TBR CH2

He felt neither anxious nor afraid. In fact, there was a certain practiced arrogance in his demeanor.

The system urged him to restrain himself, but he found it troublesome. After all, every time he so much as smiled, those before him would practically worship him as a deity and offer him everything they had.

Including their hearts. The thought amused Shen Nian, and he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

Take that subordinate from earlier, for example.

He had only shed a few fake tears, and the man had taken it as genuine.

He had merely pretended to have no one to rely on, and the man instantly believed himself to be the only lifeline for a helpless, beautiful youth.

At this point, even if he asked the man to sacrifice himself, he would likely do so without hesitation.

The human heart was something that could be manipulated. And Shen Nian’s own heart had been fed by endless greed, turning into a bottomless abyss. He could hardly wait—hardly wait to see the supreme ruler of the Demon Realm fall at his feet as well.

Before his transmigration, Shen Nian had been nothing more than an unemployed recluse, long past the age of youthful ambition. Lacking any skills, he had survived by living off his parents. His laziness kept him from acquiring any abilities to support himself, and instead, he indulged in pleasure-seeking day after day.

It wasn’t until he had drained his family’s wealth and left them bankrupt that he was forced to look for a job. But he was utterly unaccustomed to hard work. Unable to endure the struggles of employment, he eventually starved to death at home. His resentment and greed attracted the system.

Without hesitation, he had signed a contract with it.

To be adored without doing anything.

To obtain everything without any effort.

This was Shen Nian’s ideal life.

What he didn’t know was that, under the Heavenly Dao’s concealment, Gu Shishu had already begun observing him.

“That’s it?”

Gu Shishu felt a deep sense of disappointment. He had expected to see someone extraordinary.

“This Shen Nian… What’s so attractive about him?”

No matter how he looked at the youth, he was nothing more than plain and unremarkable. The stark contrast between his mediocre appearance and his overwhelming arrogance only made him seem absurdly out of place.

Moreover, he sat brazenly within the Demon Palace, making no effort to show restraint. Rather than appearing like an accidental intruder, he looked more like he had come to claim ownership of the place.

The black book in Gu Shishu’s hands flipped to a new page, revealing a line of text:

“His universal charm effect does not work on you.”

It almost sounded smug. Gu Shishu ran his fingers over the book’s cover, acknowledging the sentiment with silent approval.

He continued observing the young man and soon noticed that Shen Nian was growing visibly agitated. His movements became restless, and he even struck the coral table in the hall several times in frustration—despite the fact that it was adorned with spirit fruits carefully prepared by one of his loyal subordinates.

Gu Shishu sighed.

His subordinates in the Demon Realm seemed to be even more foolish than Shen Nian. They had actually prepared refreshments for a trespasser with unknown intentions.

…They really were treating him like an honored guest.

At least Shen Nian possessed some intelligence—he had enough sense not to eat the spirit fruits. After all, what kind of fragile, grief-stricken little white flower would arrive in the Demon Realm and immediately start feasting without a second thought?

His table-pounding was simply a sign of impatience. According to his expectations, the Demon Lord should have already arrived to meet him by now, allowing him to fully unleash his universal charm.

The system once again reminded him to maintain his disguise and not let his guard down.

Shen Nian only responded absentmindedly.

After all, whenever a target approached, the system would detect it and provide him with an alert. What was there to worry about?

“Speaking of which,” Gu Shishu mused as he watched from the shadows, a realization dawning upon him.

“From what I read in your book, that system of his is supposed to alert him whenever a target is near.”

He gestured toward Shen Nian, who was lounging in the hall with complete disregard for his surroundings.

“So why does he look like that when I’m already here?”

A line of text emerged on the black book’s surface:

“I am still useful.”

So, it was the Heavenly Dao that had used its power to completely block Gu Shishu’s perception of Shen Nian’s universal charm aura—while also cutting off the system’s ability to detect Gu Shishu’s presence.

The book seemed rather pleased with itself, buzzing and shaking slightly, as if reveling in its accomplishment.

Gu Shishu found it somewhat amusing. The Heavenly Dao was supposed to be omnipotent, yet now, after suffering severe depletion at the hands of an otherworldly interloper, it was forced to expend its own energy just to assist him. And yet, it didn’t seem particularly frustrated by this turn of events.

