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

Chapter 222 Player Gu Fangchen Arrives (Three-in-One)

During her last secret midnight meeting with the Princess, Gu Fangchen could only be suppressed and allowed the Princess to flirt with her and take advantage of her.

But this time the situation is very different!
As a dignified fourth-rank martial artist, he can be said to have truly entered the ranks of masters. Even a half-step second-rank martial artist was beheaded and killed by his blade. He even had the strength to fight against the "God of War" of the Great Wei.

Unfortunately, they only have the strength to fight one battle.

If the Princess is an enemy, Gu Fangchen can naturally defeat her if she does everything in her power.

But the eldest princess is not an outsider. If she wants to have some fun in the bedroom, does she really have to fight to the death?

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Gu Fangchen was knocked to the ground again by the princess and could only be bullied, which was extremely humiliating.

Despite her busy schedule, the eldest princess leaned down and whispered intimately to Gu Fangchen.

With the war against the Qingman tribes in dire straits, Gu Fangchen's strategy guide was like a timely rain after a long drought, relieving the crisis.

Now that Gu Fangchen wants a reward, the Eldest Princess naturally cannot refuse.

But the reward Gu Fangchen wanted was much more than what the princess had given him last time, and the princess glared at him after hearing it.

But in this deep night with heavy dew, the beautiful and domineering princess's glance, rather than being angry, was more like a coquettish pout, possessing a unique and charming allure.

"Is the Princess going to renege on her promise?"

Gu Fangchen said with a smile, deliberately.

Xiao Yinghao looked at him with sparkling eyes, pursed her lips, tucked her hair behind her ear, and gave a cold snort:
"Just this once."

Ah……

By the time they meet again, he will have already reached the third rank, and then the princess will have no say in the matter.

Gu Fangchen had long known that Xiao Yinghao was exceptionally magnanimous, but the two conversations, though from different angles, gave her different insights.

He thought to himself that the eldest princess truly possessed the ambition to rule the world and the qualities of an empress…

If it weren't for such a broad mind, capable of encompassing the Heavenly Pillar, it would have been difficult to contend for supremacy and reach the pinnacle of power in the future.

The two discussed state affairs for half an hour, displaying remarkable eloquence and insight.

Gu Fangchen was so eloquent that she was satisfied only after completely refuting the Princess. Although the Princess was unwilling, she could only grit her teeth and swallow the bitter pill because she did not want to break her promise.

……

The rain intensified, and the entire city of Fancheng was covered in a curtain of rain.

Gu Fangchen turned around at the windowsill and saw the Princess, who had changed her clothes, walking up. Her gaze was somewhat complicated, and she said softly:

"When the world is in chaos, the next time we meet will be the day when the world is transformed."

The princess and he actually only spent three days together in total, which was more like a fleeting affair where each party got what they wanted.

Xiao Ying liked this person, but she wasn't someone who valued relationships that much.

Otherwise, in the "human hearts are of paramount importance" storyline, she wouldn't have placed her younger brother Xiao Yi under house arrest after ascending the throne.

However, Gu Fangchen had saved her from the encirclement and given her the Qingman strategy guide, which indeed left a very deep mark.

There are definitely feelings involved, but whether they can outweigh the interests is something Gu Fangchen himself is unsure of. Therefore, his starting point has always been to bind the two of them together with mutual benefits.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yinghao lowered her eyelashes, took out half of a tiger tally from her sleeve, and said softly:
"You once impersonated my son-in-law and tricked the White Dragon Army into using the White Dragon Army Formation..."

Gu Fangchen gave an awkward smile.

He thought to himself that he had fooled her during their last late-night conversation, so surely the Princess wouldn't hold it against him now?

Xiao Ying saw his anxious expression, but suddenly smiled:
"Ha... The greatest traitor who dared to murder his king and betray his country, yet he's afraid of a little princess like me?"

She gently placed the half of the tiger tally into Gu Fangchen's hand.

