The blacksmith said, "I say we pick Hao Yunsheng. His Fate Grid is so strong—he said the name, stepped on a watermelon, and still lived. He even got someone else to die in his place. If he becomes the Little Master, he’ll definitely survive. Any of us, on the other hand, probably wouldn’t last until tomorrow."
The Book Listener said, "I think that’s a good idea."
A few Night Guards nodded, looking at Hao Yunsheng.
"You..." Hao Yunsheng started to say, but he clamped his mouth shut, terrified he might blurt out something unlucky.
The Captain’s expression darkened. "Anyone else who wants to argue can get the hell out!" he roared. "From now on, you will all calmly discuss the candidates for Little Master. Anyone who stirs up more trouble, don’t blame me for getting rough!"
As he spoke, the Captain swung his long saber at the ground. He infused it with Eighth-Grade True Essence, and the blade hummed as it unleashed a green light. The saber’s glow flared as it swept across the ground.
SHIIING...
Invisible Saber Qi sliced into the ground, kicking up sand and dust.
A five-foot-long gash was left in the earth.
Hao Yunsheng took a deep breath and said slowly, "I’m not going to argue. Among us, who is the youngest? Sunshine Boy. Among us, who is most likely to attract Deceit? A Fate Master—again, Sunshine Boy. Among us, who is most likely to evade Deceit? A Fate Master—still Sunshine Boy. I believe Sunshine Boy is the prime candidate."
"Sunshine Boy, what do you have to say?" the Captain asked.
Sunshine Boy said slowly, "From that perspective, I am the best choice. But here’s the problem: if I become the Little Master and get locked away, where are you going to find another Fate Master to dispel the Deceit? Hao Yunsheng’s Fate Grid is strong, but he can’t do it. For that reason alone, I cannot be separated from the group."
"That’s true," an Old Night Guard said with a nod.
Hao Yunsheng said, "I see it differently. I believe the best way to dispel the Deceit is to uncover the true identities of the Matron and the Five Goddess. I suspect the Five Goddess are merely Divine Spirits who have no control here. The Matron is the key—she might even be a Deceitful Demon. You’re a Fate Master. You’ll have a better chance of dispelling the Deceit if you get close to her."
Sunshine Boy looked puzzled. "Hao Yunsheng, no offense, but first, you’re not a Fate Master like me. Second, you’re not as knowledgeable as the Book Listener. And third, you don’t hold a high rank like the Captain. Yet you seem to know more than any of us. You know about the Five Goddess, and you knew the Matron might be a Deceitful Demon. You misspoke a name and stepped on a watermelon—you should have disappeared just like the cowherd and the water-releaser, but instead, Denggao took your place and became the watermelon. What are you hiding?"
"Captain, he’s accusing me again!" Hao Yunsheng cried.
Before the Captain could speak, a Night Guard interjected, "Sunshine Boy has a point."
"I think Hao Yunsheng knows more."
"Make Hao Yunsheng swear an oath to the Deceit! If he’s hiding anything, he’ll be trapped here forever!"
"Yeah, make Hao Yunsheng swear!"
The Night Guards all started clamoring.
"I’m not, I’m not! Captain, I’m really not hiding anything."
"Then swear an oath to the Deceit," the Foodie said.
"How could I bring the Deceit upon myself? Impossible!" Hao Yunsheng flatly refused.
"Everyone, quiet down," the Captain said with a sigh. "Let’s do this. Everyone take a moment to cool off. I’ll question you one by one to avoid more arguments. Hao Yunsheng, come with me."
The Captain led Hao Yunsheng a short distance away, and they spoke in low voices.
The Night Guards gathered together, all accusing Hao Yunsheng and coming to Sunshine Boy’s defense.
The Book Listener gave Sunshine Boy a look, and the two of them walked a short distance away.
"You’re right. I’m afraid Hao Yunsheng knows something. After all, his Fate Grid is incredibly strong," the Book Listener said.
"I only figured it out back in the Gua Field. I suspect he’s gotten his hands on a Fate Master’s notes. Even if he can’t practice Cultivation or use Fate Skills, he’d still know a lot of secrets," Sunshine Boy said.
