Chapter 3046 Thank You for the Guidance

It was a matter of fulfilling popular expectations, and entirely well-deserved.

Even though he always kept a low profile, Professor Fu was already far too used to becoming the center of attention.

As for why these three were acting like this, that seemed perfectly normal to him as well.

First of all, this was clearly Excellency Corvos's doing.

Going to such lengths to make guests feel at home couldn't possibly be just to give him a sense of familiarity. Wasn't this the real play unfolding right now?

Secondly, while it might be Corvos's handiwork, this tangle of fate was obviously centered around him.

Gan Zuoxun, Taylor, Jiang En... in terms of sheer familiarity with him, they didn't exactly rank at the absolute top in Shangjing.

Yuan Shan and Wen Li might not be around, but there was still Serana, who was undergoing a mandated promotion, and even Brother Zha Yingjun.

The only reason it was these three was that he had just mentioned them during the previous conversation.

Moreover, as he calmly met their gazes, he could feel a subtle shift in the trio's postures.

Just as Gan Zuoxun knew how to enjoy the sunlight, these physical manifestations of fate, while perfectly reflecting their current situations in Shangjing, weren't entirely immune to outside influence.

Simply put, their fates could be manipulated from thousands of miles away and mutated by things they couldn't even comprehend. Therefore, just as Excellency Corvos had warned moments ago, it was best not to tamper with them lightly.

But precisely because of this, Fu Qian thought he knew exactly what Excellency Corvos was trying to achieve with this little show.

"I am glad to hear Professor Fu's approval of our work. The current order of Shangjing lies right before your eyes... please, do not hesitate."

Sure enough, Corvos soon proved that point.

...

So they had indeed reached the stage of testing his spiritual resolve?

Without a doubt, the scene before him was a theme park meticulously crafted just for him.

Fragile, easily broken things lay right in front of him. You claim to be a law-abiding citizen? Then let's see how you handle them.

For Fu Qian, grasping Corvos's intentions wasn't difficult, especially since the man made no effort to hide them.

In fact, the way he saw it, while the approach might seem a bit ruthless, it was certainly an interesting idea.

The phrase "fate is in your hands" had never been so literal, yet fate was also eerily unpredictable; there was no guarantee what kind of impact any applied influence would have.

All the nuances could only be deciphered by a true master. Because of this, any attempt to disguise one's true nature or act against one's heart would appear exceptionally clumsy and strained. As expected, the concept of a home-field advantage was never just empty talk.

"Mister Fang."

It was impossible to avoid getting involved. Under Corvos's guidance, the three manifestations of fate had clearly already "seen" Fu Qian.

While he was lost in thought, Gan Zuoxun became the first to speak, even managing to recognize him.

"That's me."

The wheel of fate had begun to turn in the truest sense. It was obvious that Corvos had no intention of leaving him any room to keep a low profile.

Fortunately, Fu Qian always valued politeness. He didn't ignore the man; instead, he nodded and casually acknowledged it.

"Thank you for your support."

His state seemed quite stable due to Fu Qian's friendly demeanor, but Gan Zuoxun's pleasantries weren't over yet, immediately following up with a word of thanks.

It had to be said that expressing such emotions in this situation could truly be called sincere.

They hadn't interacted much, and the need to keep a low profile alongside Yuan Shan at the banquet meant they hadn't chatted much either.

Yet, Gan Zuoxun seemed perfectly clear about the help Professor Fu had provided, always remaining grateful. However, while such a commendable attitude of repaying gratitude was admirable, it exposed a severe problem—the person Gan Zuoxun was thanking was not Mister Fang.

Ever since visiting Demigod Aike, he had been wearing Professor Fu's face.

And yet, Gan Zuoxun had recognized him without the slightest obstacle?

Fu Qian certainly didn't think Gan Zuoxun had the ability to bridge both the mortal and transcendent paths to secretly uncover Mister Fang's true identity.

The most likely explanation for this display lay in a connection on the level of fate.

It was already because of his earlier words, combined with Excellency Corvos's methods, that these manifestations were pulled over in the first place.

This physical manifestation of fate didn't rely on eyes to recognize people. Thinking about it carefully, it made perfect sense.

But precisely because of this, a new problem arose—

The bond of fate told Gan Zuoxun that he was Mister Fang. Would the bond of fate tell the others that he was Professor Fu from the Academy?

And then the Head of the Rebirth Club, Demigod Lu?

The Frost Artisan, Grimshaw?

The Dark Moon Apostle? The King of the Abandoned Prison?

Truly worthy of being a Tier 1 Contestant. Excellency Corvos had surprisingly contracted the bad habit of achieving multiple benefits with one move.

Aside from testing his spiritual resolve, properly utilizing this bond of fate could apparently even serve as an identity check.

A brilliant play.

In that moment, Fu Qian sighed deeply in his heart, profoundly realizing the Weight of the Night Watchers and his own precarious situation of being exposed at any second.

Fortunately, this seat also had the bad habit of achieving multiple benefits with one move.

His previous actions of actively burning his alternate personas along the way were, on one hand, a frantic cash-in of chips for this battle, extracting all the low-profile energy he had saved up over many days in one fell swoop.

On the other hand, this act of seeking leniency through confession served to prematurely cushion the shock of his impending exposure.

Whether Excellency Stoss believed it or not, this seat had also made meticulous preparations upon being invited to this banquet.

...

It seemed Excellency Stoss did not believe it.

The psychological warfare was invisible, but out of the corner of his eye in that moment, he could intuitively taste the worry in Old Man Stoss's expression. Although Stoss might have a straightforward style, his sense of danger was clearly sharp, and he had already realized the issue of the Dislocation of identities.

And regarding Professor Fu's resume, he clearly believed it was absolutely not clean.

The most troublesome part was that Corvos had made it clear this was a test exclusively for Professor Fu.

So much so that they could apparently only watch everything unfold helplessly, unable to find an opportunity to intervene—

"Chief Yuan once asked me to help ensure the municipal officer's physical and mental well-being... honestly, his prostate really does need some attention."

Fortunately, the anxious Stoss received Professor Fu's meticulous explanation the very next second, detailing exactly why Gan Zuoxun was thanking him for his support.

Even now, he didn't forget to give his superior credit, signaling that it was all due to Chief Yuan strategizing within the command tent.

"Thank you for the guidance."

However, before one wave settled, another rose. Just as the atmosphere turned abstract, Gan Zuoxun actually spoke again, making the situation delicate once more.

Guidance?

Theoretically, it was a complimentary term, but using it here felt somewhat off.

When it came to a transcendent interacting with an ordinary person, the word "guidance" inevitably carried the suspicion of brainwashing, mental manipulation, and the like. As a result, the credit he had just given his superior inevitably took on a faint stench of excrement.

So much so that apart from Su Gao, the looks in the other spectators' eyes became a little strange.

"Heh... I can see that you really do care about your daughter."

But how could something like this possibly stump Professor Fu?

Giving an emotionless chuckle in that moment, he directly spat out a sentence that made everyone's scalps go numb.