Gu Fangchen closed her fingers, grasping the tiger tally and Xiao Yinghao's hand.

"Next time, there's no need to pretend to be anyone. When the White Dragon Army sees this talisman, it will be as if they see me."

The eldest princess smiled and said:
See you next time, I hope we're both doing well.

……

After leaving the White Dragon Army camp, Gu Fangchen went to the City Lord's Mansion under the cover of night.

He had roughly browsed through the personnel change list of the three government and military forces, and only one person named Zhao Shi's background matched the description given by Granny Meng.

Of course, this Zhao Shi was actually a fake name. How could a refugee have such a name? In reality, he just randomly used "Zhao Shi" as a homonym. Meng Po Po's son's real name was Zhao Daniu.

According to the list, Zhao Shizheng was in the Fancheng Prefecture Army.

Therefore, by simply finding the city lord of Fancheng to verify, we can find out why Zhao Daniu has disappeared without a trace.

Although his name is on that list, its complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

After all, the list was compiled by people. During this period, there were frequent battles with the Qingman, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. There were at least tens of thousands of changes in the number of people, so how could there be no mistakes or omissions?

Naturally, we need to find him in order to ascertain his situation.

Gu Fangchen entered the city lord's mansion and found Gu Youren there, reading a book instead of sleeping in the middle of the night.

He hid in the shadows and quietly observed for a while.

This usually aloof and arrogant female teacher now looked tired and preoccupied, wearing only a thin white dress as she leaned against the window, propping her head up with her hand as she looked at the book in her hand.

However, her eyes were unfocused, clearly she was lost in thought, perhaps pondering something.

It's understandable, considering that for Gu Youren, these past few months have been nothing short of devastating. His once happy family has been torn apart by death and separation, so he certainly has no desire to sleep.

But coincidentally, no matter why she came to the border, it seems to coincide with the inescapable ending she had in the game.

In the game, in all of Gu Youren's endings, she will die on the battlefield to protect the world and the common people when the player is unable to attend to her.

His body transformed into a thousand-mile peach forest, benefiting all living beings, becoming the true "Spring God of the East," whose glory is shared with the peach blossoms.

And now, she has once again come to the front lines of the battlefield.

However, this time, Gu Fangchen is in complete control of the situation on both sides, so there will be no need to sacrifice Gu Youren again.

Of course, there's no need to tell her about this anymore...

After all, to Gu Youren now, Gu Fangchen is a real enemy who killed her father. It's better not to see her at all, and it's better for her to keep hating her.

Given her personality, she's not as easily fooled as Gu Lianxian, and she's more prone to getting stuck on trivial matters.

At that time, he would surely be torn between loyalty to his country and filial piety, and would have to repay the debt of gratitude with his life.

He went to all that trouble not to grow another peach orchard and grow peaches to eat, but simply to change Gu Youren's fate. As for how it was changed, that's all that matters...

Gu Fangchen shook her head and disappeared into the shadows again.

……

Gu Youren seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up, only to see a gust of wind blowing through the treetops, leaving a few leaves stuck to the ground.

She took a deep breath and then let out a long sigh.

I wonder when I'll see that person again and get the truth she wants...

Although it might be more convenient to ask her master directly, she knew that she might be persuaded by her master... Therefore, she needed an answer from Gu Fangchen herself.

An answer that left her no room for regret.

"Shua..."

The woman quietly turned another page, as if she could turn the page along with her chaotic thoughts.

……

"We found him... but he should be gone by now."

The city lord of Fancheng carefully handed the book in his hand to Gu Fangchen.

As a member of the White Dragon Army, he naturally knew about the relationship between his commander and Gu Fangchen.

But knowing this doesn't mean he can treat a ruthless person who just killed the "Sage of War" and then slaughtered Emperor Yong'an as well.

Although it is speculated that the Crown Prince was most likely responsible for this.

But given the princess's temperament, it's entirely possible she might make her lover do chores and then frame the crown prince for it...

