The Galgame Martial Saint

Gu Chengming had now completely grasped the personality of this new technique.

As the saying goes, ‘truth comes out after wine.’ Gu Chengming’s career in conquering techniques had made him quite well-traveled by now. He had seen all types—those who called themselves the Heavenly Emperor, those who loved reading storybooks, those who obsessed over status and etiquette, those who were world-weary and prickly, and even those who demanded a harem route. He had seen them all.

But a political-keyboard-warrior-alcoholic-girl… this was too bizarre. He truly hadn’t seen this before.

However, the main reason Gu Chengming was practicing this technique was to have an extra layer of protection for his upcoming trip to the Cloud Moon Sect. He didn’t have an urgent need to grind its favorability to a very high level.

From that perspective, he could afford to stay calm.

Nevertheless, Gu Chengming was the type who, once he entered a character route, would try to see it through to the end. He would only choose to wait and see if he encountered a situation where the direction of the route was completely incomprehensible.

And that was exactly the problem—he currently had no idea how to navigate this route.

Furthermore, the Cangxian Wine Sword Art clearly had no intention of stopping.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 continued: Look at the pill market! Who holds the pricing power for spirit pills? The four great alchemy clans. If a rogue cultivator wants to buy a Foundation Building Pill for a breakthrough, the price is three to five times the internal procurement price for sect disciples. Is that reasonable?】

【And what about the Daqian Imperial Family? Have they ever stepped in? No! Because the four great alchemy clans pay tribute to the Imperial Family every year!】

From the perspective of a rogue cultivator, these words were naturally correct, but to a technique like the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art, this was nothing but picking a fight.

Sure enough—

【《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 finally spoke: These words are fallacious.】

【Daqian has stood for a thousand years, governing the world with rites and stabilizing the state with laws. The system of sects and the ethics of master and disciple were established by the ancient sages through arduous effort. They have remained unchanged for ten thousand generations for a profound reason. You have only just glimpsed the threshold, yet you dare to recklessly criticize the national structure and social order? Is this not the height of arrogance?】

【Seeing someone willing to debate it, 《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 became completely energized: Just because something hasn’t changed for ten thousand generations means it’s right? Before this, the law of the jungle ruled the cultivation world for tens of thousands of years. Why don’t I see you defending that?】

【《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 said solemnly: How can the law of the jungle be mentioned in the same breath as the sect system? A sect accepts disciples and passes on knowledge; disciples honor their masters and respect the dao, giving back to the sect. This is the reciprocity of rites.】

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 shook its head: Are the spirit stones and labor surrendered by the vast number of outer sect disciples every year truly equal to the cultivation resources the sect provides them?】

【《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 said in a heavy voice: Any inherent flaws should be addressed gradually through methods of reform and steady progress. It should not be like you, wanting to flip the table and smash the bowls as soon as you open your mouth, denying everything. This is the thought of a rebel and a traitor, not a discourse of the righteous path.】

—Is this still the cultivation world?

Is this still my Cultivation LOVELOVE System? Where have you taken me?

【《Qingxin Art》 watched this scene with great interest.】

【《Hundred Bones Resonating》 completely failed to understand what they were arguing about, but felt it was very lively, so it joined in the cheering: Right! That’s right! This Heavenly Emperor also feels that, uh, anyway, you’re right!】

The debate continued, moving from sect resource allocation to the Daqian Imperial Family’s spiritual vein tax policy, and then circling back to the issue of class solidification in the cultivation world.

The two sides went back and forth, tongues like swords, citing classics and historical precedents.

But this kind of debate was destined to have no conclusion.

【《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 took a deep breath: Arguing with someone who has the mindset of a rogue cultivator like you is truly like playing a lute to a cow.】

The translation: I’m speechless. I can’t talk to you. You have a typical rogue cultivator mindset.

This was the first time Gu Chengming had seen the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art so angry that it went offline and muted itself.

Usually, this Confucian girl could maintain a gentle and proper posture no matter the situation, using ‘excellent’ or ‘not excellent’ at most to express her attitude.

Today, she had been thoroughly provoked into losing her composure.

Political idealist versus conservative traditionalist—do you guys know the struggle?

Gu Chengming was naturally a bit helpless. Whether it was ‘truth after wine’ or ‘drunken rambling’…

—In short, the conquest of this technique seemed like it would be a long and arduous road.

