Foolish Game of the Chapter 128: Hehe~ How Did You Know It Was Me?

When Cheng Shi uttered the na “Zhen Xin”, the expression on “Older Cheng Shi”‘s face finally changed!

The confusion on his brow flickered briefly, then he let out a helpless chuckle:

“Doubt is a good habit, but too much doubt? That’s no longer caution—that’s paranoia.

So, what now?

Have you already crossed paths with this ‘darling of [Deceit]’?”

“Crossed paths?” Cheng Shi scoffed coldly. “No, no, I’d say… I’m eting her right now!”

To be honest, when Fool’s Lips whispered the na “Zhen Xin,” Cheng Shi startled himself.

But after thinking it through, it made perfect sense.

If anyone could orchestrate such a grand, elaborate sche to fool everyone, it could only be her, the one [Deceit] calls His First Masterpiece.

Cheng Shi had been suspicious of the “Older Cheng Shi” for quite so ti because he never believed that he would just casually return to the past and engage in such lively conversation with his forr self.

Sure, there might be so interaction, but not to this extent.

Reversing his own personality, Cheng Shi realized that a more likely scenario was that his future self would have stumbled upon this place and simply remained hidden in the shadows, silently observing his younger self.

Whether his present self lived or died wouldn’t matter—his future self would only take a brief mont to reminisce, and that would be that.

He certainly wouldn’t engage in extended conversations with his past self.

Because, as the faker had said, Cheng Shi had walked his path alone, always.

Of course, circumstances can change a person’s nature over ti. Cheng Shi couldn’t fully judge what his future self had gone through. And since he hadn’t found any solid evidence to support his suspicions during their dialog, he played along, listening and believing—at least on the surface.

But as the conversation went on, Cheng Shi felt more and more off.

The “Older Cheng Shi” was far too invested in this trial.

Even if it involved [Birth], [Corruption], Zangier, and the Council of Scholars, it didn’t warrant this level of engagent. He should’ve been here for the entertainnt, not to unravel mysteries.

That’s when Cheng Shi’s mindset shifted. He continued to speak cautiously while waiting for the perfect mont to test his theory.

Finally, the opportunity arose!

When he feigned a stumble, seemingly about to fall into the void, he managed to grab the other Cheng Shi’s arm!

In that brief mont, he felt it—a familiar, steady heartbeat that hadn’t wavered from the very beginning.

This reminded him of soone who had once been smitten with him.

Shaman!

Just like Shaman, this person had an unnervingly consistent pulse.

But here’s the thing—Shaman wasn’t a player.

Even if she had so hidden agenda and was carrying out behind-the-scenes manipulations, she shouldn’t know this much about the trial or the players.

Besides, if this truly were a future version of Cheng Shi, with all the experience and skills he would’ve gained, maintaining such a steady heartbeat might not be impossible.

So, this wasn’t solid proof.

Cheng Shi’s suspicion reached a deadlock.

A con artist might deceive for amusent, but an elaborate charade like this couldn’t be just for a laugh.

There had to be sothing more, sothing the faker was hiding too well for Cheng Shi to pinpoint.

So, instead of sitting back and waiting, he took the initiative.

He asked the “Older Cheng Shi” for advice.

The response? Zangier—an offering to [Deceit].

And that’s when a light bulb went off in Cheng Shi’s head, and he considered a new possibility.

A possibility so wild, so unbelievable.

He began asking himself:

What if the teammate who ‘died’ wasn’t actually a follower of [Silence]?

What if the supposed follower of [Silence] wasn’t the one who died after all?

What if the real teammate…

was soone else?

What if… there was still a teammate alive?

And what if that person was also a follower of [Deceit]!?

That would explain the logic behind the suggestion to offer sothing to Him.

With this wild train of thought, Cheng Shi suddenly connected all the threads of the trial.

What if one of his teammates had awakened early, gathered vital information—perhaps from their own tour assistant, or maybe from a fellow traveler?

The fact that everyone had awakened in different locations this ti gave her a significant opportunity to manipulate events.

So, what if she, through so incredible ans, left behind a corpse and quickly escaped the scene?

Or… what if she never even left the scene?

What if she had stolen Shaman’s identity and beca Shaman?

Even when the players regrouped to discuss their next steps, she was right there, in the room next to his own!

Later, when Cheng Shi rebuffed her advances, it gave her the perfect excuse to slip away unnoticed, beginning her carefully orchestrated plan.

When did they et her again?

Ah, yes—the Traveler’s Office.

Everyone else’s tour assistants were left behind at the inn, except her! She went to the office.

And why? To investigate, obviously.

The opening window was too short for her to gather all the details, so she boldly went to the Traveler’s Office and, on her way out, put on a show for Cheng Shi.

Now that he thought about it, she seed awfully certain that he would refuse her again.

She made her presence felt, then left.

When did they et again?

The bar!

Yes, the bar!

She asked him for a child.

Ha, how ridiculous.

Looking back now, it seed like she was deliberately leading him back to her house, although she seed sowhat surprised when he brought it up first.

But this wasn’t about having a child!

Perhaps she thought the team was solving the trial too slowly, so she decided to speed things up.

