The Sky Emperor Prince's So-Called Final Value: Hold On Until I Come to Save You
The Sky Emperor Prince’s So-Called Final Value: Hold On Until I Come to Save You
After all of this was planned out.
Gu Changge remembered the matter on Yin Mei’s side. That tremendously unlucky big shot—he was quite interested in learning his true identity.
Thereupon, he put away the two puppets and collected all the concealment Array Patterns within the great hall.
Weng!!
Gu Changge stepped forward, and his figure swiftly vanished into the void.
He headed toward the palace complex where the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan was currently resting.
Soon, within a magnificent and resplendent great hall.
Yin Mei, who had been cultivating with her eyes closed, sensed the fluctuation in the void.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
A ripple spread out, and a doorway appeared in the void, accompanied by a familiar aura.
Gu Changge’s figure walked out from within.
“Master.” Yin Mei revealed a delighted expression.
In the dead of night, Gu Changge had suddenly come to the palace where she was staying, which caused a faint blush to appear on her face.
Her thoughts began to wander somewhat.
Gu Changge nodded, his expression not much different from how he appeared before outsiders.
But Yin Mei did not dare to be disrespectful, nor did she dare speak to Gu Changge with those resentful words like she had in the great hall during the day.
“It seems you haven’t been slacking off, cultivating so diligently.”
Gu Changge laughed casually, naturally and at ease as he found a place to sit down.
“Master coming here late at night... is it about Chu Fan’s matter?” Yin Mei quickly figured it out—it obviously couldn’t be because of her.
Gu Changge smiled. “Can’t I have come for you?”
As he spoke, he pulled Yin Mei into his embrace.
Her body was soft and delicate, like gently flowing water.
Nine snow-white, fluffy fox tails swayed lightly, exuding a strange charm.
“Master...”
Although Yin Mei knew Gu Changge’s words were just casual remarks, she couldn’t help but feel joy in her heart.
At the very least, it showed that Gu Changge was no longer as consistently cold toward her as before.
“Chu Fan—that’s that little servant boy’s name?”
Gu Changge asked with great interest.
A name like Chu Fan really was standard protagonist equipment—either Fan or Chen, truly a clichéd, overused trope.
“Yes. Back then, I saw him on the street about to starve to death, and out of compassion, I took him in...”
Hearing this, Yin Mei knew Gu Changge was getting down to business, so she explained seriously, recounting Chu Fan’s origins for Gu Changge.
After leaving the birthday banquet hall, she had followed Gu Changge’s instructions and kept an eye on Chu Fan’s movements, while also sorting through his background—she had guessed Gu Changge would ask.
“Oh, so there’s that layer to the story. He’s even your savior’s beneficiary... interesting.”
“It seems this Fortuitous One should be connected to you.” Gu Changge narrowed his eyes.
Only now did he somewhat understand how this so-called Fortuitous One had come to oppose him.
The key lay with Yin Mei.
Honestly, Gu Changge had noticed that the recent Fortuitous Ones all, to some degree, had connections with the people around him.
For example, Long Teng of the Long Aotian template, Ye Ling of the alternative trash-to-rise style...
And now Chu Fan, of the mortal-possessing-an-expert style.
“Could it be that from now on, when searching for Fortuitous Ones, I need to pay attention to the people around me?”
Gu Changge frowned slightly. Actually, he still preferred to actively provoke trouble.
But he also understood that, in the unseen workings of fate, Fortuitous Ones would appear—as if the Fortuity of these countless worlds converged and changed at certain moments.
And then the trajectories of those Fortuitous Ones just happened to intersect with his.
That was why the System would alert him.
Now that he knew this premise, it gave Gu Changge a method for finding new Fortuitous Ones.
He could actively create such situations.
“Master, has something changed about Chu Fan?” At this point, Yin Mei couldn’t help but ask curiously.
Of course, she knew she shouldn’t ask too much about such things, but she couldn’t suppress her curiosity—after all, Gu Changge had said it seemed related to her.
“The current Chu Fan is no longer the original him.”
Gu Changge smiled faintly and had Yin Mei send word to summon Chu Fan.
Speaking of which, the current Chu Fan was actually on the same side as him—after all, both had conflicts with the new Fortuitous One... only, Chu Fan wasn’t qualified to be taken seriously by Gu Changge.
His only value was letting Gu Changge learn the origins of the figure who had been possessed.
