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

Chapter 257 The One Who Untied the Knot (Part 2)

The clear night is dust-free, and the moonlight is like silver.

The shimmering water sparkled in the spilled moonlight, and a dim lantern hung on a fishing boat swaying in the reeds. The reflection in the water shattered as the boatman yawned and stepped onto the deck.

"crunch..."

As the old boat groaned under its own weight, the boatman shuddered, fastened his belt, and was about to go back to sleep when he suddenly saw a figure standing in the sky.

"Oh!"

The boatman was startled, his pupils contracted, and his sleepiness vanished instantly.

He swears there was nothing there just a moment ago!
However, after being startled, he came to his senses. He was used to the immortals coming and going around in the vicinity and didn't think it was a ghost.

However, these immortals are fickle in nature, so it's best to be cautious.

The boatman swallowed hard, then awkwardly clasped his hands in a salute to the figure, and said with a fawning smile:
"I am Wen San, a fisherman who makes a living near Baima Temple. Is the immortal on his way to Baima Temple?"

He pointed to the mountain path behind them and said:
“Go up the mountain from here, and you’ll see a tall and magnificent temple.”

Based on his experience, when immortals come here, nine times out of ten they are going to rest at the White Horse Temple. Therefore, he used this as a starting point to let the immortals know that he was "sensible".

If the immortal has any further questions, he may ask them.

"White Horse Temple? There's a White Horse Temple here too?"

The figure spoke in a strange tone and flew down. Only then did the boatman see clearly that it was a young man of not much age, with delicate and fair features and an extraordinary demeanor. He was wearing a white robe with silver patterns outlining a Qilin (a mythical creature), which was the same color as the moonlight.

Even a fisherman like Wen San could tell at a glance that this outfit alone must be priceless!
This is not only an immortal, but probably a noble person of extraordinary status!

However, the question posed by this important person was truly extremely strange.

Could it be that he didn't come for the White Horse Temple?

But having come all this way, how could we not know about the White Horse Temple?

Wen San was suspicious, but dared not question the other party, so he simply lowered his head and answered honestly:
"Yes, it was built by imperial decree of the Emperor to provide a place for immortals to rest and gather. Over the years, immortals have been coming and going here, and even this old man like me has benefited from it."

Upon hearing this, the young man in white raised an eyebrow and asked:

"The Human Emperor? Who is this Human Emperor?"

Hearing his impolite tone, Wen San was instantly terrified and shook his head and waved his hands:
"Immortal, you can't just say that..."

How could this immortal not even know the Human Emperor?!
If it were an ordinary person, Wen San would have suspected that the person in front of him was an idiot, but he had just seen the person floating in mid-air, so he could only assume that this immortal had just come out of some mountain cave.

The young man in white thought for a moment and said:
"You must know what the current reign title is, right?"

Wen San nodded and breathed a sigh of relief:
"I know, I know, I know this. The current era name is 'Honglu'. It has been 170 years since the Human Emperor re-established the world. The immortals call it now... what was it again... Oh right!"

Wen San slapped his forehead:
"The Great Furnace of the World!"

It's alright... at least I didn't go to the wrong place.

The young man in white robes, Gu Fangchen, muttered to himself, then narrowed his eyes.

But what's the story behind this number?

One hundred and seventy years...

When he traveled through time, it was exactly 170 years into the Yong'an era.

Now, another 170 years have passed since the Great Furnace was formed. This Human Emperor is most likely the [Ancient Human Emperor], also known as the "Lord of Hengchang Dao".

Gu Fangchen originally wanted to find an ordinary person to ask about the current situation, but when she arrived here, she felt that the place looked very familiar.

Then I learned from the boatman that this place was actually the back mountain of Baima Temple!

This reed marsh looks very familiar; isn't it the place where Old Ding lived in seclusion?

Over thousands of years, even if the location is the same, the landscape should have changed dramatically. How could it possibly be exactly the same?
Unless it was done intentionally.

This might be... the reason why this sealed history was sealed.

If people knew that the world was just a false projection, wouldn't anyone go crazy?

Gu Fangchen simply asked again:

"Do you know Ding Xingfeng? The general in the imperial court, the 'Martial Saint' among immortals, is that a name?"

Wen San paused for a moment, then shook his head:

"Well... I'm just a fisherman, how would I know the names of the nobles in the imperial court?"

"Too."

Gu Fangchen let out a breath, chuckled to herself, and realized she had been a bit too hasty.

