Chapter 43: I'm Not Here for Poverty Relief
Cheng Shi sorted through the clues he'd overheard with a furrowed brow. After a moment's reflection, he eliminated the possibility that the killer was a follower of [Decay].
[Decay] and [Prosperity] were opposing faiths. But if His followers killed someone within [Prosperity]'s domain of protection, they would certainly leave traces of "decay" on the corpse.
That was the only way to constitute a proper provocation of faith, the only way to win glory for their patron.
Yet the corpses bore no wounds whatsoever. This was clearly the killer manufacturing an atmosphere of terror.
To achieve this effect, the killer most likely worshipped [Defilement] or [Death] itself.
The reason to consider the killer's faith wasn't for any other purpose but to crack the trial.
After all, [Death] and [Prosperity] both belonged to the [Life] Destiny. Though the wills They championed diverged somewhat, They were not opposed.
This much was evident from [Blooming Only to Wither].
What it protected was only living individuals within the span of a normal lifespan. When an individual's time came, it would let them die.
Because [Prosperity] strove for the maximum flourishing of the individual, not immortality.
After all, within the [Life] Destiny, [Death] was the finale.
Based on this, Cheng Shi couldn't help but begin pondering.
A [Death] trial ultimately required offering some tribute to Him.
So this time, should they sacrifice a follower of [Defilement] who deliberately manufactured killings but twisted the residents' natural mode of death, or should they follow the methods of a [Death] follower and kill a target that perhaps greatly interested Him?
One option was catching the killer. The other was helping the killer murder.
These two choices were poles apart.
Choose wrong, and they could very well fall into eternal damnation.
Just as Cheng Shi was deep in thought with a tightly knit brow, not far from him, another player was also pondering with head bowed.
Wei Guan had clearly also identified the Enforcement Bureau as the key to cracking the trial, so he'd arrived even earlier than Cheng Shi and had been lingering here for some time.
When he saw teammates trickling in one after another, he coldly snorted and departed with disdain.
Seeing Wei Guan leave, Cheng Shi laughed despite himself.
Followers of [Ignorance] considered themselves above everyone and never liked associating with others. Whether his departure was because he'd figured something out or simply detested examining the same case alongside others was anyone's guess.
Having obtained the relevant intelligence, Cheng Shi left the Enforcement Bureau and idly strolled around town for a while.
Only when the sun set, the streets grew increasingly empty, and the residents' faces grew increasingly anxious, did he amble back to the hotel.
By then, the hotel's first floor was packed with people. The other four teammates had already taken seats around a wooden table, waiting for his return.
Cheng Shi greeted everyone and sat down.
His gaze casually swept past the stairwell corner, where he found the Ascetic Monk standing in the shadows, eyes locked directly on their table. He happened to lock eyes with Cheng Shi.
Cheng Shi blinked, then smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
The man's face showed neither pleasure nor sorrow. His gaze didn't shift.
What kind of person is this? Doesn't standing all day get tiring?
Fang Jue saw that everyone was in place and took charge.
"Let's share intelligence. I'll start by summarizing my observations and thoughts from today. Everyone can fill in the gaps."
The Jurist truly lived up to being the most methodical class. Every last scrap of basic intelligence about Everbloom's various aspects was shared in meticulous, orderly fashion under his precise sorting.
The sheer depth and detail of the content made it seem less like what one man could gather in a single afternoon, and more like a report compiled by a large team after a month of background research!
Cheng Shi was inwardly astounded, thinking that Fang Jue's abilities were almost absurdly strong.
If certain fund managers had been this competent, Cheng Shi wouldn't have lost so miserably before [The Gods] descended.
All of them were dogs who took money and did nothing!
After Fang Jue finished his eloquent discourse, the others nodded one by one. Only Wei Guan coldly snorted and said with distaste:
"Utterly redundant."
Fang Jue didn't take the slightest offense. He spread his hands, signaling that it was their turn.
It was Du Xiguang who spoke up on his behalf:
"Then pray, favor us with your brilliant insights?"
Wei Guan cast a sidelong glance at Du Xiguang and scoffed:
"So desperate to get something for nothing? A brain that never thinks will only grow stupider. If you want answers from me, first prove your worth."
"Pfft."
Cheng Shi genuinely couldn't hold it in. He laughed out loud.
His laugh drew everyone's attention.
