[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-gods-foolish-game":3,"chapter-the-gods-foolish-game-the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-995":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},2362123,4617,"Chapter 995","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-995",995,"\u003Cp>The opening hand is a royal flush, and the gods are not gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the doctor’s experiment results seem to have failed—he did not appear at the Joker’s gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting for a long time with no result, Cheng Shi gave up and chose another spot, plopping himself down on the tombstone of 【Fate】, and announced to everyone without any embarrassment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone is here. Let’s begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are the people you were waiting for?” Zhen Xin blinked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you see? He stood us up. In this world, livestock farming is so advanced that someone always likes to flake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you were just waiting for one person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Six were expected, five showed up. Cheng Shi, is this the mysterious Joker you mentioned?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Xin couldn’t help but laugh and cry at once—this gathering was even smaller than the Historical School’s Correction Meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Jing was utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, he finally realized he’d been tricked—the invitation wasn’t written by Long Wang; it was entirely fabricated by Cheng Shi himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Weaver of Fate is using a trick that fooled everyone to amplify today’s gathering—but wait, you said the Joker has only six members, and even today five of them are liars!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d known beforehand that the Joker was just a group of five liars, he would have never believed those five liars could be the world’s hope when he met the other Cheng Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you kidding?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What hope can a group of people who never tell the truth bring?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will you cover the world’s wounds with gauze woven from lies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughable. What a clown act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Long Jing sneered: “Such an old joke, Weaver of Fate. Next, you won’t be telling us everyone here is actually present, we just can’t see them, will you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi spread his hands, speaking with unusual sincerity:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never said that. If you see people everywhere here, I suggest you go see an ophthalmologist. Of course, you can come to me—I’m not an eye specialist, but I’m still an excellent doctor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every patient in Dolgord can vouch for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today isn’t my clinic—it’s the Joker’s stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As you can see, the Joker’s gathering is about to begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Cheng Shi picked up the mask beside him, gestured to everyone with an inviting motion, then grew solemn and spoke with deep reverence:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’ve all guessed it—yes, the Joker was born because of Him. So before we begin, let us loudly praise this greatest god of the cosmos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without discerning truth or falsehood...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi shouted, his smiling gaze sweeping over every face in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the attendees felt helpless, they could not resist the atmosphere—they picked up their masks, lightly placed them over their faces, and chanted together: “...regardless of illusion or reality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent. You are all deeply devout.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I must remind you: my Lord favors falsehood. Your extreme devotion is, in essence, blasphemy against the God of Laughter. Long Wang, take note of this—if anyone later betrays the Joker, I’ll use this memory as evidence to report them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jingming was numb. He hadn’t expected to be trapped here by Cheng Shi’s single sentence. If he recorded this, he’d be endorsing absurdity and leaving behind proof of his own blasphemy; if he didn’t, he’d be blaspheming against memory itself. Either way, it was blasphemy—he could only laugh and cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Jing rolled his eyes at this nonsense. Mi Lao Zhang was used to Cheng Shi’s erratic thinking and ignored him entirely. Only Zhen Xin looked at Cheng Shi with a half-smile, tapping the tombstone rhythmically with her heel:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope your next sentence gets to the point. Otherwise, my next sentence will get to the point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your “point”—isn’t it just going to be “Heh”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi pursed his lips, thinking modern youth were too impatient, unable to wait a moment. Since you don’t want to wait, then let’s begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose from the tombstone, bowed theatrically to everyone, then sat back down calmly. Behind his back, he struck the bone bell beneath the tombstone, and with perfect seriousness, threw the gathering’s first bombshell at the watching Jokers:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The gods are not gods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, everyone frowned—this was not Cheng Shi’s usual storytelling style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to their understanding of him, if the Weaver of Fate didn’t fleece you for information before exchanging secrets, then whatever came out of his mouth might not even be a lie—it could just be random, patched-together nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today’s atmosphere was clearly different. Cheng Shi seemed to have a strong urge to share, and beneath that intense eagerness lay a faint, almost imperceptible... fear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that could frighten a Friend of the Envoy? Interesting. Zhen Xin wondered—what truth about this world could make this Weaver of Fate, who often joked like a little sister, feel fear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, clever as she was, she had already guessed what Cheng Shi intended to say. The Weaver opened with this phrase to lead into the omniscient and omnipotent 【Origin】. By observing the reactions, one could tell who among them were the true Jokers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Zhen Xin looked around and found everyone was already familiar with Cheng Shi’s claim—meaning the Jokers here already understood the nature of this world deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was indeed a rare intelligence summit—not just the words spoken, but even each person’s gestures might be part of the intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Jing’s eyes gleamed. He wondered whether this conclusion, once uttered by the other Cheng Shi, had been discovered by this Cheng Shi himself—or whether someone had told him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was the latter, was that someone a Player... or Them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Different answers implied vastly different complexities in the current state of affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Jing’s thoughts scattered. The other two also had their own musings. Cheng Shi knew everyone here, to some degree, was aware of 【Origin】—even if they didn’t know its true name, they had at least guessed such an existence existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he did not pause long, but continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I just said may be ambiguous, but what I mean is: the gods are not omniscient or omnipotent. They are created deities. The one who created them—that is the true Supreme God.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To ensure this gathering proceeds safely, I will not utter the true name of this Creator. I also advise those who know His name: do not dwell on it, do not think of it, lest you invite disaster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, aside from discussing 【*Him】, today’s conversation on all matters of gods may be spoken freely—I guarantee your blasphemous words will not reach Them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Li Jingming perked up. He turned to Zhang Jizu and raised an eyebrow: “You succeeded?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu nodded without concealment, pointing at Cheng Shi: “He has it. He said if I hand over this thing, I can be exempted from all future information exchange costs at the Joker’s gatherings and gain the right to listen without speaking. I thought it was worth it, so I agreed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, Mi Lao Zhang, how are you making this up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When did I ever...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Cheng Shi was stunned, Long Jing—the only one unaware—asked in confusion: “What does that mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Xin chuckled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The secrets hidden on this Weaver of Fate may be too complex to discuss under the gods’ watchful eyes. So we’ve been trying to find a way to block the gods’ sight and hearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it seems 【Death】 and the gods’ hearts... are not aligned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’m curious: has the ‘Omnipotence Paradox’ been resolved by trans-dimensional forces? If not, will everything said today be known to 【Death】?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Block the gods’ sight and hearing!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Long Jing shuddered, his skin prickling with goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he knew the gods were not true gods, he had never imagined one day escaping their control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew that once this idea took root, criticizing the gods, spying on them, opposing them, even killing them... might no longer be mere fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this mean? It meant these five Jokers before him might truly become the world’s hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, will their future be like that other Cheng Shi’s?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he remembered correctly, that Cheng Shi didn’t fare well at all...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Long Jing was lost.\u003C\u002Fp>",1380,"2026-06-21T06:05:16.216Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","12e7dabbbd408876b08349ea7e2bed701872b4cbf81b904b0a3d19086f21ce30","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-996","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-994",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-gods-foolish-game-cover.jpg"]