Cheng Shi knew there was a limit to what he could do right now. Even if Cheng Dashi intended to sche against [Prosperity] in this trial, the only thing he could actually contribute was attracting [Prosperity]'s gaze. Nothing more.
But the question was—how?
There was actually one remarkably simple thod: backstab his own teammate. Screw Hong Lin over!
If he tricked [Prosperity]'s favored Chosen One into Oathbreaking—into becoming a follower of another god, say... [Deceit] or [Fate]—would [Prosperity] show up?
Most likely, yes!
But the life-cherishing Cheng Shi feared [Prosperity] would "deal with" him afterward. So his habitually Steady self had to think of sothing else.
Since backstabbing was off the table, he'd just "join" instead!
When his "offerings" to [Prosperity] were satisfactory enough, He would naturally cast His gaze upon him.
So Cheng Shi pondered for a mont, then launched today's con.
A con that Hong Lin already knew was coming and had braced herself for.
He took two deep breaths, shed the earlier embarrassnt, and fixed Hong Lin with a perfectly serious, blazing stare. His opening line was earth-shattering:
"I want to make a big gamble."
'Gamble?'
Hong Lin frowned, confused. What did gambling have to do with the current situation?
Was the tangle between Eposka and the Mushroom-Footed People supposed to be solved with a bet?
Bet on what?
Bet that killing Eposka wouldn't kill the Mushroom-Footed People?
Or bet that the [Prosperity] Divinity they held could truly awaken the soul within Eposka that rightfully belonged to [Prosperity]?
Hong Lin was montarily taken aback. She suddenly recalled sothing Cheng Shi had once said:
'There are only two kinds of gambles worth placing bets on: when there's no way out, or when the fix is in.'
The current situation didn't look like a dead end. Worst case, they'd lose the trial and drop a few points. So... had this Fate Weaver found a way to stack the deck?
Hong Lin's interest was suddenly piqued. She raised an eyebrow:
"How big?"
"Big enough to make Them co down in person!"
"..."
It was almost laughable—it sounded like sothing a clueless player with delusions of grandeur would say as a joke. And yet, when she heard those words, her heart involuntarily tightened. A flicker of alarm crossed her eyes.
'Oh no. This Fate Weaver seems to be serious.'
'Is this the con?'
'What's he trying to deceive
into?'
'Or is he trying to whip
into helping him with sothing?'
A Druid who'd never hesitated even when facing the massed ranks of ten thousand enemies actually felt a twinge of nervousness.
But then she laughed at her own tension.
How could a con artist's words be this persuasive!
No wonder he'd once tricked Zhen Yi!
But this only proved his intentions weren't pure. What the hell was this Fate Weaver planning?!
Hong Lin's scrutinizing gaze swept Cheng Shi from head to toe. She pressed down her tumultuous emotions, curled her lip dismissively:
"That's your trick?
Using Them to rattle ?
diocre."
Cheng Shi shook his head solemnly, his gaze unwavering:
"I'm not lying. I'm inviting you—to take a big gamble with ."
"..."
Looking into eyes that didn't seem to be faking it, Hong Lin went rigid. She suddenly realized that fighting was actually the least nerve-wracking thing in the world.
"Why gamble that big? How does making Them co down help this trial?
Or more importantly—how does it help you?"
Hong Lin appeared to field Cheng Shi's words with casual ease, but in truth, the alarm in her eyes had already been noted.
'Surprise and curiosity. Good. As long as it's not resistance or disgust, the partnership still has a chance.'
So Cheng Shi smiled and explained:
"It's not about what's good for —it's about what's good for us.
At the end of the day, even winning a trial only adds a dozen or so points. At our level, nobody cares about those numbers..."
At this, Cheng Shi paused with an odd expression before continuing:
"What we should care about is how to walk the road ahead!"
Hearing this, Hong Lin's expression finally turned serious.
It echoed what she'd just confided in him. The fox really was ready to bare its heart to the tiger—but oddly enough, she felt no resistance toward this possibly fraudulent exchange of sincerity. Because she truly lacked soone to discuss the road ahead with.
Sa answer as always: Tao Yi would be perfect, but she was too weak.
There was no shortage of strong players in the ga, of course, but they all had their own agendas—good for competition, impossible for genuine connection.
But Cheng Shi... was different. Everything he'd done suggested he wasn't a bad person. At least no worse than she was.
