Chapter 955: Bait

Bait

Sun Miao, though unfamiliar with the container, possessed sufficient discernment as Vice Chairman of the History School.

He could tell that whatever lay behind the mask was at least an SS-class pseudo-divine artifact—his intuition even suggested it was likely an SSS semi-divine artifact!

Add to that its influence over desire and emotion, and the artifact’s divine allegiance was no longer a mystery.

Sun Miao’s pupils contracted; he instinctively stepped two paces away from Cheng Shi, yet strangely, his fear seemed to be slowly fading.

This was the first time he had adopted a defensive posture toward Cheng Shi—and the reason was simple: clearly, this Vice Chairman also held the 【Defilement】 in wary distance, a stance that made Cheng Shi believe the man’s earlier words about focusing solely on intelligence gathering were genuine, not some obsession with godhood.

Cheng Shi even vaguely suspected the man’s claim that “only by becoming a god can one fulfill one’s wish” meant gaining more intelligence after achieving godhood...

What a king of gossip.

Seeing Sun Miao’s wariness, Cheng Shi had no choice but to rename the 【Defilement】’s container to prevent his only reliable ally from withdrawing from the partnership.

“Fear Tree Core—it’s what emerged from Lele’er’s trunk after he collapsed, capable of absorbing human desire and fear, though it also touches on other emotions, since it too belongs to the 【Defilement】.”

“!!!”

Hearing this, Sun Miao finally understood why Cheng Shi had feigned ignorance about entering that mental exchange—he should’ve guessed earlier: the man had found a tremendous advantage within that exchange, and that advantage was this so-called “Fear Tree Core” in Cheng Shi’s hands!

“The Fear Mother Tree fell? You killed the Fear Mother Tree!?” Sun Miao asked, incredulous.

Those words genuinely startled Cheng Shi.

Hey, buddy, don’t go around saying stuff like that!

At best, I just kicked a corpse—the karmic blame for murder doesn’t stick to me.

Lele’er died because 【Prosperity】 self-annihilated, and 【Prosperity】 self-annihilated because...

Hmm, that doesn’t quite fit—never mind, anyway, it wasn’t me. At least, not the me of this current world!

In this abstract world, I feel it necessary to add so many qualifiers to protect myself.

The more Cheng Shi thought about it, the more uneasy he grew; he gave up thinking and shook his head vigorously:

“I have no strength to face a Messenger directly—it was Keinlaor.

He snapped Lele’er’s branches, forged that great bow with Lideyila’s blood, then battled Lele’er in close combat. I don’t know why Lele’er was so weak, but Keinlaor split open his trunk and found this core.

I merely used a trivial trick to swap the core out of his hands.

I admit, I was influenced by the 【Defilement】 back then, but I can confirm this core now doesn’t amplify personal desire—it actually absorbs emotion and desire.

You should sense the change in yourself, and my calmness in discussing this with you proves it affects me too.

So, Vice Chairman Sun, put your heart back in your chest—I have no interest in you. I brought this out to...”

“Fish.”

It has to be said that the sage of folly is still too overpowered.

After hearing Cheng Shi’s explanation, Sun Miao immediately guessed his plan—and for once, he lowered his nose, meeting Cheng Shi’s gaze evenly:

“No one rises to fame without merit. I never believed reputation could be built on brute force alone.

Indeed, your wisdom deserves 【Foolishness】’s gaze.”

“...”

Though this was a form of acknowledgment from a 【Foolishness】 devotee, it still felt odd.

So even if someone is brilliant, they’re only ever equal to the sages, right?

Cheng Shi snorted, unimpressed: “Then what about... Honglin?”

“...”

Sun Miao fell silent, his eyelid twitching as he replied seriously:

“In experiments or observation, there are always unpredictable variables—generalizations don’t apply. Clearly, Honglin is one such variable.

But across the entire peak circle, isn’t she the only one like this?”

Cheng Shi nodded, barely suppressing a laugh:

“Got it. You’re calling her an idiot, and saying she’s the only idiot in the peak circle. I’ll remember that—I’ll tell her next time.

Sage, mind your own business.”

“??? ”

Sun Miao should have been alarmed, but under the influence of the 【Defilement】 container, he felt no fear at all.

He gazed thoughtfully at the mask, catching a glimpse of shifting light behind its seams, and mused:

“This core’s effect is truly potent—I should feel reverence toward everything, yet now I feel nothing at all.

But Vice Chairman Cheng, I must warn you: when it absorbs your desire and emotion without reason, even if you feel no fear, stay wary. You never know what the 【Defilement】 is using it for.

What if—just hypothetically—it’s the key to Lele’er’s resurrection? Then the emotions and desires it drains will bind you to the Fear Mother Tree in inescapable karmic ties.”

Perhaps because his desires were stripped away, Sun Miao’s words rang sincere. Cheng Shi blinked, thinking this worry was unnecessary—the absorbed desires and emotions would drip into the 【Defilement】’s divinity anyway—but he still appreciated it. At least this Vice Chairman genuinely “cared”—or at least cared about the intelligence on him.

Hmm, that’s enough.

After all, in this world, no one treats others with complete sincerity.

Except Da Mao.

Seeing Cheng Shi nodding repeatedly, Sun Miao knew he’d listened. He stopped playing the annoying advisor and began seriously pondering how to turn this Fear Tree Core into bait to lure Du Qiyu.

Yes, bait.

Cheng Shi brought this out to fish.

If Xiao Qi’s condition, as Sun Miao claimed, stemmed from the cost of emotion—forcing him to split his power and wisdom among his tamed beast—then this 【Defilement】 container was now the most alluring object in the world for Xiao Qi.

Once he obtained it, Xiao Qi would no longer need to fragment his strength to control emotion; he’d reclaim all his power and become the formidable true beast tamer Xie Yang spoke of.

For players obsessed with power in this game, this was an irresistible lure. Release the word, and the current chaotic hunt would shift—Xiao Qi, who had been hiding from them, would come to them himself.

Then, once Xiao Qi was dealt with, the trial would return to normal.

But the problem was: how to make Xiao Qi know Cheng Shi had this thing?

“The exposure must be utterly natural. Otherwise, with his vigilance, the beast tamer won’t deliberately approach a prop deliberately displayed before him—even if it’s extremely useful.”

“So the key now is to use your stolen loot—this fish-eye disguised as a pearl—on the battlefield, and use it in a plausible, reasonable way.”

Sun Miao frowned, deep in thought, still unable to devise a perfect plan.

Meanwhile, Cheng Shi, free of fear, merely smiled casually—he already had a complete plan in mind, and its first step was...

Kill himself first.