Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 14

Now, Qi Liuxing faced two choices.

First, directly use the mirror to escape to the treehouse.

Second, use the mirror to lure these three believers into the lake.

The first choice would undoubtedly push Zhou Qian directly to death.

As for the second choice, as Zhou Qian said, it would be a waste of the item.

After all, besides these three and the two that fell into the lake earlier, there were still a full fourteen believers on the opposite bank about to be deified.

The situation they faced would only become more critical.

This mirror was perhaps their last trump card.

However, if they abandoned these two choices, without a doubt, Qi Liuxing knew he wouldn’t live much longer. He was about to die.

Sweat poured from his forehead, back, and palms, layer after layer.

Just as he hesitated, and the three believers’ powerful impending attack was about to be formed—

The sky suddenly fluttered with green fluff-like objects, as beautiful as drifting catkins.

Feeling suddenly refreshed, Qi Liuxing noticed a prompt.

[Player Qi Liuxing, HP has recovered to 80%]

Almost at the same moment, the earth trembled.

Then the three deified believers simultaneously turned around, facing another direction.

Qi Liuxing also looked over.

A massive shield appeared out of thin air, smashing fiercely onto the ground, leaving a crater.

With the shield’s descent, all the NPCs’ aggro was forcibly transferred, targeting the person behind the shield.

As for the people emerging from behind the shield, it was Gao Shan and Yun Xiangrong.

……

On the other side of the Sin Lake.

Zhou Qian approached Epoh.

Not long ago, when he had just landed from the [Flying Rope], he was nearly attacked by a believer turned into a cat.

Qi Liuxing reliably diverted that person in time.

Zhou Qian momentarily felt safe and also confirmed one thing—he had entered the area covered with petals, but the believers still attacked him. Thus, the reason those 20 believers didn’t attack each other wasn’t due to the petals all over the ground.

Excluding the petals, not considering whether to eat the apple, the third factor that could be excluded was real and fake believers.

Believers worship the Great God and possess some psychic ability. But if this is the distinction, then the players posing as fake believers will almost never get the protection buff. Thus, with such a disparity in power between the two sides, the achievement rate for the hidden goal would never reach 10%.

After ruling out all possibilities, only one factor differentiated the 19 believers from the 4 players—the players hadn’t hurt the god Epoh.

Glancing back across the lake and seeing the young couple approaching and Qi Liuxing hadn’t used the mirror to escape, Zhou Qian smiled and continued forward.

He walked straight through the ankle-deep white petals and sat next to the equally white Epoh.

“My God, can you hear me?” Zhou Qian asked him.

In the sea of flowers, Epoh slowly opened his eyes.

Looking into Epoh’s eyes, Zhou Qian pointed to the deified believers not far away and asked, “They don’t attack each other because they hurt you?”

After a while, Epoh nodded. “They are all torturers, carrying the [Mark of Pain]. You don’t have this mark and are seen as outsiders. That’s why they attack you.”

“All the players thought that by not harming you, they could save themselves. But it seems that this very action has brought about their doom.”

Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to Epoh, almost touching foreheads.

In this position, staring into his eyes, he whispered, “You’re so cunning. Even I was deceived by you.”

[Player Zhou Qian triggered the key term: [Mark of Pain]]

[“Mark of Pain” function: Will not be targeted by deified believers]

[Method to acquire the mark: Hurt the god Epoh]

Those who hurt the god Epoh would bear the Mark of Pain.

The apples on the trees were born from Epoh’s blood and pain.

The believers who ate the apples infused with memories of pain would become gods.

So the deified believers carried the scent of pain. Even when they lost their minds, they would see those with the Mark of Pain as their own kind and wouldn’t target them.

After understanding this logic, Zhou Qian sighed and looked at Epoh with a kind of pity.

“It seems I must hurt you.”

Zhou Qian’s words truly shocked Yu Xian, who was watching on the screen.

Yu Xian: “No, that’s wrong! Before the Goddess left, she said something! The grand ceremony is over! Believers can no longer harm the god Epoh! Did Qian Ge forget?! Challenging such a big boss, he’s in trouble!”

Zhu Qiang’s face paled, apparently quite alarmed.

But he quickly regained his composure and said sharply, “No, no, no! You’re forgetting something!”

“What did I forget?”

