The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 201 Substitute
It is evident that although one's state of mind has indeed improved, one's fundamental nature is hard to change, and the improvement is limited.

Ding Lin was clearly aware of this as well, and he suddenly paused for a moment.

Is this how a change in mindset occurs?

Stuck in the mire, yet yearning for the light?

But Ding Lin knew himself well, and he had a good understanding of himself. To paraphrase a phrase from his previous life, he was essentially a sophisticated egoist.

So, is it the subconscious mind slowly transforming and negating itself?

If that's the case, what will happen when things are completely changed years later? Will you still be yourself then?

Ding Lin realized he seemed to have gone astray. He stared blankly for a moment, and then another gust of wind blew by, bringing a sticky, cold sensation to his back. Even a half-immortal couldn't withstand such self-doubt, and before he knew it, he was covered in a cold sweat.

In the distance, the peach tree leaves trembled slightly, obscuring the bright red tips of the peaches, revealing only the unripe, green front half...

A flash of inspiration struck me.

Ding Lin seemed to have suddenly grasped something.

Yes, it's not about changing.

It is hidden.

Conceal your true nature, hide your emotions, and only show what others can easily accept and want to see. This is a world of mythology, where methods are endless, so even when no one is around, hypocrisy must be maintained.

I am who I am.

The inner essence remains unchanged, but the outer shell can be ever-changing.

Ding Lin's eyes brightened, finding direction from his confusion, before he fell into a new round of contemplation...

……

Thirty-third heaven.

Yaochi.

The palace doors were tightly shut, and the main hall was quiet. The ever-burning lamps burned silently, making the space seem even more vast.

High up, a middle-aged man dressed in a dragon robe sat upright. If you looked closely, you could see that the dragon robe on his body had nine toes.

This is clothing that only the Jade Emperor can wear, a symbol of supreme authority in the Three Realms. But at this moment, this supreme being is deliberately turning his body to the side.

The person behind the curtain is more distinguished than him?
"Today, the Fire God reported that the Stone Monkey had arbitrarily used the Samadhi True Fire, burning down more than ten houses. The Heavenly Blessing True Lord also reported that the Stone Monkey had allowed the Heavenly Horse to run rampant, disrupting the Heavenly River Navy's training."

The man in the dragon robe remained expressionless, his tone unhurried and calm, devoid of any fluctuation.

“The stone monkey is lively and wanders around all day, ostensibly to visit friends, but in reality to cause trouble. Over the years, I have received hundreds of memorials, which have greatly disturbed the officials.”

"As expected of someone who came from Senior Sister Nuwa, this monkey is even more mischievous than the Spirit Pearl back then. The stone monkey is a natural-born extraordinary species, and although its magical power is strong now, it has not yet reached its limit..."

From behind the curtain came the voice of the Queen Mother, who seemed to pause for a moment.

“In that case, tomorrow you shall have someone send him to the Outer Heaven to encourage his cultivation. One day in the heaven is equivalent to one year in the outside world. In this way, I will have given my due thanks to Senior Sister Nuwa.”

"Yes." The man in the dragon robe nodded.

"Did anyone in the court today notice the flaw?" the Queen Mother asked.

This Jade Emperor was just a stand-in; no wonder his behavior was so different. "Fortunately, with Laozi and Taibai helping to cover it up, we managed to get away with it," the stand-in said.

"Where is Ziwei?" the Queen Mother asked again.

"Emperor Ziwei..." the stand-in began.

“Wrong,” the Queen Mother interrupted, her voice flat. “You should call him Ziwei. How can you call someone else the Great Emperor, the dignified ruler of the Three Realms?”

"Yes, I was wrong," the substitute said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "Ziwei... he didn't say a word in court. I had only recently taken human form and didn't know what kind of person he was, so..."

Behind the curtain, all was silent.

"Your Majesty?" The stand-in asked, somewhat uneasy.

"It's so similar. Whether it's the nose, the eyes, or the appearance and temperament, they look almost exactly the same. Well, you are his breath, so you are from the same source. The appearance and the imitation of the breath are flawless. But in the end, you are just one of his breaths. You are not the real him. What is fake will always be fake. No matter how well you imitate, it will never become real..." The Queen Mother sighed. "As soon as he opened his mouth, he was exposed after only a few words."

"Your Majesty..." The stand-in grew increasingly uneasy.

“You should call me… never mind,” the Queen Mother paused, “It was just a temporary measure anyway, let’s keep it a secret for as long as possible.” She paused again, then her voice returned to normal, “You should still do as I said before: do not meet with foreign officials except at the Grand Court Assembly, and do not easily speak or express your opinion at the Grand Court Assembly. If necessary, watch the signs of Laozi and Taibai. Now go…”

"Go ahead."

Behind the curtain, a delicate hand waved gently, seemingly uninterested.

The stand-in got up and left.

He pushed open the palace door, and the golden sunlight greeted him, making his handsome face even more striking. His features were as firm as if carved by a knife and axe, revealing a deep and majestic aura.

For a moment, the Queen Mother was in a daze, as if that person had already broken through the barrier and emerged.

"It doesn't look like it." Then, the Queen Mother snapped back to reality, murmuring softly, "It doesn't look like it at all..."

The double turned around, the golden curtains swaying. He stepped across the threshold, then closed the palace doors behind him.
Once again, only the Queen Mother remained in the palace.

“Ziwei has returned from the North Sea. Do you know that he has abandoned the emotions that belonged to Boyi Kao and has returned to the Great Emperor Ziwei of the North Pole of the Central Heaven? All the arrangements have been exhausted. I have no way out. I... I can't hold on much longer.”

When exactly will you be able to emerge from seclusion?

The sound was soft, like the ever-burning candlelight in the hall.

……

Ziweixing.

The figure on the throne waved his hand, dispelling the myriad purple energies surrounding him, revealing a robust and masculine physique.

"Emperor."

Beneath the throne stood two great figures, one a civil official and the other a military one. The military general wore golden armor with a scarlet cloak behind him, seemingly stained with blood. The civil official, on the other hand, wore a scholar's robe, but the aura emanating from him was by no means weak, presenting himself in a different way, standing shoulder to shoulder with the military general.

“Nan Dou, the one in the court today is clearly a fake. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I need to strike him down and expose his true colors. Why are you stopping me?” the military officer said, his words immediately aggressive.

“Beidou, I know you are the Taurus. If you blame me, Taurus… I am also very sad, but great things naturally require sacrifices…” The civil official, namely the Southern Dipper Star Lord, was silent for a moment, but did not answer directly. Instead, he changed the subject and said, “Although the Emperor has returned to his position, he is still being controlled by Boyi Kao’s emotions and has not been able to recover for a long time. This is Haotian’s doing, and I have no choice but to take action.”

"That's certainly a clever tactic. It's how you take the life of the Green Ox. The Big Dipper governs life, and the Southern Dipper governs death. I never imagined that this death would be against one's own brother. What a despicable method! It even ruined the innocence of an innocent girl!" The Big Dipper Star Lord gritted his teeth.

"Innocent? Being born into the heavenly family, enjoying wealth and glory, there's no such thing as innocence, Taurus..." The Southern Dipper Star Lord paused again, "...I didn't want Taurus to die..."

(End of this chapter)