Chapter 1142: Steal a Chicken, Lose the Rice

Foolish Game of the Gods

Ji Yue had come for the Torchbearers' God Creation Plan.

Though Sun Miao had already provided a direction, the path to seizing Decay's Divine Throne remained uncharted territory.

To smooth the way for the plan, Ji Yue had prayed for a trial to seek "inspiration for creating a god"—and then she'd run into the famous Fate Weaver from the 0221 Experiment Site.

Ji Yue's favorable impression of Cheng Shi didn't stem solely from that incident. In past discussions among the Torchbearers about the overall situation, the Fate Weaver's name came up regularly. Every Torchbearer who'd dealt with him had given him a decent review—"cunning lone wolf" at worst, and never a truly negative word.

On top of that, An Mingyu—who had stepped down from her Fire Seeker role—had also affirmed Cheng Shi's capabilities. Gradually, Ji Yue had become curious about this person.

She believed she was a fair judge of character, so the moment she met Cheng Shi in person, she felt he was worth inviting.

Unfortunately, the Fate Weaver had refused to join the torch-passing cause. There was nothing she could do.

After Cheng Shi left, she'd spent a long time investigating the statue without finding any clues about ascension. Then she turned her attention to Kandert, who was frantically hunting the escaped prisoners.

By then, Cheng Shi had already burned Kandert's house. When Ji Yue arrived at the scene, all she found was the blasted-open ground beneath the bedroom—whatever had been buried there was long gone.

She realized Kandert might be a lead too, but when she searched for him, the candidate Executioner was nowhere to be found. So she came to the Folly Prohibition Office to try her luck.

But before she could even climb over the wall, someone intercepted her.

The person's appearance caught her off guard. She raised an eyebrow and smiled: "What should I call you?"

"Zhao Xishi."

Zhao Xishi smiled, appraising Ji Yue up and down with a loaded look:

"I imagine you've already figured out the relationship between us and them. That's right—I'm helping the Scavenger hunt the Fate Weaver."

"All of Oblivion's followers are hunting him. A player who's angered a god won't live much longer."

"I noticed you approached him, but he... rejected you?"

Ji Yue tensed inwardly but kept her composure, tossing out a casual smile as noncommitment.

Zhao Xishi pointed at the Folly Prohibition Office behind her and continued:

"The Fate Weaver is inside right now."

"What I'm saying is: rather than cooperating with a dead man walking, why not cooperate with us?"

"Scholar, whatever you want—we can provide it."

"Victory in the trial, life-saving items, guidance for the road ahead... even divine secrets that ordinary people can't access. As long as you work with us, it's all yours."

"I know you have reservations—after all, this is a Fate Weaver who dealt with both 0221 and Zangier."

"But rest assured, you won't need to take any risks. All you need to do is set up some barrier formations around the perimeter to cut off their escape routes. Scholars are best at this, aren't they? In return, you'll receive the fullest goodwill from me and the Scavenger."

"I think this is a very cost-effective deal—especially given that the Fate Weaver already refused your cooperation."

"Give this ungrateful fool a taste of his own medicine. Show him that a Scholar has a temper too."

"What do you say?"

Zhao Xishi's tone was utterly confident. She seemed unable to imagine why a Scholar would refuse her.

Hearing all this, Ji Yue was actually relieved. So they'd mistakenly assumed she'd approached Cheng Shi for trial cooperation.

'No exposure. Good.'

But even though Cheng Shi hadn't agreed to join the Torchbearers, the Torchbearers would never betray a "candidate" who'd turned them down.

Not only that—the Torchbearers would protect these good-hearted people, because in their eyes, each one was a potential future kindling.

The methods of protection simply varied. City Defenders, being the conservative faction, would probably play along and tip off the target at the right moment.

But City Builders...

Ji Yue swept a hand through her hair. From the void behind her, she drew a long spear, raised the tip until it kissed the bridge of Zhao Xishi's nose, and burst out laughing:

"I thought a friend had come. Turns out it's a gutter rat."

