After the high-intensity communion with the gods, Cheng Shi finally got a brief period of rest.
He spent a day recuperating in the rest area, though he wasn't idle during that time. Instead, he organized everything he had seen and learned, becoming increasingly convinced that waiting for death offered no hope. The only way to win a moment of respite on this terrifying predetermined path was to take the initiative.
Even if he couldn't reverse the overall trend, he at least had to remain clearheaded before true Nothingness arrived. That way, when the era collapsed, he might still know what arrangements and contingencies to make to avoid the risks.
As for whether any of this would work...
He could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.
So after another night of contemplation, Cheng Shi finally decided to find himself a few helpers.
The first targets he set his sights on were the God of Merriment's followers—the various jesters.
Cheng Shi knew that when it came to matters concerning them, Big Cat was superior to the jesters in both strength and standing. The only "problem" was that she believed in fate...
All the Fated believed in fate, but Destiny had already strayed onto a "crooked path" away from Deception. No matter how much Cheng Shi believed himself favored by Destiny, he still didn't dare loudly "conspire" to "rebel" under her watchful eye.
So he chose the jesters instead. It had nothing to do with trust, but with faith.
Besides, the Jester's Gathering he had promised everyone had never been held. By now, the jesters had reached a fairly "substantial scale," so he might as well use this gathering as the spark that would set off the undercurrents beneath the calm surface.
After making his decision, Cheng Shi immediately