Gu Fangchen heard the cries of astonishment and lifted his head toward the Mountains and Rivers Diagram suspended in midair. His gaze flickered slightly.
He did not feel surprised. Rather, it felt as if the starting gun he had long awaited had finally fired.
Whether as a player or as Gu Fangchen himself, from the very beginning he had known that to complete his storyline, the final boss he must face was not anyone else,
It was precisely that last surviving First Grade Eternal Realm, Sage of Yaoshan, Xie Qian.
Although this sage had long been in seclusion, maintaining "Half the Rivers and Mountains," and only a wisp of his divine consciousness taught at Yaoshan Academy, that did not mean he could not interfere with the outside world.
With his reputation as the foremost Confucian Sage, even if he did not act, a few words from him, the slightest hint of intent, would send countless people speculating, thus affecting the entire balance of the Great Wei court and the immortal sects.
Take Gu Yuandao for example. When he had been at the academy, though counted among the prodigies and well regarded in both cultivation and fame, he had only shone within the younger generation, far from the prestige he enjoyed now.
On the day of the Imperial Examination, Xie Qian bestowed upon him the Righteous Qi of the Vast Heavens, accepting him as a direct disciple, his reputation at once unparalleled.
As for Xie Qian's true stance, it was not with Gu Yuye, nor with Gu Yuandao, not even with any single person in Great Wei. It was only with his own dream of "Heaven's Equal Through Eternity."
As previously mentioned, Xie Qian, and indeed all First Grade cultivators who had lived too long, even the Master of the Dao of Constancy himself, had transcended human ways of thinking. They no longer contemplated the mere rise or fall of a single nation...
Still less, the life or death of a few people.
It was merely coincidence that, at this very moment, Gu Yuandao happened to be his most convenient piece on the board.
Pushed into such straits, Xie Qian was certain to intervene.
And now, one could only say:
What was destined to come, had come.
All present followed the sound and lifted their heads toward the great painting unfurled in the sky.
From the depths of that Mountains and Rivers Diagram, between veiled mountain ranges, there slowly stepped forth a spirit deer pure white all over. It walked out from within the scroll, into the world beyond it.
Upon the deer's back sat a lean old man dressed in loose cyan robes, seated at ease and slightly turned to one side. His mottled white hair was tied into a topknot with a peachwood pin. One hand extended lightly, stroking the spirit deer's long antlers.
The white deer bounded gracefully, landing within the Hall of the purple Extremity, rippling out circles of clear air.
The academy's students within the hall immediately rose, standing reverently, their faces solemn. They cupped their hands and bowed in unison:
"Welcome, Master!"
Among them were many who had once studied at the academy and now served as officials of the court.
In an instant, over half the gathered ministers rose to call "Master," while the remainder could only bow and say, "Greetings, Sage."
Such vast reverence declared beyond doubt who the newcomer was,
The sole surviving First Grade cultivator of Great Wei, the "Confucian Sage" himself, Xie Qian!
Of course, this was not his true body, but only a wisp of divine thought left behind at Yaoshan Academy.
In fact, this thought had no direct communication with the original body; it was more akin to a pre-set mind, an autonomous reflection.
Yet even if it was only a wisp of thought, none dared treat it as anything less than the true Sage himself, nor show him the slightest disrespect.
Emperor Yong'an too lifted the curtain and stepped forward personally to greet him, saying in astonishment:
"I had planned to summon the Sage later, but who would have thought the Sage would come in person? I am caught unprepared, there are not even extra bowls and chopsticks set!"
Xie Qian shook his head slightly.
"It is not a matter worthy of celebration. I had no face to attend the feast. Your Majesty need not trouble yourself so. Were others to know, they would only laugh that this old man teaches his disciples poorly."
He turned toward Gu Yuandao and rebuked sharply:
"Unfilial disciple, still lying there asleep?"
His tone was stern, yet no more than a teacher rousing a lazy student from his nap.
Gu Yuandao's divine consciousness, long huddled deep within his spiritual platform, suddenly jolted awake. It surged upward, and his eyes snapped open.
At once, a rush of bitter metallic taste welled up in his throat.
