Infinite spooky game

Chapter 437 The Gods (Nine) Coercion

Tsering Dondrup had never imagined that he would one day encounter such a bizarre situation. Despite being filled with fear and indignation, and wanting to grab the dagger behind the counter to stab the ill-intentioned young man, he could not turn his thoughts into actions, and could not even move a single finger.

Paranormal events, unknown technology, or some kind of divine intervention?

The inhabitants of Tibet are born close to nature and far from cities. Countless phenomena that are difficult to explain by science occur to them, making them naturally more devout than others in believing in animism and the existence of gods.

Tsering Dondrup thought that after seeing the four guests spending lavishly and having no one to rely on, he did have a moment of greed, thinking of quoting a higher price to make more money. Could it be that this sinful thought had brought about divine punishment?
"From this moment on, believe in me as you would believe in a god." The young man's declaration was solemn and unquestionable, which made Tsering Dondrup even more convinced of the fleeting guess.

He knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, praying that he would not be rejected by the gods because of his momentary sin.

At this moment, Siqi 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, enabling him, as a newcomer, to bring the specially made bracelet into the instance.

He then gradually approached the position of the gods, collecting authority and gathering divine power, but he was always missing the last piece of the puzzle.

The rules were vague, saying he was incomplete. He thought he could fill in the gaps in the final copy, but in the end he got nothing.

Even the blood remains red, possessing only some of the effects of divine blood, but unlike the true blood of a god, it does not shimmer with the molten gold or golden-red hue.

Siqi's use of the soul contract to control these people was certainly not out of any intention to punish evil and promote good. If he knew that Tsering Dondrup had such a misunderstanding, he would probably feel nauseous and vomit.

Mediocre people have such limited imaginations about evil that they think having a little greed and extorting more money is a huge deal.

In Siqi's view, as long as he had the ability, even if he chopped them up under the cover of night and made them into human flesh buns, he could still praise them with a "not bad skill".

Just like now, Siqi realized that he needed a place to stay, and Tsering Dondrup's inn was a good fit; he also needed some hostages, and the people from the Listening Wind Guild were just as suitable; he could design a feasible plan based on the information he had, and after achieving all his goals, he could also test the effect of the [Crimson Priest] identity card, so why not?

Even without the [Soul Contract], he intended to do the same, though the process would be more complicated. After all, the benefits were considerable, and the risks were not unbearable.

[Identity Card: Crimson High Priest]

[Effect: You will find it easier to gain the faith of other beings and transform that faith into your own power]

Although Siqi found the description of the effect rather abstract, he still happily issued the order requiring the four "tools" to believe in him.

The moment the command was given, four scarlet rays converged on him, carrying a gentle warmth as they entered his body.

The fatigue of the past few days vanished, and the scars on his body faded considerably. His faith had indeed been transformed into his own power, directly affecting his physical body, which he had always considered a weakness.

"So that's how it's used..." Siqi laughed, a very happy laugh.

He previously thought that the Crimson High Priest was not as good for setting up as the Fool Trickster card, but now it seems that this card can be surprisingly effective when paired with the Soul Contract skill.

The more faith he gains, the stronger he becomes. I wonder if another condition for fulfilling his divine status is to collect enough faith?
Siqi stroked his chin, a rare sense of amusement washing over him, as if he were back in the studio when he killed Liu Ajiu and was invited into the bizarre game, a day when he could foresee a future full of unknown wonders.

Faith, filled with deception and self-pity, is the most interesting thing. When used properly, it can manipulate the hopes of the masses, or it can bring down the despair of the dying.

Jin Yusheng looked at Si Qi with a troubled expression, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, he reverted to his usual form of address: "Old Qi, what's going on? What are you trying to do? With our relationship, can't we just talk things out? This is so formal..."

Siqi did not correct the issue of address, but looked at Jin Yusheng with a half-smile, as if pondering how much affection was behind his words.

Seeing that Si Qi had no intention of killing anyone, Jin Yusheng continued speaking rapidly: "Old Qi, not to be rude, but you really didn't need to do this. As the saying goes, 'a forced melon is not sweet,' why did you have to drag them into this? If you wanted someone obedient, couldn't I be one? You and I are childhood sweethearts, we know each other inside and out..."

Seeing that he was getting more and more out of control, Si Qi sighed helplessly: "President Yu, although with your importance, the Tingfeng Guild should be willing to sit down and negotiate with me, but when it comes to bargaining chips, the more the better, isn't it?"

Upon hearing the words "Chairman Yu," Jin Yusheng's expression froze on his face.

In the past, he would most likely have remained silent until he was faced with a fatal mistake, pretending not to understand and spouting nonsense. But now, with his soul in Siqi's hands, he was unsure whether Siqi had already learned of that part of his memory.

Their meeting at summer camp six years ago was an accident. Later, Qi Si carried her out of the fire, and their friendship was genuine.

Until one night that year, he accidentally entered a bizarre game, cried and screamed as he passed the first dungeon, and met Ning Xu, who belonged to the Bureau of Bizarre Investigation.

Ning Xu said to him, "Qis, whom you regard as a friend, is the biggest anomaly that the eerie game has cast into reality. He harbors destructive malice towards the entire world and is destined to bring death and disaster to everyone around him. Just like you were pulled into the eerie game, it was only because you are his friend."

