At a Time Like This, Naturally He Chooses to Forgive Her — The Person Beside Gu Xian'er Is Dangerous
At a Time Like This, Naturally He Chooses to Forgive Her — The Person Beside Gu Xian’er Is Dangerous
“Hao’er, this childhood sweetheart of yours seems to be hiding quite a lot from you.”
Meanwhile, outside the Vermilion Bird Empire, high up in the sky, two figures were concealed.
Watching a White Jade Dragon Carriage speed past below, their expressions were quite complicated.
The one who spoke was a vigorous old man with a youthful face and white hair, his white robes fluttering, exuding an immortal air and Daoist bearing.
It was none other than Chu Hao’s Shishu, Bai Yang, who had rushed over from the Supreme Cave Heaven.
Bai Yang had reached the Sacred Emperor Realm many years ago, and within the entire Supreme Cave Heaven, he held a high position with great authority, matched by few.
The man beside him had a handsome face and a tall, upright figure, radiating an air that could not be underestimated — it was Chu Hao.
Only, Chu Hao’s expression was also quite complicated now as he watched Tang Wan’s White Jade Dragon Carriage speeding past below.
But there was no hint of blame in his heart.
At a time like this, naturally he could o~nly choose to forgive her.
The matter had to be traced back to the day before yesterday. That day, he had made an appointment with Tang Wan to admire the flowers together in the imperial palace gardens, and to talk about some th-ings along the way.
Tang Wan naturally came as promised.
The two of them chatted and laughed, fairly relaxed and happy, but midway through, Tang Wan’s expression sud-denly changed.
Chu Hao clearly noticed the Communication Rune in her sleeve light up, so he guessed that the Tang Family behind her had some matter to assign to her.
Afterward, Tang Wan found an excuse and took the opportunity to leave, going to answer the message in the Communication Rune.
And Chu Hao’s divine sense was powerful; on top of that, during that period, he had been brooding over the matter of Tang Wan being coerced by Gu Changge.
That was why the thought arose in him to see just what matter Tang Wan had.
Then, he extended his divine sense without letting Tang Wan notice.
Only then did he realize that Tang Wan was communicating with Gu Changge — the matter in that Communication Rune was naturally something Gu Changge had assigned.
This scene made Chu Hao so furious that his heart surged and his face changed drastically; he nearly couldn’t hold back from going straight over to confront Tang Wan.
But considering that Tang Wan had no choice in this matter, he gave up on that, though his expression was still ugly.
As for what Tang Wan and Gu Changge discussed afterward, he didn’t know — Chu Hao hadn’t heard it.
And afterward, Tang Wan hurried off, bidding farewell on the grounds that her family had matters to attend to.
Chu Hao couldn’t set his mind at ease, worried that she would suffer some grievance or be bullied by Gu Changge, so he followed her all the way, trailing in secret.
That was how the current situation came about — seeing Tang Wan piloting the White Jade Dragon Carriage toward the Black Tortoise Empire.
“Everything Shishu said, I already know, so...”
“I need to become even stronger. That way, the Tang Family behind Wan’er won’t dare look down on me anymore, and Gu Changge won’t dare humiliate me so casually.”
Then, Chu Hao took a deep breath and finally calmed down, knowing that being angry at this point was useless.
Only improving his own strength mattered most.
“Hao’er, that’s a fine way of thinking.”
“When your cultivation rises in the future and you take control of the Supreme Cave Heaven, no one will be able to bully you anymore. Although that Gu Changge is domineering, he’s ultimately just a junior.”
Hearing this, Bai Yang smiled faintly in agreement.
Toward Chu Hao, he treated him like his own son and thought highly of him, which was why, upon hearing of his oppression by Gu Changge, he had rushed over from the Supreme Cave Heaven.
During this time, he had stayed in the Vermilion Bird Empire for half a month, worried that Chu Hao would suffer Gu Changge’s persecution and bullying.
However, it was just as Tang Wan had told him before.
As long as Chu Hao didn’t actively provoke Gu Changge, Gu Changge couldn’t be bothered to care about a small fry like him.
