Long Jing left.
Because he had laughed too brightly, Lord Hour Hand kicked him off the platform, sending him plummeting into reality.
Cheng Shi was furious.
Just as he kicked the acrobat away and prepared to argue with his Lord of Grace about why he had not been granted a weapon through his fusion, a pair of black-hole-like eyes opened at the center of the colossal clock face, gazing at him with profound intensity.
"Cheng, Shi."
Time had appeared, but Cheng Shi was not the least bit flustered. There was even a hint of disdain on his face.
"My lord, stop pretending. Don't think you can get away with this just by disguising yourself as Time!
"I think I've worked hard enough on the path of Nothingness, so why haven't I been granted Time's weapon?
"Since you can grant faith on Time's behalf, then surely granting me another weapon... No, an ordinary weapon could only count as a previous reward, not compensation for what's happening now!
"Why don't you grant me an identity instead? That shouldn't be difficult for you, right?
"Or we can skip the trouble altogether."
Cheng Shi took out the container he carried, his eyes shining as he said:
"You could just help me activate this thing. As for faith, I'll use the identity of Hour Hand to deceive people myself. How does that sound?
"And the process of deception would still count as an offering to you. In fact, you'd be profiting from it."
Cheng Shi offered his suggestion with great enthusiasm, but the eyes above the clock face did not move at all. They were like an eternity unchanged since time immemorial, looking at Cheng Shi indifferently without saying a word.
"My lord, don't just stand there in silence. You..."
?
Cheng Shi froze. He