“Qian Ge isn’t a real believer! The Goddess said that believers cannot harm Epoh, but she didn’t say anything about others!”

“Fuck! Qian Ge is taking advantage of this loophole in the wording?!”

Inside the game.

As expected, Epoh looked at Zhou Qian and said, “The grand ceremony is over. Believers can’t hurt me anymore.”

Zhou Qian gently replied, “What if I’m not your believer?”

Zhou Qian had the guts to say this because he realized that Epoh didn’t take humans seriously and didn’t really care if they were real believers. Even the Goddess could tell that five of the believers were suspicious, so how could the Great God Epoh not see it?

If he really cared, all four fake believers would be in grave danger.

But he did nothing, completely unmoved, showing he truly didn’t care.

This also implied that the initial scoring game shouldn’t necessarily result in a player’s death.

The Great God didn’t really care about the authenticity of the believers. The goddess had fake believers score each other, either as a formality or just to toy with humans. After all, luring believers to eat the apple suggested their true nature might be malevolent, rather than purely benevolent as it appears.

So, if Zhou Qian gave everyone 20 points and the other four agreed, all five might have survived until the 10 o’clock ceremony. Perhaps the goddess would have let all five attend the grand ceremony together.

Unfortunately, Dong Xiang was determined to put Zhou Qian in a life-threatening situation.

Zhou Qian had no choice but to protect himself.

Nevertheless, despite his judgment, Zhou Qian didn’t explicitly declare himself a fake believer. Instead, he used the word “if” to gauge Epoh’s reaction.

Epoh didn’t seem to care, not even raising an eyelid.

Seeing this, Zhou Qian laughed.

Then, with a gentle, almost beguiling tone, he asked, “Would you let me hurt you?”

Epoh replied with confusion, “You don’t believe in me, yet you want to harm me? How do you intend to harm me?”

Epoh’s question was also what the Yu Zhu duo were wondering.

What would Zhou Qian do to Epoh? Punch him? Slap him? Or even stab him?

Zhou Qian, not being a believer, harming Epoh especially after the ceremony had ended… Would Epoh remain indifferent?

To everyone’s surprise, Zhou Qian looked Epoh up and down, pondered for a moment, and then reached out to pinch a strand of his long hair.

“How about… I pull your hair?”

Epoh: ?

Yu Xian, Zhu Qiang: ???

The reason Zhou Qian considered pulling hair was due to its low risk.

Plucking a few strands from Epoh wouldn’t cause any real harm, hopefully not provoking his anger, but it would still allow him to acquire the [Mark of Pain].

So, under Epoh’s increasingly puzzled gaze, Zhou Qian decisively pulled out several strands and twirled them around his finger.

The forced separation from the scalp caused a slight pain that made Epoh frown slightly.

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Qian casually stood up and waved his finger at him. “Great god, continue your rest. Thank you!”

Epoh didn’t seem angry; he was just quietly watching Zhou Qian.

He was surrounded by white petals, and his features were exquisitely perfect. Blinking occasionally, he appeared innocent and harmless.

But was this his true appearance?

The believers who ate the apple transformed into various monsters.

So, if one were to strip away this beautiful facade, what would Epoh’s true form be?

The Great God Epoh likened humans to ants.

Humans and ants had vastly different appearances, each seeing the other as a monster.

Gods might possess appearances unimaginable to humans.

Perhaps they disguised themselves to prevent instilling fear in humans, like the beautiful goddesses and, of course, the current Epoh.

If you were to remove this innocent disguise, would your true appearance be terrifying?

Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind. Before leaving, Zhou Qian waved at Epoh. Thinking of something, he fondled the hair wrapped around his index finger, and a beautiful smile appeared on his face. He asked Epoh, “Do you know, in ancient times, what it meant when a girl gives her hair to someone?”

Epoh seemed to have no idea what he was talking about.

Looking at him, Zhou Qian slowly replied, “It means she wants to marry him.”

Yu Xian exclaimed, “Damn, he’s even flirting with the Great God Epoh?”

Zhu Qiang remarked, “I have a reasonable suspicion that he’s trying to probe something.”

Inside the game, amidst the giant tree’s branches and leaves, Epoh’s expression was serene and calm.

Seeing his unresponsive face, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes.

No reaction to lines outside the game’s script? Could it be… you’re truly just data in the game?

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>