So-Called Schemes Within Schemes — Prince Ying Is Actually an Impostor
So-Called Schemes Within Schemes — Prince Ying Is Actually an Impostor
“Xianer-guniang, we meet again?”
Just then, while Gu Xianer was lost in her wild thoughts, a figure suddenly descended from the sky and appeared before her.
Gu Xianer’s expression changed in an instant. She had originally carried a somewhat cold and aloof air, but in a flash she turned frosty, with a trace of disgust mixed in.
“Heavenly Monarch Ziyang, I told you last time — do not appear before me again.”
Her voice was extremely cold as she stared at the Heavenly Monarch Ziyang standing before her.
Ever since she had seen through his self-directed, self-performed hero-saves-the-beauty act at the mountain gate, Gu Xianer had felt nothing but disgust toward him.
Yet Heavenly Monarch Ziyang seemed completely oblivious, seizing every opportunity to come greet her.
No matter how many times Gu Xianer told him off, he didn’t care in the slightest, sticking to her like a piece of stubborn toffee.
As a Ranked Disciple, and the former number one of the Beyond, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang himself was quite famous.
Many busybodies felt that he was pursuing Gu Xianer, the Gifted Lady of the Longevity Gu Family.
“Don’t you know that what you’re doing only makes people sick?”
Gu Xianer’s voice was laced with revulsion.
However, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang didn’t care at all. He shook his head with a smile and said, “A fair maiden is a gentleman’s finest match.”
“I merely happened to see Xianer-guniang and came to say hello. You’re too tense.”
Hearing this, Gu Xianer looked at him coldly and said with disgust,
“If you dare come near me again, I will strike.”
With that, her figure transformed into a streak of green radiance and vanished from the spot in a flash.
The disgusting thing about Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was that he never actually did anything — he just came over to say hello.
This left Gu Xianer quite helpless, with the feeling of having a powerful fist but nowhere to throw it.
Given her personality, she couldn’t bring herself to hit a smiling face either.
At times like this, she actually wished Gu Changge were by her side. Given his personality, he probably wouldn’t bother with any reasoning — he’d just plant his foot on Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s disgusting face first.
“That temperament of hers is exactly like my little junior sister’s.”
Seeing Gu Xianer’s figure disappear, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang couldn’t help but shake his head, not minding it in the least.
He knew that after the last incident was ruined by Gu Changge, Gu Xianer had been left with a bad impression of him.
In his view, as long as he was sincere enough, Gu Xianer would be able to feel his painstaking devotion and understand that everything he did was for her own good.
“I just wonder whether that man who came out of the Wondrous Stone... really is...”
Soon, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s expression grew puzzled.
When that Wondrous Stone had emerged back then, he hadn’t been present. But based on the images his followers had recorded afterward...
The man who walked out of the Wondrous Stone had a face that gave him a sense of familiarity. But without seeing him in person, he didn’t dare believe it.
“If it really is Eldest Senior Brother... then heaven truly is helping me...”
Thinking of this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s mood couldn’t help but surge with excitement.
...
“The Successor of Demonic Arts really has infiltrated the True Immortal Academy. Although I don’t know why two Successors of Demonic Arts exist in the same era, for you and me, this is the best possible opportunity.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, inside a cave dwelling, Su Qingge’s face was calm, her skin white as porcelain, as if carved from fine jade.
At this moment, she was conferring with the other voice in her mind.
Naturally, she had also heard about the prodigy who had fallen victim to the Successor of Demonic Arts.
Originally, Su Qingge had been somewhat worried. After all, striking from the shadows might draw suspicion from others and ultimately expose the secret that she was the true Successor of Demonic Arts.
But now, another Successor of Demonic Arts had made a move.
From now on, even if she struck at other prodigies, no one would suspect her.
They would only go hunting for Ying Shuang’s whereabouts and traces.
“As long as I’m careful in the shadows and don’t attract the Elders’ attention, there won’t be any problems...”
“When the time comes, all the blame will be dumped on Ying Shuang’s head.”
Many thoughts flickered through Su Qingge’s eyes.
Because she cultivated the Taboo Demonic Arts, her cultivation and methods were actually no weaker than those of the Unranked Disciples.
She had kept this matter hidden from Gu Changge all along.
She didn’t know how much longer she could keep it hidden. After all, Gu Changge was simply too clever — the slightest clue could lead him to discover something.
“I only hope that day comes as late as possible...”