During this period, although Chu Hao had also been worried that Gu Changge would make a move against him because of this — which was why he had stayed put in the Vermilion Bird Imperial Capital, not daring to leave even half a step —
Gu Changge seemed to have truly forgotten about a small fry like him.
This made Chu Hao breathe a sigh of relief, but more than that, he felt unwillingness and stifled resentment.
He was, after all, a peerless prodigy rarely seen in the world, one who would control the Supreme Cave Heaven in the future.
Yet Gu Changge truly paid him no mind at all, not taking him to heart in the slightest.
This enormous sense of disparity made him feel even more uncomfortable.
“Shishu, should I still follow Wan’er to the Black Tortoise Empire now?”
Chu Hao then asked. Having followed her this far, he had actually already guessed who Tang Wan was going to meet.
After experiencing the previous incident, he had a faint resistance toward this kind of thing, worried that if he saw certain things, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from acting.
“Going is fine. I hear this Gu Changge is currently mired in trouble, about to deal with that Heavenly Monarch Ziyang of Purple Mansion, so he shouldn’t have time to bother with you.”
“Once we reach the Black Tortoise Empire, find a place to lay low first, and your Shishu will go sound things out for you.”
Hearing this, Bai Yang pondered for a moment before speaking thus, also worried that Chu Hao, because of Gu Changge, wouldn’t be able to stop himself from acting when the time came.
If that happened, Gu Changge would have all the more reason to move against Chu Hao.
Right now, Chu Hao truly had little chance of contending against Gu Changge. And because Chu Hao had offended Gu Changge, his position within the Supreme Cave Heaven had become somewhat troublesome, with quite a few Elders harboring complaints about him.
“I’ll listen to Shishu.”
Chu Hao nodded and didn’t continue discussing the matter further.
Then the two of them concealed their figures once more, secretly following Tang Wan.
At this moment, inside the dragon carriage, Tang Wan, her heart heavy with worries, her slender hand gripping her dress tightly, had no idea that Chu Hao and Bai Yang were following her high up in the sky.
In her mind, she was still thinking about the matter Gu Changge had suddenly sent word to inform her of.
Although Gu Changge hadn’t said much in the Communication Rune about what the matter was,
Tang Wan was certain it was definitely inseparable from the events of recent days.
This made her extremely nervous, uneasy, and even fearful.
“Gu Changge’s strength is truly unimaginable. If my guess isn’t wrong, the methods he used back then actually have a great connection to the Successor of Demonic Arts.”
Tang Wan’s expression was extremely grave. Whenever she recalled the events of before, a chill couldn’t help but rise up her back.
During this period, she had consulted relevant ancient texts, wanting to look into matters concerning her Slave Mark.
At first, she found nothing. Whenever she harbored thoughts disadvantageous to Gu Changge, feelings of submission and fear would naturally well up within her.
Fortunately, heaven rewards the persistent. In the end, on a tattered, worn page, Tang Wan found a few fragmentary records.
Although those records were very vague, and the methods described were only somewhat similar to the Slave Mark Gu Changge had used — not entirely identical —
Tang Wan was certain that it was actually the same as the method Gu Changge had used back then.
And what that tattered page recorded was an account of the Successor of Demonic Arts from a certain era.
This discovery made her whole body run cold. Connecting it with the many recent pieces of news and rumors, she felt ever more that Gu Changge’s methods were terrifying and unfathomable.
If he truly was the real Successor of Demonic Arts, that would be simply unimaginable — anyone would feel horrified and terrified.
This trip to see Gu Changge, Tang Wan didn’t know what would happen either; she could only silently pray in her heart that Gu Changge hadn’t noticed her thoughts.
“Hao-gege, you must never become Gu Changge’s enemy. His terror is something you could never imagine...”
Tang Wan murmured in her heart.
Only, her expression would occasionally turn somewhat dazed. During this period, some blurry memories would surface from the depths of her mind.
A grand and ancient mountain gate.
A shifu of unfathomable strength, a talented, mature, and steady eldest senior brother — the two of them became Dao Partners.
A junior brother who was often bullied, and a little junior sister whose heart was wholly set on the Dao, free of all distractions.
“Does reincarnation truly exist in this world?”
