Wandering Gods of Day and Night
Chapter 288 - 196 Heavenly Official Descent

Chapter 288: Chapter 196 Heavenly Official Descent

When Zhou Xuan mentioned using the "Divine Avatar" to stir things up, Li Chengfeng grew a little nervous and said, "High Priest, won’t this make too big a mess?"

"The whole point is to create chaos, to whip up a storm, to summon a dark cloud that looms over the city, to overturn the heavens and the earth. Without such a ruckus, will Bone Elder take us seriously?"

Zhou Xuan said to Li Chengfeng, "Merely a verbal hint from the gods, and the Bone Elder Association dares to act against you. With the Heavenly God backing us, if we don’t make a move against the Divine Avatar, it wouldn’t make sense."

Li Chengfeng felt even more tense after hearing that, but within that tension was a pinch of excitement and exhilaration.

"Remember this: no matter what happens tomorrow, you need to be domineering, you need confidence. If you want to deceive others, you first have to deceive yourself."

Zhou Xuan spread out his arms, gesturing something vast, and said nonchalantly, "Believe this: the grand world is nothing more than a painted backdrop. If you kneel to observe it, you’ll think it’s a magnificent and opulent palace. But once you stand tall, straighten your back...

You’ll see the world for what it really is—a mere ramshackle stage troupe!"

Reversing the ideology of the Heavenly Gang was like a lever in Zhou Xuan’s hands, prying open Li Chengfeng’s worldview.

Li Chengfeng even had thoughts of "no god, no heavens, no earth." This notion surged from his forehead all the way to the crown of his head.

After a wave of scalp-tingling sensation, all that remained was exhilaration.

Li Chengfeng’s old, wrinkle-ridden face even flushed red.

"Stir it up—stir it so that the Bone Elder Association can’t rest in peace."

He was so excited that he couldn’t contain himself anymore, blurting out ruthless words he usually would never say.

"Now that’s more like it."

Zhou Xuan was quite satisfied with the "PUA" effect.

Taking advantage of Li Chengfeng’s adrenaline rush clouding his judgment, Zhou Xuan laid out all the arrangements and plans for the next day in one go.

The plan was painfully detailed, down to the exact time for every action.

After ensuring all "actors" were thoroughly briefed, Director Zhou waved his big hand and said, "For tomorrow’s gathering, there’s only one thing you need to bring—swagger. Confidence... conviction. Got it?"

"Got it," Li Chengfeng replied.

...

After Li Chengfeng left, Yun Ziliang asked Zhou Xuan, "Xiao Zhou, do you truly believe the world is just a ramshackle stage troupe?"

"Whether I believe it or not doesn’t matter," Zhou Xuan said, staring at the shop door. "As long as Old Li believes it."

Yun Ziliang: "..."

So you preached all that to us, and you don’t even believe it yourself?

"I almost bought into it, thinking you’d uncovered the secrets of the world. I wanted to discuss it with you!"

Yun Ziliang felt Zhou Xuan was too deep, so deep that when you thought he was lying, he was telling the truth; and when you thought he was truthful, eight out of ten sentences were false—and the other two were outright fabrications.

"Stop wasting time on useless things and go wipe the record player. Look at how much oil it’s leaking."

Zhou Xuan got up and headed upstairs.

"When’s the new record player arriving?"

"A few more days. Be patient."

...

At Mingjiang Pier, not far from the Zhou Family’s Jingyi Shop,

To prevent any delays, Zhou Xuan set out at 7:00 in the morning with Lv Mingkun and Yun Ziliang, walking to the pier.

Bringing Lv Mingkun was particularly important.

Zhou Xuan’s ability to control the Puppet Taoist had a limited range, so he needed to find a secluded spot near the Bone Elder Temple.

Lv Mingkun could stand guard with a knife for Zhou Xuan.

As for Yun Ziliang, well, he was just there for the spectacle, insisting Zhou Xuan bring some paintings along.

"Lao Yun, I’ve figured you out: three major pursuits in your life—watching spectacles, listening to music, playing cards; all pure hedonism."

"Life is bitter enough. Why not indulge?"

Yun Ziliang sounded quite justified.

Zhou Xuan couldn’t be bothered to argue. After some searching, he found a dead-end alley next to the Bone Elder Temple. Because the alley housed a Yizhuang draped with White Lanterns, it had an ominous vibe, and no one would dare enter in the morning.

But for Zhou Xuan and Lv Mingkun, who came from the Netherworld Play Troupe, it felt just like home.

"This is it. Fifth Senior Brother, you stand guard at the entrance. Let no one in."

Lv Mingkun, a man of few words but tough actions, grabbed his long robe’s hem and marched toward the alley entrance.

Zhou Xuan waited. Around 8:30, guessing that Li Chengfeng had arrived at the Bone Elder Temple, he unleashed his Perception to locate the Puppet Taoist.

His Perception, ever since being enhanced by the Blood Well with the golden Moon Wheel, was not only stronger but—more importantly—undetectable.

Soon enough,

His Perception connected with the Puppet, and Zhou Xuan quickly established a link.

The Puppet Taoist was strapped to Li Chengfeng’s back. Zhou Xuan, controlling the Puppet, said to Li Chengfeng, "Old Li, I’ve arrived."

The Puppet’s barely audible voice filled Li Chengfeng with a sense of reassurance.

"High Priest, you’re early."

"Less chatter. From now on, call me Director Zhou. Once you establish the link on the Puppet, we’ll be able to communicate through thoughts. If this communication gets cut off, we’ll immediately activate the emergency plan—with me descending onto your body."

The descent consumed a lot of energy.

The farther the distance, the greater the consumption. Zhou Xuan and Li Chengfeng, separated by only a few dozen meters at most, could maintain the descent for a long time. Still, Zhou Xuan opted for the energy-saving method of using the Puppet for communication.

After all, who knew how long the gathering would last? Energy had to be reserved.

"Understood, Director Zhou."

...

"A grand deception—and we storytellers are such honest folk. How did we end up with a fraud among us?"

Yuan Buyu lamented to Zhou Lingyi under the Ancestor Tree, his tone brimming with grief and indignation.

Zhou Lingyi used her folding fan to cover her laugh and said, "Our dear little brother is only honest with us. Out in the world, you can’t tell when he’s lying. But that’s not a bad thing. Isn’t the world just a game of ’you trick me, I trick you’?"

"Do you really think that Puppet can deceive Bone Elder?" Yuan Buyu asked with concern.