Foolish Game of the Chapter 1258: The Morning Joy That Doesn't Exist in His

Zhen Xin recognized him as well.

Facing this Master of Trickery who had crossed the barriers of spaceti to reach this world—back before she had even learned the na of Origin—she was equally filled with curiosity.

She couldn't understand why a wise man like Jie Shu would choose Su Yida. Setting aside comparisons with her own sister, even among the ranks of ordinary deceivers, this Master of Trickery was utterly unremarkable, possessing no notable strengths. The only thing that had ever caught her attention was the fact that he had infiltrated Cheng Shi's mories and gotten himself entangled with Cheng Shi...

But too many deceivers had gotten entangled with Cheng Shi. Wouldn't literally anyone have been a better strategic ally than a diocrity like Su Yida?

Was there really no one else to choose?

While Zhen Xin pondered, the Su Yida in the mory field had already entered the tent. He showed no interest in anything inside—the mont he walked in, he hid behind the door, holding his breath like a predator waiting for its prey.

Clearly, he had deciphered the Fun God's trial hint and believed he'd found the thod to clear the trial.

Neither circus should have an ending. Kill the key figures in the circus performances, and the round would be won effortlessly.

Soon, there were sounds outside the door—but Su Yida hadn't expected his visitor to be not the returning Lake, but Ringmaster Fate coming to check on him!

By this point, Ringmaster Fate had long discovered Lake's disappearance and had already contacted Blacks of the Golden House. He was simply clinging to the hope that "maybe Lake has co back," so he stopped by every so often to check.

The undisguisable anxiety on his face made Su Yida realize the situation was far from what he'd imagined. Lake might genuinely be missing—and that ant his plan needed an imdiate adjustnt. For the Sunset, the "reversed ending" should be successfully completing their performance!

And so, his assassination having failed to materialize, Su Yida decisively changed strategies and reappeared before Ringmaster Fate disguised as the missing Lake.

To play the role convincingly, he had conducted extensive research within the circus, gathering every scrap of information about Lake.

As luck would have it, just as he confidently went to et Ringmaster Fate... Cheng Shi and Zhen Xin had already returned from the Mockery and Jeering and were visiting the Sunset Circus with Blacks in tow.

Everything strange about today's events now made sense.

Blacks hadn't lied. Lake had indeed vanished. The only twist was that Cheng Shi, having now "witnessed" it all, realized Lake's disappearance wasn't as straightforward as they'd imagined.

After Ringmaster Fate left, Su Yida had thoroughly searched Lake's tent. Everything inside was intact and in order—no signs of a struggle, no missing money. It didn't look like a robbery or a kidnapping.

The performance props were all present in the prop box. Only a few articles of clothing were gone from the wardrobe. By all appearances, he had left of his own accord.

But based on everything Cheng Shi had seen and heard at the circus today, Lake was universally described as a deeply devoted and professional clown whose commitnt to the Sunset rivaled the ringmaster's own. Even his contributions weren't any less than Ringmaster Fate's. An artist like that, even if he needed to clear his head, would never choose to leave without a word at such a critical ti.

Didn't he know that his very presence was the Sunset's anchor?

Was he not worried about causing panic among the troupe?

Cheng Shi was deeply puzzled. Just as the mory field was about to dissipate, he furrowed his brow and asked:

"Can you trace Lake's mories?"

Zhen Xin gave him a sidelong look and said helplessly:

"Don't treat

like I'm a Dragon King. I have plenty of props, yes, but I'm not a wish-granting machine.

This is all the intel we've got. Judging by what we see now, Su Yida's choice wasn't wrong.

If anything, it's our appearance that interrupted his plan.

But I doubt the Archmage of the Demonic Realm will give up so easily. Since he wanted to ditch his teammates and pursue victory alone, he might look for another opportunity to reappear as Lake.

How about... we let it go and allow him to keep performing?

When the trial's final tally cos, we settle the score—grab him and ask what Jie Shu and his people are actually thinking.

What do you say?"

He did not say yes.

It wasn't that Cheng Shi was dead-set on capturing Su Yida. He was simply thinking that the matter of Lake's departure remained unresolved. Nobody knew why he had actually disappeared. If Lake truly ca back midway and found another version of himself inside the circus, then as a clown who had been "abandoned"—what would he think?

Would he publicly confront Su Yida to reclaim his identity? Or would he be so deeply hurt by the betrayal that he'd leave for good?

These two divergent paths determined how the trial's ending should be "reversed"—and this was precisely what made Deceit trials so thorny. Everything was laced with uncertainty.

Cheng Shi shook his head, thought for a mont, then asked:

"As a monuntal event for Canlival, two top circuses competing on the sa day must be pretty big news historically, right?

The History School has no records of this?"

Zhen Xin's expression turned strange as she shook her head:

"There's sothing I've been aning to tell you, but I haven't because I hadn't seen it with my own eyes and couldn't confirm whether it was true.

In the records the School compiled about Canlival, the Sunset Circus's rise and decline are indeed docunted. But in all those historical fragnts, there is never any ntion of a circus called Morning Joy."

"???"

Cheng Shi froze, his pupils quaking:

"No Morning Joy?

How is that possible? Are you saying this trial's setting is fabricated?"

Zhen Xin's face turned grave, her tone enigmatic:

"Not necessarily.

History isn't necessarily all true either.

The history we see is nothing more than the story the gods want us to know. Every corner of the Land of Hope is inscribed with their will. So which parts are real and which are false—we'll have to see for ourselves.

The reason I agreed to visit the Sunset first was precisely to check whether everything here matched the School's records.

So far, it's remarkably close.

Next, we need to see whether Morning Joy—which the historians found no trace of in the historical fragnts—also matches what's before us.

If He intends to correct this piece of history—to give an ending-less future to the Sunset, whose story had long been concluded, while letting the historically naless Morning Joy replace it...

Then perhaps we need to figure out how to weave a lie grand enough to deceive both established history and the historians obsessed with it."

"..."

'Passing off the fake as real!'

This was a trick Cheng Shi knew all too well. That was exactly how the Ultraman identity had co into being.

'What is the Fun God trying to do now?'

'He wants to tamper with history?'

'But what's the point of altering this particular piece of history?'

'Last ti, the tampering created a Chaos envoy. So this ti... it couldn't be for Yu Xi, could it?'

'If that's the case, then the target is .'

Seeing Cheng Shi's expression shift continuously, Zhen Xin arched an eyebrow: "Any brilliant insights?"

No brilliant insights—just a few steady ones.

Cheng Shi's expression grew solemn as he thought carefully:

"We can't just ignore Su Yida. This isn't about personal grudges. I simply feel that every player who appears in His trials has a purpose behind their presence.

This is definitely not a random gathering. Everyone here probably has a reason for being here.

A Master of Trickery carries too much uncertainty. Even if we don't consider the Archmage a real person, to the NPCs he's essentially an unbreakable 'god.'

We need to get hold of him first—before he gives up entirely and sabotages us instead of helping.

As for the other missing teammate...

Once we've caught the Master of Trickery, we'll head back to the Golden House and look for that one's trail."

Zhen Xin had no objections. After the mory field dissolved, she casually glanced in a certain direction and smiled:

"Since you've made up your mind, let's go. Wouldn't want to keep the Master of Trickery waiting."

Cheng Shi looked in the sa direction and nodded slightly.

Deceivers always understood deceivers best. Before two "master" deceivers, a certain "junior" deceiver had absolutely nowhere to hide.

...