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

Chapter 244 Inside and Outside the Door (Part 2)

In theory, Prajna Lotus Moon shouldn't be coming to find Gu Fangchen right now.

The "Dragon Trapping Formation" is not yet complete. They only need to remain still and continue to play their original lives according to their disguised identities for a period of time.

When appropriate, you can also use some smokescreens to further attract the attention of Sunaga and the other merfolk.

Let them focus their attention on the ships arriving in port that day, thus buying time for the "Extinction" Daoist followers and the Witch Clan who are setting up the nodes of the grand formation.

Banruo Lianyue and Yi'er also disguised themselves as female merfolk of the Ship Bureau, but in terms of status, they were not as high as Mingluo, who was replaced by Gu Fangchen.

Of course, the original identity that "Four-Phase Robbery Master" assigned to herself was that of another priestess belonging to "Tide Palace".

The so-called "Tide Palace" is an organization composed of priests who communicate with the "Snail Book". The entire operation of the Sea Kingdom is controlled by the "Tide Palace".

As priests, they were essentially at the center of power, and their status was naturally much higher than that of Mingluo and the others.

However, that is based on the premise that the "Four-Phase Tribulation Master" himself is powerful enough to act on his own and is not afraid of being exposed.

Yi'er has no cultivation. Letting her go to the "Tide Palace" to pretend to be a priest is like sending a lamb to the slaughter.

Even if something goes wrong, the "Four-Phase Robbery Master" will probably wake up on his own, but that would cause chaos and be very detrimental to their plans.

Therefore, Yi'er's final identity is that of an ordinary merman working for a ship company.

Staying with Prajna Lotus Moon makes it easier for her to move around, and it also makes it easier for Prajna Lotus Moon to take care of her.

Prajna Lotus Moon already knew about Yi'er's relationship with Gu Fangchen, and even eavesdropped on it all night. However, because of her identity as the "Four Phases Calamity Master" and her lack of adjustment to Gu Fangchen's change in status, she felt something was off.

After all, as a holy woman of the Tara sect, she had dealt with the "Four-Phase Calamity Lord" several times. This "Destroyer" Dao Lord was always portrayed as a mysterious, unpredictable, ruthless, and cold-blooded madman.

The one whose temperament is most similar to hers is "the corrupt and decadent man".

In Prajna Lotus Moon's heart, she had always assumed that the Dao Lord of "Extinction" should be a very sinister and tough man.

Now that the disguise has been removed, it turns out that she is actually a shy little girl.

Then she was having a wild and unrestrained time with her beloved father. Wasn't the leader of the evil cult, whom she used to fight with, now her stepmother?

What kind of nonsense is this...

Prajna Lotus Moon read the storybook and felt it was utterly absurd, but upon reflection, she realized that the changes in her own relationships were even more absurd than the storybook.

The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed, and she subconsciously felt something was amiss, so she couldn't help but focus all her attention on Yi'er.

Since she had nothing else to do, she began to ponder Yi'er's experiences.

Gu Fangchen once told her that Yi'er's true identity was the daughter of Lü Ping, the swordsman who had been with her for a long time.

The sword attendant followed Ying Baishou to the Heavenly Gate and witnessed Ying Baishou opening the Heavenly Gate. Afterward, he went into hiding, became a winemaker, married and had a daughter, but eventually went mad and died.

Judging from the later fates of Shenxiu and Garan Temple, "going mad" was the price of staring directly at the Heavenly Gate.

Seems reasonable.

However, according to the swordsmith Zhou Deqing, Lu Ping did not actually look directly at the Heavenly Gate. After Ying Baishou opened the Heavenly Gate, he fainted immediately.

After being in a coma for seven days, he finally saw the last words next to Ying Baishou's body.

At that time, Ying Baishou should have already sealed the Heavenly Gate.

As the sword attendant, no one could understand the sword master's thoughts better than him. After discovering that Ying Baishou had used his own body to seal the Heavenly Gate, he should have understood that Ying Baishou did not want future generations to see the scene behind the Heavenly Gate.

The sword servant will not disobey the sword master's wishes.

So theoretically, Lü Ping didn't actually see Tianmen at that time; he only saw the corpse and the suicide note.

If that's the case, then why did Lü Ping suddenly go insane and die a few years later?
If the reason for his madness wasn't during the opening of the Heavenly Gate, then it can only be found in his later life and the people around him...

As Prajna Lotus Moon thought of this, she also thought of the "Four Phases Calamity Lord's" dual-soul syndrome.