While Gu Changge was pondering.
Soon, Chu Fan—his face bearing confusion, bewilderment, nervousness, apprehension, anticipation... a multitude of complex emotions—was brought up by Yin Mei.
“Master, Chu Fan has been brought.”
Yin Mei said respectfully, while sealing off the hall behind her, to prevent the commotion here from alarming the others.
Weng!!
In an instant, the entire great hall became so silent one could hear a pin drop.
“May I know... Young Master Changge, for what matter have you summoned this lowly one so late at night?”
Chu Fan stood there, his voice trembling, as if he could barely remain standing.
Terrified and apprehensive, he vividly demonstrated the humility and caution of an insignificant person.
The expression on his face looked flawless—if any outsider were present, they wouldn’t detect the slightest flaw.
It had to be said, his control over his expressions was excellent; he was no simple character.
But only Chu Fan himself knew that the expression on his face was actually genuine.
Just moments ago, Yin Mei had suddenly appeared in person at the courtyard where he was resting, saying Gu Changge had summoned him for some matter.
Hearing this news, he had frozen on the spot.
This came far too suddenly!
There wasn’t even time to react.
It left Chu Fan dumbstruck, as if struck by heavenly lightning, his entire person nearly going stupid with shock.
During the day, he had sensed that Gu Changge seemed to have noticed something unusual about him... Although he didn’t know how Gu Changge had detected it, that alone was shocking enough.
Chu Fan had comforted himself that it was his imagination.
But unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, he was suddenly informed that Gu Changge wanted to see him.
At once, his back was nearly drenched in cold sweat, his scalp tingled, and his steps went somewhat weak.
Why would Gu Changge want to see him out of the blue?
What purpose could there be? It hardly needed saying.
Chu Fan desperately wanted to flee.
But with his current cultivation and abilities, let alone the Longevity Gu Family, even Yin Mei before him could easily suppress him, rendering him immobile.
He couldn’t escape.
In the end, having no choice, Chu Fan could only steel himself and come to the palace to answer Gu Changge’s summons.
Moreover, what had he just heard?
Yin Mei actually addressed Gu Changge as Master? Back in the great hall, that wasn’t how she addressed him.
It seemed Gu Changge’s secrets were far more numerous than he had imagined.
Connecting this with many rumors, his back grew even colder—he had caught a whiff of some truth regarding the Successor of Demonic Arts.
This made Chu Fan tremble with even greater dread. Never mind that he was now just a horse-tending servant boy—even his former identity was far from enough to measure up before Gu Changge.
At this moment, taking in all of Chu Fan’s emotions.
Gu Changge unhurriedly finished the tea in his cup, a faint smile on his face.
Then, he finally spoke. “May I ask, how should I address you, Daoxiong?”
At these words, Chu Fan’s pupils contracted violently, and his expression changed drastically.
In this moment, he felt as if he had been completely split open, all his secrets laid bare, nothing remaining.
Although this was a secret he would rather not have at all.
Gu Changge’s words could be called extremely simple and direct, without any beating around the bush.
In one sentence, he had laid bare Chu Fan’s origins.
So direct that Chu Fan’s expression couldn’t help but turn bitter.
To this day, he still hadn’t figured out how he had become like this.
And how had Gu Changge seen through and learned all of this?
Thinking of this, a sliver of hope suddenly arose in Chu Fan’s heart—perhaps Gu Changge could help him.
After all, with Gu Changge’s status and power, his words clearly carried immense weight; even the current Ancient Ten Thousand Clans would have to weigh them carefully.
“Gu-xiong truly has piercing insight, to have discovered even this. Might I ask how Gu-xiong saw through it?”
Chu Fan couldn’t help but speak with a bitter smile, using his formidable willpower to force himself to calm down.
But facing Gu Changge, especially in such a disadvantageous situation, forget staying calm—the fact that he could speak without his voice trembling was already impressive.
Yet an air of one long accustomed to high position, of looking down from above, naturally revealed itself as he spoke.
“So it really is a different person.” Yin Mei couldn’t help but be astonished.
Before this, who would have known that her little servant boy had suddenly become another person? It was too shocking.
“How I saw through it isn’t important.”
The smile on Gu Changge’s face remained unchanged as he continued, “Does Daoxiong not plan to introduce himself? I imagine you don’t want to stay like this forever either.”
