The fifth-rank grandmaster hovering in the sky was one of the retainers under Marquis Dingyuan, Ji Chuan.
A few days ago, when Zhu Xiuxiu was redeemed, Ji Chuan's son, Ji Peng, had spoken insolently, only to be sent flying with a single palm strike from Gu Fangchen's ever-loyal old servant, Hu Wenxin.
Although Ji Peng did not die on the spot, the outcome was essentially the same...
Yes, he was unmanned on the spot.
Hu Wenxin, that old monster who had survived untold years in the underground Sword Palace, was only made into a servant because he had been tricked by Gu Fangchen. Otherwise, if set loose, he would be a scourge upon the land.
His strikes were vicious, when he attacked, it was always to kill both body and mind.
Ji Peng, compared to the former Gu Fangchen, lacked only in rank; his arrogance and womanizing were every bit the same.
Now, having been unmanned before a crowd, he collapsed completely, wailing and moaning in the marquis's manor these past few days.
The Marquis Dingyuan had only one son. Upon hearing what had happened, he was filled with fury and humiliation. When he learned that Zhu Xiuxiu was traveling alone to Gushu, he immediately sent men to intercept her halfway.
In his mind, since Gu Fangchen had gone so far as to personally redeem Zhu Xiuxiu, he must have some feelings for her.
Even if he didn't, it was a matter of face.
By seizing Zhu Xiuxiu first, he could use her to manipulate Gu Fangchen, distract him, ensnare him, and wait for the right moment to strike. It would be a simple victory.
A fine plan, except Marquis Dingyuan was stationed on the frontier, and his intelligence was woefully out of date.
The men he sent, several so-called grandmasters, couldn't even defeat Gu Fangchen alone, much less a carriage filled with four-rank experts and even a Martial Saint.
The last fool who tried such "ambush tactics" at least brought along a third-rank spectral demon.
Gu Fangchen, of course, had not been waiting for Marquis Dingyuan's men.
A strange, eerie laugh echoed across the sky, "Hehehehe~", instantly freezing both sides in shock.
The fifth-rank grandmaster and his hidden comrades, all raised their heads.
Above them, the already clouded sky split apart, a jagged crimson rift tearing across the heavens. Bloodlight spilled forth like the opening of an abyss, exuding a terrifying pressure.
A massive hand, glowing with blue-violet radiance, reached through the tear, its fingers clawing at the edges, ripping it wider!
From within that rift, a single colossal vertical pupil opened, azure shot with crimson, gazing down like an ancient god-demon casting its unyielding will upon the world.
A thunderous boom! shook the heavens.
The enormous hand of that ancient being stretched forth, grasping toward the people below.
The falling force ripped through the air, trailing fire like a meteor descending from the heavens.
The ground for a thousand miles trembled violently, mountains quaking, the earth cracking apart.
It was a scene worthy of the phrase: "The pillar of heaven broken, the cords of the earth severed."
Judging by aura alone, this was at least second-rank power!
Even Hu Wenxin and Si Jian were taken aback, their faces darkening in vigilance. Xu Zhenguan, who was driving the other carriage, broke into a cold sweat, gripping his sword tightly though his hands trembled.
As for the Marquis's grandmasters, whatever they saw terrified them so badly that their faces went pale. They forgot to even curse, scattering in blind panic.
Gu Fangchen, however, stood calm amidst the chaos.
He knew this scene very well.
This was the unique illusion array of the "Emotion" Path, Mirage Formation.
A mirage of sea and sky, deceiving all five senses, blending truth and illusion.
A third-rank formation, and what he had used before was merely the most basic form of it.
Back then, he had only used it to disguise himself as Qing Jian and Ding Xingfeng, merely to forge false trails. That had been grossly underutilizing its power.
Third-rank only described the limit of the user, not of the formation itself.
In the hands of someone strong enough, this array could forge illusions that deceived even heaven and earth.
Judging by the manifestation's strength, the caster was at least third-rank.
And from that telltale "Hehehehe~" laughter, Gu Fangchen could identify exactly which "Emotion" Path member it was.
At the Qionglin Banquet, he had impersonated someone from the "Emotion" Path, using their own arts to slap their face.
These self-proclaimed manipulators of the world were prouder and more arrogant than even the "Extinction" Path; of course, they would not let such an insult stand.
They had come to reclaim their pride.
And that was precisely who Gu Fangchen had been waiting for.
