The male supporting character was actually myself.

The false ruler's name was Gu Xingzhou, a member of a collateral branch of a prestigious family that had been expelled from the capital and was now living in exile.

His grandfather's generation made a big mistake while doing things for the family, which led to this branch being expelled from the family and settling down in Junxi Town, where they established themselves as one of the top collateral branches of the Gu family in the town.

The entire Gu family follows the lead of the grandfather, a knowledgeable and experienced patriarch from the capital. His only wish, now over seventy, is for his descendants to prove themselves and perform well in the Gu clan's martial arts tournament to regain the family's favor.

Gu Xingzhou's father was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and cultivated at a rapid pace. As a result, he was entrusted with high hopes and the task of revitalizing the family, and he devoted himself to arduous cultivation every day.

Finally, at the age of twenty-three, he had the opportunity to participate in the Gu family's internal martial arts tournament held in Kyoto. He thought he could gain the family's recognition by relying on his outstanding talent, but he did not expect to encounter his lifelong enemy - Gu Qinglang, the genius of the Gu family.

That battle, originally planned to bring glory, turned into a lifelong source of pain for Gu Xingzhou and his son.

The father was defeated by Gu Qinglang and even lost all his martial arts skills, so he could no longer cultivate. He left in high spirits but was carried back in disgrace. The grandfather was so disappointed that he wanted to give up on his youngest son who had become a cripple.

However, at that time, Gu Xingzhou's talent for cultivation had just begun to emerge, and his grandfather felt that he might be able to replicate the glory of his youngest son. Therefore, he temporarily allowed them to stay in the family.

Three years ago, Gu Xingzhou witnessed his father being humiliated. In a fit of rage, the ambitious young man broke with his family and took his disabled father and his ordinary mother, who could not cultivate, to live in a desolate mountain with even harsher conditions.

Driven by his determination to avenge his father and wipe away the shame, Gu Xingzhou diligently cultivated his skills on the barren mountain where conditions were harsh.

His only goal is to represent the collateral branch of the clan in the martial arts tournament in Kyoto in the future. At that time, he will disqualify Gu Qinglang from all his martial arts skills in front of the entire Gu clan and make him taste what it's like to be kicked out of the family!

However, misfortune never comes singly. Before he could even make a name for himself in his training, Gu Xingzhou was humiliated and his engagement was called off by his fiancée.

A young boy from a remote village, with his unwavering will and tragic fate, moved the heavens. One day, while searching for spiritual plants in the mountains, he accidentally found a black ring. The amazing thing about this mysterious ring is that it can absorb a large amount of spiritual energy without being destroyed.

Gu Xingzhou realized that this item was probably no ordinary object, so he diligently cultivated and continuously channeled spiritual energy into it to see what changes might occur.

Finally, perseverance paid off and the mysterious ring was awakened!

Inside, the remnant soul of a fallen master resided, and it was only through the constant infusion of spiritual energy from the young man that it was able to awaken. Thus, to repay the debt of gratitude, the knowledgeable remnant soul within the ring took on the role of the master, giving him the highest-level cultivation techniques, helping him find top-grade spiritual plants in the desolate mountains, and teaching him how to refine them into spiritual medicine.

The humble mountain village boy, with the help of his master, finally embarks on a path of showing off and slapping faces by hunting wild animals and refining medicine.

In just six months, he cultivated to the fourth level, defeated the other young men and women of the collateral family, regained his grandfather's favor, and qualified to go to the capital to participate in the martial arts tournament.

As the son of a disabled person from a collateral branch, Gu Xingzhou was subjected to various provocations, ridicule, and mockery upon his arrival in the capital. However, the humble and dignified mountain village boy made a name for himself by publicly crippling Gu Qinglang, the genius touted by the Gu family, and immediately became a dark horse sought after by everyone.

The branch that had been driven out of Kyoto finally regained the family's recognition.

Grandpa, tears streaming down his face, looked down at him with meek eyes.

Uncles and elders who used to look down on him all came to fawn over him.

The father was also able to resume his cultivation thanks to the high-grade spiritual medicine made from the spiritual plants that his son had painstakingly found.

Gu Xingzhou did not stop there.

