"Of course it was fake!"
Gu Changqing answered without the slightest hesitation, admitting it openly and decisively.
Those few words tumbled from his mouth lightly, as casually as a remark about the fine weather.
And yet...
When those words fell upon Biyou Palace, they were like rolling thunder, exploding in the hearts of the three Sages-Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu.
Silence.
Inside Biyou Palace, one could have heard a pin drop.
The Three Sages froze for a moment.
All three pairs of eyes fixed on Gu Changqing stopped moving at once, as though struck by the Immobility Technique.
Then.
Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu exchanged glances almost simultaneously.
In that instant, a brilliant gleam flashed in all three Sages' eyes.
The heavy unease in their hearts, the anxiety born of Gu Changqing's sigh, vanished in an instant like dark clouds scattered by a fresh breeze.
In its place came anticipation and exhilaration they could scarcely contain.
Fake!
Gu Changqing's apparent failure to gain anything was fake!
What did that mean?
It meant his journey deep into Chaos had not ended empty-handed!
Nuwa was the first to recover.
An extraordinary light shimmered in her cool, ethereal phoenix eyes. Her earlier worry had disappeared without a trace, replaced by delight she could not conceal.
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze locked on Gu Changqing, her voice carrying an urgency even she did not notice:
"Oh?"
"Then, martial nephew, you found Lord Taisu?"
At her words, Tongtian's and Houtu's gazes grew still more intense.
The atmosphere in Biyou Palace abruptly shifted from oppressive solemnity to breathless suspense.
Everyone's attention settled on Gu Changqing's drunken face.
Under the Three Sages' scrutiny, Gu Changqing merely lifted his eyelids indifferently again.
He even let out a wine burp before giving a languid nod.
Just one nod.
Offhand and