Gu Fangchen had not refused to treat Gu Yuandao along the way merely to torment him.
He needed him to stay bloody and disheveled, so he could secretly mix in a part of his own flesh and blood during the process.
The Thief occupation had almost run out of time, and he intended to make use of its value until the very last second.
Throughout the journey, he had smeared blood essence from his fingers onto Gu Yuandao's body. Combined with the effects of the Golden Mother Pearl in his possession, by the time they entered Huangtian City, he had already stolen the Mountain and River Diagram.
However, the Mountain and River Diagram itself was not what mattered most. The true key was the person Gu Yuandao had imprisoned within it, Master Juehui.
Now Gu Fangchen produced that Mountain and River Diagram.
Those unfamiliar with it whispered among themselves in confusion, while those who recognized it turned toward the unconscious Gu Yuandao seated to the side.
Even those who didn't know the artifact could sense the vast, clear aura radiating from the scroll.
That pure energy filled the air. Those standing nearby felt instantly refreshed, their minds sharp and clear.
It was unmistakably the signature of a Confucian treasure.
And not an ordinary one either, it was clearly refined by at least an Upper Third Grade cultivator.
Liu Xuan, who had just received permission from his junior sister to drink and was tilting back a wine jar, suddenly froze mid-sip. His eyes widened at the sight of the scroll.
"T-That... that's Master's Mountain and River Diagram!" he blurted out.
Half drunk, wine jug in hand, he staggered to his feet and lurched toward Gu Fangchen.
Gu Fangchen turned to face him and saw the old acquaintance who had once gifted him The Finest Stream. He smiled slightly and greeted him, "Brother Liu."
Liu Xuan instinctively bowed. "Your Highness the Heir is too courteous..."
Halfway through speaking, he suddenly froze.
Wait, wasn't that how the so-called 'Demonic Sect impostor' of Gu Fangchen had addressed him back then?
If the man before him were not the same one as that night, then logically speaking, before the Qionglin Banquet, the real Gu Fangchen should have already left the capital with the princess consort. He would never have met Liu Xuan at all.
Which meant that if this Gu Fangchen recognized him,
Then they were the same person.
Cold sweat broke out across Liu Xuan's back as realization struck him. He had stumbled upon something monumental.
But if that was true, then the Heir had indeed composed six lotus poems in a single sitting that night, invoking the Omen of Heaven and Earth.
So it had not been an imposter from the Demonic Sect.
Liu Xuan's foggy, wine-soaked brain suddenly cleared. Relief flooded him, years of hidden guilt washing away in an instant.
His master had never blamed him afterward, even expressing regret for the supposed Demonic Sect scholar's wasted talent.
But Liu Xuan had never forgiven himself.
Now that he knew the truth, that the one he'd met had been Gu Fangchen all along, he hadn't aided the Demonic Sect at all.
It hadn't been demonic. Thank the heavens.
Liu Xuan's heart soared. He stumbled up beside Gu Fangchen and clapped him on the shoulder, beaming drunkenly.
"Your Highness the Heir! Where did you get this Mountain and River Diagram?"
"I remember the Master gave it to Brother Gu, didn't he?"
He turned his bleary eyes toward Gu Yuandao, then back to Gu Fangchen.
Gu Fangchen smiled faintly. "Perhaps even the heavens themselves couldn't bear to watch anymore, and so our model scholar's mask has finally slipped."
Gu Yuye's face darkened; an ominous feeling clenched in his gut.
This Mountain and River Diagram was Gu Yuandao's.
If Gu Fangchen had produced it now, claiming there was a witness inside, that could only mean one thing, that the one trapped within had been sealed there by Gu Yuandao himself.
And that person could only be... Juehui.
Gu Yuye did know of Gu Yuandao's fallout with Juehui, and that the latter had indeed been sealed inside the Mountain and River Diagram.
But once someone entered the Diagram, they were as good as dead in his eyes.
Gu Yuandao would never release Juehui again.
Moreover, such a vital treasure would surely have been hidden carefully, how could it possibly end up in another's hands?
If Gu Yuye had realized the situation earlier, he could still have insisted that this scroll was a fake.
But from the moment Gu Fangchen entered the capital, he had moved too fast, without any warning, no signal from Gu Lianqian, no time for Gu Yuye to prepare.
He had been caught completely off guard.
And worse, Liu Xuan had blurted it out first, confirming aloud that this was indeed the Mountain and River Diagram of the Confucian Sage himself.
Which meant that the one Gu Fangchen held was genuine beyond all doubt.
The Yong'an Emperor said slowly, "I too have heard of the Confucian Sage's Mountain and River Diagram. It can absorb mountains, rivers, and all things into its scroll, including people."
He looked at Gu Fangchen. "You claim to have a witness. Is that witness inside this Diagram?"
Gu Fangchen nodded and unfurled the scroll with a swift motion.
"Exactly, Your Majesty."
Inside, he sneered.
Since Gu Yuye insisted on keeping up the act of a righteous man, he would tear away that mask completely.
From the start, Gu Yuye's calm obedience, apart from his brief outburst at the city gate, hadn't been from guilt or repentance.
He had merely been biding his time, waiting for this exact moment, planning to use public opinion to resurrect the accusation of collusion with the Demonic Sect and frame Gu Fangchen as one of them.
Gu Yuandao would become the pitiable victim once more.
It was a game Gu Yuye had played for years.
Leaving his wife and son in Huangtian City as supposed hostages, feigning humility and restraint, pretending to be a loyal, harmless official, it was all an act.
And this was just another performance.
The more he retreated, the more it would make Gu Fangchen appear the aggressor, an unfilial son bullying his noble father.
But Gu Fangchen would not give him that chance.
You want to drag up old accusations? Then I'll give you something fresher, and far more damning.
Let's see which of us looks more like a servant of the Demonic Sect!
Gu Yuye took a deep breath. He forced calm into his voice, saying, "Your Majesty, this Mountain and River Diagram is the Confucian Sage's sacred treasure. Without astounding literary brilliance and the Sage's own recognition, it cannot be opened. It would be best to wait until my son awakens, "
"Your Majesty, please look!" Gu Fangchen cut him off sharply.
He tossed the scroll into the air. In an instant, the Mountain and River Diagram expanded, billowing open until it spanned the entire ceiling of the Purple Extremity Hall in magnificent splendor.
Literary brilliance?
Did he think Gu Fangchen's six poems had been memorized for nothing?
Gu Fangchen focused his mind. The scene within the Diagram shifted rapidly, landscapes unfolding and enlarging until they centered upon a meditating old monk beneath a tree.
The old monk opened his eyes, sensing the summons.
In the next instant, the world spun, and he stood once more in the Purple Extremity Hall.
"Master Juehui!"
Gu Fangchen brought his palms together and smiled. "We met once in my childhood. It has been long indeed."
Juehui looked at him, momentarily dazed, then sighed softly as understanding dawned.
"Amitabha. Your Highness the Heir, it has been many years. My gratitude for your salvation."
His expression hardened.
"For this humble monk has long meditated in Garan Temple, unaware that human hearts can change so swiftly, so chillingly."