Chapter 112: Deceiving the Princess Consort, rely to Prove You Are a Man
“You indeed have the right to be proud, but unfortunately, you’ve made the sa mistake every weakling makes.”
Shen Jingxiao spoke lightly, unconcerned by Shen Yanzhou’s mocking tone.
“Oh? And what mistake is that?” Shen Yanzhou asked, feigning ignorance.
“Pity and pitiful kindness—and worse yet, allowing a woman to beco your shackle,” Shen Jingxiao sneered.
“You’re right.”
“I do regret it a little now. Ran Yi is so beautiful, yet covered head to toe with poisonous thorns. Touch her once, and one’s face gets bruised and swollen.”
Shen Yanzhou smiled faintly. He couldn’t even be bothered to argue with Shen Jingxiao, simply letting him bask in his arrogance for a while longer.
Shen Jingxiao had thought Shen Yanzhou would still retort as usual.
The words he’d prepared were swallowed back down instead—it felt as though he had punched into cotton.
“That’s what happens when you can’t control your lower body,” he snorted coldly.
As a man himself, he naturally understood just how alluring Ran Yi was. Yet he had restrained himself for so many years, saving her as a key weapon to use later. That restraint had its reasons.
“If you ca to speak with tonight just to mock ,” Shen Yanzhou said indifferently, “then don’t bother. If you have ti to waste, you’d better use it to find a way to cure your son’s hysteria.”
Shen Jingxiao’s eyes narrowed. His voice turned icy. “Shen Tian’s relapse—was it your doing?”
“I’m not that capable,” Shen Yanzhou shrugged. “He simply hates too much and lost control of his mind.”
“What exactly caused Shen Tian to beco like this?” Shen Jingxiao demanded coldly.
“I don’t know,” Shen Yanzhou replied, shaking his head.
“You probably don’t know what it feels like when a Death Curse flares.”
Shen Jingxiao sneered. With a casual wave of his hand, a strand of gray mist gathered in his palm, twisting into black threads that disappeared into the void.
At that sa mont, in another courtyard of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion, Ran Yi—who had been sitting cross-legged in ditation—suddenly turned pale. Agonizing pain surged from her heart, as though an invisible hand had clenched it tightly, ready to crush it at any ti.
“The Death Curse again! What is Shen Jingxiao trying to do?”
Though she was already familiar with the tornt, she could not stop her body from trembling. Large beads of cold sweat rolled down her charming face, soaking her gown through.
The Death Curse lived up to its na—once it erupted, one would wish for death over life. Even if she wanted to end her own suffering, it was impossible.
Every inch of skin felt as if bitten by venomous snakes, as though her bones were being scraped by blades. Even with her formidable martial will, she nearly fainted from the pain.
Within the Water Pavilion, Shen Yanzhou also sensed a strange fluctuation, following along the trace of Binding Yin Qi within his body.
Ordinary people would have their hearts constricted and crushed by such Qi, writhing in agony worse than death.
But he felt nothing—if anything, he almost wanted to laugh, realizing that Shen Jingxiao had triggered the Death Curse.
Even so, Shen Yanzhou deliberately stirred the true Qi within his body. Blue veins bulged on his skin as if his energy was surging uncontrollably, threatening to burst his body apart.
His face shifted constantly, teeth clenched, as though he were enduring unbearable agony.
Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. His earlier calm expression vanished, replaced with one of strained pallor.
“How is it now?”
Shen Jingxiao watched the change on Shen Yanzhou’s face, lips curving in satisfaction.
Even the will of a Martial Grandmaster couldn’t withstand such tornt—how could Shen Yanzhou, with his shallow foundation, possibly endure?
“How could your weak will bear this pain?”
“Just so-so,” Shen Yanzhou forced out, still stubborn, his face growing paler by the mont as the sweat poured.
“I do admire that stubborn look of yours,” Shen Jingxiao said with a mocking smile. “If you’d just behave, you might suffer less.”
