I’ll Definitely Play the Stand-in Villain

Chapter 20: Minor Accomplishment in One Day

“You idle away your days like this, wandering aimlessly without doing anything of worth. Even if you suffer from a hidden ailment and cannot cultivate martial arts, you could still devote some effort to Confucian learning. Read more books, cultivate your literary heart…”

Seeing Shen Yanzhou stop once again at a stall filled with all kinds of pendants, hairpins, and ornaments, even Zhao Qingchan, who had always been calm and even-tempered, could not help but step forward to gently admonish him.

At her words, Shen Yanzhou set down the vermilion hairpin he had been examining, smiled, and said: “How can you tell that I am idling about, doing nothing?”

Ambition for career and achievement hidden beneath this cold exterior—this was indeed in line with his impression of Zhao Qingchan.

Zhao Qingchan frowned and said: “Among the sons of the capital’s noble clans, even the most useless of them still learn some craft—be it commerce, officialdom, or the military. At the very least, they manage networks and cultivate connections. You, as the son of the Demon Suppression King, born into such privilege, with Uncle Jingxiao paving the way for you, yet you make no effort to advance…”

Shen Yanzhou always got a headache hearing such words.

However, no trace of displeasure showed on his face.

He only smiled faintly and said: “If I were that diligent, I fear the skies over the capital would not remain so calm.”

Zhao Qingchan froze at those words.

Watching Shen Yanzhou, who had withdrawn his smile and was once again picking through the hairpins, she had intended to continue advising him, but his words… seemed to awaken her suddenly.

“You are worried about arousing suspicion in the palace?”

She glanced around at their surroundings and lowered her voice to ask.

Shen Yanzhou, however, did not answer her question.

Instead, he continued examining the trinkets and asked with a smile: “Wife, do you like this one?”

As he spoke, he picked up a jade pendant and a jade hairpin, comparing them against each other.

Zhao Qingchan deliberately ignored his use of “wife.” Yet regarding the words he had uttered earlier, she could not let go.

Her curiosity pressed her to ask: “Can you answer the question I just asked?”

“Which one do you prefer?”

Shen Yanzhou continued choosing as if he had not heard her question.

He understood Zhao Qingchan’s temperament—some things were best left unsaid.

If one wished to attract her attention, one had to first pique her curiosity.

Just as cutting off a topic midway could leave behind a sense of anticipation.

With anticipation, she would naturally develop the interest to probe deeper.

Before the matter of the false and true heir was exposed, he needed to establish certain personas—“self-deprecation and concealment,” “hiding his light and biding his time,” “the dormant dragon in the deep abyss.”

In the coming battles upon the chessboard, such an identity would be far more useful.

As for Zhao Qingchan’s little schemes and thoughts, he saw through them as clearly as a mirror.

If he were truly a worthless wastrel, then she would never bother wasting her time on him.

Even if she married him, it would only be to secure the resources and background of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.

“…”

For reasons she could not explain, Zhao Qingchan suddenly felt a surge of irritation.

She disliked Shen Yanzhou’s way of evading her questions.

He clearly could have answered, yet he chose to ignore them.

Even so, this confirmed some of her suspicions—Shen Yanzhou was most likely not as shallow as he appeared.

Those prodigies who once pursued her would, upon learning she was interested in a topic, immediately talk at length without stopping.

“The skies of the capital would not remain so calm.”

Zhao Qingchan silently chewed on that sentence.

Shen Yanzhou, seeing her fall into silence, knew that she was already pondering over his earlier words.

Things were developing just as he had anticipated.

However, at present, since the Divine Martial Marquis and the Demon Suppression King were close allies, he could not afford to reveal too much before Zhao Qingchan as he did in front of Wu Ruyue.

The card of the Divine Martial Marquis, if played well, could deliver the Demon Suppression King a fatal strike at the crucial moment.

…

While Zhao Qingchan accompanied Shen Yanzhou strolling through Vermilion Bird Street, the events that had occurred earlier at the Dragon-Tiger Institute gate quickly spread among the noble families of the capital.

Without a doubt, the intention of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion to ally by marriage with the Divine Martial Marquis’s household provoked much speculation.

The current emperor rarely interfered in governance.

Almost all state affairs were entrusted to the Grand Chancellor, Sikong Fenghua, who assisted the Crown Prince in making decisions.

The Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion was powerful and at its peak—even the Grand Chancellor treated them with courtesy.

The Divine Martial Marquis’s house, on the other hand, was an ancient noble clan established since the founding of the dynasty, with profound heritage.

If these two houses were to unite, it would be strength upon strength.

