Chapter 1394: President Gong's Finest Hour |
The curtain on the truth of the Universe in this world — was raised by my own hand?!
Once Long Jing learned all of this, he automatically filtered out Cheng Dashi's existence and claimed that other version of himself who had once visited this world as part of himself.
'So I was that important to this world!'
'So I made that enormous a contribution to the Universe!'
In that moment, all the frustration of being tossed out of the Void by his Benefactor evaporated. Long Jing felt as though he were radiating brilliance!
He fixed Cheng Shi with a burning gaze, desperately wanting to say "go ahead and thank me," but after holding it in for ages he couldn't get the words out. The glow faded, and he managed only an awkward smile before asking with some uncertainty:
"So what you're saying is, the so-called Fire Passing Plan means I play the role of Su Yida, travel to another world, meet another version of you, and raise the curtain on the truth of the Universe for that world?!"
"?"
What should have sounded rather noble and torch-passing had somehow turned into the Acrobat's personal showcase the moment it left President Gong's mouth.
Cheng Shi's eyes darkened for an instant, then he curved his lips into a smile. "Yes. You've got it exactly right."
Long Jing beamed — but the grin didn't last long before his brow furrowed in confusion:
"If that's the case, why make it so complicated?
What role does Jie Shu play in the plan? Can't we just bypass him and go ourselves?"
Cheng Shi shook his head. "There's no way out anymore. The passage has closed. Mockery and Jeering has run dry..."
"What?" The others stiffened, disbelief on every face. "Then what about the Nose of Verification?"
"...We'll need to think a little more about Brother Nose. He shouldn't be hiding his nose from us.
Of course, it's also possible the Clown has been wearing his nose all along — he just doesn't know it yet."
Cheng Shi gave a self-deprecating chuckle, then continued, "Time has also stopped seeing me. Right now, perhaps only Jie Shu has the means to open that passage out of the world.
So there's no getting around him, no matter what."
Long Jing nodded. How to get out wasn't the issue — the question was how to pass the torch. He frowned:
"We've been through all of this. We already know what the correct path looks like. Can't we just tell the other Clown directly?"
"I'm afraid not."
The answer came not from Cheng Shi but from Zhen Xin.
She tapped her arm with a fingertip and shook her head. "Back then, Cheng Shi didn't yet know the truth of the slice universes, didn't know you, and didn't even believe that a future version of himself could travel to the past to meet himself. If you marched up and told him all of this, in his eyes you'd be nothing but a liar.
The him back then wasn't like the current him..."
Zhen Xin glanced at Cheng Shi. "...who trusts people so easily."
Cheng Shi caught the teasing tone. He gave a helpless, self-deprecating smile:
"That's because all of you are worth trusting.
Under the lens of the Creator's Experiment, the development of worldlines is far from as simple as you or I might imagine. Based on my observations of different worlds within the Real Universe, the worldlines of different slice universes may have long since become entangled with one another for reasons unknown.
I don't know when this entanglement began, but I'm certain our world is already caught up in it — and these entanglements determine how far each world can 'travel.'
This means the slightest change could trigger not an earthquake in a single world, but a tsunami across who knows how many.
Unless we can be absolutely certain that revealing the truth outright would steer a given world's evolution in the direction we hope for...
Any unnecessary interference could turn passing the torch into 'spreading a contagion,' accelerating that world's destruction — or even triggering a chain reaction.
That's also why, despite versions of Cheng Shi drifting through the Real Universe, we've never learned the full truth from any of them.
Most likely even they can't be sure what consequences would follow from knowing certain things too early.
Nobody dares gamble. So everyone follows history's footprints, repeating the process again and again, until by chance a spark of destiny is struck that pushes some fortunate world one step further...
As it stands, we are very likely the luckiest world of all.
Therefore, what we must do is also repeat!
Long Jing, this is the most critical step. You need to memorize every detail of the memories I lived through, and then faithfully reenact everything Su Yida did.
