Cheng Shi and "Cheng Shi" were both shocked simultaneously. Of course, Cheng Shi's shock was genuine while "Cheng Shi's" was feigned.
No wonder Zhen Xin had uttered the word "Convention"— she'd done it to set up this very revelation!
[Fate] had never summoned "its own Chosen One," yet it had summoned an "obscure" Fate Weaver. The sheer magnitude of this bombshell might not rival a deity's fall, but compared to the gods' secrets, it was far more relatable to players— and far more entertaining.
So was her goal to make him famous among peak players, thereby creating even more entertainnt?
No— she wasn't Zhen Yi. He couldn't use Zhen Yi's personality to guess her motives.
Cheng Shi had limited contact with Zhen Xin. The little he knew about her ca from fragnts Big Cat had ntioned. He could only confirm that Zhen Xin was marginally more reliable than Zhen Yi, but not how much more reliable.
So what was she actually after?
Redirecting [Fate]'s pressure onto him to take the heat off the Blind One?
Or was this simply payback for him screwing over her sister?
'Fine, fine, fine. Whatever you're scheming, you can kiss the Tongue of Eating Lies goodbye.'
Having co this far, Cheng Shi wasn't actually too worried about Zhen Xin piling glory onto "him," because every halo she added was genuinely real. So even when he reclaid his true identity, he could own all of it.
Moreover, in Long Jing's eyes, "Cheng Shi" was definitely not the real Cheng Shi. If he could just wait for Long Jing to eventually publicize that fact, he could "shed the cicada's shell"— slipping free from all this pressure.
Then again, honestly speaking, for the Cheng Shi of today, the pressure of being known as soone who'd had a divine audience was actually better kept on than shaken off.
After this "battle," he knew he could no longer remain anonymous among peak players. He was destined to beco one of the most explosive pieces of "news" in the near future, attracting the attention, contact, and scrutiny of hundreds of peak players.
And the more halos he carried, the more mysterious his persona would beco, and the more wary other peak players would be of him.
Yet wariness often ca hand-in-hand with covetousness. This was the core dynamic of the peak-level ga— the relentless pursuit of ultimate power and the hunger for divine attention. Cheng Shi could not avoid it.
When you carried a touch of mystery, others would take note and keep their distance.
But when you carried ten tis that mystery, under the overwhelming pull of curiosity, others might not be so willing to keep their distance anymore. They'd want nothing more than to capture you and strip that mysterious cloak clean off.
So what Cheng Shi needed to do right now was to rein Zhen Xin in— to stop her from saddling him with any more backgrounds that were either unexplainable or required mountains of lies to maintain!
He quickly slipped back into "Zhen Yi's" skin and used her whimsical personality to cut into the conversation:
"Hee~
"Little Cheng Shi, what does [Fate] look like?"
"Cheng Shi" shot Cheng Shi a peculiar look and replied coolly:
"[Fate]? He...
"Why should I tell you?"
"?"
"..."
A strange atmosphere perated the room. To everyone else, it didn't look like two people refusing to communicate— it looked more like a lovers' quarrel.
Even Hu Wei froze mid-sentence, jaw hanging open, unable to find words.
The Prisoner, on the other hand, lit up with approval and addressed "Cheng Shi" warmly:
"Brother-in-law, you truly possess great wisdom!
"Even if [Fate] summoned you, I still think [Silence] suits you better. Don't you agree?"
"..."
The topic had derailed entirely. Clearly, the audience was now almost as fascinated by Cheng Shi's audience with [Fate] as they were about [Prosperity]'s fall.
Seeing the situation spiraling, Grand Marshal Hu Wei stepped forward once again. He clapped "Cheng Shi" on the shoulder with a grin:
"Alright, kid, that's enough on this subject.
"Hmph— nobody's intelligence cos for free. If you want to hear more, show so sincerity and trade for it with my brother."
As he spoke, he shifted half a step to the side, a move that clearly signaled he'd cross-referenced "Cheng Shi's" account against what he already knew, found it credible, and was now formally vouching for "Cheng Shi's" identity.
The Grand Marshal's generosity and loyalty, having satisfied his own curiosity, were on full display once more.
"Cheng Shi" went from being a public target to a valuable asset shielded behind a Chosen One.
