I Don't Have a Mother

Although none of the three spoke, Bai Wei knew that they were all having similar thoughts: whether to prioritize personal interests or the collective interests, that is, the interests of their respective churches, regarding the Visas' Corpse Pieces.

Of course, the result is quite clear. After all, if it were the latter, then Peach Blossom Paradise, Bai Wei's biggest trump card, would not have remained hidden from the eyes of the Eight Great Churches until now.

Bai Wei's gaze lingered on the three illusory figures, while he pondered what they wanted and what they feared, based on the game's plot.

Luo Qi is a simple guy; he's just greedy and wants new body parts. He doesn't care which one specifically... oh, maybe except for the eyes, because the eyes will definitely be taken back by the Pope of the Rhine. The Rhine knows that eye too well; even if Rocky gets it, Luo Qi can't hide it. So he probably wants any body part except the eyes.

At the same time, he was also extremely cautious, or rather... cowardly. He was terrified that if he made a huge mistake, the Pope of the Rhine would not forgive him, so once he realized that things were not going to work out, he would immediately retreat to preserve his position and the existing body parts.

Therefore, we need to create an environment where "as long as you take a risk, you can get something big, and even if you fail, the consequences won't be too serious" so that he will dare to follow along.

Isaiah is different. This old man's desire is very clear: another eye, even far exceeding his loyalty to the Star Relic Church. He's willing to take greater risks and pay a higher price for this than Luo Qi. Using his left eye as bait, he'll easily take the bait. Of course, given his strength, it's uncertain who will be the fish and who will be the bait once he's hooked, so caution is advised when dealing with him.

Finally, there's the Lady with the Ring Finger. Bai Wei still doesn't know her name, and she knows the least about the Contract Land behind her. What she and the Contract Land really want is still unknown, but judging from the fact that the Contract Land doesn't even know about the existence of Peach Blossom Paradise, she's at least not a devout follower who only wants to seal away Visas.

"Alright, time in Peach Blossom Paradise is precious." Bai Wei tapped his finger lightly on the stone table to draw the three people's attention back, and said with a smile, "Instead of being bored here, let's do something more meaningful."

Upon hearing this, Luo Qi immediately perked up. "So, how about cards or dice?"

Goodness, he felt something was missing at the last Corpse Friends, but he hadn't thought of it at the time. It wasn't until after it was over that he suddenly realized that the important card game was missing.

How could he tolerate this? He had been training for a long time, waiting for another big blow to decisively defeat this damned Hand Eye.

Unfortunately, Luo Qi's enthusiasm was met with a cold shoulder. Bai Wei smiled and shook his head, "Although I'd love to play this game, how should I put it? At such a crucial juncture, it's best not to add too much uncertainty, lest 'Tongue' finds an opportunity. So why don't we skip that and have a more frank deal?"

"A trade? A trade of what?"

"What else can be traded in Peach Blossom Paradise?" Bai Wei shrugged. "It's nothing more than exchanging rules and information. Rules for rules, information for information, it's that simple. Hmm... since Mr. Thumb wants to play cards, let's do it like before, using a game."

With that, Bai Wei snapped his fingers, and two floating cards appeared in front of everyone present, one labeled "Rules" and the other "Information".

"The rules of the game are simple. Each of us can choose a card, either 'Rules' or 'Information,' like this." Bai Wei picked up the floating Rule card, held it in his hand for a moment, and then an eye pattern appeared on the card. "This means I'm willing to use the Rule of the Left Eye in the trade. You can do the same, either use Information or Rules, or both. In the end, we'll exchange cards, it's all voluntary. How about that, simple, right?"

The three of them remained silent and fell into deep thought.

On the surface, it does seem like a simple game, but a little thought reveals that it is not so simple.

Because at this point in time, it's less of a game and more of a "preparation for the hunt," with the target being the "tongue" of the Nameless Town.

Without a doubt, the "tongue" with its Three Corpse Pieces is a formidable target, and obtaining it will not be easy.

So how can we increase the success rate of our hunts?

That would naturally mean gaining more additional power and information, but at the same time, it's also important to avoid losing too much of the power and information that originally belonged to you.

