The fake prince was exposed at the beginning, and I took office as emperor on the spot

Chapter 239 Questioning the Heart (Part Two)

The woman had cascading black hair, a cool and aloof demeanor, and wore a wide Taoist robe with a red mole on her forehead; she was clearly a stunningly beautiful female Taoist priest.

Although few people have actually seen her appearance, her cultivation level and aura have already revealed her identity.

The only person who could arrive so silently before these second-rank experts could be the undisputed number one person under the Great Wei Dynasty.

The visitor was none other than Xu Fu, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Wei State, the leader of the Heavenly Mandate Dao, and the "Saint of Destiny".

Xu Fu grabbed the wrist of the Sword Pavilion's founder, his gaze falling on the woman in the green dress with a hint of inquiry.

Previously, she already knew that the founder of the Sword Pavilion had been hunting down Gu Fangchen, but she had never actually made contact with her.

The Sword Pavilion Ancestor, who failed to transcend her tribulation, resealed herself, and refined the earth's veins into an array to accumulate power for the future, was also filled with curiosity.

Given Shi Qingguang's current spiritual cultivation, it can be basically determined that she did not fail to transcend the tribulation back then, but rather deliberately sealed herself away and did not attempt to break through to the first rank again.

This behavior is almost identical to Ying Baishou's unusual act of sealing the Heavenly Gate.

It completely violates the normal instincts of cultivators and is extremely strange.

One person might do this for some ulterior motive, but now two top-tier second-rank individuals have made similar decisions.

They had no other thought than that such behavior made them feel extremely dangerous.

In addition, there was that question that Gu Fangchen suddenly asked out of the blue—

“Fu Mo, Luo Song, Zhan Ming, Nie Xu, Xu Yi, Yu Ou, Xuan Ming, Can Liao, Yi Shi… How do you interpret these nine words when studying the Dao?”

Xu Fu has already provided the answer to Gu Fangchen regarding what these nine words represent.

But those are just the surface meanings. At a deeper level, the cause and effect involved in these nine words are boundless.

The moment Xu Fu heard Gu Fangchen ask this question, he sensed the immeasurable causal force involved.

Such a massive causal relationship even far exceeds the "karmic wheel of the sea of ​​calamity" borne by the "Four-Phase Calamity Lord".

The "Chariot of Calamity" itself represents the world's unstoppable march towards destruction.

In other words, it is itself a tangled web of cause and effect in the entire world.

Aside from the "Four Phases Calamity Master" himself, who cultivated this supernatural power, and whose karma is equivalent to his, perhaps only the "Confucian Sage" Xie Qian can challenge him.

To surpass the "karmic wheel of the sea of ​​calamity" means that the causal factors it carries transcend the causal factors of a world itself!

This is also why Gu Fangchen was able to deceive the Demonic Sect so smoothly back then.

Who could believe that someone could actually steal the "Robbery of the Sea" and carry it on their back?
Even if the Demonic Sect has many madmen to begin with, people will still be considered madmen if they say it out loud!

But Gu Fangchen was the exception.

For Xu Fu, Gu Fangchen is an unsolvable problem.

Those nine words, however, present a difficult problem.

Although its causal magnitude surpasses that of the "Karmic Wheel of Calamity," it has not yet reached the level of Gu Fangchen herself, who asked the question.

However, solving this problem is not easy.

Since Gu Fangchen left the Central Plains, Xu Fu has been sitting on the Canliao Pillar, before the Starry Sky and Water Mirror, observing fate and finally uncovering the secrets buried within.

Each of these nine words corresponds to a person, a student of the Way, or a preacher of the Way; it is their destiny.

Cause and effect are intertwined, yet obscure and unclear.

And Xu Fu thus realized something terrifying—

If one were to study or spread the Tao, it would be like Shi Qingguang and Ying Baishou, wanting to avoid and warn others of danger.

So the world today... is probably already ravaged.

"Fu Mo" refers to the text that was written, and the person involved is Xie Qian.

He was the "Sage of Confucianism" and also the universally recognized "Sage of Literature." His prestige was like a tree covering the sky. He determined half of the Wei Dynasty's territory and the literary tradition originated from him.

The length of time Yaoshan Academy existed is the length of time the writing system it inspired has been disseminated.

"Luosong" refers to the person to whom the recitation was directed, and it refers to Gu Yuandao.

Or rather, it was the possessor who once took over Gu Yuandao's body.

This person should be Xie Qian's first disciple, but in the records, Xie Qian's first disciple has no name because he later betrayed his master and seems to have some connection with the Ten Supreme Paths of the Demonic Sect.

Xu Fu carefully calculated and finally discovered that this person should be the true founder of the "Jie" Dao among the Ten Daos.

