Li Wufang's outstretched hand actually made even Cheng Shi freeze for a mont.
He knew the Investigator who would stake his life on his faith was brave — but he hadn't expected him to be this brave.
'I've got my Benefactor backing
up, plus a whole faction of fear-aligned gods as insurance, so naturally I'm fearless. But you? What do you have?'
The instant Li Wufang extended his hand, he too realized he had made an enormous blunder. His expression stiffened, his entire body seized up, and he shot Cheng Shi a look that scread for rescue.
Seeing this, Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, trying not to burst out laughing.
'So the one backing you up is ? Well, alright then.'
A top-tier Clown would never let the show go cold. Cheng Shi switched gears in an instant, turned to the codex with perfect solemnity, and declared:
"You see? This is the current state of universal order. When even a devout [Order] follower is forced by external pressure to brazenly petition You for a bestownt, it proves that saving universal order has reached a point where not a single mont can be wasted.
Ti may an nothing to a deity, but to Your follower, every single second is irreplaceable.
You cannot asure a mortal's devotion across the vast span of a True God's perspective. Every second You waste here will double the suffering Your follower must endure on the road ahead.
Of course, in order to spread [Order]'s will, they would gladly embrace that suffering. But the steps of faith are finite, and You are not the only deity in this universe.
The slower they walk, the faster followers of other faiths advance. And when every footstep asuring devotion belongs to another faith, the god closest to Him will most certainly not be You.
Hesitate no longer, great [Order]! We are not racing against ti for ourselves — we are racing for You!"
By the ti he finished, even Kataro could barely stand to listen anymore. When it ca to sheer audacity, there was no one in the entire universe who could match up — except the Benefactor — other than Lord Cheng Shi.
'No wonder he beca [Void]'s darling.'
Li Wufang was dazed too. He hadn't realized he was this important. The way the Fate Weaver put it, his outstretched hand suddenly felt justified.
The codex still said nothing. It resud turning its pages, the rustling sound echoing through the temple. After finding so clause within, It finally spoke after a long silence:
"Bestowing Authority upon a mber of the Judgnt Seat is indeed within the rules. But..."
"!!!"
Cheng Shi's spirit soared. He never expected that his audacious demand would actually yield a genuine concession. After all, last ti his silver tongue had only earned him a title. It seed that bringing an [Order] follower along as a cheering section really worked.
In that instant, the Investigator beca a perfect ten on the useful-pawn scale in his eyes.
Cheng Shi pressed eagerly:
"But what? Whatever Your conditions, na them. As long as it's within my power, I'll deliver.
No need to ntion spreading [Order]'s will — I've been steadfastly walking that path for a long ti now. Committed and unwavering."
"..." The codex paused again, then sneered: "Lies. Never to be trusted.
The last ti I believed you was because, as you yourself put it, I had no better choice.
But this ti is different."
The codex's voice halted as It "looked" at Li Wufang and his outstretched hand.
"I should thank you for bringing
a devout follower.
I will bestow my Authority upon my own follower, so that he may carry my will into the world and act as [Order]'s Proxy.
Since you are so eager to restore universal order, surely you have no objection?"
"???"
Cheng Shi's expression changed dramatically. His eyes went wide, his gaze leaping between Li Wufang and the codex, as if he hadn't expected to shoot himself in the foot — his own clever sche costing him the chance to get closer to the Authority.
The codex took note of this reaction and let out another cold snort.
It seed to see right through everything.
Little did It know that at the very mont even Kataro was feeling sorry for Lord Cheng Shi, Cheng Shi's heart was blooming with joy.
'You think you can outplay , old man?'
'Then you've severely underestimated .'
On the surface, Cheng Shi's face was ashen. Inside, he was clicking his tongue with satisfaction.
The Investigator had long since been bound to the Destined Ones' pirate ship. So this trip was never about securing the Authority for himself — from the very start, his plan was to have Li Wufang inherit [Order]'s Authority!
After all, no matter how much Authority Cheng Shi personally amassed, he could never beco the true [Order]. At most, he would end up like [Decay] — acting as a Proxy for a single aspect of [Order]'s Authority.
Given Cheng Shi's current position, he no longer needed to grow stronger against players, and proxying one more Authority would be equally useless against gods. Having or not having the Authority ant nothing to him.
But once that Authority fell into Li Wufang's hands, everything changed!
The Iron Law of [Order] was the sole dissenting vote at the Assembly of Gods Convention. And given what [Void] was up to — whether it was [Deceit] or [Fate] — neither could possibly earn the Iron Law's approval.
To secure that vote, or rather to kick It off the gods' table entirely, the only approach was to expose Its false identity and restore the "true" [Order].
Cheng Shi could never beco the "true [Order]," but Li Wufang was different. He was a genuine [Order] follower. Once he beca a Proxy wielding [Order]'s Authority, and once they found [Order]'s Container, Cheng Shi would have the chance to maneuver alliances and enemies alike — recreating the mont when an Envoy cleverly seized a True God's Divine Throne, expelling the false [Order] from its seat!
And unlike before, Li Wufang was on their side — a fact already verified in other Slice Universes. With Cheng Shi's eye for people, he also trusted that Li Wufang would never betray him. If the plan to topple the Iron Law succeeded, that vote would no longer rest in the hands of the Fear Faction — it would rest in Cheng Shi's own.
This was of monuntal importance to Cheng Shi's grand design. That was exactly why he had brought the Investigator along today for this performance of "please, take my seat."
What he hadn't anticipated was Li Wufang's impulsive hand-reaching perfectly complenting his sche, nor that [Order] would relent this quickly.
Seeing everything unfold exactly as planned, Cheng Shi hid both his contributions and his glory.
The Investigator, on the other hand, stood rooted in place, still unable to accept that he was about to beco the Proxy of his Benefactor's Authority.
'Am I... worthy?'
'When I originally chose [Order] at the start of my Path of Fate, wasn't it because there was no [Fate] to choose?'
'And now I'm being asked to uphold [Order]'s final will...'
Li Wufang looked at Cheng Shi, deeply wanting to tell his Benefactor: 'I think the Fate Weaver would be more effective as Your Proxy.'
But Cheng Shi read his expression and imdiately, without a trace, passed him certain information.
Li Wufang understood. His heart jolted as he finally realized that the Fate Weaver's entire plan had never been for himself — it had always been for him!
This unfathomable Destined One had just casually handed over a True God's Authority!
In that mont, he recalled what Cheng Shi had said during the Destined Ones' eting:
"That is what it truly ans to be destined. Destined by fate... for you and I to beco gods!"
At the ti, he had dismissed it as another one of the Fate Weaver's ploys to hoodwink them. But now...
The Authority had already arrived. Could godhood be far behind?
...
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