Chapter 27: A Meticulous Mind
“But that’s exactly the problem—how can we lure Shen Tian out of the Imperial Capital?” Fu Yuying asked, pretending to ponder deeply.
“In fact, it’s not difficult at all. That’s the reason I came to see you tonight,” Shen Yanzhou said calmly.
“Oh? I’d like to hear the details.”
Fu Yuying’s eyes glimmered with a hint of intrigue.
Shen Yanzhou narrowed his eyes slightly. “It’s simple—so long as I leave the Imperial Capital.”
Fu Yuying froze for a moment.
Even with her quick mind, she didn’t immediately grasp the connection between Shen Yanzhou leaving the capital and drawing Shen Tian out of it.
One must know, Shen Yanzhou’s identity was a special one.
Without the permission of the imperial court, he had no right to leave the city.
“What do you mean?”
Fu Yuying’s beautiful eyes narrowed as well, as though she had just thought of another possibility.
“Exactly that. With the forces your Luofu Cloud Cavern has embedded within the capital, if you were to catch me off guard and abduct me from the city, it wouldn’t be difficult at all.”
“Especially now, when the situation in the capital is chaotic. Tianji Studio, the key stronghold of the Nether Cult, has been destroyed. If, in retaliation, they were to abduct me, the Demon Suppression Prince’s heir, wouldn’t that seem perfectly natural?” Shen Yanzhou said with a faint smile.
Fu Yuying didn’t respond immediately, but silently considered the feasibility of this plan.
Abducting Shen Yanzhou was no easy matter—especially when he had experts guarding him.
However, if he cooperated willingly... things would indeed become simple.
But afterward, what then?
Why would Shen Tian leave the capital in response?
If anything went awry, they would surely be hunted by the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, and their situation in the southern frontier would become even more precarious.
The risk was immense, yet if Shen Tian did leave the capital, the potential gains were equally great.
The Luofu Cloud Cavern would gain a powerful bargaining chip—something that could restrain the Demon Suppression King himself.
Noticing Fu Yuying’s hesitation, Shen Yanzhou spoke in a leisurely tone: “You need not worry about the risks, Saintess, or think of this as a dangerous gamble. You should know—no one in this world wants me dead more than Shen Tian.”
“From what I know of his temperament, once he learns that I’ve been captured by the Nether Cult and taken from the capital, he’ll surely find a way to ensure I never return.”
Fu Yuying’s eyes flashed. “If you use yourself as bait, how can you guarantee your own safety afterward? You must realize—aside from Shen Tian, there are plenty of other forces in the shadows who wish for your death.”
“That brings me to my second condition. I’ll need you, Saintess, to guarantee my safety,” Shen Yanzhou said with a calm smile.
Naturally, he wasn’t foolish enough to risk his life recklessly.
He had already accounted for every possibility.
As for whether Fu Yuying would merely agree in words while abandoning him in secret—he had considered that as well.
“If you trust me enough to cooperate, I’ll naturally do everything I can to protect you,” Fu Yuying replied after a short pause, agreeing without much hesitation.
“The Luofu Cloud Cavern possesses a Gu called the Shewu Gu, also known as the Life-sharing Gu. I need you to use that to ensure my safety, rather than a mere verbal promise.”
“I trust no one.”
Shen Yanzhou shook his head, his tone frank and unyielding.
The world was driven by profit.
Though Fu Yuying’s character seemed trustworthy, his death within the Imperial Capital would only serve to ease the situation in the southern frontier.
The Demon Suppression King would then be distracted by such matters, easing the pressure he placed on the hidden sects of the south.
Fu Yuying frowned slightly.
She prided herself on being shrewd and calculating, yet from the very beginning, she realized she had been led by the nose by Shen Yanzhou—all as if everything had already been within his grasp.
He even knew of the Shewu Gu.
This Gu, also called the Life-sharing Gu, as its name suggested, bound the fates of two people together—sharing both life and death.
Of course, it wasn’t permanent; it had a time limit. A Seventh-rank Shewu Gu could only last for three days.
If it were nurtured to the Third or Fourth rank, it could last for several months.
“You truly are meticulous—every angle considered, every risk accounted for.”
Though slightly irritated by his mistrust, Fu Yuying couldn’t help but feel a trace of admiration.
No wonder he had been able to bide his time and conceal his strength for so many years—even the Demon Suppression King hadn’t noticed a thing.
“You flatter me, Saintess.”
Shen Yanzhou smiled in satisfaction. Though the plan appeared to proceed smoothly, this wasn’t his true goal.
Knowing Shen Tian’s cards as well as he did, he was fully aware that relying solely on the Luofu Cloud Cavern’s strength within the capital would hardly suffice to subdue him.
Fu Yuying and the others were nothing more than pieces on his board.
Only by leaving the capital—and using the Shewu Gu—could he reach that place of inheritance safely.
And the most crucial factor lay with Wu Ruyue.
……
Late at night, at the Wu Residence.
The city lay silent under the blanket of darkness, yet a certain courtyard’s lights still burned.
Shen Tian sat quietly before his bed, holding a communication jade talisman in his hand, his emotions surging.
“Elder Zhigao, this... this is my foster father’s will?”
He tried to suppress his excitement, forcing his breathing to remain steady before he could ask.
Earlier that day, he had met with Shen Zhigao and learned about the inner workings of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
At the same time, Shen Zhigao had handed him a communication jade talisman to stay in touch for the time being.
“My boy, why are you still calling me Elder? Of course, this is all your foster father’s arrangement. Tomorrow morning, you should prepare yourself well—bring some specialties from the southern frontier as a meeting gift and head to the Prince’s Mansion.”
“It’s time you met your mo—your foster mother. I’m sure she’ll be pleased with you.”
A gentle, aged voice came from the other side of the jade talisman.
It was Shen Zhigao, the third uncle of the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao.
“Mo... Mother...”
Shen Tian’s emotions trembled uncontrollably, his whole body quivering as his eyes reddened.
He had waited for this day for so many years—twenty long years.
Finally, he would meet his birth mother.
It was said that though she hailed from the Sword Lodge of Tianshui’s Qilin City, she bore none of the edge of a sword cultivator—refined, gentle, elegant, learned, and tender as water.
For Shen Tian, this night was destined to be sleepless.
To share his joy, he even sought out Wu Ruyue, who had not yet gone to bed, and told her he would visit the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion the next day.
However, Wu Ruyue’s response was indifferent, as though she didn’t care at all.
Lost in his emotions, Shen Tian continued to speak at length, reminiscing about his childhood.
Eventually, Wu Ruyue grew impatient and drove him out.
Ever since learning that Shen Tian was the hidden agent of Beiyu’s ancestral spirit, her former admiration for him had completely shattered.
Now, she only felt annoyance at his presence.
As for Shen Yanzhou, he slept soundly through the night.
The next morning, after washing up briefly, he headed straight to the Emerald Bamboo Courtyard to greet Princess Consort Yu Chenyu.