In other words, Xie Qian was also involved in the formation of the Demonic Sect.

"Jiedao" actually refers to the people under his command.

The whole affair between the real and fake princes was orchestrated by the Confucian school and the Demonic Cult from the very beginning, which is why Gu Yuandao would come into contact with both the Confucian school and the Demonic Cult at the same time.

The causal thread of "Luo Song" has already dimmed and is about to dissipate as the soul of the possessor has been destroyed.

"Zhanming" means clear vision, referring to "Prajna lotus moon".

But it wasn't the current Prajna Lotus Moon, but the real Prajna Lotus Moon, the Garuda Princess who was killed by Gu Mingzhu.

From the moment Xu Fu discovered that Gu Fangchen had a karmic connection from five hundred years ago, she began to connect it to Banruo Lianyue. However, she never expected that the relationship between the two would be even more complicated than she had imagined.

Originally, this Garuda princess was the one who should have spread the way of "seeing the light".

However, she had already been killed by Gu Mingzhu five hundred years ago.

Naturally, the cause and effect of the "Way of Seeing the Light" also vanished.

As for "Nie Xu", it refers to Maha Wuliang, and "Xu Yi" refers to Ding Xingfeng. The former is gradually fading away, while the latter has been gone for a long time, probably forty years ago, when it was severed.

Correspondingly, this should be the point in time when Emperor Yong'an, because of the prophecy of Maha Wuliang, chose to recall Ding Xingfeng's tiger tally and order him to retire.

“Yu’ou” refers to “the Lord of the Four Phases of Calamity”, while the meaning of “Xuanming” is not very clear, but it is related to “Yu Bai Gong” who is present today.

These two causal lines, along with the one pointing to "Secondary Ink," are currently the three clearest lines.

"Canliao" naturally refers to Xu Fu himself, who nearly perished on the day he preached in the desert.

Of the eight criteria mentioned above, five have already been largely eliminated, leaving three that are precisely the goals Gu Fangchen is currently pursuing.

Finally, there is a causal line that begins with doubt.

"Doubtful beginnings" refers to being confused and without a basis.

The only thing Xu Fu couldn't figure out was where this thread of cause and effect pointed.

But precisely because she couldn't calculate it, she already knew the answer in her heart.

……

Xu Fu raised his head and looked at Gu Fangchen.

Or rather, it was behind him.

Gu Fangchen's heart stirred, and she turned her head to look behind her.

Ripples appeared in the void, and a refined-looking old man, who seemed approachable, rode a spirit deer through the air.

His aura was unremarkable, yet anyone who saw him would tremble. Even Gu Fangchen felt her pupils constrict and a chill run down her spine.

The old man chuckled, met Gu Fangchen's gaze, and gave him a deep look:
"Young friend, it's been a long time since we last met."

Xie Qian, the "Sage of Confucianism"!

Gu Fangchen had expected him to come, but actually facing Xie Qian face to face at this moment still made her scalp tingle.

Although his combat strength cannot be judged by his apparent cultivation level, he is actually only at the third rank.

If Xie Qian hadn't had four second-rank officials on his side, he could have killed him in the blink of an eye.

Although what Xie Qian is currently in front of him is still just a clone.

The reason Xie Qian hadn't shown himself was because he was setting up his "Eternal Unity of Heaven" formation, which was also why Gu Fangchen dared to kill "Gu Yuandao" directly.

If his true self could spare the time, Gu Fangchen wouldn't have been so ruthless.

—At least we need to keep Gu Yuandao's soul and put it into the "Spirit-Nourishing Bottle" so that we can take it out and wave it in front of Xie Qian to disturb his mind.

Gu Fangchen chuckled, giving a standard, insincere smile:
"Xie Qian, it's true, I've been well."

"However, I hope that next time we meet, I will see your death. Your disciple did not die peacefully. After all, you cannot be worse than your disciple, can you?"

Since things have already come to a head, there's no need to pretend anymore. Gu Fangchen simply spoke her mind and gave a heartfelt greeting.

Xie Qian's smile gradually faded, he sighed, and slowly said:

“Gu Fangchen, actually your aptitude is really quite good. When I said I would invite you to be a teacher at Yaoshan Academy to teach those students, it wasn’t just a polite remark, but a sincere invitation.”

"You know in your heart what 'eternal unity under the same sky' means, so why are you so stubbornly clinging to this mortal world destined for extinction?"

Gu Fangchen wasn't buying his act at all and said bluntly:
“My aptitude has always been good. In Qingman, I would be an 'angel of the gods'. If I stayed in the Sword Pavilion, I would be the next Sword Pavilion Master. If Emperor Yong'an had not died, I would be the next Zhenbei King. If I wanted, the Tara Sect would have to add a 'Holy Father' position today.”