"You want to use my hand to do your killing?"

"You. Are. Not. Worthy."

On the word "worthy," Ji Yue spat on the ground. The void behind her tore open with a roar, and countless spears and short swords came screaming out, riding a tide of War's might straight at Zhao Xishi.

"!!!"

Zhao Xishi had never imagined that a failed negotiation would lead to a fight, let alone that this Scholar—who practically reeked of Truth—was actually a Purgatory Bishop who'd merged with War!

When the blood river from the void battlefield poured into reality, the Historian's pupils contracted violently. She retreated at high speed, her expression darkening:

"Have you lost your mind?!"

Of course she thought Ji Yue had gone insane. Every strike was aimed to kill. The intent was clearly lethal—yet they had no grudge between them. At worst, the partnership had fallen through. Was that really worth trying to murder each other over?

Worse, the commotion was enormous. The Fate Weaver inside the Folly Prohibition Office had certainly noticed. After half a day of careful tracking, she'd been "treated" to an involuntary tip-off that startled the snake from the grass. How could Zhao Xishi not be furious?

She endured the pain and threw out several items to block an attack, then slipped away with a face dark enough to drip ink.

Zhao Xishi suddenly felt she'd been played. She whirled on Ji Yue and screamed:

"You're working with the Fate Weaver?"

"You were baiting us?!"

Ji Yue blinked, then let out a deeply meaningful laugh: "Don't tell me the 'foolish act' in this trial actually refers to you, Zhao... what was it again?"

"Fine! Fine! FINE!"

Zhao Xishi was apoplectic. Her expression went frigid in an instant. With a cold sneer, she tore a page apart. Truth's light surged from it—and Ji Yue immediately recognized that the woman had already laid numerous formations throughout the area. The cooperation offer had merely been an attempt to make things more convenient.

'They certainly took Cheng Shi seriously.'

But Ji Yue wasn't actually on Cheng Shi's side. Creating this much noise to warn him was already more than enough to live up to her name as a Torchbearer.

She couldn't waste time here. She certainly wasn't going to fight Zhao-whatever to the death. She needed to preserve herself for the Torchbearers' search for kindling. So when Zhao Xishi activated the formations, Ji Yue abruptly pulled back—and along with her endless arsenal, dove into the void and vanished.

"!!!!!"

No one could match a void-specialist Scholar's mastery of spatial energy—even a former Scholar.

So Zhao Xishi could only watch Ji Yue disappear.

Now her target had been alerted, her formations wasted, and half a day's setup had become a joke. She stood on the rooftop, staring at where Ji Yue had vanished, grinding her teeth so hard she could have bitten through steel.

Mo Shu detected the formation's fluctuation and appeared at Zhao Xishi's side in an instant, brow furrowed:

"Why didn't you notify me before attacking?"

Before Zhao Xishi's iron expression could form a reply, a bald head popped up from inside the Folly Prohibition Office.

The Prisoner gazed at the pair from below, never one to pass up a commotion. He rubbed his head and grinned:

"Ooh, fireworks?"

"What's the celebration—you two finally tied the knot?"

"..."

"..."

In that moment, Zhao Xishi's emotional defenses crumbled completely.

"KILL HIM! KILL THEM ALL!!!"

Face frozen, she began chanting buffs for the Scavenger. Enhanced, Mo Shu spotted Cheng Shi's figure appearing below and flashed forward to engage both men, two-against-one, with unstoppable ferocity.

But the instant he charged to the front line, his shadow seemed to peel away from him—splitting off into a dark figure that took his original position, standing beside Zhao Xishi.

Consumed by rage, Zhao Xishi hadn't even registered the switch when a pair of pitch-black hands clamped around her throat.

Shadow Cheng Shi locked her from behind, and into her ear he whispered without mercy:

"I heard what Ji Yue said. She was right—you're not worthy."

The words had barely faded when the sound of breaking bone followed.

The Historian fell into history.