Chapter 945: Traps? Just Walk Through Them

Foolish Game of the Gods

At the same time Lin Xi received his intelligence, a tamed beast appeared in Cheng Shi and Chun's line of sight: a forest tree rabbit.

Perhaps thinking a familiar species from their earlier encounter would be easier to approach, Du Qiyu had once again sent a rabbit to wait along their path.

The moment the rabbit appeared, it knew it had drawn the attention of these two experts. What it hadn't expected was that Cheng Shi, after a single glance, simply changed direction, ran a half-circle, and led Chun around it entirely.

This left Du Qiyu, who had been poised to deliver his report, frozen in place. His expression darkened as he slammed a fist into the ground. Then, with no other choice, he drove another bird-type tamed beast after Cheng Shi, because this was his only chance to gain any leverage in this conflict: a chance to escape from the [Decay] Chosen.

Lin Xi had done something to him!

Lin Xi hadn't told him this. He'd figured it out on his own.

When he saw Lin Xi's utterly unperturbed demeanor, showing no fear whatsoever of betrayal, he knew Lin Xi must have placed some invisible [Decay] technique on him. Otherwise, in a game where you couldn't even trust friends, why would Lin Xi have no fear of treachery?

After all, his true body had never once gone near Lin Xi. And yet, it was precisely this fact that made Du Qiyu too terrified to simply vanish from this conflict. He feared that some unknown method had already been used on him without his knowledge.

Only a leash around the neck could make someone obedient, and if there was one thing Du Qiyu understood intimately, it was this.

A "partnership" born from a chance encounter had become shackles he couldn't remove. That was why he'd panicked and begun secretly tipping off Cheng Shi, placing his hopes on Xiao Shi and Chun being able to kill the [Decay] Chosen.

Of course, if both sides could wound each other grievously, that would be even better. If not, he was "willing" to temporarily side with Xiao Shi.

Xiao Shi was no pushover these days either, but compared to the cold-blooded, vicious Lin Xi, at least Du Qiyu and Xiao Shi didn't share any mortal grudge.

True, his deception had cost Xiao Shi the chance to "walk the path to success." But didn't Xiao Shi also meet a great father because of it?

Xiao Shi had said so himself! If you thought about it, wasn't there some credit due to Du Qiyu in that?!

Besides, during their confrontation on the highlands, neither had seen the other's true face. As long as Du Qiyu stuck firmly to his Zhao Xiaogua identity, maybe he could still muddle through?

Being a "friend" to the repulsive Xiao Shi had to be better than being a "tamed beast" for the life-threatening Lin Xi, right?

What if Xiao Shi truly hadn't recognized him?

Du Qiyu's mindset had completely reversed from the start of this trial. He no longer resented Cheng Shi for not recognizing him. Now he prayed the man absolutely wouldn't.

And so, caught in that paradox of anxiety, a bird circling high in the sky dove sharply toward the running pair, chirping out directions for an attack approach:

"Lin Xi is under a rotting tree in the forest on the west-side shade of the hill. If you keep going straight, you'll hit the plague trap he laid dead ahead.

Detour! Detour now!

Descend from the other side of the high ground. He hasn't had time to set anything up there."

Listening to the chattering bird, Cheng Shi snickered internally but put on a face of pleasant surprise. "A Gua? What are you doing here? Have you come to help us?"

"..."

The grotesquely fake enthusiasm made Du Qiyu feel physically ill, and a tingle of fear along with it. Because if Xiao Shi didn't intend to target him, he would never put on such a nauseating performance right now.

Such transparently false warmth could only mean one thing: Xiao Shi had already classified him as one of the enemies.

'But I'm willing to be your friend again! Why are you still performing for me?!'

Du Qiyu was furious. His temper was quick to flare, but circumstances demanded rapid adaptation. And so, when forced to choose between dignity and survival, he gritted his teeth and chose the latter. He steered the bird closer to Cheng Shi, letting out a "mournful" cry:

"Xiao Shi, you recognized me, didn't you?"

The smile on Cheng Shi's face grew even brighter: "Of course I recognized you, A Gua!"