For example, if you get the specific location of the "tongue" under your eyes, but lose the information about your own identity, then you've lost out big time.

But if you present irrelevant information, why would the other party want to trade with you?

The same applies to rule cards. How can you ensure that the opponent's rules are more effective than your own?

The questions that suddenly flooded Luo Qi's mind made him feel like his brain was about to overload, and he even missed playing cards. If it were just playing cards, there wouldn't be so much of a game of strategy.

"Well, have you made up your mind?" Bai Wei said with a smile. "If you have, we can begin."

"I have a question," Isaiah suddenly said, "After trading away the rules, are you no longer able to use them?"

Luo Qi was well-qualified to answer this question, having lost to Bai Wei twice in a row. But before he could speak, Bai Wei slowly shook his head. "No, no, no, this time is different. After the rules are traded away, you can still use them in your daily life, but if the other party wants to use them, priority will go to their side first, and you will bear the cost yourself. Of course, the reverse is also true."

After a brief moment of stunned silence upon hearing Bai Wei's words, Luo Qi slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Damn it, how come it's different from before? Why couldn't I use it before?!"

"Hehe, before it was a bet, now it's a transaction," Bai Wei replied with a smile. "The cost of a bet is naturally higher, while the content of a transaction is always lighter. And you know, in the process of perfecting the rules, there are always sacrifices."

So you're saying I'm the only one who gets sacrificed?!

Luo Qi gritted his teeth.

Bai Wei's explanation reassured Isaiah and Diana somewhat.

If the rules they lend out become invalid immediately, they will never trade them under any circumstances. One of them has his sights set on the Star Sea, and the other is responsible for hundreds of Contractor; they cannot accept rules becoming invalid.

In that case, they could certainly use their own rules for trade.

But... it depends on what we can get in return.

They all looked at Bai Wei simultaneously.

This deal was less a transaction between them and more a transaction between them and Bai Wei, because Bai Wei had the most cards in his hand.

In other words, he is still the true "banker" in this game.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, Bai Wei slowly raised his hand, conjured a card out of thin air, and then imprinted the icon of his middle finger on it.

As a result, three cards floated directly in front of Bai Wei: "Eye", "Middle Finger", and "Information".

Under his guidance, the remaining three also filled in their own rule cards and information cards.

"One more thing, the transaction of the information tokens will first enter 'private chat' mode, where each party will reveal the general information before deciding whether to trade." Bai Wei snapped his fingers. "Alright, that concludes the explanation. Under the witness of Peach Blossom Paradise, we must not deceive anyone. Hmm, so who should go first?"

No sooner had Bai Wei finished speaking than Luo Qi jumped out impatiently, "I'll do it!"

He had figured it out: whoever makes the first move in this situation really gains an advantage, since there's only one card left, and once it's taken, it's gone. So, he absolutely couldn't fall behind.

Luo Qi then took his "Disruption" card and looked back and forth at Bai Wei's three cards.

Which one should I choose?

First, let's rule out the information board. The main thing to consider is whether to choose "Focus" or "Terminate"... Damn, thinking about it carefully, both of these should have been Rhine's stuff.

It's all that damn one-eyed man's fault!

... But then again, what exactly does it feel like to be so captivated by a gaze that can make that one-eyed man so engrossed?

The thought of it made Luo Qi feel itchy.

In the Forbidden Book, the left eye is ranked much higher than the left middle finger, so...

"I choose the eyes," Luo Qi said without hesitation. "Give them to me."

"Sorry, no exchange."

Luo Qi was stunned. "Not trading?"

"Yes," Bai Wei said with a smile. "Mr. Thumb, have you forgotten? I've already used your [Disturbance] twice, so it's really nothing new. That's why I'm not changing it."

Luo Qi was stunned.

What the hell is this?!

You're fucking bored yet?!

In that instant, the humiliating memories of the past suddenly surged into Luo Qi's mind, reminding him of when he was Little Priest more than ten years ago, racking his brains to please the Father only to find that the guy had found an even younger one. He almost ground his teeth to powder.

No, no, I can't get angry.

