Old Ding rolled his eyes. Watching Gu Fangchen use almost the same rhetoric to talk Ning Songjun around, he knew that once again, he would fail to uncover this man's true origins.
To be honest, he had previously suspected this fellow might have come from the Pool of Lament.
After all, that kind of secret technique, so profound that even he could not see through its depth, if not from the Pool of Lament, then where else could it have come from?
But the longer he observed, the less he felt that this guy resembled those old monsters who had lived through countless cycles of reincarnation.
In fact, if one were to say he truly was Gu Fangchen himself, that would seem more believable.
Those who have lived too long can no longer act or speak with the natural air of youth.
This made the gossip-loving Martial Saint even more curious.
Unfortunately, even today, his itching curiosity would go unsatisfied.
"If Uncle truly refuses to believe me," Gu Fangchen smiled and said, "then know that Gu Yuye also doesn't believe I'm the real Gu Fangchen. So he will definitely have Master Juehui come and verify my identity through heart-blood and soul essence."
"When that time comes, once the result is revealed by Gu Yuye's own hand, I imagine even Uncle will have no choice but to believe?"
Gu Yuye's order for Juehui to bring out those two things was precisely to confirm whether Gu Fangchen was genuine.
But Gu Fangchen, in turn, could use this chance to firmly cement his identity.
Of course, that depended on whether he could make the result turn in his favor.
He had many methods in mind but planned to wait until his "profession refresh" tonight before deciding how to act.
Ning Songjun sheathed his sword and withdrew his spiritual power, nodding. "Very well, then we'll wait for that Master Juehui to arrive."
Gu Fangchen turned to Ning Caiyong.
Ning Caiyong pressed her lips together. This time, unlike before, she did not immediately rush forward in concern to check whether Gu Fangchen was hurt. Instead, she hesitated a moment before cautiously extending her hand.
Gu Fangchen stepped forward, took her hand, lowered his head, and confessed softly, "Mother, I'm sorry. I hid the truth from you for so long, and I even deceived you once."
Indeed, when he swapped cause and effect earlier, he had truly hurt Ning Caiyong's heart.
But by revealing everything now, the suffering the original Gu Fangchen had endured seemed even more terrifying, quietly evoking sympathy.
Given how deeply Ning Caiyong loved him, discovering that her child had silently borne such pressure would only make her heart ache more.
It felt as though a heavy stone in her heart finally dropped. She exhaled and shook her head. "Mother understands. You did it for your own survival. If Gu Yuye had not been so cruel, and if I had been there, you would never have resorted to such a desperate plan."
If Gu Yuye had indeed been the one who crippled Gu Fangchen, then after being exposed, choosing to acknowledge him as his enemy's son must have been the only way to survive. Even Ning Caiyong probably could not have protected him otherwise.
Otherwise, with how much she doted on Gu Fangchen, she would never have reached the point of recognizing a thief as her father.
This made it even clearer how ruthless Gu Yuye truly was.
Just thinking through the chain of events sent chills through her heart.
At this moment, perhaps the only thing that could bring Ning Caiyong a trace of comfort was that Gu Yuye hadn't actually betrayed her.
However, faced with this greater revelation, she almost wished he had.
Because if everything had been orchestrated by Gu Yuye himself, then even the separation between her and her own child had been his doing.
He had placed Gu Fangchen at her side to raise, only to harm him again and again.
His true aim was nothing more than to gain the emperor's trust while paving the way for Gu Yuandao, so that one day, when he reclaimed the position of Heir Apparent, it would appear fully justified.
And what was sacrificed in the process? Not only Gu Fangchen.
The one who had truly been kept in the dark, used as a pawn, was Ning Caiyong herself.
"In truth," she murmured with a bitter smile, "I've thought the same these past few days. I simply didn't want to believe that the man beside me could be so terrifying."
If Gu Fangchen hadn't discovered everything early on, would Gu Yuye and Gu Yuandao, after revealing their bond, have destroyed Gu Fangchen's place in her heart, forcing her to slowly accept Gu Yuandao, acting out the play of a loving mother and filial son, only for Gu Yuye to smile in satisfaction, thinking he held everything under control?