Judging from the timing of the emergence of the "Path of Annihilation," the "Four-Phase Calamity Lord" was almost born with knowledge of it and clearly pursued the path of "Path of Annihilation" from the very beginning.

As a second-grade cultivator, Prajna Lotus Moon is one of the top cultivators in this world.

She knew perfectly well what price she would have to pay to achieve this power.

Importantly, the "Tao" does not arise from nothing.

One's own "Tao" is one's own philosophy and thought, which takes a gradual process of formation.

However, the "Four Phases of Calamity" does not seem to have this process.

It's as if she was born to destroy this world, but such a situation is impossible unless she is a reincarnation of a person with innate wisdom.

"The 'Tao' without origin, the two souls in one body without origin..."

In that instant, I felt there must be some connection between the Prajna Lotus Moon and the moon.

More importantly, although the "Destruction" Dao of the "Four-Phase Calamity Lord" is powerful and terrifying, it is still within their comprehension.

This "path" does not possess the power to drive people mad, like the Heavenly Gate.

Otherwise, why would the "Four-Phase Calamity Master" need to seek cooperation from the Demonic Sect? He could have destroyed the entire world long ago with his own "Destruction" Dao.

"If... it's not the 'Destruction' Dao, not the 'Four Phases Calamity Master,' then the only thing that could drive Lü Ping mad and to his death is—"

"Yi'er!"

In an instant, Prajna Lotus Moon, who was deep in thought, narrowed her eyes and restrained her gaze, forcing herself not to look at Yi'er, who was curiously looking around the dock.

The sky had already darkened, and as members of the shipping company, their duty was to inspect the condition of the ships after unloading, checking for any damage.

In reality, it was a very easy job; you could just walk around and that was it.

Prajna Lotus Moon took a deep breath, looked at the slightly swaying boat in front of her, slowed her pace, and then a blue light appeared in her pupils, followed by a blooming golden lotus.

She remained calm, her hands forming a hand seal.

In an instant, countless red lines flashed past his eyes.

She used the causal technique, but not Yi'er. If Yi'er really had a problem, then the causal technique would definitely alert her.

At this moment, Prajna Lotus Moon was calculating the karma of Cui Xiu.

When Cui Xiu self-destructed with his natal fire, Gu Fangchen asked her with great confusion if she had sensed the whereabouts of his soul.

Gu Fangchen sensed that when Cui Xiu was on the verge of death, he must have shed his soul, separating a portion of it from his body.

After all, this guy was full of greed, so how could he so easily give up everything he had built up and choose to commit suicide?

Naturally, it was to deceive others and attempt to escape.

However, at that time, Gu Fangchen could not find the whereabouts of Cui Xiu's wisp of soul.

I also searched for Prajna Lotus Moon, but couldn't sense it at all.

At the time, Gu Fangchen assumed that Cui Xiu had acted rashly and failed to control the force of his self-destruction. After all, his soul was gone, so there was no need to waste any more time, and she didn't investigate further. But Prajna Lian Yue knew perfectly well just how prescient Gu Fangchen was.

From the very beginning, when she truly got to know Gu Fangchen and met him for the first time, it was because this well-known good-for-nothing playboy suddenly anticipated that she would secretly come to Baima Temple.

That's why Prajna Lotus Moon asked Gu Fangchen to come and meet her in person, which led to the subsequent entanglement.

Prajna Lotus Moon was deeply impressed by this.

Even though Gu Fangchen herself thought it was Cui Xiu's mistake, Banruo Lianyue felt that things were not so simple.

Because when Gu Fangchen came to ask her, her expression clearly showed that she was not expecting it.

This shows that Cui Xiu's escape was something Gu Fangchen believed was bound to happen.

At that time, Prajna Lotus Moon had already taken precautions.

At this moment, she had some doubts... she suspected that Cui Xiu's disappearance of his soul was also related to Yi'er.

She recalled the direction in which those natal flames fled and sensed something was amiss. After all, from Cui Xiu's perspective, among so many people present, only Yi'er had no cultivation. If anyone was going to run, it would definitely be towards Yi'er.

However, he ultimately failed to complete the run...

The red lines of cause and effect in Prajna Lotus Moon's eyes intertwined and condensed into a small flame.

"laugh……"

The flame was pinched by the outstretched, slender, white fingers, and instantly turned into a wisp of smoke, disappearing into the air.

As the smoke dissipated, a smiling girl's face was revealed behind it.

Her gentle and pretty face was all smiles, but her eyes held no joy whatsoever, only the reflection of the raging fire.

