The fake prince was exposed at the beginning, and I took office as emperor on the spot

Chapter 196 Hidden Fragrance (Part 2)

Upon hearing this, Xu Fu was stunned for a moment before realizing what a "golden hairpin pendant" was.

Although the Grand Preceptor was knowledgeable and experienced, he had only ever glanced at this kind of niche poison in the books that recorded poisons, and had never paid special attention to it.

Therefore, it took me a few seconds to figure out what this thing did...

She was already drenched in sweat. Her mortal body couldn't withstand the effects of the medicine. After a few breaths, her once snow-white skin turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp, as if she had just had a sauna.

Last time, Xuexiang lasted less than a second before her rationality evaporated, and she pounced on her prey like a hungry tiger.

This time, the surge of qi and blood was just as intense.

After all, last time, due to Gu Fangchen's condition, the soul fusion method was used, but only less than a third of it was resolved.

The Imperial Preceptor's earlier feeling that the physical body was weak was partly due to Gu Fangchen's fault.

This guy……

Given this thief's omniscient demeanor, there's no way he wouldn't know the antidote for the "Golden Hairpin Pendant." He absolutely, positively, positively deliberately chose not to use it!
Xu Fu bit her lip, her beautiful eyes, already misty with tears, glaring at the young man behind her, her gaze icy and filled with a warning—

"You must know the normal way to cure this poison, but you deliberately didn't, deliberately didn't tell me, and deliberately waited until now. Were you just waiting to trick me?"

Gu Fangchen instinctively supported the girl's body from under her armpits, seemingly anticipating her thoughts. She blinked innocently and transmitted her voice:

"Grand Preceptor, don't forget, Xuexiang is my rightful concubine. She's been poisoned with this despicable drug. Am I supposed to sit back and wait for her while I go looking for the antidote?"

He sighed:
"That imperial advisor thinks too highly of me..."

Xu Fu bit his lower lip until it almost bled, but he had to admit that Gu Fangchen's words were impeccable.

Just because he's a man, does that mean he should abandon his maid in that situation just because he might possess that body?
Although the Grand Preceptor was accustomed to a life of quiet cultivation, he only restrained himself and never forced others to be as celibate.

Ultimately, the blame lies with her for being trapped in this body by the "Six Star Lords," and this matter really has nothing to do with Gu Fangchen.

But given the current situation, the "Golden Hairpin Pendant" is extremely potent, and the Demonic Cult is blocking the door outside; there's no time to find an antidote now...

The only solution is to detoxify immediately.

Xu Fu's will was still resisting, but her body spontaneously began to look for something to cool her down. Her first thought was actually the cabinet door in front of her, but unfortunately, the wooden cabinet became hotter than her as soon as she touched it.

It's completely useless!
The Grand Preceptor was furious and tried to close his eyes, silently recite the Mind-Clearing Mantra, and force himself into a meditative state, but he was troubled and burdened by his mortal body.

Seeing this situation, Gu Fangchen thoughtfully helped the Imperial Preceptor.

The hand that was originally supporting her under her armpits spread out three fingers and interlocked two fingers, transforming into a Buddhist "teaching mudra," which symbolizes the destruction of afflictions with the Dharma wheel, thus purifying the body and mind.

With his sixth-grade divine cultivation and the "lotus hidden in the womb" in his body, he can be said to have the physique of a natural Buddhist disciple. When he uses Buddhist supernatural powers, the effect is quite good, and golden light blooms like a lotus in an instant.

The Grand Preceptor was jolted awake, and the clothes he was barely hanging on fell off.

Gu Fangchen reacted quickly, grabbing the garment and pulling it up. It was a pity that such a fine piece of fabric was ruined, with the embroidered patterns on it being trampled and crooked.

Xu Fu took a breath, raised his hand, and grabbed the young man's arm, trying to stop him from continuing to waste such precious things.

Unfortunately, at this moment, the Grand Preceptor was limp and powerless, scratching himself like a kitten.

It no longer possesses the charisma it once had.

Gu Fangchen's "Dharma Seal" was not without purpose; she naturally intended to impart the method of detoxification to the Imperial Preceptor.

His expression was serious as he pondered for a moment before saying:
"Grand Preceptor, this is the only path we can take now, but how we take it is up to you."

"Although I admire the Grand Preceptor, I am unwilling to force him to do something against his will. In this situation, neither of us could have foreseen it... In order to avoid future misunderstandings and mutual resentment, I will naturally leave the choice to the Grand Preceptor."

He spoke calmly and confidently, but Xu Fu felt that he was not honest at all, and was pointing a gun at an innocent person, forcing her to choose.