He intensified his control over the Death Curse. In the other courtyard, Ran Yi finally lost consciousness from the pain, collapsing onto the bed.
As the caster of the curse, Shen Jingxiao could sense her state—but he didn’t care in the least.
Ran Yi had already fainted, and yet Shen Yanzhou was still standing?
That genuinely surprised him.
Still, it changed nothing.
“And now? Shen Yanzhou?” Shen Jingxiao grinned wider, brimming with the confidence of one who thought he had everything under control.
“Enough…”
“Let Ran Yi go. Whatever you want, co at instead.”
Noticing Ran Yi’s condition, Shen Yanzhou’s tone deepened, his voice heavy with smoldering fury.
“So tender-hearted toward won. If I were Ran Yi, I might just fall for you completely,” Shen Jingxiao mocked, waving a hand to dissolve the curse.
Only then did Shen Yanzhou’s body relax. He gasped for air, his clothes drenched with sweat.
“What kind of secret do you hold? Even Martial Grandmasters can’t bear that pain, and yet you endured it,” Shen Jingxiao said in surprise.
Shen Yanzhou said nothing, still regulating the chaotic Qi within. After a mont, he replied calmly, “Everyone has their secrets. Don’t you as well? If those corpses hadn’t been discovered, who would’ve known you practiced the Northern Sea Heaven-Transforming Human Pill Art?”
Shen Jingxiao’s eyes narrowed, a glint of frost flickering within.
“Are you trying to trick ?” He chuckled but didn’t deny it.
“As long as sothing exists, it leaves traces. You think you’ve hidden it well, but nothing truly escapes sight,” Shen Yanzhou said lightly.
“Enough with the mystic riddles. No one in the Imperial Capital can deceive ,” Shen Jingxiao snorted.
Shen Yanzhou knew he wouldn’t admit it easily.
“Now, tell —what exactly is wrong with Shen Tian’s body?” Shen Jingxiao asked.
“He lost a portion of his soul.”
“To keep him alive, the people of Luofu Cloud Cavern secretly fused so stray souls into what remains,” Shen Yanzhou answered straightforwardly.
Shen Jingxiao’s expression darkened. He had already suspected as much.
He had summoned ghost physicians and even borrowed the Seeking Life Secret Art from the Cui Clan of Hejian, confirming that Shen Tian had indeed lost parts of his soul.
“Where did those missing fragnts go?” he asked coldly.
“They were taken away by a Sword Immortal of the Ten-Thousand-Mile Sword Court,” Shen Yanzhou replied.
Shen Jingxiao’s heart eased slightly. He had guessed that too, and had already sent n to confirm it with Tantai Yuxian.
If Shen Tian’s missing soul fragnts were indeed rescued by Tantai Yuxian, then things weren’t too dire.
Once matters in the capital settled, he would personally visit the Ten-Thousand-Mile Sword Court to retrieve Shen Tian’s remaining soul fragnts from her.
“When you colluded with the people of Luofu Cloud Cavern to trap Shen Tian, I’ll overlook that—for now.”
“But if you ever dare harbor ill intent toward him again, I won’t forgive you,” Shen Jingxiao said coldly.
“So long as that fool doesn’t provoke , why would I bother him?” Shen Yanzhou replied evenly.
“Don’t forget your place. Shen Tian is my son, while you are nothing but a dog raised by the Shen family. No matter how much the Emperor favors you, or how highly the Daoist Patriarch regards you, it won’t change your lowly origins.”
“From now on, you will act for the good of the Shen family. Should you ever damage its reputation or interests, you’ll get to savor the Death Curse again.”
With a cold snort, Shen Jingxiao swept his sleeve and turned to leave.
In his mind, after suffering tonight, Shen Yanzhou would surely grow wiser. The political climate in the capital was still unstable—he couldn’t yet eliminate him.
He knew clearly that Shen Yanzhou was bound only by the Death Curse, not loyalty.
Given the chance, the man would surely bite back.
Therefore, no matter how talented or valuable Shen Yanzhou was, he had to die eventually.
