Chapter 504: Fraudster Teacher Tony
Chapter 504: Fraudster Teacher Tony
Iyaya’s tone carried unusual seriousness, devoid of her characteristic flippancy, signaling genuine concern about the matter.
Fang Cheng shelved his immediate plans to confront Benjamin Walker.
As Iyaya materialized, Fang Cheng questioned, “You witnessed my conversation with Doctor X. What’s your take?”
Though intensely curious about his mother’s origins, he’d found both Iyaya and Tsukimi Narumi persistently evasive on the subject.
Privately, Fang Cheng had considered extraterrestrial possibilities regarding his mother’s nature, though concrete evidence eluded him.
Doctor X’s theory wasn’t groundbreaking, but the supporting alien spaceship lent unexpected credibility.
Iyaya maintained her customary evasiveness, giggling dismissively, “An amusing speculation. Nearly convinced me.”
“You’re implying it’s entertaining fiction?”
“I made no such claim,” she deflected, “though if you choose to interpret it thus, that’s your affair.”
Your deliberate misdirection is obvious.
Iyaya’s denial only strengthened Fang Cheng’s belief in the theory. Her words always danced between truth and deception, often requiring inverted interpretation.
Shifting focus, he demanded, “I’ve located the Gates of Heaven and discovered my mother’s body. Now tell me how to mend Ye Yuqing’s soul tearing.”
“Acquire your mother’s body first,” Iyaya murmured, materializing behind him. Her arms snaked around his neck as she breathed into his ear, “My proxy neglects his divine obligations.”
Seriously? You treat me like living pleasure device?
Even with time-stopping powers at play, Fang Cheng felt no inclination for intimacy within enemy territory.
He shoved the goddess aside coldly. “I’ve lost interest in ancient crones. Tsukimi Narumi might prove more engaging.”
“Impossible,” Iyaya tittered, unoffended. “Adopting Tsukimi’s appearance for dalliances would earn me violent reprisal.”
“Then begone.”
“How heartless. Expect replacement when I find superior proxy.”
Genuine irritation now colored Iyaya’s voice.
Morphing into Isis’ visage, she startled Fang Cheng before overpowering him physically.
…
Two days evaporated swiftly.
Fang Cheng’s primary concern remained potential exposure of his Tony Kent impersonation to procure ten Divine medicine doses.
Fortune favored him – the base remained tranquil during Tony’s absence, with Doctor X engrossed in research. Ye Yuqing, abandoned outside, required minimal concern regarding short-term survival.
Their bald accomplice excelled in his new role, effectively managing 300 superpowered individuals. Several recruits now buzzed with cult-inspired ambitions of power and glory.
The sacrificial ceremony’s appointed hour arrived.
Seven hundred believers and three hundred superpowered individuals, led by the bald director, walked toward the massive hollow at the center of the underground floor.
Clones guarded both ends to prevent escape.
Though clever observers sensed something off about this escort method, the bald director kept suspicion at bay with desperate reassurances and promises.
“Enter! Receive divine blessings to become official believers. Fail today, try again tomorrow.”
He barked these lies at the hollow’s entrance, knowing none would live to demand accountability.
Trapped now, even skeptics could only shuffle into the gaping darkness.
Fang Cheng had hidden in the director’s shadow for days expecting to follow inside. Yet when the thousand filed in, the bald man turned away.
Forced to improvise, Fang Cheng slipped into a believer’s shadow as they entered the hollow.
The space dwarfed gladiatorial arenas. A five-meter altar rose from marble flooring, its single entrance now sealed behind them. Darkness fell.
Whispers of unease swelled to panicked murmurs among superpowered individuals, though believers stayed quiet. Then flames bloomed.
Light revealed dozens standing back-to-back atop the altar – the same Subject No.1 clones Fang Cheng had seen as corpses in the church days prior. Were they dead? Or faking like Benjamin Walker?
The clones abruptly knelt, exposing Walker crucified at center, a box before him. Their synchronized chants filled the hollow, pleading for divine manifestation.
When the first clone ripped out its heart, gasps tore through the crowd. More followed – second, third, fourth – their blood tracing writhing tendril patterns across the altar.
Believers now chanted alongside clones. Superpowered individuals wavered, some stifling whimpers for mothers.
Fang Cheng’s stomach turned. Iyaya stayed silent. When would Walker’s moment of vulnerability come?
In the blink of an eye, all clones had committed suicide, dyeing the entire altar crimson like a slaughterhouse.
Yet the hymn continued growing louder and more intense.
Seven hundred devout believers chanted in deafening unison, their combined voices overwhelming.
On the altar, Walker slowly raised his bowed head to gaze upward.
