Chapter 53: A Bustling Night

A bustling night

Cheng Shi had no idea that Du Qiyu had invited Fang Shiqing out for a night of revelry.

At this moment, he was downstairs in the inn, extracting information from the drunks who frequently drank with the “Bard.”

They seemed utterly indifferent to the death of their drinking companion, caring only whether today’s drinks were on discount.

Same old trick: Cheng Shi stole wine from another table and brought it over to swap for stories.

Seeing free wine being offered, several drunks embellished tales of how they’d been brothers with the “Bard.”

“Adros was an experienced traveler, though his drinking capacity was poor—he didn’t drink much—but his knowledge was vast; it’s said he’d been to many places beneath the earth.”

“You say he was a puppet? Don’t be ridiculous, buddy—he must’ve been replaced. How could a puppet drink? Wouldn’t it rust? Besides, he always paid for the drinks.”

“Why care where the real one is? I only want to know where his money is. Damn it, the Enforcement Bureau emptied his room. They say he made a fortune writing books—if I could inherit that cash, I could drink until the day I die.”

“Bullshit, I’m Adros’s son—I’m the only one with inheritance rights.”

“What? A follower of the [Defilement]? He wasn’t a follower of the [Defilement]—he was a beggar of faiths, worshipping every god.”

“How do I know? He could recite prayers to seven or eight gods in one breath. Can you?”

“Hey buddy, any more free wine? If not, go ask the boss—he always gives a bottle or two when Adros does this.”

Cheng Shi forced a smile and pulled away from the drinking table; the moment he returned to his room, his expression turned grim.

A masterful puppet technique—none of these drunks had noticed anything amiss.

Only a handful of professions could achieve such precise puppet control, and if it also involved the [Defilement] and [Death], then there was only one:

The Desire Sovereign.

A mage who worshipped the [Defilement].

A profession capable of crafting puppets from desire.

The question was: where was this suspected Desire Sovereign hiding now?

No puppet could stray far from its master—so the killer was still inside the inn.

But... could he hide this well?

Not a single person suspected him. Not a single slip revealed him. He’d even fooled the Grand Inquisition with his puppets—he didn’t look like he was on the defensive at all.

Cheng Shi even wondered if exposing [When Fear Comes] had been part of his plan all along.

Because a killer this hidden only needed to carry the weapon on his person—it could never be found.

So why leave the semi-divine artifact in his room? Was it meant to be handed over to the Grand Inquisition?

What was his purpose?

Wait!!

Could it be!?

Was his target the Inquisitor all along?

Mo Qiusi!!??

Cheng Shi was stunned by his own thought—but upon reflection, it fit every detail perfectly.

He used a puppet to create chaos, dimming his own presence, then revealed the weapon to make the Grand Inquisition believe victory was assured.

Next, he’d use Mo Qiusi’s [When Fear Comes] to execute some unexpected moves.

Cheng Shi took several deep breaths, a bold hypothesis rising in his mind.

Could the sacrifice for this trial... be Mo Qiusi?

Impossible!

A Level One Inquisitor of the Grand Inquisition?

Just look at the public’s reaction—how deep his popular support ran. Look at how Yun Ni and the Ascetic died—how powerful he was.

Could such a being possibly be defeated by players?

Hmm... you know what? Six players at 2400 might not actually be enough.

The problem is, three are already dead, and of the three left, one’s a dead weight.

Of course, I won’t say who the dead weight is.

But there’s another possibility: the sacrifice is the killer.

Yet judging by current evidence, this “sacrifice” seems even more troublesome than the Inquisitor.

So far, the players haven’t found him at all.

Clues are fragmented; deductions rely entirely on guesswork.

Cheng Shi spent the entire night in his room, thinking while monitoring the sounds from the next room.

Finally, at 2:30 a.m., a faint odd noise came from the door.

Cheng Shi looked up in shock.

“?”

Why was the sound coming from his own door?

He immediately slipped off the bed, crept slowly toward the door, confirmed someone was outside, then—instead of adopting a defensive stance—suddenly yanked the door open.

In the instant the door flew open, a waiter, startled and embarrassed, lost his balance and tumbled sideways into the room, landing hard on his belly.

A waiter?

Cheng Shi swiftly planted his foot on the waiter’s shoulder and asked with a smirk:

“What, working late? Taking on a side job now?”

The waiter clearly didn’t understand Cheng Shi’s joke. He smiled awkwardly but made no attempt to struggle:

“Sorry to disturb you, sir. The boss said you were injured, so he sent me with some medicine—it’s in my jacket pocket.”

Cheng Shi didn’t move, pressing his foot harder:

“Oh? Then I should thank your boss. But is this how you always deliver medicine?”

The waiter laughed nervously twice, face flushed:

“Sorry, it’s all my fault—I was just too curious. I’ll report this honestly to the boss. Please forgive me.”

The waiter wasn’t lying. His tone was sincere, no deception.

Cheng Shi hesitated a moment, then reached for the pocket of his jacket.

But the instant his fingers touched the waiter’s chest, he froze—then snatched his hand back, smiling as he murmured thanks.

The waiter scrambled to his feet, bowed repeatedly, and retreated, closing the door behind him.

Cheng Shi stared at the slip of paper in his hand, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Du Qiyu stood motionless against the wall, listening intently to the sounds from Cheng Shi’s room. When the noises ceased, he shook his head at Fang Shiqing, who sat inside the room.

“It was the innkeeper’s man bringing medicine. But this waiter had some hidden intentions—Cheng Shi caught on.”

“He’s alert. Sharp. Too sharp to be a [Chaos] believer.”

Fang Shiqing nodded, then shook his head:

“The scent of [Chaos] can’t be faked. This Enlightened Rationalist has high divinity. As he said himself—approaching [Order] is, to [Chaos], another form of chaos.”

“Heh, so according to that, aren’t you even more chaotic than him?”

“Only if he worships [Chaos]. I worship [Order]. Identical outward behavior, but different cores. That’s why every human is unique.”

“Enough idle talk. Fifteen minutes left. I’m looking forward to tonight’s journey.”

“So am I. After we leave, remember to remove the silence barrier—don’t let the neighbor suspect anything.”

Fang Shiqing nodded, saying nothing more.

Three o’clock arrived.

Cheng Shi sensed the people next door were gone. He pushed open his door and stepped out.

He had some guesses about where they’d gone, but he chose not to follow his instincts.

He studied the slip of paper in his hand, face grim, and walked downstairs.

The note said: beneath the bar in the first-floor lobby was a sealed space, perfect for a meeting. He was to come alone.

Alone?

Fine. I’ll go alone.

Today, I’ll be a lone wolf again.

Let’s see what the killer who’s sowing panic in Yongzhan looks like!