Before his eldest daughter even turned her head to look at him, Gu Yuye had already noticed that something was off about her reaction.
Gu Youren's expression clearly didn't show satisfaction at finding the expected result, it showed unmistakable shock.
But Gu Yuye only assumed that even she had been affected by the Art of Causality and Fate, making her unable to draw the correct conclusion.
What he never imagined was that, in the next instant, his eldest daughter would turn her horrified gaze directly upon him!
The emotion in Gu Youren's terrified eyes was complex but utterly clear.
It was the look of someone who suddenly realized that the person she had always trusted and admired had become an irredeemable scoundrel, and that she herself had unknowingly helped him do evil.
Simply put, her idol had just collapsed.
Never in her life had Gu Youren imagined that she would one day witness such a disgraceful scandal in her own home.
Even more frightening was that she couldn't imagine why her father would do such a thing.
It was nothing short of digging his own grave.
If this ever got out, the reputation of the Northern Garrison Prince would be ruined beyond repair.
Yet Gu Yuye had not only made a public spectacle of the affair but had also ordered his own daughter to confirm it before everyone.
Unrighteous, disloyal, and foolish, everything about this defied the image Gu Yuye had built for himself as the Northern Garrison Prince. It was utterly unthinkable.
But Gu Youren's trembling fingers still held that glaring red thread of causality.
One end was connected to Gu Fangchen.
The other, to Gu Yuye himself.
Causality could be faked, yes, but Gu Youren had already stripped away all the illusions. What she was holding now should be the true cause and effect.
Her prolonged silence naturally drew everyone's suspicion.
Ding Xingfeng, who had been watching the drama unfold from the side, looked at Gu Yuye, then at Gu Youren, and took a leisurely sip of tea before remarking with interest,
"Little girl, with your level of cultivation, does it really take this long to read a thread of karma?"
He had followed along only because he'd promised Gu Fangchen to ensure his safety.
He had been waiting for Gu Yuye to make a move, and his hands were already itching for a fight.
After so many years in seclusion, being provoked by Gu Fangchen had left him burning with repressed frustration.
One reason he agreed to accompany the boy was to have a chance to vent a little of that pent-up fire.
And now, just when things were getting good, the tension suddenly stalled. Naturally, he was impatient.
He even started urging her on.
Gu Youren stiffly turned her head, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down before saying in a low, steady voice,
"I... I'm not quite certain yet. Please wait a little longer, senior."
At her words, Ding Xingfeng gave a soft "oh," but his eyes immediately sharpened, lighting up with interest.
So there really was something wrong.
Gu Fangchen glanced sideways, only to see the old man grinding his teacup like a walnut, his fingers moving so fast they left afterimages.
Gu Fangchen almost laughed aloud. As a true gossip enthusiast, Ding Xingfeng now looked like a mouse that had fallen into a granary.
The juicier the scandal, the higher Gu Fangchen's favorability in his eyes rose.
Gu Youren's hesitation was far too obvious to ignore.
Ning Caiyong, filled with worry, asked gently,
"Youren, is something wrong? Don't push yourself."
Gu Youren hardly dared meet her mother's eyes. She turned her head away, pressing her lips together, her voice tight and unnatural.
"Mother, it's nothing. I just want to confirm again."
Gu Lianqian, however, was running out of patience. She glared at Gu Fangchen and stamped her foot.
"Sister, why are you hesitating? Just being under the same roof with such a rotten, vile creature makes me sick!"
Gu Fangchen nodded seriously, agreeing at once.
"Indeed, sharing a roof with such a rotten, vile creature is truly unbearable. Best to leave sooner rather than later."
Gu Lianqian froze and stared at him like he was an idiot.
Was there actually someone in this world who would insult themselves, and so viciously at that?
It must be that the shock had driven him half mad.
Gu Yuye frowned deeply.
An ominous feeling was rising in his chest, but given the current situation, he couldn't think of any possible outcome that would be unfavorable to him.
So he barked, "Youren, what have I always taught you? Hesitation breeds chaos. Whatever the result, speak it plainly."
He had no idea that the more he pressed, the more Gu Youren's mind was collapsing.
Forcing herself to focus, she banished all distractions and once more extended her spirit to seize the thread of causality.
But the result did not change.
Gu Youren opened her eyes, staring blankly at the glowing red thread in her hand before closing them again in despair.
When she looked up, she exhaled slowly and lifted her palm.
At her thought, the phantom red thread shimmered into full visibility before everyone's eyes.
On the left, Gu Fangchen.
On the right, Gu Yuye.
Her voice trembled as she forced herself to speak.
"The verification is complete... Gu Fangchen is indeed of your bloodline."
"He is your biological son."
Gu Lianqian frowned in confusion.
"Sister, why aren't you getting to the point? Everyone already kn-"
Halfway through the sentence, she froze, her eyes going wide in disbelief.
"W-what did you say?!"
The entire hall fell into dead silence.
Ning Caiyong looked blankly between Gu Fangchen and Gu Yuye, her gaze falling at last on the red thread that linked the two.
Her delicate fingers clutched the handkerchief tightly as her gentle, watery eyes widened in confusion.
What was Youren saying?
Chen'er... was Gu Yuye's biological son?
But, she had only ever given birth to one child!
That meant...
"Absurd! Nonsense!"
Gu Yuye roared, his face dark as thunder, and with a furious sweep of his sleeve, the floor before the hall exploded, leaving a deep crater.
Dust billowed, and the empty chests nearby were blasted open by the shockwave.
At last, he realized that he had fallen into a deep, bottomless trap, one crafted precisely for him.
The deadlock he himself had engineered had just been overturned by Gu Fangchen, who had drawn the water from beneath his cauldron.
All of Gu Fangchen's current troubles stemmed from one source: the belief that he was not the biological son of Gu Yuye and Ning Caiyong.
But note carefully, this supposed "fact" had never been directly proven.
It was inferred indirectly, only because Gu Yuandao had been confirmed as Gu Yuye's biological son.
To settle matters conclusively, Gu Yuye had arranged for Gu Yuandao's identity to be verified publicly at court.
But he had cared so little for Gu Fangchen that he postponed verifying his identity until after returning home.
To him, dealing with Gu Fangchen was an afterthought.
Yet for Gu Fangchen, that oversight had become the perfect opening.
Now, what if, at this very moment, Gu Fangchen was proven to be his son?
Everything would instantly be reversed.
All eyes in the room turned toward Gu Yuye, stunned, disbelieving.
Old Ding was the first to recover, and then he burst into loud, unrestrained laughter.
"So it turns out the real vile schemer was someone else! Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"
Damn, what a show!
He didn't know how this kid had pulled it off, but seeing the so-called infallible Soldier Sage fall right into his own pit, this performance was absolutely worth it.
Even if Gu Yuye went mad later, he would make sure the boy survived.