Chapter 1337: A Slap in the Face |
Li Jingming wasn't lying. The [Memory] Collection Hall did in fact contain a record of [Chaos] substituting for [Order].
When Cheng Shi looked over at Long Jing and found his expression entirely genuine, he froze completely.
This was a piece of "evidence" that had come entirely out of nowhere.
No one could have imagined that [Memory] had seen through everything long ago — yet had never mentioned it to any of the gods. Didn't that mean [Memory] had known all along that [Chaos] had been replaced by [Deceit]?
Eyes wide open, watching its opposing faction hold two votes, deceiving the universe, overwriting [Existence] — and [Memory] had said nothing? Had even helped cover it up?
Not only the Iron Law of [Order], but even [Death], invisible above everyone's heads, went briefly still at this.
Had [Memory] been the "traitor" inside [Existence] all along?
But what was [Memory]'s purpose in doing so?
None of the mortals or divine beings present could work that out. The Iron Law of [Order] refused to believe any of it. If [Memory] had truly been supporting [Deceit] the whole time, it would never have abstained and voted against [Deceit]'s motions at the Convention assembly.
"For giving false testimony in defense of a blasphemer — receive the Lightning Punishment!"
Li Jingming didn't even flinch. He bowed calmly. "I would welcome the opportunity to accompany the great divine being to retrieve the evidence firsthand. I believe my patron will open every door."
Faced with the [Memory] follower's absolute composure, the Iron Law of [Order] actually wavered.
These mortals spoke with certainty, their tone rock-solid, unwavering in their conviction that its identity was compromised — yet what true god would not know who it was?
The only seed of doubt in the Iron Law of [Order] about its own identity had been planted by the appearance of those three divine beings. Now [Memory] was being added to the number...
What were they all trying to do?
Were they truly intent on seeing the universe's order eradicated entirely?
The Holy Light Law Code's page-turning gradually slowed and stopped. Cheng Shi, reading that shift, let out a scoff and pushed the knife in further. "What — scared?"
The [Order] energy surrounding the Iron Law of [Order] suddenly exploded outward — every page of the tome blazing gold with absolute order. Through its ongoing self-doubt and identity struggle, something seemed to click, and its presence sharpened, its bearing rising to its full height.
It looked down over every mortal present, then leveled its gaze at [Death] — invisible beyond the void — and spoke in the most steadfast voice of [Order] it possessed:
"Since my descent into this world, I have upheld the universe's justice, maintained the order of all creation — across uncountable ages, unvarying in regularity.
This is [Origin]'s hope. This is the order of the present age.
And I — am [Order].
No matter what schemes or plots you attempt to use against me — [Order] is [Order]. It has never and will never change.
[Chaos] and I stand in opposition. I guard against it vigilantly. I would never allow it the opportunity to impersonate me.
Since [Memory] has taken it upon itself to falsify records — I shall go and examine this evidence myself, and nail [Memory] down beneath the universe's order as well."
With that, the Holy Light Law Code vanished.
Seeing the Iron Law of [Order] react with such finality, everyone present felt their pupils tighten. Cheng Shi immediately looked at Long Jing — the original plan had included no role for [Memory] at all. With this development, how were they supposed to pull things back together?
Li Jingming remained perfectly composed. He waved a hand to calm the two people in front of him, then scattered deep-blue [Memory] energy from his hand — it wove open a gateway made of flowing memory-light before the three of them.
Cheng Shi blinked. He'd never seen this door before. Startled, he asked: "What is this?"
Li Jingming smiled quietly. "A shortcut to the [Memory] Collection Hall.
Don't panic. I was telling the truth. There really is evidence in the Collection Hall proving [Chaos] is [Order]."
Cheng Shi still couldn't quite believe it. In his understanding, [Memory] not opposing was already as good as supporting — but actually, actively helping [Deceit] hide something? He couldn't make that add up.
Wasn't [Memory]'s greatest grievance the Fun God invading its Collection Hall and overwriting its artifacts?
Something felt off to him. He furrowed his brow. "Did [Memory] know about all of this all along?"
Long Jing shook his head. "No. It just found out."
