"What are you doing here?"
Cheng Shi couldn't imdiately tell whether the Doctor before him was the real one or the faith-tad Wang Weijin. But judging by his deanor, he seed genuine.
Still, the timing was suspiciously convenient. They'd just dealt with his second personality, and now the real man shows up at the very spot where he was about to retrieve That Dream My Nightmare.
Had he received so tip-off? Or was this just coincidence?
Even if it was coincidence — what was he doing at the Joker Gathering Place at this hour?
Cheng Shi kept his doubts to himself. Rather than imdiately confirming the Doctor's identity, he let his eyes dart around and tossed out a bluff:
"Did Zhen Xin call you, or Long Jing?"
The Doctor blinked — clearly not expecting those three had arranged a eting. He shook his head:
"Nobody called . I simply felt it was a sha not to attend the Joker Society in person, so I ca to look around — to feel the convergence of Joker wisdom.
Even though I retrieved the mories from my slice, the '' at the ti wasn't truly ...
Praise Yu Xi."
"?"
'Converging wisdom? More like converging scheming!'
Cheng Shi never in a million years expected that answer. He studied the Doctor with an odd expression and said:
"Playing the emotional card right off the bat — are you trying to con
again, you fraud? Really, nobody called you?"
"Truly, nobody. And I wouldn't deceive a friend who saved
from ruin at a ti like this.
Cheng Shi — thank you.
I admit I underestimated Wang Weijin. No — it's more accurate to say that 0221's overwhelming power made
overlook the host body.
I know you stepped in. The mont Wang Weijin targeted Zangier, he was dood to lose to the Jokers.
And you, as the Jokers' convener, would never have allowed his sche to succeed.
Praise Yu Xi.
I just didn't anticipate your thod of disposal would be so... distinctive.
A new faith has been anchored in my consciousness. As one of the slice collective, I can't shake off this influence. When the fanaticism has no outlet, the accumulating obsession makes
blind and inefficient.
So, after freeing myself from Wang Weijin's confinent, I imdiately devised a thod to balance emotion, efficiency, and religious fervor — naly, ending each sentence with a sincere praise to Yu Xi.
Direct expressions of devotion help
suppress the fanaticism in my consciousness, minimizing its impact.
Praise Yu Xi."
"..."
By this point, Cheng Shi had confird this was the genuine Doctor. Nobody else could deliver such bizarre content with a perfectly straight face.
It was truly bizarre.
"Every single sentence?" Cheng Shi's smile was sowhat rigid.
"Ideally, yes. For longer statents, additional praises should be interspersed.
I think the balance between forced-faith side effects and fanaticism venting thods is an excellent research topic in itself. However, since the second-personality research is still incomplete, this will have to wait.
Praise Yu Xi."
"..."
'You know what, Doctor — how about we shelve the second-personality research entirely? You barely started and it nearly dealt the Jokers a killing blow. Thank goodness Wang Weijin was single-mindedly focused on Zangier and held back from leaking what was discussed at the Joker Society.'
'But if you cook up another new personality — who knows whether it'll be friend or foe?'
The Doctor read Cheng Shi's concern and explained gravely:
"Wang Weijin had ulterior motives, but his core idea was sound. A single consciousness can only carry so much capability. Under Fixed Destiny rules, multiple personalities genuinely enhance individual power laterally.
However, after absorbing Zangier's knowledge, I believe the experint's goal needn't be confined to 'human' personalities. If a [Truth] experint could fuse a pseudo-divine entity like Zangier's god-status with my own personality, could that fundantally transcend the bounds of mortal life?
I'd like to try. If it works, it would certainly benefit the Jokers' future.
Praise Yu Xi."
Cheng Shi felt numb. For a mont, he almost told the Doctor: even [Truth] itself believes there's no more truth in this world. Why are you still so obsessed with these not-quite-truths?
Divinity couldn't be stitched together — only dripped. Divine Thrones couldn't be reforged — only legitimized. This world was an elaborately preset "program." Nobody could break its rules to create new gods — not even [Truth]!
Then again, if the world really was a program, it didn't seem to run perfectly. At least there were so bugs.
Like the new authority of Fear that had germinated in the Divinity Germination Experint. Or Aph Ros's modified Yu Xi experint that enabled [Birth] and [Corruption] to rge. These results all pointed to one thing: faith was the sole clue to decoding the status quo of divine authority.
So if the Doctor had this much energy, why not channel it into researching the root of faith?
Cheng Shi shared his thoughts with the Doctor in a asured, thodical manner. Wang Mou paused, then mused:
"Your understanding of [Truth] seems to have undergone a qualitative leap. Cheng Shi, did recent experiences give you so sort of epiphany?
This is indeed a worthy topic. If the Jokers need
to pursue this research, I believe I'm up to the task.
Hmm — I'll start with studying Yu Xi's faith. Leveraging my own condition for efficiency.
Although, if you could introduce
to Lord Yu Xi personally, I imagine efficiency would improve even further.
Praise Yu Xi."
"..."
'You're literally looking at him right now. Feeling any more efficient?'
Cheng Shi's expression was indescribable. He remained noncommittal, rely saying Yu Xi's movents were unpredictable and that even he rarely got an audience. In short: stalling with one word — delay.
The Doctor understood that gods weren't easily t. He said nothing more, thought for a mont, then asked: "You three arranged to... Praise Yu Xi."
'Arranged to praise Yu Xi?'
'That'd make us way too devout...'
Even knowing what the Doctor ant, Cheng Shi desperately wanted to clarify that this had absolutely nothing to do with Yu Xi!
"Oh — we're planning to sneak into [mory]'s Collection Hall for a look. They haven't arrived yet, probably held up. We'll do it another day.
If there's nothing else, I'll head out?"
He said he was leaving, but his feet didn't budge.
The Doctor naturally caught the dismissal. Having no standing to challenge Cheng Shi's lie, he tactfully took his leave.
Watching the Doctor's retreating figure, Cheng Shi muttered with an inscrutable expression:
"Con artists really don't have a single honest word between them.
He wasn't here to 'feel the Joker Society's atmosphere' at all. He was trying to get closer to the Fun God's will.
Looks like the Doctor truly treats [Deceit] as [Truth]. Otherwise he wouldn't have co back.
Tch. How to put it — a happy accident.
After all, who could've imagined that one day, the world's [Truth] really would be [Deceit]?
[Fate]... sure has a way about it."
Cheng Shi chuckled softly. After confirming no one else was around, he turned and dug up the [mory] tombstone.
And buried beneath it was indeed a mirror. Judging by the fra's patterns — it was That Dream My Nightmare!
Cheng Shi was overjoyed — yet dug with utmost care. He was terrified the fake Dragon King had booby-trapped it, leaving the mirror face-up so he'd accidentally look into it and get caught. So he excavated from the side the entire ti.
Only after unearthing the entire mirror did he prop it up by the back, rap on it with a peculiar expression, and mutter:
"Hey — Dragon King, you in there?
Grandpa's here to save you. Say sothing."
As expected — no response.
Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, rolled his eyes, and sent his shadow scurrying to the mirror's other side. It squeaked out a single syllable:
"Squeak."
And then, with deep satisfaction, he declared:
"Well, since you answered — grandpa has to rescue his grandson no matter how tired he is, right?"
...
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