Su Qingge sighed softly, then her figure flashed and she left the cave dwelling. She actually had her own target as well.
The True Immortal Academy had now gathered the most outstanding young prodigies of the Beyond.
Each person’s bloodline and physique was completely different, and among them, quite a few possessed special physiques that greatly tempted Su Qingge.
Having grown accustomed to the Taboo Demonic Arts, she could naturally no longer cultivate step by step in the ordinary way.
And the moment Su Qingge left her cave dwelling, Gu Changge, who was inside his palace, sensed it.
Naturally, he had left his own means on Su Qingge.
“Su Qingge is finally making her move?”
He opened his eyes, his expression somewhat intrigued. After all, he had long been waiting for Su Qingge to act — otherwise, he would have had no good way to make that Mo Lao notice her.
Then, Gu Changge took a step forward and followed after her.
But before that, he first went to a Mystic Mountain deep within the True Immortal Academy.
Within the Mystic Mountain, inside a magnificent palace, quite a few Elders were gathered, seemingly discussing something.
They were all quite puzzled by Gu Changge’s sudden visit.
“Young Master Changge, may we ask what brings you here so suddenly in the middle of the night?”
They were still quite courteous toward Gu Changge.
Hearing this, Gu Changge put on a somewhat helpless look and said, “Regarding the recent matter of the Successor of Demonic Arts, I wonder if you Elders have any leads?”
Hearing these words, the Elders’ expressions all stiffened, looking rather sheepish.
The atmosphere even turned somewhat awkward. They thought Gu Changge had come to demand accountability.
As Elders of the True Immortal Academy, yet unable to find even a trace of a single Successor of Demonic Arts — saying it out loud was more than a little embarrassing.
Only Mo Lao among them furrowed his brow slightly, feeling that things seemed a bit off.
Could it be that Gu Changge had some method to track down the Successor of Demonic Arts?
A faint unease stirred in his heart, worried that Gu Changge had really found some clues.
“It seems you Elders are just like this junior — completely without leads.”
Seeing the Elders’ expressions, Gu Changge didn’t seem surprised.
He shook his head slightly and said with some headache, “To be honest, this junior boasted before the many disciples that I would find traces of the Successor of Demonic Arts, but so far I’ve gained nothing. Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing.”
“That’s why I’ve come to ask you Elders whether there are any clues.”
Hearing him say this, everyone including Mo Lao breathed a sigh of relief, smiles appearing on their faces.
Gu Changge’s honest attitude actually won their admiration.
It even gave them a way to save face.
“This can’t be blamed on Young Master Changge. This Successor of Demonic Arts is simply too cunning, leaving no traces whatsoever. We also find it thorny and haven’t come up with a countermeasure yet.”
“Indeed, Young Master Changge, you’ve already done your best.”
At once, several Elders spoke up, their voices equally helpless.
“Young Master Changge need not blame himself. This matter is indeed thorny.”
Mo Lao also nodded, inwardly sighing in relief. It seemed Ying Shuang’s methods were indeed well-concealed — no wonder he had been so confident back then.
Even Gu Changge found it troublesome and came to ask them.
This put his mind at ease.
“If not for this matter, this junior would not have disturbed you Elders in the middle of the night...”
Hearing this, Gu Changge sighed, appearing even more helpless, and continued, “However, this junior does have a method that might find traces of the Successor of Demonic Arts. Of course, it’s rather troublesome and very time-consuming.”
“I was just wondering whether the Elders have time to lend this junior a hand, so we can search area by area together.”
“Search area by area?”
Mo Lao’s heart tightened. The thing he feared most had still come to pass. Was Gu Changge really so unafraid of trouble?
“On a night like tonight — dark moon, high winds, a night for killing — if I were the Successor of Demonic Arts, I would absolutely strike. There’s no better opportunity than this,” Gu Changge added with certainty.
“Well... searching area by area... that is indeed very troublesome and time-consuming, and it also tests one’s luck. What if we don’t run into him...”
Hearing this, the Elders all fell silent, their expressions flickering — clearly they found it troublesome and didn’t want to help.
“Then pretend this junior never said anything.”
Seeing this, Gu Changge didn’t seem surprised either. A trace of mockery crossed his face, and he prepared to take his leave.
At this, the Elders’ expressions turned awkward, but none of them spoke up further. None wanted to waste time on such a thankless task.
Just how many disciples did the True Immortal Academy have?