He pitched forward and vomited with a harsh sound, a mouthful of blood mixed with pitch-black filth splattering upon the ground.
Within that blood, the writhing filth resolved faintly into countless tiny black spiders, the Buddha's Hand Silken Thread gu worms that had infested his seven apertures and brain.
Yet in an instant, all those small spiders melted into pus and vanished.
Beside him, Gu Lianqian started in fright and cried out:
"Second Brother!"
Though the sight was horrific, within moments Gu Yuandao's deathly pale face regained its color, a healthy red rising once more.
Steadying himself, he quickly stood, staggering a few steps before falling to his knees before the robed elder. Tears streamed down unchecked as he choked out:
"Thank you, Master, for saving your unworthy disciple. My heart was unsteady; deceived by the demon sect's temptations, my eyes clouded, I have committed grave wrongs...
"I repent my past folly and willingly accept punishment!"
At this point, Gu Fangchen had even drawn upon Juehui as witness; no amount of arguing could have saved Gu Yuandao.
Even with Xie Qian present, it would be impossible to ignore the truth outright and reverse the verdict. Gu Fangchen could still invoke the divine tortoise of "Rules" to question the heart directly and verify truth or falsehood,
And when that happened, what awaited Gu Yuandao would be a bottomless abyss.
Thus he could only confess first, placing the blame wholly upon the demon sect.
But in doing so, he admitted that his Dao-heart was weak, his will lacking, so frail that even the Righteous Qi of the Vast Heavens could not shield him from the demon sect's arts and poisons.
That logic was poor, of course. He was but Fifth Grade in cultivation, outstanding among the younger generation, yet in the grand scope of the cultivation world, no more than upper-middle tier.
No one would demand that a youth accomplish what even the upper Third Grade could not,
For in the demon sect, there was no shortage of those who had once defected from the righteous path at such a level.
Still, if he wished to convince all present, he must leave no flaw.
Only then could he swiftly become the focus of people's hopes again.
But the flawless image of the noble gentleman he had cultivated for years,
Had at last shattered in an instant, all effort turned to dust.
With his former reputation, a few more merits would have sent him soaring upward through the ranks.
Now, however, the label of "bewitched by the demon sect" would cling to him forever.
Gu Yuandao's face was gray, bitter, and unwilling.
Unwilling... yes, that was the truth. Every attempt to argue, every effort to explain, was born only of unwillingness.
More than ten years of endurance, of careful concealment, and when he was finally poised to ascend, he was struck down by a roadside insect he had never even noticed before! Who could accept that?
And most hateful of all, he had not even noticed when the Mountains and Rivers Diagram fell into Gu Fangchen's hands!
Clearly Gu Fangchen had never come near him, so how had that man obtained the Diagram? And even more, how had he managed to use it?!
The thought struck him like lightning. Did that not prove that the one who had appeared at the Banquet of Qionglin that day, was Gu Fangchen himself?
The illusion array of the demon sect's "Path of Emotion" had been employed. And you still claim you are not of the demon sect?
Once, Gu Yuandao would have raised the objection immediately.
But now, all thoughts of luck were gone.
When unwillingness gave way to resignation, when scorn melted into emptiness, he had to admit that every step, had been within Gu Fangchen's control and foresight.
He dared not gamble that Gu Fangchen had no further cards to play.
Should he be given another chance to display his brilliance before all civil and military officials and eclipse him once again, Gu Yuandao truly might kill himself on the spot.
Xie Qian sighed. The white deer trotted forward, stepping lightly to where Gu Yuandao knelt.
The elder extended his hand, five fingers splayed, pressing them atop Gu Yuandao's head. His tone was mild:
"To know one's faults and correct them, there is no greater virtue."
Lifting his gaze to Emperor Yong'an, he continued:
"Your Majesty, this student of mine has poor learning and an unsteady heart. His behavior today shames his teacher. Yet his true nature is not lost; he remains teachable. Allow me to take him back to the mountain for reflection before the wall.
"What does Your Majesty think?"
In a few understated words, the charge of colluding with the demon sect and plotting against the Sword Pavilion was dissolved completely.
