The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 104 Regret
Having received these words from Master Gufeng, King Anqing had no more doubts.

As for what the dead Taoist priest said, he pondered it briefly and then put it out of his mind.

Destiny is ultimately in my hands!

To celebrate, he took out the precious golden pill from the brocade pouch at his waist.

Tonight will be the night I accomplish my great task!
This golden elixir perfectly complements this auspicious omen!
Upon realizing this, King Anqing could no longer restrain himself and swallowed the golden pill, which was actually made of mud.

Needless to say, it truly melts in your mouth, leaving your limbs and bones feeling incredibly relaxed.

"This golden elixir of yours truly has endless uses!"

Feeling extremely pleased, King Anqing patted Master Gufeng on the shoulder with a smile.

The other person didn't answer, but just smiled and nodded.

The old monk Liaochen observed coldly throughout. He remained silent regarding the presence of Master Gufeng.

After all, the other party had already lost face at the city gate and could no longer pose a real threat to him. If he allowed Prince Anqing to drive him away, it would make him look inferior.

Liao Chen's gaze swept over the face of the Lone Peak Master, pockmarked from fragments of magical artifacts, and a hint of contempt flashed across his face. He stepped forward, clasped his hands in prayer to King Anqing, and said:

"Your Highness, the time has come!"

Just then, a rooster crowed, breaking the silence of the east.

King Anqing glanced at the people still craning their necks to watch on both banks of the Mi River, and stretched out his hand, saying:
"Bring me a dagger!"

Zhang Sandao, who was serving nearby, hurriedly presented a dagger inlaid with jewels with both hands.

King Anqing took the dagger and asked Chen one last time:

"Master, are there any other considerations?"

The old monk shook his head:

"No more. Your Highness only needs to cut your palm and drip the blood into the river, and the redness of the Mi River will completely disappear."

King Anqing did not delay any longer and went straight to the bow of the boat, reaching his hand down into the Mi River.

His gaze swept over the people on both banks who were watching the night with lanterns lit up, and Anqing Wang said loudly:

"I am willing to use my blood to cleanse the injustices in the Southwest!"

Upon hearing this, people on both sides of the strait hurriedly clasped their hands and bowed:

May all calamities be eradicated! May Your Highness achieve immediate success!

The rising and falling cheers stirred Anqing Wang's heart and made him feel extremely comfortable.

A grand vision seemed to be within reach—once it was accomplished, he would rise to prominence and give his voice!
Turn that prince into the emperor!

Ah, just that thought was enough to make his blood boil!
King Anqing was lost in thought at the bow of the boat, but the dragon's destiny that had been floating on the Mi River had been reduced to just a last remnant of a dragon's head floating on the surface.

Still blinded by his inner turmoil, Anqing Wang, unable to perceive any danger, did not hesitate any longer and brought down his blade!
Drops of crimson blood fell into the already blood-red Mi River.

However, what he saw was completely different from what King Anqing had imagined.

The crimson color showed no sign of fading!

He turned around abruptly, looking at the scene with surprise and doubt.

The old monk Liaochen's heart sank, but he remained outwardly calm, clasping his hands together and chuckling softly:

"Your Highness, such an important matter cannot be rushed."

An Qingwang forced himself to nod, but suddenly his whole body tensed up!
He clutched his chest abruptly, instinctively looking up, his gaze falling squarely on the spot where the dragon's destiny lay dormant—

The instant our eyes met!
"hold head high--!!!"

A mournful dragon's roar suddenly shattered the surface of the river!

The cries of agony echoed across the land!
"This is?!"

King Anqing was horrified. The scene before him was bizarre and incomprehensible, and he had no idea what had happened.

However, the words of that eccentric Taoist priest from earlier that day clung to my mind like a leech, relentlessly and uncontrollably piercing my brain:
'This humble Taoist priest has only come to see if Your Highness can still be saved!'

Before the thought even finished, the boat beneath his feet was violently rammed by a colossal creature from the riverbed!