The Sun-Spot Finches!

The food for the Sun-Spot Finches in the courtyard!

Ha, that wasn’t a childhood nostalgia mont for Shaman.

She was subtly hinting that birds could be attracted with food.

I was so blind to miss it.

And when did they et again?

Ah, right—Qin Chaoge!

The mont that cold and distant Qin Chaoge walked past him, he should have realized sothing was off.

He had indeed seen through the lawful bard, but he hadn’t realized that the bard had already been replaced.

Qin Chaoge had been swapped!

And the one who replaced her… was Shaman!

When Cheng Shi left Shaman’s house, there were only two people left inside—Qin Chaoge and her.

If she was who Cheng Shi thought she was, then of course his powder wouldn’t hold her forever, and Qin Chaoge…

Qin Chaoge likely wasn’t much of a match for her either!

That’s when she must have taken the bard’s place, becoming his teammate, standing right beside him!

No wonder she didn’t co near him again after that.

And she never sang a single song after that!

She had used her attitude in Shaman’s house as a disguise.

That well-tid display of disgust was so perfectly executed; no one could’ve suspected her!

When did they et again after that?

Entering the door, stepping into the void.

That’s now!

This insane, bold follower of [Deceit] was now impersonating his future self!

She must have so kind of tool that could read mories. That whole “life flashing before your eyes” mont when he entered the void wasn’t a death on—it was her manipulation!

She had read his mories!

And Cheng Shi had a pretty good guess about her talent.

At least one SS-rank [Deceit] faith talent, I Am You!

A talent that allowed her to perfectly disguise herself as the target, as long as she could make the target vanish from everyone’s sight.

At least one SS-rank [Deceit] faith talent, Illusory Dreaming of Sothing from Nothing.

A talent even more terrifying than Su Yida’s “Mirages in the Rift Between Reality and Illusion.”

While Su Yida’s mirages could create things that others believed in, this one—just from its na—could literally create sothing from nothing.

The user could weave illusions from their imagination, and as long as the deceived person started to believe, every false item in that illusion would beco real.

All she needed was for the deceived person to accept it, and she could manufacture countless creations and infinite possibilities!

So the mont Cheng Shi stepped into the void, he had already entered a grand and ticulously crafted illusion.

Of course, there was also the Master of Deception, for only when two deception masters t would the truth be revealed.

The more Cheng Shi thought about it, the more stunned he beca.

The more he thought, the more unbelievable it seed.

A player who managed to manipulate everyone right from the start of the trial, ultimately leading them all to the correct answer…

So had she realized that this trial was a no-win scenario the mont she stepped into the void!?

Then, she must have used her mory-reading tool, simulated his future, and then used Illusory Dreaming of Sothing from Nothing to deceive Cheng Shi, crafting an illusion of his “future self” with the power to reveal the void, gradually leading Cheng Shi to witness…

The insane God-Thief experint…

To uncover this absurd truth!!

But…

Is this even possible?

Isn’t this a bit too much?

Could a player really design such an intricate sche on the fly?

This wasn’t just deception—it required an incredible depth of knowledge and historical understanding.

She had to know all about the Tower of Logic, Zangier, the Stellar Dagger, and everything related to them. And within just a few minutes of reading his mories, she had to fully understand him!

It’s easy to understand soone quickly, but to beco them—that’s hard!

This… is this what it ans to be the Chosen One?

So this is what His Chosen One really is!

Compared to her, Su Yida doesn’t even deserve the title of Master of Trickery.

Yes, Master of Trickery.

Because the Illusory Dreaming of Sothing from Nothing is the exclusive blessing of the Master of Trickery.

For a mont, Cheng Shi was speechless.

Watching Cheng Shi sink into his thoughts, overwheld by this revelation, the older Cheng Shi finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

With that crisp laugh, her voice abruptly changed back.

Even her appearance changed back.

Shaman!

A perfectly unhard Shaman now stood in front of Cheng Shi.

Still wearing that light sumr halter dress, still in those sa lace-up sandals, looking as shy and demure as ever, with that innocent, naive expression.

No—she wasn’t entirely unhard. There was still a wound on her right shoulder.

A wound left by Cheng Shi’s own scalpel.

“Oh dear, I’ve been caught!

Hehe~

I’m curious—how did you figure it out?

Don’t tell

it was a guess. I never believe in guesses.

Every lie is revealed because soone found the evidence to shatter it.

So go on, Little Cheng Shi, how did you know it was ?”

How do I know?

Heh, you give

too much credit.

I didn’t know!

The na “Zhen Xin” wasn’t sothing Cheng Shi had deduced—it ca straight from Fool’s Lips.

In a desperate attempt to bluff a Master of Trickery he had never t, Cheng Shi had spent ages silently begging the Fool’s Lips for help, until it finally whispered the true na of the person before him to bolster his confidence.

But the mont he heard that na, he was even more terrified than she was.

As for identifying the older Cheng Shi as a fake? Yes, that was Cheng Shi’s own deduction.

But the reason for his deduction…

Honestly, even Cheng Shi hadn’t realized he still had one final ace up his sleeve.

mory!

He had hidden away a card related to mory!