“...... There's no need for any other nonsense, I just want to hear you say yes or no?" Muhadi asked, standing on the towering steel walls. From his vantage point, he overlooked a large part of the city, a jumble of metal buildings huddled in the shadow of the massive walls, but with a strange sense of harmony. The blazing wind was blowing all the time, and the air was unusually dry, but fortunately it didn't seem to affect breathing.

When climbing high and looking into the distance, many people are prone to emotion, or poetry. And the mindmancer just thought that the city of the devils actually needed walls, which in itself said a lot. On Earth, the cities of the early Spartans were unwalled because no one dared to attack Sparta. This is the second layer of Bato, and the Tanari demons and the priests of the upper plane are generally unable to defeat them, and the only ones who can defend themselves are other devil lords.

The man who was questioned by the Psychic was none other than the famous scholar and orator among the devils, the lawyer and conspirator who had a rare opponent, who was hung on the city walls.

As a devil's duke, Bugne was tall, bald, with eyes like flames, and his bare skin was dark red and exuding heat. If he hadn't been hung up, a normal human would probably only be up to his waist.

Now, although Duke Eloquence needs to look up to see the Psychic Warlock, his momentum has never been lowered. "No," he shouted categorically, trembling.

Muhati couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a reply he hadn't expected. "Perhaps you would prefer to stay on it, the view is good, I shall say," he told the Eloquent Duke of Bugne. "But here, can you find a chance to take revenge on Phocas?"

"Do you really get permission from the Grand Duke of Disparte to release me?" the Duke of Eloquence asked rhetorically.

"If I lied the first time," Muhati raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think I'll tell the truth if you ask again?"

Bunne seemed to think for a moment about the Psychic Warlock's words, "That makes sense. He admitted. "If you really try to lie to me, you won't admit it yourself. So now the question comes back to me?!To do it, or not to do it, that's the question!"

"And your answer is no?"

"Of course, if someone asks you for something, never do it for them for free. Booney said. "Maybe I need you to get me out of here so I can get revenge on Phoccas. But I'm sure you're not doing it out of kindness. You have a plea for me. So why don't I take the opportunity to ask you for something?"

"Don't speculate on my motives with the devil's mind. Muhati told the Duke of Eloquence.

"He who does devilish deeds is the devil. Buigne replied with a laugh.

Muhadi and Aisha glanced at each other and realized that the scholar and debater of the devil was not as easy to deal with as he had expected. The psychic sorcerers themselves have a whole set of theories that can manipulate the emotions of their interlocutors and the direction of the topic, which is enough for others to accept what they say most of the time, but it is obviously not enough for the eloquent Duke Bugne.

The previous meeting with Grand Duke Dispar was similar to what the Psychic Warlock had expected. The Grand Duke of Steel listened to Muhadi's suggestion without saying a word, only occasionally interjecting to ask a few details, and then waving his hand in agreement, as if it were just a trivial matter. The Psychic Warlock didn't know if Disparter really didn't care about a nobleman's rebellion or if he was just used to showing that he was in control.

But Bugne, it seems, is not so easy to exploit.

"I am not willing to grant any of your requests. Muhadi concluded. "But I don't mind giving you a chance, as Barthez, I should be able to trust you in the importance of your promises, right?"

"You simply can't find a person who values promises more than I do. Bougne replied in a tone of dismissive contempt.

"Then I hope you have the same gambling penchant as the other devils. "The Psychic Warlock mentions to the Duke of Eloquence. "Let's bet, I'll do a puzzle, and if you can't answer it, then you'll have to be let go of me and do something for me. After that, you can go to Folkas for revenge. If you fail, you get freedom and a chance to take revenge on your enemies. I can't think of a more appropriate deal than that. ”

"If I answer your riddle. Bugne asked. "Didn't I, as one of Barto's most famous scholars, impart a piece of knowledge to you for nothing?"

"I'm not going to ask you a valuable puzzle," Muhathir assured. "Of course, it's going to be hard, not many people can play it. If you feel that it will make you reveal any valuable secrets, you can also refuse to answer...... Anyway, if you try to answer, and you get it right, I'll let you go, with no extra strings attached, how about that?"

"That sounds interesting. The eloquent duke admitted. "And I do desire revenge on Phorcas...... Well, I accept your bet. ”

"The puzzle is very simple, I will tell you a three-number sequence, and it fits a specific rule. Muhathir said. "I'm going to write down this rule beforehand and put it here to let you know that I didn't make it up after the fact. If you don't believe me, you can use magic to verify that I haven't changed the contents of the paper after we have guessed the riddle. ”

"You can ask me any number of sequences, no problem asking as many as you want, and then I'll tell you that it's not on the number - no lie. The Psychic Warlock said. "When you think you've figured out the rules of this sequence, guess what the rules are, understand?"