But she couldn't refute it.

That's indeed the case. If she doesn't get an antidote soon, her lifelong reputation will be ruined.

If, in the future, it is said that the Grand Preceptor of Wei died from such a vile poison, then the reputation of the Heavenly Fate Sect will be utterly ruined...

Tears welled up in the girl's beautiful eyes as she nestled softly in Gu Fangchen's arms, looking at him as if using her last remaining rationality to ask him what it meant to have two ways to walk a single path.

Gu Fangchen explained softly:

"When I detoxified Xuexiang, I used the method of spiritual connection. If the Grand Preceptor is willing to open his mind and accept me, this method can also detoxify her."

"If one communicates with one's consciousness, it is the supreme method of cultivation. One is without emotion or desire, seeking only the path of the mind, and can also be freed from the suffering of this physical body."

As the pinnacle of divine cultivators and one of the most powerful figures in the world, Xu Fu certainly knew what "interaction of divine consciousness" meant.

But the moment Gu Fangchen brought it up, she pursed her lips, knowing that this method, though seemingly noble, was actually just a nice-sounding excuse!

In fact, this rhetoric is simply a tactic used by some despicable heretical practitioners to deceive mortals!
Almost exactly the same!
If Gu Fangchen's tone hadn't been so serious and heavy, and if the Imperial Preceptor hadn't been somewhat delirious, she would have definitely thought that this little thief had been plotting this all along and had done it on purpose.

For a cultivator of her caliber, the soul is more important than the physical body.

It could even be said that her true form was her soul.

Once she loses her body, she can easily find another one.

Similarly, even if something happens to her physical body, as long as she detaches from it, it has nothing to do with her anymore.

But if something happens to the soul, it leaves an indelible mark.

Even after she returned to her own body, she still had a spiritual connection with Gu Fangchen. Their souls were in perfect harmony, and it was impossible to pretend that nothing had happened.

Gu Fangchen seemed to value her physical body more than her soul, clearly trying to take the opportunity to deceive the Imperial Preceptor.

Unfortunately, even though the Grand Preceptor was confused, he still retained the operational awareness of a top expert and did not fall for the trick!
Xu Fu's consciousness was shattered by the effects of the drug, and he shook his head vigorously to show his rejection of this method.

Gu Fangchen paused, then said with great regret:
"Then we can only use the most traditional method... If I have offended the Grand Preceptor, it was truly out of necessity, and I hope the Grand Preceptor will forgive me."

Hearing his tone, Xu Fu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that this little thief was indeed planning to communicate with her spiritually.

However, if the Grand Preceptor were to turn his head and take a look, he would see that Gu Fangchen, who was speaking with regret, had a smile on her lips, a smile that was even harder to suppress than AK.

The Imperial Advisor is so gullible right now...

Having received approval, Gu Fangchen, who had been holding back for a long time, finally couldn't bear it any longer and lowered her head to begin the detoxification process.

Xu Fu could only close his eyes tightly and pretend that Xue Xiang was the one who was in the ward right now...

Fortunately, she had left a "foreshadowing" beforehand, saying that Xuexiang was only temporarily unconscious and might wake up.

Gu Fangchen, realizing that the Imperial Preceptor was playing the ostrich, also feigned surprise:

"Xuexiang? Are you awake?" Xu Fu's eyelashes trembled, and she bit her lip:

"Um……"

Then you can't blame me...

Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly, then changed her tone, adopting the air of a prince, and said calmly:
"Now that you're awake, do you really expect me to do it myself? Be more self-aware!"

Xu Fu: "..."

That little thief! Truly shameless!
But she dug the pit herself, and now that she's jumped in, she has no choice but to suffer the consequences.

"Yes... Your Highness."

She tried her best to maintain a cool and aloof demeanor in the darkness, when she heard the sound of members of the Demonic Sect breaking down the door outside the cabinet.

……

The leader of the demonic cult was a tall, bald, burly man. He raised the hilt of his knife, lifted the two crimson curtains hanging on the inn's door, and then pushed open the door and entered.

"Pfft!"

Those who dared to resist, refusing to let the members of the Demonic Cult enter the room to search, were stabbed to death on the spot. Their blood splattered everywhere, mixing with the spilled tea on the ground, flowing in a winding stream, turning into a light pink color.

In this desert, it's already a blessing to have any drinkable tea. The quality is really poor; what spills out of the teapot is all whitish tea foam.

Soon, the entire inn was turned upside down by the members of the Demonic Sect, leaving it in complete chaos and a truly appalling sight.

