Chapter 1179: I Want......【Corruption】's Vote

I want...... 【Corruption】's vote

"All attendees have finished voting; the result is plain for all to see.

The Gods' Covenant Assembly already made an exception by allowing mortals to observe, and you... have even less right to question My fairness."

【Justice (Order)】 still spoke with that same rigid, orderly tone, but anyone could tell that She was somewhat angered by Cheng Shi's questioning.

In all the cosmos, even the gods rarely question Her fairness; at most, like 【Folly】, they question whether Her fairness has been exploited by certain schemers and used in the "wrong" places.

So the consequences of Cheng Shi's words were serious, yet not that serious — after all, the 【Covenant】 does not concern mortals, and no matter how angry 【Justice (Order)】 became, She could not punish him for it.

But She could expel this mortal.

Thus the flowing-light framework of the scales shed a wisp of 【Order】 radiance, preparing to remove Cheng Shi from the assembly — and at that moment, just as 【Fate】 fixed Her gaze and was about to act, the clown laughed again.

He raised his head, looked 【Justice (Order)】 straight in the eye, and said:

"A fairness that cannot be questioned — what fairness is that!?

Are you so eager to deny my question because the 【Order】 of this cosmos has long since strayed from fairness!?"

"......"

One sentence, and the radiant scales fell silent.

Seeing the expulsion radiance fade, 【Oblivion】 said with eyes full of mockery:

"Worthy disciple of 【Fraud】 — at least in the art of deceiving yourself you have truly inherited your patron's mantle. I admit your scheming was quite clever, beyond my expectations, but the vote is done, you have lost. Unwilling to accept defeat, you question 【Justice (Order)】 instead — what, can the sophistry of 【Fraud】 actually argue this loss into a win? How laughable!"

Cheng Shi kept his gaze straight ahead, yet sneered back:

"If I recall correctly, the first to question 【Justice (Order)】 in this assembly should have been you, yes?

Why is it that now you suddenly find 【Justice (Order)】 blameless?

When it benefits you, you defend Her to the hilt; when it doesn't, the accusations pour out. Heh, in my view, these lofty gods are nothing more than weather-vanes like me."

"You!!!"

Another sentence, and 【Oblivion】, the "victor" of the vote, nearly lost composure.

The problem was that Cheng Shi's line had also dragged himself into the insult, openly admitting he too was a weather-vane — which left 【Oblivion】 momentarily unable to find an angle for rebuttal. Her gaze shifted several times, the cold in Her eyes growing ever more congealed.

The gods present watched a mortal snidely upbraiding deities here, without naming names, as if every god had been scolded in turn — and for a moment their expressions varied.

【Justice (Order)】 was silent for a moment, withdrew Her radiance, and once again intoned:

"You are right.

Any fairness must withstand questioning.

I grant you the right to question, but questioning is not the same as slander. If you cannot produce evidence, I will still cast you out of the assembly and never again permit you the right to attend."

Hearing this, Cheng Shi laughed even more wildly. He stepped forward, brazenly pointing at the seats of the gathered gods:

"How laughable!

What evidence is even needed?

With my mortal wits I can count it clearly — surely the true gods can count too?

Since ancient times, there have been sixteen who bear the name of 【Origin】, yet today only fourteen are present in this hall. Two have clearly not yet voted — why is the matter considered concluded?"

"Heh, another act of folly."

Upon hearing Cheng Shi's words, 【Folly】 gave a derisive snort, glanced at 【Fraud】, then glanced at 【Oblivion】, left behind a word of contempt, and departed on Her own.

The gods paid no heed to Her departure, but after Cheng Shi's words they looked toward the divine seats of 【War】 and 【Corruption】.

They had, more or less, heard the rumors — 【War】 had vanished only after making contact with 【Fraud】. So did Cheng Shi's current wild defiance mean that the 【War】 card was the trump 【Void】 had held in reserve to seize the matter?

Luo Luo Bosi seemed to see hope. His eyes lit up; the way he looked at Cheng Shi was not as at a mortal, nor as at a sub-god on equal footing with himself — more like he was looking at... 【Fraud】 in the flesh!

From start to finish he had never believed a mortal would have any voice in the Gods' Covenant Assembly. As for why Cheng Shi had become the lead of this little drama, it was probably because certain words were not easy to speak from the mouth of the true god 【Fraud】.

