Chapter 67: Mother, What Have You Protected Me From?
The Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion spanned hundreds of acres, filled with pavilions, towers, and winding corridors.
Moving through them in silence, Shen Yanzhou was led by Yu Chenyu toward the Emerald Bamboo Courtyard where she had once cultivated in seclusion. Along the way, no one spoke a word.
Chunchao followed behind, cradling her sword. Her high ponytail was smooth and glossy, reflecting light like distant ink-blue mountains, highlighting her delicate and petite figure even more.
“Have you nothing you wish to say to me?”
It was only when the distant bamboo grove came into view, lush and tranquil, that Yu Chenyu finally released Shen Yanzhou’s hand. Dismissing the remaining maids with a wave, she asked coolly.
“What does Mother wish to hear?”
Shen Yanzhou blinked with feigned innocence.
“Why have you suddenly returned?”
Yu Chenyu’s tone was faint. Her slender figure stood still as her clear gaze carried an unreadable depth.
She had once ordered Chunchao to send word to Ji Donghe of the Sword Forge in Tianshui’s Qilin City, instructing him to make a trip to Hidden Moon Mountain.
Ji Donghe had indeed gone, but never appeared. Knowing that Shen Yanzhou would be escorted back to the capital by the Chilin Guards and the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, he had chosen not to interfere.
He had merely shadowed Shen Yanzhou for a short while, confirmed there was no imminent danger, and quietly withdrew—fulfilling Yu Chenyu’s command.
“What does Mother mean by this? The capital, after all, is where your child grew up.”
“Though I may not be your own by blood, I am still your child. How could I not come home?”
“Wherever Mother is, that is where I belong,” Shen Yanzhou said with a smile.
Yu Chenyu’s gaze flickered slightly before she slowly turned to face him. Her tone was cool. “Enough with the empty pleasantries. You can’t hide what’s in your heart from me.”
“Mother, what do you mean by that? Do you no longer want your child?” Shen Yanzhou asked, sounding wronged. “I was captured by villains, faced countless life-and-death crises, yet in my heart, I thought of you always. I never truly intended to leave your side. I only failed to send word ahead due to some unforeseen troubles.”
“I’ve caused you needless worry.”
Yu Chenyu’s expression remained emotionless as she suddenly let out a cold laugh. “You dare to be glib and evasive before me now? Truly, your wings have hardened. You know full well what you did in Hidden Moon Mountain. Did you take the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion for a nest of fools like Shen Zhigao and the others?”
At her words, Shen Yanzhou’s smile vanished. He asked flatly, “Then what does Mother wish me to confess?”
Yu Chenyu’s eyes chilled. “You should know that yourself.”
A woman’s heart was truly as unfathomable as the depths of the sea. Even though Shen Yanzhou had dealt with women all his past life, he still couldn’t withstand Yu Chenyu’s sudden burst of temper.
Shen Tian wasn’t even her real son. His death shouldn’t have mattered to her—if anything, it would bring her peace, sparing her the trouble of pretending before Shen Jingxiao when he returned.
In a way, he had done her a favor.
Various thoughts crossed Shen Yanzhou’s mind. If Yu Chenyu’s anger was merely an act, it was too convincing. But if it wasn’t an act—could it be that she was truly angry out of worry for him? Or because he had left without a word, making her think he had truly run away from the capital for good?
Considering these possibilities, Shen Yanzhou drew a slow breath, suppressing the turmoil within. “Mother thinks I stormed out that day and went drinking at Yuxian Pavilion without telling you, because I didn’t trust you?”
Yu Chenyu’s eyes grew sharper as she stared at him without speaking.
Seeing this, Shen Yanzhou knew he had guessed correctly.
To someone like her—confident, manipulative, always pulling the strings from the shadows—he was supposed to be her most obedient pawn, firmly under her control. Yet he had suddenly slipped free from her grasp, out of the cage she had built for him.
Her anger, then, wasn’t born from concern—it came from pride, arrogance, and selfishness. She couldn’t stand the thought of him acting beyond her control, disrupting the meticulous plans she had laid.
Truly, she was as cold and calculating as ever.
