Playing with Open Cards

Luo Qi's entire body went cold from the sudden voice.

The last time a man had whispered behind him like this was when he first entered Rhine, from an old Father. Since then, it had always been him behind others.

They're back, all of them.

Of course, what was more important was that Luo Qi hadn't sensed the other party's presence at all. If they had ill intentions, he would have already been violated.

"Ring Finger..." Luo Qi gritted his teeth and said, "Don't you think this way of greeting is a bit too impolite?"

"There's no other way," the man replied. "If I wanted to see you without being detected, this was the only method. If it caused offense... well, there's nothing I can do about it."

"You don't need to add the last part," Luo Qi said. "You said you are Ring Finger?"

"Yes, if you want to ask why I'm not a woman..." the man chuckled. "Then I can also meet you in a woman's body. However, I've heard that Fathers in Rhine prefer men over women..."

"Alright, stop with the pointless talk," Luo Qi interrupted the man rudely, while cursing "Another hermaphrodite" in his mind. He then continued, "Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate for us to talk like this? It's already come to this, do you still need to hide?"

"This is just my personal habit, and I don't intend to reveal my hand yet," the man said with a smile. "So please forgive me."

He had a deep baritone voice, but his manner of speaking was like a silly woman. This truly sounded like Ring Finger.

Although Luo Qi really wanted to turn around and see the true appearance of this Miss Ring Finger, he was currently at the mercy of others. He could feel something hard pressing against his back, which made him even more hesitant to move.

"Then why are you looking for me?" Luo Qi asked irritably.

Diana, who was using Carter's body, smiled and said, "You should be able to guess my intentions, right?"

"...You want to know why Isaiah was looking for me?" Luo Qi said coldly. "But why should I tell you?"

"If this was a private transaction between you and Right Eye, then you indeed have no need to tell me," Diana said leisurely. "But your reaction just now didn't seem like you were negotiating a deal properly."

Luo Qi took a deep breath.

He felt very unhappy. Why was everyone in Peach Blossom Paradise as if they had mind-reading abilities, while he knew nothing and was being manipulated like a monkey?

"That guy told me that Tongue and Hand Eye are the same person."

Despite his displeasure, Luo Qi told Diana everything Isaiah had told him. After all, he knew the current situation. The only person in Peach Blossom Paradise he could consider an ally was Diana. They were on the same side.

After listening to Luo Qi's account, Diana remained silent for a long time. If it weren't for the hard object constantly pressing against his lower back, Luo Qi would have thought Diana had already left.

After a while, Diana slowly spoke, "What shocking words."

"Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"I can't be sure, as there's no concrete evidence yet," Diana said. "But if his words are true, then Hand Eye is the real mastermind, and in a sense, even more terrifying than Right Eye. After all, Right Eye has already been pushed to the extreme by him. If possible, I really don't want to face such an opponent."

Luo Qi strongly agreed with Diana's statement.

If Isaiah was telling the truth, then Ulu was too terrifying.

He couldn't even confirm if that person was truly Ulu.

"Then what do you think?" Luo Qi asked.

"Both of their statements have points that can be questioned," Diana said. "The issue with Hand Eye is that he said Isaiah didn't convene the Peach Blossom Paradise gathering because it was no longer necessary. But from the current situation, Isaiah's desire to communicate with us is still very strong. There's no reason for him not to convene the gathering and instead use such a troublesome method to contact you and me."

"Contact you and me?" Luo Qi was a little confused. "When did he contact you?"

Diana: "...Is it possible that the reason he contacted you publicly was because he guessed I was watching nearby, and therefore hoped to find me through you?"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Luo Qi suddenly understood: "So that's how it is!"

Seeing Luo Qi's reaction, Diana couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Having such a teammate was truly troublesome.

But fortunately, with this guy blocking the way, Diana didn't need to meet Isaiah directly to establish contact, thus avoiding considerable risk. So, Diana didn't say much more and continued the topic: "Ultimately, the reason Isaiah isn't entering Peach Blossom Paradise is just Hand Eye's word against it."

"But if he really took those three corpse pieces and entered Peach Blossom Paradise, wouldn't his identity be exposed?" Luo Qi's mind was unusually active. "In Peach Blossom Paradise, we can all see how many corpse pieces he has. Then, no matter what he says, it would be useless."

"You're not wrong," Diana nodded slightly. "As long as Isaiah doesn't enter Peach Blossom Paradise, both statements are possible. But this point can indeed be questioned. We shouldn't believe Isaiah, nor should we believe Hand Eye."

"Then who should we believe?"

"Believe ourselves, believe what we see with our own eyes," Diana said solemnly. "If the doubts within Peach Blossom Paradise can't be proven, then we should find another place to prove them."

"You mean that finger?" Luo Qi immediately grasped the key point.

"Yes," Diana said. "That finger is the most crucial element. As long as its authenticity is proven, then Hand Eye's claims... no, everything about Hand Eye can be overturned. His true identity, his phantom in Peach Blossom Paradise... all of it is fake. We will be facing an opponent more terrifying and mysterious than Isaiah. And more importantly, according to Isaiah's words, he has been watching us all along, right beside us."

Luo Qi gasped.

"And if that finger is fake, it proves that Isaiah is lying, and he still wants to evade Obedience of Heavenly Voice," Diana said. "And once he succeeds, there will be no one left in this world to stop him, and he can hunt us without restraint."

Luo Qi gasped again, so hard that his lungs ached.

"In other words, as long as we choose incorrectly, we're dead no matter what?" Luo Qi asked.

"That depends on how far they are willing to go," Diana said faintly. "At least, it's very difficult for us to resist them if they want to deal with us. Of course, it's also possible they might stop there, as the gods are still present, and your status is also a factor... But do you really dare to bet that they will stop?"