The Mirage Formation unfolded. Even Ding Xingfeng was briefly deceived, appearing in the air with a wary glance, until he saw Gu Fangchen standing there utterly unbothered, hands clasped behind his back, as if watching a play.
Old Ding raised an eyebrow, immediately realizing, it was just an illusion.
Gu Fangchen met the falling hand head-on, soaring into the air and drawing his Rising Tide of the Azure Sea bow.
This bow was one of the treasures he had once traded from the "Toothsmith."
He had never used it before, his cultivation had been too low.
Now, as a fifth-rank, he finally met the requirements.
Before leaving Huangtian City, he had raided the treasuries of both the royal residence and the Grandmaster's mansion, collecting every last Merfolk Tear.
A total of one thousand, one hundred and twenty-six. He had emptied his coffers clean.
Which meant this bow could now be fired 1,126 times, and with more Merfolk Tears, infinitely more.
Facing the wind, Gu Fangchen's long hair whipped wildly, the strain causing his bones and muscles to creak under the force.
But he was currently under the "Day" buff of Awaiting Flight, greatly enhancing his physique.
Combined with the base durability from the Demon Refinement Method, he could withstand even a third-rank blow.
This was barely a scrape. He could endure it.
"Hmph! Ignorant fool! You would strike the heavens with an egg?"
A disdainful voice boomed from above, echoing through the sky, shaking all hearts.
The illusion's power was indeed formidable; the marquis's fleeing grandmasters were instantly crushed into pulp.
Gu Fangchen, unfazed, squinted and released his arrow.
The phantom hand reached out to intercept, but in that instant, it felt life-force on the arrow.
The Mirage Formation was of Yin nature, most vulnerable to human vitality. Contact would dispel it immediately.
Feeling that vitality, the caster hesitated for a moment.
A single moment was enough.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The arrow, infused with Gu Fangchen's blood and a Merfolk Tear, shot into the clouds. A formation blossomed across the sky, unleashing a torrential rain of crimson water, like a storm of blood.
As the rain passed through the phantom, holes began appearing, one after another, until the entire illusion was riddled like a sieve.
The beauty of the Rising Tide of the Azure Sea bow lay in its wide-range power, and the ability to add custom debuffs.
For Gu Fangchen, nothing worked better than his own poisonous blood.
"You!"
A furious cry echoed from the ground as the illusion above dissolved.
A dark shadow burst upward, striking at Gu Fangchen.
But Ding Xingfeng was not idle. He appeared behind the attacker in an instant, punching straight through.
With a resounding thud, the black figure crashed back into the earth, carving out a deep human-shaped pit.
As the sky cleared, the terrifying scene dissipated, revealing far less destruction than it had seemed.
Most of the chaos had been for show, meant to startle the pure martial artists like Ding Xingfeng.
The true enemy had been lurking underground, waiting for the distraction to strike.
Unfortunately for him, Gu Fangchen had seen through it from the start.
He swallowed a pill to suppress his injuries, then crouched beside the pit, smiling pleasantly.
"Guanyue, I suggest you don't move. That poison is made from the Heart-Poison Mark."
In his palm, a blood-red flower shimmered, its petals pulsing as if alive.
Within the pit lay a grotesquely obese man, his flesh trembling, his face pale as blood dripped from his lips. When he heard those words, his expression changed drastically.
The rain that had fallen earlier had soaked the ground, and, naturally, his body.
Meaning, Gu Fangchen had discovered his true location long ago!
And he had called his real name out loud!
He realized then, it was not he who had set the trap for Gu Fangchen, but the other way around!
From the parts of his body that had touched the rain, thin red veins spread rapidly, blooming into crimson flowers across his skin.
When he tried to expel the poison with spiritual energy, the veins grew even faster, racing through his meridians and filling his body with scarlet light.
Guanyue was horrified.
He knew that Gu Fangchen himself had once been afflicted by the Heart-Poison Mark, but if he had learned to control it, that made it his own weapon.
A poison that could also serve as a controllable gu...
He could even become its living vector.
Everyone watching felt their backs turn cold. They glanced down at their own hands, recalling whether the rain had touched them.
Hu Wenxin and Si Jian both went pale, terrified that Gu Fangchen might not be content merely enslaving them, he might want an extra layer of control.
Only after confirming no red veins appeared did they exhale in relief.
Even Ding Xingfeng's mouth twitched, tempted to take a step back.
The Heart-Poison Mark was too terrifying. Even his sturdy body might succumb if not expelled immediately.
If Gu Fangchen truly had refined it into a gu, that would make him a nightmare to fight. Any contact could mean death.