He rummaged through the cave ring, took out a round bead that looked like gold and jade, and pushed it forward, handing it to Wen San.

Wen San quickly took the beads with both hands, holding them with great excitement.

He immediately knelt down and kowtowed several times to Gu Fangchen, repeatedly saying:

"Thank you for your grace, Immortal! Thank you for your grace, Immortal!"

Although he didn't know what it was, anything that had fallen from the immortal's hand, even a brick, must be something good, let alone this bead, which was clearly extraordinary!
With a thought, Gu Fangchen felt a faint power of faith connecting from Wen Sanshen to herself.

He couldn't help but sigh, when the incense offerings hadn't completely died out, the wishes of sentient beings came so easily.

No wonder the ancient Zhou dynasty was full of licentious and evil gods, running rampant everywhere.

Who could resist such a shortcut to spiritual practice?
He raised his hand and helped Wen San up.

Wen San suppressed his excitement and said in a trembling voice:
"Immortal, may I ask what this is?"

Gu Fangchen smiled and said:

"This bead is called the 'Golden Mother Bead'."

"This thing has no other function than to enhance the owner's fortune."

"Moreover, this fortune not only improves your luck in acquiring money, but also increases your chances of obtaining magical artifacts. If you are interested in cultivation, this item may be able to help you embark on the path of cultivation."

This thing had long since lost its usefulness to Gu Fangchen.

Because this thing is a bit like robbing the rich to help the poor; it's more effective when the poorer the person is.

For someone like Gu Fangchen, who has already emptied the treasure troves of several sects, the "Golden Mother Pearl" would be of negligible use.

Upon hearing this, Wen San's face flushed red instantly. He stammered and kept thanking her, immediately vowing to write a poem for Gu Fangchen at home.

He was near the White Horse Temple, and every day he saw those immortals soaring high and low, while he could only bow and scrape. How could he not feel envious?

I thought I was destined to live a mediocre life, but I never imagined that I would have such an opportunity today!

Gu Fangchen shook her head:
"No need. Meeting is fate, and it's your own good fortune."

"I still have some things to do. You can do as you please."

Wen Sanqian expressed his gratitude profusely, watching the white-robed youth leave. He held the beads in his hand, wiping them repeatedly with the corner of his robe, a smile spreading across his face. But as soon as he turned his head, he froze, as if someone had doused him with cold water, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

A gaunt old man in a Taoist robe emerged from the reeds, chuckling, his gaze icy cold as a knife, looking at Wen San like a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

The old man stroked his goatee, his eyes greedily fixed on the "Golden Mother Bead" in Wen San's hand. With a flick of his wrist, the bead floated out uncontrollably and landed in his claw-like hand.

"Such a treasure exists in the world! This is a treasure that can change one's destiny. How can it be given away to a mortal like you?"

"It is fitting that this old Taoist priest should use it!"

He had come all the way from Jiangnan after hearing that a "Taoist seed" had fallen in the southwest, intending to compete for it. On his way, he passed by the White Horse Temple and wanted to rest.

Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected bonus!
In this world, there are still such naive and generous cultivators who casually give away such powerful treasures!

Judging from the looks of it, this "Golden Mother Pearl" on this person must be only the lowest grade of treasure; he's definitely a fat sheep!

The old Taoist's eyes flashed with a cold light, and a murderous intent had already formed in his heart.

Wen San watched helplessly as the bead that rightfully belonged to him was taken away. His eyes reddened instantly, and he forgot even his fear, rushing forward and shouting:
"Give it back to me! This was given to me by an immortal!"

The old Taoist priest sneered:
"Which of the world's rarest treasures doesn't belong to the capable?"

"How dare a mere mortal shout at me, De Yuanzi?"

The old Taoist priest's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He raised his hand, about to strike Wen San's crown with a palm.

However, the next moment, a pair of fair and flawless hands calmly reached out from the side and grabbed the old Taoist's wrist.

"Who?!"

The old Taoist priest was startled and instinctively tried to struggle, but the hand was like an iron clamp, making him unable to move at all.

De Yuanzi broke out in a cold sweat, realizing the difference in strength between the two.

He turned his head sharply and met the smiling young man in white robes. He was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. His heart sank, and he knew that he was probably doomed today!

This young man was none other than Gu Fangchen, whom De Yuanzi had just treated as a fat sheep.

"My things aren't so easy to take."