Perhaps, after years of conflict, the Heavenly Dao had already grown accustomed to losing face in front of him—so much so that it had simply embraced the reality of it.

Regardless of the reason, a teammate still deserved praise when they performed well.

Gu Shishu poked the cover of the black book in acknowledgment. “Not bad,” he said approvingly, before adding:

“Now, release my aura so that his system detects me. I want to see how he reacts.”

No sooner had Gu Shishu spoken than the Heavenly Dao lifted its suppression. Almost immediately, Shen Nian heard a warning from his system:

“Host, be advised! The target has entered your vicinity—twenty meters ahead.”

So soon!

Shen Nian barely had time to be surprised. He quickly adjusted his posture, though he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of irritation toward the system.

Would it really have killed it to warn him a little earlier?

Meanwhile, Gu Shishu strode toward the side hall’s entrance and pushed the door open without hesitation.

Though the chosen one had been given little time to prepare, he certainly possessed an impressive ability to adapt.

The arrogant smirk that had lingered on Shen Nian’s lips vanished in an instant, replaced by two swiftly falling trails of tears. His expression turned sorrowful, his eyes misty with unshed anguish.

Startled by the sound of the door opening, he lifted his head in alarm—just in time to present Gu Shishu with a face full of tearful grievance, shimmering in the candlelight.

A flawless display.

Gu Shishu almost felt like applauding.

However, while this masterful performance, coupled with the protagonist’s supposed universal charm, was meant to evoke heartache and tenderness, to Gu Shishu—who could see through the illusion—it felt empty and exaggerated, even contrived.

For truly beautiful individuals, a touch of theatricality could sometimes accentuate their allure.

But watching Shen Nian, with his utterly ordinary face, immerse himself in an elaborate performance… Gu Shishu felt no stir of emotion. If anything, he was mildly amused.

He spent a few seconds suppressing the urge to laugh.

From Shen Nian’s perspective, however, the scene played out quite differently.

The moment the Demon Lord laid eyes on him, he froze in place, his gaze locked onto Shen Nian’s face, utterly captivated. He couldn’t even look away.

Shen Nian’s heart leaped.

Gu Shishu had fallen so easily—far more easily than he had expected.

After all, Gu Shishu’s own appearance was among the finest in the cultivation world.

The untamed, powerful Demon Lord stood tall, his broad shoulders and narrow waist accentuating his imposing figure. His jet-black hair cascaded down his back like ink, a striking contrast against his pale skin. He was a rare embodiment of elegance and lethality, his demonic aura perfectly complementing his commanding presence.

Compared to him, the other men Shen Nian had conquered before suddenly seemed mundane.

Shen Nian licked his lips, already anticipating the delightful life that awaited him once he had this man under his control.

He carefully timed how long he should hold his tearful, vulnerable expression before slightly shifting his posture—just enough to appear both timid and distressed. Lowering his head, he hesitantly asked:

“You… you are the Demon Lord? I never intended to intrude, it’s just… just…”

His voice wavered purposefully, leaving his sentence unfinished, deliberately inviting curiosity.

If the circumstances had been different, Gu Shishu would have loved to take out the black book and check whether the protagonist had a stuttering problem.

Why was he struggling to get through a single sentence? Gu Shishu hated this kind of roundabout way of speaking.

Still, he forced himself to play along, slipping into the role of an easily swayed ruler. With a seemingly indulgent air, he responded:

“If you have grievances, you may speak freely.”

Gu Shishu’s voice was naturally cold, and even though he intentionally softened it, his tone still carried the distant authority of someone accustomed to command.

The black book trembled slightly inside his sleeve, exuding an air of exasperation—clearly unimpressed by his acting.

Taking the hint, Gu Shishu immediately added in a gentler tone:

“Do not be afraid. I never knew the Heavenly Sects had someone as beautiful as you. What is your name?”

Shen Nian hesitated slightly at Gu Shishu’s tone.

Something felt… off.

Unaware that Gu Shishu was actually making an effort to sound approachable, Shen Nian instead found himself growing wary—this target seemed a little harder to charm than the others.

It wasn’t until Gu Shishu, adopting the demeanor of a tyrant enamored with beauty, softened his tone and asked for his name that Shen Nian finally steadied himself.

