[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-gods-foolish-game":3,"chapter-the-gods-foolish-game-the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-51":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Gods' Foolish Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2361179,4617,"Chapter 51: The Trial","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-51",51,"\u003Cp>The difficulty of the trial is still escalating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this the half-artifact that kills without a trace?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene left Cheng Shi with no choice but to think so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the dagger was clutched in the ascetic’s palm, he couldn’t hold it steady—the entire body trembled with every vibration of the weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his bloodshot eyes and bulging veins, Cheng Shi truly feared something terrible would happen to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Grand Tribunal is downstairs—they could spot this place any moment. Dismiss your domain, I’ll help you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s sincerity earned him nothing but his usual silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as the ascetic’s condition continued to deteriorate, he did not dismiss his Silent Domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This truly left Cheng Shi speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You found the key clue to the trial, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your condition is too poor—if you don’t let go, you’ll die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine, fine, fine, you want to go it alone, is that it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright, then die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing no communication was possible, Cheng Shi turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commotion here is too loud—the Grand Tribunal’s people aren’t fools; they’ll soon realize where the bard’s room is and come searching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they see me here, my presence at the murderer’s door will be impossible to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could an ordinary traveler be so interested in a killer that he runs toward the killer’s room while others flee?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Investigate when you can, but save your life when you must.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi couldn’t match this lone-wolf warrior—he could only think of another way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as he turned to leave, a terrifying purple lightning bolt shot past Cheng Shi’s cheek and struck the ascetic full-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunderclap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s spirit reeled, his pupils shrinking instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The searing burn and numbness robbed him of sensation in half his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He widened his eyes forward—and saw, at the second-floor staircase, a man standing there, coldly watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Qiusi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This judge arrived faster than Cheng Shi expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him stood several Enforcers, a crowd of thrill-seeking travelers, and among them, Fang Jue and Du Xiguang, their brows furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, they had already dealt with the bard downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So fast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi instinctively sensed something had gone wrong downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Fang Jue, then paused slightly, and turned to look at Du Xiguang instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Fang Jue wore a grim expression and said nothing; Du Xiguang’s face twisted in conflict, but finally gave a slight shake of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bard was in trouble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why they came upstairs immediately!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even at this moment, Fang Jue, a follower of [Order], was still pondering matters of opposing faiths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it—faith-based conflict isn’t the player’s fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The [Chaos] faith really is detestable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what mattered now wasn’t that—it was how to extricate himself from being found at the murderer’s door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s mind raced—he feigned shock and toppled sideways, rolling to the ground while stealing a glance at the ascetic inside the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a thick bolt of lightning—just a stray spark from the strike had numbed half his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it hit a person directly, could they even survive??\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You know what? They actually could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ascetic’s body was frozen for an instant under the thunderbolt as thick as a barrel—but he didn’t die; instead, he exploded outward, charred and blackened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, he flung the crimson dagger at Cheng Shi’s feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Qiusi was clearly stunned that his thunderbolt had failed to kill the criminal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he quickly regained his stern demeanor, his voice as cold as ice frozen for a thousand years in the abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. You are the first criminal to survive my Thunder Punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a physique is enough to earn even my admiration.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The southern front is strained—we need men now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrender, hand over ‘it,’ and I’ll grant you a chance to become a ‘War Prisoner!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Convicts sentenced to death might earn survival through battlefield service—these individuals are commonly called War Prisoners by the Grand Tribunal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, no matter how many they’ve killed, they only escape execution—they’ll still be imprisoned upon return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Order] must be upheld, and punishment must never be wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A criminal is a criminal from the moment they commit their crime—for eternity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the will of the Grand Tribunal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is why Fang Jue refused to join the Grand Tribunal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned upon hearing those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thick, viscous lightning atop Mo Qiusi’s staff still roared as he stared coldly at the ascetic, as if a single “no” would cause that howling thunder to swallow him whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi hid to the side like an invisible man, mentally calculating how this follower of [Silence] might break the deadlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no intention of breaking the deadlock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ascetic struggled to rise from the ground, he did not flee—he lunged straight for Cheng Shi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the dagger at Cheng Shi’s feet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s eyes widened in utter disbelief as he scrambled backward two steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother, do you really have to be this stubborn?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can’t you live unless your head’s made of iron?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you think the judge’s thunder is just electrotherapy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’ll kill you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two swift retreats saved Cheng Shi’s life—because as the ascetic moved, Mo Qiusi’s lightning roared toward him without hesitation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No luck this time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant the thunder struck the ascetic, he turned to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bolt carried far greater fury than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Mo Qiusi was enraged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so the criminal—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust scattered, thunder silenced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the dead man never spoke a single word throughout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his entire death, he upheld the tenet of [Silence], demonstrating his devotion to his master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hum—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deafening thunder left Cheng Shi’s ears ringing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His skull screamed; his spirit trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the ascetic had charged toward him, Cheng Shi clearly saw the fixation in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw the last flicker of that stubborn light vanish from the ascetic’s gaze before the thunder consumed him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t killed by the lightning!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He died of fear!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes—he died from the crimson dagger beneath his feet, from [When Fear Arrives]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He died before the judge’s verdict—killed by the half-artifact he sought to seize!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi stared in disbelief, quickly turning to look at the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the bard downstairs was already dealt with, when had the ascetic been marked by it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could the killer still be among the crowd?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even under the Grand Tribunal’s very eyes, he was still killing!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six remain—three left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial is only on its second day!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s back prickled with cold sweat; he dared not speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hugged himself slightly, pretending to be a frightened, injured traveler, trying to blend in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Qiusi had long seen through everything; he knew Cheng Shi was no good man, and he knew Cheng Shi wanted to take advantage of the chaos to find this dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the most advantageous thing for Cheng Shi was that, even though he appeared where he shouldn’t have, he did nothing he shouldn’t have done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a person who clearly wasn’t good but committed no criminal act, the judge could not convict him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, it would violate 【Order】.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Order】 granted them authority, but also limited their power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Qiusi walked grimly up to Cheng Shi, ignored the “injured traveler,” and bent down to pick up the crimson dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The semi-divine artifact that had nearly killed the ascetic monk showed no resistance in his hand, lying still like an ordinary piece of iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment 【When Fear Arrives】 fell into Mo Qiusi’s grasp, the faces of the last three players turned utterly grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial’s difficulty was still escalating.\u003C\u002Fp>",1269,"2026-06-21T06:05:06.137Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cc100e2310a84697d47eb82f142dc058c72cfd5277beaa627244caaf6538ca60","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-52","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-50",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-gods-foolish-game-cover.jpg"]