“This Death Curse is Shen Jingxiao’s own creation. Difficult to unravel, yes—but not impossible,” Shen Yanzhou murmured as he watched him leave. His calm expression never wavered, his heart utterly still.
Had he been ruthless enough, he could’ve ignored Ran Yi’s suffering entirely—for the curse didn’t affect him at all.
But for now, he decided to play along with Shen Jingxiao’s little drama.
Because he had already decided how to kill him.
Late at night, faint light still glowed from the Erald Bamboo Courtyard. When Shen Yanzhou arrived, Yu Chenyu had yet to retire.
He stepped outside the room and, gazing at the shadowy figure through the lattice window, knocked lightly on the door.
Chunchao poked her head out from the crack, her delicate nose wrinkling. “Is the Heir staying in the Prince’s Mansion tonight?”
Shen Yanzhou reached out to ruffle her soft hair with a smile. “What now, am I not welco anymore?”
“I just wonder who it was that didn’t co back for several days,” Chunchao muttered with disdain, pulling her head away from his hand.
“Official duties have kept busy; I truly couldn’t get away,” Shen Yanzhou replied with a smile, then took the door handle from her hand and pushed it open to enter.
Through the screen, Yu Chenyu appeared to be reading by the copper lamp, her back turned toward him. She wore a thin gauzy robe like mist; the smooth, jade-like whiteness of her shoulders glead faintly. Beside her, a slightly plumper maid was combing her hair—she had clearly just bathed.
“Coming to my room so late instead of resting—what are you doing here?” Yu Chenyu asked faintly without turning her head.
“Mother, I’ll be going to the Floating Sky Temple in Fanzhou at the end of the month.”
“Oh.”
“Mother doesn’t seem to like that Shen Tian?”
“Mm.”
“There’s sothing I’m puzzled about and wish Mother could enlighten .” Shen Yanzhou stood respectfully behind the screen.
“Speak.”
Yu Chenyu’s mood that night wasn’t good. Every answer was short and indifferent.
If not for the banquet earlier—where Shen Yanzhou had blocked Shen Tian’s chopsticks for her—she probably wouldn’t have let him enter her room at all.
“It’s about the matter in Beiyu.”
Shen Yanzhou carefully watched her subtle movents.
Sure enough, the mont he said that, he noticed her delicate hand holding the Buddhist scripture pause ever so slightly.
“Beiyu’s matter—why ask about that?” she asked again in the sa calm tone.
“Because when handling a secret case with the Chilin Guards these days, I ca into contact with several Beiyu agents. I thought Mother, being so knowledgeable, might know sothing about Beiyu.”
Yu Chenyu fell silent for a mont. She felt that Shen Yanzhou coming to her alone at such an hour, and ntioning Beiyu, could not be without reason.
Had the Beiyu spies been exposed?
Could it have sothing to do with her?
But the Sword Lodge of Qilin City had always remained neutral, only becoming part of the Great Qian Dynasty after Emperor Mingde ascended the throne.
Even Beiyu couldn’t possibly know of her existence.
Her gaze flickered slightly. With a lift of her slender hand, she gestured for the maid behind her to leave.
“Princess Consort, should I go too?” Chunchao asked hesitantly.
“You as well,” Yu Chenyu said coolly.
“Oh…”
Soon, only Shen Yanzhou and Yu Chenyu—separated by the screen—remained in the room.
“If you have sothing to say, just say it.”
Yu Chenyu set down the Buddhist scripture in her hands.
“Mother, are you a Beiyu spy?”
At his words, her body stiffened slightly, but she quickly regained composure.
“Why would you ask that?”
Her tone remained calm.
“That’s what the Beiyu agent captured by the Chilin Guards guessed,” Shen Yanzhou replied.
He was, of course, bluffing just to test her.
At his level, he could control his breathing and heartbeat so precisely that unless soone probed his very soul, not even a master like Yu Chenyu or Shen Jingxiao could tell he was lying.
“So you suspect ?” Yu Chenyu asked.
