Foolish Game of the Chapter 1133: Otherwise, What Kind of Fire Are They Passing?

"Brother-in-law, why aren't you talking?"

"Have you converted to my master's faith?"

"But you said yourself that my master is actually a chatterbox—He doesn't actually forbid speech! So if you're trying to embody His will through silence, you've already gone astray!"

At the word "astray," Cheng Shi's footsteps halted.

The Prisoner caught the sudden change instantly. His face lit up, and he said at once:

"You've really gone astray before?"

"No wonder you look a bit rough around the edges. Have you been under too much pressure lately?"

"Don't push yourself too hard—seize the day and enjoy life! That's the true aning of existence."

"..."

"You disagree?"

"Then I'll have to explain this to you properly."

"See, the world's basically ending. If we keep wearing ourselves out over—"

"Oh wait, don't tell

you're actually honoring that promise we made at the 0221 Experint Site—that you wouldn't speak to

if we ever crossed paths again?"

"That's totally unnecessary, brother-in-law!"

"You're the only one in this world who truly gets . If you go silent, wouldn't I lose my one kindred spirit?"

"Then again, I didn't expect you to be such a man of your word. Hmm, the brother-in-law I picked really is dependable!"

"..."

Cheng Shi fought down the urge to throw a punch, took a deep breath, and said: "Are you done?"

"Hm?" The Prisoner rubbed his bald head, shaking it like a rattle drum. "Nope."

Cheng Shi's eyelid twitched violently: "Then can you at least co down to talk?"

The Prisoner blinked, agonized for a mont, then reluctantly hopped down from Cheng Shi's shoulders.

"The view up there was actually pretty great. Nice breeze, too."

"..."

Cheng Shi felt he was losing his mind. But then he recalled the image of his good brother Hu Wei with The Prisoner sitting in his lap, and suddenly this didn't seem so unbearable.

He snapped irritably: "Who taught you to have a conversation from soone's shoulders? You're an Ascetic Monk, not an Acrobat!"

The Prisoner grinned sheepishly:

"I could be an Acrobat too— hey, hey, hey, no hitting! Okay, okay, I'll explain. The truth."

"I noticed you seed stressed, so I figured I'd balance you out physically."

"How about it—feel better now?"

"..."

'Thanks. I'm already dead.'

Cheng Shi's eyelid hamred away as his temples throbbed.

He wanted nothing to do with The Prisoner, yet he knew there was no shaking the man. So he resigned himself—consider it a free bodyguard—and strode toward the next district.

The Prisoner latched on tight, mouth never stopping. The density of his chatter only reinforced Cheng Shi's conviction: devotion taken to the extre becos blasphemy.

'The problem is, if you'd at least say sothing I didn't already know—even pointless gossip—I could treat it as fresh intel.'

'But all you've been doing is babbling nonsense...'

'Dude, that mouth growing on your face is truly cursed with blessings.'

Cheng Shi was at his wit's end. He finally understood how Brother Mouth felt whenever he pestered it with questions.

If not for The Prisoner's additional identity as a Torchbearer, today's Hero of Today would definitely be squaring up against the Ascetic Monk.

"Is this how Qin Xin taught you to pass the torch?"

When he couldn't take it anymore, Cheng Shi finally squeezed in a retort.

To his surprise, it worked wonders. The mont The Prisoner heard the words "pass the torch," the incessant chatterbox went completely quiet—actually acting like a Silence follower for once.

The sudden change was so jarring that Cheng Shi actually felt uncomfortable.

The Prisoner's expression turned opaque, unreadable. After a long silence, he asked just one thing: "Why don't you join the Torchbearers?"

"?"

Cheng Shi scoffed: "Why did you join?"

The Prisoner pondered with genuine seriousness, then said: "I'm afraid of death."

Cheng Shi froze. A complicated expression crossed his face, and his voice took on a wistful note:

" too."

For one fleeting mont, the two seed to achieve a wordless, tacit harmony. By all past precedent, this was the point where they should lapse into silence, each drifting into their own thoughts.

But one of the people present was The Prisoner. So the instant Cheng Shi's words faded, The Prisoner bead:

"I knew it—brother-in-law gets

best!"

"Taking this sister was absolutely worth it!"

"..."

WHAM—

Cheng Shi had reached his absolute limit. One punch sent The Prisoner flying.

But The Prisoner wasn't the least bit rattled. He shalessly dashed right back, falling into step behind Cheng Shi, and resud his comntary:

"I know all about you and what you've done."

"You've clearly helped the Torchbearers before. Why won't you join our warm little family like I did?"

Cheng Shi scoffed again: "What's warm about the Torchbearers? Because you have a Fla of Hope that could snuff out at any mont?"

Hearing this, The Prisoner actually froze.

"What's the Fla of Hope?"

"!!??"

'Seriously?'

'Bro, are you ssing with

right now?'

'You're a Torchbearer and you don't know about the Fla of Hope that protects you?'

At this mont, The Prisoner's eyes were so clear you could raise two "Folly" fish in them. He seed to grasp Cheng Shi's shock, nodding and then shaking his head:

"Qin Xin recruited , but he said I'm an independent branch. I only communicate with the Blind One—he hasn't taken

to headquarters yet."

"So the Torchbearers are really hiding a fla called the Fla of Hope?"

"That is so cliched."

"..."

'What else?'

'What did you think they were passing?'

'A dud?'

Cheng Shi had co to a realization: it was nearly impossible to stay on the sa wavelength as The Prisoner. Because the mont you synced with him, you beca unlucky too. So this particular frequency was better left untuned!

He broke away from The Prisoner again and pressed forward. The Prisoner stuck close as ever, an unbroken stream of speculation pouring from his mouth—but Cheng Shi offered no further responses.

The pair continued their chase-and-follow routine as they left the district. But as they walked, both stopped simultaneously, brows furrowed, eyes scanning their surroundings.

Cheng Shi's gaze sharpened. "Don't tell

you silenced the residents around us. They seem to have stopped talking for a while now."

The Prisoner raised an eyebrow and shook his head: "Not . It's a Historian! Zhao Xishi is here."

'A Historian?'

'A mory follower?'

"That female player?" Cheng Shi blinked. "You have a grudge with her? I saw she knows Mo Shu—did your fight earlier get serious?"

The Prisoner stretched his arms and legs, grinning:

"There's a bit of history, but it's not from the fight just now."

"Actually, brother-in-law, you've got a bit of a history with her too."

"Her ID is 'Last Year Today.' She had a falling-out with my sister over so History School mbership issue, so I think she's more likely coming after you than ."

"But don't worry, brother-in-law—I'll always have your back."

"Because I am a Torchbearer who protects all brothers-in-law!"

"..."

In that mont, Cheng Shi wished he'd never learned about the Torchbearers—and wished even harder that The Prisoner was on the attacker's side.

'How can one person be this unlucky?'

He didn't know much, but he knew one thing for certain: from this point on, the Torchbearers were well and truly dood.