Chapter 66 : Affection, a Great Commotion upon Returning to the Capital
Chapter 66: Affection, a Great Commotion upon Returning to the Capital
“Go find out yourself if you’re so curious.”
Gu Ruoxi was in a foul mood at the moment, her temper utterly sour, and she had no desire to speak to anyone.
At those words, she coldly threw down the remark, then moved aside to sit down and meditate by herself.
After some thought, she still took out a Transmission Jade Talisman, reluctantly responding to the family’s arrangements on the other side.
“With that guy’s temperament, could he actually have suffered a loss?”
“Is that Heir Shen such a difficult person to deal with?”
Seeing this, Chu Dao rubbed the back of his head, astonished—and then relieved that he hadn’t gone himself.
…
To the others, this was merely a brief interlude. Soon, no one paid it any mind.
The Chilin Guards continued to drink and feast, and by nightfall even pulled out dice to gamble on the spot.
At dawn the next day, the Cloud Vessel sailed out of Yun Prefecture’s borders, heading straight toward the Great Qian Dynasty’s imperial capital.
At the same time, in the southern lands of the Southern Border, within an underground palace of Luofu Cloud Cavern, Fu Yuying—who had returned there—was conferring with several elders, preparing for the sacrificial refining of a living puppet.
“Word from the capital says that Emperor Mingde intends to summon Shen Jingxiao back to the capital.”
“The matter of the true and false heir has already spread, causing a great uproar in the capital—faster than we anticipated.”
“We still don’t know which faction was behind this. Their movements were even quicker than ours.”
“For us, this is naturally a good thing. In the past two days, our spies have already noticed the movements of the Demon Suppression Army within the Hundred-Thousand Mountains.”
“The Demon Suppression King has likely realized that his own son has fallen into our hands.”
As they spoke, the elders’ gazes turned toward the center of the underground palace, where a sacrificial altar—constructed from grayish-white jade—stood.
Upon the altar lay the body of a young man, eyes tightly shut, a faint deathly aura coiling between his brows.
Strange, intricate markings spread over his skin like tangled wild grass—eerily grotesque.
All around the altar crawled swarms of Gu worms, rustling as they crawled in and out of the corpse’s nose, ears, and open mouth—making one’s scalp tingle.
If the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao, were here, he would surely recognize that corpse—his own son, Shen Tian.
Fu Yuying stood nearby, her face veiled with gauze, dressed in a plain robe of fine translucent silk.
Her posture was graceful, her figure long and slender. “The final ingredient, the living death grass, has been retrieved from Biluo Cavern. Now, only the last step remains. I trust that the elders will not grow negligent.”
“Yes, Holy Maiden.”
At her words, all the elders immediately held their breath, focusing their minds, ceasing all further conversation.
Below the altar burned a red bronze furnace, its fierce flames occasionally spitting out sparks like miniature fireworks, carrying a thick, pungent herbal scent.
Ordinary human puppets were simple enough to refine.
But this one—they needed to preserve the subject’s memories from life, and conceal it from the perception of a peerless being of this age.
Thus, the process was exceedingly intricate and required utmost caution.
Fu Yuying oversaw the procedure for a while longer, but soon the stench in the air became unbearable.
Covering her nose lightly, she turned and departed.
Outside the underground palace lay a landscape of green peaks and serene valleys, the mountains vast and winding.
Pavilions and towers dotted the misty terrain between lakes and hills, the scenery picturesque.
The crystal waters shimmered like embedded jade, exuding a cool and moist fragrance.
“My lady, judging by the Bureau of Immortal Inspection’s Cloud Vessel’s pace, Young Master Shen should have arrived at the capital by now,” reported Chu Xiuer, coming to Fu Yuying’s side.
Fu Yuying stood beneath a pine breeze, her veil fluttering with the wind.
Her silhouette was lithe and tall, her neck slender, her skin so pale it glowed like polished jade—an image of pure perfection.
“With the matter of the true and false heir exposed, his situation should only worsen. Why insist on returning?” Fu Yuying frowned slightly, puzzled.
From what she had witnessed of Shen Yanzhou’s means that day, if he didn’t wish to return to the capital, no one could have forced him.
Originally, she had thought that after parting ways, Shen Yanzhou would head for the Eastern Sea. She hadn’t expected him to remain near Hidden Moon Mountain.
“My lady, are you thinking that you should’ve brought Young Master Shen with you to the Southern Border instead?”
“If the Sect Master allowed it, you could take a husband, after all,” Chu Xiuer teased playfully.
Fu Yuying gave her a sidelong glance—she even dared to joke like this now?
“Young Master Shen doesn’t seem the type to willingly become someone’s husband. If he stays in the capital… could it be he intends to move against Shen Jingxiao?” she mused.
“Oh my, my lady, you’ve been mentioning Young Master Shen almost every day lately. You never used to do that.”
“Could it be the Shewu Gu still hasn’t worn off?” Chu Xiuer muttered.