Forget it. Thinking about this now was futile. He would wait until the wine qi dissipated.

Gu Chengming took a deep breath and actively circulated his spiritual power, forcing the residual wine qi out of his meridians bit by bit.

As the wine qi vanished, the restless atmosphere in his Sea of Consciousness also gradually calmed down.

Just as Gu Chengming finished dissipating the wine qi, the sound of two figures breaking through the air suddenly came from outside the small courtyard.

The newcomers did not deliberately hide their tracks. Their footsteps landed steadily on the bluestone slabs in the yard. Gu Chengming looked up and saw Ren Wencai and Shen Qianqiu standing under the osmanthus tree.

He thought to himself that the commotion from that sword strike just now was too great. Likely the entire Wenjian Sect had been alarmed, and perhaps even other sects in Daqian had sensed it.

“Masters, there is no need to worry,” Gu Chengming said, speaking before either of them could open their mouths. “The situation just now was merely me practicing a sword art in my daily routine.”

Shen Qianqiu opened his mouth. “…Merely practicing a sword art in your daily routine?”

He subconsciously looked at the cloud layer above that had just been split by the sword light. The gap had not yet completely healed, and light poured down through the rift, drawing a silver-white band across the mountains of the Wenjian Sect.

What kind of daily practice could cause such a massive commotion?

Ren Wencai, on the other hand, was relatively calm. He had seen enough strange things from Gu Chengming to not be surprised anymore, though he still grumbled inwardly.

“Chengming.” Ren Wencai cleared his throat. “Didn’t you say before that you hadn’t even mastered the basics of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art?”

Gu Chengming replied calmly without changing his expression, “Master, your disciple is dull-witted and indeed couldn’t grasp the key points before. Just now, borrowing a bit of drunkenness, I practiced blindly for a while and seemed to have just stumbled upon the threshold.”

“Practiced blindly? Stumbled upon the threshold?” Ren Wencai’s eyes twitched several times.

He turned to Shen Qianqiu, pointed at the sword marks on the ground, then pointed at the clouds above that were split in two and had yet to close. He was half-helpless and half-concealing his own pride as he said:

“Senior Brother, listen to him. He says this is called practicing blindly.”

A few days ago, this kid hadn’t even touched the technique. He would set aside the fact that it only took a few days to master a top-tier sword art.

But the commotion caused by just entering the threshold was already no less than the sword strike old ghost Hua had made during his peak.

Shen Qianqiu looked back at him but didn’t take the bait. Instead, he turned to Gu Chengming and said, “The Cangxian Wine Sword Art enters the sword through wine, focusing on the fusion and resonance of wine qi and sword intent. The aura of your sword strike just now is already not inferior to the late Fourth Realm.”

Shen Qianqiu’s evaluations were never exaggerated. He paused and then added casually, “However, when you practice this sword art in the future, remember to give a heads-up. The disciples on duty just now thought some sword cultivator had come to the Wenjian Sect to pick a fight.”

Gu Chengming quickly bowed and accepted the advice, and the three of them exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Ren Wencai urged him to stabilize his cultivation before departing, while Shen Qianqiu reminded him to keep a low profile at the Hunyuan Sect. The disciples of the Hunyuan Sect often had surging blood qi and were prone to conflict, especially now that Gu Chengming’s name as a prodigy was well-known. Many in the Hunyuan Sect would surely want to spar with him; he should just decline such matters.

Gu Chengming obediently agreed to everything.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two elders stood up to leave.

Old man Ren waved his hand and turned toward the courtyard gate. Halfway there, he stopped and said without turning back, “I will rewrite the letter to Hua Daiyi.”

The content of that letter would likely change from ‘my humble disciple has yet to master the basics, please be patient’ to ‘my humble disciple has just glimpsed the threshold and already has such an aura, all thanks to Daoist Hua’s teaching.’

In a sense, the old man was quite proud.

…

On the mountain path toward the Main Peak, Ren Wencai suddenly stopped after walking for a while.

Shen Qianqiu had already returned to the side courtyard ahead of him. At this moment, he was alone on the stone steps shrouded in moonlight.

The night breeze brushed his face, carrying the faint scent of osmanthus.

Ren Wencai clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the rift in the clouds split by the sword light. The rift was slowly closing, but the residual sword intent was still faintly flowing in the high altitude, carrying a trace of wine fragrance.

