When Gu Qingfeng finished speaking,
Tang Manqing was no longer the dignified, solemn Tang Manqing from before.
She stood there like a statue, utterly stunned, her beautiful face filled with countless expressions of shock.
She had never imagined that Gu Qingfeng could recount the entire process of how her aunt had met him, owed him, gotten to know him, and become acquainted with him in such detail—down to the dangers and hardships they faced in the cave dwelling, even the changes in each other's state of mind. He described it all clearly.
Some of these things even Tang Manqing herself didn't know.
Why did this person know them so clearly?
Could he really be Monarch Chixiao?
Was that possible?
Tang Manqing didn't know, and she truly couldn't tell. She just had an unbelievable feeling.
"So, what do you think, girl? Was I wrong? Do you have any more questions?"
Gu Qingfeng sat leisurely on the stone stool, crossing his legs and sipping his wine, smiling as he said, "Back then, I even stayed in your royal manor for some time. I often drank with your father in the manor. By seniority, you're my little niece."
"You liar, shut up!"
Beside them, Shui'er scolded, "Don't think that just because you know these things, you can prove you're Monarch Chixiao."
"The things I mentioned are known only to me and Tang Hengxi in this world. If you don't believe me, go ask those impostors pretending to be me—they definitely won't know these details."
"That's not necessarily true!"
Shui'er retorted defiantly, "You think only you know? The Monarch Chixiao in our Yanluo Kingdom also knows these things. If every Monarch Chixiao who knows these things is real, what then? Are both of you Monarch Chixiao?"
"Oh?"
Shui'er's words surprised Gu Qingfeng. He asked, "You're saying there's another Monarch Chixiao within Yanluo Kingdom? And he also knows about my affairs with Tang Hengxi?"
"Of course! The Princess Royal personally asked that Monarch Chixiao. He not only knows, but he knows more than you do, and describes it in even greater detail."
"That's impossible, isn't it?"
In Gu Qingfeng's mind, the process of how he and Tang Hengxi had gotten to know each other was known only to the two of them. No one else could possibly know. How could Shui'er say there was another Monarch Chixiao in Yanluo who also knew about it, and that Tang Manqing had personally asked him?
"Is this really true?"
Gu Qingfeng put away the playful smile at the corner of his mouth and asked with a serious expression.
Tang Manqing nodded.
Just as Shui'er had said, she had indeed asked that Monarch Chixiao, inquiring about the same process of how her aunt and the Monarch had met, owed each other, gotten acquainted, and become close. That Monarch Chixiao also knew everything clearly.
She couldn't understand at all—how did these impostors pretending to be the Monarch know such private matters between Monarch Chixiao and her aunt?
The Monarch couldn't have told anyone.
Her aunt even less so!
So why did two Monarchs Chixiao now know?
And each one knew more clearly and in greater detail than the last.
Before,
Tang Manqing hadn't been able to determine whether that Monarch Chixiao was real or fake.
Now, this guy before her who claimed to be the Monarch also knew about her aunt and the Monarch's affairs.
Tang Manqing speculated that both of these Monarchs were probably fake. The private matters between the Monarch and her aunt might have been leaked. Only this explanation could make sense of why two Monarchs Chixiao both knew about her aunt's affairs. There was no other possibility, and it was even more impossible for both Monarchs Chixiao to be real.
"What? Now you have nothing to say?"
Faced with Shui'er's challenge,
Gu Qingfeng truly had nothing to say for a moment.
He had long heard from Huode that those impostors pretending to be him were all incredibly capable. At first, Gu Qingfeng hadn't paid it much mind, but now he realized the situation was more serious than he had imagined. They even knew such private matters between him and Tang Hengxi. This was just too damn bizarre.
Seeing Gu Qingfeng frowning thoughtfully, Shui'er felt even more convinced that this guy was a fraud. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and said disdainfully, "Really, of all things to imitate, you choose to impersonate Monarch Chixiao. Don't you even look at yourself? What about you resembles the Monarch? You have no presence, no physique, no imposing aura, no cultivation, no destiny...
You have nothing at all about you. How dare you impersonate Monarch Chixiao with just your mouth?"
Gu Qingfeng looked up at Shui'er, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"You sit without proper posture, stand without proper bearing. You look sloppy and cynical. You'd barely pass as a spoiled second-generation rich kid, but you dare impersonate the Monarch? Do you think everyone in the world is blind?"
"I give up! I completely give up...
Just consider me a fraud."
Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but sigh deeply, feeling rather helpless about the whole matter. With frauds pretending to be him all over the world, even if the real one stood up, probably no one would believe him. Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't just helpless—it was downright frustrating.
"What do you mean 'just consider you a fraud'? You are a fraud, period."
"Fine, I'm a fraud. Just treat what I said earlier as a joke. Don't take it to heart."
"And then what? You think you can just let it go like that?"
"What else? Are you planning to beat me up or something?"
"I..." Shui'er looked at Tang Manqing, who slightly shook her head without saying a word, just gazing at Gu Qingfeng, lost in thought.
"Girl, have you met that Gu Tianlang in Yanluo Kingdom?"
Tang Manqing nodded.
"Do you know where he is?"
Gu Qingfeng pondered. Since he had finally encountered someone impersonating him this time, he should at least meet the other party and figure out his identity.
"I don't know. I've only seen him a few times by chance."
As Tang Manqing spoke, she asked in return, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, we're fellow practitioners, after all. Might as well meet up and have a chat."
"Meet up and chat? You really don't know what's good for you."
Shui'er sneered again, "You're a fraud, but that doesn't mean that other Monarch is a fraud too. What if he's the real one? If he finds out a fraud like you is impersonating him, he'll definitely kill you."
"Girl, if I'm fake, then there's no real Monarch Chixiao left in this world."
"Hah! We've already exposed your true colors, and you still dare to talk tough. You're utterly shameless."
Suddenly, Shui'er remembered something, a sly glint flashing in her eyes. She said, "Hey, weren't you looking for that Monarch Chixiao?"
"What? Do you know where he is?"
"I don't know, but there's someone who does."
"Who?"
"The Great Tycoon."
"The Great Tycoon? Who's that?"
"You don't even know who the Great Tycoon is?"
Gu Qingfeng thought about it but really had no impression.
"I really don't know what to say about you."
Shui'er looked at him, shaking her head in disappointment. "You don't even know who the Great Tycoon is, yet you dare impersonate Monarch Chixiao?"
"Is the Great Tycoon related to Gu Tianlang?"
"Of course! The Great Tycoon is the Black Buddha Fiend, one of the Seventy-Two Earth Fiends under the Monarch's command back then. Do you think he's related to the Monarch or not!"