TBR CH6

Gu Shishu watched Shen Nian with great interest, curious about how he would smooth over the current situation.

“Lord…”

Shen Nian hurriedly put down what he was holding, knelt on the cold ground, and called out with a trembling voice, as if he were the one who had been wronged.

Then, he raised his half-fearful, half-panicked eyes and pointed directly at the guard kneeling beside him.

“It—it was he who doubted my unclear identity and was uneasy about letting me manage your palace. He insisted on handling it himself. I had no choice but to comply with him…”

“These spirit fruits and drinks were also brought by him. I—I couldn’t resist and secretly tasted one.”

This was a clumsy and obviously flawed excuse, but if the guard cooperated and coupled with the effects of his innate charm, perhaps it could still be salvaged…

After all, his special ability naturally inclined people to have a favorable impression of him, and people always believe what they want to believe.

Gu Shishu stepped into the hall one step at a time, the sound of his footsteps particularly distinct in the ears of the two individuals prostrated on the ground.

Seemingly swayed by Shen Nian’s explanation, he stopped in front of his subordinate, who had clearly lost his senses.

“Is this true?”

The Demon Lord inquired.

The palace attendant trembled uncontrollably—he could hardly believe that the kind and gentle young man in his heart had so effortlessly fabricated a lie to exonerate himself from the crime of defying the Demon Lord.

He looked at Shen Nian, only to find that the other party did not spare him a single glance, as if they had never been acquainted.

How could this be?

But—but aside from himself, Shen Nian had no other support.

Gritting his teeth, he actually admitted everything:

“I deserve a thousand deaths.”

Yet, in his heart, doubt about his own actions began to arise.

Due to Shen Nian’s innate charm, his image remained beautiful and captivating. Even as he looked at him, a sense of unfamiliarity crept in, a subtle feeling of discord.

Seeing his ploy working with the guard’s cooperation, Shen Nian discreetly let out a sigh of relief.

He was unaware, however, that the gaze upon him carried not just infatuation but also growing hesitation and contradiction.

Gu Shishu, however, observed all of this.

He curled his lips into a smile and bypassed the ashen-faced, kneeling guard, walking straight to Shen Nian.

From Shen Nian’s kneeling perspective, he could only see Gu Shishu’s dark boots embroidered with golden thread. He dared not lift his head, only growing increasingly anxious, his heart tightening like a prisoner awaiting judgment.

Yet, the Demon Lord did not look at either of them. Instead, he casually flipped through the exquisite treasures on the table. He had to admit, this subordinate of his was genuinely devoted to Shen Nian—some of these items were clearly the result of years of careful accumulation, yet he had pretended to present them indifferently.

Perhaps he thought that merely stating their value would unsettle the seemingly pure-hearted youth.

How laughable.

“I was unaware,”

As soon as he finally spoke, both figures on the ground shuddered.

“As a subordinate of the Demon Palace, why would you be so wary of a mere disciple from a celestial sect cleaning the palace, to the point of insisting on doing it yourself? What, do you suspect something is amiss with him?”

At first, Shen Nian felt relieved that the Demon Lord’s attention had shifted away from him.

But before he could fully exhale, the latter half of the sentence still landed squarely on him.

The move was a complete failure.

Panic-stricken, Shen Nian frantically called out to his system in his mind, quickly pulling up the system’s item catalog. He found the memory-wiping item he had long been reluctant to redeem.

Resetting just one hour of memory would cost him most of the points he had painstakingly accumulated from seducing the Yao King and the Human Emperor.

But what choice did he have? Trembling, he gritted his teeth and instructed the system internally:

“I’ll buy—”

Before the thought could fully form, the kneeling guard suddenly suppressed his fear and spoke up:

“Lord, I—I have something to report.”

Shen Nian hastily withdrew his unfinished transaction, planning to first hear what the guard had to say.

He then saw the usually obedient guard take a deep breath, turn to look at him, his expression carrying an air of resolve.

“It was indeed my fault,”

The guard exhaled heavily.

“I have feelings for Nian Nian, so I only pretended to pressure him, hoping he could take a rest. These items were all my own decision to bring him. But everything Nian Nian said was true—he was unaware of it. If he had known, he would never have consumed them.”

The explanation was still passable, yet Shen Nian instinctively felt something was wrong.

Sure enough, Gu Shishu responded to this statement with an amused smile, his emotions unreadable.

“So, it turns out you’re a pair of star-crossed lovers. Hmm,”

The Demon Lord, as if making a casual decision, continued,

“This is hardly a serious matter—I see no harm in fulfilling your wishes. Today’s events can be overlooked.”

“But,” he then turned to Shen Nian, “does your Nian Nian wish to be with you?”

Shen Nian’s face turned deathly pale.

What now?

The guard’s eyes gleamed with hope, as if seeking recognition for his actions.

But Shen Nian could never accept him.

If the Demon Lord truly believed this, how could he continue his seduction of Gu Shishu? At this thought, he instinctively reached out to the system again to activate the memory-wiping function, only to stop himself.

No, even with all his accumulated points, he could only afford this item once.

And with the guard’s voluntary confession, this situation was not yet a dead end.

Sacrificing a pawn to protect the king—who was the pawn, and who was the king?