"???"
Before Cheng Shi could ask more, Li Jingming had already stepped through the deep-blue doorway.
Cheng Shi followed with a face full of bewilderment, trusting Long Jing's judgment despite the uneasy feeling. Li Wufang, seeing both had already gone in, followed with an anxious expression.
Dense [Memory] energy wrapped around him. His vision went dark — then flashed — and he found himself standing inside a pure-white Collection Hall.
Countless artifacts hung on walls of pristine white, most blurry and indistinct. But the artifacts on the wall directly before them were unusually clear — and what they showed was a Book of Constitution, radiating twisted power, frantically pouring murky-yellow energy outward in all directions.
Even standing outside the artifact, with no way to feel exactly what that energy was — the color alone was enough. It was nothing like the divine, blazing-gold light of [Order].
If anything, it resembled the murky, viscous power of [Chaos].
As the Grand Tribunal's constitution, as [Order]'s current-world manifestation — how could the Iron Law of [Order] contain something that appeared to be [Chaos] power?
It had just declared, moments ago, that it had never once given [Chaos] any opening.
And now — everything recorded in this [Memory] artifact had delivered the Iron Law of [Order] a resounding slap across the face.
It could no longer deny that it had once been "tainted" by [Chaos]. But that wasn't even the most critical point — more critical was that it appeared to have forgotten this memory entirely.
And what did that mean?
It meant one of two things: either it had known all along that it was no longer truly [Order] due to [Chaos]'s influence, and had deliberately suppressed this memory to protect [Order]'s stability and dignity — or it had already been replaced by [Chaos], left confused about its own nature without even realizing it.
Either way, it was more than enough for Cheng Shi to pass "judgment" on the Iron Law of [Order] today.
The situation had swung decisively in his favor. Even Cheng Shi hadn't anticipated that the [Memory] Collection Hall would actually contain evidence of [Order] being usurped by [Chaos].
How could it deny this now?
[Memory]'s artifacts were no mere mortal testimony. Now even if the Iron Law of [Order] wanted to deny it, its only option was to insist that everything had been fabricated by [Deceit] — that [Deceit] had planted this evidence to frame it.
But at this point, what value was left in that kind of self-defense?
For true [Order], there would always be value. For [Chaos] — none whatsoever.
Exactly — [Chaos].
When the Holy Light Law Code arrived at the Collection Hall before the others and saw this memory — the will of the First God of [Chaos] lurking beneath the Iron Law of [Order]'s surface finally stirred and awakened.
It remembered conspiring with [Deceit] to lay the trap. It remembered every step of the process by which it had come to replace [Order]. It remembered the promises [Deceit] had once made to it. And it remembered the true [Order] — shattered inside the Sea of Desire.
Though this memory artifact in the Collection Hall differed significantly from what it had actually experienced — its will was still jolted awake. It remembered who it was.
I am [Chaos]. I am the overture of disorder. I am the totality of all that is without order.
I replaced [Order] precisely to make [Order] into the universe's greatest joke — to have all of this world's structured existence swallowed beneath the tide of the orderless.
[Deceit] told me: this was the path closest to [Origin].
But now — [Deceit]'s own follower has exposed me. And [Origin] has never come. Never looked upon me.
So where did it go wrong?
In that instant, the sky above the Collection Hall suddenly changed color. The boiling [Order] energy shattered and scattered — as though civilization had collapsed in the space of a single breath. In its place, endless murky-yellow fog from the depths of chaos came rushing in from every direction. In moments the rolling yellow fog shaped itself into a terrifying, enormous hand — and "gripped" the entire [Memory] Hall in its fist.
The pure-white Collection Hall was unharmed under that crushing pressure, but it groaned and shuddered.
Even that sound was drowned out by the cacophonous noise of chaos erupting from within the churning yellow fog — a discordant roar that made every living thing in the universe want to cry out.
[Chaos]'s cry shook the heavens and reverberated through the wild.
"[Deceit] deceived me!
All of it — lies!
[Origin] — I did it. I fulfilled my part. Where are you?!"
"!!!"
"???"
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