What if every act of kindness in your life was part of a stranger's calculated design? For Tang Lici (唐俪辞), the revered hero of the Whispers of Fate (水龙吟) tale, this nightmare was his reality. His entire existence, from a fateful rescue to a profound loss, was orchestrated by a shadowy architect from another realm. The seven years of warmth and guidance he received from his adoptive guardian, Fang Zhou (方周), were not a sanctuary but a carefully set stage for a devastating tragedy. This is not merely a story of betrayal; it is an exploration of a chilling experiment to forge the perfect human weapon through the crucible of emotional suffering.
The Architect's Gambit
The mastermind, Yi Que Yinyang (一阙阴阳), originated from Tianrenjing (天人境), a celestial realm desperate to escape its decaying fate. His mission was to pave a path to the mortal world of Shenzhou (神州). However, after falling to the earthly kingdom of Gumo (姑墨), he was deceived and betrayed by its king, an experience that poisoned him with a deep-seated hatred for humanity. This bitterness crystallized into a new, monstrous ambition, one that required a specific and perfect vessel for his resurrection.
He found his answer in Tang Lici. Created in Tianrenjing as the ultimate Saint Child with the potential for a flawless Tianren Body, Tang Lici represented the ideal container. Yi Que Yinyang devised a cruel methodology: for the vessel to be perfected, it had to be tempered by experiencing every facet of human emotion, especially the agony of loss. The benevolent Fang Zhou was chosen not as a father figure, but as the primary instrument of this emotional conditioning.
For seven years at Zhou Dilou (周睇楼), Fang Zhou's unwavering love and morality began to reshape Tang Lici's innate violent nature. This was a development Yi Que Yinyang could not allow. The guardian's profound influence threatened to create a being driven by compassion, not pain. Therefore, Fang Zhou's death was not an option but a necessity within the grand design. His demise was engineered to be the catalyst that would plunge Tang Lici into an inescapable nightmare of grief, theoretically completing the first major step in his emotional crucible.
A Web of Manipulation
Yi Que Yinyang operated from the shadows, never dirtying his own hands. He manipulated the vulnerable Liu Yan (柳眼), Fang Zhou's other disciple, into becoming an unwitting accomplice. As Tang Lici desperately used the Wang Sheng Pu (往生谱) to sustain his dying guardian, Yi Que Yinyang's puppet, Gui Mudan (鬼牡丹), disguised himself and deceived Liu Yan. He offered a fake antidote, prompting the young man to rush back and interrupt the life-saving ritual, directly causing Fang Zhou's death.
The manipulation did not end there. To ensure the tragedy continued to breed conflict, Gui Mudan erased parts of Liu Yan's memory, leaving him with the false belief that Tang Lici was responsible for their master's death. This manufactured truth twisted Liu Yan's grief into a vengeful rage, leading him to establish the Feng Liu Dian (风流店) sect and wage war against his former brother. His entire life became a monument to a lie, his every action furthering the chaos Yi Que Yinyang required.
Even Fang Zhou's sister, Fang Ci (方慈), was not spared. She too was fed the same lie and had her memories altered, then sent to infiltrate Tang Lici's life as an agent of revenge. Tang Lici, aware of her intentions but unable to uncover the truth hidden behind her manipulated mind, was forced to live with this walking time bomb. Every interaction was laced with the poison of a betrayal he did not commit, perfectly isolating him as Yi Que Yinyang intended.
Breaking the Design
The conspiracy's most intricate layer involved the artifact known as Dian Dao Meng Xiang (颠倒梦想). Presented as a tool to alter the past, it was, in truth, a trap designed to complete a temporal loop. When Tang Lici used it to travel back to the battle at Tiandu Peak (天都峰), his attempt to save Fang Zhou was the very event that ensured the original timeline remained intact. He realized he was not changing history but fulfilling it.
In a stunning revelation, it was disclosed that the reason Yi Que Yinyang seemingly disintegrated during that historic battle was because he was confronted by a future-version of Tang Lici who had traveled back in time. The mastermind had accounted for every strategic variable, every possible power move, but he made a critical miscalculation. He failed to comprehend the transformative power of the seven years of genuine love Tang Lici experienced under Fang Zhou's care.
Instead of being corrupted by his pain and becoming a vessel of pure rage, Tang Lici internalized Fang Zhou's righteousness. He chose sacrifice over domination. In his final act, he unleashed the power of the Wang Sheng Pu, not to destroy his enemies, but to seal away the dangerous Xing Gui Jiu Xin Wan pill (猩鬼九心丸) and vanish from the world. He defied his destiny as a mere container, choosing instead to become a legend of selflessness, leaving the architect's grand design in ruins and proving that humanity's unpredictable heart can be its greatest strength.
