Chapter 708: Bro, You Blaspheme Deceit This Much — the Fun God Doesn't Mind?

Li Wufang was lost for words. He felt he'd stumbled into the greatest con since the Faith Game's descent — and simultaneously, the greatest crisis.

Though the crisis wasn't the con itself. The crisis was that — despite facing a con this absurd — he was actually tempted.

An irrepressible urge surged inside him, like a moth drawn to flame, yearning to plunge headlong into Destiny's resplendent fire!

He stared into Cheng Shi's eyes, expression agonizingly conflicted, his mind frantically weighing pros and cons. Cheng Shi read the hesitation and placed one more tiny weight on the scales about to tip inside the man's heart.

A weight called "self-persuasion."

"Tell me about yourself, Investigator. Why do you believe in Destiny so fervently?"

The conflict on Li Wufang's face froze. Soon, the light of memory rose in his eyes.

He didn't say much — just fished an old photograph from his discarded jacket and handed it to Cheng Shi. Cheng Shi examined it: a cityscape photo, centered on a fountain. Inside the pool stood a sopping-wet child, clutching something in his hand, wide eyes searching for something.

That was the entire photo. Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow in surprise — he recognized the child as Li Wufang.

"Yes. Me, as a kid." Li Wufang nodded.

"Were you... playing in the water?"

"No. I was... following Destiny's guidance."

"?" Cheng Shi frowned slightly and said nothing more, listening quietly.

"I'm an orphan."

"..." 'Congratulations — you've already got protagonist marks.'

Li Wufang didn't catch Cheng Shi's colorful expression. He gazed at the photo with nostalgia, cracking a small smile:

"I was raised by my grandmother. When I was twelve, she got sick. Very sick. The kind of sick no amount of money could fix.

There was nothing I could do — just watch her lying in bed, her spirit fading a little more each day.

Then one day I realized: if I didn't act soon, I'd lose her. So I copied what I'd seen on TV — dressed myself up as a beggar and went out to the streets.

The funny thing was, I barely had to dress up. A little dirt on my face and everyone believed I was a real little beggar.

I went to the city square — the most crowded spot. All those uncles and aunties, brothers and sisters were so concerned for me. They asked after me, comforted me, cared for me — only, none of them gave me anything.

I couldn't blame them. They didn't owe me anything.

Grandma always said being poor is no reason to lose your pride. But I couldn't afford pride — because if I didn't speak up, Grandma was going to leave.

So I cried out in the square, begging people for money. But the moment I started crying, all those people who'd just been comforting me scattered like birds — leaving me alone by the pool, weeping my heart out.

And that's when the person who changed my life appeared...

That day, he was wearing a leather jacket just like mine."

Li Wufang even held up his jacket — though to Cheng Shi, the gesture looked more like he was flexing his biceps.

"..."

"I've forgotten what he looked like. I only remember his voice was very hoarse. He said he was someone favored by Lady Luck — so lucky that he could bring good fortune to others too.

But not everyone gets luck. Only those who believe in destiny get lucky.

So he asked me: did I believe in fate?

I asked him: if I believe, will Grandma get better? He said yes. So I said I believe.

Then he gave me a die and told me to throw it as high as I could. When it fell, he said, the good luck would come.

I did as he said. The die landed in the fountain.

I froze, wanting to ask him where the luck was — but he'd already disappeared.

I didn't think twice. I just wanted that luck so Grandma could get better. So I jumped into the water to find the die, hoping it would guide me.

And it actually did.

The die had landed right on top of a coin. I picked up both. While I was examining them, a man passing by spotted me, scooped me out of the pool.

Later I found out he didn't pull me out to save me — he'd noticed the coin in my hand.

That coin... was extremely valuable to collectors.

I don't know why it was there. I don't know why that man happened to walk by. I chalked it all up to good luck. He bought the coin from me — and the price was exactly enough for Grandma's surgery.

Later, someone told me the coin was worth far more than one surgery. That the man had cheated me. That I could have used it to change my destiny.

But I'd already changed my destiny. Because the luck I prayed for was simply for Grandma to get better. Destiny favored me. So I was grateful.

From that day on, I believed in fate. Through Grandma's passing. Through the game's descent. That belief has never changed.

This photo was restored from a newspaper clipping — back when 'Lucky Boy' made the headlines."

"So your way of repaying Destiny was to choose Order at the Path Starting Point?"

Cheng Shi nearly laughed out loud. To him, this was clearly an anonymous good deed — and the "good Samaritan" was very likely the same man who'd bought the coin.

The method was so crude Cheng Shi couldn't even bring himself to critique it. But one thing he couldn't deny: meeting that anonymous benefactor was, in itself, genuine good fortune for Li Wufang!

"..." After hearing Cheng Shi's teasing, Li Wufang fell quiet. He sighed, expression impossibly layered: "Though what I said about 'spreading Destiny through Order' is true — I actually did want to choose Destiny. But at my Path Starting Point... there was no Destiny die for me to choose.

I worship Him, yet He didn't give me the chance."

"..." Cheng Shi froze. Something felt off. Based on his understanding of the Path Starting Point, the artifacts there mostly correlated with a player's life experiences. So why would the "lucky" Li Wufang not have a Destiny die?

"Then what was in front of you?"

"The codex of Order... and the mask of Deceit."

"???"

'Excuse me — what?'

'The Fun God's mask?'

'You had the Fun God's MASK?!'

'Right — the Investigator had uttered one lie, and that lie was "I'm not particularly good at lying." So this guy actually lies frequently?'

'Oh no — have I bumped into a high-level colleague?'

Cheng Shi's gaze sharpened. He looked at the Investigator with growing suspicion.

"Tell me a lie — right now!"

Li Wufang blinked, nodded: "I'm not particularly good at lying."

"..."

Still a lie!

'A con artist who can lie... could he be... Zhen Xin?'

For one second, Cheng Shi nearly bristled. But the next moment, Li Wufang openly explained why he lied so often.

"That's exactly what I was talking about — why Order is trustworthy. When I try to spread the doctrine of Destiny's favor, nobody believes me. So I have to resort to tricks — harmless little cons to make people believe in luck.

I do lie often. But I've never profited from a single lie. I only lie to make people believe in good fortune. That... shouldn't be wrong, should it?"

"..."

It wasn't wrong. Not wrong at all. Absolutely, perfectly right, bro.

Cheng Shi's scalp was tingling. He suddenly wondered: was this Li Wufang actually the protagonist of some other world?

'You blaspheme Deceit this hard for Destiny's sake — you're really not afraid the Fun God might object?'

'Clearly you've never taken a beating in the Void!'