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

Chapter 209 I fell in love with you at first sight, Lord of Calamity (Three-in-One)

The Night Watchman (1 hour)

Above Gu Fangchen's head, these large, golden characters still floated.

The "night watchman" profession will be randomly assigned a new profession in a little over an hour.

This system has been with him ever since he transmigrated, which Gu Fangchen initially took for granted.

However, if we consider that the entire game "Mirror in the Dust" was created by human intervention, then the time travel was not an accident.

Therefore, this unexpected advantage certainly didn't appear out of thin air.

And absolutely not.

Gu Fangchen had always had doubts in her heart, but she couldn't find a clue.

The causal thread that the Imperial Preceptor has found, which comes from five hundred years ago, has given Gu Fangchen a reliable idea.

If the problem always lies with Gu Fangchen himself, then he and this cheat system might be completely intertwined.

Because this world is real, not the game that Gu Fangchen thought it was, it is absolutely impossible for him to have a cheat code based on game mechanics in this real world that is not built with code.

So, why did this system come into existence?

Gu Fangchen now has a bold hypothesis.

Suppose that it was precisely because of Gu Fangchen himself that the illusion became real history. In other words, he himself possesses a power similar to the second skill of the [Fisherman], [It's Really Not Bought], which can turn the fake into the real.

Moreover, it's a passive skill...

Therefore, he can also extract things that did not originally exist from another false illusion.

That's the system!
Gu Fangchen thought of her reflection in the mirror, still the same as in her past life... perhaps that was a kind of reminder.

Like a mirage, what appears in the mirror is what doesn't exist.

However, this is still just his speculation at the moment.

Now, the first step is to prove that the person from 500 years ago was indeed him.

"The Holy Maiden should have already gone to Vatuma... As long as the Boundless Spring and the Sundial of Past Intent are found, the resurrection ritual will naturally succeed."

"As long as the consequences fall on me at that time, it will prove that it was indeed me."

Gu Fangchen's eyes held a complex expression.

He truly never imagined that the little girl he had raised with his own hands would become the revered Tara saintess.

Regardless of the circumstances, the identity corresponding to the name "Prajna Lotus Moon" is certain: she is the princess of Garuda, which is clearly recorded and is also the reason why the Mother Goddess went to guide her that year.

According to prophecies circulating in the Tara religion, the next holy woman will be "Prajna Lotus Moon".

Gu Mingzhu was a civilian from an enemy country that he picked up from the battlefield, and he even watched her being born. She couldn't possibly be a princess; it's not even possible in a melodramatic soap opera.

There's probably a story behind her becoming "Prajna Lotus Moon"...

"Since that's the case, then leave. I can't stop you, but I won't help you either."

Xu Fu said calmly.

Gu Fangchen thought to herself, "The Imperial Preceptor's ability to lie through his teeth is no less than his..."

They had clearly stopped him, so letting him go would have been a complete lie; he truly is a prime example of saying one thing but meaning another.

However, Gu Fangchen wouldn't be so foolish as to ask her something like, "Are you really unable to stop her?"... If the Imperial Preceptor got angry and beat him to his knees, then dragged him back and locked him in the basement, he would be finished.

However, he also understood that Xu Fu's decision to let him go was not merely out of favoritism, but more importantly, because he had not had a negative impact on the "peace" that the Grand Preceptor had pursued throughout his life.

In this way, Xu Fu could turn a blind eye, whether out of personal motives or in pursuit of destiny.

"Rest assured, Grand Preceptor, my purpose in going to Qingman is to help Ding Xingfeng obtain the head of Maha Wuliang. I have absolutely no intention of betraying you. My intentions were made perfectly clear the day I first met you, Grand Preceptor."

As Gu Fangchen spoke, a smile appeared on her lips.

Now, the Grand Preceptor is his person in every sense of the word.

Crown Prince Xiao Sheng may not truly trust Xu Fu, but in his eyes, Xu Fu was concerned with the "peace and prosperity" of the Great Wei.

However, what Xu Fu was actually considering was the "peace and tranquility" of the world.

To quell the chaos of war, she was the one who could even cut off a dragon's head.