A one-hundred-percent reproduction would be ideal. If that's impossible, at least don't arbitrarily alter the course of events.
Remember — every word you speak could affect not just the person named Cheng Shi, but the entire world he belongs to!"
"!!!"
Hearing this, Long Jing finally understood why this mission was so critical.
This wasn't about sharing a map they'd already explored with some later world. It was about guiding that world, with absolute precision, onto the exact same path they had walked!
Cheng Shi continued:
"Whether in the Real Universe or the interstices of Existence, every being from other worlds I've encountered has told me I'm the luckiest one. Perhaps it's their support that carried us this far — but that's as far as it goes. There are no more guides on the road ahead.
The good news is the Fear Faction hasn't abandoned us. The Benefactor is still the Benefactor. His Will aligns with ours — He's working for the world's future too.
The bad news is we won't know whether that effort will bear fruit until we try it ourselves.
The uncertainty is enormous. Before we lead the world down the wrong path, we need to pass on this stretch of the correct road first.
Passing the torch — truly passing the torch means the flame must be handed from one to the next.
We received goodwill from Cheng Dashi. Naturally, we must deliver that goodwill to the next world without the slightest deviation.
So, Long Jing...
Can we trust you?"
In that moment, every Joker's gaze converged on Long Jing. They all knew how daunting this mission was — and its difficulty lay not in how to portray Su Yida, but in whether the one carrying it out had the courage to face death!
Lest anyone forget — the Su Yida who came back from the future had died. Died at Tao Yi's hand. That, too, was part of history!
If history was to be replicated without the slightest discrepancy, Long Jing could not escape that death.
So this plan was not just about passing the torch — it was about marching to one's death!
A death in service of saving other worlds!
With President Gong's cunning and street smarts, he had never once placed himself in mortal danger.
Yet today, he accepted the mission — and with absolute decisiveness.
Long Jing curved his lips. His hand flicked out, conjuring his signature top hat as if an actor stepping onstage. He spun the hat in a flourish, then pressed it to his chest, swept his gaze across everyone, and bowed with a smile brimming with grace:
"To raise the curtain for an entire world — it is my honor.
To pass the torch of Vitality for the Universe — death itself would be a glory."
He wasn't unaware that he would die. He simply chose to die brilliantly.
In his heart, Long Jing mused silently: 'I chose the role of Su Yida myself. As a consummate performer, of course I'll see it through to the final act!'
In that moment, he finally understood why the Cheng Shi of the other world had taken such care of him. 'So I, too, can do something for this world.'
"Clap!"
While Long Jing was immersed in that feeling, someone — no one knew who — started the first clap. An instant later, sustained applause echoed through the Joker Gathering Place.
"Clap, clap, clap—"
Every pair of hands applauded the Acrobat. This time there wasn't the slightest trace of mockery or teasing — only genuine, heartfelt recognition.
Zhen Xin, the Dragon King, the Doctor, Old Zhang... every pair of eyes was alight with encouragement and praise. In all his time as a Joker, this was the first time Long Jing had seen such emotion in these liars' eyes.
Normally, he would have shied away, afraid of looking like a fool.
But today he stood before them all and accepted it openly.
This was the Acrobat's finest hour — and the cheers and recognition he deserved.
The applause continued, yet the atmosphere in the room was anything but warm. Everyone had fallen silent. Bidding farewell to a friend was never cause for celebration. Even Old Zhang, who so loved carving tombstones for others, had his eyes narrowed tight, every trace of amusement gone.
And yet, right at that moment, Cheng Shi suddenly laughed and addressed them all:
"Don't be so grim.
I've said it before — I won't let my friends die for me again. Not even for another world's version of me.
Who says death must be irreversible?
Don't forget, everyone — I'm a Priest. And as luck would have it, a Priest who knows how to write scripts.
History can't be changed, true. But in the places the 'audience' can't see, miracles are always possible.
The Screenwriter who holds the pen is the one who creates miracles. No one is going to die in this plan.
I'm the Screenwriter. I decide."
...
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