The porcelain doll that Gu Fangchen threw was the most valuable among the four things he had tricked out of the tooth craftsman by sheer skill earlier.
In Mirror in the Dust, the quality of items was also divided into nine ranks:
Aphorism Grade (Rainbow), Divine Grade (Red), Supreme Grade (Orange), Rare Grade (Gold), Superior Grade (Purple), Fine Grade (Blue), Mediocre Grade (Green), Common Grade (Gray), and Ungraded (White).
Both the Thousand Tribulation Silk and the Rising Tide of the Azure Sea were golden-quality weapons, Rare Grade.
Though rare, they were not unique, still reproducible within the world.
The Spirit-Nurturing Bottle, on the other hand, began at Blue Fine Grade but could be upgraded all the way to Orange Supreme Grade.
It could refine souls for nourishment, the more it consumed, the faster it leveled up. It was undoubtedly an evil artifact.
However, it could refine only third-grade Divine Path cultivators at most; against a second-grade one, it was powerless.
Any of these three would be priceless treasures to an ordinary cultivator.
But that unassuming, clean white porcelain doll, almost cute in appearance, was one of the few Red Divine Grade items in the game!
This porcelain doll's true name was Blood Substitute Child.
It originated from the Pool of Lament, yes, the same sect to which the player character belonged in the story.
In the original Mirror in the Dust plotline, the player who could change the fate of the world was no ordinary figure, but a disciple of the hidden sect known as the Pool of Lament.
Yet about this sect, the narrative revealed almost nothing.
It merely mentioned that whenever chaos was about to descend upon the world, the Pool of Lament would send a disciple into the mortal realm to end the strife.
Their mode of action was somewhat similar to that of the Celestial Fate Dao, the sect to which Xu Fu belonged.
But they were not always successful.
Now, thinking about it carefully, if the Emperor Yong'an was in fact the Lord of the Dao of Constancy, and if every time the world fell into and emerged from turmoil it was all his doing,
Then a chilling possibility presented itself:
Perhaps the so-called hidden sect Pool of Lament actually worshipped Constancy itself.
In the game, since players controlled the character's behavior, all of the character's actions reflected player intent. As such, the protagonist's background and history were largely unknown.
Therefore, this was only conjecture.
Perhaps the sect truly was simply benevolent and compassionate.
In this world, there were no players, and it was unknown whether the Pool of Lament still sent disciples into the mortal realm.
Regardless, that sect had existed for an unimaginably long time, and many of its disciples' relics were scattered across the world.
These items were of excellent quality, and only those who were disciples of the Pool of Lament knew how to use them.
They were both player-exclusive items and collectibles in the game.
As a completionist player who had collected everything, Gu Fangchen of course would not miss out on this Divine Grade artifact.
The function of the Blood Substitute Child was simple: it used blood as a medium to temporarily exchange the karmic links of two bodies.
It was a form of karmic sorcery.
In the game, most humanoid artifacts were related to karmic techniques.
For example, the avatar technique of the Sixth Division Star Lord used straw dolls as a medium for its activation.
Now, the Blood Substitute Child already bore Gu Fangchen's blood. When the blood from the fifth-grade master's arm splattered upon it, the doll absorbed both instantly.
Its pale face flushed crimson in two eerie patches, then stretched into a grotesque smile.
The Blood Exchange Art, activated!
Ning Songjun suddenly felt a throb between his brows and an overwhelming sense of danger surged through him. His pupils contracted sharply.
It had been years, many years, since he had last felt such clear peril.
Even when controlling another's body through divine sense, he had never encountered anyone capable of making him feel threatened.
Yet today, while controlling a fifth-grade martial master, facing a sixth-grade opponent, that sensation had returned?!
Ning Songjun spotted the porcelain doll on the ground and immediately realized that it was the source of the anomaly.
A cold glint flashed through his eyes, and his sword intent erupted in an instant. He attempted to slash the doll apart to stop its activation.
But it was already too late.
