This had indeed been Cheng Shi's thinking.
The Fla of Hope was the only deity who, while Deceit still sheltered Cheng Shi, had warned him to beware the Fear Faction—beware Deceit. This abandoned Change of Fate had also beco the sole god Cheng Shi could trust among all the gods.
Even though His appearance was inextricably linked to Deceit, Cheng Shi had no better option.
Of course, Cheng Shi hadn't yet known the "Outer God Deceit" was actually the Outer God Fate. Had he foreseen that, he'd sooner die than turn to the Fla of Hope.
But fate always toyed with people in ways unseen.
In Cheng Shi's view, compared to the unreliable Prisoner, both Qin Xin and An Mingyu were far better interdiaries for relaying a ssage to the Fla of Hope. But he couldn't disregard others for the sake of his own survival.
Zhen Xin had taken Mada Freud away. That certainly wasn't to help the Outer God sche against him—it was the magician seeking answers in her own way, trying to save the world, or at least to save one particular person. Because Cheng Shi knew the magician had soone she cared about.
And that person was An Mingyu.
So no matter what, Cheng Shi couldn't drag an unknowing An Mingyu into the Outer God's showdown and Void's curtain call.
Even if the outco concerned everyone in the world, when alternatives existed, he couldn't actively "harm" the things the Joker mbers were trying so desperately to protect.
Besides, if the magician ca back from her mission only to find her ho destroyed—a shattered Zhen Xin might still try one last effort for the sake of the Joker's bonds. But the mont Zhen Xin went offline and Zhen Yi took over...
'The world's destruction wouldn't keep up with that girl's excitent.'
Sa logic applied to Qin Xin.
With the War authority in hand, Qin Xin was the Torchbearers' hope—humanity's hope. Although it appeared that the world's answer lay in Cheng Shi himself, Cheng Shi couldn't justify dragging down the entire Torchbearers for his one life.
He understood Qin Xin. He knew Qin Xin would throw everything into helping him for the sake of protecting his cherished ideals. But the Fla of Hope was already drawn into the ga. If Qin Xin t disaster too, the Torchbearers' sky would truly collapse.
In Cheng Shi's most pessimistic projection, even if he died in this Void finale and the Fla of Hope extinguished alongside him, at least Qin Xin—bearing the War authority—could hold up one corner of the world for the fire-passers.
So he abandoned the idea of seeking Qin Xin's help and sent Long Jing to find The Prisoner instead.
The Prisoner was unreliable, sure—but his enthusiasm for saving his "brother-in-law" was second to none.
Events unfolded as predicted. Upon learning, The Prisoner was every bit as frantic as Long Jing. The problem was that Long Jing's thod of finding The Prisoner had severely exceeded Cheng Shi's expectations—President Gong had let two people on the Torchbearer line know about it.
Although Qin Xin and An Mingyu didn't know the details yet, given the Torchbearers' collective intelligence... this secret likely wouldn't keep for long.
While The Prisoner and Long Jing were still agonizing over the leak, a rather peculiar Torchbearer eting was convened in the Fire Passing Hall. Attendance was sparse: founder Qin Xin, forr Fire Seeker An Mingyu, current Fire Seekers Ji Yue and Fang Shiqing, Sun Miao—whose status apparently rivaled a vice president's—and one "newcor" who'd never appeared at a high-level eting: the Decay vessel for the God Creation Plan.
Having been absent for a while, Qin Xin called everyone together to reveal The Prisoner's identity as a Torchbearer, and explained that An Mingyu sensed sothing major looming—hence this gathering to assess the situation.
Shock all around, everyone talking over each other, utterly unable to connect the so-called "big event" to The Prisoner and Long Jing.
Until Ji Yue ntioned that not long ago she'd been tead with both The Prisoner and Cheng Shi in a trial, and the two were clearly close. Sun Miao's eyes flashed with insight. Tentatively:
"Could it be that Cheng Shi is in trouble and wants the Fla of Hope's help?"
Surprised silence. While the others were still trying to figure out how Cheng Shi and the Fla of Hope could be connected, Sun Miao laid out his reasoning with a grave expression:
"Everyone knows President Gong and The Prisoner are like two parallel lines—aside from walking separate paths of misfortune, they have no connection.
I can't guarantee they don't have so secret friendship, but based purely on what we know, one intersection between them is Cheng Shi."
