Even Gu Youren, who had always been calm, lost her composure. The female attendant playing the zither beside her was even more startled, she rose to her feet in shock, her face turning pale, her lips trembling, yet she could not utter a single word.
How could this be...
Moments ago, she had said that the National Preceptor sent ten thousand taels of gold to mock Gu Fangchen's despicable character, and now, the National Preceptor had actually sent him a scripture personally copied by her own hand!
That was the National Preceptor's own handwriting. Even disregarding the content, the very words "personally written by the Saint of Fate" were enough to drive countless people mad.
Throughout the empire, who knew how many people dreamed of receiving a single character from her brush?
She was the Saint of Fate who could divine five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future, the destiny of Great Wei lay between her thoughts. If she were willing to give even the slightest guidance, who would not rise straight into the heavens?
Within that scripture, there might even be a glimpse, a thread, of that heaven-defying wisdom.
Furthermore, a scripture copied by a top second-grade Divine Path cultivator, how much divine resonance must be contained within? The mere idea was unthinkable.
Even an ordinary Divine Path cultivator would gain immense insight just from glancing at it once.
This female attendant herself cultivated the Divine Path and held deep admiration for the National Preceptor. She had drawn close to Gu Youren partly to someday glimpse the Preceptor's true calligraphy.
And now, Gu Youren, a mere registered disciple, possessed only two personal notebooks, while Gu Fangchen had been given an entire scroll!
Wasteful. Outrageously wasteful!
Her face alternated between red and green in fury.
Worse still, the National Preceptor had also given him the National Preceptor's Mansion Command Token!
Everyone knew the Pillar of Silence was where the National Preceptor resided daily. The mansion granted by the Emperor was a mere formality, and she might not set foot there even once in ten years.
But no matter how one put it, that mansion was still, nominally, Xu Fu's personal residence.
In other words, it was her home.
And now, the National Preceptor, who lived as though untouched by dust, had just given the key to her own home to a debauched wastrel!
This wasn't just showing support for him, it was outright public endorsement, without even pretending otherwise!
"Master... how could you..."
Gu Youren bit her lip hard, picking up the fallen notebook and clutching it tightly in her hands.
Her mind, usually as calm as a frozen lake, now roiled like a stormy sea. Even her fourth-grade Divine Path cultivation could not suppress her emotions.
Given all she had suspected before, could it be, could it truly be as she feared?
"No. Absolutely impossible. I must go to the Pillar of Silence myself and ask Master face to face."
Gu Youren rose, her expression filled with unwavering determination.
Unless she heard it from Xu Fu herself, she would never believe such a thing!
Gu Fangchen was a born degenerate, vile in character, lecherous and shameless, utterly worthless. He was precisely the kind of man her master should despise most.
Aside from his skin-deep looks, he had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
But Xu Fu was pure-hearted and lofty, how could she ever favor such a shallow man?
Having watched Gu Fangchen grow up, Gu Youren knew exactly what kind of person he was.
Yet... her steps halted.
But what if, just as Father had speculated, the current "Gu Fangchen" was no longer truly Gu Fangchen?
If so, might that explain the strange events of late?
That thought struck her like a basin of cold water, instantly clearing her mind.
She could not act rashly.
Gu Youren certainly revered Xu Fu, but Xu Fu's foremost identity was as the National Preceptor.
The succession struggle of the Northern Garrison Prince's household would profoundly affect the political balance of the realm.
From her position within the princely household, she naturally viewed Gu Yuandao, the true genius, as the rightful heir who would restore order.
But to outsiders, it might not appear so simple.
"If Master is behind this from the shadows... could it be that Gu Fangchen's very identity was orchestrated by her?"
The more Gu Youren pondered, the more plausible it seemed, and the more it chilled her heart.
After all, in her eyes, no one in this world understood the Art of Causality and Fate better than Xu Fu.
"If 'Gu Fangchen' is truly Master's pawn, then his identity deserves even greater scrutiny, and it lends further proof to Father's theory."
Her gaze hardened. She turned and headed toward the Princess Consort's quarters.
"I'll observe that degenerate first, see if he behaves strangely. Then I'll decide what to do. I can't jeopardize Father's plan."
...
"Father, what exactly does the National Preceptor mean by this?"
Gu Yuandao stood by the window, gazing at the Dao child departing on a white crane, his face solemn.
"Could it be that she..."
"Impossible."
Gu Yuye immediately cut him off, reclining in his chair with his eyes closed.
"If she knew, she'd have known long ago. There's no way she only just realized now."
Gu Yuandao's anxiety showed.
"But she gave both the scripture and the command token. Could she really... favor that useless bastard?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized how foolish they sounded.
It was unbecoming to speak so shallowly.
But his frustration was understandable, after years of patient planning, they were finally on the verge of taking back what was rightfully theirs.
And yet everything kept getting delayed, and the situation was rapidly turning against them.
Though Gu Yuye had locked down all news from the princely estate, the fact that something so obvious had remained unclarified for days was itself an answer.
Soon enough, rumors would surely spread throughout Huangtian City.
For now, Gu Yuandao still had the reputation of a virtuous scholar and the brightest of his generation. But once today's truth leaked, that could all change.
How could he not be anxious?
"Foolish boy."
Gu Yuye opened his eyes, voice sharp.
"Can't you see it yet?"
He exhaled slowly, then sneered.
"When has Xu Fu ever acted on her own behalf? Her will is most likely the will of the Purple Extremity Hall itself."
Gu Yuandao's pupils constricted.
"You mean..."
Gu Yuye tapped the armrest and sighed.
"I was too hasty. Your mother spent years keeping that little bastard alive, extending his worthless life by five years."
"I merely wanted her to spoil him senseless, to make him useless. I didn't expect her to protect him so fiercely."