The wounds on Gu Fangchen's body were fatal to anyone else.
But the wounds on Ning Songjun's vessel, a mere explosion of the arm, were far lighter.
When the injuries switched, Gu Fangchen had profited immensely.
The two of them blinked at the same time, and as their eyes closed, they saw that grinning porcelain face looming before them.
When Gu Fangchen opened his eyes again, his soul had returned to his body, and sharp pain lanced through both arms.
When Ning Songjun opened his eyes, he was already back in his true body.
That meant the fifth-grade martial artist he had possessed was now gone, vanished into the Dao of Death.
His expression turned grim, and his gaze grew heavy.
Such decisiveness and cunning, this man, whoever he was, possessed the bearing of a true overlord!
Ning Songjun immediately reached for the sword beside him, transforming into a streak of light as he flew toward the direction of Ning Caiyong's carriage.
In his eyes, a man this dangerous, who had just declared his intent to seek out Ning Caiyong, clearly posed a threat to her.
He had to reach her as quickly as possible and slay the intruder before harm could come to his sister.
...
"Huff..."
Gu Fangchen looked at the fifth-grade cultivator before him, now lying motionless on the ground with a hole through his brow, and finally exhaled deeply.
Then he sat down heavily, feeling pain surge through both his arms.
"Damn, "
"Well, that's great... both arms are wrecked now."
He glanced at his injuries. One arm was merely drenched in blood, while the other was in a far more miserable state, mangled beyond recognition.
The earlier backlash hadn't hindered him much, but this time, it was impossible to ignore.
Fortunately, he had looted plenty of treasures from that late fifth-grade formation cultivator, Master Huadu.
Indeed, it paid to loot thoroughly before leaving.
Picking up the porcelain doll, now once more clean and innocent-looking, Gu Fangchen took out a few healing pills, swallowed them in one gulp, and sat cross-legged to meditate and recover.
He paid no mind to Gu Lianqian, who was still hiding in fear behind the cold waterfall.
Well, now that the greatest danger had been resolved, it hardly mattered.
Though honestly, with the Sword Saint having shown up, there had never been much real danger to begin with.
Still, if Gu Lianqian didn't suffer a little, how would she realize just how perilous her situation was?
Only then would she begin to question why, in such dire circumstances, Gu Yuye had not yet come to rescue her.
Only then would she understand how fragile and laughable the "father-daughter affection" she so cherished truly was.
And more importantly, for the heroic rescue he was about to stage, her terror had to peak, only then could his appearance have the power to "support the collapsing tower."
Don't ask why the tower collapsed.
It's enough that it was held up!
...
Inside the Purple Extremity Hall.
Gu Yuye had been kneeling within the hall for three days and three nights, his expression grave and his heart heavy.
After a hundred years of rule, Emperor Yong'an had appeared in court only rarely, perhaps once every several years. Most of the time, he summoned one or two ministers privately, with Xiao Qiu conveying imperial decrees in his stead.
The last time he convened all civil and military officials was when Gu Yuandao had achieved top honors in the imperial exams and been accepted as a direct disciple by a Sage. It had been a grand occasion, one that gave Gu Yuye a chance to speak publicly.
But Gu Yuye had taken that opportunity to appear in armor, questioning war reports and boldly declaring that the Autumn Peace Road front had collapsed, claims that turned out to be nonsense.
The emperor had shown leniency, merely ordering him to "reflect quietly in the Purple Extremity Hall for three days" so that he might learn not to act rashly again.
Fortunately, Emperor Yong'an rarely held full court meetings anymore. Otherwise, the sight of the "Saint of War" kneeling for days would have become the talk of the realm.
Still, this "reflection" was torment for Gu Yuye, worse than death.
By now, the news of his punishment had already spread throughout Huangtian City.
Countless rivals must have been laughing in secret.
The man famed as the "Saint of War," who prided himself on flawless strategy, had misjudged the entire situation on the Autumn Peace Road front!