【Fraud】 too had the corners of His eyes raised high, His eyeballs darting about, leaving no clue to His thoughts — but the gods knew He must be very pleased right now.

Of course, the fear faction, who retained their memories, knew 【War】 could not possibly cast this vote. So by unspoken understanding, they turned in startled unison toward the other empty seat — 【Corruption】's.

【Justice (Order)】 had already guessed what Cheng Shi was about to say next, but in response to the "questioning," She still explained in measured tones:

"Those who have not attended the Gods' Covenant Assembly shall, once the attending gods have finished voting, be automatically counted as abstentions.

Therefore your question does not stand, and the result of this matter is......"

"Wait!"

Cheng Shi stepped forward once more, nearly standing at the very front of 【Void】's seat. His eyes bloodshot, he looked toward 【Corruption】's divine seat, pointed at it, and laughed wildly:

"You said it yourself — once the gods have finished voting, those not in attendance are counted as abstentions. But before the count is settled, if a non-attending god gives any response, shouldn't that also be counted into the vote!?"

Before 【Justice (Order)】 could answer, 【Oblivion】 mocked:

"What a clever mind, what a venomous tongue — 【Corruption】 never refuses. You want to use Her will to grab yourself the final vote, don't you? But you've forgotten — 【Corruption】 never refuses because She accepts every desire, yet She never responds to those desires either. Go on, show us what a real clown looks like. I'll give you the chance — right here, display your desire to my sister-god, let us see how She accepts your desire yet gives no response at all!"

Saying this, 【Oblivion】 stepped aside, letting Cheng Shi's line of sight go straight to 【Corruption】's seat.

Cheng Shi had indeed been banking on the fact that "【Corruption】 never refuses" to give it a try. In his view, face and the like didn't matter — as long as there was hope of winning this matter, he was willing to gamble.

Besides, the Clown God had still made no move. Usually the one most fond of playing the clown to mock him, this time had not turned back to jeer at him for being a clown — which meant there was still a turning point.

But where exactly that turning point lay, Cheng Shi could never figure out — until he remembered the never-refusing 【Corruption】, and the 【Corruption】 vessel in his hand that had come from Telya!

The Ear of Secrets had once said:

"Why did She give you this thing — want you to go undercover in the Sea of Desire?"

That line had once made Cheng Shi feel that his obtaining a 【Corruption】 vessel must be related to the Clown God, but at the time he thought the Clown God was most likely probing the Sea of Desire — after all, in that trial Cheng Shi's mission had been to probe the relationship between 【War】, 【Order】, and the Sea of Desire.

But looking back now, the various events of 【War】 and 【Order】 in the Sea of Desire had become clear — yet what of the Clown God's probe of 【Corruption】?

She seemed never to have said.

Cheng Shi did not believe his patron would be that honest. When all the other gods kept their distance from 【Corruption】, if She too kept a respectful distance, then She wouldn't be called 【Fraud】.

So, weighing all these considerations, he wagered everything on this gamble.

He wasn't betting that 【Corruption】 would respond and give him a vote of support — he was betting that the Clown God must have already made a move on 【Corruption】, and even left a contingency. That was why, in this looming defeat, She could appear so...... quiet!

This is the true gamble!

The gods turned their gazes aside, and 【Justice (Order)】 did not speak to stop it either. Clearly, if Cheng Shi could truly awaken 【Corruption】 to cast a vote on this matter, then according to the rules of the 【Covenant】, it would naturally acknowledge it.

Every gaze in the arena converged on the clown. The attention of the gods, which could not be compared to a spotlight, now pressed down like the weight of stacked stars, making Cheng Shi unable to catch his breath.

Yet he still held his head high, gritted his teeth, and shouted loudly toward 【Corruption】's direction:

"All men have desires, and I have never hidden my own.

Although my greatest desire does not lie here, I still wish to say — I want to win!

This is not a mortal's defiance of the gods, nor some grand feat of the ordinary slaying the extraordinary. It is merely the wail of the world's most impossible desire, the strongest pull of the sea of want upon an unvented selfish heart.

Praise the great 【Corruption】 — if you truly can resonate with every desire throughout the universe, then you will answer my plea. Just as you once prayed to behold that Creator, so I now, with the naked desire in my heart, beg to behold you!

I want... your vote!"