Chapter 1170: The Loyal Luo Luo Bosi

The Loyal Luo Luo Bosi

This world does indeed have evil gods.

At least in this moment, Cheng Shi's words were like the whispers of an evil god, echoing endlessly in Luo Luo Bosi's ears.

He had never imagined a single person's words could be so bewitching; it felt as though if he did not seize the throne, he would be letting down his benefactor.

But what had the world come to, that even usurping the throne could be counted as devotion to one's benefactor!?

Luo Luo Bosi's mind was in chaos; he even suspected Cheng Shi had deceived him, that the other had long since become a herald of 【Fraud】, and was using the authority of 【Fraud】 to cloud his sight and hearing.

His expression kept shifting, and he glanced at Cheng Shi every so often, but Cheng Shi merely smiled and waited, not continuing the manipulation.

He knew that too much was as bad as too little; if he did not let the other figure it out on his own, the other would not willingly board the pirate ship.

For a while afterward, the void fell silent. Luo Luo Bosi underwent some unknown mental storm, and only when the silence stretched so long that Cheng Shi himself began to feel bored did the other's expression finally settle.

Seeing this, Cheng Shi smiled slightly and tossed another disruptive weight onto the other party's wavering scale of faith.

"This is a win-win, isn't it, Luo Luo Bosi.

We're both servants of gods, so I'll speak plainly. This is only said here; once we leave, I won't own up to it.

Have you never thought of taking 【Annihilation】's place and becoming one of those sixteen supreme sovereigns?"

Luo Luo Bosi shuddered, glanced nervously left and right, and retorted with a dark face:

"My devotion is plain for all the world to see!

Don't try to use such filthy tactics to desecrate my faith!"

After a pause, a strange glint flashed in his eyes as he said, "Have you thought of it?"

Cheng Shi nodded vigorously with absolute sincerity: "Of course. To be honest, if you have a way to bring down 【Fraud】, going by your plan is fine too. I'll absolutely follow your lead. How about it?"

"......"

Wait, you're serious?

Luo Luo Bosi's pupils contracted, his fists clenched tight, then slowly loosened. Clearly his heart was far from calm, and that meant he had thought of it!

Oh-ho, as expected. Devotion taken to its extreme absolutely cannot be separated from blasphemy.

Even a 'blindly loyal' thug like Luo Luo Bosi had thought of becoming a god, which showed that the devotion in this world was only so much.

Cheng Shi smiled, his tone not mocking but candid as he said:

"There's an old saying in my world: a gentleman judges by deeds, not by heart. I'm devout in all my actions and have never committed blasphemy; what's wrong with merely thinking it?

Besides, I call that discerning the higher intent. As His herald, one naturally has to keep drawing closer to His will.

【Fraud】 is rebellious to the bone, so as a chosen specimen of His, I naturally should be rebellious to the bone too. So when I say I want to take His place, it's no joke—I've just never had the chance.

But you're different. You have the chance.

【Annihilation】's choice to make an enemy of 【Void】 in this era is the worst decision He ever made, but that decision can no longer be undone. Since the tide cannot be turned, better to go with the flow.

While 【Void】 treats Him as a worn-out shoe, while 【Depravity】 stands alone with no allies, now is the best time to overthrow Him!

And you only need to bear the name of betrayer in 【Annihilation】's eyes, and you can have both loyalty and desire—you can make 【Annihilation】 suddenly see the light and seek rebirth, and you can sit yourself on that divine throne no one can refuse!

If I were you, I would never let this chance slip!"

"......"

Evil gods truly are terrifying.

Luo Luo Bosi was already beginning to waver. His gaze drifted downward, dark and unsettled, avoiding Cheng Shi's naked stare, and fixing on the shoes of this tall, pole-like quasi-herald of 【Fraud】. In a hesitant, uneasy tone, he asked:

"Even if everything you say is true, I can't do anything.

All my authority comes from my benefactor. Even if you 【Void】 secretly plot to kill Him......"

Heh, careful choice of words—he knows to keep himself out of it.

Cheng Shi clicked his tongue and smiled: "Who said anything about killing 【Annihilation】?"

"?"

Luo Luo Bosi's eyes suddenly went cold. "If I don't kill Him, how can I inherit the divine throne?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Luo Luo Bosi realized he had misspoken, and immediately corrected himself: "I mean, then everything you said before is nothing but empty talk!"

"Oh~"

Cheng Shi laughed. Though there was something a bit passive-aggressive in that smile, there was more delight.

Luo Luo Bosi being able to say that meant his stance had already wavered; he only needed one more push.

