Chapter 134: So Complicated, the Human Heart. (A Lot of Di Hua)

Chapter 134: So Complex, the Human Heart (Massive Overthinking)

Chu Fu walked through the streets again, the crimson high heels following him at a precise distance like loyal guards, leaving behind a trail of disturbing bloody footprints wherever they passed.

Just as with the previous copies he had dealt with, Chu Fu gave the consumed ones a chance at rebirth and reclaiming their destinies—but...

This copy was in a more unique condition.

It genuinely seemed to believe it was human, clumsily imitating until it even grew a rudimentary human heart—though its shape was as rough as a statue fresh out of its mold, it undeniably existed.

For a few brief moments, Chu Fu faintly saw a shadow of himself in it.

—Could something not human truly grow a complete, beating heart?

This was also a question Yi Fengchu had long contemplated.

This heart didn't need to be large—a fist-sized one would suffice;

It didn't need to be as hard as forged steel, made of flesh and blood was enough;

It could be weak, but it had to beat, had to gauge the distance between itself and others;

When touched by another, it might shed tears of joy or blood from being hurt...

So small, yet so complex—the human heart.

Out of curiosity to observe the outcome, Chu Fu also granted this copy the chance to continue existing.

After giving birth to the real player with its own flesh and blood, the copy would dissolve into shadow, existing as the player’s loyal shadow.

If the player and the copy got along well, they might, through a long *moheqi* (period of adjustment), become each other’s support—the closest partners.

Of course, if they didn’t get along, then when they exited the scenario, the amusement park would have endless ways to split the person from their shadow... or even kill the shadow.

He would leave their fate to time.

Chu Fu thought casually.

While Chu Fu randomly came across and harassed urban legends, his terrifying reputation spreading through their world, the livestream viewers whispered among themselves, discussing his every move.

Of course, they didn’t dare to post comments—all communication was relayed through jellyfish viewers as middlemen, using a special electromagnetic frequency to exchange information.

「I’ve noticed he seems so normal around humans, yet so abnormal...」

「Right! Wasn't he originally of the peacock tribe from a minor world? In the past, he only ever provided shelter and help to his own kind, didn't he?」

「Logically, shouldn’t he see humans like humans see other species—with little thought or empathy?」

These divine beings were truly baffled.

Among different species, no matter how harmonious their relations, understanding and connection could never match that between members of the same race—an unbridgeable gap would always remain.

Looking broadly, across the nine dimensions and countless races...

Even setting aside radically different cultures and beliefs, even a deity's followers couldn’t fully understand one another.

And divine beings saw regular intelligent beings no differently than humans would view a mayfly. It wasn’t so much cruelty as indifference—the gap between them was as vast as that between intelligent life and microorganisms.

One divine being lamented:

「Don’t tell me the "Tyrant" has genuinely softened—but only toward humans while remaining cruel to us, wuuuu.」

「I refuse to accept this!」

「No no no, even if he one day changed sexes, he’d never change his nature. There must be another reason.」

「Wait, he shows a certain favoritism toward humans... Wasn’t Lord Fate originally human?」

「Ah, so Fate was once human? Shocking!」

「Shocking +1. Because He’s so terrifying, I never would’ve guessed! I always assumed He was born as some kind of world-devouring serpent or something ()」

「That makes sense. The prophet is yielding to Lord Fate, catering to his superior’s preference for protecting humans.」

「Very plausible.」

「But I also think it might not be that simple.

First, the prophet likely hasn’t truly joined the Fate Church—there are no chapters about him in the public scriptures;

Second, given the prophet’s personality, he doesn’t seem the type to deliberately cater to anyone. Even when he most desperately wanted to save his people from peril, he never begged any god for help.」

「*Ahem*, did none of you notice the look in white peacock’s eyes when handling this copy... that gaze of compassionate yet detached, calm observation?」

「I think he’s using this method to observe specific doubts in his own heart.」

「Damn, it just hit me... Could his repeated, surprisingly gentle actions of helping humans be his way of experiencing what it felt like when Lord Fate—once human—let him live and even helped him?」

「Huh? What do you mean? I don’t get it.」

「I mean, Lord Fate sparing his enemy was an act of "mercy" we couldn’t comprehend.」

「We didn’t understand it, and white peacock likely didn’t either. Only fellow humans could possibly grasp His reasoning.」

「"Why did He spare me? What was He thinking?" Perhaps haunted by such questions, white peacock repeatedly places himself in similar, role-reversed scenarios—playing the part of the stronger forgiving the weaker, the victor showing mercy to the defeated—trying to understand Lord Fate’s viewpoint at that moment, attempting to solve the puzzle in his mind.」

「...So weird, so convoluted. My brain’s overheating.」

「It’s no surprise the prophet has complex feelings about Fate. If my nemesis spared me after a duel, I’d be conflicted too.」

「The regret of near-victory, the shame, confusion, and gratitude of living by an enemy’s mercy... The prophet may seem calm, but the emotions churning inside him could probably brew a whole pot of soup.」