Therefore, Xiao Sheng thought that Xu Fu would consider the interests of the Great Wei and care about his own reputation, and that he was constrained by the identity of the Grand Preceptor, which is why he asked Xu Fu to take action.

This is actually a form of moral blackmail.

However, his understanding of Xu Fu was clearly not as deep as that of Gu Fangchen.

After Xu Fu betrayed the emperor, the position of the imperial advisor became the crown prince's biggest obstacle.

With such a powerful inside man in Wei, Gu Fangchen doesn't need to worry about the academy causing trouble ahead of time.

Although the Demonic Sect is now half-destroyed, the academy's higher-ups have also been largely crippled by the Ancestral Mother, so their plans will likely have to be delayed.

Moreover, Emperor Yong'an is dead, but the "Master of Hengchang Dao" is still alive.

Only after shedding this disguise can the true competition between top-tier individuals begin...

There's no need to worry about the balance between Confucianism and the heretical sects in the short term.

When Xu Fu heard his nonsense, she remembered the first time she possessed Xuexiang, how he teased her and said he was in love with her... Her cold and beautiful face immediately tightened.

However, after pursing his lips, he couldn't bring himself to say anything reprimanding.

Gu Fangchen turned around, about to activate the "Wolf God," when she suddenly blinked:

"By the way, Grand Preceptor, I haven't received your reward yet."

Xu Fu naturally hadn't forgotten that what this guy originally wanted was the visualization diagram of the Heavenly Mandate Path.

However, upon his return, he encountered the unexpected tragedy of Emperor Yong'an's death, which caused the reputation of the entire Great Wei to plummet to negative levels, leaving him no choice but to flee to Qingman.

She pondered for a moment and said:

"The visualization diagram can only be taught by my true self... Once you kill Maha Immeasurable, your sins will naturally be cleared, and when you return, I will give you the visualization diagram again."

Gu Fangchen shook her head and said with a smile:

"I don't want the visualization diagram anymore."

He originally hoped to use the visualization diagram to further improve his spiritual cultivation.

But now it has been discovered that "Tao" may be a parasite, a bad thing that those powerful beings try every means to warn later generations not to get close to.

It's best to avoid touching this visualization that embodies the "Way of Mandate of Heaven".

Xu Fu was somewhat surprised, then became somewhat wary and said:

"Then what do you want?"

She thought of Gu Fangchen's overreaching behavior in the closet, and recalled how she had been manipulated like a child, and a sense of shame rose in her heart.

Could it be that this lecherous man wants my true form in return?

Even if she could refuse, she could give him another reward, but something that could be equivalent to the visualization diagram of the "Heavenly Mandate Path" is extremely rare in the world. Besides, she now owes Gu Fangchen, and the initiative is in the latter's hands.

Despite all the precautions, I still overlooked something.

Just as the Grand Preceptor was in a state of utter confusion, unsure of what to do, he heard Gu Fangchen's tone suddenly turn serious as she said:
"I have been practicing recently and came across a sentence in an ancient book that has left me with some questions. I hope that the Grand Preceptor can enlighten me."

Xu Fu: "..."

The Imperial Advisor was filled with suspicion. This familiar feeling finally made her realize that Gu Fangchen might be repeatedly teasing her.

On the previous two occasions, Gu Fangchen also pretended to be serious. Just when Xu Fu thought he was about to say something outrageous, she suddenly changed to make a very serious and earnest request.

Xu Fu was completely clueless about social etiquette and quite slow-witted. It wasn't until this moment that he realized he had been teased by Gu Fangchen.

This guy... just wants to see her embarrassed and ashamed of it.

But Xu Fu couldn't expose him. If this scoundrel took advantage of the situation and actually asked for her true form, she really wouldn't be able to refuse...

The Imperial Advisor could only follow suit and said calmly:

"You may say so."

The Grand Preceptor's erudition in cultivation is probably second only to Xie Qian; there's practically no question she can't answer.

Therefore, she even skipped the act of humility, which was actually honesty, but people always thought she was aloof and arrogant by nature.