"I have my own clever plan.

I can tell you—you don't need to do anything against 【Annihilation】's interests. The only thing you need to do is acknowledge that you intend to inherit 【Annihilation】's divine throne. As for everything else, leave it all to me to handle.

Don't worry, this won't be a scheme to drive a wedge.

Inheriting divine authority requires convening the Covenant Assembly of the Gods. If I had spent all this effort lobbying the gods just to drive a wedge between you and your benefactor...... heh, then when the time comes, you wouldn't even need to act—the other gods I've 'used' wouldn't let me off either."

"You've already lobbied other gods?"

"What else?

Without full preparation, how would I dare come offer you a strategy, my lord Luo Luo Bosi.

Speaking of which, I'm quite the fool myself—holding a hand full of resources, I ended up putting the subordinate god who was hunting me onto the divine throne......

Luo Luo Bosi, let's be clear beforehand. If this thing actually works out, and you sit on that divine throne and become the new 【Annihilation】, then the old 【Annihilation】's divine decrees naturally no longer count. Deal?"

Luo Luo Bosi did not dare respond. He knew that once he agreed, it would mean taking the first step toward desecrating his benefactor!

Even if that desecration was for his benefactor's own good, he could not guarantee it was one hundred percent for his benefactor's good.

His selfish desire had been awakened.

He looked at Cheng Shi and snorted coldly: "This is your real goal, isn't it? What do you want to gain from this usurpation?"

"Smart!"

Cheng Shi clapped his hands, delighted. "Talking to a smart person saves time and effort. I've plotted so much, put in so much thought—of course I want to get something out of it.

"【Annihilation】's letting me off is only the first condition. The second is, once you ascend, you must protect my life whenever you're able to, so that I may safely weather the tribulation of this era and become a true subordinate god."

Hero Luo Bosi's expression was solemn, and He said nothing. He did not refuse — clearly He had agreed to this demand.

Compared to obtaining the True God's divine throne, sheltering a mortal who wasn't even yet a subordinate god hardly counted as a cost. This bargain was a remarkably good one.

"I'm not done yet. Third — when I get the chance to touch that divine throne above my head..."

Cheng Shi stared meaningfully into Hero Luo Bosi's eyes and said, word by word, "I want that vote in your hand!"

"!!!"

So that was it!

Upon hearing these words, the stone in Hero Luo Bosi's heart dropped to the ground.

I knew it — in this world there's no such thing as kindness without cause. How could someone hunted by his own patron turn around and help both his patron and himself?

But if the other party was laying groundwork for the future, then everything made sense.

For Hero Luo Bosi, what was happening now was no longer the other's scheming and his own rebellion, but two aspirants to godhood helping each other along the road to "becoming a god"!

With this, the two of them now shared the most basic bond of mutual interest and mutual restraint.

The coldness in Hero Luo Bosi's gaze receded slightly; a flicker of barely perceptible fire flashed through His eyes. Within that complex look, piety, anxiety, guilt, and ambition converged — moments later, all of it hardened into resolve and decisiveness.

"I understand."

He spoke those four words in a solemn tone.

"..."

Cheng Shi got it: when you don't want people to know whether you agree or not, you say "I understand."

It's just like when an employee asks the boss "Will the plan work?" and the boss replies with "Mm" — all about neither refusing, nor taking the initiative, nor taking responsibility, while leaving no handle for anyone to grab.

Cheng Shi curled his lip in disdain and said again:

"You don't understand.

Fourth..."

"Envoy Yu Xi, aren't your demands a bit too many?"

Changed the way he addressed me?

Cheng Shi's brow rose. He knew well that since the other party had called out the name "Envoy Yu Xi," it meant the other had already placed himself on equal footing with Him.

He smiled and continued:

"Just a small request.

After this era ends, I'm going to become a god anyway. Those followers of 【Annihilation】 who once blasphemed me — sentencing them to death in advance for the crime of blasphemy isn't too much, is it?"

Though he named no one, it was obvious Cheng Shi wanted Mo Shu dead.

But Hero Luo Bosi frowned and shook His head:

"No. Divine authority without faith is like a duckweed without roots. 【Annihilation】 needs believers — and even more, devout followers."

Oh-ho, when you say "【Annihilation】," do you mean the current 【Annihilation】, or yourself?

Cheng Shi didn't puncture this point. After a moment's thought, he waved a hand.

"Fine then. Considering you've taken a big step forward for this plan, I'll spare his dog's life."

But immediately he thought to himself:

I may have spared him, but if the Cleaner happens to die at someone else's hands — that wouldn't be my business, would it?