One phrase, "an embarrassment", reduced the gravity of his crimes to the mischief of an errant child.
None among the gathered cultivators or officials voiced objection.
Or rather, even if they had opinions, they could only swallow them down.
This was the essential difference between court and sect.
Royal law, national law, upon common folk, it meant a life for a life, justice eternal.
Upon cultivators, however, one must first examine stance, then right or wrong.
If one's stance was sound and it was merely a moment of delusion, then even the slaughter of thousands could be called a minor fault.
Reflect, train again, and strive not to be deluded next time, that would suffice.
For among cultivators, who had no blood on their hands?
In battle, if your strength overflows and a few mortals die by accident, must you take your own life in recompense? Hardly.
To admit fault at all was already virtue.
Most would not even glance twice at the dead.
"I fight the demon sects to protect you mortals," they would say. "These are necessary sacrifices. If you would oppose me, first face those whom I saved, see whether they stand with you or with me."
Gu Yuandao, then, had merely brushed the edge of a wrong stance, but had not crossed it entirely.
Because Gu Fangchen's trap had forced Gu Yuandao to draw his sword toward Ning Caiyong, he had been compelled to hide his true intent beneath the veil of gu poison. In the end, that act alone had saved his life.
Had he not been driven to use the Buddha's Hand Silken Thread upon himself, he would now have no defense against Juehui's accusations.
Gu Fangchen's expression did not change, he had expected this outcome.
If he had not forced Gu Yuandao to bare his true nature before Ning Caiyong, then even the arrival of the Confucian Sage could not have cleared the stain upon Gu Yuandao's name; at best, it could have preserved his life.
But given another chance, Gu Fangchen would have done exactly the same.
For between Ning Caiyong and Gu Yuandao there was a true bond of blood. Ten months of pregnancy, how could that tie be severed so easily?
Even if Ning Caiyong had sworn an oath never again to treat Gu Yuandao as her son, there was no guarantee that, if he were one day slain by Gu Fangchen's own hand, she would not feel resentment when she saw him again.
Unless she herself truly perceived Gu Yuandao's cold and venomous heart, Gu Fangchen could not rest easy.
"Sage, your words are too kind. This Zhuangyuan Lang's fall into error also grieves my heart," Emperor Yong'an sighed, his tone now stripped of the severity he had shown earlier. "Since the Sage himself speaks thus, I am content. I only hope that when Zhuangyuan Lang returns from the mountain, he may become a true pillar of the realm."
"Your Majesty's grace is boundless," Xie Qian replied, raising his hand.
At once, Gu Yuandao's figure blurred, transforming into a white bird that circled the Sage twice before flying into the Mountains and Rivers Diagram.
With a flick of his sleeve, Xie Qian rolled up the scroll and fastened it to his waist.
Gu Yuye immediately bowed deeply. "My son's cultivation is shallow, his experience lacking. I must trouble the Sage to guide him with patience."
Though their plans had completely collapsed, at least the Confucian Sage's intervention had prevented the matter from spiraling beyond repair.
Still, with Gu Fangchen now officially recognized as Heir, Gu Yuandao had lost not only public favor but all the foundation he had built before,
A total defeat.
The plan, by this point, was blocked in every direction, no way forward remained.
From this day onward, their chief goal was no longer to continue the original scheme, but rather, to kill Gu Fangchen and eliminate this unpredictable variable once and for all.
"Your Highness is too polite," said Xie Qian. "Cultivation begins with cultivating the heart. In these recent years, the foul qi of the Nine Nether has surged upward, unsettling men's hearts. Even the academy has not been spared, allowing the demon sect to exploit the cracks. It is a disgrace to the sanctum of scholars."
He sighed. "This too stems from my long seclusion and neglect of worldly affairs. Fortunately... the day of my emergence is not far. When it comes, I shall cleanse the academy of its impurities."
The crowd gasped, then burst into hushed murmurs of joy.
The Confucian Sage was coming out of seclusion?
If that were true, the deadlocked war against Qingman would soon be overturned!
Emperor Yong'an voiced the question that burned in every mind:
"May I ask, Sage, when will you emerge from seclusion?"
