A Story, and the Second Final Gate

"What?"

Bailing behind him was startled.

Cheng Shi said with some excitement:

"Bailing, he mentioned the broker!

So is it possible that the guards didn't know who those dwarves were, but only recognized the ring?"

Bailing wasn't stupid and immediately understood Cheng Shi's meaning.

If the guards hired the dwarves through a broker, he shouldn't know what the dwarves looked like or who they were specifically, at least, he shouldn't know all the details.

And the dwarves in the servant's room had no logical errors.

They even knew to kill the invading players to silence them.

Bailing's eyes widened suddenly, and she said in disbelief, "But... but the answer is already obvious..."

Fang Shiqing also agreed:

"Cheng Shi, the memory's maze has never had a second answer."

Heh, forbidden arts also never appeared in the trial of [War], but didn't we encounter it last time?

"I remember, the clamp's Edict of Passage, the dice roll was... 5?"

Xu Lu was furious when she heard Cheng Shi call her "clamp," but she didn't dare to speak.

Fang Shiqing said thoughtfully, "Yes."

"So is it possible that this prophecy is telling us that we have another 50% choice?"

Cheng Shi looked at Xu Lu and said word by word:

"She has 1600 points, the dice have 10 sides, and 5 points is exactly half."

"!!!"

Everyone was stunned, but no one refuted it, because what Cheng Shi said did make sense.

Moreover, no one knew what the prophecy of [Destiny] meant until the very end.

"But we don't have any other evidence or clues to find the second answer. Cheng Shi, there are too many people in the manor, and too many people have died. Our situation is very passive."

"But we at least have time, don't we,"

Cheng Shi smiled and took a step forward:

"I can think of someone, perhaps she is one of the answers."

"Who?"

Bailing followed closely, Fang Shiqing hesitated for a moment, then pulled Xu Lu along.

Xu Lu was very unwilling to follow, but Fang Shiqing held on tightly, and she couldn't break free.

Clearly, Fang Shiqing still believed Cheng Shi and didn't want Xu Lu to go to her death.

But Xu Lu clearly didn't think so, and her gaze towards Fang Shiqing also carried anger and mockery.

The former strong support seemed to have lost her mind.

The followers of [Time] were bewitching people!

Cheng Shi led everyone away from the second floor and quickly searched the manor.

The banquet guests had indeed not left and were still talking and laughing as usual, as if the Duke's lateness was a routine.

He ignored these brainless nobles and quickly led everyone away from the center of the banquet to the original servant's room.

Just as everyone was wondering why he had returned, Cheng Shi looked at the ground by the door and smiled.

Fang Shiqing followed his gaze and noticed some fine sand under the threshold, with a shallow footprint made by someone.

"This is?"

Cheng Shi pointed at the ground and smiled:

"The soil from the yard.

I had already thought that no matter who it was, or for what reason they invited these dwarves, when they found that they had not appeared at the correct time and place, they would definitely come to investigate what happened to these dwarves.

So I sprinkled a handful of fine sand at the door.

And now, as you can see, there's the footprint of a noble lady's high-heeled shoe."

Bailing finally caught on this time, whether it was intentional cooperation or she genuinely hadn't figured it out, she asked, "What does this mean? Uh, the Duchess came? The Duchess is involved with that broker?"

Cheng Shi looked at her as if she were an idiot. Before he could speak, Fang Shiqing on the side pondered:

"It means the Duchess is not as simple as we thought.

Cheng Shi said she reacted strongly to the Duke's death, but since these dwarves were hired to assassinate the Duke, she shouldn't have been here.

If we have to say anything, it's only one thing: she knew the dwarves would come long ago!"

"Not bad!"

Cheng Shi nodded. "As the Duchess, you've been unusually interested in the dwarf circus from the refugees lately. That already tells us something."

"Tells us what?"

"I have a guess, but until I find the Duchess, I can't be sure."

Fang Shiqing immediately nodded. "Let's split up and search!"

She quickly left, pulling a resentful Xu Lu along. Bailing secretly sidled over and whispered, "Big Brother, you're really not hiding anything this time?"

Cheng Shi smacked his lips, disdainfully.

"If I hide any longer, we won't be able to get out. I can't rely on you!"

Bailing smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Big Brother, I'm too weak."

That sentence felt so familiar.

Cheng Shi suddenly froze. Looking at Bailing's slightly apologetic face, his expression softened considerably.

"It's okay, as Big Brother, I can help you win."

With that, he strode out of the room and began searching for the Duchess.

Bailing, holding up her skirt, quickly followed behind.

It wasn't until half an hour later that they found the Duchess "out and about" on a small path behind the manor's back mountain.

Seeing the Duchess trying to make a hasty escape, the players decisively took down the surrounding guards and stopped her.

The Duchess looked at these strangers, her face contorted in anger as she demanded, "Who are you? What do you want?

On Brooks' land, near the Duke's manor, you're trying to attack the Duke's wife. Are you crazy?"

Cheng Shi sauntered up to the Duchess and retorted with a grin, "Are you really the Duchess?"