Fang Cheng looked up too, seeing only darkness where two days prior he’d observed nothing but polished rock walls during his investigation.
Then a pinpoint of light emerged in the black void, like a lone star at night.
More stars rapidly multiplied until they carpeted the entire dome.
Not just Fang Cheng – growing numbers of people noticed the celestial phenomenon above, struck dumb by this imitation of endless starry sky.
“It arrives!”
Iyaya’s voice suddenly resonated in Fang Cheng’s mind, now bearing unprecedented gravity.
No explanation was needed – Fang Cheng already saw the approaching presence.
People around him began screaming hysterically.
……
Tony Kent had just resolved surprise inspections by North American government agents at his companies.
He recognized this as a warning.
In North America, most secrets were open secrets – an unspoken agreement among power players.
Using religious groups for money laundering mirrored charity fund tax evasion schemes – everyone knew, nobody spoke.
Tony crossed the line, hence the warning.
But with clean legal records, arrest wasn’t imminent.
As Tony pondered which Hollywood actress to dine with that evening, his phone rang.
Seconds later, his roar shook the office walls:
“Stolen? Ten Divine medicine doses? Who dared? I’ll end them!”
Accountability calls from business partners soon followed.
Tony froze in confusion.
Himself? The perpetrator?
The base’s fraud scheme unraveled when a backer called Dr. X requesting Divine medicine allocation.
Exposed as the scam’s architect, Teacher Tony became collective target for furious investors.
That same day, Tony raced back to base at maximum speed, storming into the research institute to confront Dr. X.
Instead, Dr. X greeted him with complaints: “You promised to mediate with Benjamin Walker two days ago!”
Now Tony understood – someone had impersonated him.
But this was supposed to be…
This base has security far tighter than the White House. It’s downright ridiculous someone managed to commit fraud here and steal crucial items.
Tony reviewed the surveillance footage, forced to admit the impostor’s mimicking was flawless – even he couldn’t tell if that was himself.
But this happened two days ago. The culprit should’ve escaped long ago.
Security brought good news: besides the bald guy, nobody had entered or exited recently, and a guard went missing two days back.
The scammer might still be hiding here.
Of course, whoever sneaked in could’ve left the same way.
Mention of the bald man reminded Tony of something chilling.
These past two days, he’d been handling North American government surveillance while tracking the Blood Emperor’s movements.
After being tricked by Gates of Heaven, such a prideful figure wouldn’t swallow that insult.
He might act recklessly, maybe clash with the government – now that would be interesting.
Instead of finding the Blood Emperor, Tony discovered moles sent by FBI.CAI to the safety agency had resurfaced.
They’d been starved underground for two days, while the Blood Emperor vanished.
Tony had mocked the Blood Emperor’s pettiness in taking revenge on a minor character.
But now…
The bald man returned two days ago. Fang Cheng disappeared two days ago.
After the bald man’s return, a mysterious scammer appeared.
A terrifying guess struck Tony, nearly stopping his heart – Fang Cheng had followed the bald man into the base!
Only this explained the scammer’s presence.
“Sir?”
The security minister asked, “Should we lockdown and hunt the enemy?”
“Maybe… No!”
Tony rejected the idea, head pounding.
Not catching Fang Cheng meant losing ten Divine medicines, plus unknown sabotage.
Catching him meant unavoidable destruction. Tony knew Fang Cheng’s terror – this monster could demolish the entire base.
This base held years of effort from backers including Tony himself.
After thinking, Tony ordered: “Keep silent. Search secretly. If found, don’t alert them. Wait for me.”
The security minister left. Tony stood frozen, face cold enough to repel others.
He’d thought to trick Fang Cheng with the invitation letter, but got outplayed instead.
“Was about to find you, yet you came knocking,”
Tony growled through gritted teeth, shame and anger rising.
That damned baldy brought in this threat – had he turned traitor?
After long hesitation, Tony finally took out his phone to call reinforcements.
…
Thick tentacles hung in the starry sky like roots.
Eyes covered these tentacles, dark pupils cautiously observing the world.
The starry sky resembled a black hole, some horrific creature crawling through.
Fang Cheng stared in shock.
Was the evil god’s true form arriving?
Faint whispers filled his ears – someone murmuring nearby, distant screams.
This felt exactly like when Iyaya corrupted him during Word Spirit Technique use.
Malicious coldness invaded his soul, blocked by Iyaya’s shelter.
The 300 superpowered individuals weren’t so lucky. They screamed, clutching heads.
Devout believers kept singing, then started suicide.
Madness drove them to dig into chests, tearing out hearts as offerings.
“Can’t we take action yet?”
Fang Cheng mentally asked Iyaya. No response.
On the altar, Walker freed himself from the cross, crouched to open a box.