But the problem was,
No one had ever heard of anyone refining the Heart-Poison Mark into a controllable gu. Not even the "Saint of Medicine" or the "Saint of Venom" of past dynasties.
Still, since Gu Fangchen hailed from the Pool of Lament, with his countless incomprehensible tricks, Ding Xingfeng found it unsurprising.
Guanyue stared blankly at the red flowers blooming across his flesh, despair washing over him.
He regretted his arrogance, but even if given another chance, his only path to surpassing the Martial Saint realm was through divine arts like the Mirage Formation.
Without prior knowledge of Gu Fangchen's tricks, there was no escape.
But unlike a player, Guanyue had no option to reload the save.
As he hesitated, Gu Fangchen's mocking voice entered his mind:
"Miss Zhu Guanyue, the Heart-Poison Mark is incurable. Whether you live or die depends entirely on your choice. Think carefully before you decide."
Gu Fangchen lowered his head, smiling faintly.
"You look terrible. I much prefer your original face, or next time, at least pick a better-looking skin."
He turned to glance at the unconscious Zhu Xiuxiu nearby.
"Like your sister, so much prettier."
The fat man froze, shock flashing in his eyes.
Not only did Gu Fangchen know of her Skin-Shedding Art, he even knew her true identity!
When the Zhu family had fallen, she alone survived, only to be deceived into joining the "Emotion" Path.
Ever since, only the Path Master knew her true name and face.
And now, her sister had finally escaped Huangtian City, she had come to protect her, and kill this man who had shamed her bloodline.
She had not expected... that he had been waiting for her all along.
Guanyue's will collapsed. She struggled to rise, gasping, "I admit defeat. What must I do to remove this poison?"
Gu Fangchen's smile widened.
He, of course...
Did not actually possess the ability to refine the Heart-Poison Mark into a gu.
He was a master of formations and alchemy, not gu-craft. If he truly could refine it, he would never have needed the Demon Refinement Method.
The arrow he shot earlier had served only as a cover.
The true trick lay within the Merfolk Tear.
In recent days, besides training, he had carved different arrays into each Merfolk Tear.
The Rising Tide of the Azure Sea bow drew its power from the embedded Azure Ocean Pearl, allowing it to summon storms.
The Merfolk Tears acted as the medium, ammunition resonating with that pearl.
But as prime-grade spellcasting material, using them merely as arrows was wasteful.
So, Gu Fangchen had turned each one into an individual formation core.
When the arrow burst, the falling rain completed the formation.
Fast, hidden, efficient.
Offensive or defensive, adaptable at will.
It turned a mere powerful bow into a supreme artifact.
The only challenge was tuning each formation precisely to harmonize with the rain.
But for Gu Fangchen, this was trivial.
Players had long since mastered such optimizations, he merely replicated them from memory.
The arrow he fired carried a modified Mirage Formation.
An advanced version he called Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
As with "Teleportation Array 1.14514," the name was his own invention.
The Mirror Flower, Water Moon array was an improved Mirage, immune to human vitality.
Though it required more spiritual energy to activate, his spirit was strong enough to handle it.
Hidden within Guanyue's own Mirage, it was perfectly concealed amidst the chaos.
She had tried to use illusion to divert attention, he had used illusion to divert hers, trapping her in a dream and making her believe she had been poisoned.
And with that, his infiltration of the demonic cult had begun.
Gu Fangchen knew well that upon his arrival in Gushu, the cult would spare no effort to stop him.
They would pool every resource, every weakness, every trick.
And since Jiangnan was the stronghold of the "Emotion" Path, they would surely be involved.
So, he would not play fair.
He would infiltrate them directly.
After all, he was the true Master of Tactical Conversion!
This time, he would rob the devil's own home.
Gu Fangchen's plan was already set.
Once he'd infiltrated, he'd move like a shadow, strike where it hurt most, and vanish before anyone could respond.
He turned his gaze to Zhu Guanyue.
The woman's bloated disguise sloughed away. The glistening blood threads clung to her hair as she pulled free from that layer of false flesh, revealing a coldly beautiful woman beneath, her features refined and sharp, her expression half-calm, half-venomous.
Compared to Zhu Xiuxiu, there was a resemblance, the same line of the jaw, the same slight curve of the eyes, but everything about the elder sister was darker, more dangerous.
Her beauty was the edge of a poisoned blade.
Blood-red flowers still bloomed across her skin, creeping like living things, crawling into her flesh and muscle.