He laughed inwardly but kept his expression calm. “I know why Mother is angry. You think I plotted to leave the capital just to strike at Shen Tian. You pity him, don’t you?”
“After all, he’s your true-born son, while I am merely the puppet substitute, the scapegoat you placed in the open for him.”
“My existence is dispensable, but if Shen Tian dies, the entire Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion would go mad.”
“You say Father will protect me, that he will give me an explanation—but in the end, he sent retainers from the mansion to kill me at Hidden Moon Mountain, leaving me to die without a grave.”
“Heh, if I had stayed in the capital, who would have ensured my safety? You? Yet I never saw you send anyone to protect me. Hidden Moon Mountain was full of dangers—every one of which I survived on my own.”
“Mother, what exactly have you protected me from?”
“This morning, I almost caused a great scene at the gates of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion, to let all the nobles of the capital see its true face. But you appeared—I didn’t wish to embarrass you, so I backed down.”
“I never intended to set foot in this wretched city again. I could have gone far away, to a place even Shen Jingxiao could never find me. But I came back.”
“Do you know why?”
“Because you are still here.”
By the time Shen Yanzhou finished, a bitter, self-deprecating smile curved his lips. His tone was heavy with sorrow.
Yu Chenyu froze.
She had not expected that her demand for an explanation would turn into Shen Yanzhou’s interrogation of her.
Because of her… he had returned to the capital?
Her lips parted slightly, as though to speak, but no words came out.
“……”
Indeed, she had nothing to say.
From Shen Yanzhou’s perspective, everything that happened at Hidden Moon Mountain had been resolved by his own hand.
But wasn’t it his own doing to begin with?
Had he stayed obediently in the capital, none of this would have happened.
Shen Jingxiao had only sent assassins after him because he left the capital.
Even if Shen Tian had died, it had nothing to do with her—why would she care about someone unrelated to her?
Yet these were things she could never say aloud to Shen Yanzhou.
A strange irritation stirred in Yu Chenyu’s chest.
“If Mother thinks my return to the capital an eyesore, I can disappear again.”
“When Shen Jingxiao returns, he certainly won’t spare me.”
“This place of right and wrong… truly isn’t one where I should stay.”
Shen Yanzhou lowered his eyes slightly, as if to hide the emotions within them.
Hearing Shen Yanzhou’s sorrowful words, Yu Chenyu’s heart inexplicably twinged. A moment later, she tried to soften her tone and said gently, “Zhou’er, I know you’ve suffered grievances outside…”
Shen Yanzhou looked up abruptly and cut her off. “No, I haven’t suffered any grievance outside. All the grievances I’ve suffered were in this wretched place.”
“All of you knew long ago that I was only a stand-in, a fake heir. Yet you all kept me in the dark, treating me like a clown on stage, letting everyone in the capital mock and humiliate me. Even a random passerby could secretly call me trash.”
“But if I wanted to survive, I had no choice but to live like this—to be the despised, worthless one. None of you ever thought about how degrading, how miserable, how painful it was for me to keep on living like that…”
“No one ever cared about me. Even after living in this mansion for twenty years, I still couldn’t compare to that Shen Tian who just appeared out of nowhere.”
Yu Chenyu’s words stuck in her throat.
She fell silent, looking at Shen Yanzhou’s reddened eyes. Beneath her wide sleeves, her jade hands clenched tightly.
Even Chunchao, who had been standing quietly to the side, was dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected Shen Yanzhou to suddenly erupt with such intense emotion.
And come to think of it, it was true—few in the mansion had ever truly cared about him. No one paid attention to what he did. Even when he caused trouble, the matter would be smoothed over with just a few casual words.
His existence seemed to depend solely on his identity.
This fake heir could have been Shen Yanzhou—or any other man surnamed Shen.
A long silence hung in the air.
Yu Chenyu grew increasingly irritable.
In the end, Shen Yanzhou’s words all stemmed from Shen Tian’s existence, which had made him distrustful of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
That distrust extended to everyone—including herself.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said. “As your mother, I’ve neglected your feelings for too long. But rest assured, as long as you remain in the capital, I can guarantee your safety.”
“Neither your father, Shen Jingxiao, nor that so-called true heir in your eyes, Shen Tian, will ever be able to harm you.”
