Chapter Forty-Four: A Masterstroke of Deception

Page 1/3

Damn, the final big boss is actually my father?

Gu Fangchen twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking that while it was possible he was a descendant of the “Master of Hengchang Dao,” it seemed unlikely.

Although he was intimately familiar with the storylines accessible to players in The Mirror Within Dust, he couldn’t be certain about this matter.

After all, the original Gu Fangchen had died before the story even began...

The only secret left behind by the “Master of Hengchang Dao” was just one clue, with no corroborating texts.

Gu Fangchen could only say that it was a possibility.

But there was far more information that contradicted his understanding.

First and foremost—

If he truly was a descendant of the “Master of Hengchang Dao,” then why would Emperor Yong’an entrust him to Gu Yuye, allowing Gu Yuye to ruin the child’s upbringing, even leading to his untimely death?

The “Master of Hengchang Dao” was the third known first-rank Divine Dao cultivator in the game.

The other two were the Confucian Sage of Yao Mountain, who had established half the realm, and the previous Sword Saint who had achieved corporeal ascension on Tianmen Mountain.

These three figures, along with the player who reached max level after the ending, were the only four known living first-rank Eternal Realm cultivators in the game.

The Eternal Realm, as the name suggests, signifies an existence that endures through the ages, as eternal as the heavens and earth.

At this level, one is essentially immortal and indestructible. Any living Eternal Realm cultivator is overwhelmingly powerful compared to other practitioners.

The Wei Dynasty had the Confucian Sage publicly, which was why it could stand firm for over thirteen centuries despite internal and external troubles.

However, in the side storyline at Yao Mountain Academy, if one takes the [Demonic Descent] path, an unfathomable method is used to indirectly kill this Confucian Sage.

This plunged Wei into genuine chaos, forcing it to rely on Xu Fu for support.

This proved that the Eternal Realm was not invincible; human effort could still overcome heaven.

But generally, a first-rank Divine Dao cultivator is unbeatable because at this level, they can interfere with the timeline.

The Six Officials Star Lords, by splitting their own causalities and entering reincarnation, could only barely master a near-time-interference technique.

They could anchor the “past” to control the “present.”

But for a first-rank Divine Dao cultivator, this is a mere thought—they no longer exist in the present but have ascended to a higher dimension.

Emperor Yong’an was effectively just an avatar of the “Master of Hengchang Dao,” but in this moment of spacetime, he was the “Master of Hengchang Dao.”

To say Emperor Yong’an was unaware is simply impossible.

Gu Fangchen currently had two guesses.

Either he did it intentionally.

The “Master of Hengchang Dao’s” constant was his Dao, so he wanted to eliminate the factor that caused him to change.

Hence, he secretly replaced Gu Yuye’s son with his own descendant to kill him.

But then Emperor Yong’an’s ambiguous attitude toward him seemed contradictory.

Or, there was some hidden truth behind it—perhaps related to the “Debate on the Dao” that caused the immutable to change.

Who spoke with the “Master of Hengchang Dao” during that debate, and what was said that led him to choose change, either actively or passively?

Page 2/3

Perhaps within that lay the reason that compelled Emperor Yong’an’s actions.

With insufficient information, Gu Fangchen couldn’t arrive at a firm conclusion.

However, these speculations did provide some help regarding his situation.

At least, they confirmed one thing—

He must not pretend before Emperor Yong’an to be some ancient monster who had possessed and been reborn.

If he really was the descendant of the “Master of Hengchang Dao,” doing so would be a death sentence.

Though this tactic was useful for now, it only worked because the original body had no relation to those powerful figures.

But now... who could accept their own descendant being possessed by someone else?

If Emperor Yong’an wanted to kill him, that was his own business. If others interfered, that would be courting death...

So the best strategy was to stand with Emperor Yong’an and continue playing the original role without overstepping.

At the same time, he could test what Emperor Yong’an really thought...

Gu Fangchen thought a moment and spoke directly:

“Your Majesty summoned me just to look at me?”

Emperor Yong’an smiled:

“Is that not allowed?”

Gu Fangchen: “...”

Is that really how you say it? Your Majesty, you’re a bit off your rocker.

“Since Your Majesty wants to look, of course you may.”

He grinned boldly:

“But Your Majesty, Gu Yuye is still waiting to kill me; if you keep looking, he’ll be frantic.”

Emperor Yong’an’s attitude toward Gu Fangchen was ambiguous, but his attitude toward Gu Yuye was unmistakably clear.

So it was best to divert attention away from Gu Fangchen and refocus the main issue on Gu Yuye.

Having a common enemy often unites parties more than shared interests.

Emperor Yong’an said calmly:

“I don’t see him in a hurry. He even has the leisure to chat with someone at White Horse Temple.”

That meant he had already struck up a conversation with Princess Prajna.

Gu Fangchen’s mind shifted:

“Princess Prajna came searching for the sacred artifact, which, because of the sixth-generation Saintess’s reincarnation, has now merged with Gu Lianqian.”

“If Gu Yuye uses this to threaten, the Dumu Sect will likely be swayed by him.”

He didn’t hide that he knew some information, wanting to see Emperor Yong’an’s reaction.

Page 3/3

Through the long banner, Emperor Yong’an gave Gu Fangchen a deep look:

“Haven’t you already sent the Candle-Cutting Ghost to kill people in the Dumu Sect?”

Indeed, not even this could be hidden...

After all, they were colleagues within the demonic cult, on equal footing. Emperor Yong’an knew the puppet master identity of the “Lord of Corruption.”

Moreover, he likely knew where the “Lord of Corruption” was now, unlike those below who had gaps in information.

It was absolutely impossible for that person to be here impersonating Gu Fangchen.

Gu Fangchen cleared his throat:

“That was merely a delaying tactic, only a temporary solution.”

“Do you have a permanent method?”

“Not exactly...”

Gu Fangchen chuckled:

“But I do have a way to split the Dumu Sect and Gu Yuye.”

“Oh?”

Emperor Yong’an asked:

“What method?”

Gu Fangchen narrowed his eyes, glanced at his [Angler] skill, and smiled brightly:

“Stealing heaven and swapping days.”

[Definitely Not Purchased] could last four days.

During these four days, he planned to forge a “Lotus Hidden in the Womb” to replace the real one.

First, he needed a counterfeit.

But even as a fake, the “Lotus Hidden in the Womb” was not something just anyone could create—only the “Tooth Artisan” had that skill.

Gu Fangchen knew where the Tooth Artisan was, but he couldn’t get to him.

Therefore, he intended to lure Gu Yuye into action, because opportunities for the demonic cult to act in Huangtian City were rare.

Gu Yuye would surely deploy a secret agent and mark Gu Fangchen to measure him, allowing Gu Fangchen to enter the measurement path’s teleportation system, the “Meridian Intervals,” to transport near the Tooth Artisan.

Of course, the most difficult part was that the Lotus Hidden in the Womb had already fused with Gu Lianqian, so no one had seen it and there was no template—except Gu Fangchen had seen it.

————

P.S.: Diligent but failed again... (kneeling)