For a time, muffled groans, cries of pain, and pleas for mercy filled the air.

However, when the members of the demonic sect arrived on the second floor, they found that one of the doors was locked and could not be opened, and there seemed to be a formation blocking it.

Very suspicious.

"Clap clap clap!"

The members of the demonic sect pounded on the door, but there was no response from inside. Enraged, their faces flushed red, they channeled their spiritual power and rammed the door open.

The members of the demonic cult filed in and conducted a thorough investigation.

But nothing was found; it only made the originally clean and tidy room a mess.

The investigation yielded no results, so they had no choice but to leave, leaving behind the open, broken door that could not be closed for the time being, blowing in the wind and unable to open or close, a sight that made people feel sorry for the place.

The voices of the demonic cult members faded into the distance, but one could still faintly hear them calling for someone to come and inquire.

Who lives in this room?

"He's a heretical cultivator who practices array formations. He got drunk with someone earlier and went upstairs to rest, but these heretical cultivators are cunning and scheming; who knows what he might be up to..."

Soon, these members of the demonic sect left temporarily, leaving only a few people to guard the area.

……

When the sky begins to lighten.

"crunch-"

The door to the room closed itself without any wind.

Gu Fangchen reached out, pushed open the cabinet door, and picked up the clothes, draping them over the shoulders of the frail and boneless Imperial Preceptor who could only whimper against his shoulder.

Xu Fu's gaze was deep and unfathomable. He barely raised his arm, clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and punched Gu Fangchen twice. He said coldly:

"Enough! The poison has been neutralized! Put me down!"

Gu Fangchen, oblivious to the danger, weighed the Imperial Preceptor in her hand:
"really?"

Xu Fu felt she had to teach this pushover a lesson, so she opened her little mouth and bit his shoulder.

“Hiss—it hurts, it hurts!”

Although it didn't actually hurt much, Gu Fangchen still chose to beg for mercy and, following the Grand Preceptor's instructions, lifted the girl up and placed her on the bed.

Then, with a grim face, he rearranged the illusion array, opened the window to observe the current personnel deployment of the Demonic Sect, and prepared to break through.

The Imperial Advisor pulled the blanket over himself, his gaze towards him quite complex.

Even though she was in another body, she was still the one who truly felt everything... which could be considered as giving up a part of herself as a woman.

Furthermore, Xuexiang actually woke up once, probably because the Grand Preceptor fainted, but she fell into a coma again not long afterward.

Xu Fu initially felt somewhat guilty, feeling that he had taken over Xue Xiang's body and feelings.

Now look what's happened, they're all taking turns fainting...

"Forget it, since it has already happened, there's no need to dwell on it anymore."

"Anyway, once the 'Soul-Locking Array of Shared Fate' is broken, I will be me and she will be her, and we can just pretend this never happened."

The Imperial Advisor calmed down, endured the soreness, and put his clothes back on.

She felt nothing when she was sitting on the bed, but as soon as her feet touched the ground and she tried to stand up, she felt a piercing pain!
His body swayed, his legs buckled, and he almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, Gu Fangchen reacted quickly, immediately rushed over, helped her up, and put her back on the bed. Her movements were gentle and careful, unlike her previous rough and reckless actions.

However, despite Gu Fangchen's extreme caution, when she looked up, she saw a flash of anger on Xu Fu's face. He then raised his hand and punched her several times.

This harmless tickling, more like a coquettish gesture, with a fragrant breeze caressing his face, couldn't hurt Gu Fangchen, but he blinked, somewhat confused.

"What's wrong? Does it still hurt somewhere? The medicine should have started to work by now..."

Gu Fangchen pondered for a moment, then took out another pill:
"The human body cannot withstand too much medicinal potency, and the effect of internal administration is limited. How about... applying it externally?"

Xu Fu stared blankly at the longan-sized pill in his hand, then his expression turned even colder. He looked at him with a chilling gaze, as if to say, "Wait till I get back into my body, I'll teach you a lesson."

Gu Fangchen gave her the pill and then began to tidy up the room diligently. She discovered that there was no water in the room and immediately understood why she was angry for no reason.

When he turned around, he found that the Grand Preceptor was all talk and no action. Although he was disgusted, he had to act expediently because of the urgency of the situation. The most important thing was to deal with the Demonic Sect. He couldn't let his wounds keep hurting, so he applied the medicine properly.

Xu Fu stood up, took a deep breath, and found that he felt much better. He said coldly:
"The important matter is to visit the historical sites."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I posted this first and revised it later, but I still owe an update (May 11th). I'll continue tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)