Xie Qian smiled faintly. "In former days there was the Buddha who, before enlightenment, was called the Future Buddha. I too follow the ancients. If Your Majesty desires an answer, then I have already emerged."
Already out of seclusion?
Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment.
If the Sage had truly emerged, how could none have known? There should have been signs, tremors through heaven and earth!
Besides, this wisp of consciousness before them had not even been recalled, how then could he say he had emerged?
Then, all at once, the old man turned his gaze upon Gu Fangchen.
Gu Fangchen's heart gave a sudden jolt, though his face remained calm as he met the eyes of the foremost man in the world.
He consoled himself inwardly.
No problem, no problem... So long as Xie Qian could not break the fourth wall, he could not perceive Gu Fangchen's true origin.
The Puppet Refining Method he used was no demonic art. Others used it to refine puppets, but he used it upon himself. Was that a crime?
Aside from this "Demon Refinement Method," his spiritual aura was immaculate,
Well... aside from the fact that all his experience points had been "absorbed" from righteous cultivators. But they had earned that energy through cultivation, hadn't they? It was perfectly clean!
Even so, he was not truly afraid.
Xie Qian was still in seclusion, offline, as it were. This remnant thought, while formidable, was not invincible; its strength was roughly that of a peak Second Grade.
Had he been able to project his full power through a single thought, Great Wei would have long since unified the world, and there would be no war with Qingman left to fight.
Moreover, the Master of the Dao of Constancy was also present...
Now that Gu Fangchen had pressed down Gu Yuye's ambitions and passed Emperor Yong'an's test, he was officially counted among the Emperor's faction.
So long as he remained useful, Yong'an would not discard him so soon.
"This time, I must thank the young lord for striking my disciple awake," Xie Qian said with a gentle smile, stroking the white deer's neck. "Your body radiates the brilliance of talent; the current of culture gathers within you. That you never joined the academy is Yaoshan's loss."
Were it not for his knowledge of the story, that behind this Confucian exterior lurked something utterly inhuman, Gu Fangchen might truly have believed him a righteous leader.
And in fairness, Xie Qian was righteous, in his own way.
In his logic, all his actions were for the sake of the world's living beings. By intention alone, that was the righteous path.
It was only that the peace he sought was, from any normal perspective, profoundly warped.
Gu Fangchen sighed. "Sage, there's no need for regret. I think it's better I never entered the academy. If I had, who knows how many students I would've angered into spitting blood?"
The crowd below exchanged amused looks, suppressing laughter.
So the heir apparent truly possessed self-awareness. He did not take the Sage's courteous words too seriously.
After all, though his martial progress had soared recently, his utter lack of scholarly learning had been witnessed by all of Huangtian City for over a decade.
Not long ago, when a demon sect member impersonated him, many had believed he had suddenly improved, giving the whole city quite a scare.
Thankfully, that had turned out to be a false alarm.
Sixth Prince Xiao Yi, seated nearby, had watched his lifelong rival suddenly seize the spotlight, so changed that he had even reclaimed the Heir's title that was meant to be returned to Gu Yuandao, and now felt deep unease.
He had no idea what had happened. In less than a month, Gu Fangchen had become a Lesser Heaven List top-ten expert, chatting casually with great figures.
Once, Gu Fangchen had been a useless wastrel he could beat bloody at will!
Even worse, his elder sister, before whom he felt both awe and fear, now treated Gu Fangchen with warmth and kindness.
Xiao Yi was stunned, doubting reality itself.
Gu Fangchen was exactly the kind of man his sister despised, how had things turned upside down?
Yet after this scene, he finally exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness...
If Gu Fangchen had suddenly become both scholar and warrior overnight, every insult Xiao Yi had ever hurled would have come back like blades to his own face. Impossible, ha, ha, ha!
His laugh died in his throat as Xie Qian chuckled softly.
"Young lord, you are far too modest. It is not that I wish you to enter the academy as a student," he said, "but rather, as a teacher. Let those ignorant youths see what true insight looks like."
The hall fell utterly silent.
