But before eting Justice (Order), Cheng Shi first had to deal with the Iron Law of [Order].
After all, Justice (Order) now embodied the Convention itself. It only responded to assemblies of gods involving divine Authority — it would never turn its gaze toward so mortal.
Especially not this mortal, who regularly probed for loopholes and disrupted order in his attempts to challenge the Convention's authority.
Cheng Shi knew his own limitations. Without sothing to bargain with, he had no way to make Justice (Order) make an exception. So he needed to collect a bargaining chip first.
That chip was the Iron Law of [Order].
But the Iron Law of [Order] would not easily summon a follower of [Deceit] — soone suspected of being an Envoy of an opposing faith. It despised [Deceit], and resented [Chaos] even more.
So Cheng Shi's attempt to seek an audience had, predictably, failed.
He wasn't concerned. Against rigid inflexibility, a clown's flexibility was more than enough.
Cheng Shi made so preparations, and then, just before dawn broke on the following day, he found a second interdiary: a follower of [Order], a mber of the Destined Ones — Li Wufang.
He told Li Wufang to carry one of his dice and request an audience with the Iron Law of [Order]. As a devout follower of [Order] — and particularly as the "candidate heir" that Arrogance (Order) had shown faith in before its end — the Iron Law of [Order] was unlikely to turn away the Investigator's request.
Through that die, Cheng Shi could then achieve his goal of having an audience with the Iron Law of [Order].
That was one part of the plan. Once that was arranged, he had his own way of gaining an audience with Justice (Order) — the one who wanted nothing to do with him.
When Li Wufang first heard the plan, he shuddered.
He hadn't forgotten what happened the last ti he had accompanied Cheng Shi to seek an audience with [Order] — inside a [Chaos] temple that no follower of [Order] would ever set foot in, [Order] had self-destructed before their eyes.
Even if it was only a fragnt of [Order], the shock of it had never quite faded from his heart.
Ordinary players finding an audience with a god was already nearly impossible. Who among them had personally witnessed a divine being's self-destruction?
Especially now that he knew the true nature of [Order] and [Chaos]'s relationship, he was even more reluctant to step forward.
Sothing that called itself [Order] but was truly [Chaos]. Ever since learning these secrets, his devotion to [Order] had felt deeply confused. And now his brother Cheng was urging him to seek an audience with [Order] again...
Would it know that he had already seen through its identity?
What awaited him — forgiveness or punishnt?
Most importantly — would it self-destruct again?
Li Wufang was nervous. Cheng Shi watched his hesitation, smiled, and offered gentle reassurance.
"Do you still rember the hope that Arrogance (Order) placed in you?
If you believe this universe still needs order, then facing [Chaos] head on — and reclaiming everything that belongs to [Order] — is the most important thing you can do.
Don't worry. The Destined Ones will protect you.
You may not trust others, but do you really not trust ?"
"..."
Li Wufang dared not speak. He desperately wanted to say: you're the last person I trust.
But in truth, the one the Investigator trusted most was the Fate Weaver.
He wrestled with himself for a mont, then made his decision. He clenched his jaw and his fist, and nodded.
"All right.
But before I go — I have one question."
Cheng Shi paused, guessing what was coming, and shook his head with a soft laugh.
"Fine. I suppose it's ti you knew. Yes — you guessed correctly, all of it.
I am indeed not a mortal.
I am a divine being. My divine na is... Yu Xi."
Anyone who heard that na would never assu Yu Xi belonged to any faith other than [Deceit] — because the na was too distinct. Its literal aning revealed everything without saying more.
Li Wufang's pupils shrank. He studied Cheng Shi carefully, swallowed, and — a touch nervous — said:
"So all of this... is [Deceit]'s plan?"
Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, amused. "What do you an?"
"[Deceit] and [Chaos] trapped my god within that temple and seized his throne. Now you're asking
to go after [Chaos]. I can only conclude that [Deceit] is using
to cross the river...
And besides, brother Cheng — no, my lord — a na like yours can only belong to an Envoy of [Deceit]. Nothing else would make sense."
Watching a fellow soldier in arms abruptly switch to addressing him as "my lord" made Cheng Shi feel distinctly odd.
He had no desire right now to deceive anyone, and he took no pleasure in being looked up to as a divine being. So he shook his head with a smile.
"My identity is complicated. It involves many secrets I can't explain in one sitting.
But trust
— whatever faith Yu Xi belongs to, that being will always stand on the side of the Destined Ones.
So don't call
'my lord.' That makes you sound like a stranger. Call
boss."
"Boss?"
The mont he heard it, Li Wufang was quietly pleased. That kind of term closed the distance between him and the divine being in front of him, dissolving the formality between mortal and god into the unspoken understanding shared among the Destined Ones.
And Cheng Shi was without question the boss of the Destined Ones.
And yet — sothing about the word felt faintly off.
"Back where I'm from, 'boss' is what you call soone senior — an elder figure. That's even more formal..." Li Wufang scratched his head sheepishly. "How about I just call you 'chief'? Sa idea."
"..."
The mont he heard that familiar word, Cheng Shi's hand gave an involuntary twitch. A surge of mory pulled him back to that trial within [Ti] — the trial where the truth of the universe had been glimpsed. In that trial, the Li Wufang from another world had called him by exactly that na.
That was the first ti he'd learned that Destined Ones existed in worlds beyond his own — and it was because of that word "chief" that he had brought Li Wufang into this world's Destined Ones.
Cheng Shi hadn't forgotten. He also knew that the other world had already lost its hope.
So him telling Li Wufang to call him "boss" hadn't been an off-hand comnt. He didn't want the Destined Ones to "repeat the path" of that other world — he wanted this world to make so small change, even if it was only a tiny, insignificant one.
But Li Wufang's response told him: so things were like Fixed Destiny itself. They could not be changed.
Thinking that, Cheng Shi suddenly burst out laughing.
"Ha. Fate... it really is sothing."
That laugh left Li Wufang montarily baffled. Cheng Shi looked at him, took in his slightly flustered expression, and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Alright. That's decided, then."
If it couldn't be changed — then keep moving forward.
All the way to the end of the road. All the way to the end of the era. All the way to the point where there is no road — when that cos, I and my friends will always be able to carve out another one.
He gave Li Wufang's shoulder a firm pat, let the smile fade from his face, and turned serious again.
"Go pray now. I'm still waiting to et [Order].
Rember — no matter what happens next, don't make a sound. Just focus on keeping yourself safe.
And if a divine throne appears before you... don't hesitate. Climb up. Whether they recognize it or not, the Destined Ones have your back.
What Arrogance (Order) never gave you — maybe [Chaos] will compensate out of guilt?"
"???"
Li Wufang was at a complete loss. His short-circuited brain couldn't begin to process what he'd just heard.
But he had one virtue: when he couldn't understand, he'd just do it anyway. So he stiffly nodded — and then, in a slightly unhinged burst of spontaneity, snapped a salute at Cheng Shi with a bright grin. "Understood, chief."
The Investigator lowered his head, closed his eyes, and silently recited his prayer.
Cheng Shi watched with an expression of supre amusent, montarily at a loss for words, as the man in front of him was pulled into the void by a surge of steady [Order] power.
Seeing the plan proceeding smoothly, Cheng Shi curled his lips and snapped his fingers.
He disappeared.
For the upcoming audience, this blaspher had already prepared his complints in advance.
"Long ti no see, great... [Chaos]."
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