Foolish Game of the Gods - Chapter 181

He heard the sound of voices buzzing around him and felt a soft touch on his shoulder.

His consciousness returned.

After what seemed like an endless journey through the void, Cheng Shi opened his eyes once more.

The first thing he saw was an icy beauty.

Bai Fei!

Standing right in front of him was Bai Fei!

And at this moment, this Endwalker’s hand was resting on his shoulder!

Did she wake him up?

An ice queen, who usually ignored everyone, had woken him up?

Is that even possible?

Something wasn’t right!

Could she have discovered something?

How much time had passed?

Had he been standing here, unmoving, the whole time?

Cheng Shi’s mind jolted. Doubts began to sprout like weeds in his mind, but he forced himself to suppress the shock, quickly blinking a few times.

He was back—back again.

But why now, of all times?

Even though he had already returned the Torchbearers’ relic to them, there was still a gnawing sense of unease…

With the Death’s Bell Knights closing in on them, would they be able to leave the trial unharmed?

Cheng Shi’s heart raced with concern, but at this moment, he could no longer afford to worry about those teammates from 200 years in the future.

Because standing right in front of him was a much more pressing problem!

This Endwalker, with her scrutinizing gaze, clearly harbored suspicions about his actions.

More importantly, after having left his body for such a long time, Cheng Shi had no idea what had happened to it in his absence, nor why it had attracted the attention of this ice-cold beauty.

What should he do?

How could he bluff his way out of this one?

She definitely sensed something!

But the real question was: What exactly had she discovered!?

Outwardly, Cheng Shi maintained a smile, while his mind raced furiously.

Their eyes locked for a second before both began to subtly size each other up.

As Bai Fei’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter, Cheng Shi’s mind spun faster and faster until, suddenly, an idea came to him.

When you’re cornered, with no way out, why not flip the situation on its head? Make yourself the one in control and carve a new path—one that’s never been walked before.

And so!

Cheng Shi spoke.

And when he did, it was like heaven and earth collapsing!

“Oops! I’ve been found out!

Hehe~

I’m really curious, how did you figure it out?

Don’t tell me it was just a guess. I never believe in guesses.

All lies are exposed because someone finds the evidence to unravel them.

Come on, tell me—how did you know it was me?”

Cheng Shi smirked mischievously, then repeated “Zhen Xin’s” exact words, almost word for word.

Even his tone and gestures were spot on.

Of course, his voice wasn’t an exact match for the real “Zhen Xin.” But even so, it was enough to make Bai Fei’s face turn pale with shock!

Yes, shock!

Though her expression remained as cold and unchanged as ever, her eyes spoke volumes—her pupils didn’t lie.

The sudden contraction of her pupils revealed the turmoil inside her.

Cheng Shi’s keen observation caught that subtle shift, and he felt his heart settle.

The situation had shifted.

He had regained the upper hand.

It worked—Bai Fei was genuinely shocked.

Though outwardly calm, her mind was in complete chaos, buzzing with thunderous noise. Her entire head felt like it was about to explode.

It was her! It really was her!!

Zhen Yi!

Cheng Shi was actually Zhen Yi!

The dice were fake! The identity was fake! Everything was fake!!!

She had disguised herself as a supposed acquaintance of Hu Wei and followed them, plain as day, right into the Void Experimental Site in Gasmira!

How could this be?

When she crossed that river, it clearly wasn’t a mirror—so how…?

Ah, of course, she’s His favored one. In His domain, nothing is impossible!

Bai Fei’s mind was just as chaotic as Cheng Shi’s had been moments ago. Her thoughts were jumbled, completely out of order, until her talent allowed her to quiet the storm, erasing all distractions. She refocused her attention on the person in front of her—Zhen Yi.

Was this really her?

It had to be!

The tone, the expression, the gaze—there was no mistaking it. It was all too unique, too identifiable, and almost impossible to mimic…

Not to mention, who would dare mimic her?

Who in their right mind would try to provoke such a deranged trickster?

So, back to the question: How did Bai Fei guess this?

The truth was—she hadn’t!

She had only noticed “Cheng Shi” standing there deep in thought for too long. She’d assumed he had made some discovery, so she had “bravely” approached to check.

But little did she know, this time, her “risk” had truly landed her in danger!

