"The wine is poisoned!" Patriarch Chen's body swayed as he glared furiously at Fang Yuan. "Vice Patriarch Shan, you were the one who presented this wine. What are you trying to do?!"
The change came too suddenly. Fang Yuan was stunned.
Before he could say anything, the Gu Master sitting right beside him stood up and let out a cold sneer. "What am I trying to do? Why, kill you, of course — wipe out the Chen family. This mountain has belonged to the Shan family since ancient times. Whether it's your Chen family or the Nie family, you were all nothing but our Shan family's servants to begin with!"
"Bullshit! This mountain has always been our Chen family's! Our ancestors benevolently took in two clans — one after another — whose homes had been destroyed, forcing them to wander." The Chen family Gu Masters immediately shouted back in protest.
That Shan family Gu Master continued sneering. "Shameless servants — there's no point wasting words on you. It's all too late now. Your patriarch has drunk the poisoned wine. This poison was crafted using the Woman's Heart Gu, and it counters your patriarch's Justice Gu. Without your patriarch, which of you Chen family Gu Masters can possibly stand against us?"
The Chen family Gu Masters turned pale. They had been struck right where it hurt.
Fang Yuan was still dazed. He whispered to the Shan family Gu Master who had just switched sides: "Who told you that poison made from the Woman's Heart Gu could counter the Justice Gu?"
That Shan family Gu Master was clearly Vice Patriarch Shan's trusted confidant. Hearing this, he froze as well and replied blankly: "Huh? My lord, wasn't that what you said?"
"EH?!" Fang Yuan was struck dumb.
BOOM!
Patriarch Chen's entire body erupted with a pillar of white light. The pallor and alarm on his face rapidly dissipated, replaced by a stern, solemn expression.
He glared with tiger eyes locked on Fang Yuan and roared with imposing righteousness: "Shan Xing! You despicable, shameless wretch! To dare employ such a sinister poisonous scheme — I truly misjudged you. How blind I was! I actually believed you were willing to think of the big picture, sacrifice yourself, and cede the patriarch's seat to me. All along, you were only holding back because you feared my Justice Gu, feared my strength!"
Fang Yuan's head throbbed, his thoughts racing. "Patriarch Chen has Fifth Transformation cultivation, and I'm only at the Fourth Transformation right now. My Gu insects are an entire tier below his as well. If it really came to a fight, I wouldn't stand a chance."
The confidant beside him screamed in terror: "Wh-what's going on? He clearly drank the poisoned wine, but the Justice Gu is still working! Lord Shan Xing, you said—"
Fang Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up. He had found a solution.
That was right. As long as the Justice Gu was neutralized, Patriarch Chen would succumb to the poison. Once the toxin took hold and his strength plummeted, Fang Yuan could absolutely overpower him.
"I see." Fang Yuan died under Patriarch Chen's attack, a faint smile on his lips.
The second dream sequence began.
The great hall blazed with lamplight. Fine wine filled the air, delicacies covered the tables, and dozens of Gu Masters gathered together, exchanging cups in lively festivity.
Patriarch Chen took a long swig of wine, set down his empty cup, and sighed with emotion. "We've finally won! Brother, let me speak from the heart — only now can I truly rest easy. Ever since I learned that the Nie family harbored a scheme to destroy the mountain's roots, I could hardly sleep. Unable to compete against our two families united, they resorted to such a mad plan, heedless of the lives it would cost. Fortunately, Heaven has eyes — those who commit too many injustices will inevitably bring about their own downfall. That these people met today's end is entirely their own doing."
Fang Yuan let out a cold chuckle and said softly: "Actually, there's more to this story than meets the eye. The Nie family never had any such scheme. I fabricated it all to deceive you. The people you killed were innocent."
"WHAT?!" Patriarch Chen turned pale with shock, staring at Fang Yuan in disbelief. "Brother Shan, have you had too much wine? What nonsense is this?!"
Fang Yuan regarded Patriarch Chen with a sinister look. "You were simply too naive, kept in the dark by me all along. You're a executioner — how many innocent people have you slaughtered? Your hands are drenched in blood. Your justice is nothing but a facade. You're nothing but a brute and a fool. And also — you've had too much wine."
