NOVEL NEXT Ch. 16
Chapter 16: Was Shen Tian a Spy?
Shen Yanzhou sat leisurely at the main seat, warm wine already prepared at his side.
Not much time had passed yet, with still some moments before noon, when footsteps sounded outside the private room.
“Shen Yanzhou, if you want something, just say it directly.”
The door was just pushed open when a slightly cold and stiff voice came in.
Shen Yanzhou lifted his gaze and swept it over.
He saw Wu Ruyue with a frosty expression, her eyes as though holding a blade’s edge, staring at him coldly.
Today she had changed from the fitted soft armor she wore yesterday into a wide embroidered plain robe, which hid her slender figure tightly.
Yet it still could not conceal the full curves of her chest.
Her long, dashing ponytail was let down, smooth and soft as it draped over her back.
This made her seem less sharp, with an added touch of feminine grace.
Of course, that was only if one ignored the frosty disgust in her eyes.
Noticing Shen Yanzhou’s gaze, Wu Ruyue’s disdain and irritation deepened further.
Negative emotions from Wu Ruyue +7+8+9+10……
Shen Yanzhou’s lips curved slightly.
He felt that his identity as the fake heir was indeed useful.
He hadn’t even done anything yet, and negative emotions kept flowing in endlessly.
“Miss Wu, aren’t your words simply asking the obvious?”
Shen Yanzhou smiled and gestured for Wu Ruyue to sit.
Wu Ruyue frowned tightly, gave him an annoyed glance, and only reluctantly sat on the opposite side, keeping her distance.
“What exactly do you want?” she asked coldly.
“I want you.” Shen Yanzhou’s gaze landed on her delicate and pretty face, his tone calm and straightforward.
“That’s impossible.” Wu Ruyue refused almost without hesitation, her expression already darkening.
“Why impossible? Could it be that Miss Wu thinks this heir is unworthy of you?”
Shen Yanzhou’s tone remained leisurely.
“It’s not a matter of worthiness. Ruyue already has someone in her heart.” Wu Ruyue said coldly.
“Could it be Shen Tian?” Shen Yanzhou laughed.
He knew the original plot well and knew that at this stage, Wu Ruyue had not yet developed feelings for Shen Tian.
As one of the heroines in the original story, her character was devoted to martial pursuits, and before becoming a Martial God, she would not consider matters of romance.
So even later, though she did grow fond of Shen Tian, she never accepted his feelings, holding firmly to propriety and rules.
Wu Ruyue’s expression remained unchanged as she replied, “Shen brother and I are merely comrades-in-arms. Heir, please don’t overthink it.”
“Enough. I didn’t come to hear you explain these things.”
“These are all the evidence of your father, Wu Hong, committing dereliction of duty—stealing the Dragon-pattern Secret Gold and copying the Transforming Tendon Sutra.”
Shen Yanzhou waved his hand lightly, then gestured with his finger toward a pile of jade scrolls already neatly stacked at the side.
Wu Ruyue looked over, and her expression finally shifted.
She prided herself on being just and upright.
Yet now that her father had committed crimes, she harbored the thought of privately covering it up.
Although she knew full well this was likely a trap deliberately set by Shen Yanzhou, she couldn’t place all the blame on her father.
“See? As long as Miss Wu destroys these one by one, no one will know Lord Wu committed crimes. The theft of the Martial Treasury—serious, yet not too serious. As long as it isn’t reported to the Hall of Virtuous Enlightenment, what does it really count as?”
Shen Yanzhou spoke with a faint smile at his lips.
Negative emotions from Wu Ruyue +15+16+20……
“You schemed so much, set this entire trap—was it all just to make me marry you?”
Wu Ruyue took a deep breath, shifting her gaze away, trying to remain calm.
“No, what I said just now was merely a joke. Miss Wu, don’t take it seriously. But, if you do want to take it seriously, I don’t mind either.”
Shen Yanzhou still smiled.
“?”
Wu Ruyue froze for a moment, then frowned.
“It’s not that I came looking for you. Rather, it’s my father who wants to see you. I’m only the messenger.”
Shen Yanzhou, as if sensing Wu Ruyue’s confusion, continued calmly.
Wu Ruyue frowned even more tightly, suddenly feeling her mind spin.
Shen Yanzhou’s father—wasn’t that the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao?
The Demon Suppression King was far away in the southern frontier.
Why would he want to find her?
Shen Yanzhou suddenly sighed.
“Miss Wu, with your intelligence, haven’t you realized it by now?”
Wu Ruyue felt Shen Yanzhou’s words were clouded and vague, making her somewhat dazed.
“If you have something to say, speak plainly. Why beat around the bush?” she said coldly.
Shen Yanzhou asked, “On your journey from the southern frontier back to the imperial capital, did you notice anything unusual about Shen Tian?”
“Shen Tian?” Wu Ruyue was stunned.
“That’s right. Father suspects Shen Tian might be a spy planted by Beiyu. Behind him lies a connection to the Ancestor Spirit Nether Path. Father already received word in advance—Beiyu’s Ancestor Spirit Nether Path and the Nether Sect will stir trouble in the capital, causing turmoil in court. That will force urgency in the southern frontier, and the Alien Demon Nations will also take the chance to invade.”
Shen Yanzhou’s smile faded completely, his expression becoming utterly serious.
“How could that be? The Demon Suppression King greatly valued and admired Shen Tian…”
Wu Ruyue could hardly believe it.
Back in the southern frontier, Shen Jingxiao’s treatment of Shen Tian was plain for all to see.
For a man rarely seen smiling, he often showed approval when speaking of him.
Could it all have been an act? Deliberately so?
“Do you feel that my father treated Shen Tian even better than his own son?” Shen Yanzhou laughed.
Wu Ruyue couldn’t help but nod.
“Exactly. Because next, you may see even more absurd things. After all, the Nether Sect and Ancestor Spirit Nether Path will stop at nothing to plunge the capital into chaos.” Shen Yanzhou shrugged.
Wu Ruyue was completely stunned.
“Of course, this is all part of Father’s plan. Once this scheme succeeds, he will be able to wipe out all of Ancestor Spirit Nether Path’s spies within the capital, restoring peace to the empire.”
“And the most crucial piece in this game lies in Shen Tian.” Shen Yanzhou’s gaze turned deep.
It was Wu Ruyue’s first time seeing Shen Yanzhou with such an expression.
Gone was his previous frivolity and arrogance; paired with his handsome features, he now carried the air of a refined gentleman.
Inexplicably, he seemed much more pleasing to the eye.
But still… could Shen Tian really be a spy of Beiyu’s Ancestor Spirit Nether Path?
On this journey, he hadn’t shown anything suspicious… though, thinking carefully, there were indeed times he mysteriously disappeared for a while.
Wu Ruyue had never thought much of it before, believing everyone had their secrets.
But now, it seemed worth doubting.
“Hearing is false, seeing is true. If Miss Wu harbors suspicion, then during this time, why not observe Shen Tian’s whereabouts? Is he truly accompanying you back to the capital, or does he harbor another plot? Watch closely, and you will know.”
“For now, Shen Tian still trusts you.”
Shen Yanzhou knew that speaking too much could lead to mistakes.
The seed of suspicion was already planted.
With Wu Ruyue’s character, she would naturally begin to doubt and speculate further.
As he spoke, he pulled a sealed letter from his sleeve and handed it to Wu Ruyue.