Gu Fangchen was familiar with Xu Fu's personality and naturally wouldn't misunderstand, saying:
“Fu Mo, Luo Song, Zhan Ming, Nie Xu, Xu Yi, Yu Ou, Xuan Ming, Can Liao, Yi Shi… How do you interpret these nine words when studying the Dao?”

Given Gu Fangchen's comprehension, she couldn't understand even when Ding Xingfeng taught her step by step, let alone understand it on her own.

These nine words, even if he pondered them for ages, he still wouldn't know what they meant.

Why not just ask the Imperial Advisor?

Especially since the Grand Preceptor is the only permanent resident of "Canliao Pillar," she might just be one of them.

Upon hearing this, Xu Fu's expression immediately turned serious. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"Learning the Way is like learning to walk; it requires gradual progress."

"These nine words represent two things: first, the progression of the Dao from shallow to deep; and second, the means by which the Dao is spread."

Gu Fangchen took a deep breath. The Imperial Preceptor truly lived up to his name, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

This is what a preacher is like!

Xu Fu took it as a discussion of the Dao and continued:

“Fu Mo is what is written down, Luo Song is what is spread and disseminated, Zhan Ming is what is seen and understood, Nie Xu is what is whispered and agreed upon, Xu Yi is what is diligent and tireless, Yu Ou is what is sung and comprehended, Xuan Ming is what is profound and serene, Can Liao is what is lofty and distant, and Yi Shi is what is confused and without foundation.”

"When I say 'from shallow to deep,' I don't mean there's a hierarchy among them; every step is indispensable."

She pursed her lips again, and said in a somewhat complicated tone:
“The two characters ‘参寥’ were written by my master in the fortune-telling book he wrote for me back then. They mean that one must be lofty and remote, and stand alone.”

Xu Fu's life, at least before he met Gu Fangchen, truly fulfilled what the book of fate had said.

She only had the mandate of "peace under heaven" in her heart and never paid attention to anyone, let alone in her heart.

But after meeting Gu Fangchen, he suffered repeated setbacks, was repeatedly manipulated, and even experienced something that should have never been hers because he was trapped in the body of his maid...

From that moment on, my heart was never at peace.

Upon hearing this, Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow and said with a grin, "Then would I be considered to have disrupted the Imperial Preceptor's oracles?"

Xu Fu sensed that he was very smug and arrogant. Even the most aloof person felt a surge of irritation and wanted to teleport over and punch him.

But that would seem like she was being coquettish, so the aloof Grand Preceptor simply remained silent and did not answer.

Gu Fangchen sensed the ambiguity in the Grand Preceptor's attitude and was about to gracefully withdraw when her expression suddenly changed:
"Could these words also represent other people's destiny books?"

Of the nine words, he knew three.

Nie Xu is someone who whispers secrets in their heart.

Xuanming is a profound and desolate place.

Canliao is a place of lofty and desolate beauty.

Since "Gao Kuang Liao Yuan" refers to the evaluation of the Grand Preceptor's past life, the other words can perhaps be inferred in the same way.

Whispering secrets is nothing more than using words to sow discord in people's hearts.
Back then, Maha Wuliang framed Ding Xingfeng in the same way, deceiving the people and disrupting the court, which led to the "Martial Saint's" retirement.

Therefore, "Niexu" should refer to Maha Boundless.

He was profound and desolate, yet he did not seem like a "degenerate ruler," because his life trajectory was clear and understandable; his puppetry and disguises had been stripped away, which did not fit the description of those four words.

The concept of "emptiness and stillness" in particular, which is mysterious and serene, is more like his daughter, Xuanling.

Xuanling, whose title in the game is "The One Who Unties the Bell," is still a mystery, making her arguably the most enigmatic character.

More importantly, because of her long period of slumber, no one fits the description of "emptiness" better than her.

So, "Xuanming" actually refers to Xuanling.

In this way, two things can be confirmed.

First, the preacher indeed refers to a person.

Secondly, these words correspond to the specific horoscopes for these nine individuals.

In other words, the "Tao" may have chosen these individuals as its hosts, making them "preachers of the Tao".

