Chapter 437: The Gods (IX) Coercion

Tsering Dhondup had never imagined he would one day encounter such a bizarre situation. His heart was filled with fear and indignation, wanting to grab the short knife behind the counter and stab the ill-intentioned young man, yet his thoughts couldn’t translate into action. He couldn’t even move a single finger.

A supernatural event, unknown technology, or some means close to that of a god?

Residents living in Tibet are born close to nature, far from cities. Countless phenomena that cannot be explained by science occur around them, making them naturally more devout believers in animism and the existence of gods than others.

Tsering Dhondup recalled that after seeing the four guests, who were wealthy and seemingly unattached, he did harbor a slight greed, thinking of quoting a higher price to earn a little more money. Could it be this sinful thought that attracted divine punishment?

“From now on, believe in me as you would believe in a god.” The young man’s declaration was solemn and undeniable, further solidifying Tsering Dhondup’s fleeting guess.

He knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, only begging not to be abandoned by the gods for a momentary sin.

At this moment, Si Qi was naturally not a god. Although he possessed divine blood, it was an innate talent that had secretly played a significant role when he first entered the bizarre game, allowing him, as a newcomer, to bring the customized wristband into the instance.

Afterward, he gradually approached the position of a god, collecting authority and accumulating divine power, yet he always lacked the final piece of the puzzle.

The rules vaguely stated that he was incomplete. He had thought he could complete what was missing in the final instance, but in the end, he gained nothing.

Even his blood still appeared red, having only some of the effects of divine blood, but not shimmering with the molten gold or golden-red luster of true divine blood.

Si Qi’s use of soul contracts to control these people was certainly not out of a desire to punish evil and promote good. If he knew Tsering Dhondup had such a misunderstanding, he would probably be so nauseated he’d vomit.

Mediocre people have such limited imagination for evil, thinking that a little greed or extorting some money is a huge deal.

In Si Qi’s view, as long as one has the ability, even if they chopped up these few people in the dead of night to make human flesh buns, one could still commend them with a “not bad craftsmanship.”

Just like now, Si Qi realized he needed a foothold, and Tsering Dhondup’s inn was very suitable; he also needed some hostages, and these people from the Listening Wind Guild were equally suitable; a feasible plan could be designed through the known information, and after achieving all objectives, he could also test the effect of the 【Crimson High Priest】 identity card. Why not?

Even without the 【Soul Contract】, he had planned to do this, it would just have been a more circuitous process. After all, the benefits were considerable, and the risks were not unbearable.

【Identity Card: Crimson High Priest】

【Effect: You will more easily gain the faith of other beings and convert that faith into your own power】

Although Si Qi found the effect description rather abstract, he still joyfully issued the command for the four tools to believe in him.

The very next second after the command was given, four crimson rays of light converged on him, carrying a gentle warmth that merged into his body.

Days of fatigue were swept away, and the scars on his body faded considerably. Faith was indeed transformed into his own power, directly affecting his physical body, which he had always considered a weakness.

“So that’s how it’s used…” Si Qi smiled, a very happy smile.

He had previously thought that 【Crimson High Priest】 was less conducive to planning than the 【Foolish Trickster】 card, but now, it seemed this card, combined with the 【Soul Contract】 skill, could produce miraculous effects.

The more faith he gained, the stronger his power became. He wondered if another condition for completing his divine identity was to gather enough faith?

Si Qi rubbed his chin, rarely feeling a different kind of interest, as if he had returned to the day he killed Liu Ajiu in the studio and was invited into the bizarre game, foreseeing a future full of unknown excitement.

Faith, filled with deception and self-pity, is the most interesting thing. Used properly, it can manipulate the hopes of crowds and bring forth near-death despair.

Jin Yusheng looked at Si Qi with a face full of sorrow, and whether intentionally or not, reverted to his usual address: “Old Qi, what exactly is going on? What are you trying to do? With our friendship, can’t we just talk it out? Why make such a fuss and become so distant…”

Si Qi did not correct the address, merely looked at Jin Yusheng with a half-smile, as if pondering how much sincerity lay behind his words.

Seeing that Si Qi had no intention of killing, Jin Yusheng quickly continued: “Old Qi, it’s not that I’m lecturing you, but you really don’t need to go this far. As the saying goes, ‘a forced melon isn’t sweet.’ Why drag them into this? If you want someone obedient, am I not enough? You and I are childhood friends, we know each other inside out…”

Seeing him rambling further off-topic, Si Qi sighed helplessly: “Guild Leader Yu, although given your importance, the Listening Wind Guild would likely be willing to negotiate with me, but isn’t it true that the more bargaining chips one has, the better?”

The moment he heard the words “Guild Leader Yu,” Jin Yusheng’s expression froze.

In the past, he would likely have remained stubborn until faced with undeniable proof, pretending not to understand and making up excuses. But now, with his soul in Si Qi’s hands, he wasn’t sure if that part of his memory had already been revealed to Si Qi.

Their encounter at the summer camp six years ago was an accident, and being carried out of the fire by Qi Si and becoming his close friend afterward was also genuine.

Until one night that year, he accidentally entered the bizarre game, cried and screamed his way through the first instance, and met Ning Xu, who belonged to the Bizarre Investigation Bureau.

Ning Xu told him: “Qi Si, whom you consider a friend, is the biggest anomaly released by the bizarre game into reality, harboring destructive malice towards the entire world, destined to bring death and disaster to everyone around him. Just like you were dragged into the bizarre game, it was merely because you are his friend.”

