Chapter 533: That Brilliant Gleam of Humanity |
Dizel's defenses had crumbled. Watching this unfold, Cheng Shi let out a cold laugh in his heart.
'You're wrong, Dizel. Your understanding is hopelessly outdated.'
'Your great and glorious mother had long since drafted a new blueprint for universal prosperity — even laid the foundation for it — and gifted Her authority to all the gods...'
'Of course, you're right about one thing: She didn't share this authority with me willingly.'
'Because the one who shared it with me was my friend Big Cat — not the dead Mother of Prosperity.'
At this thought, Cheng Shi shook his head.
Seeing his disdainful attitude, Dizel was both shocked and furious.
Shocked because this person very likely really was the so-called Prosperity hunter — someone who'd even played the role of a scavenger during its mother's fall. Furious because such a powerful, well-connected being refused to cooperate with it, choosing instead to oppose it — even mocking it in what was clearly a one-sided curb stomp!
Who was he? Why was he doing this? What right did he have?
"Why?!
Why do this to me!
Prosperity possessed not a shred of maternal love — She only knew how to devour! Decay is a senile fool who refuses to abdicate! They've always been selfish — always!
And so are you!
You're doing this for yourself too! Fine Prosperity hunter you are — what possible benefit could hunting me bring you?
I've never harmed you! I only want to reclaim what's mine!
Why do this to me?!"
Dizel had truly snapped. It had lost all reason, its logic falling apart completely.
When you stripped it all down, it had always been acting for itself too. Since everyone was the same, what right did it have to criticize others?
It all came down to who had the bigger fist. That person called the shots.
Though — cursing those other two, Cheng Shi was a hundred percent on board. But cursing me? What's that about?
Cheng Shi scoffed, his expression mocking:
"Why?
Dizel, I've never done anything to you!"
"You want to hunt me — isn't that enough?!" Dizel shook its withered vines, roaring maniacally.
"No, no, no — you've got it wrong. Even if I truly am a Prosperity hunter, it was you who made me one."
Cheng Shi struggled to raise a finger and wagged it at Dizel. Then he wiped away every trace of amusement and said coldly:
"Don't forget — between the two of us, the first lie was told by you.
In a liar's eyes, the moment the other party opens their mouth to deceive, the challenge has been issued. The conflict becomes inevitable.
In the name of Deceit — as His follower, in this duel of lies...
I cannot lose!"
With that, Cheng Shi quirked his lips and executed an elegant bow.
"Oh, right — I forgot to introduce myself.
You may call me Yu Xi. I am His Herald, and also a hunter who hunts Prosperity."
The moment those words landed, Cheng Shi broke free of the feeble withered vines, gripped the ring on his finger, and was about to use Le Le'er's divinity-forged ring to annihilate Le Le'er's own brother — when Dizel screamed and stopped him.
"You can't kill me! You can't kill me!
I have a contract with Nangong! If I die, she won't survive either!
You know her! She remembers you! She keeps a ledger of debts — and your name is written in it!
She wants to repay you! She says you're a good person!
You can't let her die! You won't let her die!!!"
Dizel was terrified. Fear was coalescing inside the hall. But the truth was, Cheng Shi hadn't actually intended to kill it. He'd figured that Lightning Punishment probably couldn't destroy it anyway — he'd only meant to make it behave. What he hadn't expected was that Dizel genuinely believed Cheng Shi could end its existence.
This Prosperity hunter carried its mother's authority and Le Le'er's aura. Dizel didn't dare gamble on whether his methods were lethal, because it didn't want to die. It refused to accept such an end!
But its words did remind Cheng Shi of something.
A contract!
Nangong had indeed been deceived into signing a contract with it. 'That poor girl — how much has she suffered under Dizel's thumb?'
'When other people pick up divine artifacts, their lives take off. How come you ended up with a ball and chain instead?'
'Lucky for you, you ran into me. For the sake of that... gratitude ledger... wait, who even keeps those in the apocalypse? Whatever — in honor of this so-called gratitude ledger, I'll save you one more time.'
'I hope I'm not wrong — you want to be free of it.'
With that thought, Cheng Shi smiled and hit himself with several healing spells. Dizel had already ceased its attack — the moment it realized it couldn't kill Cheng Shi, it stopped wasting its power.