With this realization, Shen Nian’s expression shifted to one of fear and helplessness. He gazed at the guard with unfamiliar eyes and cried out sharply:

“I don’t want to! I—I don’t even know you well! You may have been kind to me, but I was unaware of it. How could I possibly agree to this?”

The guard, who had just begun to smile, froze in shock.

No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Shen Nian’s behavior over the past two days—how could he claim not to have noticed his affections? How could he say he had never reciprocated?

Besides, he—he had just been covering for Shen Nian!

A chill crept into the guard’s limbs. No matter how deep his feelings had been, they were now drowned in disbelief.

Shen Nian, however, turned away without a second glance, quietly sobbing:

“Lord, I don’t know what to do… But I… I actually like…”

“No, I can’t be with him.”

The young man seemed to carry some unspoken sorrow. As tears streamed down his face, he hesitantly cast his gaze toward the only one in control of the situation—the Demon Lord. Halfway through his words, he even seemed to blush and lower his head shyly, a striking flush spreading across his fair skin.

His innate charm ability activated—at this moment, Shen Nian looked heartbreakingly beautiful, like a lovestruck youth in unrequited longing, evoking a desire for someone to cherish him.

Unfortunately, among the two present, one was immune to his ability.

And the other, though still under its influence, found his gaze gradually turning cold, like dying embers.

Staring blankly at the one he had once loved, the guard thought to himself:

“Why did I fall for him in the first place—?”

Gu Shishu felt that the timing was just right—his subordinate would likely no longer act like someone bewitched, entangled in a doomed love affair. He was quite satisfied.

As for Shen Nian, he was still of use.

Seeing that the Demon Lord’s gaze no longer carried its usual unreadable indifference, and instead bore a rare hint of approval, Shen Nian couldn’t help but tremble as he lowered his head. He felt as if he had finally passed this ordeal.

Perhaps he had even left a deeper impression on the Demon Lord.

He comforted himself, forcing his mind away from the other person present—the one who had been left utterly devastated.

That was merely a necessary sacrifice.

At this point, the Demon Lord’s expression did indeed soften.

“If you have no intention, I will not force you. However, the misunderstanding between you two should still be resolved.”

Shen Nian’s face lit up with joy, as if Gu Shishu’s words were the sole salvation he had been waiting for. Yet, deep down, he felt no relief.

This was not resolving a misunderstanding—this was a complete and utter defeat.

“Rise, both of you.”

Gu Shishu first ordered his subordinate to withdraw. The man, already shaken to the core, hurriedly expressed his gratitude, not sparing a single glance at Shen Nian before hastily retreating to receive his punishment.

Of course, it would not be a severe one—Gu Shishu knew well that in the presence of the “Child of Fate,” people always ended up doing foolish things. Besides, losing years’ worth of accumulated resources only to gain nothing in return was punishment enough.

As for Shen Nian.

Gu Shishu was not particularly inclined to continue this act, but he played along just enough.

Lowering his gaze, he looked at the delicate and grief-stricken young man on the ground and extended a hand to help him up.

He did not touch him directly—there was a thin layer of fabric between them.

Yet, Shen Nian seemed boneless, nearly collapsing against him at the slightest movement. His face was still damp, streaked with lingering tear tracks.

To any onlooker, he would appear as a beautiful youth who had just suffered an unjust ordeal, now leaning against the only person he could trust. Naturally, such a sight would evoke pity and indulgence.

Gu Shishu had to suppress the impulse to shove the so-called “Child of Fate” away and finish him off with a single strike.

Not just yet.

“You—”

The Demon Lord began as gently as possible, while subtly righting Shen Nian and swiftly withdrawing his hand, concealing the revulsion flickering in his eyes.

“Do you still wish to remain in the Demon Palace?”

“The Demon Palace has you, My Lord. Of course, I wish to stay…” Shen Nian’s gaze was filled with deep affection. “Besides, no matter how vast the world may be, I… I no longer have anywhere else to go…”

“You truly have no desire to return to Qingcheng Sect?”

Shen Nian shook his head without hesitation. Then, as if suddenly realizing an opportunity to gain favor, he cautiously added:

“I heard that you, too, were once in Qingcheng Sect, but…”

His words trailed off, leaving an unspoken implication that everyone knew but he dared not voice, fearing he might touch upon the Demon Lord’s sore spot.

Instead, he played the role of an empathetic confidant, continuing,

“So, though it may be presumptuous of me, I feel that perhaps you would understand. To outsiders, Qingcheng Sect appears resplendent and virtuous, yet within, it harbors filth and corruption. Such things are far from uncommon. In contrast, this place feels… purer to me. I—”

The well-rehearsed Shen Nian suddenly fell silent, his pupils dilating slightly.

It was as if he had been struck speechless by something before him.

Sensing something, Gu Shishu turned toward the entrance of the hall. Light from the outside poured in, silhouetting the figure standing at the threshold, making it difficult to discern his features.

But he carried a sword.

A broken sword—yet even in the light, it gleamed brilliantly, its blade as sharp and cold as ice water, sending a chill at the mere sight of it.

The sword was cold.

Just like the man who wielded it—aloof and solitary, as pristine as frost and moonlight.

Qingcheng Sword Sovereign, Fu Tingxue.

At last, he had arrived.