At present, the Imperial Preceptor's decree has been disrupted by Gu Fangchen.

"In other words, if my existence disrupts the fate of these people, does that mean I am blocking the spread of the 'Tao'?"

Gu Fangchen thought to herself:
"Perhaps...this is why I had to unlock all six endings?"

"In those six endings, the fates of all the people did not actually change in any substantial way, and did not deviate from these few words of commentary."

"So, based on my understanding of these figures, perhaps I can deduce from these annotations who they correspond to..."

……

On the pillar of Canliao.

Xu Fu stood in the wind, sensing Gu Fangchen moving rapidly toward the border, and his gaze became somewhat solemn.

She made hand gestures and kept calculating.

The starry sky and water mirror before me kept turning, and countless people's fates were born and perished within it.

Although Xu Fu could not predict Gu Fangchen's future, Gu Fangchen's antics during this period, including carrying Emperor Yong'an's head on her waist, did not cause any major fluctuations in the causal relationship of "Taiping".

This is a very unusual thing.

The death of Emperor Yong'an, and even the shift in the fate of the Great Wei Dynasty, are theoretically omens of chaos and should trigger widespread unrest.

But in reality, the cause and effect of today's "peace" are as stable as a rock, and have not been affected at all.

"So now... there's only one possibility."

The Imperial Advisor gazed into the distance. If anyone were to see her at this moment, they would be astonished by her transformation. Since she broke free from the Soul-Locking Array and returned to her own body, the cinnabar mark between her brows had become even more alluring and beautiful.

Originally possessing a cool and ethereal aura, untouched by worldly concerns, her vivid eyes and brows transformed her from a flawless white statue into a living person, displaying a full range of joys and sorrows.

Even the corners of her eyes and brows carried a charm that warmed people's hearts.

This contrasts sharply with the Grand Preceptor's pure and aloof demeanor...

She put down the incantation she was holding and sighed with a sense of helplessness:

"The consequences of 'Taiping' have now fallen on Gu Fangchen."

The "peace" that was originally determined by the state of the world was now entirely dependent on one person after the death of Emperor Yong'an.

Xu Fu didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing...

However, it is certain that if the causal relationship of "Taiping" does not change afterward, it means that her destiny is completely tied to Gu Fangchen.

Xu Fu's heart skipped a beat, and he raised his head, his face suddenly turning cold.

She sensed two familiar auras rapidly approaching Gu Fangchen, both of them being of the second rank.

"'The Four Lords of Calamity,' 'The Six Star Lords'..."

Xu Fu raised his hand to form a hand seal, about to make a move, when he heard an aged voice mocking him:
"Heh, young man, your understanding of the Way of Destiny is still very shallow."

Xu Fu's heart skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted.

This is not the "Six Star Lords" from a separate timeline, but a young Taoist priest originally known as Feiguang.

Rather, it is the true "Six Star Lords" who has reassembled his remaining five causal lines!
……

Gu Fangchen was carried by the "Wolf God" and in just a few breaths, she had already traveled tens of thousands of miles and arrived at the border town of Gongzhou.

The "Wolf God" moves by the shortest straight distance, and the shortest distance from Huangtian City to the Golden Tent is through the Gongzhou Road.

Anyway, Ding Xingfeng has now incorporated the three routes that were originally under Gu Yuye's jurisdiction. Given his current level of information access, he has probably already arrived in Gongzhou.

Although Ding Xingfeng's loyalty to the Great Wei was not necessarily high, he could not let the death of Emperor Yong'an pass by in such an unclear manner.

We definitely need to find Gu Fangchen and get to the bottom of this. Besides, Gu Fangchen's current appearance of clearly betraying Qingman seems very inexplicable to others, but it is actually the easiest for Ding Xingfeng to understand.

After all, Ding Xingfeng was one of the people who had the most and longest contact with Gu Fangchen.

Gu Fangchen had absolutely no reason to defect; on the contrary, she had promised Ding Xingfeng that she would take the head of Maha Wuliang.

Therefore, setting aside the question of how Emperor Yong'an died, Gu Fangchen's current behavior is actually quite reasonable.

