Gu Lianxian stared blankly at the empty room before her. If not for the extinguished candle flames, proof that someone had indeed been here, she would have thought that what had just happened was another terrifying nightmare.
But when she pursed her lips and tried to grab her pillow for some small sense of safety, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in both shoulders.
Startled, she looked down and saw two purple handprints on her pale white shoulders. Her delicate body trembled violently, and her face turned even paler.
The handprints were clearly the size of an adult man's hands, firm, ruthless, and without restraint.
Just moments ago, she had been so terrified that she hadn't even noticed the pain. Only now did she realize that the grip had been so forceful it nearly crushed her bones.
If she had circulated her spiritual energy to defend herself, someone with Gu Fangchen's Seventh Stage Wandering Spirit Realm soul would never have been able to leave such deep marks on her Sixth Stage Martial Courage Realm body. But clearly, she had been too consumed by fear to do so.
This must be his warning...
Gu Lianxian felt almost suffocated, as though that man had never left and was still there in the dark, watching her with those cold, damp eyes.
She crossed her arms and gently rubbed the handprints on her shoulders. The pain made beads of sweat break out on her forehead. Panic gripped her heart as she recalled the man's words.
After a moment's hesitation, the girl closed her eyes, exhaling softly as she buried her head against her knees.
I'm sorry... Second Brother, I can't help you anymore.
That man was like a shadowy demon that toyed with her at will.
Not only had he survived, but he could come and go within the Sword Pavilion without anyone noticing, and leave such marks on her body effortlessly. She couldn't even imagine how high his cultivation must be.
If she defied him, and he chose to harm the Sword Pavilion, or anyone else, the consequences would be unimaginable.
She might be pretending, but that man... he was a monster for real.
Still, Gu Lianxian believed firmly that she would not lose this bet.
She lifted her head again, her eyes filled with determination.
Though she had only known her Second Brother for a short while, she had long heard of Zhang Yuandao's reputation. Moreover, her eldest sister, Gu Youren, a teacher at the academy, also held him in high regard.
No matter what, she refused to believe that her Second Brother would ever do something to hurt their mother!
Wasn't it Gu Fangchen, the bastard, who had caused their mother so much sorrow all this time?
"Bastard... all of them are bastards!"
"To make me kneel and bark like a dog before Gu Fangchen... I would never do such a thing!"
Gu Lianxian bit down hard on her lip, filled with fury. For a brief instant earlier, when the man had mentioned Gu Fangchen, she had indeed felt something strange.
But then she reasoned that he must have known about her conflict with Gu Fangchen, and was merely using that fact to humiliate her.
She had always despised Gu Fangchen. Forcing her to kneel before that man and bark like a dog, what better way to destroy her pride?
But this time, that man had miscalculated completely!
The girl firmly believed that her Second Brother would prove himself through action, striking the man's face with the truth.
Though her heart burned with defiance, in reality, Gu Lianxian huddled pitifully in the corner of the wall, clutching her pillow and pulling the blanket over herself layer by layer. She didn't dare call anyone in and stayed that way until exhaustion and fear finally dragged her into a restless sleep.
...
Gu Fangchen had not left. He stood there quietly, observing for a long while.
As he expected, after hearing his demand and seeing him vanish, Gu Lianxian's expression wavered between confusion and fear, but in the end, she chose to hide like an ostrich.
Those two handprints, he had used every ounce of strength his current soul could muster to create them.
He had done it deliberately, to deepen her fear of his presence during her panic.
Only by planting the idea that this "figure" was omnipotent could he make her further convince herself to obey its every command.
Be it the bridge effect or Stockholm syndrome, it didn't matter.
Gu Fangchen's ultimate goal was to replace Gu Yuye's position in Gu Lianxian's heart, becoming the new and only pillar of her shattered psyche.
Gu Lianxian's childish naivety made her the perfect pawn for manipulation.
And precisely because she was so foolish, the clever ones, Gu Yuandao and Gu Yuye, would never suspect her.
To them, Gu Lianxian would always appear as a natural ally standing firmly on their side.
Thus, they would never guard against her, never imagine she might betray them.
Gu Fangchen's methods were far more extreme and insidious. He was reshaping Gu Lianxian's very personality.
On the surface, she remained rational, supporting and trusting them. But in truth, she was already incapable of disobeying Gu Fangchen's will. Even if her heart resisted, her body would subconsciously follow his words.
When the time came, Gu Lianxian would be the sharpest, most useful blade in Gu Fangchen's hand.
After all...
Even when Gu Yuye fled to Qingman, he had not forgotten to take Gu Lianxian with him.
"Still... it's not quite enough yet."
Gu Fangchen rubbed his chin, his eyes flickering as he gazed at the tear-stained face before him.
He had deliberately mentioned his own name, placing the bet on "Gu Fangchen," just to test her reaction.
Even earlier, when he had entered the carriage as the "Nameless Daoist" but appeared before Gu Lianxian as "Gu Fangchen", that had been another psychological blow.
That encounter had been full of flaws.
A bit of thought would have revealed the truth instantly.
But the first time it happened, Gu Lianxian had instinctively chosen self-deception, separating "the Nameless Daoist" from "Gu Fangchen."
Because if the Nameless Daoist was Gu Fangchen, then her fragile, newly rebuilt psyche would have shattered completely.
So she chose to lie to herself.
And this time was the same.
Gu Lianxian could not accept that the man she despised and the one she feared were the same person.
Gu Fangchen's plan was to pry open that sealed heart, again and again.
When Gu Lianxian finally realized that all three figures were one and the same, but still refused to say it aloud, choosing instead to be deceived and sink willingly, then his work would be complete.
By then, Gu Fangchen would be both her pillar and her nightmare.
And she would never be able to leave him again, becoming his obedient little dog.
...
Gu Fangchen returned to his own body.
Before him, a cascade of notifications had finally stopped flashing, meaning that the sect masters and elders he'd targeted were now completely drained.
He had stolen thousands of items this time, a tremendous harvest.
Sweeping through them with his divine sense, he even felt a faint lag in his mind from the sheer load.
"Still, the materials for the 'Sacred Fire of the Dark Waters' formation are almost complete, and the ones for 'Lotus Concealed in the Womb' are sufficient."
Gu Fangchen exhaled deeply, casting a calm glance at Qing Jian beside him.
All that remained was to find a place secluded enough for the ritual.
Even Qing Jian could not know about "Lotus Concealed in the Womb." He would have to do it alone.
After calculating for a moment, he realized there was one perfect location,
The Stone Forest, the ruins of the Grand Dao Sword Palace.