The old man couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

Hua Daiyi, oh Hua Daiyi.

You’ve really struck it rich with this half-disciple.

Back then, you shamelessly forced a technique on him and then had the gall to claim the title of a half-master. It’s lucky that I, Ren Wencai, am generous. If it were anyone else, who wouldn’t guard this precious treasure and prevent anyone else from getting close?

Such breadth of mind, such magnanimity!

In the entire Wenjian Sect—no, in the entire cultivation world—one probably couldn’t find a second person like me.

—He completely forgot how he had chased Hua Daiyi from the Outer Sect all the way to the Back Mountain in a fit of rage, nearly coming to blows when he learned Hua Daiyi wanted to poach his disciple.

He also completely forgot how, for several days after that, he had repeatedly probed Gu Chengming to confirm, ‘Chengming, you don’t have any thoughts about the Hunyuan Sect, do you?’

Human memory always automatically beautifies oneself.

Especially when one wants to view oneself as generous.

Ren Wencai nodded with satisfaction and walked toward the side courtyard with a light step.

…

The small courtyard on the Back Mountain.

With everyone gone, the yard regained its silence.

The night breeze rustled the branches of the osmanthus tree. The empty wine jar was still on the stone table, its celadon surface reflecting the moonlight with a cold glaze.

Tranquility returned to the small courtyard.

Gu Chengming watched his master and the Sect Leader leave, then turned back to the stone table.

The chill of the autumn night seeped in from all directions. The leaves of the osmanthus tree rustled in the wind. The celadon wine jar on the table was empty, leaving only a faint scent of wine curling out from the mouth of the jar.

Gu Chengming’s gaze fell on the system panel. Since the wine qi had dissipated, the Cangxian Wine Sword Art’s rambling had stopped.

His heart stirred. Perhaps the state of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art was related to whether he himself was drunk?

Just as Gu Chengming was making this deduction, the dialogue box flashed, and text emerged.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 slowly woke up, its gaze a bit clearer.】

It seemed to notice Gu Chengming’s gaze.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 spoke with some embarrassment: Did I cause a bit of a commotion just now? I didn’t scare you, did I?】

Gu Chengming was slightly stunned. Where was that technique from just now?

Where did you hide my wine sword technique?!

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 let out a few comfortable hums, as if it had just had a good sleep.】

【It spoke again: By the way, that sword strike just now was quite good. Although I don’t remember the details clearly, feelings don’t lie. The fusion of sword intent and wine qi was just right. Your comprehension is truly excellent, young friend; you’re much faster than I expected.】

The tone in the dialogue box was one of genuine appreciation, like a cheerful friend slapping your shoulder and saying, ‘Brother, you’re good.’ It was so natural that one couldn’t find a single flaw.

Gu Chengming was silent for two breaths before asking tentatively, “…Do you know what you said just now?”

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 tilted its head and thought for a moment: I probably know? When one drinks too much, they always talk a lot of nonsense.】

Seeing the other’s attitude, Gu Chengming also fell into thought.

The Cangxian Wine Sword Art’s attitude toward its drunken remarks was not shame, nor was it a dismissal like ‘what I said while drunk doesn’t count.’

This indicated that although the attitude and personality were very different, the viewpoints and inner nature remained the same. Perhaps the drunken state was also a side of the other’s true self?

Gu Chengming silently noted this discovery. He looked up at the sky; the moon had tilted to the west, and the scent of osmanthus in the night breeze had faded a bit.

Tonight’s harvest was significant. At least he had grasped the two states of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art. The breakthrough for the conquest likely lay in the switching between these two states.

However, he had spent enough time tonight. He would handle the rest tomorrow.

…

Over the next few days, Gu Chengming focused his main energy on how to conquer and increase the favorability of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art.

That’s right. As the Gal Master, Gu Chengming would never give up on any technique.

Even if the Cangxian Wine Sword Art’s political ranting attribute was indeed a headache, since he had already mastered the basics, there was no reason not to conquer it.

However, reality soon gave him a blow.

The sober state of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art was indeed as he expected—cheerful and generous. It was almost the least troublesome technique among them all, aside from the Red Dust Phantom Step. But that was exactly the problem.

It was too easy to get along with. It was so easy that the favorability almost didn’t increase.

