Chapter 966: The Trade Can Continue, but I Have One Condition |
Cheng Shi had agreed, but hadn't spoken yet.
Not because he was still deliberating, but because the situation had changed. After the Fool's Lips uttered "It's [Deceit]," Yu Go had actually recoiled.
The [Decay] Envoy clearly didn't trust His own intellect. He was terrified this was a trap orchestrated by [Void]. What He couldn't figure out was: if [Deceit] had truly set this up and sent Him here, why would [Deceit]'s own Envoy expose the scheme at the very moment the deal was about to close?
Where was his devotion?
Or was this... a scheme within a scheme?
Yu Go's beady eyes were filled with scrutiny. At this moment, He finally looked like the figure Big Cat had described. If anything caused the slightest stir, Cheng Shi had zero doubt the runaway emperor would vanish instantly.
What should have been a simple transaction had become a crisis requiring Cheng Shi to urgently rebuild trust.
But for a "Deceit Envoy" skilled in performance and sophistry, this was child's play. As easy as eating Finger Bread and drinking nose drippings.
And so Cheng Shi began his performance.
"As a party in this transaction, I've fulfilled my obligation to disclose.
Although I'm a liar, I never use someone else's lies to make trades. Even if that someone is my Benefactor, [Deceit].
If I want to deceive, I'll do the deceiving myself. So relax. What I said just now was a warning for you. You were deceived.
The one who sent you here wasn't [Fate]. It was [Deceit].
But you also weren't deceived. Because [Deceit] would never, like a certain someone from [Descent], enjoy bullying the 'weak.'
Whatever you prayed to Him for, He merely played a small joke on you as the fee for granting that prayer. You know how it is. In this entire universe, only He would pull something like that."
"..."
Yu Go was completely frozen. His brain, rotted through by sycophantic courtiers, could no longer sustain this level of mental gymnastics. He simply tried his best to decode Mister Yu Xi's riddle and translate it into words He could understand:
[Deceit] had toyed with Him. But the trade could apparently continue.
As for why it could continue, He didn't understand. So for the moment, He hesitated, not daring to commit the way He had at the start.
Clearly, compared to [Deceit], Yu Go trusted [Fate] more.
Seeing this, Cheng Shi's eyes shifted and he added:
"You seem unsure about this trade... In that case, let me share something you don't know. I'm actually a [Fate] believer, too."
"!?"
Yu Go's beady eyes went wide. "Is this a new scam?"
"No, no, no," Cheng Shi laughed heartily. "As you know, I'm role-playing a player called Cheng Shi.
And Cheng Shi happens to be a [Fate] believer. So I have insights into [Fate] as well.
He... does not pity the common people. He favors only the fixed.
So if you are one of the fixed, you needn't worry about your fate when the [Void] era draws its curtain. But from what I've observed, you don't appear to be.
Which makes you one of the 'common people.'
And if you're a common person, ha, I'm sorry, but no matter how exceptional or outstanding you may be, this sovereign of [Void] won't spare you a single glance. Let alone guidance.
[Fate] worships the fixed. Change exists only within [Deceit].
I don't know if you can understand what I'm saying, but here's my point: the only [Void] sovereign willing to provide guidance to mere mortals is [Deceit].
Because He needs to challenge 'the fixed' to manufacture His own amusement.
So it could only have been Him who sent you.
Understand? But He won't harm you. He merely collected a little 'fun tax' from you."
"..."
Sensing the moment was right, Cheng Shi decisively cut himself off.
If this trade devolved into a lecture on logic, the more eagerly he explained, the more this cautious [Decay] Envoy would retreat. Counterproductive.
In all things, less is more. Let the other party fill in the blanks. After all, Cheng Shi didn't actually know why this Envoy-Emperor had come here in the first place.
Sure enough, Yu Go began filling in the blanks.
But His available brainpower was rather limited. After much deliberation, He arrived at a single conclusion: someone of Mister Yu Xi's caliber had been rambling for this long without attacking, which meant He had zero interest in Yu Go himself.
His willingness to complete the trade was most likely out of respect for [Deceit].
Armed with this understanding, Yu Go finally recovered His "confidence."
He turned His beady eyes toward Cheng Shi, mulled it over for a moment, then approached with a warm expression. He placed the container in Cheng Shi's palm and solemnly entrusted:
"Then I leave everything in your hands, Mister Yu Xi."
"..."
'How did a perfectly good clown show turn into Liu Bei entrusting his orphan to Zhuge Liang on his deathbed?'
'I don't even look like Zhuge Liang. And you, with that build and demeanor, are no Liu Bei. You're Liu Shan!'
Cheng Shi's vision blurred for an instant, as though he saw a trembling chubby boy pressing the imperial seal into his hands and crying out at the top of his lungs:
"Chancellor, save me!"
"..."
'Look what the poor kid's been driven to...'
Gazing at the [Decay] container in his hand, Cheng Shi was momentarily overcome with emotion.
Who could have imagined that this "divinity extraction tool" — something ordinary players didn't even know existed — would come so easily? He'd always thought he was making the fastest progress on the [Chaos] path, but now it seemed [Decay] was about to overtake him. After all, he was already wielding [Decay]'s Faded authority, while the Benefactor who'd usurped [Chaos] had granted him no authority at all.
But he was ultimately a [Void] walker. No matter how many authorities he held or how authentic his identities, the only one who could truly protect him would always be the Fun God.
He could only hope this container brought not disaster but the Fun God's genuine will.
Cheng Shi steadied his emotions and, in front of the container's previous owner, quietly stowed it away.
He looked at Yu Go and thought: one thing at a time. The trade was complete, sure, but if he didn't say something about Yu Go's disgusting ambush on [Prosperity] believers, wouldn't he be betraying Big Cat's friendship?
But having just accepted the man's "gift," how could he change faces without showing his hand?
Oh, right. The Fading still needed to happen!
No wonder Yu Go's forehead was sweating more profusely. His pause had apparently triggered fresh worries in the Envoy.
But Fading alone probably wouldn't be enough to appease Big Cat's grudge. Hmm. He needed to think about how to squeeze this runaway emperor who'd delivered himself to his door.
Cheng Shi's eyes darted about, schemes bubbling. Within seconds, an idea struck.
'Got it!'
"Your Majesty Yu Go, the trade can continue. But I have one condition."
"?" Yu Go's expression instantly changed. He stared at Cheng Shi in alarm, scarcely believing his ears. "But sir, I've already given you the container. The trade is half-done — how can you change the terms now?"
"Why can't I?" Cheng Shi's lips curled into an enigmatic smile. "I never stated what my side of the bargain was, did I?
Whether it's depositing the container or paying the Fading fee for your faith, those are your chips. I merely moved part of the transaction's content ahead of the chip reveal. I believe this adjusted sequence in no way compromises a sincere trade, wouldn't you agree?"
"..."
'I WOULD NOT agree!!'
Yu Go mustered a stiff, dry laugh, feeling He'd been swindled by [Void] twice over.
'Damn it! [Deceit] is truly evil!'
...