“Mother should know I’m not foolish. Beiyu spies who’ve hidden in the capital for years wouldn’t slander soone entirely impossible.
“And besides, you have quite a few secrets yourself,” Shen Yanzhou said evenly.
Yu Chenyu suddenly turned, her flawless, elegant face now shadowed by a cold gleam in her eyes fixed on him.
“Shen Yanzhou, how dare you speak to like that?”
“Do you think, with Emperor Mingde backing you, you can act without restraint?” she said coldly.
In the past, no matter what, Shen Yanzhou had always been deferential to her—never daring to speak this way.
It felt as if the songbird she’d kept in a golden cage for years had suddenly bared its claws and tried to threaten its master.
Shen Yanzhou’s expression didn’t change at all. He simply took a few steps forward, circling the screen to stand before her.
Their gazes t—hers sharp with coldness, his utterly calm.
After a mont, Yu Chenyu’s lips curved into a frosty smile. “So your wings have hardened.”
“That Beiyu spy has already been dealt with. I don’t know why he’d target you.
“I don’t care about your secrets.
“But the capital is filled with eyes and ears. Who knows if such rumors might soday reach Shen Jingxiao’s ears.
“I don’t want you dragged into unnecessary trouble,” Shen Yanzhou said expressionlessly.
“……”
Yu Chenyu paused. Hearing that, the anger that had been rising within her suddenly dissipated, leaving a sense of helpless frustration.
Which Beiyu agent had leaked sothing about her?
She couldn’t figure out where she might have slipped up to draw suspicion.
Even the Empress of Beiyu probably didn’t know of her existence.
Shen Yanzhou said nothing further. He moved to the dressing table, picked up the jade comb beside the mirror, then stepped behind Yu Chenyu and began to gently comb her still-damp black hair draped over her shoulders.
“So you don’t even call ‘Mother’ anymore. Heh—Shen Yanzhou, you’re growing ever more disrespectful,” Yu Chenyu said coldly.
“Because you’ve always been in my heart,” Shen Yanzhou replied.
Yu Chenyu’s lips curved in disdain. Did he think she was so silly young girl who could be coaxed by greasy flattery like that?
Shen Yanzhou’s tone remained calm and steady. “Mother? There’s no blood relation between us. You’ve never truly regarded as a son—more like a caged bird, the sa way you have Lv Ping tend to those spirit cats you keep.
“You never wanted to leave the cage or spread my wings—only to stay where you could see . When you needed , I’d chirp twice to amuse you. The rest of the ti, I was to stay quietly in my cage, never bothering you.
“Isn’t that right?”
Yu Chenyu’s breath caught slightly. She didn’t want to admit it, but what he said was indeed her true thought.
Still, her nature wasn’t one to explain herself.
“Now that you’ve grown capable enough to break free from that cage, what is it you want to prove to ?” she asked coldly.
“Prove?”
Shen Yanzhou let out a faint chuckle. “What do you think I need to prove?”
“To prove you’re a man, of course.”
Yu Chenyu sneered softly, as if seeing right through him.
“……”
Shen Yanzhou had to admit she’d struck true—sotis, a clever woman was more trouble than she was worth.
Seeing him fall silent, Yu Chenyu’s mood unexpectedly lifted.
No matter how smart he was, before her, he still couldn’t win.
“Since you’re in Shen Jingxiao’s grasp now, aren’t you afraid he’ll make you pay for sneaking into my room tonight?” Yu Chenyu asked with a cold smile.
“How do you know he has in his grasp?” Shen Yanzhou asked.
“Otherwise, why would you return to attend the banquet tonight? You’re highly regarded by Emperor Mingde, yet suddenly you’re cozying up to Shen Jingxiao? There must be a reason—and the most likely is that you’ve fallen for a beauty and now suffer the consequences.”
Yu Chenyu’s mocking smile deepened—her words struck precisely at Shen Yanzhou’s situation.
When she finished speaking, she felt once again that she’d regained the upper hand.
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