[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-924":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},2298893,4496,"Chapter 924","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-924",924,"\u003Cp>In the rented apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna cleared the table, picked up the soy milk and meat buns she had specially set aside for Franca, and said to Ludwig beside her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can start reading and studying now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ludwig’s expression shifted several times as he argued earnestly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What use is studying for me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To master knowledge, eat scientists; to master ability, eat the Exceptionals!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna smiled faintly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Studying may not matter to you, but making you study matters to us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...” Jianna’s blunt honesty left Ludwig, already poor at speaking, utterly speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Jianna added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though we don’t know the exact process, and you’ve probably forgotten, the fact that the Church of Knowledge sealed you is as solid as steel—and what’s the greatest difference between you and the Church’s clergy? Your attitude toward learning!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ludwig, confused by her words, reluctantly sat down at the table and opened his textbook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna returned to the master bedroom and closed the door behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Franca struggled to half-sit up, shoved a pillow behind her back, and whispered in a hoarse voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re tricking Ludwig again. Trying to defeat the Church of Knowledge through learning is like competing on their own field, under their own rules—how can you possibly win? The best way is to use your own strengths.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe, ‘Witches’ really must be good at deception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many ‘Witches’ had once deceived others’ emotions to digest the Potion of Pain, and some of them had even fallen into it themselves, eventually forced to cruelly sever the bond—thus acquiring their own share of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna laughed softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have to give him a reason. He’s just looking for one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna paused, then said thoughtfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, I think studying does have an effect on Ludwig. You saw how he looked during last night’s battle—completely monstrous. But the small details of our daily interactions make me feel that, aside from eating, loving to eat, and needing to eat, he’s otherwise just a normal little boy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s partly due to the Church of Knowledge’s sealing, but also likely because learning has helped him internalize rules, morality, and human social norms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Jianna brought the plastic cup of soy milk to Franca’s lips, letting her take a sip, then handed her the meat bun, watching as she bit into the filling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Franca had never been treated this way before; her heart instantly swelled with warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded thoughtfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean studying is one way to help Ludwig integrate into human society? That it gives Him some humanity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.” Jianna fed Franca breakfast while chatting casually, and at the end, wiped her mouth with a damp tissue and washed her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, Jianna took the trash out of the master bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bustling about for dozens of seconds, she sat beside Ludwig, as if supervising a child’s studies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching for a while, she took two packages from “The Traveler’s Satchel” and placed them on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were two bags of crudely packaged crispy rice snacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ludwig stared at her in shock, Jianna smiled sweetly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you pass my test later, these are yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you prefer spicy or original flavor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both!” Ludwig lowered his head again, his gaze intensely focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I prefer the original flavor.” Jianna tore open the package, shoved two pieces into her mouth, and chewed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ludwig snapped his head toward her, mouth slightly open, expression bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aren’t these my rewards?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll eat a bit before you finish studying. Don’t worry—I’ll save some for you.” Jianna smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Franca, lying on the master bed, couldn’t help laughing at this exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly realized: though Jianna usually acted mature, she was, by actual age, just a girl who had recently graduated from university—girls like her naturally loved snacks, and now she finally had the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Franca’s smile softened. Outside in the living room, new dialogue began:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is corn chowder-flavored puff snack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is cucumber-flavored potato chips.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is chocolate wafer cookies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These snacks aren’t many, because they’re more expensive than staple foods—but they’re all prepared for you, rewards for studying hard and passing the test.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—you eat less! I’ll work hard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning back on the pillow, Franca gradually felt something strange:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the sick father; outside, the gluttonous, lazy child and the mother supervising homework.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you ignored phrases like “the corpse’s finger is also your reward today,” this family’s daily life was impossibly warm and beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beep! Beep! Beep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horns blared incessantly from behind and beside the gray sedan, urging Lumian to drive faster—but Lumian remained calm, completely ignoring the noise, driving steadily at the minimum allowed speed for the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New driver, safety first!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anthony sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone, reading local news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you looking for?” Lumian glanced at his companion with the corner of his eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anthony hadn’t yet reached the stage of internet obsession—he’d only just learned how to go online.