487 Stick it in forcefully! (1/2)
”Shi Xiaobai, up till now, why are you still making up such a shoddy lie? A straightforward person does not resort to insinuations. Since I have taken the initiative to show my hand, it is time for this game of chess to come to an end.”
After the Infernal Queen wiped away her faked coquettish smile and dropped the endearing 'Darling', her eyes turned sharp and cold.
”Shoddy lie? This King does not understand you, not to mention the game of chess you are talking about.” Shi Xiaobai had a puzzled expression as a surprised glint flashed in his eyes.
The Infernal Queen suffused a cold smile and said, ”That matter can deceive those bunch of fools but can it be kept from me?”
”Which matter?” Shi Xiaobai wrinkled his eyebrows.
”Heh heh, it looks like you plan on playing the fool till the very end.”
The Infernal Queen's eyes flashed a look of disappointment. She had appreciated Shi Xiaobai's intelligence during their chess games and his unwavering principle and mindfulness of not being seduced by her beauty. However, Kali's submissive love that did not match her stature and the 'matter' that happened not long ago made her understand what it meant to be a 'hypocrite'.
”Fine. Since you insist on not talking about it by playing the fool, I'll make it such that you have nothing to say.”
The Infernal Queen's eyes were ice-cold as she said with a sneer, ”Do you remember that not a long time ago, you had inquired about the Infernal King's Mandate?”
Shi Xiaobai frowned slightly and nodded.
He had indeed asked the Infernal Queen about the Infernal King's Mandate. Hence, he knew about the vendetta between the first generation Infernal King and Celestial King. He had also gleaned the information that the Infernal King's Mandate was to kill the reigning Celestial King.
The Infernal Queen's sneer intensified as she continued, ”You are very smart. After using two opportunities, you had already guessed that I was the assessment program. You knew that although I was targeting you, I still had to obey the rules of being a 'program'.”
”I can designate you as the Infernal King, making you lack the identity of a Braveheart so that you are unable to clear the level by 'becoming champion at the Braveheart Martial Arts Tournament'. However, I have no way of completely severing the path to you 'gaining the program's recognition'.”
”Those trial-takers that were designated Bravehearts matched their identities by either becoming the champion at the Braveheart Martial Arts Tournament or killing the Infernal King. Therefore, you logically guessed that for a trial-taker with the identity of Infernal King to obtain the 'program's recognition', it is...to complete the Infernal King's Mandate. Hence, you had asked about it.”
Shi Xiaobai's expression changed slightly as an alarming glint flashed in his eyes. However, it was quickly mollified as he shook his head and said, ”You are overthinking it. This King isn't that smart.”
”No, you were much smarter than I imagined.”
The Infernal Queen said with a sneer, ”You knew that I was targeting you, but you continued asking me because you were confident that you could infer the correct answer from a wrong answer. And with me being able to easily think of that, I would give you an answer that would seem exceedingly close to the true answer to confuse you.”
”When you played chess, you would often think ten steps, twenty steps, or even further ahead of time. It was the same this time. You had guessed from the beginning that I will give you an answer filled with half-truths.”
Shi Xiaobai could not help but laugh as he said, ”Sorry, but you are really over thinking it.”
The Infernal Queen sneered and continued her monolog, ”My answer was filled with half-truths. In the history of the Transcendent world, this generation's Infernal King had nearly united the three domains. Finally, he was killed by the joint efforts of the Celestial King and the Hexstar Bravehearts.”
”Therefore, for a trial-taker with the identity as Infernal King to gain the 'program's recognition', the Celestial King has to be killed to complete the Infernal King's Mandate or the Hexstar Bravehearts have to be killed. The lives of the six leading figures of the Age of Bravehearts would be ended ahead of time.”
”Regardless of which one is killed, it will prevent the joint forces of the Celestial King and the Bravehearts. It would then change the ultimate destiny of the Infernal King. Although I concealed the latter, I had informed you of the former because I had considered an additional step.”
When Shi Xiaobai heard those words, his expression changed and he began frowning. He recalled that in Transcendence, Pulp Farmer and company were received as the 'Hexstar Bravehearts'. That identity had been deliberately designed.
Shi Xiaobai said with a wry smile, ”Aren't you going overboard with your targeting? You designated This King as the Infernal King, designated Speechless Li as the Celestial King, and the rest as the Hexstar Bravehearts. You made it so, such that This King has to kill Speechless or the other six in order to gain the 'program's recognition'. What difference does this have from completely severing This King's ability to clear the level?”
”I originally thought that doing so would completely cut you off from clearing the level.”
A mocking smile suffused across the Infernal Queen's lips as her gaze turned slightly cold. She said, ”But I never expected that you would guess that the answer I gave was real and had ruthlessly completed that matter.”
Shi Xiaobai frowned. ”What do you mean?”
”With things this clear, is there a need to feign stupidity?” Since you are forcing me to expose it, I will not beat around the bush any further.”
The corner of the Infernal Queen's mouth suddenly turned odd as she said, ”Shi Xiaobai, three days ago, you feigned unconsciousness and took the opportunity to kill the Celestial King, completing the Infernal King's Mandate. What a great strategy and scheme!”
Shi Xiaobai's pupils constricted slightly as his expression turned austere. ”That joke is getting overboard.”