Someone who had been possessed would surely be utterly miserable.
Who would willingly go from being a big shot to a dispensable nobody in the blink of an eye?
“Does Gu-xiong have a way to help me?”
Hearing this, Chu Fan’s voice abruptly rose, his expression one of great surprise and excitement.
He could no longer maintain his composure.
If Gu Changge could really help him restore his original identity, he would agree to whatever Gu Changge asked of him.
“Daoxiong hasn’t answered my question yet.” Gu Changge swept a faint glance at him, his smile fading.
Chu Fan’s expression changed, his back going cold. Only then did he realize that now was not the time for him to request Gu Changge’s help.
Gu Changge certainly wouldn’t choose to help him easily.
In this world, who would do something without benefit—unless they were truly a foolish saint who sought nothing in return?
Clearly, Gu Changge could not be such a person.
This much, Chu Fan also understood.
So, in order to show Gu Changge his value, to let Gu Changge know his true identity, Chu Fan began to speak, laying out his origins in full without reservation.
He wasn’t stupid.
Right now he had nothing—apart from his original memories, nothing remained.
So before Gu Changge, he had no bargaining chips at all; from the very start, his fate could only be decided by Gu Changge.
“I won’t hide it from Gu-xiong. My name is Ying Shuang. I am the true-born son of Sky Emperor Ying, sealed away since ancient times until this era, cultivating all along in the Sky Emperor Palace, never having left it... Though I did hear quite a bit of news from the outside world, and I know much about Gu-xiong’s deeds... I admire you endlessly, and wished that after emerging into the world, I could come follow Gu-xiong and serve you like a dog or horse...”
Hearing these words, Yin Mei’s beautiful eyes widened at the side, filled with utter shock and disbelief.
She never imagined that the true-born son of Sky Emperor Ying, who had once ruled over the Ancient Ten Thousand Clans, would now become like this.
Once this news spread, it would surely set off monstrous waves.
Who would dare believe any of this was real?
Even seeing it with her own eyes, she felt her head buzzing at this moment, unable to believe it.
“This person is actually the Sky Emperor Prince...”
The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan behind Yin Mei was a lineage of the Ancient Royal Clans.
She knew quite a bit about the Sky Emperor Prince—she understood that he was Sky Emperor Ying’s true-born son, whose talent had once crowned an entire era.
However, he had been sealed away by his father, who intended for him to break the seal in a later era, to contend with the countless supreme prodigies, all rivers flowing into the sea, striving to seize the title of number one through the ages.
She truly never expected to meet the Sky Emperor Prince under such an identity.
And with him being so humble toward Gu Changge, bordering on fawning flattery.
Before the Ancient Ten Thousand Clans, the Sky Emperor Prince’s status was no different from that of a prince of a human imperial dynasty—supremely noble.
“So it’s actually the Sky Emperor Prince...”
Gu Changge’s thoughts were actually similar to Yin Mei’s, though his considerations were clearly more numerous...
That is to say, the Sky Emperor Prince currently cultivating in the Sky Emperor Palace was actually the little servant boy whom Yin Mei had once saved.
This enormous identity swap did fit the possession-style tropes he was familiar with.
All that was missing was possessing an ancient Great Emperor and taking one step to cover ten meters.
“How interesting. That little servant boy, having suddenly become the Sky Emperor Prince, probably developed ideas about Yin Mei of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan that he didn’t dare have before—and that way, I’d inevitably get dragged into it.”
“Still the same old clichéd drama. But an ant is ultimately an ant—thinking it can become a True Dragon just by switching identities, how laughable.”
“Even if the original stood before me, he’d be nothing more than a little bug that can’t hop very high.”
After understanding the whole sequence of events, Gu Changge’s expression abruptly turned cold.
This Chu Fan’s value, in his eyes, amounted to only this much.
Having extracted this information, he had already confirmed that the current Chu Fan, apart from his memories, had no other means at his disposal.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted so much time.
The Chu Fan before him, in this instant, also sensed something was wrong, and his expression changed drastically.
“Not good...” His expression was one of despair as he tried to retreat backward.
Weng!!
But as Gu Changge’s palm descended, the void immediately collapsed. A pitch-black giant palm print fell, blotting out everything, instantly seizing him.
“Where does Daoxiong plan to go?”
Gu Changge asked indifferently.
