He had no choice. His options beyond "cooperate" amounted to "die."
But regardless of cooperation, there was one thing he needed to clarify first.
"My still-unenlightened wise friend, I think there may be a misunderstanding.
This is our first ti visiting the Shanty Area in Falling Gate. The idea of approaching the Extre Desire Brotherhood only occurred to us this morning. So when you say the Brotherhood has arranged a rendezvous — are you certain it's a rendezvous with
and Allendor?
We hadn't even made it inside before we were... kindly intercepted by your companion. The na Shi Lolin was sothing we picked up from people on the street. We've never even t her. So — might there be so kind of misunderstanding?"
"!!??"
A misunderstanding?
Just arrived?
Never contacted Shi Lolin?!
Hearing this, Cheng Shi's expression shifted. His pupils contracted as his gaze upon the two n slowly grew heavier. Simultaneously, the two Torchbearers also realized sothing was off — what Mo Rabic described clearly contradicted what Cheng Shi had just reported.
But Qin Xin's Master of Deception told him Cheng Shi wasn't lying. Which ant the scene unfolding before them was very likely an anomaly within this trial — a Ti "discrepancy"!
The clue had materialized before all three of them out of nowhere. And as if on cue, the hour struck at that very mont, and a faint hum emanated from sowhere on Qin Xin's person.
The Blind One glanced over with mild surprise, tilting her head: "You set a tir?"
Qin Xin blinked, then nodded with a slight frown: "In a Ti scenario, it pays to be cautious."
Sound reasoning, yet Cheng Shi felt an instinctive prickle of unease — sothing not quite right — but the excitent of finding a lead quickly buried that subtle doubt. He turned to the two n before him, the corners of his mouth gradually curling upward.
If the people the Shanty Area was expecting to et weren't them, then who?!
That big man had clearly spoken Mo Rabic's na. If these two really had only just arrived, then the Ti "discrepancy" might be standing right in front of them!
Cheng Shi was elated. But before confirming whether these two were the anomaly, he had one more thing to do. He stepped forward, seized Mo Rabic by the collar, and the smile slid clean off his face as he asked in a chillingly quiet voice:
"What did you just call ?!"
"I said... might there be so misunderstanding?" Mo Rabic repeated awkwardly.
"Not that one — the sentence before!"
"?" Mo Rabic pursed his lips, thought for a mont, then ventured uncertainly: "The Brotherhood has arranged a rendezvous?"
"No, no, no — the one before that!" Cheng Shi's tone grew ever more "nacing." But Mo Rabic racked his brain and couldn't figure out what was wrong with the sentence before that. It was just a greeting, wasn't it?
And yet that greeting was precisely what Cheng Shi cared about!
"What do you an, 'still-unenlightened wise friend'?
Who's still unenlightened?
Are you calling
stupid?"
"???"
Mo Rabic was stumped. And it wasn't just him — everyone present froze. Technically, the phrase did carry that implication, but considering the speaker was supposedly a Folly follower, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
But was now really the ti to be hung up on this?
Qin Xin's gaze had been peculiar for a while now. His eyes kept bouncing between the Blind One and Cheng Shi. After a lengthy observation, he still chose to stay silent, listening quietly.
The Blind One, on the other hand, was genuinely amused by Cheng Shi this ti. She knew by now that the Fate Weaver's logic operated on its own trajectory. She shook her head with a laugh:
"I'm increasingly convinced that the na 'Fate Weaver' doesn't suit you at all. 'Clown,' on the other hand — that fits perfectly.
Enough, Cheng Shi. Let's not waste ti. I just perford another divination, and this ti the result is quite clear."
With that, the Blind One produced a twenty-sided die. The number showing in her palm was only four.
"What did you divine this ti?" Cheng Shi twitched, his expression stiffening.
"I wanted to know if these two have any connection to Ti. His answer is a strong probability of 'no.' So I'm wondering — what if the Ti 'discrepancy' isn't them, but rather Shi Lolin, the one who issued the rendezvous order?
After all, both the two contacts you ntioned and Shi Lolin herself know of Mo Rabic's existence. But surely all three of them can't all be the anomaly?"
"That possibility can't be ruled out. Looks like I need to bring those two over for another round of questioning.
By the way — where's Shi Lolin? Qin Xin, I rember she was with you. Where did you stash her?"
Cheng Shi looked at Qin Xin quizzically.
"Sowhere no one would find her. You run into surprises during exploration — better safe than sorry. But given the way things are shaping up, it's ti to dig her out."
Dig her out?
Where on earth had this Torchbearer hidden the woman?
When had he beco as cautious as Cheng Shi himself?
Cheng Shi spared Qin Xin a thoughtful glance, then nodded: "Let's split up. An Shenxuan, stay here and don't move. I'll bring my people over right away."
"Then let's see who's faster." Qin Xin let out a hearty laugh and vanished in a gale, moving with the speed of an agile hunter as he disappeared from sight.
Cheng Shi was stunned. This was the first ti he'd seen the man's true power on full display. If a warrior could move that fast, every other class might as well pack it in.
But then again... so what if he's fast?
Peak players don't run — they teleport!
Cheng Shi chuckled, snapped his fingers, and vanished from the spot.
Never Lost Gambling Gear!
The Blind One recognized Cheng Shi's talent and was surprised that a Fate Weaver would choose such an ability. Useful as it was, for a Fate Weaver there were far better talents that aided professional growth. A pure mobility talent like this had a rather poor cost-benefit ratio.
"What a character. Truly, what a character.
And where do you gentlen think you're going? Let
guess — you saw those two leave and thought you could sneak past a weak little woman who can't see where you are?"
The Blind One's words struck Mo Rabic and Allendor like a thunderbolt. They'd been hunching over, trying to inch away behind the Blind One's back. But barely one step in and they were caught red-handed. Both froze stiff, their faces a portrait of panic.
Of course, these two wise n hadn't stopped out of sheer guilt. They froze because the Destiny Chosen had taken action.
Singers may have been a support class, but they still had essential tools at their disposal — especially the Blind One, who, with Zhen Xin's help, had quite a few tricks up her sleeve.
"Relax. I won't tell them about this — especially not that Fate Weaver who just finished 'interrogating' you. But how he treats you going forward will depend entirely on your own behavior."
The words had barely faded when Qin Xin returned, Shi Lolin in tow. He arrived like a gust of wind, dropped Shi Lolin's corpse on the ground, and then burst into laughter as he faced the direction Cheng Shi had departed from.
"Looks like I won."
The Blind One glanced at him with mild surprise, shaking her head with an amused smile: "I've never seen such a competitive — or should I say, childlike — side of you."
Qin Xin slowly turned to face the Blind One, a aningful smile on his lips:
"Then don't miss this chance. Take a good look."
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