Chapter 31: Leaving the Capital
At the mouth of the alley, the funeral procession had already been arranged.
Amidst the fluttering yellow paper, wailing cries echoed, and the carriage slipped into the line, speeding all the way toward the northern gate.
Along the way, patrol guards and night watchmen took notice and came forward to inspect the carriage, even checking the coffin being carried at the back.
A few military guards frowned and opened the coffin lid.
Seeing only an elderly woman lying peacefully inside, silent and still, they finally waved their hands.
After that, a man who looked like a steward stepped forward with a flattering smile, pulling a few money pouches from his belt and handing them over.
Before long, as the fifth watch drums resounded, the heavy northern city gate creaked open.
In the faint light of dawn, the distant mountain ridges shimmered indistinctly.
According to protocol, the guards stationed at the gate came forward again to question and inspect the procession.
Since the group had already passed the patrol and watchmen’s scrutiny, these gate guards were more casual, merely lifting the curtain for a quick glance.
When it came to the carriage where Shen Yanzhou was seated, the guards’ attention immediately fell upon Fu Yuying, who was dressed in mourning white, her expression sorrowful.
Shen Yanzhou, frail and sickly beside her, was all but ignored.
“Truly a beauty, even in mourning clothes.”
“What a pity—such a lovely woman, married to such a sickly man…”
A few guards chuckled lewdly, showing no restraint in their regret.
Their gazes lingered brazenly on Fu Yuying’s graceful figure, paying no heed at all to the feeble invalid in the corner.
Even though these men were mere gate sentinels, their position in the Imperial Capital was considered desirable and lucrative—one could not attain it without some connections or background.
Ordinary merchants entering the capital were hardly worth their attention.
Fu Yuying remained demure and silent, pretending not to notice their stares.
“What are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyes out…”
Shen Yanzhou suddenly flared in anger.
He rolled up his sleeves and tried to stand, but his frail body failed him—his sudden movement nearly sent him collapsing inside the carriage.
“Hahaha, this sickly fellow…”
“With a body like that, can you even satisfy your wife in bed?”
The guards burst into raucous laughter.
“You… You’re not allowed to look at my wife!”
Shen Yanzhou’s face flushed red with fury.
Perhaps due to his consumption, he was seized by a fit of coughing, yet he still protectively shielded Fu Yuying before him, even pulling her tightly into his arms.
Fu Yuying hadn’t expected Shen Yanzhou to act the part so convincingly; a flicker of astonishment crossed her face, and her delicate frame went rigid.
In all her years, this was the first time she had been so closely embraced by a man.
Yet, thinking of their current circumstances, she could only silently recite to herself: “It’s nothing… Don’t fuss over propriety… It couldn’t be helped.” Forcing herself to remain calm, she nonetheless felt a faint flush creep up behind her pale, translucent ears.
“This sickly man truly has his blessings…”
The guards were filled with envy.
Though the woman before them was merely gentle and refined in countenance, the graceful curves hidden beneath her mourning robes stirred their lecherous thoughts.
“What are you all doing?”
A deep, scolding voice rang out.
The sound of armor clinking accompanied the approach of a burly man with a long blade at his waist and a thick beard on his face.
“Gate Captain…”
The guards immediately saluted and hastily dropped their playful demeanor.
“Try such insolence again, and don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
The burly man’s eyes glinted like cold lightning as he swept his gaze over them.
He knew these men’s temperaments well—relying on family connections, they often bullied and extorted traveling merchants.
The guards fell silent.
The burly man stepped forward himself to inspect the carriage carefully.
As a martial cultivator, a single glance told him the state of their qi and blood.
The sickly young master defending his wife was even weaker than expected—his vitality was thin, as though he had only a few years left to live.
“Nothing seems wrong. You may go.”
He waved them off and led the others away.
Once the guards had gone far, Fu Yuying cast a sidelong glance at Shen Yanzhou, who was still holding her.
“Young Master Shen, how much longer do you plan on holding me?”
“In times of urgency, such actions were not deliberate. I hope the Saintess will not take offense.”
Shen Yanzhou released her with a faint smile.
“I think you did it on purpose—trying to take advantage of my lady.”
Chu Xiuer, who had been silent all along, puffed her cheeks and glared at him.
Negative emotions from Chu Xiuer +3 +3 +3 +3…
Fu Yuying ignored Shen Yanzhou, quietly raising a hand to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.
She could not tell whether it was due to the Shewu Gu, but her legs felt strangely weak, pressing together instinctively.
Shen Yanzhou glanced at her.
Under the flickering candlelight of the carriage, her face seemed far rosier than before—her brows, snowy neck, and the skin behind her ears all tinged with a porcelain blush.
He truly hadn’t intended to take advantage of her.
It was merely the Shewu Gu’s influence that had prompted his impulsive action… Fortunately, Fu Yuying did not seem angry.
Though there had been a brief mishap, things had gone far more smoothly than Shen Yanzhou had anticipated.
After they had completely left the Imperial Capital behind, he lifted the carriage curtain and looked back.
The magnificent city that had imprisoned his former self for twenty years grew faint in the distance.
“Now that I’m no longer bound by the Nether Curse… if I were to leave like this, would that not be, in a way, a vast sea where the fish may freely leap?”
The thought flashed through Shen Yanzhou’s mind.
But soon, he shook his head and dismissed it.
He had never been one to settle for small comfort.
Since he had come to this world, he would harbor greater ambitions and schemes.
……
“Something’s wrong! Something’s wrong—!”
As dawn’s first light spilled into the riverside chamber of the Yuxian Pavilion, a panicked voice shattered the morning’s calm.
Moments later, the manager in charge of the pavilion stood drenched in cold sweat, staring at the drunken courtesans sprawled across the floor.
His face turned ashen, lips trembling.
“What’s going on—what happened—where is Young Heir Shen? Where did the young heir go?”
“Hurry, report to the authorities! Call the Chilin Guards and the Bureau of Immortal Inspection!”
“And send someone to the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion—tell them the young heir has disappeared!”
The servants behind him were trembling in fright at the sight before them.
Last night, the Heir of the Demon Suppression King, Shen Yanzhou, had come to drown his sorrows.
He had booked the entire venue, drinking and carousing with the courtesans late into the night.
But this morning, he was gone—and every courtesan in the room lay unconscious.
“This is bad… That girl in red—wasn’t she the young heir’s maid? How is she unconscious as well?”
The Yuxian Pavilion’s steward lifted the inner curtain, his whole body quivering as he saw Chunchao lying insensible on the couch.
Under the very eyes of the Son of Heaven, who would dare abduct the Heir of the Demon Suppression King?
He couldn’t bear the weight of such a crime.
Just the thought of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion coming to demand answers made his vision blur and his knees buckle—he could barely stand.