[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-gods-foolish-game":3,"chapter-the-gods-foolish-game-the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-989":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},2362117,4617,"Chapter 989: Accomplice","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-989",989,"\u003Cp>Accomplice\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi was also wondering why the Boss of [Death] had bestowed such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thing clearly sounds like something a malicious player would use to defy the gods—if that Lord could tolerate defiance of divine authority, does that mean He likely shares the same “rebellious” spirit as the Jester God?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such a spirit, when applied to the dimension of a god... isn’t that just the Fear Faction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!??”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the Lord has shifted from neutrality to fear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did the Jester God really pull Him over?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not impossible! Recalling how consistently the Lord had protected him, Cheng Shi even suspected the Lord had long been won over by the Jester God—that the strained relationship between [Death] and [Void] might have been staged purely to avoid suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, using the Lord’s gift to block the gods’ sight and hearing perfectly solves the problem of attracting too much cosmic attention under the protection of [Deception], especially since the Lord still enjoys a decent reputation among the gods—at least he’s not one who constantly stirs up trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Cheng Shi’s mind suddenly became active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this artifact’s protection, the room for maneuvering greatly expands—but he didn’t know if it could also block the Jester God’s surveillance...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Cheng Shi’s doubtful expression, Zhang Jizu spoke again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t think this is simple. Even if it can shield you from the gods’ sight, it is still the Master’s creation—so every word and deed under its protection remains visible to that Lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cheng Shi, if what you wish to share also concerns the Master...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu didn’t spell it out, but Cheng Shi understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this artifact isn’t without a time limit. The Master warned me that prolonged lingering of [Death]’s aura will eventually draw the gods’ suspicion. When they merely observe without descending, the aura may deceive them—but once they grow suspicious and come to investigate firsthand...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Falsehoods are falsehoods. Everything we discuss here will be caught red-handed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So whether to use it or not is entirely up to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would definitely use it—the Lord had given it to him, clearly intending for him to use it. The question was whether the Jester God had slipped in some hidden agenda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Jester God and the Lord had reached some agreement and left a backdoor in this artifact... then he’d have to be extremely careful with his words and actions. He couldn’t possibly mock his own Master in front of two gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he didn’t mock, how could he boldly speculate on the Jester God’s intentions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi fell into deep thought again. After a long while, he finally returned to his relaxed demeanor, staring straight at the bell in Zhang Jizu’s hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand. But why are you still holding my thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?” Zhang Jizu narrowed his eyes, smirking as he glanced at Cheng Shi. “Yours? Cheng Shi, giving a bell isn’t a good omen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?” The small skull’s eye sockets widened sharply. “Zhang Mi, your thoughts are dangerously suspicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s what you said—it has nothing to do with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Zhang Jizu handed the bone bell directly to Cheng Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been looking forward to gaining a treasure, but the moment “giving a bell” was mentioned, Cheng Shi felt cheated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Mi, you definitely carved my tombstone. Tell me—where did you hide it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu sighed and shook his head. To escape the small skull’s incessant noise, he simply covered Cheng Shi with the bone bell and chuckled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hundred tombstones is a massive undertaking. I’ve been busy lately, but don’t worry—I won’t shortchange you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, Cheng Shi’s loud protest echoed from inside the bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Mi, this is betrayal of friendship and sabotage of the revolution! You dare imprison the Lord’s most devout employee? Tell me—have you already embraced [Corruption] to soothe your jealousy?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu’s eyes nearly vanished. He couldn’t bear the small skull’s noise, so he grabbed a carving knife and struck the bone bell with the hilt. The resonating chime sent golden stars swirling before Cheng Shi’s eyes, silencing him instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve merely taken the form of a small skull—you’re not truly one of those noisy things. Save your energy. Tell me about the Clown.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the bell, Cheng Shi shook his head, feeling nauseous:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t think changing the subject will work—I’m remembering this grudge...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The location’s ready, preparations are mostly complete. The only problem is that the void is too empty—it doesn’t suit the Clowns’ status. That’s why I came to ask for your help. But I never expected you’d take this chance to get back at me, you treacherous little worm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu ignored the last part, frowning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Clowns were born from [Void]. The venue is empty and void—how is that unsuitable?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi recovered, scoffing: “I’ll ask you this: Could you stand face-to-face with Zhen Xin and have a conversation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you say yes, then after today’s matter is settled, hand me the bell, and I’ll drop the whole thing and leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu narrowed his eyes and quickly grasped the deeper meaning—this wasn’t about proximity, but about distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a group of liars gather in one place and are free to choose their positions, what do you think they’ll do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too close, and they distrust each other; too far, and they seem aloof. After all, they’re here for intelligence—if they immediately appear hostile, who’d bother listening?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So under the guise of the Clowns, even if these liars distrust each other, they must at least appear to trust one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distance is the most direct expression of trust—they’ll inch closer, shrinking the gap to demonstrate their “sincerity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this happened between two liars, their trust and suspicion would eventually balance into a comfortable distance, fixed in place. But if it happens among a group of liars...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Believe me, their positions will keep drawing closer—because if you stand even one step farther than the others, you’ll be mocked and scorned by the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re capable of doing this to appear “sincere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if all attendees were like Long Wang, focused purely on the Dao, closeness wouldn’t matter. But what if one of them is Zhen Xin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Zhen Xin is good at cooperation, and can chat easily with everyone—but the moment you remember that face belongs to Zhen Yi...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu’s eyelid twitched. He immediately suggested: “We need a table.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!” Cheng Shi grinned, his muffled laughter echoing from within the bell. “Before I came, I was thinking of getting a table. But once I arrived, I had a better idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Mi, if you don’t mind, how about...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu was stunned. He lifted the bell, staring at Cheng Shi’s smug face beneath it, then asked again, “Will this even work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You already know the answer in your heart, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk. I’ve never seen you this excited, Zhang Mi. Your thoughts are dangerously suspicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu suppressed the gleam in his eyes and turned his head away, silently thinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However suspicious, I’m at most... an accomplice.\u003C\u002Fp>",1176,"2026-06-21T06:05:16.216Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fc4ad77d8934bbd557a177aa20872f172b220010b57b6acf58a936125f976a74","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-990","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-988",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-gods-foolish-game-cover.jpg"]