Chapter 467: Wait, Bro, Why Are You Playing the Mirror!?

Foolish Game of the Gods

Indeed, Long Jing's mask was lost.

During a trial long ago, he'd hidden his mask to conceal his identity — only for the trial to terminate unexpectedly. He was ejected before he could retrieve it.

From that day on, Long Jing became a [Deceit] follower without a [Deceit] token.

Fortunately, he still possessed the ability to perform Oracle Acts, because he discovered that even an ordinary mask could serve as a vessel in his hands.

After learning this, he gradually abandoned the idea of recovering his mask. Not because he didn't want to, but because no matter how many times he prayed, he could never get matched into the relevant history of that trial again.

Now, this most guarded secret had been spoken aloud by Cheng Shi. After shock upon shock upon shock, Long Jing finally cracked.

"Who... are you, really?"

Cheng Shi smiled enigmatically: "You believe me now?"

"I..."

Conflict flashed through Long Jing's eyes, but in the next second he believed. Completely believed. Because Brother Mouth added one more line:

"It seems you've already forgotten me."

"Forgotten?" Long Jing froze, then shuddered violently. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, and his voice cracked: "It's you!!??"

Cheng Shi was utterly baffled listening to this. But that didn't stop Brother Mouth from continuing the performance.

He gave a casual smile, then introduced himself:

"Let's get reacquainted. I'm Yu Xi — Servant God of [Void], Envoy of [Deceit].

"Don't look at me like that. I imagine you've guessed why I've come to find you.

"Since you had the nerve to take my tongue, you should've expected this day. Shouldn't you?"

"!!??"

This time, it wasn't just Long Jing who was stunned. Even Cheng Shi — who was riding the tiger — was dumbstruck.

'What's going on?'

'What is Brother Mouth even saying?'

'What does he mean "took his tongue"?'

'Did Brother Tongue get... picked up by Long Jing?'

'He picks things up too!? Where did he even find it?'

Cheng Shi was dazed. Long Jing was even more dazed, because he suddenly realized everything was falling into place.

Previously, he could never pin down Cheng Shi's identity because he'd always assumed Cheng Shi was a player — a player with an agenda. But now, who could have imagined the person before him was an Envoy?

'He had to be the Benefactor's Envoy, because everything He knew was information Long Jing had never shared with anyone!'

'Especially the origin of the Tongue of Eating Lies!'

'Aside from Them, Long Jing couldn't imagine who else would know all this.'

'Even if some [Memory] follower happened to "replay" that particular scene, they couldn't have also "replayed" all his other memories.'

'Furthermore, the Tongue of Eating Lies hadn't activated a single time during this game — the ultimate proof that the other party could control the tongue. Given this, who could he be if not the tongue's owner?'

'Ha. If merely separating one tongue already produced an S-grade Sacred Artifact, then as the tongue's possessor, how could he possibly not be divine?'

And so, Long Jing believed.

'So [Deceit] did have an Envoy. No — [Deceit] was always supposed to have an Envoy. It was just that no one had ever discovered who it was.'

'But today! Right now!'

'He'd actually encountered a living [Deceit] Envoy, and He'd even introduced Himself. He was called... Yu Xi!'

'No wonder!'

'No wonder He'd sparred with Zhen Yi. No wonder He'd come looking for him. It had all been about this tongue!'

'His tongue!'

A wave of retrospective dread washed over Long Jing's heart.

'Thank heavens for his quick thinking in testing the other with that contract. Looking at it now, when the other accepted the contract — which represented ownership of the Tongue of Eating Lies — did that mean He'd already "forgiven" the crime of tongue-theft?'

At this thought, Long Jing's expression gradually transformed.

The terror vanished. Learning that the person before him was neither Zhen Yi nor the real Cheng Shi, but his own Benefactor's Envoy, he shed his panic and trembling entirely. His eyes suddenly burned with eagerness.

