[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-859":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"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},2298828,4496,"Chapter 859: The Shadow of That One (End of Month Request for Monthly Tickets)","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-859",859,"\u003Cp>“The translation you requested has arrived.” The “Magician” tossed the stack of letters onto the table before the “Star,” then pulled over a chair and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” did not alter his posture, only extended his hand forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stack of letters instantly rose, lifted by invisible force, and landed in Mr. “Star”’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” scrutinized them intently; a soft rustling sound echoed gently through the quiet room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, he lifted his head and gazed at the “Magician” across the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think their speculation makes sense?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” lady smiled in reply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From a writer’s perspective, no speculation could be better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, I actually believe this is very likely true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think, Master Palles?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star”’s eyes suddenly darkened, and his voice emerged ancient and worn:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Originally, we only sensed that Alistair Tudo was doing something dangerous in Trier, but we didn’t know the specifics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this is true, the question to answer is: where did Alistair Tudo obtain the knowledge that drove him to those acts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” had already considered this question:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One possibility is that the inherent corruption of the ‘Red Priest’ Singularity, combined with Alistair Tudo’s forced leap across non-adjacent Paths—at the cost of madness—caused Him to sense conditions on the other side during His ascension, triggering a strange resonance and acquiring corresponding knowledge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another possibility is that the One provided it through some means.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the “Magician,” following her spiritual intuition, asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you implying that the One’s shadow lies behind this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” answered again in his aged voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t He always interfering in history, steering it toward the direction He desires?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, this event may not be predestined history—it’s more likely He wanted to test something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never quite understood why He helped Alistair Tudo forcibly ascend to the ‘Red Priest’ and stabilize his state, preventing him from losing control outright—now I think I understand a little:”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At that time, He was merely the Angel King, unable to influence or arrange matters involving true gods. But if that true god’s condition was already terrible, consumed by madness, acting mostly on instinct—wouldn’t it be much easier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And with Alistair Tudo, the mad ‘Blood Emperor,’ involved, the ‘Primordial Witch’ might have been drawn in by this event.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the end, He likely verified His hypothesis and gained valuable experience—but the outcome seemed to go awry, triggering the ‘War of the Four Emperors.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” suddenly reverted to his original, slightly magnetic voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many years passed between Alistair Tudo becoming the ‘Red Priest’ and the outbreak of the ‘War of the Four Emperors’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately answered his own question in his aged voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five hundred and thirty-seven years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More than enough to verify certain things.” Mr. “Star” mused in his magnetic tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” nodded gently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this is true, then He must understand the hidden problems within the Special Mirror World extremely well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, if Mr. ‘Fool’ had already awakened, he’d storm straight into the ‘Land of the Forsaken,’ grab Him by the collar, and demand to know what lies at the deepest core of the Special Mirror World!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” sighed involuntarily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He—Mr. ‘Fool’—isn’t that violent or crude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” lady laughed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you even understand what fantasy is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must distinguish between fantasy and truth, between lies and the genuine emotions hidden within lies, between the deepest buried feelings, tendencies, impulses, and inner conflicts expressed through the most implausible fantasies, between words spoken and truly believed—and even acted upon—yet still not reflecting one’s true attitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once you can distinguish all these...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the “Magician” lady glanced at the paper and pen on the desk and chuckled softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you’ll have a preliminary grasp of the art of poetry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” fell silent for several seconds:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The knowledge we obtained this time happens to be the portions of the ‘Hunter’ and the ‘Witch’—was that His arrangement too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think it’s more likely the work of that ‘Celestial Master,’” the “Magician” considered, “We don’t know what state the ‘Celestial Master’ is in, but from the ‘Ming Dao Ren,’ even if He couldn’t prevent Kemo of the Moth Ascetics from being corrupted, He could profoundly influence the nature of the corrupting knowledge—and during the Inn incident, He noticed the ‘Seven of Wands.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Mr. “Star” nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are the entanglement of the ‘Hunter’ and the ‘Witch’ among your minor Arcana cards also His arrangement? To replicate what He verified from the ‘Blood Emperor’ and the ‘Primordial Witch’ in them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” lady smiled lightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Entanglement? It’s far more than that. Though I didn’t witness it myself, my spiritual intuition and writer’s instinct tell me something has already happened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I pity them, yet I can’t help wanting to know the exact details...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the “Magician” cleared her throat and steered the conversation back on track:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The current developments—their fates entwined, emotional interactions, personal traits, and inner growth—are inevitable outcomes, unrelated to the One.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” lady emphasized “but” before continuing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I now suspect their initial meeting was arranged by Him, after which He left everything to unfold naturally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you understand? The greatest writers build stages, construct events, and let characters perform, reveal, interact, and clash on their own, to complete the most exquisite stories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” had intended to tease her about writers, but seeing the paper and pen on the desk, he remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After her reflection, the “Magician” shifted topics:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We should now be able to decrypt more of that document’s content.