While participating in the martial arts tournament, he saw the famous genius detective Ling Qiye, who was invited by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. At only twenty-something years old, Ling Qiye had already broken through to the eighth level and become a big figure that the Gu family head and elders all fawned over. Gu Xingzhou vowed to trample this person under his feet and become an even more dazzling existence in the Great Sui Dynasty!

With the secret help of his master hidden in the ring, Gu Xingzhou encountered Ling Qiye and had a conflict with him. After a fight, he challenged Ling Qiye beyond his level and beat him so badly on the street that he lost face. The two finally formed an irreparable enmity and made a one-year agreement.

Over the next year, Gu Xingzhou used the Gu family's wealth to refine more spiritual herbs for himself and his master to absorb, and his strength grew stronger and stronger. In the end, he killed Ling Qiye on the arena and made a name for himself.

As the gate between the two worlds became increasingly unstable, the master finally revealed the truth—he was originally a powerful figure of the demon race, who perished due to an attack by his enemies. He also said that once the gate between the two worlds opened, a war between the two races would inevitably break out, which would be a good opportunity to fish in troubled waters and strengthen himself, so he told Gu Xingzhou to prepare in advance.

Finally, the gate between the two worlds opened, and the master and disciple took advantage of the chaos to obtain spiritual plants and divine artifacts. They swept through the chaos and finally stood at the highest peak to become the new emperors who controlled both worlds!

"Hmm, it's a very old trick." The fluffy ball glanced at it, licked its paws, and complained, "Anyway, it's just that it accidentally got a cheat code, and the young man who could be trampled on by anyone before suddenly soared to the sky."

But without his ever-present old man, he's nothing!

Lacking both strength and wealth, and without any good cultivation techniques, how could he possibly compare to Gu Qinglang, who had been pampered with so many resources since childhood? In the end, wasn't he just relying on his grandfather's help to take drugs and build up his strength?

The little white cat covered its mouth and chuckled mischievously, "But Ling Qiye, the true chosen one, has already said something about fortunes changing every thirty years, and never underestimate a young man's potential. Host, do you think this wild pseudo-master might also try something similar?"

Although the story was largely predictable, Jiang Chen still read it very carefully. He then pointed to a line of text on the scroll and reminded the reader, "See? This time, the wild pseudo-master's cheat ability, which is also the location of his personal old man, is a mysterious black ring."

"Meow?" The fluffy little ball of fur perked up its big ears and twitched. "Another ring? Didn't that hedgehog demon use the power of a ring? Is the big villain a ring wholesaler? One after another..."

Jiang Chen stroked his beard with his paw, shook his head, and said in a deep voice, "The information provided by the scroll is too general; we can't deduce anything for the time being."

Moreover, the new wild pseudo-guest Xingzhou is different from Lu Fan. Lu Fan's soul was possessed by the demon king and he can no longer be considered human.

However, Gu Xingzhou's golden finger was purely due to his halo. If he didn't make enemies and kill people indiscriminately, he wouldn't be a bad person at heart.

We don't know how far his story has progressed, so we need to keep a close eye on him and sever his connection with the ring if things don't look good. It's just a borrowed halo; as long as it gives him a bright future, a comfortable life, and a moment of pleasure, that's enough.

"We can't keep hogging the spotlight forever. If the mission world doesn't have the real protagonist's abilities to stabilize it, it might really be doomed."

"Hmm, the destruction of the world isn't the scariest thing. The scariest thing is that the destruction of this world will trigger a chain reaction and blow up other mission worlds. That would be a huge problem!"

"First, find Ling Qiye and learn about the family of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice in Kyoto. At least get a basic understanding before you start surveillance!"

"Okay, meow!" The fluffy ball of fluff wagged its big, fluffy tail excitedly and said, "Host, what color rainbow fart do you like? I'll blow it for you! Meow, I knew you were the best! You can definitely handle the most difficult situations!"

Jiang Chen put away the scroll and rolled her eyes at it. "I'll thank you enough for not messing up my fur. Why are you praising me like that?"

"Meow~ But it feels so good to pet your big, soft fur!" The little white cat remained unmoved and continued to rub its smooth, shiny black fur with its paws.

