Cheng Shi knew he had been rescued.
When he was pulled into the coffin, he saw a pair of eyes exactly like his own. Although the two pairs of eyes met for less than a second, he saw countless emotions in those eyes.
Regret, guilt, longing, resentment, struggle, despair, hope, and even a hint of envy and jealousy that are hard to define...
In that brief glance, he seemed to see another life of his own, experiencing another brilliant yet fleeting existence.
He was then knocked unconscious. Before his vision completely disappeared into darkness, by the faint light of the starlight, he saw four large characters neatly engraved on the back of the coffin lid:
Live well.
Printed text.
This is Lao Jia's expectation of himself, and also another of Cheng Shi's instructions to himself.
At that moment, before his eyes could even well up with tears, his consciousness plunged into endless darkness.
Cheng Shi was sealed away, sealed in that coffin by another "outer god [deception]" in the appearance of Zhang Jizu.
Anyone who lifts the coffin and sees the figure lying inside will not realize that it is actually the predetermined fate of this world, because [Deception] understands deception best, and [Cheng Shi]... understands Cheng Shi best.
He knew how to hide himself, and even more so, how to deceive all living beings.
So when Cheng Shi woke up and saw that the body was not his own, he immediately realized what had happened and guessed where the other self came from.
But he couldn't accept this fact, because it not only meant that Old Zhang had left this world to save him, but also that another version of himself was about to die in the face of the Outer God [Fate].
Whether or not the other party truly becomes a sacrifice, death will be his unchangeable end, his final act on the stage of this world.
Why?
Cheng Shi lay on the ground, writhing in agony. The question rose in his mind again, but this time it wasn't directed at the Outer God, nor at the other Cheng Shi, but at himself:
Why do I have to suffer so much misfortune?
Why has "fate" never favored me?
Is this what is meant by "predetermined"?
But why must suffering be tied to destiny? What is the meaning of everything that [Primordial] imposed upon me?
Wise people always say that the more you know, the more painful it is, but for Cheng Shi, knowing nothing is even more painful.
This pain is almost tangible; just one glance is enough to make one feel the pain as if they were covered in wounds.
An Mingyu, standing to the side, gripped her skirt tightly as she watched Cheng Shi tremble. The great man on the bone throne fell silent as well, and even the chattering skulls in the Fishbone Hall quieted down. At this moment, the entire void was filled with the aura of Cheng Shi's gradual collapse.
Although An Mingyu didn't know what the others were planning, saving Cheng Shi was undoubtedly a "win," at least the hope for this world was still there, and at least they didn't let the Outer God take away their friend.
But......
Cheng Shi was not her only friend.
There was a question she had wanted to ask for a long time, but she hadn't asked it because of Cheng Shi's condition.
It wasn't until much later, when Cheng Shi had calmed down, that she finally found an opportunity to approach him again when she saw him stand up expressionlessly. But before she could speak, Cheng Shi seemed to see right through her, and said calmly:
"Sorry, I didn't see her."
These words were like a bolt of lightning that struck An Mingyu without any reason, completely blasting her consciousness to its core and draining her last bit of strength. She covered her mouth and collapsed to the ground, shaking her head frantically, unable to believe what she had just heard.
How could a magician who is so convincing as to be a fraud possibly miss such a wonderful final performance? Besides, she was already brought offstage and was only one step away from going on stage. What reason would she have to give up the opportunity to go on stage and quietly leave?
Since she didn't, it means that it's not that she didn't want to go on stage, but that she no longer had the opportunity to go on stage.
Thinking of this, An Mingyu, who had been pieced together piece by piece by Cheng Shi and his destined person, shattered once again.
The believer, who had been abandoned by his savior, broke down in tears, just like Cheng Shi had just been, unable to breathe.
Indeed, misfortune is contagious, as is suffering.
But Cheng Shi could no longer sense An Mingyu's grief. His gaze swept past her, fixed on the massive skull atop the bone throne at the top of the stairs, and he asked, word by word:
"My lord, are you still protecting us?"
"......"
"My lord, do you believe what an Outer God says?"
"......"
"My lord, do you really believe that the Outer God [Fate], with its predetermined throne, can sway [Primordial] and cause it to halt its experiments, thus saving this world?"
"......"
"The Creator personally sculpted tens of thousands of slices of the universe, just to find a 'throne' among them that was 'offered' by experimental variables!?"
"Ha, sir, don't you find this ridiculous!"
"......"
Cheng Shi's voice grew louder and louder with each word, and his tone became heavier and heavier. The giant skull's eye sockets blazed with green flames, but it remained silent and offered no response.
Seeing this, Cheng Shi chuckled, shook his head, and asked again expressionlessly:
"Sir, have you ever felt fear?"
"......"
“You must have been afraid, otherwise you wouldn’t have agreed with the answer given by the Outer God [Fate].
But you must not be fearful enough, otherwise you wouldn't agree with the answer given by the Outer God [Fate]!
I think it's necessary for me to make you understand fear again. It's not about being afraid of the "Primordial One," but about facing the "Primordial One" and feeling the shadow He casts upon you!
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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