His "perfect control of the battlefield" had proven hollow. His legendary title now rang false.
The higher one stands, the harder the fall.
Worse still, his troops had followed him with absolute faith precisely because of his reputation. That faith was now shaken.
Gu Yuye had made mistakes before, but they were always minor errors of detail, never such a complete reversal.
Now, how many among his ranks would begin to doubt him?
That was the most devastating blow of all.
Confined in the Purple Extremity Hall, unable to issue new orders or respond to unfolding events, his influence waned by the hour.
He had revealed his ambition yet was forced to stay his hand. If he dared act now, the emperor would pounce.
Thus, he had to behave submissively, to leave no excuse for further censure.
But that also meant relinquishing control over the board.
Even now, though Gu Lianqian was being hunted and cornered, Gu Yuye could not publicly dispatch anyone to save her.
Years ago, he had gained Emperor Yong'an's trust by keeping his family as hostages in Huangtian City.
Therefore, even if Gu Lianqian bore the Lotus Concealed in the Womb, he could not defy the emperor's order of "reflection."
That was his "loyalty."
The emperor had trapped him here precisely to make him prove it.
So what if Gu Lianqian later resented him?
She was merely a piece in his grand game, a pawn to be sacrificed.
Her true value lay not in herself but in what she could bring him.
If he could secure the alliance of the Tara Sect, that would be her greatest use.
Lowering his head, Gu Yuye looked at the mirror-smooth floor reflecting the faint outline of the dragon throne behind the heavy curtain.
His foremost concern now was how to regain the trust of the Tara Sect, and to uncover why the accursed Demon Sect had attacked the Lotus-Born Temple.
As for Gu Lianqian's safety?
That he did not fear.
The Sword Pavilion would be far more anxious than he was.
After all, in this world, was there anyone the Sword Saint could not protect?
...
When Gu Fangchen slipped into the hidden cave behind the cold waterfall, he found Gu Lianqian huddled in a corner, clutching an ugly little clay figurine and trembling.
The once-radiant young lady now looked pale as paper, her face streaked with dried tears. Long lashes clung together with droplets.
She wore only a pale-yellow bellyband, her crumpled outer robe beneath her serving as a thin cushion.
She was filthy and disheveled, like a withered white radish pulled fresh from the mud.
The damp stone floor was spattered with dried blood. The sight was pitiful indeed.
Clearly, the days of pursuit had driven the princess of the palace through unspeakable hardship.
"Sigh."
Gu Fangchen sighed softly.
Fragments of the body's original memories surfaced in his mind.
In those early years, the original Gu Fangchen had gotten along well with Gu Lianqian. She was his only sister, after all.
When she was two or three, she had adored following him around, a little tail who never left his side.
They had stolen bird eggs together and been scolded together.
Those memories remained vivid.
But after his meridians were destroyed and her brilliance in martial arts grew, all the attention of others had turned toward her.
At first, Gu Fangchen merely fought back when mocked.
Later, when the comparisons and insults never stopped, he lashed out at everyone, including her.
To him, Gu Lianqian became an eyesore, dazzling in ways that only reminded him of his own ruin.
To her, Gu Fangchen grew more twisted and extreme by the day.
Hearing others vilify him again and again, she gradually believed it.
He had once tried to mend things, giving her rare treasures he could obtain.
But the more he relied on his title as heir, the more hopeless she found him.
In the end, jealousy consumed him, and one of his retainers, actually a plant of Gu Yuye's, urged him toward darker thoughts: to destroy her talent outright.
He never got the chance. She caught him first, kicked him into an icy lake in midwinter, and left him half-dead from poison.
Gu Fangchen smirked.
Gu Yuye had truly gone to great lengths to turn the original owner into a cripple.
But that debt would be repaid, every last coin of it.
Picking up Gu Lianqian's sash, he blindfolded her gently and tied a knot. Then he swept his hand, sending a wave of icy water over her.
"Ah!"
Gu Lianqian awoke with a startled cry.