But would this not provoke suspicion from the palace?

After all, the Demon Suppression King was already at the point where there was no higher title to confer.

If he were backed by an old aristocratic clan, he might truly dare to set himself as king above kings.

The only good news was that the heir of the Demon Suppression King, Shen Yanzhou, was a wastrel.

And now, such an important secret had somehow been leaked beforehand.

Would the Demon Suppression King flog him with a whip upon learning of this?

Rumors swirled across the capital, even reaching the mouths of commoners in the alleys.

In the misty courtyard of the Duke’s Mansion—

An elderly man with snow-white hair sipped tea unhurriedly while attended by maids.

Across from him sat a middle-aged man with a high crown and broad robes, engaged in a game of chess with him.

“Teacher, could this be the Demon Suppression King deliberately using his son’s mouth to release this news?”

“He knows Shen Yanzhou so well—why would he reveal such an important secret to him beforehand?”

This middle-aged man was none other than the current Assistant Minister of Revenue, much valued by Emperor Mingde.

He was of humble birth, but had risen to prominence as a top-ranked scholar.

“The Demon Suppression King is meticulous. He would not make such an error. I believe he is testing the waters in advance.”

“He wants to gauge His Majesty’s stance. If His Majesty remains silent, he will simply go along with it. If His Majesty expresses disapproval, he can dismiss it as a careless slip of the tongue.” The elder shook his head gently and placed a stone on the board.

“The Demon Suppression King has been far too aggressive in recent years. His violent suppression in the southern frontier has already stirred dissatisfaction among many hidden sects. His ambition is becoming far too blatant.” The middle-aged man sighed.

The elder furrowed his brows, then looked eastward, toward the capital: “Shen Jingxiao is no fool. But it feels as though he still lacks a certain opportunity. His conduct so far has always reassured His Majesty.”

“This time—has he perhaps overstepped?”

…

“The Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion and the Divine Martial Marquis’s household, an alliance by marriage?”

“What a delightful surprise for this palace.”

In the Eastern Palace, within a quiet chamber—

Blue smoke coiled from a beast-horn censer.

The Crown Prince, Xia Chongming, leaned on a desk, holding a bronze wine goblet in one hand, gently swirling the liquor within.

His cheeks were slightly flushed, as though faintly drunk.

He was handsome, with long, narrow phoenix eyes.

His robes were not luxurious, their patterns plain.

Even the collar hung loose, revealing a bit of his chest.

Barefoot, he sat casually, yet no one could ignore his innate nobility.

Across from him, a man in a square cap and feathered robe sat in meditation upon a mat.

Before him was a clay wine stove into which he occasionally added spiritual ingredients.

The aroma of spirit wine soon filled the entire room.

He seemed deaf to the Crown Prince’s murmurs, focusing solely on refining the medicinal wine.

“This Drunken Immortal Brew grows weaker with each dose…”

“Leave.”

After a moment, Xia Chongming drew a deep breath and drained his goblet in one swallow.

His aura instantly steadied, and no trace of drunkenness remained.

His narrow phoenix eyes gleamed with a sharp, intimidating light.

The man in feathered robes rose respectfully, then silently withdrew.

“Shen Jingxiao, what are you plotting? Zhao Qingchan is the one I desire. Your useless son cannot win her over.”

Stepping outside, Xia Chongming found one of his retainers already kneeling there in broad robes.

“Your Highness, should we give that wastrel a lesson? It may also remind the Demon Suppression King that some people are not his to covet at will.”

The retainer spoke with deference.

Xia Chongming narrowed his eyes, waved his hand, and smiled: “The entire Dragon-Tiger Institute knows Zhao Qingchan is mine. If I send people to rough up that wastrel now, the court ministers will only say I am petty.”

The retainer bowed his head: “Your Highness is benevolent.”

“When Father was young, he was virtuous and generous, gathering many scholars around him. Even when he lived in poverty, he would share his wealth and food with his retainers. It was precisely because he won people’s hearts that the ministers later supported him.”

“As Crown Prince, I must not tarnish Father’s name for benevolence. I know that Shen Yanzhou loves cricket fights, so tomorrow send him the Black Cloud General cricket gifted by the envoy of the Uye Kingdom.”

“Excellent, this subordinate shall arrange it at once.”

The retainer quickly rose and departed.

Xia Chongming smirked faintly.

He did not take such a wastrel to heart.

If the Demon Suppression King sought to test him through this, it would only backfire.

Did they think such tricks could vex him?

In his eyes, that son of Shen Jingxiao was only fit to play with crickets in a corner.