Cheng Shi recovered his condition, then pulled something out of his personal space — a... grotesque tongue.
"Tsk. Come to think of it, the contract of the Barren Walker — your former shell — was also eaten by my Brother Tongue here.
I'm guessing the contract you signed with Nangong used the same pitch you just tried on me. And that means the contract is a lie.
Brother Tongue, today's your lucky day — bonus meal!"
The Tongue of Eating Lies instantly perked up, twisting its tip in excited circles on Cheng Shi's palm.
"Where? Where's the bonus meal? Hurry up and serve it!"
Where?
'I'd like to know that too.'
Cheng Shi held Brother Tongue and looked toward Dizel, only to see its countless wax-eyes contract sharply in absolute terror:
"What are you doing?! I won't let you break my contract! Nangong won't agree to break it either!
Without me, she'd die immediately in the gods' trials!
It was me — I saved her all those times!"
"..."
That was genuinely a valid point. Cheng Shi furrowed his brow. He figured it was better not to handle this behind Nangong's back. Besides, without waking her, he probably had no way of even locating the contract.
So he tucked Brother Tongue at his waist and fired a Purification spell at Nangong.
Nangong woke. She frowned, feeling something hard digging into her from below. When she opened her eyes and saw the Gift of Sores in her hand had assumed its battle form, her entire body jolted.
Especially when she realized the enemy facing the dagger appeared to be Cheng Shi...
In that instant, strength surged from somewhere deep within Nangong. She gritted her teeth, hauled herself up, and in a flash threw her arms wide, shielding Cheng Shi with her body. She faced the battle-ready Gift of Sores with unwavering resolve, pleading desperately:
"Don't kill him! Please — don't kill him! He saved my life!"
"..."
"..."
Cheng Shi smiled. A genuinely happy smile.
Seeing this, he truly felt his heart warm for an instant. It reminded him of the day Old Jia had hauled an entire case of cola home for him — and once again, he felt the trust and warmth of human connection.
'What a silly girl. Even after I knocked her out again, she still shielded me.'
His gaze softened as he looked at Nangong's thin back. He spoke gently: "Thank you. Thank you, Nangong."
Nangong's mind was still foggy, but she knew one thing for certain — she absolutely couldn't let the Gift of Sores harm Cheng Shi. Failing to repay a debt of gratitude was one thing, but actively harming someone? That she couldn't bear.
Even if he'd discovered the secret she carried, he... was a good person. He probably wouldn't tell anyone. Probably.
Thinking this, Nangong clenched her fists, her eyes growing even more resolute.
In that moment, within the palace of the Rosna Court, the radiant gleam of humanity shone brilliantly.
Meanwhile, the "heartless villain" Dizel... couldn't bring itself to laugh at all.
'Wait — Nangong, who exactly are you shielding?!'
'The one you should be protecting is ME!!'
'The one who's about to die is ME!!!'
But Dizel was already drowning in despair and couldn't even muster the energy to point this out. Because right now, its countless wax-eyes were watching the tongue tucked at Cheng Shi's waist suddenly leap onto Nangong, and then—
"Slap—"
Gave Nangong a vicious smack across the face.
Nangong was dumbfounded. She clutched her cheek in disbelief, frozen in place.
But in that moment of stunned silence, a soft "click" echoed through the air — and the invisible contract shattered.
From this moment on, one gained freedom. The other gained... self-imprisonment.
"Slurp. A snack's still a snack." Despite the words, the Tongue of Eating Lies still wriggled with satisfaction.
Cheng Shi chuckled and added:
"Tsk. Interesting.
Are you going to retract on your own, or should I help you pull out these rotted branches and spoiled fruit? Hmm, Dizel?"
"..."
"!!!"
The instant his words fell, the Gift of Sores reverted to an ordinary dagger. Not because it didn't want to resist, but because wisdom meant knowing when you were beaten. It understood it had lost, and its only hope was that submission might earn a better outcome.
And Nangong, watching all of this? Her mind went blank again.
She clutched her reddened-beneath-the-pale cheek, turning in disbelief to look at Cheng Shi. When she realized that the "villain" in this scene was actually this Offspring Priest...
The silly girl's world came crashing down.
...
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