Fu Yuying chose not to respond.
The effects of the Shewu Gu could not possibly last that long.
“Young Master Shen helped us immensely. Isn’t it normal for me to be concerned about him?” she said matter-of-factly.
Chu Xiuer sniffed. “I think you’ve fallen for him. That Young Master Shen—whatever he did that night—he actually managed to drive off someone like Tantai Yuxian…”
Fu Yuying had told no one about that night’s details—it involved Shen Yanzhou’s secrets. Thus, even her personal maid Chu Xiuer had no idea what truly happened.
She only knew that Fu Yuying had brought back Shen Tian’s body, which still contained a faint, muddled wisp of soul.
“Do I like him?”
Fu Yuying quietly asked herself, then murmured softly, “It should be… affection, perhaps.”
Chu Xiuer’s eyes flew wide open. She had only asked casually, and yet—what did she just hear? Her lady actually admitted to having affection for Shen Yanzhou?
She was, after all, the acknowledged number one of the younger generation in the Southern Border—the region’s most celebrated beauty.
Countless young prodigies from hidden sects adored her; many longed for even a single smile, yet could not approach her.
“If Jun Wuji heard this, he’d probably go mad…” Chu Xiuer mumbled.
Fu Yuying cast her a glance but offered no explanation.
“Shen Jingxiao has been summoned by Emperor Mingde to return to the capital. Young Master Shen will soon face him directly.”
“I can’t leave the Southern Border for the time being, so I can’t help him much.”
“All I can do is use this puppet of Shen Tian to distract Shen Jingxiao—keep him too occupied to deal with the capital’s matters.”
“Xiuer, take the jade pendant from Shen Tian’s body and go to Hantian Prefecture,” she instructed after a moment’s thought.
Hantian Prefecture was Shen Jingxiao’s fief in the Southern Border—fertile, vast, and strategically placed.
…
Great Qian Dynasty’s Imperial Capital — Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
Morning dew still clung to the wild grass along the walls, glimmering beneath the rising sun.
“The Heir has returned! The Heir has returned!”
At the cries of the guards before the vermilion gates, the entire mansion seemed to come alive again—rousing from the heavy gloom of the past two days.
The ordinary maids and guards had no idea what had truly happened. They only knew from the rumors of the past two days that the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion was now like meat roasting over a fire.
Rumors filled the imperial capital, all sorts of wild tales spreading in chaos.
The heir had been abducted and gone missing, and now there were whispers that the heir was merely a fake, a stand-in. The one within the Golden Luan Hall had flown into a rage, issuing an imperial decree summoning the prince back to court.
In the past, noble guests and officials had come to visit in endless streams, so many that the household could hardly entertain them all.
But in the past two days, there had been fewer luxurious carriages before the gates—almost no visitors came to call.
This alone said enough. Some even whispered that the Demon Suppression King was plotting rebellion, their faces turning pale at the thought.
Fortunately, now the heir had finally returned safely.
Soon, along the winding corridors of the mansion, many maids and guards came out to greet him. Even the few clan elders who rarely appeared emerged from their respective courtyards.
Shen Yanzhou, followed by Elder Mo, came to stand before the mansion gates.
Before the Bureau of Immortal Inspection’s Cloud Vessel even arrived at the capital, the clan elders of the mansion had already received word.
By rights, after being abducted and going missing, Shen Yanzhou should have been taken first to the headquarters of the Chilin Guards, or perhaps the Ministry of Justice, for investigation and questioning.
However, Wu Ruyue had long since contacted Commander Liu Ci of the Chilin Guards, who would personally report the detailed circumstances.
As for the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, Gu Ruoxi, due to the matter of the Ten-Thousand Gu Heart-Piercing Pill, had already received from Shen Yanzhou a complete, carefully crafted account and had reported it to her clan elders.
Thus, the Bureau had no further intention of questioning him again.
After all, the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao, would soon return to the capital—by then, the Bureau would naturally demand an explanation from him.
Since no one was troubling him, Shen Yanzhou returned directly to the mansion.
“Good, Yanzhou, it’s a relief that you’re safe…”
“These days while you were gone, we’ve been so worried.”
“Your mother has missed you so much she’s been unable to eat or sleep.”
Before the mansion gates, the clan elders came forward, faces filled with anxious concern.
Shen Zhigao, who now held great authority, usually kept a cold and detached demeanor, but even he showed a rare expression of heartfelt emotion, his eyes slightly reddened.
Several maids nearby even wept softly as they wiped their tears.
To anyone who didn’t know better, it would have seemed that Shen Yanzhou was deeply beloved within the mansion, admired and adored by maids and guards alike.
At this moment, outside the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion, many eyes were fixed upon them.
Commoners rarely ventured into this street, and the carriages parked nearby belonged mostly to the noble and aristocratic families of the capital—their spies.