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the reward? The reward for ‘The Two of Cups’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” pulled out individual pieces of extraordinary materials from a silver box as he spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve prepared them already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here are the potion recipes and all materials from Rank 9 ‘Insomniac’ to Rank 7 ‘Nightmare.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” glanced at them and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Won’t you give her the gold coin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though ‘The Two of Cups’ was our designated guide for that dream, and she’s the only one trustworthy and sufficiently familiar with the environment, we still can’t let her obtain it too easily. I’ll give her another task—informing her that besides the Rank 6 ‘Soul Calmer’ potion recipe and materials, she’ll also receive a special personal reward.” Mr. “Star” smoothed his slightly disheveled hair and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” nodded gently, then brought up another matter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve always wanted to ask, Master Palles—now that you’ve ascended to Rank 1, why do you still remain within Mr. ‘Star’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star”’s eyes darkened again, his voice aging:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As one grows old, one prefers stability and dislikes changing familiar surroundings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” smiled in reply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to hear the truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” sighed, speaking in his aged tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you become a Rank 1 Archangel, you’ll understand—you’ll feel just how terrifying even the faintest leakage of influence is when Mr. ‘Fool’ and the Celestial Sovereign oppose each other. I can only remain within the Church of the Night Goddess, seeking a little protection.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” murmured “Mm,” then gathered the potion recipes and all materials from the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused, her eyes flickering as she asked Mr. “Star”:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where did you obtain these materials?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. “Star” smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I requested them from the Pope.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” probed thoughtfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Pope didn’t ask why—he just gave them to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, he gave them immediately.” Mr. “Star” smiled faintly, answering frankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Magician” lady’s expression revealed sudden understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rose, opened a door woven from starlight in the air, and departed from the wooden house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the deep night began to fade, before the first light touched the horizon, in Lu Mi’s rented apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna, covered by the blanket, her snowy shoulder exposed, lay beside Lu Mi and reached out her right hand to pry open his eyelids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?” Lu Mi asked, half-annoyed, half-amused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna pouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You keep your eyes closed and won’t look at me—I have to take the initiative and help you open them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi sighed and opened his eyes, meeting those blue eyes filled with amusement and a hint of darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds of eye contact, Lu Mi mused:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your mental state has improved considerably since before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna withdrew her hand, propped her chin on it, and gazed at Lu Mi’s face and eyes with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, after talking openly with Flanca, I felt much better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi snorted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who said the worst possible outcome was that Flanca would come to kill you, and you'd accept it? You knew Flanca would never do something like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was just a fantasy—a fantasy born from inner emotions, self-conflict, and self-destructive tendencies. Didn’t you hear that?” Jianna huffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi chuckled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I heard it—that’s why I said the best choice was to let your issues explode early.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he felt a pang of emotion and instinctively reached out his right hand to stroke Jianna’s head—but halfway, his hand froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna saw this, her eyes dimming slightly, then she pursed her lips, lifted her left hand, seized Lumian’s palm, and forcibly pulled it to the back of her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Lumian begin to stroke slowly, from stiff to awkward, from awkward to natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna gazed at him, a smile appearing on her face:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about yours?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna did not press further, smiling as she asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you and Franca done it yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I try not to talk about the developments between me and her in front of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna laughed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before you talked to Franca, if you’d said these things, I would’ve been heartbroken, pained, torn—forced to suppress my feelings. But now, though I still feel the same emotions, I more eagerly hope you will, and even feel a little comfort and joy about it. Can you understand this contradiction?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I made those choices before, I often felt the same way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian slowly nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know Franca well—she’s willing to go all out, but if nothing happens right then and there, she’ll always pull back a little, feel embarrassed, and can’t cross that final threshold. These past few days, when I look at her or she looks at me, she’s clearly uncomfortable. Anthony must’ve noticed, but he didn’t say anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t be the one to take the first step, can I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, you take the first step—you go this morning, go right now!” Jianna said without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian looked deeply at Jianna:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you trying to strengthen the bond this way, to hold on at a critical moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna made a soft “hmm” sound through her nose:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll try my best to hold on, but I’ll also respect her final choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Beginning of the month—please vote for monthly tickets~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1789,"2026-06-20T06:22:37.987Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a9b2bdaf6e155312ac97e9537edc17aaecf9fa2d780725ddb704d293201f911b","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-860","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-858",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]