"What's wrong, Sister Lianyue? Is there something strange about this ship?"

Yi'er's voice came from the side. Prajna Lotus Moon turned her head and saw the girl tilting her head curiously at her. She took a deep breath, put down the hand seal she was forming, and said calmly:
"It's nothing... I'm just a little worried about the arrangement of the nodes in the grand formation. I'll go and discuss it with Gu Fangchen later."

Yi'er tilted her head, thought for a moment, nodded and smiled:

"I understand. Oh, right, Sister Lianyue..."

She took an oil paper package out of her pocket.

"These are some snacks I just bought on the way. They seem to be unique to merfolk. I've never seen them anywhere else. Please give them to the young master for me."

Prajna Lotus Moon glanced at the oil paper package, and it was indeed the one she had just watched the other party buy, so there shouldn't be any problem.

He reached out and took it, saying:
"Okay, I'll definitely bring it."

After inspecting the remaining ships, Prajna Lotus Moon concealed her presence and headed towards Gu Fangchen's location.

Yi'er stood on the dock and waved with a smile.

Then, she turned her head and looked at the ship where Prajna Lotus Moon had just stopped, and reached out to gently stroke the hull.

"Oh no, we've been found out..."

……

With a serious expression, Prajna Lotus Moon landed in the courtyard of Gu Fangchen's residence and hurriedly walked towards her room.

She came for Yi'er.

There's something seriously wrong with Yi'er's identity!

Although Yi'er doesn't seem to be doing anything wrong right now, the fact that Lü Ping—her biological father—went insane and died tragically suggests that this situation may be uncontrollable.

It's like the gates of heaven.

If it merely exists, it must be sealed away.

If Gu Fangchen is unaware of this matter, who knows what the consequences will be.

She needed to inform Gu Fangchen about Yi'er's situation so that he could make preparations and plans as soon as possible...

Prajna Lotus Moon had the authority to access the array set up by Gu Fangchen, so she walked to the bedroom door without much effort. But suddenly she stopped and her face froze, as if she had been petrified.

In the bedroom that should have been occupied by only Gu Fangchen, the voices of two people could be heard.

Moreover, the voice was quite unusual, far exceeding Prajna Lotus Moon's comprehension!
She was taken aback at first, then her pupils constricted and trembled, revealing an expression of disbelief.

The voices coming from inside the door weren't just Gu Fangchen's.

There are also many who have failed!
But unlike the previous "Sage of Fate" National Preceptor of the Great Wei, whose aloof and ethereal demeanor was as unwavering as a fairy in the cold palace, Xu Fu's voice now carried a tremor that he could hardly control, especially the last syllable, which was even very soft and alluring.

"You...you scoundrel! Didn't we agree that you, you had to listen to me? How dare you go back on your word, you little thief!"

Then came Gu Fangchen's voice, tinged with a hint of a smile.

"I did listen to the Grand Preceptor, didn't he say not to go too fast..."

It's obvious that he's deliberately trying to provoke the Grand Preceptor.

In a normal situation, if someone dared to misinterpret and bully the Grand Preceptor like this, they would have been struck by lightning long ago, and all their luck in this life would have been stripped away, turning them into a complete jinx.

But at this moment, Xu Fu felt his mind was a complete mess, and he was dizzy and at the mercy of others. Only a trace of instinct was still maintaining the dignity and composure that belonged to the national advisor.

She leaned against the door panel, remembering that day when she hid in the closet, and Xuexiang and she went back and forth, over and over again.

Xu Fu bit her lip, and a strand of hair also got into her mouth.

Just then, she suddenly felt someone land outside the door, and then she felt the familiar presence getting closer and closer, and at an extremely fast speed.

Her pupils contracted, and she shuddered, quickly saying:
"Stop, stop... Someone's coming!"

If this scene were discovered, wouldn't the Imperial Advisor lose all face?

Xu Fu turned his head and hurriedly punched Gu Fangchen a few times, but unfortunately, his whole body was limp at this moment. His third-grade physical body had no strength left, and he was more like a spoiled child.

"hiss--"

Gu Fangchen took a breath.

Prajna Lotus Moon froze, watching the door in front of her shake violently a few times. She was about to knock, but now she didn't know whether to let go or not.

At this moment, she wished she were truly blind...

……

Meanwhile, beneath the seabed within the range of the Sea Kingdom's [Snail Book] barrier, the arrangement of the nodes for the "Trapping Dragon Formation" is also underway.

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 edited it later, so there's not much else to say. Let me just say cute (*▽*)
(End of this chapter)