Chapter 37: Earth-Shaking Wisdom

As is well known, Wu Hui, the "Sun Tamer," is a trusted confidant of the Dao Lord known as the "Duke of Decay."

However, at this point in time, although the Duke of Decay's identity as a puppeteer had not yet been exposed to the world, and even a confidant like Wu Hui was completely unaware of it, it would not have made the slightest difference to Wu Hui even if he had known.

Wu Hui had always lived by a single principle: absolute loyalty does not exist unless it is absolute in every sense.

Whether the Duke of Decay was a swordsman, a poison master, or a puppeteer, his only duty was to serve him.

Years ago, when he and his parents had nearly perished in the great famine of the Southwestern Dao half a century ago, it was the Duke of Decay who saved him, granting him a new lease on life through the essence crystal of the Golden Crow.

To him, the Duke of Decay was a benefactor like a teacher and a father, the sovereign who had recreated his very existence.

Even if the master were to give a single command for him to take his own life, he would not hesitate for a second.

Yet, precisely because he was unaware of this matter at the present moment, Wu Hui also had no way of knowing that the aura he perceived as belonging to the Duke of Decay was actually the special puppet aura refined by the "Demonic Refining Arts."

Once a puppet was successfully forged, its inner flesh and blood would be entirely replaced by formation arrays and guiding materials, ceasing to be a mere mortal body.

Its inherent aura would naturally shift accordingly.

Moreover, Gu Fangchen had intentionally chosen the exact same materials used for the Duke of Decay's own puppet.

Aside from the differing toxins refined through the Great Demonic Trial of Inner Demons, everything else was an exact match.

Even if their esteemed Duke of Decay himself were here, he would likely be baffled as to when he had managed to forge yet another puppet...

Wu Hui, for his part, was completely stunned.

He was far too familiar with the aura of the Duke of Decay; it was utterly impossible for him to be mistaken!

Therefore, upon sensing his master's aura emanating from Gu Fangchen, Wu Hui's mind flashed with doubt for a mere fleeting second before smoothly brushing aside any skepticism regarding Gu Fangchen's identity, and he immediately began to ponder—

Could this also be part of the plan?

The transaction with Gu Yuye had begun nineteen years ago, presided over by the "Six-Division Star Sovereign," while their "Dead Dao" faction was only ever responsible for carrying out killings.

Within the grand scheme of the plan, Gu Fangchen, the swapped son of a mere stableman, was the most negligible pawn of all.

Not a single person had ever taken him seriously.

They had simply been waiting for Gu Yuandao to ascend to his rightful place, after which this disposable tool, who had withstood karmic disasters for nineteen years, would be discarded.

Yet the "Six-Division Star Sovereign" had always acted with extreme caution, and much like his unfathomable whereabouts, no one could ever pry into his true intentions.

If this was actually meant as a cover, allowing a second-rank supreme master to personally enter the fray, it was entirely within the realm of possibility.

"According to the original plan, this fake heir should already be dead, or if not dead, posing no threat to us whatsoever. Yet now, so many variables have appeared out of thin air..."

"Given the style of the 'Six-Division Star Sovereign,' the probability of a flaw in the plan is practically zero."

"Indeed. How could Gu Fangchen, a useless wretch whose meridians and dantian were completely destroyed, possibly possess the formidable capability to overturn a situation that was already thoroughly sealed?"

Wu Hui's expression grew grave as he fell into deep contemplation, followed by a sudden realization.

"It turns out everything is still going according to plan!"

The moment this thought crossed Wu Hui's mind, all the intricate details that everyone had previously racked their brains over without finding an answer suddenly fell neatly into place.

"Why is Gu Fangchen suddenly seemingly capable of cultivation? Because this is no longer Gu Fangchen at all, but a venerable second-rank supreme master, the 'Dead Dao' Lord, the 'Duke of Decay'."

"Why did Gu Fangchen suddenly turn out to possess Gu Yuye's bloodline during the verification process? Because this is entirely the handiwork of the 'Six-Division Star Sovereign'."

"Since he was capable of swapping the karma of the two individuals, he naturally possesses the means to pull off another grand deception."

"Why go to such lengths?"

Wu Hui's mind raced at lightning speed, his pupils abruptly contracting as he conceived a bold yet rational hypothesis.

"Cooperating with Gu Yuye ultimately means remaining subjugated to another. The Military Saint is, after all, cunning, and the risk of the hunting dog being boiled once the hare is caught is inevitable. Why not take matters into our own hands?"