...
At this moment, in a stretch of abandoned ruins outside the Black Tortoise Empire, mist flowed, rosy light permeated the air, and all kinds of miasma filled the place.
Demonic beasts roared, fierce birds swept across the sky, their sounds shaking all directions.
A man in purple robes stood there, gazing distantly at the divine rainbow fluctuations in the distance, his eyes ice-cold.
It was none other than Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
At this moment, his expression was far from pleasant.
Especially after hearing the many rumors from the outside world — his whole being felt as if struck by lightning, unable to believe it, nearly freezing in place on the spot.
His group of followers were also pale-faced now, faintly revealing fear, deeply uneasy, feeling that every divine rainbow sweeping across the sky was a prodigy coming to search for their traces.
Here, no one was a fool.
At a time like this, anyone would know what Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s situation was. It might not be accurate to say the whole world was his enemy, but it was close enough.
What their final fate would be for following Heavenly Monarch Ziyang — that went without saying.
Regardless of whether Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had sent anyone else to assassinate Gu Changge, just the outside world’s current views of him were already utterly fatal.
Now, almost everyone believed Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was in league with the Successor of Demonic Arts.
Even Liu Ziyan thought so, treating Qin Wuya — whom Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had sent to save her — as an accomplice of the Successor of Demonic Arts, hating him to the bone.
“Regarding this matter, what exactly is the attitude of the Purple Mansion behind you, Shidi? If Purple Mansion won’t shelter you, your situation right now will probably become even more difficult.”
Standing opposite Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was Qin Wuya.
He too sighed softly.
After escaping from Gu Changge’s hands, he hadn’t returned here immediately, worried that Gu Changge had left some kind of method on him.
Then, after staying elsewhere for several days and making sure there was no mark Gu Changge had left on him, Qin Wuya finally returned here to rendezvous with Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
Hearing this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang glanced at Qin Wuya, his expression still ugly.
This time’s matter — in his view, he had thought it would be a sure thing.
After all, Qin Wuya had personally taken action; what matter could he possibly fail to handle?
But an accident happened anyway. The Successor of Demonic Arts suddenly sent someone to kill Liu Ziyan, and it just so happened to be noticed by Gu Changge.
As a result, all his plans fell short at the final step.
Not only that, Liu Ziyan now bore a grudge against him as well.
He tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.
Although Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had complaints about this, he also knew this matter couldn’t be blamed on Qin Wuya — who could have imagined the Successor of Demonic Arts would suddenly do such a thing?
“Damn it, that Successor of Demonic Arts ruined my plans. Not only did he frame me, now he’s outright making me take the fall for everything!”
“Prince Ying, you and I are irreconcilable enemies!”
Thinking of all this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s expression grew even darker, his fists clenched tight.
A terrifying aura surged around him, as if it could alter the course of mountains and rivers and make stars fall, shrouding this place in an oppressive atmosphere.
Everyone was silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to say a word.
Now, among the people Heavenly Monarch Ziyang hated most, besides Gu Changge, there was one more — the Successor of Demonic Arts, Prince Ying.
“Shidi, this matter reeks of deep strangeness. In my view, the person you most need to worry about right now is actually Gu Changge.”
“Have you considered one possibility — that Gu Changge and the Successor of Demonic Arts are actually the same person?”
···0 Seeking flowers 0···
However, hearing Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s words, Qin Wuya’s brows furrowed tightly, and he spoke with great gravity.
His voice carried a tremor that even he found heart-palpitating, as if he had made a great resolution before speaking such words.
“What?”
Hearing this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang froze on the spot, his eyes wide, unable to believe it.
“Why would Da Shixiong suddenly say such a thing?”
Then, realizing the severity of this matter, his expression turned solemn, and he hurriedly asked in a deep voice.
Given Qin Wuya’s character, he wouldn’t suddenly say something so groundless.
He must have noticed something to speak this way.
“Actually, this matter only occurred to me these past few days after thinking it over carefully.”
“Back then, I hid outside Gu Changge’s residence for several days. If anyone had snuck in, I would definitely have noticed — but there was no one. That black-robed man’s appearance was very strange, as if he had appeared out of thin air.”