Boom!

The ship shuddered violently, and people on the deck were thrown about like falling leaves, screaming and plunging into the crimson Mi River! Among them were soldiers far from the ship's side and boatmen who considered themselves skilled swimmers.

The surrounding people were also speechless with astonishment.

As a result, Anqing Wang, who was already standing at the bow of the boat, naturally fell into the river as well.

At that moment, through the crimson Mi River, King Anqing could still see the enormous creature that had violently rammed the pleasure boat—a dark blue fish almost the same size as the boat!
What terrified him even more was that the giant mouth was wide open, waiting for him to walk right into its trap!
A chilling thought suddenly gripped my mind, crystal clear:

Did I, in broad daylight, personally destroy my only chance of survival?!

There was definitely some regret, but even more so, there was fear.

As the giant maw drew near, King Anqing was filled with despair and could only close his eyes and await his death.

Suddenly, his waist tightened, and a force yanked him up!

Immediately, a question filled with shock and anger rang in my ears:

"Are you crazy?!"

He opened his eyes in a daze, only to see the giant mouth rapidly moving away, while he himself was suspended in mid-air. Looking back, he saw Master Gufeng holding him with one hand, landing steadily at the stern of the boat.

"A real person?!"

King Anqing was both surprised and delighted. He never expected that the one who would stay by his side in the end would be Master Gufeng!

Fortunately, he didn't kick the other person away because he thought the other person was really capable.

Now, finally, things have turned out well!
Overwhelmed with emotion, Anqing Wang blurted out:

"I will never forget your great kindness and virtue, Master. When the great cause is accomplished, I will surely take your place as the Imperial Preceptor!"

Faced with An Qingwang's agitation, the other party muttered a curse:

"Shut up, you brat!"

"A real person?!"

An Qingwang's excitement froze instantly. Why was he scolded instead of thanking him politely?
The moment the doubt arose in his mind, he suddenly exclaimed, "You're not a real person?!"

Although they looked exactly alike, and there was no other Gu Feng Zhenren here, the remnants of the magical artifact that had been embedded in Gu Feng Zhenren's face had long since disappeared.

What alarmed him even more was that the arrogance that Master Gufeng usually possessed had vanished. In its place was an indescribable, almost inhuman indifference!
There's no mistake, this person is not Master Gufeng.

So who is he?
King Anqing did not know the answer, but he knew that his life seemed to be out of his control.

The monk Liaochen, who had managed to stay afloat at the bow thanks to his cultivation, hurriedly explained:
"This was not my doing. We must not fight amongst ourselves now. Let us work together to vanquish this demon!"

This explanation only fueled the other party's anger, and they grabbed Prince Anqing and said:
"Shut up, I'm not asking you!"

These words left the old monk stunned and speechless. After a moment, an extremely terrifying thought began to take root in his mind.

It seems that Master Gufeng has been replaced by the person behind the scenes.

Moreover, Your Excellency instructed me to bring Prince Anqing here at this very moment, and then this situation arose.

Could it be
The old monk Liaochen looked in horror at the large, dark blue fish that was swimming around the cruise ship.

If this fish was also arranged by Your Excellency, I have no idea.

Does that mean I was already a pawn to be discarded from the very beginning?!
Moreover, if Master Gufeng can be replaced, what about me? Am I an exception?
Fear in one's heart is just the beginning.

Liao Chen glimpsed countless scarlet wisps rising from the Mi River and then surging towards him.

"Your Excellency?"

Extreme terror instantly gripped Chen's heart! A thousand doubts and a thousand unwillingnesses filled him, yet he could only manage to squeeze out these two broken words.

The next moment, the surging crimson aura completely engulfed him.

In the instant before his consciousness sank into the endless crimson, only one thought remained in the old monk's mind:
Sorry for the first time!

Despite having twice seen a way out, he remained stubbornly ignorant and arrogant each time.
(End of this chapter)