Their reactions varied as they strolled forward. Cheng Shi surveyed everything around him, his confusion deepening.
His good brother sohow always managed to find his destination within Mockery and Jeering, where directions were impossible to discern.
This ti was no different. He'd clearly been heading straight for this safe-zone-like eting point. But how had he known this path would lead here?
Why did the Grand Marshal seem even more at ho in Mockery and Jeering than Cheng Shi himself?
Could it be that the Fun God had... partnered with [War] too?
He wasn't the only one with questions. Everyone else was quietly sizing up both the place and the burly man sitting across from them. Mo Li took a seat beside Hu Wei and was about to introduce himself when the big man bood:
"Hot damn, anyone Lao Hu brings around is bound to be no pushover.
"Chief Grand Secretary— I know you. Nice to et ya.
"Long Jing— we've crossed paths. Make yourself at ho.
"As for you two..."
He looked quizzically at Cheng Shi and Hu Xuan, apparently trying to guess their identities.
Hu Wei laughed heartily and clapped Cheng Shi on the shoulder:
"This one's also my brother. Fate Weaver Cheng Shi.
"And this one is—"
"Wait, what?" The big man blinked, scratching his head. "Hot damn, he's the one who was ssing around with Zhen Yi?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Soft laughter rippled through the group. Only the man in question stood with a rigid expression, unsure whether to acknowledge or ignore the remark.
But Hu Wei ca to Cheng Shi's rescue, laughing it off:
"Ancient history. Ah, wait, wrong phrasing— it was never a thing in the first place. Anyway. My brother saved my life, so keep that foul mouth of yours in check and stop making people uncomfortable.
"As for this one..."
The Grand Marshal's expression grew sowhat complicated as he turned to Hu Xuan and spoke with visible gravity:
"This is the one Lao Sun always ntioned— the Eternal Sun. Hu Xuan."
"???" The big man shot to his feet, eyes wide as saucers, utterly disbelieving: "Hot damn— who?!"
Hu Xuan's cheeks had gained a touch of color.
Whether it was the campfire's glow warming her face or simply that the show was over and she no longer needed to feign pallor, she now looked entirely free of fatigue, though she retained a certain weary beauty.
She sat with knees together beside Cheng Shi, offered the big man a gentle smile, and introduced herself:
"Hu Xuan."
The big man's expression shifted. Then he let out a sigh:
"Hot damn. So Lao Sun really is gone. Sigh... it is what it is.
"The old boy was a bit underhanded, sure, but he was warm-hearted. What a sha.
"Anyway, enough of that. Since Lao Hu brought you here, I suppose that makes us... friends.
"Na's Da Yi. Yi as in A, B, C, D. Nice to et you both."
He bumped his fists together toward Cheng Shi and Hu Xuan. His bold manner resembled Hu Wei's.
Cheng Shi found this man intriguing. His gaze swept carefully over Da Yi's fingers, the webbing between thumb and forefinger, his wrists, then quickly scanned his ears, nose, and neck. In monts, he'd deduced the man's class.
Assassin!
This brawny man was actually an assassin!
Because his hands bore no calluses whatsoever. His fingers were nimble and delicate as a lady's— clearly the hands of an expert who worked with precision. His nostrils flared in constant subtle motion, and his ears rotated faintly, hypervigilant to every sound around him.
Most tellingly, when facing the group he kept his chin slightly tucked, shielding his neck with that exaggerated jaw— a posture that scread cautious defense.
From all this, Cheng Shi deduced the man was almost certainly an assassin. The only question was which faith.
That question didn't linger long, because Long Jing's next remark delivered the answer.
"Grand Marshal, [War] actually holds these little get-togethers?"
'[War]?'
Cheng Shi blinked internally, then casually stole another glance at Da Yi.
So he was [War]'s assassin— a Gap Light Iron Thorn?
'Aren't those supposed to be shadow killers who lurk on battlefields, waiting for the chance to slay generals and seize banners? Bro, why are you built like a front-line warrior?'
'Has the assassin community started trending toward ironic contrast?'
'Tsk. Hard to comnt.'
Cheng Shi stifled a chuckle and imperceptibly averted his gaze. Hu Wei spoke up again with a smile:
"It's just sharing intel— not strictly a [War] assembly.
"Today, aside from that dump of a diocre Person Society gathering, I was coming here anyway. And the purpose is exactly what I ntioned before— the place where there's real profit to be had!"
Everyone's spirits surged at those words.
In that mont, they all seed to forget the dangers they'd just endured, the harm Zhen Yi had inflicted. It was as if they'd adapted to the bad luck, tossing every unpleasantness behind them, their eyes fixed solely on the "profit" at hand!
Their emotional pivot was so swift that Cheng Shi marveled internally:
'So this is peak-player efficiency. They never dwell on failure, never wallow in the past. They don't even heal their wounds before sitting around the fire, plotting the next trial.'
'They know no fatigue, no rest. At this pace, though the Faith Ga had only existed for barely half a year, for this group, they'd probably forged themselves through what amounted to years— even decades— more than everyone else.'
'And thinking about his own past... he'd fallen far too behind.'
This was precisely why Cheng Shi wanted to reclaim his identity and tag along with the Grand Marshal— to broaden his horizons. His gaps in intelligence were simply too vast.
"Actually, this whole thing ties into sothing Long Jing ntioned." Hu Wei turned to Long Jing.
"?" Long Jing startled, then whispered in stunned excitent: "[Decay]'s fall?"
Hu Wei's eyes glittered:
"Exactly. [Decay]'s fall.
"Before Zhen Yi claid it was [Prosperity] that fell, I too had been guessing it was [Decay].
"Don't all look at
like that— I have special intelligence channels. I don't know the details, but I can confirm: even if [Decay] didn't outright fall, it must have sustained devastating injuries in that God War!
"It may have even... lost significant divine power and authority!
"And I gathered all of you here for precisely those things [Decay] lost.
"That's why, back at the diocre Person gathering, I was inclined to trust you. But you... betrayed that trust, Long Jing."
That was a direct call-out.
Long Jing looked embarrassed, but he quickly found a way to redirect the awkwardness: cursing Zhen Yi.
"Damn that rotten luck. It's all that bitch Zhen Yi's fault. If she hadn't—"
Halfway through the sentence, he seed to realize sothing. He imdiately glanced at Cheng Shi, his apologetic expression layered with unspoken aning.
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