Furthermore, having reversed the rank of a fourth-grade cultivator who was half a step into the second rank, he was a figure who could be ranked among the top thirty in the entire Great Wei. It was not unreasonable for him to be cautious.

Besides, he didn't know what the other side wanted to do with the person... but the person was already gone, and if he had any connection with them, he was afraid he would lose his head.

Gu Fangchen took the list from the city lord of Fancheng and frowned:

"What do you mean gone?"

If someone is missing, they are missing; if someone is dead, they are dead. There aren't many taboos in the military, so why would someone say "gone"?

He glanced at the booklet and his heart sank.

The inscription stated that three months prior, the White Dragon Army had temporarily requisitioned a group of logistics soldiers to construct corresponding defensive fortifications in order to reinforce Qiu'an Road and resist the main force of the Qingman army.

Zhao Shi was among them.

The city lord of Fancheng wiped his sweat and said:

"This...this should actually mean he is dead."

"Three months ago, after this group of people were transferred, they actually became quite successful. Although the front line was dangerous, they became members of the White Dragon Army. If they could have survived that battle, they should have been officially added to the White Dragon Army's roster."

"But unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The battle on Qiu'an Road was too fierce, and many people didn't even have a single corpse left."

"Zhao Shi should be one of them..."

He stammered, "I heard that the 'Yunmengze Kingdom' formation was used at the time, which caused many people to be swept away by the Sishi River and their bodies were never found."

"But many soldiers have heard rumors that they watched their comrades suddenly disappear from their side, possibly due to the evil magic of the Qingman."

"I don't know if it's true or not, and I don't dare to say anything, so I can only say that it's 'gone'."

"Those whose remains were never found were probably victims of this evil magic..."

Gu Fangchen was taken aback. She looked down and saw the densely written names on it. Her pupils contracted, and she immediately understood.

These people were not harmed by the evil magic of the Qingman.

But when he used the [Fisherman] skill... it was directly wiped out.

[Angler] is the second profession he randomly got. The effect of his first skill [Keep Hitting the Nest] is to throw one of his own items into the water.

Then, there is a 1% chance of getting a higher quality item, a 33% chance of getting a lower quality item, and a 66% chance of getting nothing.

After he submerged 150,000 White Dragon Army soldiers in the flood, he triggered the "Keep Attacking the Nest" effect, resulting in the disappearance of 70,000 soldiers.

Now, these 70,000 people have names.

They are called "Zhao Shi".

Or rather, Zhao Daniu. Gu Fangchen once told herself, "A kind heart cannot command an army, and righteousness cannot manage wealth." These people, even if they were just unlucky, were probably just that.

But he knew that this was just a way to comfort himself and make it easier for him to do it.

If both the greater good and one's own life are built on the sacrifice of others, then of course he must choose a way out.

This is the safest and least costly strategy among the players' guides.

Gu Fangchen never regretted the decisions she made in the strategy guide.

However, at this moment, he saw the 70,000 people he had erased with a single stroke of his pen. They had names, and they had Granny Meng and Red Bean who were eagerly waiting.

If Gu Fangchen only treats these worlds as games, she wouldn't have any psychological barriers to killing hundreds of millions of NPCs.

But at this very moment, he had already accepted that he was Gu Fangchen, and he also clearly knew that this world was real.

Therefore, at this moment, Gu Fangchen's heart wavered for a moment.

He killed Zhao Shi when he thought he was the player.

When he realized that he was Gu Fangchen, he promised Granny Meng and her granddaughter that he would find Zhao Shi and give him a bright future.

The so-called "inner demons" are nothing more than the inability of one's actions and thoughts to be in harmony, leading to a divergence.

In such a state of disagreement, people's hearts become unable to find their own peace, which leads to all sorts of distracting thoughts and eventually evolves into "inner demons."

Gu Fangchen's momentary hesitation when thinking about how to return to Mohai to face the grandfather and grandson was his "inner demon".

"Click."

Blood-red lightning snaked across the sky.