"You're going to lose. Said Duke Eloquent. "Don't think that we Butz devils don't know anything about math. ”

"I'll just start with your consent. The Psychic Warlock said. “2－4－6。 ”

“4－6－8.” Boonee immediately asked.

"Yes. Mohathir said.

"1o-12-14!" the Devil Duke asked again.

"Yes. ”

Bunne paused, as if wondering if the puzzle was a little too simple. Could it be that this human is deliberately going to lose to me? He thought, is this some kind of conspiracy? Let me out, and then go to some corner? Could it be that Forkas was behind this qiē? He saw that the Grand Duke had not executed his opponent, so he made amends?

When did Phokas join forces with the adventurers of the main material plane?

"1-3-5!" Buigne asked, he always felt that the mystery could not be so simple, even if it was a conspiracy, he should always act seriously.

"Yes. ”

"Negative 3, negative 1, 1!" the Devil Duke asked.

Barthez Moh naturally knew negative numbers, and their academic level was higher than that of most of the main matter planes, which Muhadi guessed, and he simply said it. "Yes. ”

Buigne couldn't think of anything else to do, and every number in the sequence was two years older than the previous one.

But the human said that the problem was difficult.

Duke Eloquence frowned, thinking about something. Suddenly, it realized that it had one more test to do.

"2-5-8!" Butz Devil asked in a loud voice. It is full of triumphant meanings.

"Yes. ”

“1o－2o－3o！”

Bungne grinned and said his conclusion. "You almost fooled me, human, the rule is that each number must be the same number as the previous one. It doesn't have to be 2. ”

Muhathir opened the pre-written note, "You can use magic to check if I've made changes." ”

The note reads, one is bigger than the other, three numbers.

Bungne suddenly appeared and was deceived.

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"It's called confirmation bias. Afterwards, Muhadi explained to Aisha. "Tianqin has introduced a psychological misconception that people are more likely to be convinced that they are right than to be convinced that they are wrong. ”

"At the time just now. Buigne had a preconceived rule in mind, and he had been testing sequences that fit that rule. But it doesn't test the sequences that don't conform to this rule, looking for counterexamples. In fact, it doesn't even hear a 'no' answer, so the final rule is that any three numbers can be true. ”

"The great psychic sorcerers of ancient times appeared, and those mages liked to design real yàn to prove their theories, but they did not like to design real yàn to falsify those theories. So an ancient psychic sorcerer made up this game to trick his fellow mages, some of whom came up with very complex conjectures and were confident in their wrong answers, because they did a lot of realizations, and each time the answer was the same as expected. ”

"You're so sure. Aisha asked. "Will Boone, like those mages, be stumped by such a simple rule?"

"The simpler the basic rules, the harder they are to come to fruition. Muhathir said. "Besides, Bugne has never been known for his logical subtlety, is he, and if Duke Phorcas is hanged here, then I would have to think of something else. ”

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Somewhat surprisingly, Duke Boigne seemed quite tolerable to the fact that he had accidentally lost to a human. There was no outrageous slander or angry denial of the curse, and when the devil soldiers lowered it from the walls, it simply told the psychic mancer, "Do your best to understand the matter, and then I will go and clean up the Phocas." ”

The Psychic Warlock nodded, watching the demon, twice as tall as himself, stand in front of him and look down on him. If it weren't for the fact that he had long since learned how to control his feelings, he might have been overwhelmed by the majesty of the eloquent duke at this moment.

"Athas?" Bunie looked at the Psychic Warlock, his tone more assertive than inquiring. "I think I've heard of a place like this, some remote plane where birds don't. It is said that the inhabitants of the area regard the setting of the sun as the beginning of a new day, not when the sun rises. Isn't it?"

"Only halflings of the Teal Age calculate the boundaries of the day in this way. Your knowledge of Athas is far behind. Muhati said politely. "I need you to do something for me, and then there will be no more restraints between you and me. ”

"Even if I turn my face and attack you as soon as I'm done?" asked Duke Eloquent with bad intentions.

"You can try it then. The Psychic Warlock said nonchalantly. He estimated that he would not be able to restrain a devil duke who was good at fraud forever anyway, so it was better to say it directly. "Well, today you have created a new enemy for yourself. The Great Devil whispered. "An enemy whose lifespan is far greater than that of a mortal dynasty! Our understanding of time is completely different...... Countless times you will fear my revenge, countless times you will realize that you are just a false alarm. I know that you are old and weak, and you are about to die. I will appear before you again and tell you that the time has come. ”

"My master taught me a long time ago how to completely avoid the emotion of fear, which made my actions sometimes difficult for others to understand, but also gave me a special advantage......," the psychic replied. "So you can save yourself from these empty threats. What I want you to do for me is simple, win a trial for me. ”

"Nothing is easy in Bato Nine!" said Duke Buné in an affirmative tone. "And if it were really a simple matter, would you ask a Duke of Barthez for help, instead of doing it yourself?"

