Chapter 1295: Gu Junye and the Mastermind Behind the Scenes

After a day's work, Gu Junye returned to his cave dwelling.

Dim candlelight softly illuminated the entire space, barely providing enough light. In the center of the dwelling, a pond had been created, filled with lotus flowers. His calligraphy adorned the walls, exuding a rustic yet grand aura. Beside them stood a bookshelf displaying ancient texts.

The entire cave dwelling was imbued with ancient elegance, resembling an antique style but with unique differences, as it was designed by Gu Junye himself.

He removed his shoes and stepped into the lotus pond, sitting cross-legged on a green lotus leaf. The lotus flowers bloomed, emitting a soft glow that made him appear profound and enigmatic.

This was Gu Junye's daily cultivation routine. Although the newspaper office was considered a holy land for "Red Dust Cultivation," merely comprehending the mortal world was insufficient for this path; one also needed to practice cultivation.

"One flower, one world; one leaf, one Bodhi." Gu Junye sat cross-legged on the green lotus, closing his eyes. At this moment, he felt as if he wasn't seated on the lotus but rather at the highest point of all myriad realms. Each flower and every drop of water was a world, and all myriad realms revolved around him. His destiny was intimately connected with the cultivation world; the stronger he became, the stronger the cultivation world would grow.

A shadowy figure appeared in the cave dwelling without warning, frowning as it watched Gu Junye in meditation.

The mastermind had observed for a long time but still couldn't confirm if Gu Junye was the person they were looking for.

He had painstakingly faked his death to escape, and now that everything had settled, the cultivation world had opened up, and everyone was living in harmony and peace. If he acted rashly, it was highly probable he would disrupt this situation, becoming entangled with the Immortal and Yun Zhi once more, leading to further complications.

He was not someone who enjoyed causing trouble. If he had known earlier that the Immortal's death would lead to so many problems, he would have found a different way to deal with the Immortal, no matter what.

Therefore, he would not intervene again unless absolutely necessary.

However, Gu Junye's identity was uncertain, and this uncertainty was a loophole that needed to be personally investigated.

"Young man, do you know who I am?"

In a cave dwelling that should have contained only Gu Junye, the sudden appearance of a stranger's voice would startle anyone, varying only in degree. However, Gu Junye showed no trace of panic.

He slowly opened his eyes, saw the entirely black, unidentified mastermind, and, with a normal expression, said:

"You've finally arrived."

The mastermind was instantly startled. Was it truly that person?

Judging by the tone, had he recovered all his memories? How was that possible? Given his current cultivation level, it shouldn't be. Could the effect of the embryonic Reincarnation Dao Fruit be different from what he had expected?

Immediately, the mastermind's surprise turned into delight. It seemed Gu Junye's identity was almost certain, and he could simply deal with him. However, for caution, he still needed to confirm.

"You know who I am?"

Gu Junye chuckled softly, as if mocking the mastermind for asking a foolish question.

"You already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"

The mastermind's breath hitched. Gu Junye had hit the nail on the head. Gu Junye's composure upon seeing him was a state only possible for a reincarnator who had recovered their past life memories.

He had, in fact, already ascertained Gu Junye's identity.

Gu Junye formed a 'lotus hand seal' with one hand, a mysterious smile gracing his lips, like a Buddha holding up a flower. "I had thought that after enduring reincarnation, I could sever karma and start anew. Yet, I never imagined the karma between us runs so deep that even after repeated reincarnations, our past connections cannot be severed."

Gu Junye looked at the mastermind and sighed deeply. "Alas, with such importance placed on karma, how can you ever advance further?"

The mastermind's heart skipped a few beats. He hadn't expected Gu Junye to say that. It seemed Gu Junye knew more than he had assumed.

Was Gu Junye saying this to proactively sever their karma? "Are you saying you won't expose my identity, and you won't hold it against me for taking over your body?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Junye clapped his hands and burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. "Body snatching? You were merely trapped within the shell of my previous life!"

"You've imprisoned yourself here, unable to escape, and have already been punished. Why should I bother to hold it against you?"

The mastermind's body trembled. He hadn't expected 'body snatching' to be interpreted this way. Upon closer thought, what Gu Junye said made perfect sense.

Could it be that after nine reincarnations, he had reached an unfathomable state of mind that saw through everything?

If he were to put himself in Gu Junye's shoes, with Gu Junye's cultivation and himself in his own position, could he have remained so composed?

The answer was no; his mindset relied entirely on his cultivation level.

The mastermind felt overwhelmingly ashamed, unable to meet Gu Junye's gaze.

In terms of cultivation, he was countless levels above Gu Junye. However, in terms of state of mind, he was inferior; Gu Junye surpassed him by a vast margin.

The mastermind was immensely envious of Gu Junye's state of mind. Wasn't this state of great freedom and unhindered self, unrestricted by cultivation, precisely what he had pursued his entire life?

How could one reach such a state of mind? Did it require obtaining the embryonic Reincarnation Dao Fruit, undergoing nine reincarnations, achieving a perfected Dao Fruit, and then having the state of mind naturally follow?

In other words, he would need to die nine times?

Seeing the mastermind deep in thought, Gu Junye knew exactly what he was pondering. "If you have nothing to do, why not visit the Xuanyuan Sword Master? He is currently afflicted by a 'knowledge barrier,' preventing him from recalling his past memories. You had a good relationship with him in your previous life. If you reveal yourself, it might help him complete his cultivation."

The mastermind was stunned. What was the meaning of this?

"Wait a moment, who do you think I am?"

"The one you secretly loved harbored affection for me and rejected your advances. At a critical moment, she shielded me from a fatal blow, perishing in the process. Although it was an accident no one wished for, you always believed the fault was mine, and you ambushed me during my tribulation, seizing my damaged body."

"Grand Venerable Netherworld, I had no desire to bring up this matter. Why do you insist on asking?"

The mastermind: "..."

"No, who the hell is Grand Venerable Netherworld?!"

"What is all this nonsense?!"

The mastermind realized he had been bluffed by Gu Junye, and quite badly deceived.

He stared intensely at Gu Junye, emitting an extremely terrifying aura that made the entire cave dwelling tremble.

The mastermind was breathing heavily, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, torn between simply killing Gu Junye.

"Young man, you are very good!" These five short words were squeezed out through gritted teeth, as an unprecedented aura of death enveloped Gu Junye.

Killing Gu Junye would certainly be easy, but it would also expose the fact that he was still alive, rendering all his efforts futile.

His knuckles whitened as he clenched his hands, making a grinding sound. Ultimately, he decided to let Gu Junye go.

Now, he just wanted to slap himself. Damn it, why did he insist on coming here to be provoked? Wasn't it better to stay with Lu Yang and watch the fun?

The mastermind did not wish to stay there for another moment. He snorted coldly and vanished, as if he had never been there.

Gu Junye remained seated cross-legged on the lotus, his gaze hazy and particularly puzzled.

"Strange, wasn't I cultivating? How did I stop my practice and open my eyes?"

"Ah, right. My state of mind must not be fully cultivated yet. I need to continue practicing."

He closed his eyes once more, quickly entering a meditative state, immersed in the atmosphere of "one flower, one world."