"If not for that, he'd already be dead today."
"Now we've left a loophole, and others have seized upon it. One misstep leads to another, and to secure your succession to the heir's seat will take even more effort."
Gu Yuandao clenched his fists tightly.
Indeed, his own mother, protecting an outsider and turning against her son.
Such foolish sentimentality!
Yet ironically, this entire setup was part of Gu Yuye's own plan.
As both men fell silent, a servant quietly pouring tea nearby suddenly spoke.
"Your Highness, you're being too cautious. Those who insist on doing things 'properly' must also endure the chains of propriety."
"Summoning Master Juehui takes time. Better to take some risks, before a long night breeds new troubles."
Gu Yuye took a sip of tea, then smiled coldly.
"Easy to say. You've tried three kinds of poison and ruined his meridians, yet the brat still lives well enough."
"Huangtian City has stood for thirteen hundred years. Tell me, has any emperor sat safely upon the throne for a hundred and seventy?"
"One hundred and seventy years!"
He set his cup down, his gaze cold as he looked out the window at the endless eaves and rooftops interlocking like chains across the grand city.
"Yongan... Yongan. The current Crown Prince is already a hundred and fifty years old. Without cultivation talent, still a mere sixth-grade martial artist, he should have died long ago."
"Have you seen him? White hair, missing teeth, leaning on a cane, an old man whose lamp has all but gone out."
"And yet such a Crown Prince must still kneel before his father, who looks no older than forty!"
"And that 'kindly' father even asks if his son fell yesterday, or soiled the bed!"
Gu Yuandao shuddered at the image.
Such despair.
The throne, the peak of power, right before one's eyes, yet forever beyond reach. Day after day, sinking into decay and death. How could anyone endure it?
The Crown Prince must have schemed. He must have, many times.
And once, he too had been praised for his virtue and wisdom, with countless allies behind him.
But even with every advantage, after a hundred and fifty years, he was still the Crown Prince.
"'Yongan', what an auspicious name."
"So auspicious it's a curse."
Gu Yuandao had once resented his father for casting him out, for forcing him to suffer and toil while that bastard enjoyed luxury in the estate.
But now, he understood.
Had it not been for that, he would never have had the chance to display his talents. He would have died remembered only as a "genius cut short by fate."
His father's caution had protected him.
Against an emperor who had sat unshaken for one hundred and seventy years, no amount of caution was excessive.
Yet even with all their meticulous planning, their scheme teetered on collapse.
And how much of this was due to the Emperor himself?
Gu Yuandao dared not think, but from Xu Fu's current involvement, it must be considerable.
The servant fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"What if... 'the Dao of Annihilation' intervenes?"
Gu Yuandao's eyes widened.
The Tenfold Dao comprised ten Lords: Life, Death, Craft, Justice, Annihilation, Revelation, Emotion, Causality, Constancy, and Measure. Each branch's followers worshipped one of them.
Of these, the most terrifying was not Death, but Annihilation.
The Dao of Death sought to approach death infinitely. The Dao of Annihilation sought the destruction of all existence, both self and world.
Even among the cultists, few dared approach them.
Gu Yuye's hand paused midair before he drained his cup.
"A common follower of Annihilation is not enough."
The servant smiled faintly.
"What if it's the Form-Grass Sword?"
"...Very well."
Gu Yuye's eyes narrowed.
"What does he want?"
The servant shook his head.
"What he wants, Your Highness cannot provide. He only asks that you create an opportunity."
...
Gu Fangchen returned to his quarters and unfolded the scripture in his hands.
The handwriting was Xu Fu's, elegant and refined. Even without understanding, he could feel its beauty.
He remembered how, in Mirror in the Dust, many players had wondered why the game contained characters, paintings, and architecture utterly unlike anything in real history, yet so breathtakingly artistic.
Gu Fangchen muttered, "Now that I think about it... maybe it's because this world is real."
"That so-called 'Honglu' Corporation, could they be the real puppet masters behind all this?"
He twitched the corner of his mouth.
If that company's "special gift" was what sent him here, that was one hell of a setup.
Still, speculation could wait. Survival came first.
He coughed twice, tasting iron on his tongue.
Looking down at the scripture, he realized he had already memorized every word. He could recite the rest just from the opening lines.
In that damned game, before using an experience scroll, you had to memorize every word exactly.
Yes. Every single word.
What a scam.
As a strategy guide creator, he'd had to memorize them all by heart to speedrun properly.
No wonder he'd spent half a year making walkthroughs.
He grimaced at the memory.
He hadn't even studied this hard back in school!
"But now... that's finally paying off."
Holding the scroll, he softly recited. At once, his spiritual consciousness stirred faintly in his mind.
Finishing it once would definitely improve his Divine Soul cultivation, but not enough.
Because he didn't understand the scripture's meaning, he could only absorb a trace of the divine resonance it emitted. Unlike in the game, it wouldn't level him up directly.
In short, his comprehension was too low!
"This scripture's only purple quality..."
"No matter how many times I read it, it won't be enough to upgrade."
"But that's fine."
His gaze fell on his first skill from the Angler class, eyes gleaming.
"When quality isn't enough, quantity will make up for it."
[Skill One: Keep Baiting (Active)]
[Description: You firmly believe that if a fish doesn't bite, it's because the bait isn't enough. You may throw one of your possessions into the water. There is a 1% chance to receive a higher-quality item, a 33% chance to receive a lower-quality item, and a 66% chance to get nothing at all.]
He'd already mentioned before, the best way to use this skill was to gather a pile of low-grade items and gamble on sheer volume.
And now, he had just the thing.
Taking a deep breath, Gu Fangchen spread open the scroll.
The scripture contained exactly two thousand three hundred and sixty-six characters.
Each character could be cut out individually, and counted as one item.