What Is Faith For?

The Clown broke down.

It's hard to say which Clown is.

Seeing that he had been recognized, Long Jing simply stopped pretending, and left in shame and anger, wishing he could just disappear from the spot.

But as soon as he rounded another small mound, his expression turned serious, he abruptly stopped, turned back, and quickly pulled Zhang Jizu behind the mound, their Ear perked up, listening for any sounds from the two people on the other side. At the same time, they said:

"Old Zhang, don't just stand around doing nothing. Keep an eye on things over there so that guy surnamed Cheng doesn't find us here. I want to hear what kind of shady business those two have in common!"

After hearing this, Zhang Jizu shook his head and pulled down the Long Jing that was pasted on the top of the hill by three feet.

"You're crouching too high; if they start fighting, they can see you as they jump."

Long Jing blinked, then gave a thumbs up.

"You're the most reliable one, so I won't hold it against you for calling me Clown."

We're good brothers, so don't hold it against me for saying your eyes are small.

"After all, your eyes are really small, but I'm not Clown."

"..."

Zhang Jizu narrowed his eyes, and his fist hardened.

Long Jing listened intently, completely oblivious to Zhang Jizu's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot. He continued muttering, "Poison said she knows a big secret about [Filth and Decay]. What do you think this secret could be?"

[Filth and Decay]?

Zhang Jizu narrowed his eyes and shook his head, but he knew that this secret might be related to the fatigue caused by the Poison.

Meanwhile, as Shadow Cheng Shi confronted the Poison, Cheng Shi silently emerged from behind another hill, looked at the mound in the direction Long Jing and Squinty Old Zhang had left, a mound that could just conceal two people, and silently rolled his eyes.

He knew that two sneaky Clown were likely hiding behind there, eavesdropping, but he chose not to expose them.

What's the point?

Even if we catch them and drive them away, who knows if they'll reappear underground or above us next?

If Clown weren't so curious, they would never have come together to search for the true secrets of the Cosmos.

So... since we can't persuade them, let them be. It's better to know where they are; at least we can selectively block them when we need to keep it a secret.

Cheng Shi slowly approached, and the two Cheng Shi merged into one in front of the Poison. Seeing this miraculous scene, the Poison exclaimed in astonishment:

"Is this the Divine Authority you manifest?"

"..."

Thankfully, the Bone Clock rang early, otherwise my disguise would have been completely exposed.

Cheng Shi glanced at the Poison and casually replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. This is a tan I paid for."

"Pfft, hahaha—" Poison laughed again, her eyes sparkling, "Where did you make this? I want to make it too."

Cheng Shi rolled her eyes again and said irritably, "Don't think that just because I pointed out a path for you, you can jump around in front of me. I've said before, in the game, I prefer you to call me Cheng Shi."

Although the tone was intimidating, Poison knew that Cheng Shi wasn't angry at all. Nevertheless, she lowered her stance and said humbly and obediently:

"Then, Lord Cheng Shi, may we begin?"

"?" Cheng Shi was taken aback. "Start what?"

"You dismissed your attendants, leaving only this humble woman here. Isn't that because you intend to..." With that, Poison used Daggers to slit open the collar of her hoodie, then continued downwards, along...

"Boom--"

A sudden thunderclap grazed Poison's hair, blasting the ground behind him into scorched earth.

This immediately pulled Poison's Memory back to that house in Kannaal, the capital of the Rosna Empire. It was with this Cheng Shi thunderous strike that Thunderbolt started their "normal" conversation. Coincidentally, there were two other people eavesdropping at that time.

Poison glanced enigmatically at the distant hills, feigning alarm, and asked, "Lord Cheng Shi, what have I done wrong?"

"..."

Cheng Shi said with a dark face, "Be normal, don't cause trouble."

Poison felt extremely wronged. "What's wrong with me? I just pricked myself, can't I even cut open my clothes to bandage myself?"

Some people are Priest, yet they won't heal others...

"You won't treat it, so you won't let me treat it myself?"

"I..."

Cheng Shi's eyelids twitched violently.

Alright, alright, I see now. You [Filth and Decay] Believer really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve!

He laughed in exasperation, his face darkening as he unleashed a Healing Art. The Vitality holy light bathed Poison, and feeling the tingling sensation of its skin healing, Poison couldn't help but...

Ah~

"Shut up!"

Cheng Shi's face froze. He raised his hand and pinched another Thunderbolt, saying, "If you make that kind of dead noise again, I'll bury you in Squinty Old Zhang's Cemetery until you're completely silent!"

Get to the point quickly, don't waste my time.

And seriously, put away that lewd nonsense in your head!

Perhaps sensing Cheng Shi's impatience, Poison obediently put away his previous expression, knelt upright on the ground, and bowed his head apologetically, saying:

"I understand, Lord Cheng Shi, but I must defend myself."

My mind isn't filled with pornographic waste... it's filled with genuine, high-quality porn.

Colors are neither right nor wrong; the wrong lies with those who wear tinted glasses.

Just like human desires, prejudices have never disappeared throughout history.

"..."

Cheng Shi's eyelids twitched violently. If he hadn't been certain that Zhen Xin was gone, he would have even thought that the Poison in front of him was Zhen Xin in disguise.

Girl, you've also fallen for [Deception]?

Why are you talking so much today?

Cheng Shi snorted coldly and looked down at her, saying, "Do you think you're funny?"

"Probably not as funny as the Clown..." Poison's posture became increasingly humble.

"...?"

There's a problem!

There's definitely something wrong!

Given Poison's talent for flattery, a normal Poison would never repeatedly tread her own "minefield." Today, Poison seems more like Chen Shu, trying to fight herself in various ways.

But she knew her own identity Fool's Game. What kind of unexpected event gave her such resolute courage to fight the Subgod had guided her?

He immediately realized that everything before him was just a pretext for the Poison, a diversionary tactic; she was feigning composure to conceal her turbulent inner turmoil.

What happened to her?

Cheng Shi frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then withdrew his hand and asked seriously, "What happened?"

The sudden change in atmosphere caused Poison to instantly lose her previous "courage." She slumped down, shaking her head wearily. Then, as if remembering something, she struggled to lift her head again, looked at Cheng Shi, stared into his eyes, and asked, word by word:

"You...

Is it really Fool's Game?

Cheng Shi's gaze sharpened. He thought that the other person's experience was very likely related to the Fool's Game. He wasn't sure how things would develop, nor whether he had given himself away. So he remained vague and mysterious, saying:

"Yes, so what?"

So what if it isn't?

If you believe, then you are; if you don't believe, then you aren't. But Subgod identity, what is there to be conflicted about?

I am Cheng Shi, as always, and I have never changed.

Are you satisfied with this answer?

Poison paused, carefully considering Cheng Shi's meaning, then shook its head in confusion:

"I have no idea...

I don't know if I'm satisfied, I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't even know why I'm chasing this game...

Lord Foolish Play, if you are truly one of those high and mighty gods, could you please enlighten me?

What is the purpose of Faith, after all?

Cheng Shi's doubts deepened, but he remained outwardly calm and said:

"It's simple, just to survive."

Poison paused again, then suddenly burst into laughter. Her laughter was so bewildering, so sarcastic, so insane that Cheng Shi thought she had gone mad.

"Alive?"

What a wonderful thing it is to be alive.

If it was for the sake of living, then why did He perish before me?

"!!??"