"The variables surrounding Gu Fangchen have alerted the Yong'an Emperor to anomalies, and this old monster will certainly make an issue of it."

"By then, in order to keep Gu Yuye in check, he will undoubtedly actively support Gu Fangchen's rise to power, using him to counter Gu Yuandao."

"Yet neither of them could possibly imagine that Gu Fangchen is actually the Master himself. In this way, the initiative falls entirely back into our hands."

"Even arranging for Gu Fangchen to come into contact with the 'Dao of Karma' was likely done to facilitate this very undertaking..."

"Originally, even if Gu Yuandao forced the Yong'an Emperor to acknowledge him, he would still have had to consider how to maneuver against the Emperor afterward, secure his footing, and further win the hearts of the people."

"But now, that is no longer necessary. It is tantamount to Gu Yuandao being treated as an abandoned piece, directly used as a target, while Gu Fangchen, backed by the Yong'an Emperor, naturally possesses supreme legitimacy and utterly no worries for the future!"

"Dealing with a mere Gu Yuye is far less difficult than dealing with the Yong'an Emperor!"

The roles of offense and defense had shifted seamlessly!

As expected of the Master!

At that moment, Wu Hui was deeply awed by the astonishing wisdom of the "Duke of Decay."

With a thought, the flame-condensed birds once again melted back into the moonlight, waiting a moment before fluttering into Gu Fangchen's room.

Presumably, this contact was also an arrangement orchestrated by the Master.

He must do his utmost to serve the Master!

...

Gu Fangchen tidied up his clothes, called in Xuexiang who was standing guard outside, and instructed her to support Qingjian—who had just awakened from unconsciousness yet remained in a daze and utterly drained of strength—to bathe and change.

Xuexiang obeyed obediently, gently supporting Qingjian, before suddenly furrowing her brows and sniffing the air with her delicate nose.

What... is this scent?

It's sweet, but a bit strange...

Xuexiang's suspicious gaze fell upon Qingjian, and seeing the latter biting her lips while her body continued to spasm involuntarily from time to time, her face instantly flushed red.

How could this be? This—this person seems to be a Xiyin attendant from the Matriarch Sect!

They always said that Xiyin attendants rescue the suffering, serve the Prajna Princess heart and soul, and are all pure and flawless maidens... yet looking like this, she's clearly been thoroughly ruined.

Shameless!

Xuexiang inwardly spat with quiet irritation.

Clearly, she was the young master's rightful intimate maid, yet someone else had beaten her to it, and a Xiyin attendant at that. It was simply outrageous.

She became all the more convinced that she simply hadn't been proactive enough, resolving in her heart to secretly seize an opportunity.

...

Gu Fangchen performed a simple cleansing incantation, clearing away the mess left scattered across the room.

At this moment, his physical body had undergone a complete transformation; his upper, middle, and lower dantians had been entirely replaced by formations woven from Subduing Demon Nails.

These formations resembled spreading crimson fungal threads, covering every single inch of his flesh and blood.

Judging solely by physical strength, he had already directly reached the seventh rank of the martial dao, the Blood-Rushing Realm!

If anyone were to investigate from within, they would discover that Gu Fangchen's current body resembled a massive nest occupied by an unknown entity, appearing utterly terrifying.

However, the formation of the "Demonic Refining Arts" inherently possessed the function of concealing its actual state, so Gu Fangchen had no fear of exposure.

Now, his spiritual sense was no longer without support; it could peacefully reside within the demonic nest, and even cultivate by relying on the spiritual Qi provided by the Subduing Demon Nails, acting no differently from ordinary people.

However...

Gu Fangchen raised his hand, and with a mere thought, his fingertips turned pitch black.

Previously, he only had lethal poison sealed within his blood, but now, he could freely control the manifestation of these two distinct poisons.

This meant that he himself was now an offensive magical artifact of terrifying lethality.

Gu Fangchen narrowed his eyes, abruptly noticing that his shadow seemed somewhat amiss.

There was only a single lamp in the room, so there should naturally be only one shadow cast by his figure, yet now, there were faintly discernible, relatively dim, and nearly imperceptible scattered overlapping shadows.

As if multiple invisible light sources had suddenly appeared.

With a faint smile, he picked up the cold tea from the small table and spoke:

"A-Hui, warm a cup of tea for me."

Wu Hui materialized, harboring not a shred of doubt remaining in his heart. He respectfully knelt upon the ground, holding the cup with both hands while carefully controlling the Golden Crow fire to warm the tea for Gu Fangchen.