I’ll Definitely Play the Stand-in Villain

Chapter 14: Heart Sword

Inside the small Emerald Bamboo Courtyard, Yu Chenyu seemed to have already expected Shen Yanzhou’s arrival.

She was draped in a plain white gauzy robe, covering her graceful figure, as she leaned lazily against a concubine’s couch.

Beside her stood Chunchao.

“Your child greets mother.”

Shen Yanzhou took the morning tea from a maid at the side and respectfully handed it over.

“I heard from Chunchao that you came into contact with someone from the Luofu Cloud Cavern last night?”

Yu Chenyu gently blew at the rising steam, her thin lips touching the rim of the cup as she took a sip before asking.

Shen Yanzhou had long known that Chunchao would report all of his movements to Yu Chenyu, but he did not mind, since all of this was already part of his plan.

For now, his greatest support was Yu Chenyu.

Therefore, he could only first make her see his value; only then might she continue to invest in him.

“Yes, nothing can be hidden from mother.” Shen Yanzhou smiled.

Yu Chenyu cast him a faint glance.

Seeing his refined and gentle appearance—still the same face as before, yet far more pleasing to the eye than his former arrogant and unruly self—she found him much more tolerable.

“Sit a little closer, let mother take a good look at you now.” She lightly beckoned with her hand.

Shen Yanzhou immediately moved a stool within the pavilion, placing it less than a foot away from Yu Chenyu, and sat down respectfully.

In an instant, a refreshing, orchid-like fragrance continuously reached his nose.

In the past, whenever the original owner committed some wrongdoing and sought Yu Chenyu to resolve it, he was always trembling with fear, never daring to come too close.

Yesterday, when he boldly massaged her shoulders and arms after greeting her, that had actually been the first time.

Shen Yanzhou was certain that, before the Demon Suppression King fully revealed his ambition, the princess consort would not easily expose her true identity.

That was why he dared to show filial affection.

And according to the personality of the princess consort in the original plot, she should have disliked men approaching her.

In the entire Emerald Bamboo Courtyard, almost no male could be seen.

Yet toward him, her adopted son, she did not seem to be that resistant or repulsed.

“In the blink of an eye, Zhou’er has already grown this much.”

Yu Chenyu set down her teacup, and her slender, slightly cool yet soft hand gently caressed Shen Yanzhou’s cheek, her tone carrying a hint of emotion.

Shen Yanzhou remained silent.

He guessed that Yu Chenyu was probing the condition of his body.

“Not bad…”

A moment later, Yu Chenyu withdrew her hand, her mind carrying a trace of astonishment.

After hearing from Chunchao that Shen Yanzhou had interacted with people from the Luofu Cloud Cavern last night, she began to speculate on his intentions.

Yet what she could not figure out was how Shen Yanzhou had resolved the hidden danger of the Nether Curse within him.

The Nether Curse was not something that could be easily dissolved.

Even the slightest anomaly would be noticed by the Demon Suppression King far away in the southern borderlands.

Over the years, the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao, had always believed that Shen Yanzhou was completely unaware of the Nether Curse.

But he likely never imagined that Shen Yanzhou had long been on guard and was searching for a way to undo it.

“Mother, your child wishes to learn the sword.”

While she was deep in thought, Shen Yanzhou’s voice sounded before her.

Yu Chenyu was first taken aback, then smiled slightly.

“Before, you hated martial training more than anyone. Why do you suddenly wish to learn?”

Shen Yanzhou thought for a moment and said seriously: “Before, I didn’t want to learn because I thought it unnecessary, and father also didn’t want me to train. But now I wish to learn at least some martial skills for self-defense. At the very least, when facing danger, I would not need others’ protection and could have a bit of strength to defend myself.”

The Martial Treasury of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion was guarded by a clan elder.

Without the Demon Suppression King’s authorization, even Shen Yanzhou could not approach.

Yu Chenyu, however, had come from the Sword Lodge of Qilin City and was herself a master of the sword.

But in recent years, she had lived in seclusion, seldom showing herself.

Few still remembered that she had once astonished Qilin City with a single sword strike as a peerless young genius.

Thus, the best way for him to improve his strength at present was to justifiably follow her in sword training.

Of course, if he could obtain from Yu Chenyu that sword manual fragment mentioned in the original book—the Heart Sword of No-Self—he could rely on the panel to add points and might even master it.

The Sword of the Heart was a divine technique of the rule-based category, allowing one to easily slay across realms.

However, cultivation of it was exceedingly difficult.

Unfortunately, if he mentioned it directly, it would arouse the princess consort’s suspicion.

After all, she had only displayed this sword once during the middle stage, and no one else knew of its existence.

“Learning the sword is not so easy. Zhou’er, you have already missed the best age and innate foundation.”

Yu Chenyu lightly shook her head.

Shen Yanzhou’s words were true, but she also understood his intent.

With the Nether Curse upon him before, even if he practiced the sword, all the internal energy he accumulated would have been constantly devoured, rendering his efforts in vain.

Now that the curse was resolved, he naturally did not wish to remain a useless person.

Heh, he actually had some ambition now…

Years of suppression and concealment had indeed tempered a willpower beyond the ordinary.

Suddenly, Yu Chenyu thought of something, and an amused interest rose in her heart.

She said: “However, I do have a certain sword art here. It requires no prior tempering of bones or foundations, and not even cultivation to wield. But its practice is extremely difficult. Even with Chunchao’s talent, when she looked at it, it was as though reading heavenly scripture—unable to comprehend its contents, let alone begin its practice.”

Standing at the side, Chunchao could not help but recall her past experience upon hearing this.

The princess consort had once teasingly handed her that piece of scripture, telling her to try comprehending it.

Yet to her eyes, it had been nothing more than a blank sheet of paper.

No matter how she tried to understand, she could not even step into the entryway of cultivation, and she did not even know what the sword art was called.

Hearing this, Shen Yanzhou was slightly astonished, but quickly calmed his slightly quickened heartbeat.

He had not expected the princess consort to be so generous.

Of all her profound sword attainments, the one he most desired to learn was precisely this Heart Sword.

And now, the opportunity was before him.

“No matter how difficult, your child still wishes to try.” Shen Yanzhou spoke without hesitation.

“Chunchao, go to my bedchamber and fetch the green jade box covered in brocade, placed on the innermost bookshelf.” Yu Chenyu nodded.

Before long, Chunchao returned carrying a square green jade box.

Yu Chenyu casually opened it.

Inside lay an ancient volume of unknown material, its edges slightly yellowed, as though it had been often read.

“You may read it yourself. If you can gain some comprehension from it, then you will have the chance to enter its path.

“If you cannot understand anything, then it means you are fated not to be connected with this art.”

Yu Chenyu only glanced at it briefly before handing the ancient book to Shen Yanzhou.

This Heart Sword method had been something she herself had obtained by chance in Qilin City during her youth.

After nearly ten years of arduous cultivation, she had only barely managed to step through the threshold.

Such a mental method could only be comprehended personally, integrating one’s insights, temperament, and experiences.

Only then would there be a sliver of opportunity.

It could not be forced, and no outsider could interfere.

If one could comprehend it, one could learn.

If not, then one was simply without fate.