However, Gu Fangchen was forced to stop as soon as she arrived at Gongzhou Road.

Because the "Four-Phase Robbery Lord" was lying in wait right in front of him, clearly having been waiting for a long time.

His brow twitched, and he looked up at the girl in red holding the umbrella in front of him, saying helplessly:
"Lord Robber, I didn't actually steal your wheel on purpose..."

Lu Fuyi's face was covered by a pitch-black mask, and her eyes were cold and lifeless, as terrifying as an abyss.

She said coldly:

"Oh? So the people impersonating Confucians are also a misunderstanding?"

Gu Fangchen blinked and shrugged:
"It's just for self-preservation... Surely the Lord of the Calamity wouldn't even allow me to protect myself? Besides, I really am a Confucian."

"You can't assume I'm on the opposite side of Confucianism just because a few parasites want to kill me and oppose me."

Well... in the game, he did indeed become a pillar of Confucianism, a great Confucian scholar, and even had a statue erected at Yaoshan Academy.

This kind of treatment has been enjoyed by fewer than a handful of people throughout the millennia.

This shows his unwavering loyalty to Confucianism!
In reality, Xie Qian himself confirmed that he was a man of exceptional literary talent, qualified to be a teacher at an academy, even more Confucian than the Confucians themselves.

Gu Fangchen's words were not a lie.

But Lü Fuyi wasn't buying it. Her gaze grew even colder as she said:
"Grabbing my hand and flirting with me was a misunderstanding? Stealing the daughter's wine that my father left me was also a misunderstanding?"

Gu Fangchen: "..."

The reckoning is here... But this is the one thing Gu Fangchen really can't brush off: she stole someone else's daughter's red wine, drank it all, and still can't return it.

His expression turned solemn, and he said with utmost sincerity:
"That was indeed not a misunderstanding... but rather what I truly felt."

Gu Fangchen refrained from turning around to look. He thought to himself that since the Grand Preceptor hadn't made a move immediately, he must have been held up somewhere else, so he probably couldn't hear what he was saying.

Indeed, fortune and misfortune are intertwined...

If the Grand Preceptor were to hear what I was about to say, he would probably flip the Book of Fate, which he had just messed up, back over and cover it up again.

Not only that, we should also treat him like a heartless man and skin him alive...

Lu Fuyi was taken aback, her gaze growing colder and chilling, she simply didn't believe Gu Fangchen was telling the truth.

She had already investigated the situation in Jian Ge and concluded that Gu Fangchen, this纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled brat), had acted on a whim, using "Yi'er" as a pastime to tease her, and then deliberately lured her out to frame the Confucian school in order to break the deadlock.

There wasn't a single bit of sincerity in them!
The thought of her father's last possessions being stolen and wasted filled Lü Fuyi with anger and murderous intent.

—It must be said that Lord Jie's guess was indeed incredibly accurate, except that Gu Fangchen didn't intentionally lure her out, but simply wanted to deceive Yi'er...

Unfortunately, the Lord of the Robbery encountered Gu Fangchen today.

Gu Fangchen remained expressionless and glanced up.

His profession as a night watchman had reached its final days.

Although this profession is invincible in escaping, the opponent is the [Four Phases Calamity Master]... The Nine Netherworld is under her control, and Gu Fangchen still impersonated her.

Going to the Netherworld now would be nothing more than walking into a trap.

At this moment, Gu Fangchen's profession has been redefined once again—

[Scammer (20 days)]

【Skill 1: Deceiving the Heavens (Active)】

[Note: You are using a feint to deceive someone. When communicating with someone, you can specify a word to replace it, but this will not work if the other person sees through your deception.]

【Skill 2: Eloquent and Flattering (Passive)】

[Note: You are two-faced, your words are sweet but your heart is treacherous. When you lie, the probability of convincing the other person is greatly increased.]

Gu Fangchen looked at the girl in red in front of her and said in a deep voice:

"I fell in love with you at first sight, Lord of the Robbery."

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.: Making up for lost chapters, still owes... um, 9 chapters? Why is it getting so many? (orz)
(End of this chapter)