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anthony turned his head, solemnly saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still think a few details from last night’s battle don’t add up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For example?” Lumian kept his eyes on the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anthony hesitated before speaking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The second security guard who self-detonated—he looked exactly like the actual ‘Puppet Master’ before exploding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ability to swap places between puppet and body? You suspect there was a semi-god-level ‘Puppet Master’ assisting the Archon’s puppet on-site?” Lumian understood what Anthony meant. “But we monitored the area within dozens of meters—we found no trace. Could that semi-god-level ‘Puppet Master’ have been in a state we couldn’t see, hear, or touch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the most terrifying part. And if such a ‘Puppet Master’ really existed, why didn’t he save the resurrected female corpse afterward? Why didn’t he spread our appearances or features?” Anthony returned his gaze to his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian slowly nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re checking news reports and rumors about last night’s incident, looking for any leaks about us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Anthony’s fingers kept sliding across the screen. “The current rumor is that a conflict at work led one guard to bring in dynamite, killing his colleague and himself...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anthony stopped mid-sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just saw a strange local news item: this morning, near the Moonlight Mall, a madman was found at a garbage pile—completely irrational, unable to communicate—and he was taken to the hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Near the mall? A madman?” Lumian also sensed something odd. “Which hospital?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this madman be the ‘Puppet Master’ who hid last night?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he not intervene in the later battle because something happened to him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened? Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The news doesn’t say.” Anthony kept scrolling through related reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian maintained his speed, taking another dozen minutes to reach their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found a parking spot, struggled to park, then walked with Anthony toward the “Star Dream General Store” at the street corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shop had no lights on; inside, it was narrow and dim—Lumian stepped in and instantly felt as if he’d moved from morning into night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the tall shelves lined with strange goods, then walked to the counter at the back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the counter sat a woman in a black dress, leaning against a wooden cabinet, scrolling on her phone, with a tablet playing a drama directly in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian politely said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, I’d like to send a letter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was saying this in a general store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman in black didn’t seem surprised; she didn’t look up, asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where to? Who to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To the Quiet Church. To Senior Cleric Lennard Mitchell.” Lumian pulled out the letters for the Major Arcana cards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman in black kept staring at her phone, her voice gentle and calming:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On the right shelf, third level—a silver-inlaid black mailbox. Just put the letters inside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come back tomorrow to collect the reply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.” Lumian exhaled quietly and turned toward the shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he saw first wasn’t a toy mailbox, but a book bound in brass-like metal and a silver mirror with black eyeballs on either side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian quickly scanned further and spotted classical feather pens, various strange dice, and other items—if the shopkeeper hadn’t been scrolling on her phone and watching the drama, he might have thought he’d returned to the real world, to Trill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These items’ style differed from the Dream City—they resembled artifacts from the Northern Continent!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After placing the letters into the silver-inlaid toy mailbox, Lumian turned to the shopkeeper:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I look at your goods?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shopkeeper’s voice carried a hint of amusement:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of these are for sale.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For sale? As a ‘Witch,’ Lumian first picked up the ancient-patterned silver mirror, each side embedded with a black gemstone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the mirror, Lumian’s face swiftly appeared:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes were pale blue, clear and deep; her face was slightly slender, nearly perfect; her lips were neither thick nor thin, their color faint yet lustrous, faintly glowing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his female form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had directly revealed my “Witch” state… This mirror truly had miraculous properties… As Lu Mi had just thought this, the mirror’s surface rippled like water, forming lines of blood-red ancient Fusaic words:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am the great Arodes. I can answer any question you ask, but you must answer me an equal number of questions, in the presence of at least one witness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To refuse an answer or to lie will bring punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arodes, the great Arodes? Lu Mi knew this name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Lan Ka had mentioned it: this was the Witch Mirror of Mr. “The Fool,” the most accurate in answering questions, yet every question it posed would socially destroy the diviner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could the Witch Mirror of Mr. “The Fool” truly be hidden within this general store in a dream? What did this mean? What did it symbolize? Lu Mi couldn’t help glancing again at the shopkeeper—the woman in black, playing with her phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief pause, Lu Mi said calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My question is: do you have any warnings to give me regarding awakening Mr. ‘The Fool’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ps: Recommended book: The Book of Strange Tales\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A traditional tale of immortal qi and spiritual energy, the new book by Lady Sanhua\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1679,"2026-06-20T06:22:37.987Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6e6e2b5a4cb8d838260393d5a494c5290f8511a4d21058dbb252261325fb8808","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-925","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-923",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]