Chapter 292: The God-Worshipping Society and the Advent Faction

The God-Worshipping Society and the Advent Faction

After learning An Jing's identity, regardless of what unspeakable purpose she harbored, the best course at this moment was to first restrain this teammate who had already taken out two of her own.

But just as Cheng Shi was about to turn back to support Hong Lin, a throng of mushroom-folk came rushing up with the old chieftain, shouting anxiously toward the divine envoy at the door:

"Lord Bald! The Withered Lantern is gone! Lord Bald, the Withered Lantern is gone!"

"Shit!" Cheng Shi frowned, feeling that this puppet master's opening move was truly brilliant—following the old chieftain's cry, he was pinned at the door and couldn't turn back.

The timing was far too convenient, so convenient that he couldn't shake the feeling he'd fallen into another trap, but there was nothing he could do. To win this round, the mushroom-folk were still the key, so he could only adapt on the fly and improvise to bluff the tribe's mushroom-folk first.

So Cheng Shi's thoughts spun rapidly, he smoothed his furrowed brow and put on a smile, stepped out the door directly, and casually shut the main house's door behind him.

This way, he was outside facing the entire tribe of mushroom-folk, while Hong Lin was inside facing a puppet master and her three puppets.

The disappearance of the Withered Lantern filled the old chieftain with dread; he didn't notice anything off about Cheng Shi at all, nor did he have any mind to pay attention to what was happening inside the main house. He stumbled up to Cheng Shi and prostrated himself the moment he arrived.

"Lord Bald, the Withered Lantern bestowed by my Lord has not returned to the altar—does this mean He has begun to doubt our devotion?"

The old chieftain raised his trembling head, the terror and unease in his eyes impossible to hide. He didn't even dare meet Cheng Shi's gaze, afraid of seeing a look of reproach, even though he had no idea what had happened.

Cheng Shi looked at the sea of mushroom-folk sprawled before him, listening intently to the sounds inside the house while clearing his throat twice, and smiling as he helped the old chieftain to his feet.

"There's no need to panic. I understand your centuries-long eagerness to be forgiven, but since He has already sent me, you ought to be more composed.

Your panic, seen now, looks far more like a doubt of Him."

Though a smile showed on his face, at this moment it looked more like a smile hiding a blade.

The moment these words fell, the old chieftain, who had just been helped up, went "thud" and prostrated himself again.

"N-no no no! Lord Bald, see clearly—we would never dare doubt our benefactor Lord. We were merely worried about the whereabouts of the holy artifact, and came to... came to seek instruction, yes, instruction."

We were hasty and rude for a moment; please, my lord, pardon us, and ask our benefactor Lord for forgiveness!"

"Please, my lord, pardon us! Ask our benefactor Lord for forgiveness!"

A tsunami of dread washed over him. Cheng Shi felt the mushroom-folk's terror and sighed inwardly.

He didn't want to use this big-stick approach to smack them down first, but the problem was a silent great battle was unfolding inside the house—if he didn't find a way to divert their attention, the whole thing would be exposed.

"Rise. You and I are both His children; there is no high or low between us.

The Withered Lantern is still safe, right here in my hand. When yesterday's trial ended, I already took it back, so you can set your hearts at ease."

The old chieftain froze at these words, then suddenly understood.

Of course!

The trial was already over—how could the benefactor Lord leave a Withered Lantern that exudes 【Decay】 and desecrates 【Prosperity】 in the mushroom-folk's hands?

Reasonable. Perfectly reasonable.

His mood soared from the abyss to the heavens in an instant. The thought that only three more trials stood between them and His forgiveness set the old chieftain right as rain again.

He rose, trembling, and asked with a face full of devotion:

"Lord Bald, when does today's trial begin?"

Heh, you ask me, who do I ask? Whenever they're done fighting inside, I'll make something up then.

Cheng Shi gave a slight smile, just about to find an excuse to stall—when the main house's door opened, and Hong Lin strode out glowing with satisfaction, clearly having enjoyed the fight.

Not only had she enjoyed it—she'd won.

Cheng Shi was delighted at the sight. He raised a brow and said to the mushroom-folk:

"Today's trial is: Perseverance in Devotion.

We children of 【Prosperity】 should maintain a state of prosperity at all times. Even in this place of exile, we should eat constantly to strive for abundance. So today we will select one trial-bearer from the tribe, who will carry the Withered Lantern into the Sighwood Forest to forage.

