The First Victim of the Filthy Trick

The fire in the courthouse had not yet been extinguished, but the weakening flames and scattered sparks could no longer stop the footsteps of a Chosen of God.

As the number of frightened people outside the courthouse grew larger, Zhang Jizu felt he could not wait any longer. He had to go ahead and find Gou Feng's remains in the ruins before the church personnel rushed in.

But just then, a series of deafening explosions came from the direction of the church!

The purple lightning flashed and disappeared in an instant, illuminating almost the entire Dolgo D.

Tonight is destined to be anything but peaceful. Zhang Jizu stopped and looked in the direction where the lightning had flashed, as if Cheng Shi if something had happened to Cheng Shi.

He longed to go back and see, but he couldn't abandon his "mission," so he could only speed up his pace and try to get back as soon as possible to prevent Cheng Shi from getting into trouble.

But just then, just as he was about to step into the ruins of the courthouse, a blood-soaked, charred figure suddenly fell in front of him.

Zhang Jizu's gaze narrowed slightly, his body paused for a moment, and he instinctively swung his Scalpel upwards. But when his narrowed eyes glanced at the disfigured face, he noticed that the blackened face seemed to...

It looks somewhat familiar.

Cheng Shi!?

This "Wood Elf" that was specifically protected by the Deception actually appeared in front of me in this way!

He realized that Cheng Shi had arrived here by activating the Never-Lost Gambling Tools device, because, just to be on the safe side, he had hung the Dice that Cheng Shi had given him on the only tree that hadn't been cut down, and the place where Cheng Shi started to fall was exactly at the top of that tree.

Interesting, like Zhen Xin, he can borrow the power of another personality?

No, now is not the time to think about that. What happened to him, and why was he cleaved like this?

Countless thoughts flashed through Zhang Jizu's mind in an instant, but these distractions did not affect his speed of action in the slightest.

He suddenly withdrew the Scalpel, then gently supported Cheng Shi's back with his other hand, and casually cast an extremely potent Healing Art.

Holy light burst forth and enveloped Cheng Shi's entire body, making him feel as if he were bathed in a gentle breeze.

But it was of no use.

Because Cheng Shi only looked miserable, the [Endless Life] had already locked down his Vitality limit. Apart from his skin and nerves being somewhat numb from the electric shock, he was perfectly fine.

Not only was he unharmed, but he was also unusually energetic, and even during his fall, he didn't forget to greet the squinty-eyed man.

"Hey, Mimi... Old Zhang, we meet again."

Upon hearing this powerful voice, Zhang Jizu's eyes twitched, and he immediately withdrew his hand, letting Cheng Shi fall heavily to the ground.

"Bang—"

"Grass..."

That bastard is definitely getting revenge!

Cheng Shi fell hard, and many of the charred scabs on his body were broken off.

Zhang Jizu frowned slightly as he looked at him, then turned his head to look at the place where Thunderbolt had erupted in the distance and asked in confusion:

"You caused that commotion?"

Cheng Shi ignored him, clutching the thing in his arms tightly and just laughing, laughing hysterically.

Zhang Jizu's doubts deepened. He looked into Cheng Shi's arms, seemingly wanting to know what good thing this unreliable Wood Elf had snatched. But after examining him carefully for a moment, his gaze suddenly darkened, and his eyes instantly became profound.

"You used up the Death Substitute Doll?"

Who killed you, Mo Shu?

His voice was solemn, and he deftly pulled out a match and a can of gasoline, his steady expression clearly indicating that he intended to burn away this potential threat in Cheng Shi's hands.

Just as he was about to bend down and pull the Cheng Shi's arms, Cheng Shi's smile froze, and he hurriedly pushed off the ground and backed away, shaking his head frantically as he retreated, both laughing and crying:

"Let's talk this out, don't resort to violence. This doll wasn't meant to die in my place, don't burn it..."

"Not you?" Zhang Jizu was taken aback, then seemed to realize something, his eyes, which had been narrowed, suddenly widened, filled with shock as he said, "Could it be...?"

Cheng Shi paused in his retreating steps, then threw his head back and burst into laughter, a laugh that was both radiant and manic.

"Hahaha, not bad, it's Mo Shu's!"

It's Mo Shu's!

These four words were like a thunderclap in Zhang Jizu's ears. This usually steady Chosen of God Death was stunned for three seconds after hearing these words before he realized what Cheng Shi meant!

"You killed him, then revived him using Death Substitute Doll?"

He was completely stunned, his voice filled with disbelief. He wanted to ask Cheng Shi why he did this, but the next second his eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if he instantly understood Cheng Shi's meaning. Then, without hesitation, he used the [Death] resurrection spell on the Death Substitute Doll in Cheng Shi's arms, which was now just a pile of rotten flesh and skin!

He plans to resurrect this Death Substitute Doll!

This Cheng Shi didn't dodge. Instead, he tacitly placed the remains of the doll on the ground, then cautiously took two steps back and gripped a brand-new Scalpel in his hand again.

The silver blade reflected the bright moonlight, forming a stark contrast with the charred and bloodied body all over him, like the colors of life and death. But who could have imagined that beneath that charred blackness lay a rebirth after being bathed in lightning, while that snow-white blade only brought death?

At this Cheng Shi, Cheng Shi was focused intently on the resurrected Death Substitute Doll.

The moment the resurrection spell, radiating a ghastly green light, struck the charred remains of the little figure, the figure, which was as shattered as rotten flesh, began to twitch its legs and slowly come back to life. Moreover, amidst the churning of flesh and blood, its ugly face gradually transformed into the likeness of Mo Shu!

A miniature, micro-sized Cleaner appeared between the two of them.

"!!!"

Zhang Jizu's pupils constricted sharply. It really was him!

Indeed, Cheng Shi did use Death Substitute Doll, but he didn't let the puppet die for him. Instead, he used it to shield the Cleaner from the violent lightning strike of "Destiny Also Has Divergent Paths"!

As for why, it's because Zhang Jizu once told him that this Death Substitute Doll would steal the identity of the substitute when it was resurrected.

If I've already been killed once, how can I guarantee that I won't be in danger again after being resurrected?

Cheng Shi knew he was not Zhang Jizu, nor was he the Chosen of God one who was certain to die. He could not guarantee that he could destroy the Death Substitute Doll puppet that died in his place after his resurrection, nor could he accept that this strange puppet would steal his identity after his accidental resurrection.

If nothing can be guaranteed, then why use it to save your life?

Thinking about it another way, why not throw these "unguaranteed" things to the enemy and use these substitute dolls as weapons to steal the enemy's identity?

Yes, of course you can!

So when Cheng Shi first got his hands on the Death Substitute Doll, he didn't use this "Folly" creation as a life-saving tool. Instead, he suddenly had the idea to research some dirty stuff and then hid it away!

And Mo Shu was the first victim of this filthy thing!