"So after all that talk, can I trust you?"
Sun Miao froze for a mont. She hadn't expected Cheng Shi to be so fixated on the word "trust," and she didn't believe anything resembling genuine trust could co from a liar's mouth. But regardless, she couldn't say anything else right now, so she nodded and typed out her reply:
"If you can even trust Zhen Xin, then you can certainly trust .
At least for this trial, our goals are aligned, and the one who initiated that alignnt was you."
"Good, in that case..." Cheng Shi smiled and raised a single finger. "One last question, Vice President Sun. How many Gods have you had an audience with?"
"What does that have to do with the story of [Order]?"
"Nothing. It's purely my curiosity.
But if my curiosity isn't satisfied, well, then it will have everything to do with it."
"..."
Shaless! Absolutely shaless!
Sun Miao paused. If it weren't for the fact that a Mi Master's expression rarely shifted, she would have gone dark-faced on the spot. After a mont of internal struggle, she chose to concede: "My Benefactor [Folly], and... my Benefactor [Birth]."
[Birth]!
So he really was a Borrowed-Birth Infant, a faith-fusion assassin who had planted himself inside the Mi Master's womb!
Unsurprising. Cheng Shi had already guessed as much. He nodded, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes as though sothing had just clicked into place.
"I suspect your fusion happened very recently, perhaps even in the last few days. Otherwise, the Master wouldn't have fallen for it."
"That's correct. The great wave of faith fusion has only just begun. Completing my fusion this early already puts
a step ahead of the rest, wouldn't you say?"
Sure, sure, sure. Fusing two faiths through sheer personal ability certainly deserved a word of praise.
But Cheng Shi just smiled and said nothing more.
"Cheng Shi, I can tell you're very interested in my Benefactor, but I'd advise you not to go looking for a scolding. All you'll get is a single line..."
"'Do you think your foolish act has an answer?'
Is that the one?"
"..." Sun Miao's expression finally shifted. "You've had an audience with Him!"
Cheng Shi smiled again. 'An audience? I even cursed Him the sa way He curses you. If you knew about that, would you convert to worshipping
instead?'
As expected, [Folly] wasn't truly omniscient and omnipotent either. His current proximity to [Birth] was most likely an attempt to probe the next move of his own Fun God Benefactor.
The Fun God had just escorted [Birth], that elder brother among the deities, into the interstice of [Existence] to witness the truth of the universe. And now, [Folly], who had never been known to fuse with any god, had suddenly fused with [Birth]. That subtle speed of follow-up was, in a sense, already an answer in itself.
[Folly] was also investigating the truth of the universe, or more precisely, what interested Him was likely the Fun God's reaction after discovering that truth.
Nobody knew what the Fun God intended to do. And since nobody knew, [Folly] had to be the first to find out.
Just as He had said, even if it was a foolish act, He had to be the first god to learn of it and carry it out.
What a competitive, ultimate-overachiever, pro-max-plus-ultra ntality.
After deducing several divine movents from the faintest traces of faith fusion, Cheng Shi contentedly shared the story of [Order] with Sun Miao. Of course, he couldn't go around blabbing that the Fun God had goaded [Chaos] into attempted usurpation, so he rely hinted at [Order]'s schism.
After all, Cheng Shi hadn't forgotten that he still held the identity of an [Order] Inquisitor. If intelligence about [Order]'s fracturing could leak out through the mighty hand of the History School, then as the only "imperially-appointed Inquisitor" currently walking the mortal world under [Order]'s banner, wouldn't his status be elevated by proxy?
And so, in every exchange of intelligence, the information being traded was actually secondary. What truly mattered was how to seamlessly weave personal will into the transaction, and ensure that subsequent events unfolded according to one's own design.
Cheng Shi was a master of this art, not only because he held divine intelligence that countless players would kill for, but also because he possessed the silver tongue of a born liar.
Perhaps even he hadn't realized it yet, but through these scattered, fragnted exchanges of information, his actions had already begun to resemble an invisible hand stirring the winds and clouds of the Faith Ga.
Sun Miao was deeply shaken by the revelation of [Order]'s schism. She questioned Cheng Shi repeatedly about its authenticity, and he responded with the sa line every ti: "Your Benefactor told . If you have doubts, take them up with Him."
Sun Miao instantly assud the "Benefactor" he referred to had to be [Folly], not [Birth]. But why had her Benefactor only offered her a single line that was half-insult, half-riddle, while telling this liar such closely guarded secrets?
She couldn't figure it out, yet she also began to re-examine and scrutinize everything Cheng Shi had said, for she couldn't guarantee that a liar's words contained one hundred percent truth.
But this was clearly not the priority right now. Having learned an earth-shattering secret, Sun Miao turned her attention back to the trial.
"A fractured True God, whether on the path to reunification or further disintegration, offers countless opportunities for participants and investigators to stake their claim.
No wonder you and Zhen Xin both ca chasing after [Order]'s question. Indeed, possessing intelligence ans possessing the initiative. My path was never wrong.
But for now, where should we look for Keinlaur? He's the linchpin of this trial. We cannot afford to lose him."
Sun Miao's words didn't sound like a question so much as thinking aloud. Cheng Shi listened with a smile, then shook his head.