Gu Chengming tried many methods, but over three days, the favorability only increased by one point in total.

To put it in perspective, Hundred Bones Resonating could increase by over sixty points in a single day at its peak. The Huiyuan Sword Manual could gain five or six points just from a bit of intimacy. Even the Flowing Cloud Following Moon could jump ten points when a specific event was triggered.

Although one point in three days wasn’t technically too slow… this was the early stage of the conquest!

Reasonably, as long as one found the trick, it should be easy to move from stranger to friendly in the early stages. The current situation only meant he had not yet found the true method to conquer this technique.

Gu Chengming stared at the almost motionless favorability on the panel and fell into deep thought.

The sober Cangxian Wine Sword Art was cheerful, but it was also too distant, just like the Qingxin Art at the beginning.

Before finding elements like ‘storybooks’ and ‘fun’ that could interest the Qingxin Art, increasing its favorability was also very difficult.

So, perhaps he needed to find something that could interest it first?

Thinking of this, Gu Chengming suddenly understood many things…

How could the conquest of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art be done without wine?

Once he understood this layer, Gu Chengming immediately had a plan.

He stood up, patted the non-existent dust off his robes, and walked toward the Market City.

Wenjian Sect, Back Mountain courtyard, night.

Gu Chengming sat cross-legged at the stone table. Before him sat a newly bought jar of spirit wine. Yu Wenqiu’s dowry wine had run out, so he had no choice but to go to the Market City to buy a few jars of decently aged brew.

Although it couldn’t compare to that immortal brew, it was more than enough to induce drunkenness.

As the spirit wine entered his throat, the wine qi surged.

The moment his consciousness began to blur, the dialogue box for the Cangxian Wine Sword Art suddenly lit up.

—It was as if someone had flipped a switch.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》’s eyes instantly lit up: Is that wine? Not bad, not bad. Now that we have wine, how can we be without topics for conversation?】

【Come, come, let’s continue from where we left off last time—】

After a long bout of rambling.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 Favorability +3】

One night’s increase was more than the three days in the sober state combined.

From then on, every night, the scent of wine would punctuate the air in the Back Mountain courtyard.

During these few days of ‘drunken communication,’ Gu Chengming also discovered a rather interesting trait of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art—it was extremely enthusiastic about telling unofficial history.

Not the kind of verifiable historical material recorded in official classics, but the kind of rumors and strange anecdotes of dubious authenticity unearthed from some obscure corner.

And it specifically targeted the Daqian Imperial Family.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 spoke wobbly: Young friend, do you know that the founding emperor of Daqian sold his rear when he was young?】

Gu Chengming: “…?”

【I mean hooks! Fish hooks! It’s said that before he raised his army, he set up a small stall by the East Sea to sell fish hooks, and business was quite good. Later, when he was halfway through conquering the world and ran out of military funds, he even went back to sell hooks for a few months to raise the money.】

“?!”

So it was that kind of hook?

【Cangxian Wine Sword Art chatted more and more happily: Also, that Great Ancestor of Daqian once cross-dressed in women’s clothing to boost military morale. It’s said the effect was outstanding. After the whole army saw it, morale surged by thirty percent because everyone felt that if His Majesty was willing to do even that for them, what reason did they have not to fight with their lives?】

Gu Chengming was highly skeptical of the authenticity of these rumors, but he had to admit that accompanying the Cangxian Wine Sword Art in chatting about these things was indeed the fastest way to increase favorability.

After every chat, the Cangxian Wine Sword Art would say with great satisfaction that drinking with him was truly a pleasure.

Then the favorability would tick up a few points.

This was also the first time Gu Chengming had experienced the feeling of favorability rising steadily without doing much, aside from Hundred Bones Resonating.

Well, it wasn’t exactly ‘steadily rising’ yet, as the total increase was only ten points.

But compared to the previous rate, the current pace was undeniably fast.

…

In this way, days filled with wine fragrance and unofficial history passed.

While maintaining his nightly drinking sessions with the Cangxian Wine Sword Art, Gu Chengming systematically made final preparations for the trip to the Cloud Moon Sect. Everything that needed to be prepared was ready, and his cultivation had stabilized significantly during this period.

The day of departure was close at hand. On the evening two days before he was to set out, Gu Chengming was practicing in the yard when the sound transmission jade at his waist vibrated slightly.

