Foolish Game of the Chapter 973: Happy? I Was Lying

"Lord Yu Xi, why... did you insist on disguising yourself as Xiao Shi for my test?"

Du Qiyu seed deeply bothered by this question, which once again made Cheng Shi marvel at the depth of the man's obsession.

Fortunately, he was well prepared. His ntal script could handle virtually any question.

"All tests must begin from the familiar, because faith always sprouts from the smallest things.

Everyone being tested must confront their own heart. So you should understand better than I do why I chose to impersonate Cheng Shi.

On that score, his performance was far better than yours."

This was the second ti Cheng Shi had praised himself. On the surface, it seed like self-promotion, but it was actually one of his psychological tactics.

Daring to repeatedly ntion soone Xiao Qi despised while in his presence was, in fact, a way of distancing himself from that identity. The more you emphasize a sensitive subject at a sensitive mont, the more outsiders subconsciously conclude that the speaker doesn't care about the sensitivity at all.

Xiao Qi thought exactly that. He didn't believe the real Cheng Shi would repeatedly get in his face at a ti like this. It was probably just Lord Yu Xi's "objective" assessnt.

An assessnt he disagreed with.

But more importantly, Xiao Qi had already decided that Cheng Shi was Yu Xi before any of this. So Cheng Shi's performance was rely redundant backup, providing minimal reinforcent.

After hearing Xiao Shi's na twice, Du Qiyu grew curious.

"So Cheng Shi... passed your test?"

"You could say that. His devotion to his faith is far purer than you scheming humans. He can thank his good father for that."

"..."

Hearing this, even with the [Corruption] container's influence, Du Qiyu clenched his fist in bitter resentnt. He seed to deeply despise any ntion of Xiao Shi's father.

But he didn't truly lose his temper, nor did he argue or follow up. Instead, he silently commanded his tad beast to walk in the opposite direction, deeper into the forest, while respectfully saying:

"My apologies, Lord Yu Xi. For my own safety, I cannot hand over the container in person. I hope you'll understand my position."

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP—

Cheng Shi suddenly applauded. With an amused smile, he looked directly toward Du Qiyu's true body's location and nodded appreciatively:

"Good. It's precisely this caution of yours that makes

think sowhat well of you.

But thinking you can hide from

is rather overestimating yourself."

Seeing Yu Xi instantly pinpoint his location, Du Qiyu didn't feel a shred of fear. Instead, there was a sense of 'of course' relief.

'Naturally. How could I hope to fool an Envoy? Especially a [Deceit] Envoy. Using deception and concealnt against Him was like showing off with an axe before the master carpenter.'

'Wait!'

'[Deceit]...'

For so reason, Du Qiyu suddenly frowned and slightly slowed the tad beast's pace toward him in the forest.

At that exact mont, Cheng Shi gave a light snort and averted his gaze:

"Don't play petty tricks. And don't let my appreciation fall flat.

I look forward to the day you pass the next test and stand before

again. But today, this is as far as we go. My ti is limited."

The sudden warning smoothed out Du Qiyu's furrowed brow. He realized he'd been overthinking.

If even the subtlest movent couldn't escape the Envoy's notice, how could soone with such ability possibly be a fraud?

Little did he know that Cheng Shi had no idea what Du Qiyu had done in the forest. He'd simply predicted that the man wouldn't be completely well-behaved, so he tossed out an intentionally vague warning.

And yet that single ambiguous remark all but sealed Xiao Qi's fate.

Du Qiyu respectfully returned the container, placing this life-saving enhancent tool — one that could push his strength to its peak — into the tad beast's hands.

Under the container's influence, calm had led him to make the most rational decision. But the instant the container left his vicinity, the furious, anxious, desire-consud Du Qiyu ca roaring back. He stared darkly at Yu Xi in the forest clearing, equal parts terror and restraint, and bellowed with all his frustration:

"My lord, if you think so well of , can't you at least give

a second chance?

Why should that dog Xiao Shi be better than !?

I should have perford brilliantly in this trial. Your test is what made

like this!

As compensation, shouldn't you give

another shot!?

Believe , my lord, I can do better than Xiao Shi!"

Despite the volu, it was useless.

Driven by fear, Du Qiyu started shifting positions. The tad beast's expression fluctuated wildly, its steps toward Yu Xi halting and restarting, even turning back several tis.

Clearly, the Beast Tar was thrashing violently at losing his "essential item." He couldn't deny Yu Xi's identity, yet he couldn't bear to part with the invaluable container. But he also dreaded the punishnt for breaking the ga's rules. All he could do was rage more violently along that tightrope, hurling obscenities.

Most critically, there were no longer any living creatures in this forest to absorb his emotions.

Cheng Shi had swept the area clean during the preparation phase. Why else had he fled in this direction? It was deliberate. Even the escape route had been scripted.

And so the true clown began his performance. Du Qiyu's rage accumulated relentlessly. With only a single tad beast to share the emotional burden, he was on the brink of total ltdown. Within seconds, he was railing against everything — cursing the heavens, the earth, the gods — stopping just short of cursing Yu Xi and [Deceit] as well.

The phrase "blaming heaven and hating others" found its finest illustration in this mont. But for Cheng Shi, none of it held any further interest.

Because for the current Cheng Shi, the raging Du Qiyu had long ceased to be a real opponent. The mont the man had willingly surrendered the container and — freed from its influence — felt fear again...

The Death Fun Ring's full charge had already written Xiao Qi's final chapter.

No running. No hiding.

This was the script Cheng Shi had prepared for his childhood friend!

But simply killing Xiao Qi wasn't Cheng Shi's goal. The Kill-the-Heart plan's emphasis was "the heart." So the story was far from over.

Yu Xi made no move. Only his eyes grew colder, his gaze toward the tad beast increasingly dark.

This shift made the hypersensitive Du Qiyu even more hysterical. But he was helpless. To earn the supposed second chance, to survive before a Servant God, he could only command his tad beast to hurry and return the [Corruption] container.

Those few short steps beca the trial's cruelest tornt for the Beast Tar. Personally handing back the container to godhood was pushing Du Qiyu to the edge of emotional collapse.

"Give

another chance, Yu Xi! You have to give

another chance!"

His mouth was defiant. His temper was foul. His heart was quaking. In this mont, Du Qiyu had lost all human composure.

And his tornt was far from over. In truth, it had only just begun.

Because the instant Cheng Shi — stone-faced — took back the [Corruption] container from the tad-beast Xiao Qi, the corner of his mouth curled into an unmistakably mocking arc. And to the raving Du Qiyu, he spoke seven words:

"Happy?

I was lying."

...