"I just realized we've been overlooking sothing."
"What?"
"Rember the Keinlaur that Lid Yara killed?
If his slices are everywhere, then why should we fixate on the one who was abducted?"
Cheng Shi took two steps toward the tent entrance, pulled back the flap, and gazed out at the still-orderly military camp. He smiled.
"Let's wait a bit longer. Perhaps when Keinlaur is ant to appear, he'll show himself.
As for what the kidnappers can extract from Keinlaur's mouth, heh, a Supre Inquisitor with decades of trial experience hardly needs outsiders to coach him on how to handle an 'interrogation.'"
And so, after the two players abandoned their search for Keinlaur, the entire central camp sank back into silence. Everything continued to run in perfect order, as though no trial had ever taken place here, as though no humans called "players" had ever set foot in this place.
But let us not forget, this was no re training camp. This was the vanguard of war itself, the iron line of the Grand Tribunal's encirclent of the War Legion. And those watching with predatory eyes were not limited to the encircling forces. The War Legion, hell-bent on leaving their mark upon the Land of Hope, had never submitted. They still yearned to spread the flas of war to every corner of this continent.
And so, on the third night of the trial, a real night raid finally ca.
The War Legion's right flank advanced under cover of darkness, striking at the junction between the Grand Tribunal and the Tower of Logic's encirclent. That junction was held by the Grand Tribunal's left flank and the Tower of Logic's right-wing defensive forces.
Their aim was to ignite hostility between these two nations, long-established powers of the continent, by dragging them into a three-way battle. The resulting chaos would create an opening for the weaker War Legion to exploit.
Everyone knew the Grand Tribunal and the Tower of Logic had been at odds for ages, with friction between them a constant. If this gambit succeeded, this central-axis battlefield would beco the War Legion's sole breakthrough point and escape route.
And so the night battle erupted.
Word reached the central camp quickly. When the commanding officers discovered that the Supre Inquisitor was not present, they reacted as though accustod to this, showing no panic. Instead, they thodically deployed their divisions to advantageous defensive positions, maintaining vigilance against a possible feint.
Seeing this, Cheng Shi and Sun Miao knew that Keinlaur had pulled this kind of maneuver more than once or twice before.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before another report ca from the front lines: Lord Keinlaur had already anticipated the War Legion's movents and had secretly traveled to the left flank to command and suppress. The situation was nearly under control.
The mont they heard this, the two of them imdiately reversed course and raced toward the Grand Tribunal's left flank.
anwhile, a young hawk that had been circling the area lately ca flapping back to the river valley's depths in a state of frantic agitation. It landed violently on a tree above a subterranean cave and screeched down into the darkness:
"You let Keinlaur go on your own initiative? Lin Xi, do you have any idea what you've done? All the traps we set were for nothing!"
Shortly after, Lin Xi erged from the cave with a furrowed brow, dragging an unconscious Keinlaur behind him. The mont the furious young hawk saw that Keinlaur was still there, it froze.
"..."
Lin Xi listened to the hawk's report, then gazed toward the Grand Tribunal's left-flank front line, deep in thought.
"It's ti for you to earn your keep, Beast Tar. Is this the enemy's counterattack signal, or is there really another Keinlaur commanding the left flank?
Give
an answer, and only then can I determine our next move."
"I..." The young hawk's body stiffened. It glanced around resentfully for a mont before flinging a feather that embedded itself in Keinlaur's thigh. "Interrogate him. Only he knows whether it's real or fake!"
Lin Xi scoffed at this and hurled Keinlaur's body onto the ground.
"He's dead?!" The young hawk's voice pitched even higher. "Lin Xi, you killed him behind your ally's back? What did you find out?"
Lin Xi glanced at the hawk and shook his head, a mocking and chilling smile spreading across his face.
"Sotis I wonder whether you're really a 2,600-point [Deceit] believer."
"..."
Xiao Qi fell instantly silent, a flicker of suppressed fury passing through his eyes.
Catching that subtle shift in expression, Lin Xi felt a twinge of uncertainty. 'Is he hiding his true strength, or is he genuinely this volatile?'
But regardless, now was not the ti to push away his only cannon fodder. So Lin Xi offered a mix of persuasion and consolation:
"Drop the act, Beast Tar. Pretending to be hot-headed doesn't reduce the danger you face on this mission.
I'm not arrogant enough to face two opponents alone, and you shouldn't pin your hopes on shoving
to the front to solve every problem in this trial.
I told you he's strong. If you want to survive, our only option is to cooperate."
Lin Xi casually erased all traces of Keinlaur's corpse, then gazed into the distance and sighed.
"Prominent figures who earned their place in history really shouldn't be underestimated. Every last one of them is a shrewd liar.
I didn't kill him. The mont he fell into my hands, he had already planned his own death.
Given that, the Keinlaur at the left flank is most likely the real one. Which ans the one waiting by the stump might now be that Fate Weaver.
If that's the case, let's go. Best not to keep the farr waiting."
With that, Lin Xi vanished silently into the forest.
The young hawk stared toward the left-flank battle line, conflict written across its features. But soon enough, it followed.
Because it didn't want to die.
...
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