More importantly, he'd saved Tao Yi. And Tao Yi trusted him. Soone who could earn her shrewd little fox bestie's trust even after being conned was, to so degree, trustworthy. So Hong Lin decided to let Cheng Shi continue.
But Cheng Shi stopped talking. Having whetted her appetite to the limit, he asked another question:
"Baldy, you need to first tell —do you dare to gamble? After that, I'll decide whether to lay everything on the table!"
Hong Lin's expression shifted. She snickered:
"Tch. Cheng Shi, you haven't told
what the bet is, what the stakes are, or what happens if we lose—not a single word. And you're asking
if I dare?
How is that different from guessing blindly?
Or is this a test—are you evaluating my courage?"
"Yes. It's both a test and an invitation.
I need to be sure my partner has the sa do-or-die nerve that I do. Otherwise, when I go all-in at the table, I'm afraid my teammate might get scared and run off with all my chips.
I'm not without a plan. But first, I need to find soone worth sharing it with... soone who's the sa kind of gambler as !"
Hong Lin fell silent.
Never before had she felt such turmoil inside. She didn't think Cheng Shi was lying. He wanted to go mad—absolutely, utterly mad. But the problem was, she had no idea how insane this "madness show" would actually get.
Honestly, she didn't need the points. She didn't have firm faith either. Even though this was her Benefactor's trial, winning or losing ant the sa to her. From start to finish, all she cared about was one thing: honoring her friendship with Tao Yi. That was why she'd given Cheng Shi "special treatnt."
But after two days of teaming up, that courtesy—originally borrowed from Tao Yi's perspective—had beco genuinely her own.
So she felt this decision went beyond "gamble or not." It also contained an invitation about friendship.
This Fate Weaver was clearly asking her: did she want a friend? The sa kind of friend as Tao Yi.
Before eting Cheng Shi, Hong Lin had always considered herself a "Steady" warrior. But right now, sothing inside her was stirring—those wild, restless, uneasy genes screaming at her to accept the Fate Weaver's invitation. To join this so-called gamble to drag Them down from Their thrones.
Cheng Shi was sharp. He could see Hong Lin's indecision. Though she hadn't agreed, not refusing was already a kind of answer.
So the deviously cunning part of him dropped a second weight onto those wobbling Scales.
"Do you believe in fate?"
Hong Lin froze, then flushed with a mix of embarrassnt and irritation: "Did Tao Yi tell you?"
"Huh?"
Cheng Shi was baffled. What did this have to do with Tao Yi?
Seeing his genuine confusion, Hong Lin instantly realized she'd jumped to conclusions. She frowned, spent a mont wrestling with so complex emotion, then nodded softly.
"Yes. I believe!"
"..."
'Wait—sis, I had a hundred-thousand-word speech prepared in my head. You just went and believed? Just like that?'
'But hey, works for . Saves
from having to patch up my own lies.'
Surprise flickered through Cheng Shi's eyes again, but soon his smile grew even brighter.
"Do you think... your luck is good?"
Hong Lin's expression went strange. She nodded, her answer oddly stiff: "Yes!"
"Excellent. I believe too. My gambling luck is exceptional. And I'm also a Fate Knower."
"I know you're a Fate Weaver."
"No—you don't understand. The 'Knower' I'm talking about uses the character for 'knowing,' as in 'foreknowing.' Not 'weaving,' as in 'nding!'"
Hong Lin frowned: "What do you an?"
"Fate is a fascinating thing.
Every person has their own destiny script. When the destinies of all living beings weave together, they form an even grander world script. This is what ordinary people call 'the script theory of destiny.'
Of course, for Chosen Ones like you, this might be old hat.
So let
put it differently:
If [Fate] has already written your na in the finale of the world script, then no matter how you rewrite your own story, you can never be absent from the final act He penned Himself."
At this, Hong Lin's eyes went wide. She suddenly realized what this "Fate Knower" was getting at.
Cheng Shi noticed her contracting pupils and continued with a smile:
"So—do you understand what I'm saying?
What I an is: if you believe in fate, and if you're certain of your own good fortune, then even if you Pierce the Sky and face the Gods head-on, you will survive under His protection until the mont the world script requires you to take the stage!
And that—is Fixed Destiny!
Heaven's decree is fixed!"
The instant those words landed, Hong Lin's mind detonated.
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