……

Standing atop the city lord's mansion, Luo Song saw the stunned expression on Gu Fangchen's face after she picked up the list, and knew that the seed of "inner demon" had already been planted.

He curled the corners of his mouth, and the bloodshot in his eyes rapidly expanded.

Gu Fangchen... let me lend you a hand.

"Inner demons" and the like are mostly generated by the most extreme emotions, because they are extreme enough to be called "demons".

The "inner demon" tribulation is the most difficult tribulation for martial arts cultivators, especially those who have achieved rapid cultivation.

Many exceptional individuals, born with abundant resources and no bottlenecks, are easily destroyed by the "inner demon" tribulation once they reach the fourth rank.

This may also be the reason why Gu Yuye cultivated Gu Lianxian in that way.

Given Gu Lianxian's temperament, without experience, the fourth rank would be her limit; at that point, she would truly become a walking experience pack.

In addition, there is another extreme: experiencing too many things and having too much on one's mind can easily lead to "inner demons."

Gu Fangchen, on the other hand, was a product of rapid learning and had experienced so much, that her mind was incredibly heavy.

Luo Song has Gu Yuandao's memories and can easily discover the contradictions in his behavior. Naturally, he can also judge that he does not have a Dao heart at all. If he had to be described, he would just be an "ordinary person with cultivation" who would be easily disturbed by distracting thoughts.

It's incredibly easy to distract him or even take over his mind with "inner demons"!
When an extreme thought that generates "inner demons" becomes dominant, all that will emerge is a madman devoid of reason and logic.

Perhaps a coward who fears killing will become a butcher.

A person who considers himself noble can become a sex fiend.

However, these people themselves did not change their self-perception; it was just a momentary lapse in judgment that led them to do something they could not forgive themselves for.

If one starts to deny oneself, one will naturally only head towards destruction.

Even if it's just being disturbed by the seed of "inner demons," it would undoubtedly be fatal for Gu Fangchen, who is currently being wanted and hunted down by the entire Great Wei.

What's more, his mind was completely consumed by "inner demons"?
"Let me see your 'inner demons'."

Luo Song looked excited, his eyes almost entirely red.

He had already overheard Gu Fangchen's conversation with the city lord of Fancheng, and he knew the answer in no time.

When Xiao Yinghao was trapped, Gu Fangchen was in command of the entire Qiu'an Road battlefield, so the events that happened there were naturally only related to him.

Perhaps to protect Gu Fangchen's reputation, the eldest princess deliberately concealed some of the facts, only saying that those people died on the battlefield against the Qingman.

However, among Gu Yuye's intelligence, there was one particularly strange thing: the survivors of the White Dragon Army had all made rapid progress in their strength.

The simultaneous occurrence of these two events must indicate a connection.

Now it seems that both things were done by Gu Fangchen. The sacrifice of some people was in exchange for the great improvement of the strength of others!

Otherwise, the Qiu'an Road battle situation, which Gu Yuye had meticulously planned, could never have been reversed so quickly.

The person named "Zhao Shi" was one of those who were sacrificed.

But for some reason, Gu Fangchen was entrusted by someone to come and find "Zhao Shi," which seemed to be to protect his future.

Only now did he realize that this person had already died at his hands!

How can one not develop inner demons in such a situation?

Luo Song narrowed his eyes, gently raised his hand, and at this moment, all the red illusions that were difficult for ordinary people to see in the entire Fancheng gathered together and transformed into a bolt of lightning in his hand.

He brought his two fingers together and moved them slightly, and the lightning struck down, landing in the city lord's mansion.

All calamities in the world eventually lead to "heavenly calamities," which are obstacles imposed on cultivators by the Heavenly Dao. If they were to be personified, they would be thunder and lightning.

This is the tribulation lightning of the "inner demon".

Silent and invisible, yet deadly.

Luo Song murmured:
"Gu Fangchen, is it your shame? Or your regret? Or perhaps, your kindness?"

……

However, this time, Luo Song was clearly unaware that he had miscalculated.