His gaze was icy, and a cold smile played on his lips.
"But at Yaoshan Academy, he would be nothing more than your dog."

"'Eternal Unity' is your dog cage. You raise all sorts of dogs and watch them fight endlessly because they have no sense of pain. Isn't that very enjoyable?"

It was because Gu Fangchen understood "Eternal Heaven" that she knew what a living hell it was.

When everyone knows that their souls can live forever, they will no longer be stingy with their lives. Human life becomes worthless, and fighting becomes commonplace. Gradually, they lose their sense of pain and even their reason.

Then, Xie Qian suppressed them with the most brutal "rules," using them as walking corpses to construct the paradise he desired.

Xie Qian's smile vanished completely. He stared blankly at Gu Fangchen, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out only one word:

"it is good!"

As soon as Xie Qian finished speaking, he appeared in front of Gu Fangchen and struck her with a palm.

At this moment, Xie Qian's figure became exceptionally large, like a magnificent statue that stood tall and imposing. In the shade of the sunlight, his face was shrouded in shadow, leaving only a dark outline of him, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Gu Fangchen looked at the giant hand slamming down from above, her brow twitched, and she felt like a monkey trapped under a mountain of fingers.

His heart was pounding, his limbs were ice-cold, and he began to tremble uncontrollably.

A wave of fear washed over him, setting off alarm bells in his brain, as if countless voices were screaming and shouting:

"Run! Run! Run!"

This is the most primal human instinct; if you don't run, you'll die.

But Gu Fangchen took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and forcefully suppressed her instinct to run away, watching helplessly as the giant hand above her head slammed down.

"boom--"

Amidst this boundless fear, his palm touched Gu Fangchen's forehead, but he stubbornly stared upwards, not retreating even a step.

"call……"

The terrifying hand passed through Gu Fangchen's body and vanished instantly, like a gentle breeze.

Gu Fangchen was covered in cold sweat.

He turned around and saw the same illusion fading away behind him.

Just now, his heels had actually touched the edge of a bottomless cliff!

Looking down, the cliff was pitch black and seemed to stretch endlessly.

If he had simply followed his instincts and fled, he would have fallen into the abyss and died of fright.

This power is independent of a person's cultivation level. Even a second-rank cultivator would have been terrified to death if they had simply retreated when faced with that palm.

This is what is meant by "asking one's own heart".

However, just as the hallucination was about to completely dissipate and Gu Fangchen breathed a sigh of relief, a calm, aged voice rang in his ear:

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Gu Fangchen blurted out:

"To sever the nation's destiny by replacing the name Xie Qian with the name Xie Qian is to execute Xie Qian!"

He realized his mistake, was shocked, and looked at Xie Qian, who was standing with his hands behind his back in the distance.

Xie Qian clapped his hands and smiled:
"So that's what you were planning. I must say, Gu Fangchen, you certainly have guts."

"Unfortunately, you won't have that chance."

With a wave of his hand, the Imperial Seal of the State, which Gu Fangchen had brought out from the golden tent, flew out and fell into Xie Qian's hands.

Xie Qian looked up again, and just as he raised his hand, he suddenly felt resistance.

The resistance was like ripples spreading outwards in water.

The starry sky was reflected before his eyes, and as the world spun around him, countless red causal threads wrapped around his body, pulling him away. In the blink of an eye, he had been transported tens of thousands of miles away.

Also moved away was the matriarch who was blocked on the other side.

When the two tried to turn back, it was as if they had encountered a maze, surrounded by layers of causal threads that seemed to trap them in the same spot forever.

……

"Let's go! My destiny chart can only hold them off for a short while. With Xie Qian and Shi Qingguang's cultivation levels, they can break through it in no more than a quarter of an hour!"

Xu Ye's expression turned somber as he pulled Gu Fangchen back.

Gu Fangchen's gaze lingered on Xie Qian's spot for a moment, her eyes flickering.

It seems she believed it...

He turned his head and handed Xu Fu the clothes made of animal hide from the Wu tribe that he had prepared earlier, and said in a deep voice: "Wear this, and we'll enter the Sea Kingdom!"

Only the Sea Kingdom's [Snail Book] barrier can truly stop Xie Qian and Shi Qingguang.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S. 1: I'd also like to recommend a friend's book, *The Clown Travels Through the World of Conan*, a story about the clown traveling through the world of Conan. You might enjoy it if you're interested.

PS2: Writing block is so painful, I really can't write 8,000 words, sob sob... I've been holding it in since 2 pm and this is all I've written, I've given it my all (hugs head)
(End of this chapter)