At that time, Jin Yusheng was already well acquainted with Qi Si. He had always been indecisive, without a strong sense of justice or clear moral compass, typically siding with friends over principles. Therefore, Qi Si had never hidden his antisocial thoughts and malicious methods from him.

The boy in the white shirt often sat on the windowsill, smiling as he watched him, enthusiastically recounting his plans to deal with his uncle’s family and middle school classmates, inviting him to lend a hand in a matter-of-fact tone, his face, pale as a ghost from malnutrition, glowing with the joy of planning a festive celebration.

Jin Yusheng naturally became an accomplice. Qi Si had saved his life, so helping him deal with some troubles was only right. But upon hearing Ning Xu’s words, he felt as if he had woken from a nightmare, belatedly developing a desire to retreat.

He had always been timid and cautious; doing petty cleanup work was already his limit. If the Public Security Bureau came looking for him, his first reaction would definitely not be to flee for his life, but to prostrate himself, write a confession, and beg for a lighter sentence.

Now, learning that Qi Si might destroy the entire world in the future, he found it unbelievable, yet he knew the responsibility was immense. Regardless of whether Ning Xu was exaggerating, he only wanted to jump off this pirate ship as soon as possible.

Ning Xu said: “I need you to atone for your sins by continuing to be Qi Si’s friend, staying by his side to observe his every move, and promptly stopping his dangerous actions.”

Jin Yusheng realized that he wouldn’t be able to get away anytime soon.

But he also didn’t intend to monitor Qi Si and transmit information constantly, as the Bizarre Investigation Bureau demanded.

Perhaps unwilling to betray a friend, or perhaps due to cowardice, not daring to get too deeply involved in trouble, he prepared to work half-heartedly from the beginning.

Later, he unexpectedly obtained the 【Forbidden Scholar】 identity card. Although it wasn’t bound, he used it to contact Xiao Fengchao, who was trapped in the Tower of Babel, and from then on, he gradually climbed to a high position, naturally no longer under Ning Xu’s coercion.

He already had the ability to leave, but for some reason, he didn’t want to.

Although many choices along the way were not of his own volition, being pushed into that position, learning of the future hanging over him like the Sword of Damocles, and hearing the earnest hopes of many players, he ultimately could not ignore it or remain indifferent.

Thus, as Yu Jinsheng, in his capacity as the interim guild leader of the Listening Wind Guild, he strategized and planned, collaborating with Fu Jue, and used the entire strength of the Listening Wind Guild to propel him into the position of savior.

He knew he wasn’t a brave person, but he was willing to pave the way for those brave individuals who took on greater responsibility. Of course, he also thought of Qi Si; if one day Qi Si and Fu Jue were to clash, he would try his best to mediate.

At the very least, he would warn Qi Si and prepare an escape route for him, even if he would be held accountable by the Bizarre Investigation Bureau afterward… After a long silence, Yu Jinsheng sighed and asked, “When did you know?”

He paused, then gave a bitter smile: “You might not believe it, but I never considered harming you. The only thing I did for the Bizarre Investigation Bureau was to remind you not to leave Jiangcheng before the end of the year.”

“Two months ago, when I first became an official player, I already had some suspicions about you.” After successfully controlling the souls of the four, Si Qi was in a good mood, thus showing more patience than usual. “The tendrils of the bizarre game reached out to me more than once, but for various reasons, they bypassed me and instead entangled the people around me. You walked so close to me, yet you didn’t become a player, which was inherently strange.

“Ever since I became suspicious, I’ve been observing you. Your interactions with Ning Xu and the Bizarre Investigation Bureau behind her, the existence of items in the bizarre game that can change one’s appearance, the sense of familiarity at the Guild Representative Assembly, our encounter in the final instance… there were too many clues. If I still couldn’t figure it out, I would be too slow-witted.”

The fates of Si Qi and Qi Si diverged after the ‘Grand Performance’ instance, while Jin Yusheng belonged to their shared memory, and in both timelines, he occupied a significant portion.

As a useful tool and a cheap friend, after six years of acquaintance, it was hard to say which of these two attributes held the upper hand.

Now, looking back, after the ‘Dialectic Game’ instance, when Qi reproduced his past twenty-two years of memories before him and spoke such ambiguous words, it was an insinuation.

Unfortunately, neither Qi Si nor Si Qi noticed it immediately.

Now, none of that mattered.

Si Qi flipped through Jin Yusheng’s memories, scene after scene of him playing both sides between the Kyushu Guild and himself, and the great fire from the summer camp when he was sixteen flashed before his eyes.

Why did he choose Jin Yusheng specifically? He could have chosen a smaller, more easily controlled child, who would also be lighter to carry.

Probably because on the first day, when he was bullied by the ‘little punk girl,’ Jin Yusheng, then a teenager, secretly slipped him a biscuit, muttering: “Why’d you have to provoke her? With that build, that face, all of us together couldn’t beat her… Just endure a few more days, and when I contact my dad, I’ll report this summer camp…”

Si Qi suddenly felt like laughing, so he bent over, holding his stomach, and burst into laughter, mocking himself from head to toe, still not feeling satisfied.

Indeed, friends, if kept too long, only become trouble. It’s better to use them and discard them, draining their value completely, so they die a fitting death, and then later, when reminiscing, feign a few tears—how simple.

Fortunately, everything has two sides. Because of Qi Si’s indulgence over the past six years, Yu Jinsheng’s attitude towards him was far from the vigilance a guild leader of a major guild should have towards a dangerous antisocial individual.

This way, he could lie low on the snowy mountain and, after descending, unexpectedly control these three hostages from the Listening Wind Guild, earning his first bargaining chip.