest violation."

As the Sleepless Night Family Head spoke, several lines of hidden symbols appeared and then vanished behind her head, as if the God of Truth had replied with "Received."

Hearing this, Lin Yu also nodded, gently setting down Sleepless Sky Huole.

"You should have done this earlier, Your Excellency," he put away his bone blade, calmly saying, "Only then can I talk to you with peace of mind!"

"I'm actually quite curious why you chose precisely this critical moment to issue this commission."

Although Lin Yu knew the Sleepless Night Family Head disliked Alt and Arlan—she said so herself—but... from a benefit perspective, the Sleepless Night Family Head absolutely had no need to kill Alt.

The situation the Sleepless Night Family Head analyzed at the time was something Lin Yu also acknowledged—that's why he was willing to help the Sleepless Night Family Head kill over thirty more people.

Because at that time, Lin Yu truly believed the Sleepless Night Family Head was engaging in a benefit exchange with him.

The Sleepless Night Family Head rested her chin on one hand, "You can't guess my motive? Then how did you guess it was me who issued this commission?"

Lin Yu shrugged, "Your actual performance tonight was excessively proactive. Although activating the Alchemy Array was something we discussed beforehand, from the actual performance... you were the one who truly applied the techniques from 'The ABC Murders.'"

Those thirty-plus people might indeed have been people the Sleepless Night Family Head wanted to kill but couldn't easily do herself, so she let them live.

But them being the task the Sleepless Night Family Head gave to Lin Yu was essentially still to conceal... that she was the issuer of Commission C-77.

"When I first killed them, I actually already began to suspect your true purpose," Lin Yu said quietly. "And after I completed all this, you still diligently maintained the Alchemy Array, not even venting Huoxing's Phlogiston Gas, which was enough to show... that you actually hoped Alt Mercury would die too."

"And most importantly, Arlan Mercury arrived too quickly—you didn't try to stop him at all, directly letting the Mercury Family Head who came knocking enter the Sleepless Night Family's hall. This behavior was truly abnormal."

"Doesn't that precisely show I actually hoped Arlan would stop you?" the Sleepless Night Family Head raised an eyebrow. "If I truly wanted you to kill Alt, I should have tried to delay him as much as possible, right?"

"Such talk is based on the premise that you're a fool who couldn't discern my general plan at the time," Lin Yu sighed. "Although Arlan's arrival indeed gave me a headache, but if he had already reached the Sleepless Night Family, from your perspective... rather than forcibly delaying him, it was indeed better to let him in for me to solve permanently."

"But you absolutely had already guessed at that time that my plan was to disrupt the ritual, so... you were definitely doing it intentionally."

"Of course, the above are all my speculations—the truly decisive evidence was still because you let in Arlan Mercury."

"In that instant, I could feel the 'ritual' you bestowed upon me undergo subtle changes," Lin Yu raised his activated right hand. "This was your mistake—because you didn't understand that my soul power suddenly experienced a surge at that time. In your past tests and observations of me, you probably thought I couldn't sense your manipulations at all, so you became unrestrained."

"But... I truly felt that change at the time. The moment Arlan moved against me, you were already prepared at any moment to use the power you left in this right hand to save my life."