「This must be what humans call "a whirlwind of emotions"!」

「If circumstances allowed, the prophet might’ve dragged Fate out of bed at midnight to demand: What were you thinking when you let me go?」

「Fate also did not sleep (lol)」

「After rereading the earlier analysis, I kinda get it now—so he’s role-playing and immersing himself... Wait, why are you all laughing? Wouldn’t it be better to hope he actually grows kinder and spares us sooner?」

「You’ve spotted the key point, but none of us ever held illusions about the prophet’s mercy anyway. We’ll settle for whole bodies.」

「Speaking of which, isn’t it odd for a bunch of divine beings to be discussing human nature like this?」

「It’s fine, we’ve got a divine being who’s an expert in human nature among us~」

「When’s the essay-writing expert publishing a book? Your analysis lost me, but if you wrote nemesis literature, I’d buy ten copies.」

Just then, another viewer offered a different perspective:

"…Heh, you all are quite naive, like those young and inexperienced divine beings."

"Then how old are you? You reek of that 'old-age condescension' the moment you open your mouth."

"So what do you mean?"

"Have you ever considered that the white peacock's changes might not be entirely due to her own will?"

"We all know that intelligent life first borrowed the power of the gods through 'idols'—as long as the resemblance was close enough, a connection could be formed, allowing the will and power of the divine to manifest."

"Think about it—Lord Fate is suspected to have human origins, granting him a natural inclination to protect humans. Now, the white peacock is unconsciously developing the same tendency—isn’t this just divine mental interference and corruption from above?"

"He’s becoming more and more like Him! Unconsciously absorbing His subconscious, preferences, and personality!"

"That actually makes sense. It reminds me of my mother… She was once the strongest leader of our kind, later granted the honor of becoming a vessel for the Mother Goddess, merging with Her…"

"And then?"

"Then, I never saw my original mother again. Even when the Mother Goddess wasn’t inhabiting her, her words and actions gradually became unfamiliar and terrifying, making me too afraid to see her."

"That one who kept asking 'and then?'—your lack of insight is truly remarkable."

"LOL, this is hilarious to watch. Some beings won’t chew unless every piece of info is spoon-fed to them. Truly shocking."

"After hearing all this, the vessel theory seems the most plausible."

"Damn, that's terrifying… What if one day, Lord Fate truly descends into the prophet’s body?"

"Then we’re even more doomed. Before, we at least had hope for intact corpses. If Fate comes, we’ll be lucky to survive at all."

"Wuwu, please, great and merciful Goddess of Creation, save your children—"

"Divine matters are beyond our comprehension. No matter how much we speculate, we’re just seeing glimpses. Might as well pray."

"Prayer +1"

"Prayer +2"

"Praying here won’t help anyway. Let’s just praise Fate—that’s guaranteed."

"Praise Lord Fate, please keep me safe so I can leave unharmed, wuwu!"

Chu Fu listened to all their speculations and theories, finding them within acceptable bounds. Many details he couldn’t be bothered to perform, but a good audience would fill in the gaps themselves, rationalizing everything.

But as the discussion grew increasingly off-track, Chu Fu finally interrupted, "Ahem, have you all forgotten my existence?"

The viewing room fell dead silent, then erupted with fawning comments:

"No, no, of course not!"

"Right, right, we were just marveling at your and Fate’s benevolence!"

One viewer tried to divert the topic: "Your wisdom is fathomless. So, what’s next?"

Chu Fu replied amiably, "I’d love to head to the 'Endless Library' now to find that fugitive—but alas, Elius likely won’t agree to meet me. Arriving prematurely would only tip her off."

"No choice, then. I’ll have the players lower her guard first and keep her occupied."

Chu Fu shrugged. "For now, I’ll just eliminate the 'children' outside who’ve answered her call and are trying to enter the school to help her. Can’t have the challenge become too great for the players."

The audience continued to flatter: "Your planning is truly godlike, worthy of awe!"

Before they could relax, Chu Fu flashed a smile—one that feigned warmth but sent chills down their spines:

"Now that I’ve patiently answered your questions, shouldn’t you offer proper payment?"

Silence.

No wonder he’d been playing nice earlier, even kindly addressing their queries… Turns out, every favor comes with a price!

He’d been waiting to fleece them all along!

And so, on this utterly ordinary morning, these divine beings reluctantly parted with years of accumulated points, showering the livestream with donations as if money meant nothing.

Some of the poorer divine beings were nearly bankrupted, but they weepingly claimed they were "voluntarily" donating to the streamer.

The final blow came from the system’s sudden notification:

"Your livestream has received a record-breaking flood of donations—your audience must really love you!"

"Congratulations on unlocking the hidden achievement 'High-Profile Streamer.' Your very existence makes your viewers’ hearts pound!"

The divine beings seethed in silent fury.

Of course their hearts were pounding—when your life is in the streamer’s hands, who wouldn’t be terrified, huh?