Though the others' expressions shifted slightly at Hu Wei's stance, their reactions were muted— they all knew the Grand Marshal's personality. Only the Prisoner looked aggrieved, muttering under his breath:
"Cheng Shi is just your self-appointed brother, but he's my brother-in-law by blood. Even as an ex-brother-in-law, I clearly have a closer relationship. Old Hu, how is what you're doing any different from being a howrecker?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Nobody could follow the Prisoner's train of thought. Faces contorted as if constipated. "Cheng Shi" looked utterly speechless. Only "Zhen Yi" grinned as always. "She" glanced at "Cheng Shi" with a wink, then turned to Hu Wei and dropped yet another inexplicable remark:
"You're in such a rush to take little Cheng Shi away— you're not trying to be my side piece, are you?"
BOOM—
The instant those words fell, a second arc of blood and fire slashed toward "Zhen Yi's" position!
Seeing his chance to escape at last, Cheng Shi used the cover of the flas to switch his faith, then blinked away with a single dice throw, landing at the edge of the venue.
The other players nearby recoiled in panic the mont they saw this "jinx" approaching. Two Torchbearers also backed away cautiously, though their eyes never left Cheng Shi's body.
Hu Wei wasn't surprised his strike missed. He simply spat "rotten luck" under his breath, then addressed the others:
"I've got a big job lined up, and I'm wondering if anyone's interested.
"I can't guarantee everyone will walk away with sothing, but at the very least, my brother Cheng Shi will be coming with ."
As he spoke, he slung an arm around "Cheng Shi's" shoulders, ensuring "he" couldn't slip away.
"Even if you don't get anything, you can trade the intelligence you've got for sothing interesting from my brother.
"But I should be upfront— there are two things in that place I must obtain. One is a promise I made to my brother, and the other is my own objective. Aside from those two items, everything else is fair ga— fortune favors the bold.
"So how about it, Mo Li, Long Jing— are you interested?"
No sooner had Hu Wei finished than the Prisoner raised his hand indignantly:
"What about ?!"
Hu Wei glanced at him sideways without responding, his gaze fixed squarely on Mo Li and Long Jing, awaiting their answers.
Mo Li deliberated carefully for a mont, then nodded with a raised brow.
Long Jing, however, rolled his eyes this way and that, studying Hu Wei's greatsword before stealing an imperceptible glance at "Cheng Shi" behind Hu Wei's back.
Zhen Xin wanted to venture into the Grand Marshal's ga alone, so naturally she'd need to prepare.
But the situation gave her no ti for extra preparation. Among those present, not a single person made for a good partner— except Long Jing...
Only this number-two of the [Deceit] ladder could remotely be considered a teammate capable of keeping pace.
That was precisely why she'd used that deliberate lie earlier to expose her identity— making things difficult for Cheng Shi while simultaneously piquing Long Jing's curiosity enough to draw him in.
She'd also subtly revealed her allegiance, letting Long Jing know she was a fraud who opposed "Zhen Yi," all to encourage this man— freshly burned by her sister— to lean toward collaborating with her.
Zhen Xin's scheming was nothing short of brilliant. But she'd miscalculated one detail: Long Jing had followed along halfway, then abruptly stopped.
This "President Gong" was privately delighted by the spectacle, but on the surface he politely declined the proposal with a smile.
Not only that— he even deliberately stepped back half a pace, as if distancing himself from the fraudsters in the room.
'Yes, I didn't expose you. But I'm also... not helping you anymore.'
Zhen Yi might be detestable, but her perspective on watching fellow liars squirm was genuinely masterful. Since she could sit back and enjoy watching her peers' antics, why couldn't he?
So Long Jing pulled out while he was ahead. And when he caught a flicker of bewildernt in "Cheng Shi's" eyes, it only made him happier.
'Go on and lie. Go lie your hearts out. If you can fool the Grand Marshal, that's your talent. If you can't? Well, you'll just have to test whether the Grand Marshal's blade is sharp enough with your own neck.'
'And as for you, Grand Marshal— when you discover that your dear brother is a fraud, I hope you're still smiling as brightly as you are right now.'
'Count
out. I'd rather not die alongside a fraud whose identity I can't even determine.'
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