Shen Yanzhou’s return drew countless hidden gazes, even from the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace, which had sent men to keep watch.
“Stop pretending—you’re all so fake. Weren’t you wishing I’d die out there?”
“Heh, too bad I’ve got a stubborn life. I didn’t die.”
“Not only am I alive and well, but the ones you sent to kill me—they’re the ones who died.”
Standing before the mansion gates, Shen Yanzhou made no move to step inside.
Looking at the clan elders’ faces, filled with concern and affection, his expression instead grew fierce and angry. He slapped away Shen Zhigao’s outstretched hand and sneered coldly.
He didn’t bother to lower his voice—it was as if he intended for everyone nearby to hear him.
Such an arrogant, defiant demeanor made the elders’ expressions change instantly.
Shen Zhigao felt deeply humiliated, anger flickering in his eyes. He knew that in the capital right now, countless eyes were fixed upon the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
With Shen Yanzhou’s outburst, wouldn’t the clarifications they’d worked so hard to spread over the past two days all go to waste?
What would people think now?
“Yanzhou, have you lost your mind? Were you deceived or bewitched by someone?”
“We are your elders, your family. How could we ever harm you?”
“Come back inside quickly, don’t make a scene here and invite ridicule.”
The elders hurriedly tried to explain, reaching to take Shen Yanzhou’s hand and pull him inside.
If they let him continue ranting, the rumors would only spread faster.
“No, I’m not going back.”
“The moment I return, you’ll lock me away—or even secretly kill me. Heh, did you think I wouldn’t know what you’re plotting?”
“I’m just the fake son of Shen Jingxiao. You’re preparing to bring his real son back.”
Shen Yanzhou kept sneering, ruthlessly shaking off their reaching hands.
“You—Yanzhou, what nonsense are you spouting…”
“You must have been bewitched by the monsters of the Nether Cult, to speak such madness.”
Shen Zhigao and the others’ faces darkened again and again. They wanted to lash out, but with so many eyes watching, they could only suppress their anger and offer gentle persuasion.
Yet no matter how they coaxed, Shen Yanzhou ignored them completely.
Just as it seemed he would continue his outburst—
A cold, elegant voice suddenly came from within the mansion.
“Yanzhou, what more foolishness do you intend?”
“You’ve been missing and abducted all this time—do you have any idea how worried we’ve been for your safety? Yet you ignore that, and instead bring outsiders here to slander your own home.”
“Do you need another taste of the bamboo whip?”
As the voice fell, a woman in a palace gown walked out slowly, accompanied by a group of maids. Her hair was coiled high in a cloudlike bun, revealing a slender, snow-white neck.
She was poised and breathtakingly beautiful, her figure graceful and refined, every gesture carrying a serene and dignified charm. Anyone who saw her would sigh in awe—what a stunning beauty.
Seeing Yu Chenyu appear, Shen Zhigao and the others breathed sighs of relief.
That morning, they had sent word to the Emerald Bamboo Courtyard to inform the princess consort that Shen Yanzhou had returned to the capital, but had received only a curt acknowledgment.
Had they known she would appear in person, they wouldn’t have bothered pretending to welcome him.
“Mother…”
When Shen Yanzhou saw Yu Chenyu approaching, his expression shifted again and again. It was as if countless grievances were bottled up inside him, yet in the end he could only murmur softly, losing the earlier defiance.
“You’ve grown thin over these days.”
“Don’t believe the rumors and slander. When your father returns, he will surely give you an explanation.”
Yu Chenyu came to stand before him, sighing softly. Her eyes brimmed with affection as she reached out and gently caressed his face.
Shen Yanzhou’s expression stiffened slightly. Though she appeared to caress him tenderly, he clearly felt the subtle pressure of her fingers pinching his cheek—a hidden warning.
Of course, to the onlookers, this looked like nothing more than the princess consort’s loving affection.
“Your son will listen to mother,” Shen Yanzhou replied evenly, his face calm.
Only then did Yu Chenyu withdraw her hand. Her gaze swept briefly across the clan elders, carrying a hint of warning. After a moment’s thought, she reached out again to take Shen Yanzhou’s hand, leading him back toward the Emerald Bamboo Courtyard.
Shen Zhigao and the others did their best to maintain their earlier expressions of awkward helplessness.
Once Yu Chenyu and Shen Yanzhou had entered the mansion, they turned to the onlookers, offering polite bows, and ordered the servants to close the gates.
“This wastrel—where did he even learn such things?”
“The matter of Shen Tian’s disappearance may well be connected to him. Being taken to Hidden Moon Mountain, there must be ties to those Southern Border sects.”
Once back inside, the smiles on their faces vanished instantly, replaced with dark, heavy expressions.
Shen Yanzhou’s earlier behavior would surely stir new waves of gossip throughout the capital—something extremely unfavorable for the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
And indeed, just as they expected, the scene that had played out before the mansion gates spread through the capital with astonishing speed, igniting fervent discussion.