"WHAT?! You poisoned the wine?!" The toxin struck Patriarch Chen. Clutching his abdomen in shock, he collapsed to the ground.
The Chen family Gu Masters erupted in alarm and horror, while the Shan family Gu Masters were already prepared and struck ruthlessly.
Patriarch Chen wanted to fight back, but his body was utterly powerless. All he could do was watch helplessly.
Fang Yuan's confidant shouted excitedly: "The poisoned wine really worked! Patriarch Chen's Justice Gu has been neutralized!"
Fang Yuan barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes.
To activate the Justice Gu, in addition to True Essence, the Gu Master had to genuinely believe in their own righteousness with all their heart.
Fang Yuan's words moments ago had thrown Patriarch Chen's mind into chaos — filled with self-doubt and crushing shame, he naturally could no longer activate the Justice Gu.
The battle erupted and ended swiftly.
The Shan family had come prepared. From Patriarch Chen down to every last Gu Master, the Chen family had all been ambushed.
By the time the great hall fell completely silent, the Chen family Gu Masters were either dead or wounded. Every one still drawing breath was taken prisoner.
The second sequence passed successfully.
The third sequence arrived.
Fang Yuan found himself in a prison cell. His sole cellmate was Patriarch Chen.
His body was covered in wounds, his aura feeble, his face pale as paper. His eye sockets were bruised a deep purple-black — the poison had sunk deep.
Fang Yuan could see from his injuries that he had been subjected to severe torture, hovering on the edge of death.
Even so, Patriarch Chen's limbs and neck were locked in iron chains as he lay sprawled on the ground, breathing in but barely breathing out.
"What's going on here?" Fang Yuan looked at himself and felt a moment of speechlessness. He was also chained. His body was aged and frail, thin as a stick — much the same state as Patriarch Chen.
He had the Empty Orifice of the Fourth Transformation, but the orifice was already ruined, and he had no Gu insects at all.
"What am I supposed to do here? I'm no longer the treacherous Vice Patriarch — I've been given yet another role. Hmm... right now, there's only the two of us in this cell. Looks like I need to talk to him and figure out the situation." Fang Yuan let out two dry laughs and was about to speak when Patriarch Chen spoke first.
"There's no need to come and mock me, Father."
"Father?!" Fang Yuan was startled. His current role was Patriarch Chen's father? Then why was he locked in here? And judging from the state of things, he had clearly been imprisoned for a long time — far longer than Patriarch Chen, who had only just been thrown in.
Patriarch Chen spoke again: "Father, I was the one who defeated you and had you locked up. But I have never regretted it! Because of your corruption and embezzlement — the evidence is conclusive. You have no justice and no fairness. You are unfit to be patriarch of the Chen family. According to our clan rules, this is the punishment you deserve."
"So you were the one who screwed over dear old Dad." Fang Yuan's lips twisted.
Patriarch Chen continued: "Likewise, I have never regretted my current fate. I deserve this! I killed so many innocent people, my hands stained with the blood of the entire Nie family. I deserve to die!"
"Heh heh heh." Patriarch Chen let out a wretched laugh. "The Shan family tried every possible way to force me to hand over the Justice Gu. But what did their coercion matter? Their roaring, the sound of their whips cracking, the sound of hot brands searing my flesh — when I heard it, it all sounded like the wailing and accusations of the entire Nie family."
"I would sooner they had whipped me more, made me suffer more pain! But none of it can repay my sins! None of it can atone for my mistakes! I deserve to die — let me die like this! This is what I deserve."
"Ugh!"
Patriarch Chen let out a choked sound, tilted his head to the side, and died.
His death immediately alerted the guards. Before long, the usurper Shan Xing arrived.
"He's really dead! Damn it — the Justice Gu is lost." Shan Xing was furious, gritting his teeth.
Then he suddenly turned toward Fang Yuan, eyes blazing with fury: "Old man, we had an agreement — you were supposed to persuade your son properly! What did you do? You're completely useless. Go join your son in death!"
Crack.
Shan Xing made good on his word, hacking Fang Yuan's head clean off in a single stroke.
Exploration failed. Fang Yuan's desolate soul was expelled from the dream once more.
This time, Fang Yuan rested for a long while.
The third scene of the dream was clearly the final one. His exploration had failed, and his desolate soul had sustained considerable damage.