By then, Jin Yusheng had become acquainted with Qi Si. He had always been a man of little opinion, lacking a strong sense of justice and a clear moral compass, typically siding with family rather than reason. Therefore, Qi Si never concealed his antisocial thoughts and despicable 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 his high school classmates, inviting him to lend a hand in a matter-of-fact tone, his pale, ghostly face, smothered by malnutrition, radiating the joy of planning a festive celebration.

Jin Yusheng naturally became an accomplice; Qi Si had saved his life, so it was only right that he help deal with some trouble. But after hearing Ning Xu's words, he was like someone waking up from a nightmare, and belatedly realized that he wanted to back down.

He was always cautious and timid, and doing the cleanup work for petty thefts was the limit of his ability. If the police came to him, his first reaction would never be to flee for his life, but to kneel down and write a self-criticism to beg for a lighter sentence.

Now that he has learned that Qi Si may destroy the entire world in the future, he is incredulous but also aware of the great responsibility he bears. Regardless of whether Ning Xu is exaggerating, he just wants 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 keep an eye on his every move and stopping his dangerous behavior in time."

Jin Yusheng realized that he wouldn't be able to get away from this situation anytime soon.

However, he did not intend to monitor Qis and transmit intelligence at all times as required by the Bureau of Mystery Investigations.

Perhaps it was because he was unwilling to betray his friends, or perhaps it was because he was cowardly and dared not get too deeply involved in the matter; in any case, he was prepared to slack off from the very beginning.

Later, he unexpectedly obtained the [Forbidden Scholar] identity token. Although it was not bound to him, he used it to contact Xiao Fengchao, who was trapped in the Tower of Babylon. From then on, he gradually rose to a high position and was no longer coerced by Ning Xu.

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

Although many of the choices he made along the way were not of his own volition, being placed in that position, knowing that the future hung like the Sword of Damocles over the end, and hearing the earnest expectations of so many players, he could not remain indifferent or unmoved.

Therefore, as Yu Jinsheng, he plotted and schemed in his capacity as the temporary president of the Tingfeng Guild, and cooperated with Fu Jue, using the full power of the Tingfeng Guild to push him to the position of savior.

He knew he wasn't a brave man, but he was willing to pave the way for those brave enough to take on greater responsibilities. Of course, he also thought of Qi Si; if one day Qi Si and Fu Jue really became enemies, he would try his best to mediate.

At the very least, they had to tip off Qi Si and prepare a way to escape, even if it meant facing repercussions from the Bureau of Mysterious Investigations afterward...

After a long silence, Yu Jinsheng sighed and asked, "When did you find out?"

He paused, then smiled wryly, "You may not believe it, but I never considered doing anything to harm you. The only thing I did for the Bureau of Mysterious Investigations was to remind you not to leave Jiangcheng before the end of the year."

"Two months ago, when I first became a formal player, I already had some doubts about you." After successfully taking control of the four people's souls, Siqi was in a good mood and therefore had more patience than usual. "The tentacles of the bizarre game have reached out to me more than once, but for various reasons, they have bypassed me and instead wrapped around the people around me. It is very strange that you and I are so close, yet you have not become a player."

“Ever since I became suspicious, I’ve been observing you. Your interactions with Ning Xu and even the bizarre Investigation Bureau behind her, the existence of items in the bizarre game that can change appearance, the familiarity at the guild representative conference, the encounter in the final dungeon… there are too many clues. If I still can’t see them, I’d be too slow-witted.”

The fates of Siqi and Qisi diverged after the "Grand Performance" instance, while Jin Yusheng belongs to their shared memories and occupies a significant portion of the story in both timelines.

As a useful tool and a cheap friend, after six years of getting along, it's hard to say which of these two attributes prevails.

Looking back now, the scene in the "Dialectical Game" dungeon where Qi relived his memories of the past twenty-two years and said those seemingly plausible but ultimately ambiguous things was a kind of hint.

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

Now, none of that matters anymore.

Si Qi flipped through Jin Yusheng's memories of how he navigated the Kyushu Guild and his own relationships, and the image of the great fire at the summer camp when he was sixteen flashed before his eyes.

Why choose Jin Yusheng in particular? They could have chosen a smaller, easier-to-control child, who would have been easier to carry.

It was probably because on the first day when he was bullied by the delinquent girl, Jin Yusheng, who was still a teenager at the time, secretly slipped him a cookie, muttering, "Why did you provoke her? With that figure and that look, we combined couldn't beat her... Just bear with it for a few more days, and once I contact my dad, I'll report this summer camp..."

Siqi suddenly felt like laughing, so he bent over and burst into laughter, mocking himself from beginning to end, and still felt relieved.

Sure enough, friends only become a nuisance if you keep them for too long. It's better to use them and then throw them away, squeezing out all their value so they die a worthy death. Later, when you look back, you can pretend to shed a few tears. How simple is that?

Fortunately, everything has two sides. Because of Qi Si's leniency over the past six years, Yu Jinsheng's attitude towards him is far from the vigilance that a guild leader should have towards a dangerous antisocial element.

In this way, he could remain silent on the snowy mountain, and then take advantage of the situation to subdue the three hostages of the Listening Wind Guild after descending the mountain, thus gaining his first bargaining chip.

(End of this chapter)