Search area by area? Who knew whether the Successor of Demonic Arts would even strike at that moment?
There were too many uncertain factors. Fishing a needle from the sea at least required there to be a needle in the sea.
But right now, they didn’t even know when the Successor of Demonic Arts would strike — how were they supposed to search? This was purely a matter of luck.
Still, Gu Changge’s determination and perseverance earned their admiration.
One could only say he truly lived up to being called the number one of the younger generation.
“Young Master Changge, wait. How about this — tonight, this old man will accompany you and do some searching first...”
However, just then, Mo Lao suddenly spoke up, as if he had made an extremely difficult decision.
Gu Changge’s words had made him uneasy. Would Ying Shuang really strike tonight? He absolutely must not let Gu Changge run into him.
That was why he decided to accompany Gu Changge on the search — that way, he’d have a chance to cover for Ying Shuang if needed.
The other Elders looked at Mo Lao in great surprise, not expecting that he would be the one to accept Gu Changge’s request. They were quite astonished.
“Oh? Then this junior thanks Elder Mo on behalf of all the disciples first.”
Gu Changge looked slightly surprised, a faint smile on his face, though in truth he wasn’t surprised at all.
Everything he had said was precisely to get Elder Mo to volunteer — and then discover that Ying Shuang was actually a fake Successor of Demonic Arts.
Otherwise, his next plan couldn’t possibly succeed.
“Young Master Changge need not say more. It’s all for the disciples — this bit of trouble is nothing.”
Mo Lao waved his hand, putting on a righteous and magnanimous air.
“Elder Mo, how about we split up to search? I’ll search this side first, and you search the other side.”
“Then afterward, we move on to the next area. How about it?”
Soon after, Gu Changge and Mo Lao transformed into divine rainbows and quickly arrived at the area where the prodigies cultivated.
Gu Changge swept his gaze over the nearby divine peaks, then pointed toward the area Su Qingge had headed to and said to Mo Lao with a smile.
“No problem.”
Mo Lao pondered for a moment, then nodded, not refusing — afraid that Gu Changge might grow suspicious and overthink.
Immediately, the two split up.
Mo Lao’s expression carried a strange look as his divine sense swept out, searching all the way down.
...
“Sun Hao, Frost Physique, contains the Frost Source, from the Ancient Sun Family...”
Meanwhile, on the other side, under the cover of moonlight, Su Qingge’s figure quickly arrived at an area.
Here, mountains stood one after another, incomparably tall — some glowing with shimmering clear light, some wreathed in dragon qi... a scene of myriad wonders.
Fortunately, the True Immortal Academy’s grounds were vast, and especially at night, almost no one else could be seen.
Su Qingge acted very discreetly and had already calculated the timing perfectly. At this hour, she would not be noticed.
Ahead stood a cave dwelling, situated among the divine peaks, currently spewing out radiance of various colors.
Arriving here, Su Qingge’s expression became exceptionally indifferent, her face appearing even more serene, like jade.
She walked forward and very naturally knocked on the cave dwelling’s door, simultaneously triggering the Prohibition Array at the entrance to alert its occupant.
The prodigy cultivating inside heard the sound and, somewhat puzzled, asked, “Who is it, in the middle of the night?”
He wasn’t stupid and didn’t rashly go open the cave dwelling. Recently, the Successor of Demonic Arts had been causing an uproar...
Many people were secretly on guard, and he was naturally no exception.
A visit in the dead of night — something felt off at first glance.
What if it was the Successor of Demonic Arts coming to harm him?
“Sun Hao-shixiong, it’s me...”
“Chen You.”
Su Qingge spoke, her voice calm yet clear and pleasant, like that of a young maiden.
“What... Chen You-shimei?”
Hearing this, the prodigy inside the cave dwelling was stunned, a shy, flower-like pretty face surfacing in his mind.
Could it be that Chen You-shimei actually... had feelings for him too?
During the day, he had gone to find Chen You-shimei wanting to express his feelings, but she had run off.
Thinking of this, the prodigy inside the cave dwelling figured it out and became somewhat excited and thrilled.
“So that’s how it is. There were too many people during the day, and Chen You-shimei was shy, so she came to find me in the quiet of the night...”
His earlier doubts were swept away completely.
After all, the Successor of Demonic Arts was a man — how could he be Chen You-shimei?
At the cave dwelling’s entrance, Su Qingge calmly watched the other party open the door for her, not surprised in the slightest. After all, she had investigated everything beforehand.