He took out the jade and probed it with his spiritual sense. It was Ji Yixi.

The Imperial Princess clearly already knew about his upcoming trip to the Cloud Moon Sect. She directly stated her purpose, and the information she revealed was significant.

“Your Highness is well-informed.”

“A deduction from the Imperial Observatory.” Ji Yixi’s reply was quick, with no extra explanation.

Gu Chengming didn’t comment. Through their previous interactions in Floating Islet City, he had roughly guessed why this Imperial Princess loved playing the riddler.

The contents of the Great Record could not be directly revealed to others, nor could she explain the existence of the Great Record itself.

But there was no doubt that the Imperial Princess herself bore no ill will toward him.

Sure enough, her next sentence was:

“There are some things I need to inform Commander Gu of in advance.”

Ji Yixi hesitated for a moment before speaking patiently:

“When the Imperial Observatory performed routine celestial deductions toward the Cuiping Mountains, some images appeared that could not be interpreted normally.”

Gu Chengming pricked up his ears and let the Imperial Princess continue.

“The results of the deduction themselves are clear, but the clear content cannot be understood.” Ji Yixi paused, seemingly weighing her words. “I will describe what I saw to you; judge for yourself.”

In the first image Ji Yixi described, the disciples within the Cloud Moon Sect were living, cultivating, and moving normally.

Lessons were held as usual, morning practice proceeded, the dining hall’s stoves were lit, and the patrol disciples changed shifts normally.

But the hair-raising part was that the shadows of all the disciples were wrong. When a person walked forward, the shadow didn’t follow; or when a person stood still to rest, the shadow would move in some direction on its own. In the Imperial Observatory’s deduction, not a single disciple of the Cloud Moon Sect noticed this.

Next was the Cloud Moon Sect’s sect-protecting array as deduced by the Imperial Observatory. The spiritual runes were tightening from the outside in and from the top down, as if trying to prevent something from coming out.

Gu Chengming fell into thought…

The clue in the previous incident at the Floating Islet City grand competition was ‘names,’ and this time the clue was ‘shadows’?

If the information could not be correctly interpreted even by the Imperial Observatory—or rather, the Great Record—it meant that what was happening inside the Cloud Moon Sect might have already exceeded the scope of conventional knowledge.

“Regarding this information… has the Imperial Observatory given a conclusion?” Gu Chengming asked.

“No.”

Ji Yixi’s answer was blunt. “After seeing these images, the deduction masters at the Imperial Observatory suffered severe cognitive disturbances.”

Holy shit, we even have a classic cosmic horror mystery segment.

The information itself is incomprehensible?

“One last thing.” Ji Yixi seemed to remember something, her tone softening slightly. “That artifact. The Unborn Lotus.”

“It can skip a process whose ending has already been determined. This ability may have limited use when exploring unknown environments, but in certain specific situations, if Commander Gu confirms that his situation is safe but he cannot escape, it will be an excellent means of breaking free.”

“Please be sure to carry it with you and do not hesitate to use it when necessary.”

These words were spoken very seriously. Given Ji Yixi’s usual personality of being sparing with words, the fact that she emphasized the use of the Unborn Lotus indicated that in those fragmented deduction images, this artifact likely played a key role in certain world lines.

“Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness,” Gu Chengming thanked her sincerely.

“No need.” Ji Yixi’s tone carried a bit of a blessing. “I wish you peace.”

Just then, a dialogue box in his Sea of Consciousness lit up.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》’s ears pricked up.】

【Although it still maintained a casual listening posture on the surface, its attention was clearly fully focused on the sound transmission talisman.】

【From the moment the keywords ‘Daqian Imperial Family’ and ‘Imperial Princess’ appeared, its eyes lit up.】

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 tried its best to restrain itself, but the text in the dialogue box betrayed it: That… young friend, are you currently communicating with a Daqian Imperial Princess?】

A flash of inspiration struck Gu Chengming’s mind. Wait!

He suddenly thought of a possibility. The Cangxian Wine Sword Art loved to talk about Daqian unofficial history when drunk, and even when sober, it was exceptionally sensitive to Imperial Family topics.

And right now, a genuine member of the Imperial Family was on the line.

If he chatted about those rumors in front of this authentic royal descendant…

Gu Chengming looked at the dialogue box.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 is looking at you expectantly, its expression screaming ‘Ask her! Ask her!’】

That expectation was almost overflowing from the dialogue box.