"Fuck!" Du Qiyu's true body slammed a fist into the ground, hatred nearly spilling from his eyes. But the bird following Cheng Shi maintained its "sorrowful" act.

"I... I know you recognized me, Xiao Shi. That's right, I'm Xiao Qi. I used A Gua's identity precisely because I was too ashamed to face you.

I didn't know about what happened back then. It was Rong Mama who lied and misled me. You know how it was. We were the best of friends! Of course I wanted you to be adopted by Dad... by Director Du."

Hearing this, the expression on Cheng Shi's face gradually turned cold. He scoffed: "I don't care."

"..."

A single "I don't care" left Du Qiyu with nothing to say.

Chun, running ahead of Cheng Shi, had caught the gist of the relationship between these two. Her gaze sharpened, and a thread of killing intent surfaced as she looked at the bird.

She was like Lin Xi in that regard: she despised all betrayers.

"Want me to deal with him?" Chun asked suddenly.

The question didn't earn a response from Cheng Shi, but it terrified Du Qiyu. The bird beat its wings and shot skyward for a moment before swooping back down, dripping with pathos.

"Xiao Shi... I know you hate me..."

"I don't."

"..."

"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" Du Qiyu's true body, hidden far away, had a face the color of liver. His eyes blazed with fury, and the fists he'd been smashing into the ground were now raw and bloody. His groveling had earned him not forgiveness but icy mockery. For someone as prideful as him, this was worse than death.

But being alive meant having everything. So Lin Xi had to die.

"I'm glad you don't hate me. I... didn't come specifically seeking your forgiveness. I am, after all, a [Deceit] believer. In this era of [Void] solidarity, I must obey the Benefactor's edict and annihilate every enemy of [Oblivion].

I deliberately got close to Lin Xi to be your eyes. Remember what I said? I would serve as your hidden eyes, watching over you.

Believe me, only the northern high ground is free of Lin Xi's traps. Only by going that way can you catch him off guard. He doesn't know you're coming yet, but the closer you get, the more alert he'll become. Change course, Xiao Shi! This window is closing!"

Cheng Shi frowned, considering Du Qiyu's true motive.

By Cheng Shi's reckoning, there was absolutely no reason for the man to suddenly help him.

The divine edict was just an excuse. Completing a god's edict did come with rewards, true, but failing to complete it carried no punishment. So if Xiao Qi's starting point was devotion...

That was simply laughable.

A [Deceit] believer's devotion lay only in offering lies. Which meant his arrival had to be yet another deception.

From the coded messages in the forest to the advance warning just now, what was this old friend, who appeared to have allied with Lin Xi, actually doing? Switching sides, or putting on a show?

Cheng Shi leaned toward a combination of both. He understood these liars all too well. They would never do anything without benefit. But given Xiao Qi's performance this trial, could this half-baked Beast Tamer truly play the fisherman who profits after the snipe and the clam exhaust each other?

'Has he been hiding his true strength all along?'

Cheng Shi wasn't sure anymore. The one thing he was certain of was that he would never follow an outsider's directions heading into a confrontation. So he held his course, maintaining speed, and called ahead to Chun:

"Lin Xi's traps. Can you handle them?"

Without turning around, Chun nodded: "Simple. Just walk through them."

"...?"

"[Decay]'s plague is strong in breadth, not intensity. It won't kill quickly. With my [Prosperity] talent as a foundation, I can hold out until I've obliterated all the plague from my body.

So just stay behind me the entire way.

The [Oblivion] traps, though, those are the real concern. We need to watch for being hurled into a world on the brink of annihilation.

Fortunately, [Oblivion] is only his secondary faith, so his trap options are limited. As long as I'm careful enough, my command banner can tell me where [Oblivion]'s aura lurks.

Cheng Shi, right now you don't need to do anything. Just wait until he and I are locked in combat, then hit him with maximum disruption. That's all I need to drive this dagger back into his heart myself!"

With that, Chun reached into her chest and gripped the long-since-rotted dagger tightly.

...