If Gu Fangchen's rise as a martial prodigy had been shocking but conceivable, these words struck them speechless.
Throughout history, geniuses had been as common as the river's carp,
But never had one stood in mastery of both the martial and divine paths.
They were witnessing the birth of a true polymath.
For what was talent's ultimate extension, if not divinity?
Talent did not equal divine cultivation, but once talent fused with the divine path, it could become power at terrifying speed.
Xie Qian's meaning was clear: purely through his literary qi, Gu Fangchen was already qualified to teach at the academy.
And if he were to cultivate divinity through literature, his floor would be Fourth Grade at least, with limitless potential above.
Others might dismiss such praise as courtesy, but the academy disciples did not doubt it for a second.
Even Liu Xuan and the others drew sharp breaths, their expressions solemn.
"Overflowing with talent" was one thing, perhaps twenty of their peers could bear that title.
But "a condensed literary lineage", that was entirely different.
It meant a new, untrodden path had emerged through Gu Fangchen, a literary lineage that could one day found a school of its own.
Every man in history who possessed such a lineage became a great scholar whose name echoed through the ages.
The weight of that judgment was immense.
Everyone expected Gu Fangchen to at least demur politely, but he merely raised his brows and grinned.
"Since the Sage honors me so highly, it would be rude to refuse."
"..."
So utterly unmodest!
"However," he added, "I've much to handle these days. Once I'm free, I'll certainly visit the academy and enlighten a few of your students."
His tone was audacious beyond measure.
He did not fear Xie Qian's ire, for despite his inhuman final goal, before his full emergence the Sage remained deserving of the title "Sage."
The courtiers twitched at the corners of their mouths. To think this boy dared boast before the Sage! Could he truly possess a "literary lineage"? Surely the Sage was mistaken...
But Xie Qian only paused, then laughed again, humor lighting his face.
"Then I shall await you at the academy, young lord."
At his words, the white deer beneath him neighed softly, leaping upward into the sky.
The elder who had arrived upon the white deer now departed upon it as well.
For an instant, mist and mountains seemed to unfold before everyone's eyes; then both man and beast vanished into them.
The academy scholars bowed once more and cried aloud:
"Respectfully seeing the Master off!"
Emperor Yong'an turned toward Gu Yuye as if only now recalling something.
"Ah, Duke Gu, why are you still kneeling? Please, rise."
Gu Yuye slowly stood, shame written across his face.
"This minister is guilty. I failed to perceive my son's transgressions in time."
"Come now, my loyal duke," said the Emperor kindly. "A man so devoted to throne and realm cannot be blamed for neglecting his household. How could I fault you?"
He spread his arms, smiling as he looked around.
"Besides, has not this matter ended perfectly?"
"Duke Gu once told me that regardless of who became the Heir, there should be no partiality, that a grand celebration must be held for the occasion."
He stepped aside, picked up a cup of wine, and handed it to Gu Yuye.
"Duke Gu, why not toast to the Heir?"
Gu Yuye accepted the cup, his face as if he had swallowed a fly, disgust twisting his features. But the wine had already reached his throat; he had no choice but to swallow it.
He held the cup for a long moment before walking to Gu Fangchen and slowly raising it.
Gu Fangchen saw clearly how his knuckles whitened, how he struggled not to crush the cup in his hand.
The Emperor had even chosen a glass goblet of colored glaze. How delightfully cruel.
Gu Fangchen smiled faintly. "Gu Yuye," he murmured, "you know what I like most about you? That look in your eyes, displeased with me, yet utterly helpless."
Gu Yuye's face remained expressionless, though the murderous intent in his eyes nearly burst forth.
Gu Fangchen took the cup himself.
He did not drink. Instead, he lifted it high and said in a cold voice,
"Your Majesty, I hear that many brave souls perished in the recent battle at Autumn Peace Road. This wine should not be drunk for me, but for those who have fallen."
And smiling, he tilted the cup, pouring its contents onto the floor before Gu Yuye.
The wine splashed across the ground in a straight stroke, like the character "one."
It was a libation.
At that moment, Gu Yuye's face twisted with fury beyond control.