Gu Fangchen narrowed her eyes, reached out and beckoned, and the "Golden Mother Pearl" in the old Taoist's hand uncontrollably slipped out and returned to Gu Fangchen's hand.

He casually tossed it back into Wen San's arms, who had fallen to the ground.

The situation took an unexpected turn. Wen San snapped out of his daze, breathed a sigh of relief, quickly hid the bead inside his clothes, patted it down, and then got up to flatter the man:

"The immortal's predictions are truly divine!"

Gu Fangchen wasn't a prophet; he had already sensed that someone was hiding in the shadows, pretending to be completely unsuspecting, and giving away the "Golden Mother Pearl" to fish.

The old Taoist priest realized he had been pecked in the eye, so he gave up and quickly begged for mercy with a sheepish smile.
"Senior, spare me! Senior, spare me! I was blind! Senior seems to have just emerged from seclusion? I have been traveling for many years and have made many friends. I have experienced friends in both the imperial court and the immortal sects. I am willing to answer your questions and will answer them without reservation. I will serve you faithfully!"

He almost immediately backed down and astutely grasped Gu Fangchen's needs to prove his worth.

He also subtly mentioned that he knows many people and has powerful connections.

Gu Fangchen sized up the old Taoist priest.

This old Taoist priest may seem shameless, as if he were just a low-class cultivator, but his strength is by no means weak.

No, it's more than just not weak.

This old Taoist's cultivation level is genuinely at the second rank!
In the Great Wei Dynasty, such a person would already be a king or a saint, but in this furnace, he seems to have just popped up on the roadside.

The records in the tomb of the military genius were indeed correct...

In this "great world of primordial chaos," before "attaining enlightenment," one is probably not considered a formidable figure.

However, Gu Fangchen is now almost at the first rank, so she can still suppress this old Daoist Deyuanzi.

He was about to speak when he suddenly paused.

De Yuanzi...?
According to the secrets of the Heavenly Mandate Path he once obtained in the game, the founder of the Heavenly Mandate Path seemed to have the Taoist name De Yuanzi...

And since we are now in ancient times, the timeline matches up.

Grand Preceptor, your ancestor... seems a bit exaggerated.

Gu Fangchen's expression was strange. He had thought that the founder of a high-class, secluded sect like the Heavenly Fate Sect should also be a kind of otherworldly and ethereal figure.

Moreover, this patriarch's Taoist name is "Deyuanzi," which sounds like a highly respected senior.

It turned out to be a despicable, shameless, and lewd old Taoist priest?

Gu Fangchen twitched her lips. Oh well, anyway, with this old Taoist's strength, he couldn't pose any threat to her.

He released his grip and said:
"I have indeed just come out of seclusion."

The old Taoist priest immediately smiled obsequiously:
"That's right. Ah, senior must have missed the moment when the Human Emperor unified the world, so he doesn't know what time and place it is now."

"That human emperor was named Xiao Zhenwu. One hundred and seventy years ago, he divided the Yin and Yang realms and established this vast ancient dynasty."

"There is no one named Ding Xingfeng in the court now. The name of the General Who Protects the Nation is Li Kan, who is known as the 'God of War'."

Li Kan, the "God of War"!
Gu Fangchen took a light breath.

This person truly survived by faking death during the "Great Furnace Era," and thus was not sealed away.

So back then, when Li Kan faced Ning Caiyong, he said that she was not a cultivator who survived from the Great Era.

In other words, Ning Caiyong was not actually a person of this era.

But then she said... "Let's meet at the furnace."

Gu Fangchen paused, her pupils contracted, and she looked at the now calm water.

Or rather, it's your own face reflected in the water.

He took two steps forward and saw clearly. He raised his hand and touched his cheek. At this moment, his appearance had undergone a huge change.

His overall appearance is still that of the fake prince Gu Fangchen, or rather, his true self. However, the subtle details seem to incorporate elements of his past self from the modern era before his transmigration.

This change was so subtle that it didn't seem like a "change" at all, but rather like a return to one's true nature, to the point that Gu Fangchen herself didn't even notice anything unusual.

His gaze moved upwards and he saw the top of his head again.

The golden lettering also changed, revealing a class he had never seen before in the game.

【The One Who Unties the Bell (Infinite)】

Skill 1: Turning Real into Fake

[Skill 2: Concealing the False as Real]

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'll start writing supplementary side stories this Saturday and will post them in the full subscription group. You can join if you'd like to see them; the group number is in the description.
(End of this chapter)