Luo Qi took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"Then let's terminate it." He had no choice but to settle for second best.

"Sorry, I won't change it either."

"You!!!"

"Alright, Mr. Thumb." Bai Wei raised his hand, stopping Luo Qi's impending roar. "To be honest, your cards aren't really worth much to me. Why don't you wait here for a bit while I finish my deal with Miss Right Eye and Ring Finger?"

Luo Qi was furious.

That bastard wouldn't even look at what his information board said!

Bai Wei naturally ignored Luo Qi's feelings and turned to look at Isaiah and Diana. He pretended to be deep in thought, lingering between the two for a moment before finally fixing his gaze on Isaiah.

"The left and right eyes are still attracted to each other," Bai Wei said with a smile. "After having this eye, I feel like I really can't resist the other eye, don't you think?"

"Yes, I feel the same way you do." Isaiah gently touched his right eye and said with emotion, "This eye has allowed me to see very far. My lifelong wish was to see the other eye. I thought I would take this regret to my grave, but fortunately I met you."

Isaiah and Bai Wei's conversation made Diana's heart sink, but she didn't seem too surprised.

Since her left and right eyes have chosen to trade with each other, she doesn't need to play her [Contract] card.

Putting aside the unknown information, of all the things that could attract Diana, it was only the eyes and the fingers. Although the rules of the middle finger were also very powerful, they were not that useful to her because of the [Contract], at least not enough to make Diana willing to reveal the specific rules of the [Contract], which was one of the biggest secrets of the "Contract Land".

As for her information board, it was a pre-arranged meeting place for the Eight Great Churches, and Diana would not exchange it for anything else.

So she'll just be watching this deal from the sidelines.

Diana had just made her decision when she heard Isaiah sigh heavily, "Well, I really can't refuse this."

Has the eye-for-eye deal been struck?

Diana and Luo Qi looked over, and then their eyes widened instantly.

Because Isaiah didn't receive the "Gaze" card, but rather... the "Information" card!

But Bai Wei took the card with the right eye on it!

What's going on?! Did the Hand Eye exchange a piece of information for the rules of the right eye?!

What kind of information is that?!

Before the two could react, Bai Wei handed the "Gazing" card with the left eye to Diana.

"Ring Finger," Bai Wei gazed at Diana with his all-seeing eyes, then chuckled softly, "Would you be willing to exchange them for my eyes?"

Diana fell silent.

With the "Gaze" card right in front of her, she had to temporarily abandon trying to figure out what information her Hand Eye had given that would make Isaiah give up on "Gaze".

Could it be...?

Her gaze lingered on Bai Wei and Isaiah for a moment, and she gradually formed a guess.

If that's the case, then those two are truly insane.

Diana roughly understood, but she didn't say it aloud. Instead, after a moment of contemplation, she said, "I'm only willing to exchange it for the 'information card'."

She then privately messaged Bai Wei with the general content of the information board.

Bai Wei readily agreed, and the information board representing the meeting place fell into Bai Wei's hands, while the gaze board that could look up at the sky went to Diana.

In the end, only Luo Qi was left.

Unlike Diana, Luo Qi was still completely bewildered.

What the hell?! What information did that guy use to take away Hand Eye right eye?!

What did I get in return from Ring Finger using my left eye?!

Damn it, why are you all so calculating?! And I know absolutely nothing about it?!

Take me with you, you bastard!

Luo Qi is really about to lose his temper.

... Never mind, at least there's a "terminal".

If you get the "Termination" card, your chances of winning against that "tongue" will increase significantly.

With that thought in mind, Luo Qi sat up straight, preparing for the final deal.

Then he heard a snap of his fingers.

"Alright, that concludes today's Corpse Friends," Bai Wei said with a smile. "See you next time, Corpse Friends... if you weren't killed by the tongue."

Luo Qi was stunned. Before he could even speak, he was back in his room, lying naked on the bed with the Delicate Priest clinging to him.

He roared angrily.

"Hand Eye! I'll fuck your mother!"

The Little Priest, who was sleeping beside him, was instantly startled awake and then said in a trembling voice.

"I'm sorry, Your Bishop... I don't have a mother."