…

From Shen Tian, negative emotions +15 +16 +21 +22…

By the time Shen Yanzhou returned to the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion, it was already night.

Although he had strolled around Vermilion Bird Street with Zhao Qingchan, they had not truly conversed deeply.

Later, with Chunchao, he had lingered around the Dragon-Tiger Institute gate, harvesting another few dozen points of negative emotions, before heading back.

Still, Shen Yanzhou found it puzzling—why did Shen Tian’s resentment toward him never seem to cease?

In the afternoon it had nearly subsided, yet after he returned to the mansion, it suddenly surged again.

Could it be jealousy over the possibility that he might marry Zhao Qingchan?

“Could it be that he naively believes it should be him, the true heir, who weds Zhao Qingchan?”

“Heh… precisely because I am a wastrel that the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion and the Divine Martial Marquis’s household can even consider marriage.”

Shen Yanzhou stopped overthinking and began tallying his harvest.

His attention shifted to the panel.

【Name: Shen Yanzhou】

【Techniques: None】

【Secret Arts: Selfless Heart Sword (Incomplete, Entry 1/4)】

【Realm: None】

【Available Basic Points: 0 (425.21/100)】

……

“Not bad, I can redeem four basic points now. As expected, harvesting from the protagonist’s faction is the most efficient.”

Shen Yanzhou was in a very good mood, quite satisfied with today’s harvest.

The negative emotions collected today were converted into four attribute points, which he immediately invested into the Selfless Heart Sword.

【Selfless Heart Sword (Incomplete, Entry 1/4)】

He began adding points.

In the next instant, overwhelming waves of comprehension about the Heart Sword surged into his mind—vast, immense, nearly overwhelming him.

Entry 2/4.

He continued adding.

Entry 3/4.

Entry 4/4.

Shen Yanzhou faintly sensed a bottleneck.

His mastery of the Selfless Heart Sword had reached a certain threshold.

With a mere flick of his finger, he could now unleash a strike equal to his full-strength sword from earlier that day.

Yet before him lay an invisible barrier, like a threshold blocking his step.

If he missed the step, a bottomless abyss awaited.

“According to the cultivation memories, I have already reached the peak of the Entry stage. To enter Minor Accomplishment, one would normally need at least ten years of arduous cultivation, comprehending various truths of the mind and spirit.”

“But… add points.”

Pop—

Shen Yanzhou distinctly heard the sound of a flower blooming—or as though that invisible barrier had been pierced.

In that moment, he seemed to witness the entire lives of countless swordsmen—their cultivation, their struggles, their understanding of sword and heart.

Then streams of luminous awareness gathered in his mind like swimming fish, illuminating the silent darkness of his Mud Pill Palace.

There, within, a sword orb rolled and floated, surrounded by sword-light so fierce it stabbed at the spirit.

【Selfless Heart Sword (Incomplete, Minor Accomplishment 1/4)】

Shen Yanzhou felt his consciousness clear immensely in that instant.

Even the day’s fatigue was swept away.

His spirit-sea shone bright and tranquil.

“So, the Selfless Heart Sword also tempers the soul, strengthening the spirit. In other words, it also boosts spiritual power.”

“If I reach Great Attainment, it could even reflect back to nourish my spirit.”

His eyes shone brilliantly.

Even at night, he could see the courtyards without lanterns as though it were broad daylight.

In a pile of grass and stones, crickets fought viciously for mates—he saw it all clearly.

Without moving, he only glanced.

His gaze seemed to release two celestial swords.

A breeze swept invisibly through the courtyard.

A nearby rockery was suddenly, silently cut in two.

The cut was smooth as a mirror, as though sliced by a heavenly blade.

Another breeze swept by—another formless sword intent descended.

The already-halved rockery split once again.

“My spiritual power shows no sign of depletion. I can still unleash several such strikes. This invisible power—unless the opponent’s spiritual senses are razor-sharp, they could never evade it.”

“Against martial artists below the seventh-rank Blood-burning Realm, a single glance would suffice to kill.”

“The Princess Consort’s mastery of the Selfless Heart Sword is already beneath mine. In the original story, when she slew that great scholar with one sword, it was only due to her high cultivation realm and the element of surprise.”

Shen Yanzhou smiled.

Although the Selfless Heart Sword had reached Minor Accomplishment, he still had no cultivation.

Further raising his mastery alone would not greatly increase the art’s power.

“I still need to obtain that inheritance somehow. But with my current identity, I cannot leave the capital.”

Absentmindedly tapping the desk, Shen Yanzhou began pondering his next steps.

Before long, a plan began to form.