He jumped onto the wall and quickly went to find Ling Qiye, while pondering a fleeting guess in his mind.

Based on the timeline, Jiang Chen suspected that the ring Gu Xingzhou found was very likely the same one used by the hedgehog demon!

If the guess is true, then he has grasped a hidden thread—the enticement of the hedgehog demon to frame Ling Qiye and cause him to fail, thus damaging his protagonist halo, and the black substance that the little white cat just witnessed stealing the protagonist halo must be the same force.

That dark thing was invisible to everyone except Xiaobai. If the main system couldn't take any action, he might be able to start by listening to the voice that was bewitching the hedgehog demon...

With that thought in mind, Jiang Chen moved even faster.

In the bright sunlight, the small black kitten's figure resembled a black arrow, darting across the eaves and rooftops towards the distance.

"The family of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice?" Ling Qiye subconsciously touched his nose and laughed when he heard the little demon cat's question. "Why are you curious about this? Hmm, he comes from the Gu family."

The Gu family's great-grandfather's generation produced many talented individuals who even made great contributions to the establishment of the royal family.

Unlike the stories often told in vernacular novels, the Gu family did not become too powerful and instead remained extremely loyal to the royal family; the royal family did not abandon them after using them, but instead entrusted the Gu family with important responsibilities.

The Gu family initially consisted of only two brothers, both of whom were martial generals who had cultivated to the peak of the seventh level.

Later, after making outstanding military achievements, he was highly valued by the royal family, and naturally, his family branches out and gradually expanded. After all, the eldest patriarch alone had twelve sons and eight daughters; plus the second patriarch's lineage, the Gu family has now branched out into countless smaller branches, making it a first-class aristocratic family in the capital.

In this generation, there is only one civil official, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

The other generals, both large and small, were either stationed on the frontier or had joined the Military Affairs Department; in any case, they were all very capable.

Although the Gu family established itself through martial arts, they also respected poetry, literature, and etiquette. Therefore, they were very easygoing and treated their branch families well. In the years I've been in Kyoto, I've never heard of any internal conflicts within the Gu family.

Oh, by the way, a few years ago the Gu family produced a genius named Gu Qinglang, who is now nearly forty years old.

Unlike other members of his family who entered the imperial court, he preferred a free and independent life and founded the Hidden God Sect, which won him many fans by protecting the peace of the region.

Jiang Chen: ∑('△｀)？ !

Fluffy dumpling: ⊙(?◇?)？

"Host, the feeling Ling Qiye described is completely different from the story written on the scroll." The little white cat was a bit confused, tilting its head with question marks on its forehead. "Could it be that the Gu family is two-faced and has deceived the world?"

If she were truly so kind and humble, how could she have been so sarcastic and cynical towards the village boy?

Jiang Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Have you heard about the Gu family's martial arts tournament one year, where Gu Qinglang, who had just come of age, crippled a young man from a collateral branch?"

Unexpectedly, the little demon cat was so gossipy. Ling Qiye took a sip of tea and said with a smug smile, "I am the famous detective Lord Ling. Do you know any tricks that detectives use to quickly grasp the case and obtain useful clues?"

Before the bewildered little demon cat could answer, he reached out and stroked its soft, shiny black fur, twirling his fingers with satisfaction, and said, "Of course, it's because it has a wealth of knowledge, is well-informed, and has a huge amount of secret information stored up!"

The Gu family incident caused quite a stir back then, and it was known to everyone in the capital. Naturally, I also inquired about the details.

At that time, Gu Qinglang had already shown his talent as a genius and should not have appeared on the competition stage. After all, he had already advanced to level five and going on the stage would only be bullying others.

But the young man from that collateral branch was very arrogant. After winning several matches in a row, he felt he had the leverage to negotiate and demanded that the Gu family rescind the exile order and allow his father's lineage to return to the capital.

That's a ridiculous request; the Gu family is truly a large and powerful family.

Even some of the direct descendants who wanted to stay in the capital had to work hard to enter the court, earn enough fame and wealth to obtain permission from the imperial family before they could establish their own residences and build houses according to their rank.

They were from a distant, unrelated branch of the family, and they had committed a serious crime of delaying their service to the royal family, which nearly caused the collapse of the dikes on both sides of the river. The fact that they were exiled instead of beheaded was already the best way out that the head of the Gu family had managed to secure for them by taking the punishment himself.