"Simple, I don't mean easy. Muhati glanced at the Devil Duke and said.

"This thing requires your special talents. Aisha explained.

"Of course, everyone who asks me for it is because of my special talents. Bunie's tone was full of pride. "Kings and generals, pray to me in the darkest of nights, asking me to grant them devilish eloquence...... Many times, the lips and tongue can hurt more than the sword. ”

They walked down the walls of Dis Steel, with the Psychic Warlock and the Devil Duke in front, and the hired guides following with a playful look, as if they didn't want to get involved in the Nine Prisons.

Buoney was boasting about how good his eloquence was. Muhati had the feeling that Duke Eloquent was deliberately pretending to be superficial, as if trying to trick himself into underestimating it and thus making a mistake. It is also possible that Bugne believed that he was secretly working for the other Barthez nobles, and that he deliberately showed weakness in order to expose potential mercenary personnel.

After a barrage of self-aggrandizement, the Duke of Eloquence finally asked. “...... What, then, is the judgment you want me to serve?"

"Not long ago, Barthez caught an intruder who had strayed into the area. Mohathir said. "Instead of being killed on the spot, the man was captured alive and possibly tried and tortured before being executed. What I want you to do is win this trial. ”

"Let me guess, your friend must have some skill before he was killed on the spot...... However, he was still dead, and the reason why he wanted to go to trial in public was just to go through a procedure, and at the same time to show off that Barthez's law was above all the worlds. Said Duke Eloquent.

"We're not friends, not yet. By this time, the Psimancer said, they had almost descended from the walls of steel, into a cluttered neighborhood shrouded in shadows. "Moreover, this captive is her, not him. ”

"It doesn't matter. Bungne waved his hand disdainfully, it was much taller than a human, and it waved almost against the top of the psychic man's head. "Maybe you don't know how Barthez's court works, so I'll give you a clear explanation. ”

"There is no such thing as democracy here in Barthez. I know that there are mortal courts that have juries, plea bargains and so on...... These things don't work in Batoto. My eloquence can easily stir up the subconscious of the masses and channel their emotions in the direction I need. But in Barthez's courtroom, public opinion doesn't matter. The real winner is decided outside the courtroom. Bribery, deals, compromises, these are the top priorities. ”

"Don't sue me, your skills are limited to encouraging some brainless guys to rush to it. Muhadi said as he walked. "As Duke Eloquent, you must be equally aware of these encounters outside the courtroom. That's why we need you. ”

"Let me be curious. Duke Eloquence asked in a tone that seemed casual. "What is the reason why you need to rescue this person who is not a friend?"

"It has nothing to do with you. ”

"It matters!" said Boone. "If I don't know the background of the matter, how can I come up with a way to help her escape the fate of being doomed to death?

"Sounds like you know a lot about mortal lawyers. The Psychic teased.

"Of course, I know the profession. Duke Eloquence said, and then seemed to sigh. "Do you have any tricks other than keeping me in the dark?"

"The identity of this captive," said the Psychic Warlock. "A priest from the upper planes. ”

There was an unusual pause, as if even it had been taken aback by the request. "Can you repeat," he said, "that you want me to save a godly servant of the Atlas who is to be executed in the midst of a confused situation, in the court of the devil of Barthez?"

Muhadi nodded.

"Nine hells are below!" the Duke of Eloquence exclaimed in an exaggerated tone. "Before I finally get my revenge on you, I have to say that you Athas are even stranger than I've heard. ”

The Psychic shrugged. "I'll just take it as a compliment. ”

"This makes me think seriously about whether or not to take advantage of the language and kill you first, so that I can be freed from this difficult task. ”

"If you do, then everyone will know how Duke Eloquent has once again failed in front of his old rival. Only this time it's more thorough, because you don't even dare to face your own opponent. Muhadi said calmly.

"Do you mean ......" Bugne could finish his sentence when he was interrupted by a psychic mancer.

"That's right, I'm confused, and saving a divine servant from Barthez's law ** is not the most difficult part of this task. Muhadi interrupted. "Because I've heard that this time the prosecution will be the Duke of Qiaoyan - Forkas. ”

"Well, are you still going to back off? ”

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P.S. I'm sorry, I've been busy lately, and my thinking isn't very good.

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