Realizing that Zhen Yi—the one standing in front of her—was real, Bai Fei’s eyes filled with caution.

She couldn’t even be sure if the dazed Zhen Yi she had just woken up was the real Zhen Yi.

Because you could never tell where this favored child of [Deceit] might place one of her mind-bending illusions.

In her presence, others were left with no choice but to become the butt of the joke!

But even now, Bai Fei couldn’t show any sign of weakness.

If she made even the slightest mistake, she’d once again fall into the trap of this master of trickery, becoming little more than a source of entertainment…

So, Bai Fei narrowed her gaze, coldly sizing up Cheng Shi for a long moment before finally speaking in her usual icy tone:

“Zhen Yi. It’s really you.”

“……”

Zhen Yi?

Upon hearing the unfamiliar name, Cheng Shi instantly thought of what his Patron had once said about sisters.

His mind screamed, “Huh? Huh? Huh?” as he frantically cursed the Fool’s Lips.

Mouth-bro, I’ve begged you countless times, and this is how you repay me?

You knew they were sisters all along, and back then, it was the younger sister Zhen Yi in front of me, but you told me it was Zhen Xin?

So, you enjoy watching my misfortune more than theirs, huh?

You both play dumb while I’m the real fool here?

Haha, I’m the clown in this circus.

But there was no time to dwell on his misfortune. After a moment of internal chaos, Cheng Shi slipped back into character.

Zhen Yi.

For now, he was Zhen Yi, the sister of the Chosen One Zhen Xin, one of the top tricksters out there.

Still, he had to admit, this ice-cold beauty had some serious quick-thinking skills.

She managed to make it sound like she had figured it all out herself.

Tsk, impressive.

Cheng Shi’s eyes glimmered with amusement as he impersonated Zhen Yi’s mannerisms, fully embodying the role as he curiously examined the icy beauty before him.

“Hehe~

You’ve gotten smarter. Have you been taking some kind of medicine?

Hmm, to think that a walker on the path of self-annihilation could start to see through my tricks. Let me guess… could it be…

You’re secretly studying me?

Haha!

Do you have a crush on me or something?

Too bad, I’ve found someone new. The one you see before you is my new love.

What do you think? Handsome, right?

I could never betray him. Hmm, next time we meet, I’ll introduce you two. His name’s Cheng Shi. He’s a real…

Weaver of Fate.”

The more Bai Fei listened, the colder her expression became. She filtered out all of Zhen Yi’s nonsense, focusing on one crucial fact:

The person in front of her was undoubtedly the real Zhen Yi.

She, without a doubt, had to be that utterly annoying master of deception!

Although Cheng Shi’s performance had been flawless, and Bai Fei had fully accepted his disguise, the situation was still not in his favor.

Why?

Because…

Bai Fei was a person of few words.

She rarely spoke, which meant Cheng Shi had to keep the conversation going.

Because that’s exactly the kind of person Zhen Yi was.

She was chatty, annoying, and infuriating, but she wouldn’t allow any awkward silences.

The problem was, Cheng Shi could only pretend to be her—he didn’t actually know her very well.

So, facing this endless silence, Cheng Shi was starting to feel the strain.

“Say something, Endwalker! Don’t force me to beg you!”

His face was starting to ache from maintaining the smile.

“You… called me what?” Bai Fei’s gaze sharpened.

“……”

Crap. Zhen Yi must have given her a nickname!

Cheng Shi’s heart sank as he desperately tried to figure out what that nickname could be.

But who could possibly guess what a trickster might think?

The answer was: no one.

But I can still try.

He started thinking.

Since Bai Fei’s form in [Laughter and Mockery] had been that of an elongated inflatable figure, could it be possible that her nickname was something like… Little White… plus “long inflatable figure,” which could be shortened to… Little White… String?

It’s at least a pun.

“So what, you’re not satisfied unless I call you ‘Little White… String’?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bai Fei’s expression grew even colder. But after a moment, the slight furrow in her brow began to relax.

It was indeed Zhen Yi!

Cheng Shi’s outward expression remained playful, but internally, he was at a loss.

What the hell? I actually got it right???

Maybe fate’s finally decided to favor me after I grabbed that fruit?

But, fate aside…

It turns out, someone really can guess what a trickster is thinking.

And that someone just happens to be another trickster.