That young man was indeed quite talented, but within the Gu family, he was only at a passable level, far from being able to make the entire family look at him differently and change their ancestral precepts.

So he challenged Gu Qinglang on the ring.

It was already quite beneath a young man in his twenties to hit an eighteen-year-old like Gu Qinglang, but he still wouldn't let it go and even spoke rudely to him.

At that time, Gu Qinglang was young and arrogant, and had been pampered since childhood. He had never suffered such grievances.

Therefore, he disregarded the family head's reprimand and stepped down to fight. As expected, his opponent couldn't even last three moves against him.

Unexpectedly, Gu Qinglang, in a fit of rage, went too far, severing the young man from a collateral branch of the family and nearly killing him. The incident even alarmed Master Fan's master, who now works at the Treasure Pavilion. Many elixirs and renowned doctors were consulted, and the young man was finally saved, but he was rendered a cripple and could no longer cultivate.

I heard that Gu Qinglang also regretted it, as he had needlessly lost a talented member of the Gu family without any grudge. So he compensated him with many spiritual herbs, gold, and silver treasures, ensuring that although he could not work, he would have enough to eat and wear and sufficient spiritual herbs to nurture his descendants.

"Meow meow meow?" Having heard some gossip, Jiang Chen stepped back to avoid the other person's hand, ignoring the sudden petting incident. Tilting her head, she curiously asked, "Are you sure you've given compensation?"

Ling Qiye was somewhat disappointed that he couldn't get it again. He withdrew his hand from the cat, touched his nose, and nodded, saying, "I'm sure. All the spiritual herbs were obtained from the Treasure Pavilion, and there are records."

As for gold, silver, and other valuables, I don't think Gu Qinglang, given his status, would need to lie.

They are a pure direct descendant, their father is the head of the family, and they grew up surrounded by treasures. They have no greed for gold or silver, so why would they tell such an easily exposed lie and tarnish their status?

If the information Ling Qiye found out is true, then the behavior of the wild pseudo-master is really inappropriate.

First, his father was rude and provocative.

Secondly, if you are not as skilled as your opponent, the most basic condition for entering the ring is to assume that you deserve to be beaten to death. If he had challenged the opponent, he should have thought about the possible consequences of losing.

In the end, although Gu Qinglang went too far, he wasn't reckless. After all, there are plenty of cases where people are killed on the stage. He was young and impetuous and didn't stop, but he made amends afterward, so the two were even.

As for the unfair treatment Gu Xingzhou's father suffered after returning home, the root cause lies with his grandfather and cannot be shifted to Gu Qinglang.

The scroll records that Gu Xingzhou was determined to cripple Gu Qinglang because he believed Gu Qinglang was the culprit.

Gu Xingzhou's perspective is: if Gu Qinglang had only defeated his father without crippling him, he wouldn't have been carried back to Junxi Town to suffer scorn and cold treatment. He would have been able to provide his mother and himself with the best living conditions as the young master of the Gu family. Therefore, Gu Qinglang is his lifelong enemy.

Every effect has a cause; if his father hadn't been arrogant and provocative, how could he have been beaten?

Winning the ring and receiving rewards allows you to continue your training and eventually rise above others through your own strength. Isn't that great?

On the one hand, he hated the Gu family for exiling him; on the other hand, he wanted to gain the favor of the Gu family. Gu Xingzhou's father was not a clear-headed person and had no idea what his goal was or how to achieve it.

In any case, we shouldn't have provoked Gu Qinglang back then.

Firstly, there's an age difference, so winning wouldn't be honorable, and losing would be even more shameful;

Secondly, what's the point of defeating someone else's direct descendant genius?

Even if one person attains enlightenment and their entire family benefits, and can bring your mediocre descendants, who are not even related to you, back to the capital, you publicly humiliated their son. Do you think the head of the family, as Gu Qinglang's father, would give you a good face?

The brainless old man almost caused a disaster by not doing his job properly. Instead of being executed, he was exiled. Not only was he ungrateful, but he also misled his descendants to cultivate with hatred, hoping to regain the family's favor.