Yu Chenyu’s red lips parted slightly as she spoke, her voice soft but filled with confidence—confidence that seemed capable of steadying everything.
Shen Yanzhou looked deeply at her. He truly couldn’t tell whether her words came from sincerity—or if she was still acting.
Had it been anyone else, that emotional outpouring from earlier would have easily stirred compassion.
But Yu Chenyu was a woman of cold selfishness, driven only by interest; few emotions could ever move her.
“Very well.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“After traveling back from Hidden Moon Mountain, I’ve been exhausted, sleepless for several days. I’d like to rest for a while.”
“Once I’ve washed away the dust and regained my spirit, I’ll come again to the Emerald Bamboo Courtyard to pay my respects.”
He bowed obediently, but before Yu Chenyu could respond, he turned and walked toward his own courtyard.
Just moments ago, he had spoken so fiercely—yet now he acted as if nothing had happened.
Yu Chenyu’s expression remained unchanged. She made no response, only watched quietly as Shen Yanzhou departed, her gaze following him until he vanished into the corridor.
Chunchao had been holding her breath the entire time, not daring to speak.
She had never imagined that the usually respectful and well-behaved heir would return today only to lose his temper so completely.
And then to leave on his own, without waiting for the Princess Consort’s permission.
Earlier that morning, the Princess Consort had been informed of his return. She had even instructed the kitchens to prepare breakfast so they could share the meal upon his arrival.
“Princess Consort, you’re… not angry, are you?” Chunchao asked carefully.
“His wings have indeed hardened.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Why should I be angry?”
Yu Chenyu spoke faintly, her expression calm and detached, as though nothing had happened.
Chunchao was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Yu Chenyu added, “Tell them to take the breakfast and feed it to the dogs.”
“……”
Chunchao trembled. So much for not being angry.
Under her sleeves, Yu Chenyu’s hand was tightly clenched.
So, Shen Yanzhou—your little display was to show me that you can live safely in the capital without me?
Don’t think that just because you’ve mastered the Heart Sword technique, you can do as you please.
……
Negative emotions from Shen Zhigao +15 +17 +19…
Negative emotions from Chunchao +3 +3 +5…
Negative emotions from Yu Chenyu +21 +31 +33…
When Shen Yanzhou returned to his own courtyard, it was clear that even during his absence, someone had kept it tidy. Under the tall birch tree, no fallen leaves had gathered; even the room itself was spotless.
Sensing the influx of negative emotions in his mind, he wasn’t surprised.
After all, his original plan had been to make a huge scene outside the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion—to throw the place into chaos once again. At this point, he was already someone with nothing left to lose.
Just as he had expected, the mansion’s elders were still seething with anger, constantly supplying him with waves of negative emotion.
In just a short while, it was already comparable to what he had gained during those days in Hidden Moon Mountain.
As for why he had deliberately provoked Yu Chenyu, it wasn’t out of recklessness or loss of temper.
He simply wanted to stir her emotions. For someone as cold and manipulative as her, only strong emotional agitation could move her heart—and in turn, feed him negative emotions.
Since ancient times, it was always the child who cried who got the candy.
He guessed Yu Chenyu’s anger would fade soon enough—perhaps in a day or two.
“Roughly two hundred points of negative emotion accumulated.”
Glancing over his internal panel, Shen Yanzhou pondered for a moment but didn’t rush to allocate his points.
After returning to his room, he tidied up briefly, then devoted himself to cultivation.
On his journey back to the capital, he had obtained several Third-rank martial arts from Lin Qingcang, which—aside from movement techniques—filled his current gaps.
One of them was a secret art called the Grand Ascension of Five Emperors, which could greatly boost one’s realm for a short period—similar to the Nine Nether Star Prayer Art that Fu Yuying had used before.
Likewise, this blood-burning secret art carried a similar side effect—a long period of weakness afterward.
To learn it, one had to meet a prerequisite: the opening of the Five Martial Meridians, corresponding to the Five Elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Conveniently, the True Explanation of Primordial Unity he practiced generated the Primordial Qi of Unity, which fulfilled this condition.
Shen Yanzhou was in no hurry to spend his attribute points. Instead, he began exploring the practice on his own—and the results were rather promising.