When Wu Hui emerged from the moonlight, his form was indeed a human-shaped shadow composed of countless flames woven into the shape of birds.
Gu Fangchen, entirely at ease, placed the teacup in his hand into that of the "Sun Tamer."
This was, in fact, one of Lord Yubai's habitual gestures, his signature opening scene.
As one of the Dao Lords of the Demonic Sect, Lord Yubai was a true late-stage boss, and among all the final adversaries, he exuded the greatest sense of oppressive dread.
That iron-hatted figure clad in a rain cloak woven from the Rusted Sword Mound was a nightmare to all players.
Especially when a player, having exhausted every resource to defeat him, thrust their weapon into that iron-hatted man's chest, only to watch, as the rusted swords clattered to the ground and the cloak fell away, revealing beneath it a gaping black void where his heart should have been.
At that instant, every player's heart skipped a beat. They could only scream out a final cry of "Buhao!" before the screen went dark..
And then the health bar of "Puppeteer Xuanming" appeared.
Phase Two, begin.
For players who had already expended their final supplies, it was a scene of utter despair.
Countless players perished under his hands, filling entire forums with wailing and furious posts that together reached a million threads.
It could be said that every time Lord Yubai drank a cup of tea in a cutscene, another player died.
Gu Fangchen had died one hundred and six times to Lord Yubai, far below the average count.
That was not because he had mastered the fight or learned to defeat him quickly, but because he had discovered a hidden side quest that allowed him to bypass the battle altogether.
Upon completing the quest, he could trigger a dialogue option that persuaded the Dao Lord of the Dao of Death to change his attitude from hostile to neutral.
But to unlock this hidden path, one had to first clear the second-hardest of the five endings, "Eternal Sky Shared."
That single requirement alone barred ninety-nine percent of players.
Gu Fangchen's choice to use the Demon Refinement Method to rebuild his body was no accident.
He knew Lord Yubai, or rather, he knew "Puppeteer Xuanming", far better than any of the other nine Dao Lords of the Demonic Sect.
Impersonating Lord Yubai by exploiting the gap in information had always been part of his plan.
He simply hadn't expected Wu Hui to come knocking on his door of his own accord.
Most likely, this was the butterfly effect brought about by the death of Form-Grass Sword.
Still, it was perfect timing.
Lord Yubai seldom appeared before his subordinates. Among the Dao of Death, the most active agents were Wu Hui and his squad of Candle-Cutters.
They were responsible for purging all enemies who obstructed the Demonic Sect's objectives.
And Wu Hui, the "Sun Tamer", whether as an ally or a mid-game boss, was someone Gu Fangchen knew very well.
This man's defining trait was blind, absolute loyalty.
Lord Yubai's canonical ending was to fall at the hands of the player. Yet this world-dominating boss expressed genuine admiration and respect for the first opponent who managed to destroy his puppet and see his true form.
With Wu Hui present beside him, Lord Yubai had even stopped his subordinate from interfering, choosing to duel the player one-on-one.
Though, being a puppeteer capable of summoning entire legions of constructs, his "one-on-one" duel was never truly one-on-one, a fact endlessly ridiculed by players.
A one-on-one duel, but never a fair one.
Despicable!
And yet, Wu Hui truly obeyed Lord Yubai's command, never raising a hand during the entire battle.
After Lord Yubai's complete death, Wu Hui carried away his master's corpse and later returned, seeking revenge upon the player.
Until at last, he self-detonated his Golden Crow's Crystal Essence, transforming into a burst of flame.
Until his identity was exposed, Gu Fangchen, disguised as Lord Yubai, could fully command Wu Hui and the Candle-Cutters under him.
Rounded up, it was almost equivalent to having the Dao of Death itself under his control.
Gu Fangchen calculated the timing, then waited calmly for thirty seconds before reaching for the cup, exactly as Lord Yubai would have done.
The Golden Crow's fire, said to burn all things, blazed close enough to touch, yet Gu Fangchen's expression did not change.
If he dared to show even a flicker of reaction, he would be finished on the spot.
He took a sip of the tea, lifted his gaze, and said coolly,
"Rescind the order against the Tara Sect. The people of the Dao of Annihilation are dead, why are you venting your anger?"
At those words, cold sweat broke across Wu Hui's forehead. He immediately lowered his head until it touched the ground.
"It was my impulsiveness and lack of forethought. Please punish your subordinate, my Lord!"
Now that he understood the Lord's intentions, the reason for Form-Grass Sword's exposure and death at Princess Prajna's hands also became clear to him.
The Lord was deliberately weakening the Dao of Annihilation, purging internal rivals.
Among the Tenfold Dao, internal conflict was common. The Dao of Annihilation, reckless and indiscriminate in killing, clashed the most with the others.
Particularly with the Dao of Death, which often worked alongside them, making them the first to suffer.
Clearly, the Lord intended to use the Tara Sect to make those madmen of the Dao of Annihilation quiet down for a while.
How foolish he had been!
He had nearly ruined the Lord's grand design!
Abandoning all pride, Wu Hui said hurriedly,
"I will recall them at once!"
The Lord was right, the Dao of Annihilation's dead were no concern of his. Why had he taken offense on their behalf and invited suspicion upon his own loyalty?
Gu Fangchen set down the cup and shook his head. His tone was calm as he said,
"No need. Let them continue."
Wu Hui froze, only to hear Gu Fangchen narrow his eyes and add,
"What I want is not simple retaliation, I want them to strike so hard that the entire Tara Sect trembles and quails in fear."
Gu Fangchen rose and stepped forward until he stood before Wu Hui, his gaze icy and sharp.
"And make sure that little girl knows: we are allied with Gu Yuye."
Wu Hui immediately understood.
This was to provoke conflict between Princess Prajna and Gu Yuye!
Now that Princess Prajna supported the false heir, once she learned that the Tenfold Dao was connected to Gu Yuye, their attack would appear to be Gu Yuye's will.
After all, who would believe that the War Saint Gu Yuye knew nothing of his ally's movements?
Gu Fangchen intended to directly manipulate Princess Prajna's calculations regarding the Tara Sect and the sacred relic.
Her recent strike against Form-Grass Sword had already revealed that the sacred relic was the key.
And now, the relic was indeed in Gu Yuye's possession.
If Gu Yuye approached Princess Prajna, she would surely hesitate.
Gu Fangchen's move was meant to make her realize that should she turn against them, she would only end up as a fish upon Gu Yuye's chopping block.
Given Gu Yuye's nature, betrayal would cost him nothing.
Thus, she would inevitably begin to doubt whether her gamble was worth it.
Gu Fangchen thought for a moment, then said casually,
"Start with... Lotus-Born Temple."
Lotus-Born Temple was one of the major branches of the Tara Sect.
Its believers had been corrupted by followers of the Dao of Emotion, leading them down a path of heresy.
They had unleashed plagues across wide regions, infecting countless commoners, then posed as saviors by healing the sick, receiving statues and offerings from those they had first condemned to suffering.
The people of the Tara Sect sought pain as their ultimate truth; to return to the Pure Land was their lifelong pursuit.
It was only fitting to give them a swift end.
Wu Hui lowered his head solemnly.
"Yes!"
...
At the gates of the Northern Garrison Prince's residence.
Before Gu Yuye stood a plump eunuch, smiling with practiced gentleness.
"His Majesty means this, nineteen years have passed. The affairs of state have kept him busy, and since the heir's hundredth-day celebration, he has not seen this poor child even once."
"Now the situation has grown most curious, even the War Saint himself cannot tell which is his true child. His Majesty wishes to meet the heir in person, and make his own judgment."