It didn’t matter. No one could resist the effects of the universal charm aura.

He continued acting according to the plan he had envisioned:

“I am a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. My name is Shen Nian.”

The young man appeared to harbor a deep-seated admiration for the Demon Lord, gazing at him with wide, misty eyes full of cautious reverence, like a fledgling bird imprinting on its protector.

“Your praise is too generous, Lord. If you don’t mind… you may call me Nian Nian.”

That name was enough to make Gu Shishu’s teeth ache.

Who in their right mind would ask a complete stranger to address them by a pet name after a single encounter?

But Gu Shishu, maintaining his charade of indulgence, pretended to find it pleasing. He let the name roll briefly on his tongue before remarking,

“A fine name. As a disciple of Qingcheng Sect, how did you find yourself in my Demon Palace? And why do you not seem afraid of me?”

—Well, obviously, when you act like a lovestruck fool welcoming romance into your life, who would be afraid of you?

Even Gu Shishu couldn’t help but mock himself internally.

Shen Nian, however, was perfectly satisfied with how things were progressing. He had seen countless people fall under the influence of the universal charm aura, all inexplicably developing goodwill toward him at first sight.

Everything was unfolding exactly as expected.

For this crucial moment, he had already prepared his response.

The supposedly helpless disciple who had “accidentally” wandered into the Demon Realm bit his lip, as if hesitant to speak. After a long pause, he reluctantly revealed what seemed to be a closely guarded secret of the Celestial Realm:

“I… I was pushed off the Fallen Immortal Platform by other disciples. They… they didn’t mean to, it was just… I was too careless…”

As though recalling a painful memory, his voice gradually took on a quivering quality, thick with repressed sorrow—ensuring that his supposed grief was impossible to ignore.

By Shen Nian’s calculations, this was the moment the Demon Lord should be emotionally stirred—should feel sympathy, should cherish and protect him.

He lifted his pale face, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“So what if it’s the Demon Realm? The people here… they have all been kind to me. You have been kind to me too. I… I don’t think the divide between Immortals and Demons is as great as the world claims.”

In his mind, Shen Nian silently urged the system to activate the “onion tool”—a special function that allowed him to shed tears at will.

To an outsider, it would appear as if he could no longer hold back his emotions, his tears finally spilling over in a heartbreaking display.

Had anyone else been present, they would have witnessed an awe-inspiring scene, filtered through the universal charm aura:

A breathtakingly beautiful youth, streaked with glistening tears, his sorrow only amplifying his ethereal allure. The sheer fragility of his expression would awaken a deep, instinctual urge to protect him—to treasure him as something uniquely pure and irreplaceable.

It was a shame, then, that Gu Shishu was not seeing the same thing.

Most ordinary people, after all, looked worse when they cried.

Resisting the urge to frown, Gu Shishu watched as the protagonist wept uncontrollably before him, and instead of compassion, he felt… mild repulsion.

As for the tragic story of being ostracized and bullied by his fellow sect members?

Not for a second did he believe it.

A child of fate, endowed with the universal charm aura and capable of seducing even the most formidable figures across different realms—bullied by ordinary disciples of his sect?

He was faking it.

Gu Shishu could more or less guess Shen Nian’s intentions: to fabricate shared suffering in order to stir up memories of Gu Shishu’s own past and, through that, evoke a sense of empathy.

But for someone who could see through the act, it was nothing short of an insult.

Even as the black book frantically vibrated inside his sleeve, urging him to stay in character as an enraptured fool, Gu Shishu remained silent, his expression dark and unreadable.

Shen Nian continued sobbing, waiting for the comfort that should have arrived by now—waiting for the inevitable moment when the Demon Lord would be overwhelmed with sympathy and tenderly embrace him.

Yet, for some reason, it didn’t come.

Uneasy, Shen Nian cautiously lifted his gaze, sneaking a glance at the man before him.

Gu Shishu’s expression was terrifying.

Had… had he succeeded in triggering the desired emotional resonance?

Then why wasn’t he offering comfort?

To ensure he could stay in the Demon Palace without issue, Shen Nian gritted his teeth and forced himself to push forward, his sobs intensifying.

“I don’t want to go back… I-I can do anything here… Please, Lord, don’t send me away…”