Hu Wenxin and Si Jian looked at her with the kind of pity that came only from familiarity.
Yes, it was that feeling again.
The same crushing helplessness of being instantly overpowered.
If they'd been NPCs in Mirror in the Dust, they'd have known exactly what this was, the despair of being one-shotted before the battle even began.
Gu Fangchen turned, glancing toward Ding Xingfeng.
"Master," he said evenly, "take everyone on to Gushu first. I'll catch up soon."
It was an old trick, a repeat performance.
No one would question it; after all, no one could guess what he truly intended.
"Chen'er..."
Ning Caiyong reached out, holding his hand. Her lips pressed together, eyes soft with worry. They hadn't even rested for two days since their last ordeal, and now he was leaving again.
Gu Fangchen squeezed her hand gently. "This time's easier than the last. Three days at most. I'll be back safe, I promise."
"If something happens," he added, "let Zhenguan handle it. I've already taught him what to do."
Ning Caiyong nodded, trusting him completely.
Gu Fangchen smiled faintly. "And... take care of Miss Xiuxiu for me."
The words were a deliberate double-edge, a veiled warning meant for Zhu Guanyue.
But Ning Caiyong misunderstood entirely. She gave him a tender look.
"Mother understands," she said softly. "If Miss Xiuxiu is willing, taking her as a concubine wouldn't be impossible."
Gu Fangchen: "..."
He glanced at Zhu Guanyue.
As expected, her face went pale.
Well.
That had worked out perfectly.
Gu Lianqian opened her mouth, she could already tell that he was up to something again.
But this time... she was the one volunteering to help.
She didn't want to do bad things, but what if he told everyone about her barking like a dog...?
The little lamb shut her mouth tight, drew the curtain closed, and sat still in the carriage, pretending she'd seen nothing at all.
Gu Fangchen watched the convoy depart. Only when they'd vanished down the road did he turn back toward Zhu Guanyue.
"The demon sect's Dao Lords," he said mildly, "should be gathering in Jiangnan around now, discussing how to kill me, or how to patch the hole left by Gu Yuandao, right?"
Zhu Guanyue nodded reluctantly. "Yes."
"Take me to Weichuan Trading Company," Gu Fangchen said.
She froze.
He even knew where the "Qing" Path's Jiangnan headquarters were?!
Zhu Guanyue's thoughts churned in panic.
She had planned to trick him, to lead him to a false address, set traps, maybe even bury him there.
But before the thought could take root, he looked at her with that thin, crooked smile.
"Don't get the wrong idea," he said lightly. "You're not leading the way. You're my proof of identity."
Zhu Guanyue was one of the "Qing" Path's two Grand Protectors, "Moon in the Well" and "Flower in Water."
Her authority was second only to the Dao Lord himself.
When Gu Fangchen redeemed Zhu Xiuxiu's contract, part of it had been sentiment, but the larger purpose was always to draw her sister out.
He owed too many debts in his past life.
If he tried to make amends one by one, he'd still be repenting when the world ended.
Redeeming Miss Xiuxiu had never been simple compensation, it was bait.
Zhu Guanyue stared at him, her expression caught between confusion and a kind of reluctant fascination.
"Proof of identity?" she echoed.
What identity?
Wasn't his position as the fake heir already solidified beyond question?
But soon, she would understand exactly what kind of "identity" Gu Fangchen meant to prove.
Not long after the two of them departed, several figures arrived at the battlefield.
They were the reinforcements from the Marquis of Dingyuan's household.
But what they found was nothing but churned earth, shattered stone, and smears of melted flesh scattered across the ground.
The lingering poison and the aftereffects of the Rising Tide of the Azure Sea bow had left the place looking like a wasteland painted in blood.
The few survivors stared in horror, then bolted, scrambling back to report what they'd seen.
Weichuan Trading Company, secret chamber.
The demon sect's Dao Lords had gathered once again.
But this time, a new presence had joined them, the Dao Lord of the "Qing" Path.
The discussion was already underway, circling the same refrain:
"This child must not be allowed to live."
Then, without warning, the chamber doors opened.
The grotesquely fat Zhu Guanyue stepped in.
The "Qing" Dao Lord blinked in confusion, but the moment after, everyone felt another aura enter with her.
Gu Fangchen.
He crossed the threshold, eyes cold, his voice booming through the chamber.
"Wretched impostor!" he snarled, glaring straight at the "Qing" Dao Lord.
"How dare you pretend to be me!?"