Chapter 139: Praise the Great God of 【Fraud】

Praise be to the great God of 【Fraud】!

Cheng Shi made another deal with Xie Yang.

He asked for another corpse and wiped out the other's debt.

With that, the two of them were even.

Cheng Shi first quickly delivered a message to the lord on the bone throne, saying he would soon offer up enough offerings.

Then he immediately picked up the die in his hand and began contacting his patron.

Big problem — the opposing side has started trying to lure me over.

Patron, please pick up the call! If you're any slower, I really won't be able to resist the temptation of those sugar-coated bullets!

Cheng Shi called out to 【Fraud】 through the die while examining the exquisite ring forged from 【Memory】.

Sea of Memories Floating Dream (SSS): A divine remnant, a ring personally forged by 【Memory】. It can witness 3 【Existences】; after using any of its effects 3 times, the ring will no longer 【Exist】.

Special Effect 【Foam of the Sea Dream】: You may activate the ring and begin a timer. When you end the timer within 24 hours, all traces you leave during the timed period will not become memories for others.

Special Effect 【Raging Surge of the Frightful Wave】: When a memory has already been inscribed in the Sea of Memories and become history, and you are within that history, you may activate the ring and reasonably alter it; all traces left during this period will become the new history.

He stared at the ring with its contained ghostly glow, pressing his lips tightly together to keep himself from drooling.

This was a half-divine artifact capable of tampering with memory — even history itself!

In other words, Cheng Shi, who now held the ring, had three chances to become invisible, or three chances to alter history!

Or, freely mix and match the three uses however he pleased!

【Fraud】 secretly altered a piece of history, 【Memory】 noticed, and so He came chasing after him.

Yet He was not only unangry, did not punish the person covered in graffiti, but instead gave him an... SSS half-divine artifact.

With that kind of recruitment, with that kind of method, who wouldn't shiver a little inside?

What virtue or ability do I have...

If my lord does not forsake me...

Ahem, no! Lü Shi! Be reserved!

Cheng Shi's mind was in a noisy uproar. Seeing that his patron still hadn't answered, he set down the die and began thinking about what unknown thing could have happened to make 【Memory】 so generous as to give something this monstrous to a believer of the opposing faith.

He thought for a long time without getting anywhere, and only recalled the words his patron had once spoken.

"As repayment, that 【Memory】 Chosen One who walked into my trial isn't doing so well either."

【Fraud】 punished 【Memory】's Chosen One, and 【Memory】 rewarded a believer of 【Fraud】.

When you compare the two like this...

That really is...

I didn't say anything, I was just thinking randomly.

But to be fair, 【Memory】's methods really are dirty.

In the future, if there are still such dirty methods, please...

Bring more of them!

I can take it!

Cheng Shi laughed self-deprecatingly and casually opened the Audience Ladder leaderboard he hadn't checked in a long time.

He wanted to see what rank that "True Heart, True Intent" he had just matched with had reached.

What on earth was that master of guile art losing points like crazy for?

But the moment the leaderboard appeared before his eyes, Cheng Shi instantly understood why 【Memory】 had brought goodwill instead of fury...

Wait, Patron, this is how you're playing it?

This is what you call "isn't doing so well either"???

【Audience Ladder (Existence - Memory) / (Void - Fraud)】

1. Vision Too Small, Brothers (Fraud) 206

2. This Feeling Can Wait (Memory) 203

3. Still Like in a Dream (Memory) 200

4. Look, the Show↓ (Fraud) 199

5. Li Li Jingming (Fraud) 197

6. Look, the Show↑ (Memory) 197

58. Heh, Two-Surnamed Servant Lü Li Jingming (Memory) 167

59. I Never Lie (Fraud) 166

60. Anti-Fraud Vanguard (Fraud) 166

61. True Heart, True Intent (Fraud) 164

"..."

So someone really did change their surname to Lü???

Cheng Shi suddenly understood everything!

Alright, alright, as expected of you, Patron.

How on earth did you come up with the move of pulling the opposing side's 【Chosen One】 over to your own camp?

Could you teach me?

I feel that ever since seeing your 【Chosen One】 and your operations, I've realized my understanding of 【Fraud】 is still somewhat lacking.

My imagination isn't wild enough, my thinking isn't jumpy enough, my logic isn't disjointed enough — I urgently need further study.

No wonder 【Memory】's calculations have reached my head; with you pulling stunts like this, could He stand for it?

Oh my god, the biggest show of the century has appeared!

Come look, quick!

The 【Memory】 faction's 【Chosen】 has broken his oath and become a follower of 【Deception】!

Cheng Shi stared at this absurd leaderboard and hurriedly opened the chat channel.

Sure enough.

The Deception faith channel had already exploded.

Countless messages flooded the screen madly, every single post the same line:

"Welcome the Long Wang to his throne!"

"Welcome the Long Wang to his throne!"

"Welcome the Long Wang to his throne!"

"......"

Cheng Shi scrolled up through the chat history — good lord, from the end of the last trial onward, there had been nothing else posted in the Deception channel.

These lunatics had actually spammed the same line for an entire week!

Are you all insane?

Cheng Shi goggled, then quickly typed into the channel:

"Welcome the Long Wang to his throne!"

