Chapter 740: It Wasn't I Who Turned Him — It Was Destiny

"Alright, no need to keep emphasizing you're a clown. Devotion is shown through action, not words.

Now then — tell Me. How exactly do you plan to 'shatter every facade of the Void' for your new Benefactor?"

"..."

Cheng Shi's lip twitched. He wanted to point at something and curse, but knew he couldn't. So he stifled his frustration and huffed hard:

"I have already shattered the Void's facade. I saw through the false Time and beheld my true Lord — Deceit!"

"?"

Those eyes froze. The spirals within them spun rapidly at Cheng Shi's words. He laughed — seemingly pleased by the clown's quick thinking — yet He still didn't let up:

"Not bad. Clear-headed.

By that logic, should I also reward your devotion for facing 'Time' without flinching?"

"I'll pass on the Void's reward, my Lord. I just..."

"Very well — you've voluntarily forfeited the reward." Those gleeful eyes cut him off. But a heartbeat later, the upturned eye-corners flattened, and a cold storm rose within: "Since you don't want a reward, let's discuss punishment."

"?"

'WHAT!?'

Cheng Shi gaped. He blinked innocently, thinking: 'Sure, I committed plenty of blasphemy today — but against YOU, Deceit? That was pure tribute! What punishment!?'

Those eyes scoffed at their follower and delivered the verdict without mercy:

"Arbitrarily speculating on and distorting a deity's will constitutes blasphemy. Blaspheming your own Benefactor doubles the offense. Inciting an Existence follower to blaspheme his own Benefactor — that is a capital crime beyond redemption.

I was going to offset your merits against your sins, considering your daily devotion, but...

Hee~

You forfeited the reward yourself. Hmm, let Me think... what sentence should I give you?"

"!!!???"

'No — HUH!?'

'You can DO that!?'

Cheng Shi was numb. He stood there vacant-eyed, staring at his Benefactor, thinking: 'Please, my Lord — stop. The world outside is already full of clowns, and they're all named Cheng Shi. Keep it up and the planet's going to be stained red by clown noses...'

Seeing that Cheng Shi had suddenly abandoned all argument and resistance, the Fun God — who'd been laughing until now — sighed and shook His head wistfully:

"As expected — once you've seen enough clowns, they stop being funny.

What a shame. Time to find new entertainment.

Enough. My time is limited. If you have questions, ask them now. If you keep standing there like a mute, I'll start wondering if you're actually Silence's pet."

"!!!"

Hearing this, Cheng Shi's spirit reignited. 'Finally — the main event!' 'My Lord, if You're letting me ask freely, I've got plenty.'

He straightened up. Eyes blazing, he gazed at those orbiting eyes. His first question cut straight to the day's core:

"My Lord — why did You want Destiny to fuse with Time?"

"Hmm. Good question. Next."

"?"

Cheng Shi blinked. "You... haven't answered?"

"I also never said I'd answer. I just told you to hurry up and ask."

"..." Cheng Shi laughed — the angry kind. He nodded rapidly, muttering "good, good, great," then jerked his head up: "Second question — why did You want Destiny to fuse with Time?"

"..." The eyes stopped laughing. The spirals ceased spinning. They stared at their follower.

"My Lord, may I ask my third question? My third question is: why did You want Destiny to fuse with Time?"

This time, Deceit finally reacted. The eyes blinked rapidly; the eye-corners rose again.

"If there were a divine name called 'Persistence' among the gods, I'd almost think..."

"That I'm Persistence's pet? Yes. I am. Now — my fourth question is—"

"Fine. Given that Persistence's pet showed some cleverness today, I'll grant you one answer."

Those swirling eyes chuckled: "Don't you think fusing opposing faiths is fun?"

"..."

'Great, great — of course it's fun. So that's why You bestowed a second faith upon Your Dragon King?'

'To watch the fun?'

'Worthy of You, truly!'

Cheng Shi was speechless. After a moment's thought, he pressed: "But if it's fun — why didn't You have me fuse with Memory instead?

That way I'd carry both Void and Existence. Wouldn't that double the fun?"

"Bold! Watch your words, clown — do you mean to blaspheme Me to My face?

I am a god of the Void! How could I fuse with Existence?

That Memory follower situation was merely a tossed-off favor — a swindled devotee, nothing more. Actively compromising with Existence would be defecting from the Void!"

"???" Cheng Shi's jaw dropped. He pointed vaguely toward some distant patch of sky: "My Lord — isn't Destiny a Void deity? Isn't Time an Existence deity?

You pushed this fusion! How is that 'defecting from the Void'?"

Deceit pondered for exactly one second, then said gravely: "I understand your point. So you're saying it was Destiny who defected from the Void?"

"..."

'???'

'What exactly do YOU understand!?'

'Who defected from the Void!?'

'WHICH Void deity orchestrated all of today!?'

'You're over here playing Destiny, playing Time — and now that the fusion's done, you want to dump the blame on me!?'

'Has it occurred to You how enormous a divine blame-shift is? Forget me — could even those Envoys and Servant Gods carry that weight?'

'You're literally treating me like a side dish. And since when does a side dish take the blame? Side dishes go INTO the pot...'

'Whoever wants to carry it can carry it. I'm not.'

Cheng Shi had had enough. Eyes twitching violently, he declared with righteous severity: "No, no, no — a certain god defected from the Void. But I don't believe it was Destiny."

"Then who do you think it was?" Those eyes smirked.

"... I don't know. Further investigation required." Cheng Shi craned his neck, stubbornly playing dumb.

"Tch—

No god has defected from the Void. This era is the Void's era. No one would leave the Void.

As a Void walker, you must view everything from the Void's perspective.

Who says Their fusion necessarily means the Void has a problem? What if it's Time who defected from Existence?"

"!!!"

Cheng Shi was shaken. Eyes wide, he silently digested the Fun God's words. 'This perpetually-busy Time who never has time... actually had time to defect?'

'He became a turncoat?'

'Then what does that make me?'

'A turncoat's follower?'

'But... why?'

Cheng Shi was baffled. He looked up at the Fun God again, asking in disbelief: "You... turned Time?"

Deceit shook His head. Tone heavy with implication:

"It wasn't I who turned Him. It was Destiny."

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Why — the clown just fused with Time and he's suddenly this interested in Time?

Strange... I've never once heard you ask about your other Benefactor... Destiny."

"..."