In truth, Sun Miao had sothing he kept to himself: he knew Cheng Shi was Yu Xi. Naturally, he was certain these two had reason to gravitate toward Cheng Shi.
"This isn't baseless speculation.
To explain the connection, I need to ask one question first: do you think The Prisoner would willingly expose his identity as a Torchbearer?"
Qin Xin frowned and shook his head: "Even if exposed, it would never be by his own choice. People are too prejudiced against him—they never see the sincerity in his heart."
Sun Miao nodded, as expected:
"Exactly. This ans President Gong most likely didn't seek out The Prisoner over a Torchbearer issue. After all, if even we didn't know The Prisoner's identity, how would he pinpoint a Silence follower who excels at keeping secrets?
So I lean toward an external force driving President Gong to The Prisoner. And that external force—could it be the Fate Weaver?
I'm guessing this direction because I recently learned sothing: Cheng Shi and Long Jing are probably in the sa secret organization. It's nearly all tricksters. As for exactly who, I can't say—it involves another organization's secrets."
Internally, though, Sun Miao knew the organization was created by Lord Yu Xi—He'd corralled a bunch of con artists together.
"I don't know all the mbers, but soone told
Long Jing is definitely in there. So Long Jing and Cheng Shi share a depth of collaboration that far exceeds what outsiders see."
An Mingyu naturally knew what Sun Miao was referring to. She nodded in confirmation but still asked, puzzled:
"Where did you learn all this?"
Sun Miao smiled faintly and gave one na:
"Wei Mu."
'Oh—Wei Mu said so. Then no problem.'
Everyone accepted that without question. Sun Miao continued his reasoning:
"The tricksters are plotting sothing. During that period, Cheng Shi disappeared for a while. Coincidentally, our president also disappeared for a while..."
He looked at Qin Xin, aningfully. "If you told
these two things are unrelated, I wouldn't believe it. And even more coincidentally, today President Gong and The Prisoner suddenly crossed paths—and our president is also back. So what's the connection between these events?"
Qin Xin said nothing. Everyone fell into thought. An Mingyu, who knew more than the rest, suddenly connected Zhen Xin's disappearance today—and realized Xin Xin and Cheng Shi might both be in trouble at the sa ti.
The next second, she pulled out her phone and called another Destined One: Hong Lin. Sure enough—no answer.
When three important people are all unreachable, sothing is very wrong.
And seeing An Mingyu put down the phone with a grim headshake, Sun Miao knew he'd guessed right.
He hadn't been certain President Gong and The Prisoner t because of Cheng Shi. He'd simply had an instinct that sothing major was happening when Qin Xin suddenly called this Torchbearer assembly.
Any event serious enough for the Torchbearers to treat this gravely had to relate to the current state of affairs. And since Cheng Shi was Yu Xi—a Void Servant God—any major event of this era surely involved Him. Sun Miao connected everything.
His thinking was also a microcosm of how most Folly followers' minds worked: keen investigation, bold extrapolation, wild hypotheses—yielding a startling yet logical conclusion.
These conclusions often exceeded what ordinary people anticipated, yet struck the heart of the matter every ti.
Wei Mu operated the sa way—only sharper, bolder, wilder, and more accurate!
Sun Miao knew he was no Wei Mu. He continued cautiously:
"Assuming the one looking for people is Cheng Shi, and regardless of his reasons for finding The Prisoner, Long Jing was a poor choice. In contrast, President Qin—who knew The Prisoner's identity—or Bishop Ji, who'd been in a trial with him recently—would have been far better interdiaries. So why didn't he go to you two?
A trial probably can't hold the Fate Weaver. Even we managed to convene this eting mid-trial, let alone him...
So either he's deep in danger with no one else to turn to, or he deliberately avoided you two!
Of course, it could be both: the Fate Weaver is imprisoned and also doesn't want you to know.
But what help could a Prisoner from another trial possibly provide? However strong he is, how much stronger could he be than President Gong?
So I believe the Fate Weaver isn't looking for The Prisoner the person—but for the Torchbearers behind him. Yet he's specifically avoiding President Qin and the Fire Seekers..."
Sun Miao trailed off. Qin Xin's eyes sharpened: "The Fla of Hope!"
"Exactly. That's my guess. As for whether it's correct... perhaps we'll know very soon."
...
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