Ah, that's better.

Knowing there were so many others as crazy as himself gave him a strange, inexplicable sense of belonging.

Just as Cheng Shi was grinning foolishly at the channel spam, a familiar ripple in the void suddenly descended above his head.

His heart lurched; before he could struggle, his consciousness was dragged into darkness.

Still those same upturned eyes, still those spiraling rings.

Seeing those eyes, Cheng Shi let out a long breath.

Not something unclean.

This time, he really was home.

"Praise be to You, great god of 【Deception】, it is You who have......"

"Enough, save the flattery for later. You've been calling me this long — what do you have to report? Speak quickly, I'm in a hurry."

You actually knew I'd been calling You this whole time?

I thought You couldn't hear me.

The eyes turned lightly twice, as if seeing through Cheng Shi's thoughts, and He chuckled softly.

"Every single moment, countless prayers echo in my ears. If I listened patiently to each one, it would be far too dull.

But you are right about one thing — your prayers, I cannot hear."

"?"

Cheng Shi froze for a beat, thinking, Could it be that I wasn't devout enough?

That can't be right — those flowery, empty flatterers would make anyone listening puke, and that still isn't devout enough?

He scratched his head, looking very innocent.

The eyes smiled again, a teasing look in the smile.

"You were calling my name at that die of yours?"

"......"

Wait!

Hearing this, Cheng Shi's heart lurched; he had a feeling things were about to go wrong.

"Mm, that would be it. Because your prayers only echo in His ears, and even if I could hear them, it would only be Him... relaying them to me, impatiently."

"??????"

Cheng Shi was dumbfounded.

He stared at his patron in disbelief, as if he had just learned he'd been adopted.

Ah no, that's wrong — I was adopted to begin with.

In every sense of the word......

"......"

"That is why I say that every time you carry out an Oracle, it is a blasphemy against Him.

Because His ears echo with the devotion of countless 【Fate】 believers, yet among them is mixed a single line:

Lies like yesterday, mocking today.

Heh~

A prayer is one thing, but don't actually say the words 'mocking' out loud — how hurtful~"

"......"

Damn it!

Cheng Shi's face darkened; he couldn't get a word out.

This prayer line came built-in with the talent "Lies Like Yesterday" — in other words, it was set personally by his patron, 【Deception】, standing right before him.

Thinking about it now, He wouldn't have specially changed the prayer line just to watch this little predicament of his, would He?

Damn......

Just to have a laugh, really, my lord?

My class is clown, so I personally have to be a clown too?

Heh heh, I really am a clown.

"Alright, if you have something to say, say it quickly. I still have a fight to get to — I can't waste too much time here."

"......"

Cheng Shi's questioning tone stalled. He swallowed the complaints in his heart and obediently told the story of his audience with 【Memory】.

His memory was clear, his words were crisp, and he explained it plainly.

But he felt that even if he didn't say it, his patron should already know about this.

Sure enough, after he finished saying all this, the look in those eyes grew deeply meaningful.

They looked at Cheng Shi, with both relief and regret in their gaze.

Relief that he hadn't lied.

Regret that he hadn't lied.

"Understood. Is there anything else?"

"?" Cheng Shi was stunned. He asked back, "You have no objections? They... have already poached their way all the way here."

"No matter. I often poach Theirs as well.

If you want to go, then go. I have no objections."

"......"

Cheng Shi looked in disbelief at those eyes, which were now sparkling even more brightly, and asked back:

"No Oath-Breaking Curse?"

"Of course not."

"......"

Heh. You guess whether I believe that or not.

"You're testing me, my lord. I won't fall for it. I am a devout follower of 【Deceit】, and no one can change my faith!

This has nothing to do with you — it is the pursuit of my entire life!"

Those eyes shifted as if letting out a snicker. They looked at Cheng Shi and laughed:

"The louder the voice, the less sincere the words.

Remember that. Well, this doesn't count as an audience — I was just passing by to take a look. Go back."

Cheng Shi grew anxious. He reached out a hand and hurriedly said:

"Wait! My lord, I ran into Your 【Chosen One】, just now, in the trial — in 【Fate】's trial. Was it You who sent her over?"

"Oh? Interesting.

Did you meet the elder sister, or the younger sister?"

Huh?

"Seeing Zhen Xin has sisters too?"

"Mm, then it was the younger sister.

Too bad, you missed each other.

Alright, go back. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, don't think what you shouldn't think. Just honestly trick people.

Having said that, a tremendous force smashed down from above, landing right on Cheng Shi's hand.

His consciousness plunged back into darkness. When Cheng Shi woke again, he discovered the hand wearing "Sea of Memories, Floating Dream" was broken.

"......"

Isn't this just petty revenge?

Besides, You — a 【Divine Being】 — what's the meaning of bullying a ring?

But with that one strike, Cheng Shi also guessed his patron's attitude.

Namely: the ring is usable, no need to be wary of it.

Praise 【Deceit】!

Cheng Shi cast a healing spell on himself, the corner of his mouth curving into a cheerful arc.

Since the foolish opposing side has delivered firepower to my doorstep, I'll just have to use these things to trick people!