Gu Fangchen's "inner demon" is not shame, nor regret, nor kindness.

The root cause lies in the contradiction he feels about his own identity.

This contradiction actually arose from the very first day he transmigrated, and reached its peak when his two parts of his soul merged into one.

However, it has not yet fully manifested itself.

However, back then, in the Blood God Cult ruins in the desert, the Grand Preceptor had already seen through Gu Fangchen's confusion about the question "Who am I?"

Now, the existence of "Zhao Shi" has become a fuse, completely igniting the confusion in his heart and the various distracting thoughts that have turned into "inner demons".

The clues he's discovered are making him increasingly inclined to believe he's a native, but his memories keep telling him he's a player.

This is his obsession.

As he told the princess, you can insult me, but you can't insult my strategy.

Player Gu Fangchen, this is the real him.

Amplifying the "inner demons" is tantamount to turning Gu Fangchen, who is currently filled with hesitation and pity, back into a player who moves the mouse in front of the screen and decides the fate of the entire world...

Between lightning and stone.

Gu Fangchen turned her head when she heard the noise and saw the red lightning flashing in the sky. She immediately narrowed her eyes.

He remembered...

Later on, when Gu Yuandao appeared as a teammate in battle, red lightning would always streak across the sky in the background.

Sometimes, when he is talking to someone, a red lightning bolt will flash briefly in the background.

In such cases, players usually need to utilize Gu Yuandao's connections and ask for his help.

However, the game doesn't explain this or include any related storyline.

It looks like a simple special effect in the background.

After all, it's quite normal for games to give character skills some meaningless but flashy special effects.

Moreover, he is an important and senior teammate like Gu Yuandao.

Therefore, players didn't react much to this, and some character fans noticed it but only regarded it as a personal design by the artist.

But at this moment, the sudden appearance of the lightning made Gu Fangchen feel that something was wrong.

He had just learned from his conversation with the city lord of Fancheng that Gu Youren was there, and Gu Yuandao was also there at the moment.

In the game, the red lightning is a special effect.

However, at this moment, we can't just consider it a special effect.

In particular, such red lightning did not exist before Gu Yuandao emerged from seclusion after reflecting on his mistakes.

Once I was out of the country, it suddenly appeared.

So... that only proves one thing.

The Gu Yuandao of today may not be the same Gu Yuandao anymore.

This red lightning bolt is proof of the change in identity.

Furthermore, it's possible that it's some kind of characteristic or skill, and it's most likely intended for Gu Fangchen.

But... what effect could this have?

Gu Fangchen sensed something subtly but found nothing unusual about himself. He then opened the list in his hand and looked at the names on it.

The city lord of Fancheng noticed that he was looking outside and awkwardly echoed:
"This awful weather is probably the work of the Qingman's Heavenly Sa (a type of celestial being). They are masters at altering the weather, and countless people have died from their evil spells over the years..."

Gu Fangchen closed the list, glanced at him, and in the dim light, a red glint seemed to flicker deep in her pupils, startling the city lord of Fancheng, who almost knelt down to apologize.

But Gu Fangchen quickly smiled and patted him on the shoulder:

"Don't worry, soon the people of Wei will be able to live and work in peace and contentment."

The city lord of Fancheng breathed a sigh of relief, offered a few more compliments, and finally saw the person off.

After leaving Fancheng, Gu Fangchen immediately set off for Mohai, landing in a relatively remote place along the way.

Luo Song followed him all the way, and seeing that he remained calm as before, she couldn't help but frown.

Strange, the "inner demon" tribulation has definitely taken effect, so why does he seem to have no reaction at all?

He continued to follow secretly and discovered that Gu Fangchen had found another Blood God Cult altar and then opened a rift.

Go in, then come out again.

He now held a bewildered soul in his hand.

Gu Fangchen spoke gently to the spirit:
"From today onwards, your name will be Zhao Daniu."

Luo Song: "...???"
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.: Here's another chapter. More tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)