Before departure, I will block his memories of our group, so that he acts on his own as before. Then we will record everything he does and rigorously examine the food he retrieves, to prevent any impure thoughts from mixing into your devotion to Him.

This too is a trial of your devotion. Of course, judging by the food stored in the tribe, you've passed.

But know that His trials are no child's play, so today's must proceed as well.

Still, you needn't worry about safety—we will follow quietly behind him and ensure your clansman's safety."

The moment his words fell, the entire mushroom-folk tribe erupted.

What thrilled them wasn't the divine envoy's recognition of the tribe, but that at last there was a trial where the mushroom-folk could demonstrate their devotion.

So nearly every mushroom-folk stood up, thumping their own chests and swearing they were the most suitable candidate, wanting the old chieftain to send them out.

Seeing this, Cheng Shi was somewhat surprised—he could tell this tribe was truly devout.

The old chieftain didn't dare decide the selection on his own; he sought the divine envoy's guidance. Cheng Shi's eyes rolled, and he randomly picked out a "bachelor."

He glanced around and noticed this particular mushroom-folk had no member of the opposite sex standing beside him, so he picked him out and made him the tribe's "Champion of the Day."

The chosen young fellow was thrilled. He ran to stand beside the old chieftain, face full of pride, waiting for the divine envoy's command.

"What is your name?"

"Amir, Lord Bald—my name is Amir, the most devout believer of Him!"

"Very good, plenty of spirit. Wait here a moment; we depart shortly."

With that, Cheng Shi finally breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed Hong Lin, and turned to walk back into the main house.

The moment he entered, he shut the door firmly, his solemn demeanor fixed on the puppet master inside the room who was... who was entirely without injury or restraint.

?

Cheng Shi froze for a beat, his peripheral gaze turning to Hong Lin, waiting for an explanation.

Hong Lin snorted a laugh, tilted her chin toward the puppet master sitting in a neat row of four, and said:

"Another lunatic from the God-Worshipping Society."

"The God-Worshipping Society?" Cheng Shi's brow furrowed slightly as he recalled this "simp" organization that could rival the Advent Faction.

This world has never lacked madmen, nor those who worship the strong; and when the two fused into one at the very moment the 【Gods】 descended, the God-Worshipping Society was born.

This organization is full of lunatics who both have and lack self-awareness.

The reason they have self-awareness is that they know they are mere mortals, forever incapable of defying the 【Divine】 game—so they chose submission, acknowledgment, devotion, fanaticism.

They believed that the 【Faith Game】 was the very essence of this world, and that the 【Gods】 were the supreme beings of the cosmos, so they willingly turned themselves into "simp dogs" for 【Them】, hoping that one day in the future, They would bestow a glance upon them and transform them into beings who had transcended the mundane.

The reason they were called lacking in self-awareness was because this group of lunatics firmly believed that a "simp dog" could always "make it official"—as long as they were devout enough, They would surely take notice and grant their heart's desire.

Compared to those pure believers, the Advent Faction was far more complicated.

The Advent Faction was not an organization with a concrete structure or complete system; it was merely a collective label—anyone who felt that the 【Gods】 should descend was grouped under the Advent Faction.

The composition of players in this faction was extremely complicated: there were unemployed people like Xie Yang who were "grateful to the 【Gods】 for saving the employment rate," there were rich young masters who thought "the world is too boring, the 【Gods】' descent will bring new fun," and there were also self-abandoning types who figured "my life is already this miserable, after They descend at least everyone can be miserable together with me"......

Cases like these were too numerous to count.

So overall, both the God-Worshipping Society and the Advent Faction could be considered people on 【Their】 side; in the eyes of players who had a sense of real-world belonging, this group was no different from "world traitors."

Cheng Shi looked at An Jing, truly unable to imagine that such a quiet little Miss would actually be a lunatic from the God-Worshipping Society.

But if she really was, Cheng Shi could roughly guess why Hong Lin and the Puppeteer had stopped fighting.

Because this group of lunatics was willing to pay any price for an audience with the Gods!

In other words, they were faith-peddling toads notorious for their love of deals—as long as someone could provide them a path leading to Them, they would... do anything for it.

Cheng Shi let out a scoff and asked playfully:

"So, Baldy, what deal did you actually make with this Puppeteer?"

Hong Lin also let out a scoff:

"I sold the intel I'd sold to that stinky bird all over again."