Soon, a face full of excitement and thrill poked out — and the moment it saw Su Qingge, it abruptly froze stiff.
“You... who are you?”
But before his words were finished,
Su Qingge waved her jade hand, and clear light spread out.
He only felt a terrifying black light descend over his eyes.
A large swath of Grand Runes emerged, transforming into crystalline flowers that took root at his glabella, and his consciousness went dark.
He couldn’t even resist before losing his senses.
The next moment, the flower kept spreading, finally blooming and bearing a fruit from which black light dripped down.
“That went smoothly.”
A faint smile appeared on Su Qingge’s face as she prepared to pluck the fruit away.
“Not good...”
“An Elder is coming!”
But the next moment, her expression changed drastically. She felt a terrifying divine sense, vast as an Astral River, sweep across from high above — and then land on her.
In an instant, her whole body went cold, her hands and feet turned icy, and her back was covered in chill.
Su Qingge couldn’t believe it.
Why?
She had clearly calculated everything — there shouldn’t have been any Elders searching tonight. Every bit of timing had been flawless. Why would someone suddenly come?
“It’s over.”
“My identity is exposed!”
In her Knowledge Sea, the other voice was also trembling.
Subconsciously, Su Qingge thought of Gu Changge. If he learned of her true identity, he would probably be in disbelief, shocked.
Weng!!
High above, Mo Lao’s expression changed violently. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. Why could that female disciple below use the Taboo Demonic Arts?
As a member of the Organisation of Demonic Arts, he naturally understood this Taboo Demonic Art.
So he recognized at a glance that the method Su Qingge had used came precisely from the Taboo Demonic Arts.
“How is this possible... why is there a second Successor of the Taboo Demonic Arts? Am I seeing things?”
“Impossible. There can be at most one Successor of Demonic Arts per era. Could it be that Prince Ying, Ying Shuang, is actually a fake? An impostor?”
Mo Lao’s thoughts churned violently. Then he took a step forward, his figure descending from the sky, looking at Su Qingge expressionlessly.
Su Qingge’s face was somewhat pale, cold air rising up her back, but at this moment she was still forcing herself to stay calm.
A Sacred Emperor Realm expert!
What stood before her now was a Sacred Emperor Realm expert. Even if she used every method at her disposal, there was no way she could escape, let alone fight back.
Today was a complete dead end! Not a sliver of hope for survival!
Thinking of this, bitterness welled up in Su Qingge’s heart. Everything today had gone far beyond her expectations, even driving her to despair.
She felt she no longer had the face to face Gu Changge.
The Successor of Demonic Arts that Gu Changge had been pursuing all along was right by his side — and she had been hiding it from him the whole time.
“Come with me.”
However, to Su Qingge’s utter bewilderment, the Elder before her did nothing of the sort.
His expression shifted several times, but he said nothing more. He simply waved his sleeve and quickly took her away from the scene.
“You must not speak of what happened today, or no one will be able to protect you.”
On another mountain peak, the two figures reappeared. Mo Lao’s expression was extremely grave as he spoke to Su Qingge.
At this moment, Su Qingge was still somewhat dazed, completely unable to process what had happened.
Why had things suddenly developed this way?
After this Elder discovered her identity, not only did he not strike at her, he even said such things to her. Did he intend to help her?
“It would be bad if Gu Changge notices in a moment...”
Mo Lao’s expression shifted repeatedly. He felt the situation was very bad — Su Qingge’s suspicion was simply too great, very hard to clear.
Just then, as Mo Lao was speaking, a divine rainbow flew toward them from another direction.
The newcomer was none other than Gu Changge, his expression somewhat heavy.
“Elder Mo, things are just as I predicted — a disciple has indeed fallen victim to the Successor of Demonic Arts.”
“We were still half a step too late.”
As he spoke, Gu Changge’s voice paused slightly. He noticed Su Qingge beside Mo Lao and seemed somewhat surprised.
“Qingge, why are you here?”
Then, as if realizing something, his expression immediately sank into silence.
“Gongzi...”
Su Qingge’s voice carried a tremor, her heart filled with panic and unease.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Gu Changge glanced at her, then his gaze fell upon Elder Mo, his voice slightly low,
“Elder Mo, have you perhaps arrested the wrong person? Qingge is one of mine.”
“She cannot possibly have any connection to the Successor of Demonic Arts. On this point, I can vouch for her.”