"He managed to just stumble upon the Celestial Fire True Intent and a Qiankun Ring. Getting a Fate Master’s notes wouldn’t be that hard for him."
"It’s a shame he’s not willing to share them with me. If he did, I’m confident I could dispel the Deceit," Sunshine Boy said.
"If that’s the case, then I suspect he might already have a way to dispel the Deceit. He’s either waiting for the right time, the price is too high and he can’t commit, or... he wants to use the Deceit to get you killed before he acts," the Book Listener said.
A sudden realization dawned on Sunshine Boy.
’I originally thought he was planning to sacrifice Denggao to help dispel the Deceit, and that’s why he got distracted and stepped on the watermelon. Now that I think about it, he was probably so distracted because he was scheming about how to harm *me*.’
The Book Listener chuckled. "Exactly. He most likely wanted to use the watermelon patch to get you killed. But as luck would have it, the white fog separated us, and the only one near him was Denggao. That’s why Denggao’s the one who’s gone."
"This hidden treachery is truly difficult," Sunshine Boy sighed.
But the Book Listener just chuckled. "Actually, that Hao Yunsheng had a slip of the tongue."
"When?" Sunshine Boy asked.
"You were too busy arguing with him to pay attention, but I was watching him the whole time. After he said that getting close to the Matron would be better for dispelling the Deceit, I saw him freeze for a split second, like he regretted saying the wrong thing. But even without noticing that little detail, it’s clear his words were important. Before him, had any of us speculated much about the Matron?"
Sunshine Boy nodded. "You’re right. Thinking back, there’s no evidence that the Matron is a Deceit. We all assumed she was one of the villagers, probably the village chief’s wife, and that the Five Goddess were the source of the Deceit. But Hao Yunsheng pointed the finger directly at the Matron. That’s a huge deal. Plus, he deliberately went for that watermelon. That was one of the things that made me suspicious of him."
The Book Listener smiled. "That’s why I’m certain he didn’t misspeak. Getting close to the Matron really is the best way for you to dispel the Deceit. Of course, it must be extremely dangerous. Otherwise, he would have jumped at the chance to be the Little Master himself."
Sunshine Boy, however, paused. He looked down and thought for a moment before saying, "I think we’re looking at this whole ’Little Master’ thing the wrong way."
"Oh?"
Sunshine Boy continued, "If our goal is to get out of here completely unscathed, then of course, becoming the Little Master is out of the question. It’s too dangerous."
"That’s right."
"However, if our goal is to ’survive as long as possible, and just accept it if we die,’ then choosing to become the Little Master is actually the best path."
The Book Listener was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "Only a lazy rogue like you would think that way. But you’re right! Since this whole thing is about completing the grand ritual of the Five Goddess, the Little Master is guaranteed to survive through the rituals of the Lady of Delivery, the Lady of Protection for Birth, and the Lady of Celebration for Birth. The worst-case scenario is that they’ll die during the ritual of the Lady of Longevity."
"Exactly. So, if I become the Little Master, I’m guaranteed to survive almost to the very end. And during that time, I can focus my efforts on dispelling the Deceit."
"But being the Little Master can’t be that simple, or Hao Yunsheng would have been fighting for the role."
Just then, the Foodie walked over and whispered, "If it really comes down to it, I’ll be the Little Master."
Sunshine Boy and the Book Listener stared at him, their faces a picture of confusion.
"I just figured it out," the Foodie said. "This is a grand ritual, and the Little Master is the ’new child.’ No matter what, the Deceit will do everything it can to keep him alive. That means the Little Master will at least survive until the very end before he dies. Looking at how things are going, I probably won’t make it to the end anyway. I might as well be the Little Master, eat and drink my fill, and face my fate with a full stomach. It’s better than living in constant fear."
Sunshine Boy and the Book Listener exchanged a look and both burst out laughing.
"You’re the biggest coward I’ve ever met," Sunshine Boy said, half-laughing, half-scolding.
"Being a coward has its perks."
Sunshine Boy thought for a moment, then said, "With my current abilities, I can’t unravel this Deceit on my own. This Deceit... it’s even more troublesome than the Yellow Springs Mysterious Land in the Imperial Prison Department. Therefore, we have to make Hao Yunsheng bleed!"