—Fine, let’s try.

“Your Highness, I have a somewhat unrelated question. I wonder if I may ask?”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the talisman. “Commander Gu, please speak.”

Gu Chengming weighed his words, trying to make his tone sound as casual and natural as possible.

“I previously leafed through some local chronicles and folk anecdotes of Daqian, which recorded many interesting stories about the Imperial Family. For example…” He paused deliberately.

“For example, there is a saying that at the beginning of his uprising, the founding emperor of Daqian once wore women’s clothing to boost the morale of his generals and soldiers?”

After a long silence, Ji Yixi finally spoke with a rare hint of helplessness. “…There is no such thing.”

“Such remarks are purely the idle gossip of ignorant village peasants. There is absolutely no possibility.”

As her voice fell, the expectant Cangxian Wine Sword Art in the dialogue box was instantly stunned.

【It immediately became quite dejected. The eagerness from just now vanished completely. It was as if its most prized collection had been exposed as fake to its face; it was both embarrassed and depressed.】

As expected, it was fake.

Gu Chengming had anticipated this, but seeing the Cangxian Wine Sword Art’s dejected appearance, he couldn’t bear it, so he followed up with another question.

“Is there really nothing? Not a single related record?”

Reasonably, after receiving a clear denial from a member of the Imperial Family, further questioning would seem indiscreet. But Gu Chengming asked this earnestly, his tone carrying a hint of ‘I truly find this story quite interesting.’

The other end of the jade went silent again.

Ji Yixi was thinking. Since Gu Chengming had asked a second time, it meant this matter had some significance to him that she was currently unaware of.

So, what answer did he want to hear?

Ji Yixi hesitated. She rarely wavered in her judgments because of others’ attitudes, but when facing Gu Chengming, she always gave him some ‘privileges.’

She hadn’t even lost her composure when she was tied up during their last meeting, but now, just because the other party asked one more question, she began to doubt if she had missed something.

Ji Yixi’s lips moved, and her voice came through the jade, carrying a hint of a cautious probe.

“Is… is there?”

Gu Chengming felt a sense of subtlety. Why are you starting to ask me back?

“This matter should be something Your Highness understands better than I do, right?”

After agonizing for a while, Ji Yixi spoke with a feeling of ‘I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’ll follow your lead anyway’: “It can be.”

The subtext of these three words was roughly: although it’s indeed not in the imperial historical records, if you think there should be, then I can ‘re-verify’ it on my end.

Translated more bluntly… whatever makes you happy.

Gu Chengming was touched. Although he didn’t know what mindset Ji Yixi had when she said this, there was no doubt that these words sounded like heavenly music to the Cangxian Wine Sword Art.

【The previously dejected 《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 heard these words, and the embarrassment on its face vanished instantly.】

【It knew it! How could the unofficial history it told be the idle gossip of ignorant village peasants! Even the Imperial Princess admitted it—the Great Ancestor did cross-dress!】

【The gaze with which 《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 looked at Gu Chengming was filled with appreciation and closeness: It feels that you not only have a unique eye but are also willing to believe it. You are truly a worthy confidant.】

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 Favorability +20】

【It looks at you with great expectation, hoping you will verify more of the ‘unofficial history’ it has mentioned.】

Gu Chengming looked at the face full of expectation in the dialogue box and then at the jade in his hand.

Fine, might as well strike while the iron is hot.

“Your Highness, there is one more thing.”

“Speak.”

“Regarding the period when the founding Great Ancestor made a living by fishing and hunting in his youth, there is a folk saying that he was actually selling hooks by the East Sea—”

Before he could finish, Ji Yixi answered.

This time she answered much faster than the last, and her tone was much more certain.

“It can be.”

—Wait, Your Highness, I hadn’t even finished my sentence.

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 Favorability +10】

【Current Favorability: 36】

【Status Change: Promoted from [Stranger] to [Friendly]】

【Strength Attribute +3】

【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 was also excited and spoke: Young friend, it’s said that back then the Daqian Imperial Family was fighting for power, and as a result, the Longevity Sect took advantage of the situation, allowing the Daqian Emperor to be possessed by an evil cultivator. That’s why the current Daqian is so corrupt and unbearable. Help me ask if this is true.】

—Fuck, you really want me dead!