Chapter 2766: Show of Hands

An unnerving silence loomed.

Moments later, Firework’s voice called out, “What are you saying, big brother Zu? How can I be that demoness?”

Zu An sighed. “You don’t need to hide it anymore. I only regret not realizing it earlier.”

A light distortion manifested not far away from where Zu An was, and Firework emerged from there. She was as beautiful as ever, but she showed none of her usual cutesy demeanor. She felt cold and lofty, as if she had become someone else.

“When did you see through me?” ‘Firework’ asked coldly.

The air grew viscous. A familiar pressure bore down on Zu An, trampling on his final sliver of hope. “I wouldn't have expected someone of your stature to lie low for so long. You’re a devoted actor.”

Zu An was impressed by how this major boss had the patience to play a sweet character and address him as big brother Zu. He'd thought he was a good actor, but he was nothing compared to 'Firework'.

“Is it the Eye of Truth? No, that can’t be. I'm holding onto a universal deity-level artifact. Your Eye of Truth shouldn’t be able to see through me.” ‘Firework’ frowned as she wondered where she had given herself away.

Zu An hadn’t obtained the Eye of Truth when they first met, so he couldn’t have figured her out then. It was later that the Deity of Memory Meng had paid Zu An a visit. Other guests might not have known what was going on, but she was strong enough to sense something amiss.

That was especially so when Zu An looked at Yani after returning. She knew right away that Zu An had figured out Yani’s identity, but she hadn’t panicked. She'd decided to play along and let Zu An think that he had it all figured out.

Later, when she reunited with him as Firework, she'd made sure to carry the universal deity-level artifact along. Only such an artifact could deal with a universal deity’s ability. Just as she had expected, Zu An failed to notice the anomaly.

Everything should have gone according to plan. Where did I go wrong?

“I was already skeptical when you approached me on the spaceship,” Zu An said. There was no glee on his face despite his having figured out the mystery.

“You suspected me over that? Isn’t it normal for a young lady to be attracted to a dashing guy, not to mention a capable one?” ‘Firework’ was perplexed. “You’re obviously someone who often attracts the attention of the opposite sex, so why would you single me out?”

“Because you’re too mysterious.” Zu An sighed. “Someone with your looks and strength is bound to have no lack of suitors. I saw no reason for you to be drawn to me. Initially, I thought you coveted my Wonderpoint World, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the case.”

“Wonderpoint Worlds might be an invaluable treasure to others, but that means nothing to me,” ‘Firework’ replied proudly. “But I should have given you an apt reason afterward—I was seeking help to save my father. Did that pique your suspicion?”

“Indeed. Your actions were peculiar. You showed no interest in Dreamland and were instead more eager to drag me to the beach, after which you then feigned anger, dove into the ocean alone, and ended up being captured by a sea monster.”

“That’s all? But that fits within ‘Firework’s’ eccentric persona. I don’t see anything amiss with that.” ‘Firework’ remained confused.

Zu An eyed ‘Firework’. “You seem to enjoy acting.”

“Of course.” ‘Firework’s’ eyes gleamed. “While my clones can impersonate others, they can’t fool close kin and friends if there are discrepancies in their personality, speech, and gestures. That would be my greatest failure!”

“That worked against you. Do you remember asking me, as Yani, how much I knew about Firework? You mentioned that it was suspicious how she was captured near the hotel’s beach.” Zu An chuckled. “Yes, you were merely playing each character according to their personality and circumstances. But your words were so convincing that, for the first time, I began pondering my relationship with Firework.”

‘Firework’ looked stifled. “I didn’t expect my thoroughness to work against me. But did you suspect me just because an outsider said a couple of words? I didn’t think you trusted me so little.”

“There’s more to it, of course. Later, when we reunited in this forbidden land, you revealed that your main body was capable of creating many clones and had replaced everyone in Dreamland.” Zu An briefly paused as his expression turned grim. “It was then I wondered that, if everyone in Dreamland had been replaced, was there a chance you were a fake, too?

“But your story about studying abroad was reasonable, and your motive of wanting to rescue your father made sense. I didn’t see anything amiss through my Eye of Truth either, so I didn’t think too much of it.” Zu An looked frustrated at his carelessness.

“So what made you suspect me?” ‘Firework’ remained confused.

“I couldn’t figure out why the demon spider refused to kill your father and instead chose to imprison him here,” Zu An said. “If the demon spider could replace everyone in Dreamland without anyone in the Myriad Worlds noticing, it should have been able to figure out the secrets this place held, too. I didn’t think Dreamland’s master could have overcome its methods.”

“There could have been a restriction on his memories, preventing me from taking forceful measures.” ‘Firework’ wasn’t satisfied with Zu An’s explanation. She didn’t think there were any discrepancies here.

“I didn’t discard that possibility, but the demon spider had proven itself to be a highly resourceful being. Since it had already impersonated everyone in Dreamland, surely it could impersonate Firework or someone close to Dreamland’s master to extract his secrets? It seemed inefficient to just imprison him here without doing anything.”

At this point, Zu An added with a harrumph, “I’m guessing Dreamland’s master is one of your clones, too.”

“You’re a smart one, but you still haven’t revealed the real reason you suspected me.” ‘Firework’ sneered. Her appearance began to change swiftly, switching between the weakened Dreamland’s master, the valiant Yani, and the seductive Diodora. “You were beating around the bush, refusing to get to the point. You were planning to use the Eight Barren Netherworld Suppression Formation against me, right?”