Seeing all eyes on him, with Wei Guan's gaze carrying particular contempt, Cheng Shi quickly waved his hand:
"Sorry, couldn't help it. First time seeing someone talk about freeloading with such righteous conviction. Broadening my horizons."
These words were clearly mocking Wei Guan, yet Wei Guan didn't react. Instead, the others' gazes toward Cheng Shi grew considerably friendlier.
Sure enough, group harmony depended on the idiot.
As long as you stayed away from the idiot, everyone could get along.
Du Xiguang also smiled. Whether he genuinely wanted to prove himself or simply didn't want to wait for Wei Guan's response, he directly stated his thoughts.
They matched Cheng Shi's exactly: two lines, pick one.
A very standard approach, but also the safest.
Cheng Shi kept nodding in agreement. The two exchanged glances and immediately felt a sense of mutual appreciation.
Dying of laughter. Never thought the day would come when I'd stand on the same side as a follower of [Memory].
Yun Ni didn't supplement additional details. She simply shared her observations from examining the corpses.
"The Enforcement Bureau doesn't have anything like a morgue. The four victims' bodies were kept in the archive room. I examined every inch of them and indeed found no wounds.
This was less like killing and more like cursing."
"A subterranean curse?" Cheng Shi asked in surprise.
Yun Ni shot him a sideways glance and nodded irritably:
"Yes. This method of killing generally comes from the underground. Probably [Defilement] spreading fear. Manufacturing terror and harvesting dread are also forms of desire's corruption."
Yun Ni's speculation was decisive and had some merit.
But every player held their own judgment, and this kind of heavily subjective guess was unlikely to earn universal agreement.
Next was Cheng Shi's turn. He didn't hold anything back. He briefly described the portions of his discoveries that the others hadn't mentioned, then carefully savored the various threads of clues, pondering where the key to breaking the deadlock lay.
Fang Jue looked at Cheng Shi thoughtfully and teased:
"You really don't seem like His follower."
Cheng Shi knew what he meant: he was behaving too "orderly."
But Cheng Shi suddenly laughed and replied to Fang Jue with an amused expression:
"Wouldn't you agree that drawing close to [Order] is, for me, itself a form of [Chaos]?"
Fang Jue was mildly amused by this, yet beneath his hidden smile, his eyes unmistakably turned grave.
True.
Making a follower of [Chaos] no longer chaotic was in essence an even deeper form of chaos, the most profound chaos of all.
Fang Jue had initially felt that Cheng Shi wasn't someone worth paying much attention to.
But now, a thread of killing intent rose in his heart.
Discovering an opposing-faith player with exceptional divine insight was not good news.
Cheng Shi had no idea what was going through Fang Jue's mind. Having stated his views, he tossed the conversation to Wei Guan.
This [Ignorance] follower with the "I'm not targeting anyone specifically, I'm saying everyone here is garbage" expression had listened all evening without contributing a single insightful remark.
That was genuinely insufferable.
"Alright, the stupid players have contributed their ideas. Now it's the smart player's turn to deliver his review."
Wei Guan sneered, turned, and walked away.
As he walked, he loudly mocked:
"Your thoughts are worthless. You don't deserve to know the answer."
This finally irritated even the good-tempered Fang Jue. He slapped the table and stood up, saying sternly:
"Leaving here means you will forfeit any cooperation with us."
Fang Jue's voice unconsciously incorporated some Bard skill effects, lending it a commanding, heart-shaking authority.
Many people in the hotel heard it and turned to look.
But Wei Guan didn't slow his pace in the slightest. His destination wasn't the second-floor rooms, but the hotel's front door.
"You lot barely qualify for the word 'cooperation.' My time is limited. I'm not here for poverty relief."
With that, he pushed open the hotel's front door.
And right then, the hotel doorman grabbed the hem of his garment and warned in terror:
"Honored guest, even if you've quarreled with your companions, I must remind you:
The nights are not safe right now.
The Enforcement Bureau has already issued a curfew advisory.
Staying inside the hotel is the best choice. Please reconsider!"
Wei Guan sneered and mocked:
"Cowardice and stupidity have always been a perfect match.
I already know the answer. Naturally, I fear no so-called killer.
What's more, his methods are, in my eyes, equally imbecilic."
With that, he swept aside the doorman's hand and strode out.
The moment the door slammed shut, a remarkably unanimous chorus of low curses rose from the players' table.
"Idiot."
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