Who the hell would dare?

"Then what should we do?" Luo Qi asked.

"It's very simple," Diana said. "That finger is the key. Proving whether it's real or fake is all that matters."

"Then how do we prove it?"

"Just do as he says," Diana said. "You go find him and let him prove it to you."

Luo Qi subconsciously wanted to nod, but halfway through lowering his head, he suddenly realized something was wrong and immediately cursed, "After all that, you're still telling me to go to my death?! Why don't you go yourself?!"

"It's very simple, because I'm still in the shadows," Diana said calmly. "We're in this together now, and the risk of both of us being exposed is too great. Me staying in the shadows can ensure your safety."

"How can you ensure my safety?"

"As long as Isaiah knows I'm right beside you, watching, he won't dare to lay a hand on you," Diana said. "If I'm in the open, he won't have to hold back as much. Think about it, isn't that the logic?"

Luo Qi thought about it and felt that it did make sense.

But even if it did make sense, letting him take the risk like this was still a bit much...

Diana saw Luo Qi's hesitation and said calmly, "Of course, you can refuse and leave everything to fate."

"You don't have to threaten me like that," Luo Qi retorted fiercely. "If it really comes to that, I'll just return the corpse pieces to Rhine City. What can he do to me then?"

"That's assuming you can actually get back to Rhine."

Luo Qi: "..."

Damn it, this is so annoying.

Luo Qi said irritably, "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Just as I said, follow Isaiah's suggestion. Let him choose a location to prove himself. He has that eye, so he'll definitely know where the blind spots for surveillance are. You can go then."

"Me, alone?"

"What do you think?"

"And you'll just watch from the side?" Luo Qi said. "He has that eye, can you monitor him without him noticing?"

"Yes," Diana said calmly. "Don't forget, I also have [Gaze] now."

Luo Qi finally remembered that Diana had also won the rules of the Left Eye from Ulu.

"Any other questions?" Diana asked.

"Yes," Luo Qi said. "How can I be sure of your identity?"

"Oh?" Diana raised an eyebrow, gesturing with Carter's features. "What do you mean?"

"What if you're not Ring Finger, but someone Isaiah sent to impersonate her?" Luo Qi said coldly. "That's still a possibility, isn't it? You specifically set a trap for me, lured me in, and then took my share."

Diana was silent for a long time, then smiled and said, "Indeed, I can't deny that possibility. So how do you want me to prove it?"

"You don't need to prove yourself," Luo Qi said. "Before I go, I'll inform my subordinates of my whereabouts. If I don't return, they'll immediately notify the Warden to activate Obedience of Heavenly Voice."

"Interesting, is this a threat?"

"If you really are someone Isaiah sent to impersonate her," Luo Qi said, enunciating each word. "It's not too late to change your story now."

"Hmm, a very good defensive measure," Diana shrugged, patting Carter's shoulder in admiration. "If you can always be this vigilant, I'll be able to relax a lot more... Let's proceed with the plan. I'll have someone notify Isaiah for you. It'll be tonight."

"Tonight?" Luo Qi frowned.

"Of course. After all, none of us have that much time, do we?" Diana said. "The sooner we figure out if our enemy is Isaiah, or the more troublesome Hand Eye, the more trouble we'll save. Don't forget, all four of us Corpse Friends are gathered in one place now... So, goodbye for now, Mr. Luo Qi."

With that, the heavy object pressing against his waist disappeared. Immediately, a calloused hand lightly pinched his waist in a teasing manner.

"Before I leave, please don't look back," Diana said with a chuckle in Carter's rough baritone. "So as not to make anyone embarrassed."

With that, footsteps gradually faded away. Luo Qi only turned his head after that and discovered that what had been pressing against his waist wasn't a weapon, but a piece of hardened black bread.

"Damn it," Luo Qi cursed under his breath, then immediately went out and asked the Chief Knight guarding the room, "Did anyone just leave my room?"

The Chief Knight was taken aback. "Who?"

"I'm asking you, damn it!" Luo Qi yelled. "Someone who looks like a man on the outside, but gives off a very feminine feeling!"

The Chief Knight looked confused. After thinking for a moment, he cautiously asked, "Are you referring to your accompanying Priest? Should we now have them..."

"Get lost! You useless bunch!"

Luo Qi, very displeased, turned back, leaving behind a bewildered Chief Knight and subordinates who rushed over at the sound of his voice, exchanging confused glances.

And all of this was also seen by Bai Wei.

"So that's the plan?" Bai Wei stroked his chin. "It's quite an effective way to break the stalemate."

Clearly, Bai Wei's previous pressure on Isaiah had worked. Isaiah had decided to reveal himself immediately.

After all, in the eyes of Diana and Luo Qi, Bai Wei should still have been far away, adhering to the agreement of Peach Blossom Paradise, and shouldn't have been able to get involved in this matter.

Those who were not present would naturally not be suspected.

So now Isaiah decided to play his hand openly, and indeed, he could only play his hand openly.

And once he successfully proved himself, the situation would instantly reverse. At least Luo Qi and Diana would be on his side.

But how could Bai Wei let him prove himself?

Since a commotion was destined to happen tonight, why not make it the biggest one possible?

And he could also take this opportunity to test the person Bai Wei wanted to test the most.

After a brief moment of thought, Bai Wei called Ina over and directly told her that something big was going to happen tonight and that he needed her cooperation.

Ina immediately became serious, but she didn't ask what the big event was. Instead, she asked what she needed to do.

"Don't worry, you won't have to fight," Bai Wei said. "You just need to go to a designated location and help me retrieve a corpse."

Ina instinctively asked, "Whose corpse?"

Bai Wei smiled and said, "Mine, of course."