“Gu Changge, can you not kill me? I can swear an oath—I’ll obey you in everything, no matter what...” Chu Fan’s face was deathly pale, utterly despairing.
Although he had guessed Gu Changge’s secret, he posed no threat to Gu Changge whatsoever!
“Pu!”
But Gu Changge didn’t let him finish his words.
As this palm fell, Chu Fan’s body instantly exploded.
Yet amid the sky full of blood mist, a Grand Flask gleaming with black light emerged, bobbing up and down, rooted within.
Chu Fan’s divine soul was refined and absorbed by Gu Changge, who began browsing through his many memories.
Within these soul fragments were the many inheritances and accumulations of his identity as the Sky Emperor Prince, as well as treasure techniques, scriptures, insights into rules, and so on.
For Gu Changge, these were better than nothing; what mainly interested him were Chu Fan’s original memories.
After all, with these memories and the soul fragments he had devoured and absorbed in hand.
He could effortlessly recreate a puppet Sky Emperor Prince, completely under his control.
As for this kind of possession, Gu Changge himself had no means to reverse it anyway.
Chu Fan was just a useless little servant boy who had likely learned Gu Changge’s secret—naturally, there was no need to keep him alive.
As for the little servant boy who had possessed the Sky Emperor Prince, Gu Changge didn’t take him to heart at all.
Moreover, in his view, this was a living, breathing great benefactor who had delivered himself to the door to continue taking the blame on his behalf.
“If anyone asks about this little servant boy, say he went mad and his whereabouts are unknown.”
Gu Changge instructed Yin Mei, then left the great hall.
“Yes, Master.”
Yin Mei nodded and began cleaning up the residual aura within the hall.
This sort of thing was all too familiar to her.
The current Sky Emperor Prince would surely try every means to locate the little servant boy and erase him—otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep in peace.
Gu Changge happened to do him a favor along the way; the main reason was still the fear of alerting the enemy.
Otherwise, if he frightened him into not daring to show himself, that would be bad.
“Sky Emperor Ying’s many inheritances require his bloodline to complement them, but some of Sky Emperor Mountain’s Transcendent abilities aren’t affected by this.”
After returning to his own palace, Gu Changge’s eyes couldn’t help but narrow.
Soon, combining the Sky Emperor Prince’s soul fragments, he refined a mysterious rune radiating a hazy luster, then refined it into the Sacred Lord Realm puppet from before.
This mysterious rune carried residual traces of Sky Emperor Mountain’s aura.
This made it seem all the more perfect.
Gu Changge nodded with some satisfaction. He didn’t expect everyone to believe it when the time came—the main purpose was to lay a false trail to confuse.
Some would doubt, some would believe; in any case, no matter what, suspicion could never fall on his head.
“Not much time was wasted. There’s still time.”
Soon, Gu Changge looked toward the moonlight outside the window.
In his view, the timing now was just right.
Thinking of this, Gu Changge looked toward the palace complex where the Longevity Wang Family was resting tonight.
Within his gaze, faint black-and-white runes circulated, and he quickly determined the location of Wang Zijin’s palace.
Weng!!
Abruptly, Gu Changge raised his hand, and the Sacred Lord Realm puppet from before instantly appeared in the void.
Its tall figure, its cold and merciless gaze, was shrouded in a layer of eerie light, wrapped in rune after rune, as if devoid of any life fluctuation.
“Go.”
Gu Changge said indifferently, and with a flip of his hand, a palm-sized rune landed in the puppet’s hand.
“Yes, Master!”
The next moment, following his orders, the Sacred Lord Realm puppet instantly pierced through the void.
Its terrifying aura restrained, like a mass of black mist, it swiftly shot toward Wang Zijin’s palace to launch its assassination.
“Wang Zijin, don’t disappoint me. You have to hold on until I come to save you.”
Looking in that direction, Gu Changge’s expression became one of great interest.
The rune he had just given the puppet was a Concealment Talisman from the System Shop.
For a period of time, it guaranteed the sealing of all directions, preventing any aura from leaking out—utterly effortless.
Therefore, Gu Changge wasn’t worried at all that a terrifying battle would cause the clash’s aura to spread, attracting other experts to rush over and rescue her before he could.
After all, he had already calculated the timing.
Wang Zijin was at the Quasi-Sacred Realm cultivation; facing a Sacred Lord Realm puppet, she should have some means to cope and wouldn’t be slapped to death too quickly.