Dilar's expression froze, and she said in embarrassed rage, "You will pay for your stupidity!"

Cheng Shi ignored her and spoke to himself, "My apologies, Madam, I'll just take up a moment of your time. I want to tell you a story, and after that, you can leave.

I promise, my companions won't harm a single hair on your head."

Dilar blinked. "Really?"

"Really, but you can't hold us accountable for this offense afterward."

"You... you're here just to tell me a story?"

"Yes, esteemed Madam. May I begin?"

Dilar's expression was very hesitant, but she had no choice but to accept, "Might makes right."

"Then tell it."

Cheng Shi bowed and said slowly, "The story I'm going to tell is about a group of dwarves, corrupted by an underground faith, who tried to steal the town's administrative power by imitating and impersonating others."

As soon as he finished speaking, Dilar turned and ran without hesitation.

Fang Shiqing's expression changed. She quickly drew out a page and flung it onto the Duchess's escape route. Countless vines erupted, tripping her.

Bailing, quick as lightning, flashed to her side, ready to tie her up.

But as Bailing moved to do so, she found the rope had snapped the Duchess's waist, tearing through her skin.

And at the edges of the torn skin, a pair of enormous feet and a bald head were revealed.

"???"

"This..."

"A Dwarf!?"

Everyone looked at Cheng Shi in disbelief. Cheng Shi let out a heavy breath and smiled elegantly, "See, this is the story I prepared."

Fang Shiqing still couldn't believe it. She asked, somewhat shocked, "When did you find out?"

Cheng Shi thought for a moment.

"Probably... when I remembered hearing in the tavern that they had impersonated many people?"

Fang Shiqing regretted that he had once again refused the Fire Keeper's invitation.

Cheng Shi was clearly a high-level Player, a strong individual skilled at observing details and understanding people's hearts.

Most importantly, from beginning to end, his heart had never been darkened.

Not even when he killed Huang Bo.

"Big shot, why do you keep staring at me?"

Fang Shiqing sighed, "You know what I'm thinking!"

"What are you saying? I'm not a worm inside your stomach."

Cheng Shi walked closer to the "Duchess" and pulled out the two Dwarves hidden beneath the human skin.

As soon as the two ugly Dwarves saw the light of day, they covered their faces and wailed:

"It was Sambos' idea. He made us impersonate the Duke and Duchess and control the town. We were just following orders, don't kill us!"

"I'm not interested in killing you. I just want to know, who fell into memory?"

With that, two Hypnosis spells were cast on them.

This time, Xu Lu didn't speak, and Fang Shiqing remained silent. Cheng Shi had to do it himself.

After he finished questioning them, the Dwarf playing the lower half of the Duchess exploded into countless star-like particles with a "bang," reforming another Final Gate.

A second Final Gate!

"This... there really is a second one."

"!!??"

Fang Shiqing looked at the second gate before her, her expression a mixture of emotions.

"Cheng Shi... are you really not going to reconsider what I told you?"

Xu Lu and Bailing's gazes reflected between the two of them. Cheng Shi smiled casually:

"No, thank you."

After speaking, he bowed to everyone and said cheerfully:

"The show is over, please exit in an orderly fashion."

It was clearly a minor interlude meant to lighten the mood, but not a single person moved.

Cheng Shi looked at the awkward scene, twitched his lips, and prepared to leave.

However, at this moment, Bailing moved.

She giggled as she hugged Cheng Shi's arm, quickly kissed him on the cheek, and then, like a swallow returning to its nest, rushed towards the Final Gate.

Just as she was about to step through the gate, Cheng Shi suddenly called out:

"Why choose Him?"

Bailing's steps faltered. She turned back, her face blooming into a smile, and threw a flirtatious glance at Cheng Shi, saying:

"Isn't it because I like him?"

With that, she rushed into the gate without looking back.

Her answer was a rhetorical question, but also an affirmation.

Cheng Shi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

He wasn't laughing at Bailing's directness, but at her for lying.

As companions who had met by chance but shared life and death, he would never pry too deeply.

But knowing that Bailing had lied was something to be happy about.

It was already difficult to live in this world, and there was no reason to judge others.

Moreover, she hadn't hurt anyone.

Cheng Shi's smile was bright as he watched Bailing disappear behind the gate.

But Fang Shiqing's expression was not good. She really wanted to extend another invitation, but she also knew that Cheng Shi probably wouldn't accept it.

In her helplessness, she could only walk towards the Final Gate.

Before going in, she pushed Xu Lu forward, clearly still not wanting her to be alone with Cheng Shi at the last moment.

However, to the surprise of both of them:

As Xu Lu was about to be pushed into the Final Gate, she suddenly struggled violently and ran away.

She ran tens of meters away with all her might, looking at the stunned Fang Shiqing and the confused Cheng Shi tilting his head, and yelled hysterically:

"Fake! It's all fake! He's lying!

Sister Fang, he's lying!

This is all his trick!

Don't believe him!

This gate is fake! We'll all die once we go in!"