Ding Xingfeng's laughter echoed through the main hall, snapping everyone else out of their stunned daze.
But once they came to their senses, they almost wished they hadn't.
The members of the Gu family all stood there, blank and bewildered, overwhelmed by an absurd, surreal sense of disbelief.
This result... was too shocking, too ridiculous.
If Gu Fangchen was truly Gu Yuye's flesh and blood, then what did everything that had happened the day and night before amount to?
Was all of it just pointless drama?
And if Gu Fangchen was indeed Gu Yuye's biological son, then all the man's earlier fury, what had seemed righteous indignation, now only looked utterly foolish.
Calling it foolish was being polite. In truth, it was sheer stupidity.
Gu Yuye had publicly acknowledged Gu Yuandao first, then gone on to expose his own connection to Gu Fangchen, hadn't he just aired his own family scandal for everyone to see?
He was out of his mind!
Ning Caiyong finally came to herself. Her body trembled slightly as she looked at Gu Yuye as though seeing her husband for the first time.
Their marriage had been one of alliance between two powers. There had never been deep affection between them; they had spent most of their lives apart.
But over the years, after bearing him one son and two daughters, she still held some genuine feeling for him, three or four parts of true sentiment at least.
Ning Caiyong was an exceedingly traditional woman. The mistress of the Sword Pavilion had died early, and she had grown up managing a household from a young age. In her life, only four men had ever held a truly important place: her father, her younger brother, her son, and her husband.
Because of Gu Fangchen, her two daughters had always been somewhat distant from her.
In short, Gu Yuye accounted for one quarter of her entire life.
She had always believed that the heart with which she treated him was the same heart with which he treated her.
Husband and wife were supposed to be one body, one soul. Even though they had quarreled bitterly over Gu Fangchen, even though Gu Yuye had spoken those cruel and cutting words, Ning Caiyong had merely felt disappointed, thinking perhaps she had simply spent too long secluded in the inner residence, foolishly idealizing him.
Compared to the role of "husband," the title "Soldier Sage" suited Gu Yuye far better.
In Gu Fangchen's matter, he had refused to compromise and naturally resorted to his own methods.
Once Ning Caiyong understood that, she quickly adjusted.
Though she had felt pained and humiliated that he would use such a scheme against her, decades of affection could not vanish overnight.
Part of the reason was also because she knew, this was Gu Yuye's deliberate ploy, not genuine suspicion.
With all the eyes and ears he had scattered throughout the Northern Garrison Prince's Residence, could he really be unaware of what happened under his own roof?
Such suspicion had no real foundation; it was merely a weapon he had chosen to unsettle her.
In her mind, this had been nothing more than the first serious quarrel between husband and wife. Once it passed, things would return to normal.
But now, Ning Caiyong's face had gone pale. It felt as though fire burned in both her chest and her mind. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
She had never imagined that things would end up like this.
She had only just accepted that Chen'er wasn't her child, how, in the blink of an eye, had he become Gu Yuye's son again?
If Gu Yuandao was truly the child she and Gu Yuye had birthed nineteen years ago, then who had given birth to Gu Fangchen?
Obviously, there was another woman between them, one who had never appeared before.
"Absurd! Utterly absurd! This is nothing but nonsense! Right under the Son of Heaven's eyes, who dares to tamper with causality? Investigate! I want a full investigation!"
Gu Yuye's face darkened to an iron shade as he reached out, grasping the crimson thread of causality hanging in midair. He barked orders to the nearby guards, his rage overflowing.
He was practically leaping with fury.
The Soldier Sage, who had always been calm and unreadable, could no longer restrain himself. In front of everyone, he raised his head and fixed his eldest daughter with a cold, suspicious glare.
Gu Youren's brow twitched. A chill shot down her spine, and her entire body went rigid.
That was... killing intent?!
But in the next instant, it vanished, gone without a trace, as though it had been her imagination.
When she looked again, the only thing in Gu Yuye's eyes was deep anger and disappointment.
The Northern Garrison Prince took a deep breath and questioned her in a low, grave tone.
"Youren, what have I taught you? Think thrice before acting. Before you announced such a result, did you never consider the possibility that you were being manipulated by villains?"
Gu Yuye's composure showed not the slightest trace of guilt.
Of course, this time, ironically, he really had been outplayed.
Could he not know whether Gu Fangchen was truly his blood?
But that was exactly why he almost lost control.
Things had already reached the point of conclusion, and suddenly the table had been overturned in front of him. Who could endure that?
Gu Youren froze at his words, shame rising in her heart. He was right, this situation was far too abnormal.
She had spoken too hastily, overwhelmed by the shock of the result.
Since causality could be hidden, it could also be tampered with. If this was another layer of deceit, then she had just played into someone's hand.
But...
With her mastery of the Art of Causality and Fate, she could clearly tell whether a thread had been falsified.
Even so, she couldn't bring herself to believe that her father would commit such an act. She hesitated, lowered her head, and pressed her lips together.
"I'm sorry, Father... I was thoughtless."
Gu Yuandao and Gu Lianqian, still shaken, felt as though they had narrowly escaped disaster.
Yes, causality could be forged.
It had to be another sinister trap meant to destroy their father's reputation.
Ding Xingfeng gave a dry chuckle.
"Is it really a villain's trap? I wouldn't be so sure."
Gu Yuye's face was expressionless.
"And did you, old master, think it was 'not so sure' when you yourself were framed back then?"
Ruthless.
Gu Fangchen couldn't help but click his tongue. Gu Yuye really knew how to hit someone where it hurt.
If this had been the old Ding Xingfeng, he would have gone silent immediately.
But since Gu Fangchen's appearance had rekindled the hope of clearing his past injustice, the old man no longer clung to it so bitterly.
Ding Xingfeng said coldly,
"I had no evidence back then. When His Majesty blamed me, I accepted it without protest. But you, Northern Garrison Prince, you can twist truth and lies with just a word and come out spotless."
The old man lifted his thin, bony hand and pointed at the thread of causality.
"You claim this thread is false? Then prove it to everyone."
"Gu Yuye..."
After long silence, Ning Caiyong stepped forward. She raised her head and looked straight at her husband, her voice stubborn and unyielding.
"Like the old master said, prove it to me."
"You were so intent on proving that Chen'er isn't your son. Now prove it!"
Gu Yuye took a long breath, exhaled slowly.
"Caiyong, this is fake..."
Ning Caiyong's beautiful eyes flared with anger. At last, her patience shattered.
"Prove it! Or I'll pack my things right now, write the divorce papers, and take Chen'er back to the Sword Pavilion!"
For the first time, this touched her bottom line.
No matter how gentle her nature, no woman could tolerate the thought that her husband might have a child with another woman, especially if he had deliberately made her raise that child as her own.
It was humiliation in its purest form.
Gu Yuye's eyes narrowed, his gaze cold as he glanced at Gu Fangchen, who stood calmly watching the spectacle.
"Yuandao, Youren, come with me."
With a wave of his hand, the shattered remains of the chests in the hall turned to dust. He turned and strode away.
The others exchanged looks. Although Gu Yuye had not said so directly, it was clear that today's trial of Gu Fangchen was over, at least for now.
Gu Fangchen smiled faintly, steadying Ning Caiyong and speaking softly.
"Mother, don't be angry. No matter what happens, I'll always be your son."
"Chen'er..."
Ning Caiyong grasped his hand tightly. The emotional upheaval, coming one after another, was too much for her frail body. As the tension drained from her, her vision darkened.
The desolate, grief-stricken beauty felt her strength leave her. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed.
"Mother!"
Gu Fangchen cried out instinctively, catching her in his arms and gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.