It was well known that "Sun Tamer" Wu Hui was a trusted subordinate of the Dao Lord "Lord Yubai."
However, at this point in time, Lord Yubai's identity as a Puppeteer had not yet been revealed to the world. Even a close aide like Wu Hui knew nothing of it.
But even if he had known, it would not have changed anything for him.
Wu Hui had always lived by one principle, loyalty that was not absolute was absolute disloyalty.
Whether Lord Yubai was a swordsman, a poison master, or a puppeteer, none of that mattered. Wu Hui's duty was to serve him alone.
Fifty years ago, when a devastating famine struck the southwestern provinces, he had almost perished with his parents. It was Lord Yubai who saved him, giving him a second life through the Golden Crow's crystal essence.
To him, Lord Yubai was both master and father, a benefactor who had granted him rebirth.
If his lord commanded him to die, he would not hesitate for even a moment.
Yet precisely because he knew nothing of the truth at this time, Wu Hui did not realize that what he believed to be his master's aura was in fact the special spiritual signature produced by the Demon Refinement Method.
Once a puppet was successfully refined, its blood and flesh would be replaced with arrays and guiding materials, it would no longer be a mortal body of flesh.
Its own spiritual aura would change accordingly.
Furthermore, Gu Fangchen had deliberately chosen materials identical to those used in one of Lord Yubai's puppets.
Except for the poisons used in the Great Refining of the Inner Demons, every other component was exactly the same.
Even if Lord Yubai himself were present, he would likely wonder when he had created another puppet.
Wu Hui was utterly stunned.
He was more familiar with Lord Yubai's aura than anyone else, there was no way he could have mistaken it.
Thus, when he sensed his master's presence emanating from Gu Fangchen, only a fleeting doubt crossed his mind before he dismissed it entirely. Instead, his thoughts shifted toward another possibility,
Could this be part of the plan?
The collaboration with Gu Yuye had begun nineteen years ago, orchestrated by the Sixth Division Star Lord. The Dao of Death had always been responsible solely for killing.
Within the entire plan, Gu Fangchen, the son of a stablehand swapped at birth, was the least significant piece.
No one had ever taken him seriously.
He was merely a disposable pawn meant to bear the karmic burden of nineteen years. Once Gu Yuandao reclaimed his rightful position, this tool would simply be discarded.
But the Sixth Division Star Lord was notoriously cautious, as mysterious as his whereabouts. No one could ever guess his true intentions.
If he had secretly arranged for a second-rank grand cultivator to personally enter the game, it would not have been impossible.
"According to the original plan, this false heir should already be dead. Even if he were not, he posed no threat to us. But now, so many unexpected variables have appeared..."
"With the Sixth Division Star Lord's methods, the chance of error is nearly zero."
"That's right, how could a crippled good-for-nothing with shattered meridians and ruined dantian suddenly overturn a fate that was already set in stone?"
Wu Hui's expression grew serious as he pondered, and then realization struck him.
"So everything was part of the plan all along!"
Once that thought took root, every confusing, inexplicable detail suddenly fit together perfectly.
"Why could Gu Fangchen suddenly cultivate? Because he isn't Gu Fangchen at all, but the Dao Lord of the Dao of Death, Lord Yubai himself!"
"Why did Gu Fangchen's bloodline suddenly register as that of Gu Yuye during the verification? Because that was the handiwork of the Sixth Division Star Lord."
"If he could swap the karmic ties of two people once, he could just as easily do it again."
"And why go to such lengths?"
Wu Hui's mind raced, his pupils contracting sharply as a bold yet reasonable thought formed.
"Cooperating with Gu Yuye means being bound by him. The War Saint is cunning, he could discard us like hunting dogs once the hare is caught. So why not seize control ourselves?"
"The changes surrounding Gu Fangchen will make Emperor Yong'an suspicious. That old monster will surely use this as an excuse to make his move."
"In order to balance Gu Yuye, he will support Gu Fangchen, elevating him to oppose Gu Yuandao."
"But none of them will realize that Gu Fangchen is actually our Lord. In that case, the initiative will return entirely to our hands."
"Even arranging for Gu Fangchen to meet people from the Dao of Causality might have been part of the setup..."
"Originally, even if Gu Yuandao forced Emperor Yong'an to recognize him, he would still have to contend with the Emperor afterward to solidify his position and win the people's trust."
"But now that's unnecessary. Gu Yuandao becomes the discarded pawn, the target. Gu Fangchen, backed by Emperor Yong'an, will have the rightful claim and no burdens of consequence."
"Dealing with Gu Yuye is far easier than contending with the Emperor himself."
The balance of attack and defense had shifted, flawless and perfect!
As expected of the Lord!
At that moment, Wu Hui was completely awestruck by Lord Yubai's world-shaking wisdom.
With a thought, the flaming birds of his creation melded back into the moonlight. After a moment's wait, they glided silently into Gu Fangchen's room.
Surely this encounter, too, had been arranged by the Lord himself.
He must do his utmost to serve him well.
...
Gu Fangchen tidied his clothes and called for Xuexiang, the maid waiting outside. He instructed her to help the dazed and exhausted Qingjian, who had just awakened from her faint, to bathe and change.
Xuexiang obeyed, helping Qingjian up. But as she did, her delicate nose twitched slightly.
What was that smell?
Fragrant, but oddly strange...
Her suspicious gaze fell upon Qingjian. Seeing the latter biting her lip, her body trembling intermittently, Xuexiang's face flushed red.
Impossible! This woman, wasn't she the Xiyin Attendant from the Tara Sect?
Everyone said that the Xiyin Attendants were holy women who relieved suffering and served Princess Prajna with pure devotion, untouched and immaculate. Yet this appearance, she had clearly been ravished beyond recognition.
Shameless!
Xuexiang cursed silently, her heart burning with jealousy.
She was supposed to be the prince's bed companion, yet someone had taken her place first, and it was a Xiyin Attendant, no less! Outrageous.
She became all the more convinced that she had simply not been proactive enough. She resolved secretly to find a chance of her own.
...
Gu Fangchen performed a simple cleansing incantation, clearing the mess in the room.
At this moment, his body had been completely reborn. His upper, middle, and lower dantians were all replaced by the arrays formed by the Suppression Nails.
The arrays spread through his flesh like threads of crimson mycelium, covering every inch of him.
In sheer physical strength alone, he now equaled a seventh-rank martial cultivator, Blood Surge Realm.
If someone probed within, they would see that his body resembled a vast nest occupied by some unknown organism, terrifying beyond words.
However, the array structure of the Demon Refinement Method naturally concealed his true condition, so Gu Fangchen had no fear of exposure.
His divine consciousness now rested securely within the demonic nest, able to draw on the spiritual energy of the Suppression Nails for cultivation, just like an ordinary person.
But...
Gu Fangchen raised his hand. With a thought, his fingertips turned jet-black.
Once, the toxins had merely been sealed in his blood. Now, he could manifest and control both poisons freely.
He himself had become a weapon, a deadly magical artifact in human form.
Gu Fangchen narrowed his eyes, noticing something odd about his shadow.
Only one lamp burned in the room, so he should have had only one shadow. Yet faint, dim outlines overlapped it, barely perceptible duplicates.
As if invisible light sources had appeared all around.
He smiled faintly, lifted a cup of cold tea from the low table, and said calmly,
"Ah Hui, warm this cup of tea for me."
Wu Hui revealed himself, his doubts now completely gone. He knelt respectfully, taking the cup in both hands.
Carefully, he summoned the Golden Crow's True Fire and warmed the tea for Gu Fangchen.