“So I suspect he was actually Gu Changge’s man, appearing only to stage a bitter-meat ploy of a thief crying ‘stop thief.’”
“Moreover, when I fought Gu Changge, although his aura looked like that of an injured man, his true strength wasn’t affected in the slightest.”
“Who in this world, after having their Source wounded, could be lively and vigorous within a few short days, even activating a Sacred Emperor Grade artifact?”
“If that could be explained by Gu Changge’s terrifying talent, then connecting the suspicious points of all the previous matters makes things even clearer. Besides, Gu Changge’s grasp of timing has been perfect every single time. If you told me he hadn’t calculated all of this, I wouldn’t believe it even if you beat me to death.”
Qin Wuya explained, his voice carrying a terrifying chill, trembling slightly, making cold sweat break out on Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s back.
.............
Even though Qin Wuya had experienced many things in the Nine Heavens, facing this kind of situation, he was still horrified, his divine soul trembling.
Before this, he had never imagined a person could be terrifying to such a degree.
On the surface, he was the leader of the righteous path, the number one of the younger generation, radiant with glory, revered by hundreds of millions who regarded him as their faith.
He even bore the future of many orthodoxies — as long as he didn’t fall, he was destined to stand at the absolute peak of the Beyond, his prospects limitless.
But in the shadows, he was the Beyond’s most terrifying Successor of Demonic Arts, hidden in darkness, devouring the Sources of countless prodigies, bringing calamity upon the world.
“What Shixiong said... the matters involved are simply too terrifying...”
After hearing all this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang couldn’t help but tremble in his divine soul, his back going cold, horrified to the extreme.
He thought of the many possibilities and consequences if Gu Changge were the Successor of Demonic Arts — that was simply unimaginable, something that would bring an inconceivably terrifying disaster upon the Beyond.
“I’m only speculating about this matter. If you asked me to produce evidence, that would be utterly impossible — Gu Changge is simply too cautious. That so-called Successor of Demonic Arts, Prince Ying, is probably an unlucky bastard just like you.”
Qin Wuya sighed, not knowing how to comfort Heavenly Monarch Ziyang at this point.
How had he managed to offend such a terrifying figure? Whoever offended Gu Changge — that would be their most dreadful nightmare.
“Da Shixiong, what should I do now? If Gu Changge suddenly comes looking for me at this time, can I only surrender and wait for death?”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s face was pale, incomparably fearful, his voice trembling. Before Qin Wuya explained all this, he had never considered such a possibility.
But now, his entire head was buzzing, horrified to the extreme. m.
Gu Changge, as the Successor of Demonic Arts, had not only dumped everything he had done onto his head, but was now even raising the banner of justice to suppress and kill him.
Was there anything in this world more terrifying and despair-inducing than knowing such a truth?
“At this point, perhaps only the sect behind you can save you. If I fought Gu Changge, the odds would be fifty-fifty at best. The outside world all says Gu Changge is severely injured, but he’s actually perfectly fine — he’s deceived everyone, toying with all under heaven in the palm of his hand.”
Hearing this, Qin Wuya was silent for a moment before speaking thus. “Or perhaps... you could expose Gu Changge’s true identity...”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s face went pale. Either possibility — he could accomplish neither.
At this point, the only way was to wait for the Purple Mansion behind him to send experts.
“I suddenly understand why I saw that kind of scene in the vision of the future back then...”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang suddenly recalled the scene from when he first used the Foreseeing Eye, intending to peer into Gu Xian’er’s future.
Back then, wasn’t she imprisoned by Gu Changge in a dark, damp dungeon, on her last breath?
If Gu Changge was the Successor of Demonic Arts, then everything made sense.
Gu Xian’er was in too much danger. She had no idea at all what a terrifying and dangerous person the cousin beside her truly was.
“No, I must warn Xiao Shimei of all this. These days I’ve noticed her searching for my traces outside. At this point, I can’t hesitate any longer...”
Thinking of this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s expression suddenly firmed, his fists clenched, as if he had made some kind of decision.
Although this decision would very likely expose his whereabouts and put his life in mortal danger, he feared nothing.