Just imagining that made Ning Caiyong's stomach churn with revulsion.
Ning Songjun spoke softly beside her. "Elder Sister, the future is long..."
It would have been better if he had said nothing. The moment he spoke, Ning Caiyong's face darkened.
She had always been gentle, but this time Ning Songjun's repeated threats using Gu Fangchen's life had pushed her beyond her limit.
"You've grown up, haven't you? Now you no longer listen to your elder sister. I tell you to go east, you insist on going west. Even Fangchen is more obedient than you!"
Do I really have to be compared to this guy? That's a bit much, isn't it? That hurts, sister.
Ning Songjun was annoyed, but when he looked up and saw his sister's fiery glare, his voice softened. "No..."
"Then go back now," Ning Caiyong snapped. "And don't mention this again."
"Oh."
Ning Songjun responded and walked a few steps before turning back with a blank face. "Elder Sister, if I leave, who will escort you?"
Gu Fangchen interjected, "Uncle is right. Gu Yuye will certainly send more pursuers. We're still some distance from the Sword Pavilion. Someone must guard the road to keep these flies from troubling us."
He glanced at the several men Gu Yuye had sent, still pinned to the ground by Ning Songjun's earlier strike.
Ning Caiyong's expression softened. "Fangchen is right."
The difference in treatment was staggering...
The Sword Saint felt wronged, but he didn't dare say it.
After all, with a Martial Saint among them, a Sword Saint like him was nearly redundant.
If Gu Fangchen hadn't spoken on his behalf, he probably would have been sent away entirely.
Though staying behind just to swat flies wasn't much better.
The group reorganized the carriages and continued toward the Sword Pavilion.
Gu Fangchen rode with Qing Jian and Xuexiang, while Ning Caiyong was in another carriage, personally driven by Ning Songjun, tending to Gu Lianqian, who had been healed by Qing Jian.
As for Old Ding, he had once again disappeared into the surroundings like a hermit.
According to him, after so many years, he was accustomed to solitude and didn't want to appear before people like some monkey in a cage.
Gu Fangchen, however, suspected the old man simply enjoyed eavesdropping on gossip and then suddenly jumping out to startle everyone.
Inside the carriage.
Xuexiang was half asleep.
Gu Fangchen narrowed his eyes, watching Dragon Hollow Lake draw nearer, his gaze glimmering.
The next major event would likely be the Chaos of the Seven Sects. But although it would take place at the Sword Pavilion, it wasn't part of the Pavilion's main storyline, it marked the beginning of Yaoshan Academy's main arc.
Or rather, the story of the Confucian School and the Crown Prince.
He quietly recalled the relevant plot.
The Seven Sects spanned all four southwestern circuits: Iron Tile Hall, Nine Sword Gate, and Fire Blaze Sect of Liuhua Province; Lone Cliff Peak of Stone Gate Circuit; Sun River Sword Sect and Sinking Sand Gang of Sun River Circuit; and Galloping Horse Relay of Yitai Circuit.
Qing Jian drew the curtain closed, took his hand, and golden lotus petals began to spin in her eyes.
Behind her appeared a snow-white, dazzlingly beautiful divine manifestation, the aspect of Princess Prajna.
Prajna Lianyue smiled charmingly at him. "You seem so calm and at ease. Have you decided how you'd like to die?"
Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow. "Why does the Princess say such a thing? What heaven-offending crime have I committed that I must die for it?"
Prajna Lianyue sighed. "You dare deceive me, what more could there be?"
Gu Fangchen looked innocent. "I have always conquered people with sincerity. I don't recall ever deceiving the Princess."
Prajna Lianyue's manifestation circled around him, her hand sliding gently over his chest as she leaned close to whisper, "You don't know? The news that your sister carries the 'Lotus Concealed in the Womb' has already spread throughout all the Immortal Sects. And you still dare claim only you know where it is?"
Gu Fangchen shrugged. "Then someone must be trying to mislead the world. If Gu Lianqian really carried such a sacred relic, wouldn't it have been discovered long ago?"
Prajna Lianyue whispered in his ear, "Not on her body, then perhaps... within it?"
As she expected, Gu Fangchen's expression instantly darkened.