Cheng Shi knew he couldn't keep chatting. Although he could easily string these two idiots along with a few random fabrications, lingering here any longer served no purpose.
These two might have abnormal brains, but their thought processes were perfectly normal. They clearly weren't the anomaly.
And the appearance of Folly followers and the trading of extracted Divinity — that was no small matter. It was just that the news had co so abruptly, catching Cheng Shi completely off guard.
He figured that even disregarding the trial's outco entirely, simply getting to the bottom of how Folly followers extracted Divinity would make this trial worth it — even if he lost. The payoff could rival stumbling upon a Servant God relic lying on the road.
This was Divinity! The one thing every single player desperately coveted!
This was an explosive revelation. So explosive that Cheng Shi didn't hesitate for even a mont — he just wanted to slip away and find the two Torchbearers to discuss.
Yes, his first thought was of the Torchbearers.
But this wasn't his subconscious trying to do the Torchbearers a favor. Cheng Shi had a crystal-clear understanding of his own situation. In a trial this drawn-out, even if he tried to hide it, there was no way he could keep a secret for seven days under the noses of teammates whose observational skills were extraordinarily keen — terrifyingly so, even.
And to actually make contact with these Folly followers, he'd need backup. So the Torchbearers ca to mind first. This wasn't charity — it was collaboration.
He needed the Torchbearers' help to seize the prize, and he didn't mind splitting the spoils with them under these circumstances.
So Cheng Shi imdiately found an excuse to leave, ntioning he'd go right back to notify Mr. Mo Rabic and that they absolutely must not move from this spot.
The two big n seed to see the light at the end of their assignnt. They nodded vigorously and urged Cheng Shi to hurry there and back.
But Cheng Shi didn't trust these two fools at all. He turned around and scattered knockout powder at the doorway — enough to render a crowd unconscious — and set up several hard-to-spot tracking traps.
He had to be thoroughly prepared — to give himself the chance to insert himself into this deal between two organizations.
With everything in place, he sprinted decisively toward the center of the Shanty Area, in the direction where Qin Xin and the Blind One had last been seen.
He needed to seize this window of perfect timing and terrain to achieve the final piece — the human elent. He had to investigate this matter concerning Folly and Divinity before his other teammates found out!
anwhile, on the other side.
Qin Xin had been wandering around with Shi Lolin's body for a while. Despite the bizarre picture they made — an armored man apparently abducting the local leader through the Shanty Area — what was arguably stranger was that nobody here reacted at all. A few people even poked their heads out of their shanties to cheer him on.
This deepened Qin Xin's impression of the Extre Desire Brotherhood's total indulgence. They probably assud he was doing so kind of roleplay with Shi Lolin?
Well, that certainly made things more convenient.
Qin Xin smiled as he continued weaving through the Shanty Area's center. He didn't need to deliberately strike up conversations — simply passing through an area was enough for every sound in the vicinity to pour into his ears without exception. From the streets to the shanties to the diverse cast of inhabitants, every visual detail fell under his eagle-sharp surveillance, leaving no gaps.
He quickly covered most of the shanties. As expected, nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing but thick, clashing desires and aningless gossip — or in so cases, argunts between two people about who had the upper hand. Sa difference, more or less.
After confirming he'd missed nothing, he turned to head toward the Blind One, intending to regroup with his teammate. And just then, he picked up a hushed conversation drifting from a decrepit corner at the Shanty Area's edge.
"Mo Rabic, the Sea of Desire knows no bounds. I hope you're actually here for our plan."
"Allendor, take back your stupid remarks. If you insist on looking down at
from so moral high ground, I'd prefer it be from experintal prowess, not from running your mouth."
This was clearly two n talking. From the ambient sounds, they seed to be hiding sowhere, observing the Shanty Area.
"Arrogance is where mistakes begin."
"Fool, this is confidence.
The Proxy Hand is controlled by Truth followers. They'll never cooperate with the likes of us. After all, Truth is nothing but a thief who scavenges our Lord's scraps. If even His followers can't see that reality, how can you expect the puppets they manipulate to understand the greatness of our experint?"
"Heh — and you think Corruption's followers can understand it?
What do they do besides vent and copulate?"
"Their venting and copulating is precisely what I need. Tell
— would you cooperate with an ally far smarter than yourself?"
"..." The other man fell silent for a mont, then rumbled: "No, I wouldn't."
"Exactly. Neither would I. And I never have."
"..."
That last line landed like a killing blow, ending their exchange.
But to Qin Xin's ears, the conversation was even more intriguing.
'Interesting. That sounds an awful lot like... Folly followers?'
'We're barely past mid-Civilization Era. How would Folly be present in the Underworld?'
'Could His gaze have been cast far earlier than I thought?'
Qin Xin's interest was piqued. This was undoubtedly the most rewarding mont of his entire sweep. He glanced at the Shi Lolin in his hands and decided to bury her temporarily. Once he'd figured out the identities of these two suspected Folly followers, he'd dig the Extre Desire Brotherhood's boss back up. Maximum efficiency.
No sooner said than done. He quickly found an empty shanty, stashed Shi Lolin away, and ghosted toward the source of the voices. But just as he was about to close in on the pair, he noticed a woman in a black gauze dress standing far across from him, gazing curiously toward the exact sa spot.
An Mingyu — the Destiny Chosen — had been guided here by Destiny as well.
The two Torchbearers exchanged a knowing smile and silently crept closer, encircling the two oblivious "outsiders."
"Mo Rabic, what are we still waiting for? We should go find the leader of this place and talk. As long as the woman called Shi Lolin can procure the Abyss Colorful Crystal, we'll have an imdiate chance to directly receive an audience with Him!"
"Fool. Before acting, you must consider your exit. I'm thinking about how to retreat safely from the Shanty Area if negotiations fail.
See that road? Behind the first shanty on the side, there's no wall. We can cut through the drapes and run straight out. If things go south, head that way. And if we're caught — destroy the components on your person.
Materials are expendable. But before we summon our Lord, the experintal apparatus must not be exposed!"
"Obviously. Minor details like that don't need your reminders. Stop racking your brain trying to play prophet over trivialities. I'm not worse than you."
"I hope not. I keep feeling like we're being watched. I hope it's just my imagination."
"It's definitely your imagination. We haven't even gone inside — how could anyone be watching us? You think those wastes in the guard posts with their shaking legs could possibly spot us?"
The words had barely left his mouth when a slender sword planted itself in the dirt between Mo Rabic and Allendor.
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