Chapter 975: Xiao Qi's Obsession and Past |
When Sun Miao reappeared before Cheng Shi, the wise man was unmistakably furious.
The Fate Weaver's return without a scratch meant he'd already dealt with the Beast Tamer. But the problem was: why didn't you let me vent some frustration too!?
'What happened to the trust between us as fellow History School Vice Presidents? The friendship forged through trading divine intelligence?'
'And how did you handle the Beast Tamer and ensure he won't resurrect?'
Sun Miao was bursting with questions. But seeing Cheng Shi's expression — one that practically screamed "I dug a hole and I'm waiting for you to jump in" — he hesitated, chose not to ask, and settled for a heavy snort.
"Should I also thank you for letting me out?"
Cheng Shi was amused by this quintessentially [Folly]-flavored retort. He nodded repeatedly: "If you'd like to, I wouldn't refuse the courtesy."
"..." Sun Miao's nostrils trembled with rage. But he quickly narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Cheng Shi: "Something's off. If you've already wrapped everything up, this trial should be completely meaningless for us.
Yet you released me without saying goodbye, and without suggesting our next move. What are you scheming?
Give me a break, Vice President Cheng. In my brief time with you, I can see you're not someone who dwells on the past. Especially when the person being mourned is Du Qiyu.
What do you want me to do?
What, am I wrong? You're standing in front of me but saying nothing. Isn't that just waiting for me to volunteer?
Last time you at least put on a pretense. This time you're not even pretending?
Don't look at me like that. My wisdom has never been for others to exploit. Don't you dare—
Wait. The trial's history holds no interest for you anymore. The only thing I can think of that you'd care about is the Beast Tamer. You want me to search the Beast Tamer's corpse for old memories?"
Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, suppressing a grin, and shook his head: "I never thought about any of that. Don't project your ideas onto me to 'slander' me."
"..." Sun Miao regarded Cheng Shi with a peculiar expression. After an internal struggle, he said with a dark face: "Fine, fine, fine. Let's say it was my idea. Where's his body?"
When it came to choosing between pride and intelligence, this History School Vice President chose the latter without hesitation.
Seeing how proactive the wise man had become, Cheng Shi couldn't very well keep stomping on his dignity. So he casually glanced in the direction of the thick forest, and the very next second, Sun Miao vanished with a "whoosh."
By the time he found Cheng Shi again, an entire day and night had passed.
The Boro battlefield's smoke was gradually settling. The Grand Tribunal and Tower of Logic's encirclement had all but collapsed.
Keinlaur — no, Delvo — was undeniably a brilliant commander. He possessed not only terrifying military acumen but also extraordinary personal charisma that somehow made this battered War Legion grow larger as the battle raged.
By now, countless knights and scholars who'd lost their faith's direction, having witnessed the reality of war, had defected to [War]'s banner without reservation.
The trajectory of faith's evolution played out before Cheng Shi's eyes once more.
But every time such reflections struck, Cheng Shi recalled what [Birth] had shown him. A single sentence, a single evaluation, had been enough to birth a true god from faith's evolution. Could that omniscient, omnipotent [Origin]... truly be "defeated"?
If not, what was the Fear Faction's purpose?
Mere survival?
Heh. Look at the present. As far as the eye could see, this battlefield held only the victors' cheers and the defeated's bones. There were no lucky survivors.
Just as he was thinking this, Sun Miao returned.
The History School Vice President's expression was profoundly complex. He approached Cheng Shi from behind in silence, opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words.
Cheng Shi didn't ask. The two simply gazed at the blood-soaked battlefield in the distance, wordless for a long time.
Not until the sun set and the afterglow faded did Sun Miao tell Cheng Shi a story whose protagonist was Xiao Qi.
"You've also said there's no need to rehash ancient history. So I won't play the tiresome narrator.
In short, after Boss Du adopted him, Du Qiyu's life wasn't as rosy as it looked.
He'd gotten a taste of how sweet lies could be from a certain someone. So he began employing deception in every aspect of life to extract more profit, eventually aiming his petty schemes at Boss Du's business dealings.
Boss Du's operation was sizable, and his partners were all shrewd operators. A clever child was no match for these old foxes. So the self-appointed social master never realized he'd become someone else's pawn.
And their prey was, of course, Du Qiyu's father.
So you see, every hunter's growth must involve a real hunt. Or being hunted.
Before long, the rivals' successive attacks left Boss Du floundering in a capital crisis. And Du Qiyu, realizing he'd caused the mess, had no choice but to accept the foxes' terms to keep them quiet, becoming the straw that broke the camel's back.
And so, through this internal and external pincer, Du Qiyu successfully 'ruined' the very businesses he would have inherited.
Boss Du was betrayed and disheartened. He took his private savings and vanished. The glamorous stepmother, deprived of wealth, naturally had no use for a burden. So on the year Du Qiyu came of age, he became an 'orphan' once more.
Well? Are you satisfied with this ending?"
Cheng Shi chuckled softly, offering no comment.
But the story wasn't over.
"From that point on, the Du family boy's psyche began to warp. On one hand, he sustained his image as a rich young master through cons. On the other, he could only survive by picking through garbage.
Interestingly, he was picky even about garbage. He wouldn't touch anything unless it came from a wealthy household. His reasoning? His pampered stomach couldn't handle poor people's scraps.
Hearing this, you probably understand why he hated you so much. Because you and picking through garbage...
Apologies. I don't mean to pry into your privacy. But Du Qiyu was very interested in this subject. He even returned to that orphanage after he 'went independent,' where he happened to run into Zhao Xiaogua — your 'A Gua' — who'd also come back looking for childhood happiness.
A Gua was the real winner. After a certain someone was taken away by a good father, A Gua became the second orphan in the institution to be adopted by a wealthy businessman.
His father kept A Gua's name, giving him only the surname 'Zhao.'
Honest A Gua was nothing like Du Qiyu. He had no schemes and no drama, living the most 'ordinary' life: well-fed and clothed, studied abroad, graduated from a prestigious university, and eventually took over the family business...
This life trajectory — one that should have been his — was inexplicably grafted onto a friend so unremarkable you'd lose him in a crowd. Hearing this broke Du Qiyu completely.
But what broke him even more was that Zhao Xiaogua told him about your situation. He said you had a father who cherished and loved you...
Did you know about this, Fate Weaver?"
...