Chapter 683: This Is the Real Him

"!!!"

The Blind One was stunned. She turned Cheng Shi's eight-word declaration over and over in her mind, instinctively clenching her hand — but the clever clown had already snatched her divination tools away. The sudden emptiness left her momentarily bereft, and then the implications of her own impulse sent a chill of cold sweat down her spine.

It couldn't be divined. Origin could not be divined!

A trace of pallor crept across the Blind One's face. She raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, exhaled deeply, and said: "Why do you know so much about... that existence?"

This time she'd learned her lesson — she didn't even speak Its name.

Cheng Shi smiled and returned the dice: "Join the Destined Ones. Then you'll know everything."

"Done." Never had the Blind One sounded so resolute. She nodded with a grave expression, then extended her other hand toward Cheng Shi.

"?"

"This time it's my personal choice. Nothing to do with the Torchbearers, nothing to do with the Fire Seekers. Cheng Shi — I'm genuinely interested in this Destined Ones of yours. I can join, but not as a temporary cameo within this trial.

"...?"

Cheng Shi was speechless. He'd just spent all that effort talking his way around her, and she hadn't shown a shred of interest. The only reason she'd agreed to help was that he'd once aided the Torchbearers. Yet now — just from hearing Origin's name again — the Destiny Chosen had committed on the spot. Not only that — she wanted to truly join the Destined Ones.

'Girl, you just have to know what It looks like, don't you?'

'But you're scaring me with this.'

'Big Cat is wild enough as it is. She goes around under the Destined Ones banner practically looking for fights with Servant Gods and Envoys, testing whether her luck is tough enough.'

'If I add you on top of that...'

'Good lord — am I going to get a notification one day from that certain someone, telling me to come collect two skeletons from the Fishbone Hall?'

'Could your ambitions possibly be any more obvious?'

'I used Fixed Destiny to string you two along, and you two actually went and believed it wholeheartedly.'

'If our Benefactor could truly protect you, would you have died divining about that thing?'

'Don't tell me you think surviving that is His protection.'

"..."

But Cheng Shi didn't immediately refuse. Or rather, he was actively weighing the pros and cons of truly inviting the Blind One into the Destined Ones.

Granted, it would be ideal to keep his distance from the Torchbearers — to sever all ties within this trial. But... Cheng Shi had to admit: a Blind One guided by Destiny's hand could be an enormous asset. She could also bring enormous trouble.

Though the asset and trouble in question had nothing to do with the Torchbearers — they had everything to do with that unlucky woman and her sister.

Cheng Shi asked himself: in future trials, encountering Zhen Yi was virtually inevitable. Peak-level games were a small world. Sooner or later, their paths would cross. So if he could use the Blind One to dig up more intelligence on Zhen Xin, he might be able to prepare in advance and guard against Zhen Yi.

More importantly, the Blind One and Zhen Xin were exceptionally close, and Zhen Xin was the founder of the History School. Getting the Blind One on his side meant Cheng Shi had slipped one hand into the History School's pocket.

And let's not forget — in his other hand, he already held a Dragon King Li Jingming, whose intelligence network rivaled the History School's!

With both in play, virtually the entire elite player circle's intelligence — indeed, the Faith Game's most concentrated knowledge — would fall into his grasp!

That was what truly made Cheng Shi's heart race.

Of course, he knew a "backyard organization" with barely any members couldn't compete with two best friends' deep bond. The Blind One had no reason to "betray" her own people — and this was precisely why Cheng Shi had always been reluctant to open up to her. But now, having sensed the Blind One's inexplicable obsession with Origin, he suddenly realized... maybe he did have bait capable of hooking the Blind One after all?

"You're serious?" Cheng Shi studied her expression carefully and asked again. "But given who you are — how could it possibly be unrelated to the Torchbearers and Zhen Xin?"

"You know the Torchbearers' creed. We never coerce — only invite through free will.

As for Xin Xin — you're making her out to be far more frightening than she is...

We are first and foremost independent individuals, and only then inseparable sisters. Yes, I'll admit Zhen Yi sometimes creates trouble. But you should know: any trouble can be solved, even traced.

Once you find Zhen Yi's 'traces,' trouble can sometimes become a weapon.

Cheng Shi — I've never shared this with anyone. That should be proof enough of my sincerity."

"!"

'Well, well — I haven't even started baiting you, and you've already hooked me with exactly what I wanted!'

Cheng Shi fell deep into thought again. After furiously weighing the pros and cons... it wasn't actually all that furious. The moment he realized he could simultaneously control two top-tier intelligence pipelines, a certain someone's greed had already won by a landslide.

So he simply extended his hand and clasped the Blind One's once more in a firm grip.

"You — truly are one of the Destined Ones!

Even the power of Origin couldn't kill you. That alone proves you are Destiny's favored child!"

With that, Cheng Shi pressed an unremarkable die into her palm and smiled: "This is the Destined Ones' token. Of course — when we're ready to welcome you, you won't need to find us. We'll come to you."

"Oh? Is that so? I'm already looking forward to it. Though..." The Blind One rolled Cheng Shi's die between her fingers, puzzled. "I'm curious — who else is in the Destined Ones? Cheng Shi, surely that's not a secret? After all, no matter what, I'll forget everything after this trial."

Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow. This time, he genuinely didn't hold back.

"You. Me. And... Hong Lin.

The three of us — that's the Destined Ones."

"Hong Lin??? She actually—" The Blind One was dumbfounded. She trailed off mid-sentence, shifted her expression several times, then nodded with a peculiar look: "Well... that is indeed pretty destined."

"Pfft—" Cheng Shi couldn't help it. The Blind One's deadpan observation cracked him up.

"Doesn't it bother you that our organization is so... small?"

The Blind One shook her head with utmost solemnity: "The Destined Ones. There won't be many — there can only be few."

"!"

'Look at that! Look at that! What do you call this? This is the insight of the number-one Destiny ranker! This is a Chosen player's enlightenment! "Too few members"? "Backyard operation"? All wrong — the Destined Ones were never meant to be many!'

'A kindred spirit! I just love people who can patch up my lies for me.'

Cheng Shi was grinning from ear to ear. But his expression quickly turned serious.

"Alright — since we're all on the same side now, I won't waste any more time. I've already pieced together some ideas. Chosen One, what I need from you now is to check my reasoning for gaps.

I need to comb through every detail in my memories. Find every useful lead. Use the little Memory we have to chart a path through Time — a path home.

A Void walker will never be trapped by Existence. So — let's begin immediately."

The Blind One had never seen Cheng Shi in dead-serious mode before. She nodded gravely, holding her breath in concentration, ready to hear his deductions. But the next thing out of his mouth was:

"Ah — wait, I forgot something. Could you, um, do what Qin Xin did? Lend me your Master of Deception Card for a bit, then tell me a lie?

Otherwise my heart just won't settle."

"..."

The Blind One went numb. She raised her head to "look" at Cheng Shi. Behind her sealed eyelids, a twitch was impossible to suppress.

Of course. This was the real him.