He seemed to have forgotten that mere moments ago he'd been desperately fleeing from an Envoy. But now, facing a different Envoy, he was actually smiling. Genuinely smiling.

'Someone else's Envoy and your own Envoy — how could they possibly be the same!'

'Besides, this wasn't just any Envoy. This was a treasure trove, a massive intelligence source, a guiding light on the [Deceit] path, a shortcut to understanding the Benefactor's will, and a golden opportunity to chase — even surpass — the Chosen Ones!'

'In short, this wasn't an enemy. This was a patron saint.'

'A living sugar daddy!'

Long Jing had his epiphany. As if he'd heard nothing of Brother Mouth's earlier mockery, he took half a step closer on his own initiative, his face cracking into an unabashed, fawning grin.

The speed of this transformation truly lived up to the acrobat's name.

"Lord Yu Xi, as you can see, I merely borrowed this... er, your tongue temporarily. But I've already returned the contract to you, haven't I?

"This was all a misunderstanding!

"I always wondered why this tongue was shining so brilliantly during that trial, guiding me to find it. Turns out it was yours — no, I should say it was our Lord's radiance.

"Even your tongue carries [Deceit]'s radiance, to say nothing of you yourself.

"My lord, please believe me — all those suspicions earlier weren't suspicion at all. I was simply drawn by your radiance without even knowing it!!

"Also, Lord Yu Xi, while you walk among mortals... might you need a local guide?

"Though my fraudulent arts surely pale before yours, I've at least got some strength. Would I have the honor of running a few errands for you — things you might find beneath you?"

"..."

Looking at Long Jing's beaming, sycophantic face, Cheng Shi felt a sudden moment of disorientation.

'Was this the same sharp-tongued, deeply calculating number-two of [Deceit]?'

'Was this the same acrobat whose pupils had contracted, whose body had trembled?'

'Why did this shameless look resemble... himself at certain moments?'

'Why was Long Jing performing him now?'

'Great. He'd been performing with Long Jing this whole time, and Long Jing had turned himself into a mirror.'

'Long Jing, oh Long Jing, tone it down. I preferred the defiant version of you.'

Cheng Shi was numb. But he didn't speak, because he figured Brother Mouth's performance might not be over yet.

What he didn't expect was that Brother Mouth had genuinely gone silent.

The instant Long Jing accepted Cheng Shi's "Yu Xi" identity, the Fool's Lips went back to playing dead. And so the conversation lapsed into inexplicable silence.

Fortunately, the smile hadn't left Cheng Shi's face. This "read-but-not-replied-and-still-smiling" expression made Long Jing briefly question himself. After a quick self-reflection, he rapidly adjusted his demeanor and switched to a different phrasing:

"Ahem, forgive my presumptuousness, Lord Yu Xi. Everything earlier was simply an expression of excessive excitement — an occupational hazard of being an acrobat. But no matter. I've recovered my composure.

"Please believe that I am an extremely reliable [Deceit] follower.

"So what I mean to say is: I am devout and entirely at your command."

"..."

'Ha. Today was truly educational. Never imagined the clown's occupational hazard could be stolen too.'

'This number-two of [Deceit] is quite the thief. No wonder he even managed to steal the Tongue of Eating Lies. But... where exactly did he steal it from?'

Cheng Shi desperately wanted to ask. But he was afraid Brother Mouth and Brother Tongue would get the wrong idea. He truly just wanted to gossip — not scout for spare body parts... no wait, available artifacts to pick up...

But he knew he couldn't ask that. So he took over from Brother Mouth and stepped into the role of Envoy "Yu Xi's" stand-in.

"You think... I need a helper?"

Long Jing shook his head with absolute sincerity: "No. The great Lord Yu Xi needs no assistance. But your radiance draws me to you involuntarily. I simply want to lay one more brick on the road of [Deceit]'s grand enterprise. So this is entirely my own desire to help — no, to assist you. Please, I beg you, give me this chance."

Hearing this, Cheng Shi's mouth twitched.

'Great. The mirror just got shinier.'