Chapter 352

The good compatibility between the Great Calamity and Jue Yuan makes Ning Zhe suspect that Zhao You is just a smokescreen to cover up his real purpose, and that what Fen Wu actually wants is Jue Yuan.

But when Yu Yu Zi Qian was alive, Fen Wu clearly had plenty of time and opportunities to make a move against him, yet did absolutely nothing. Thinking of this, Ning Zhe feels it is unlikely that Fen Wu covets Jue Yuan.

Damn, the left brain is starting to attack the right brain. Does this guy Fen Wu want Zhao You or Jue Yuan?

"Let's just assume he wants both..." Ning Zhe thinks to himself.

Historically, capable strategists rarely put all their eggs in one basket; instead, they set multiple goals before acting. As long as one goal is achieved, it's a small profit, and if multiple goals are achieved, it's a massive win. It's a bit like having a first-choice and a second-choice goal.

Pulu Pulu Meiliya kneels on the carpet, her two fair calves neatly pressed together, her small chin resting lightly on Ning Zhe's knee, her eyes slightly narrowed, like a cat napping on its master's shoulder.

"Stand up," Ning Zhe says.

"Okay." Pulu Pulu Meiliya opens her eyes and stands up obediently, her small waist held straight, hands folded over her lower abdomen. Her graceful posture is like a new bamboo shoot after the rain, her eyes looking at him with shimmering water: "All-knowing and all-powerful Lord, please bestow a divine decree upon your lost flock..."

"..." Ning Zhe thinks for a moment: "My first divine decree is not to call me that anymore."

"Okay." Pulu Pulu Meiliya nods, her eyes docile and submissive: "I beg for your mercy. The 'Apricot Leaf Scripture' has many descriptions of you: Lord of Heaven, All-Father, God, Heavenly Venerable, Mother of Suffering, Wheel of Fate... what title do you wish for me to use to praise your greatness?"

All-Father, Mother of Suffering—how can you be both a father and a mother as a god? Ning Zhe rests his forehead on one hand, unable to bear looking: "I don't like those pretentious religious terms. Keep it simple; don't use the aphorism style."

"Uh..." Pulu Pulu Meiliya thinks for a moment, leaning forward: "Master?"

"That works, at least it's better than God." Ning Zhe points to the sofa across the table and says: "Go, stir-fry two dishes for me."

"Eh?"

"I mean, come play a game of chess with me."

"Okay, Master." Pulu Pulu Meiliya nods in agreement, walks around the table, and sits on the sofa on the other side of the chessboard, meeting his eyes across the Chu River-Han Boundary.

"Let's play rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes first," Ning Zhe says.

"As you wish." Pulu Pulu Meiliya has no objections.

The gambler named "Love-Taking" takes greed as its first principle and fairness as its second. If the rules are unfair, the gamble is invalid.

Three, two, one—the two extend their hands simultaneously. Ning Zhe plays paper, and Pulu Pulu Meiliya plays scissors.

"Looks like my luck isn't very good today." Ning Zhe doesn't mind, pulling a hemp rope from his bosom with the Blowing-Out-the-Lamp Ghost's tongue tied to it, placing it on the table: "Take out the almanac. For this round, we'll use a ghost as the stake."

Pulu Pulu Meiliya nods, and an almanac as mottled and old as a withered leaf is placed on the table. Her gaze flickers, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"Looks like you have something you want to tell me." Ning Zhe rests his chin on one hand, smiling: "What do you want to ask?"

Pulu Pulu Meiliya thinks for a moment and asks: "Pardon my presumption, Master, are you trying to use the gambler's rules to strip Zhao You away from me?" "That's right." Ning Zhe nods: "What, do you find it strange?"

Pulu Pulu Meiliya shakes her head repeatedly, terrified: "No, no, it's just that I am too dull to grasp the reason why you would do this..."

Ning Zhe smiles. He can roughly guess what she is confused about:

The Serpent God Zhao You is what Fen Wu seeks. Whoever obtains Zhao You will be coveted by Fen Wu. Ning Zhe had previously been trapped by the Serpent God until yesterday, when this redundant "lonely ghost" that could not be integrated into the Great Ease system was finally stripped away by the gambler.

Now that the strange events at the opera house have settled, the best way to handle it would be to let Pulu Pulu Meiliya continue to hold Zhao You and the gambler, letting her, this absolutely loyal servant, bear the backlash of the rules for her master while also attracting a portion of Fen Wu's attention, easing the pressure on Ning Zhe.

But Ning Zhe did not do that. He chose to play a game of chess with Pulu Pulu Meiliya, using "1 ghost" as a stake to take Zhao You back into his own hands, along with the uncertainty of flipping through the almanac and Fen Wu's dangerous gaze, taking it all upon himself and actively placing himself in peril.

This is exactly why Pulu Pulu Meiliya is confused. She does not understand why her master would do this, but she does not press the question.

A god does not need to explain their actions; failing to understand the god's profound meaning is the believer's incompetence, not the god's fault.

A god cannot be wrong; if a god is wrong, it must be that the believer misunderstood.

Ning Zhe does not explain this further, simply watching silently as Pulu Pulu Meiliya makes her first move, a faint light flickering in his eyes.

Come on, Fen Wu. Please watch me closely.

No matter if your true goal is Zhao You or Jue Yuan, you can only watch me.

——

At 2:00 AM, the two finish their chess game and leave the 3-7 Mirror World, returning to the real airship, the Saint Abilon.

Xia Xia Yubing is dozing off on the sofa, feeling groggily that Mei Lin, who was sitting silently beside her, suddenly stood up with a start. When she opens her eyes again, there are two more people in the room.

"Young Lady!"

"Ning Zhe?" Xia Xia Yubing rubs her eyes, seeing Ning Zhe, who appeared beside her at some point, and the black-skirted girl held tightly in the arms of the tearful Mei Lin.

"Is it over?" Xia Xia Yubing scoots over to Ning Zhe's side, whispering in his ear.

"For now." Ning Zhe closes his eyes: "At least the ink lines outside the opera house can be erased."

"That's great..." Xia Xia Yubing lets out a long sigh of relief. This is the first time she has personally experienced a strange event since leaving Zuanju Town. If Ning Zhe hadn't played the Requiem to hypnotize the God of Wealth just as the gamble ended, she feared she would have died at the gambling table long ago.

But sitting beside Ning Zhe now, turning her head to see his familiar profile and smelling the scent of light sweat on him, a calm sense of peace arises, making Xia Xia Yubing relax completely. Her taut nerves loosen, and she is no longer on edge.

Xia Xia Yubing cannot help but scoot closer to Ning Zhe, pressing their bodies together so she can lean on his shoulder if she lowers her head. But before she can do so, Xia Xia Yubing feels an inexplicable chill. Looking up, she sees a pair of pitch-black, beautiful eyes staring straight at this spot, fixed firmly on the two of them pressed together on the sofa.

"Hmm?" Xia Xia Yubing is stunned for a moment, and for some reason, she instinctively becomes vigilant:

"What's wrong with this little girl? She's so young, yet her gaze is so fierce..."

(End of chapter)