Regarding the domineering emperor that publicly humiliated her, Shu Yu’s hostility was climbing upwards to its highest point, surpassing her anger towards the tiger demon Bai Che who had severely injured Fu Wang in the past and the Fox Clan’s Grand Elder who had killed her.
She kept training with her sword after returning to her pavilion. She was so scary the servants and eunuchs didn’t dare to move or make noise. Originally, most of the servants sent here were moles planted by the other concubines and always acted haughtily with Situ Jingjing. Situ Jingjing was a warm, kind, and naïve person. In uglier terms, she was a feeble person, a punching bag even squishier than Shu Yu herself.
Now she had suddenly become assertive, as if she were an entirely different person. The servants who only dared to bully the weak and bow to the powerful, in their uncertainty and confusion, became quails with their heads ducked low.
Shu Yu was a person who was soft if met with softness, and tough if faced with toughness1遇软则更软，遇硬则更硬 soft if met with softness, tough if faced with toughness. In other words, treat others as others treat you. Be nice if they’re nice, be a greater asshole if they’re an asshole to you. She didn’t have the slightest hint of temper when she first met Fu Wang, who was as warm and gentle as spring water, but now with this domineering emperor… Sorry, Shu Yu expressed that she would never be nice towards those she hated.
Her sword technique was refined and exquisite, but this body wasn’t particularly strong, so she started panting after practicing for only a bit. Shu Yu halted, examining her sword as she pondered what to do about the chamber service.
Should I castrate him first, or should I run first?
But the emperor should have some kind of guards for protection, won’t he? And this emperor, the setting in the original plot was that he was adept in both literature and martial arts, her current body probably wouldn’t be able to beat him. If she ran now, she probably wouldn’t even reach the gates before the guards stopped her. Human wave tactics weren’t fun to face; after all, didn’t she and Fu Wang get overwhelmed by wave tactics last time?
Thinking about this made Shu Yu feel awful. She tightened her expression as she continued practicing the sword. She had a certain tick, where no matter if she was nervous or unhappy or wanted to pretend about something, her face would stiffen into a poker face; in front of unfamiliar strangers, she was even more used to putting on a lofty and cold expression to bluff her way through. Fu Wang was the only one who could ever discern the discomfort underneath her facade.
She kept training until it was time to go to sleep. A group of servants shoved each other as they stared at her expression, not daring to step forward. Finally, it was Tong Xiang who, trembling, stepped forward to say, “My Lady, it’s time to retire to your chambers. Will you go and bathe yourself? The Emperor will be arriving soon.”
Shu Yu pretended not to hear. Her sword swung faster and faster, turning into a blur in the air.
If that emperor really dared come by force, she would fight him tooth and nail; if she could castrate him then she will castrate him, if she can’t castrate him, she will just run.
More than a year ago when she first transmigrated into the demonic realm of Mengze, she was full of fear and hell bent on pretending to be Tianfeng Jinyu, fearing that she would be exposed, whereas now, she had become much more capricious. After having experienced many things in Mengze, she didn’t actually have anything to be afraid of here.
Regrettably, the Emperor didn’t come. He was intercepted by Consort Ning on his way here. Consort Ning was the woman who ruined Shu Yu’s hair at the evening party and was then scared into incoherent shrieking by Shu Yu. This behavior of hers was undoubtedly revenge on Shu Yu.
Consort Ning: You wish to get the Emperor’s favor? In your dreams!
Shu Yu: Well done! Kudos to you, sis!
An unexpected but welcome surprise. However, although the emperor himself didn’t come, he sent a eunuch with a box. Shu Yu picked up the letter on top of the box, on which was written with powerful strokes: “If you wish for me to release those Wuyue assassins, then take the initiative to voluntarily attend to me.”
When the box was opened, it was shown that several bloodied fingers were inside it.
The female servants around them started screaming.
Shu Yu calmly closed the box, returned to her pavilion, bathed herself, and went to sleep.
Hahaha. She wasn’t the original Situ Jingjing, she’s seen innumerable amounts of weird demonic beast corpses and even demonkin corpses, how could a few fingers scare her? As for the threatening letter, she had even less reason to bother with it. Should she cry and sob about how those were her people, and she couldn’t abandon them like Situ Jingjing in the original plot, and then obediently throw herself into the emperor’s arms and be pah’ed by him? Just thinking about it made her stomach churn in disgust.
It was better to think of a way to meet the Grand Advisor. These kinds of high-ranking people usually have strange personalities, who knows, maybe he would agree to help her find the person she sought?
The Grand Advisor lived in the Crescent Pavilion, located right in the junction between the inner and outer palace. If she wanted to go there, Shu Yu needed to enter the imperial harem’s quarters. There was an azure gate that led towards the Crescent Pavilion there, however people guarded this gate every day. And even if she bypassed them, it was rumored that the Crescent Pavilion the Grand Advisor lived in was slightly abnormal. There were no attendants inside, only the Grand Advisor dwelled there in profound seclusion and simplicity, but without the permission of the Grand Advisor, no one was allowed to enter through its gate.
The next day, early in the morning, Shu Yu made way towards the southern gardens of the imperial garden. That place was relatively close to the Crescent Pavilion, and you could see the azure gate from there. She needed to investigate the terrain.
However, before she reached the vicinity of the azure gate, Shu Yu glimpsed a tall figure in greenish colored clothes walking on a small path not far away. The sideways profile that was glimpsed between the heavy shadows of the flower branches shook Shu Yu’s heart to its core, but then, her heart was overwhelmed with joy.
She ignored Tong Xiang’s calls behind her, brushing aside the flower branches as she chased after that figure. Fu Wang! That was Fu Wang! At this moment Shu Yu didn’t wonder why Fu Wang was here in this place, the person she yearned to find so desperately had suddenly appeared before her, she felt so happy she had no idea what to do. Her previous agitation completely vanished in a single instant.
The green clothed figure wasn’t that far away, but Shu Yu just couldn’t catch up to him. Seeing the figure vanishing behind a cluster of flowers and trees, Shu Yu couldn’t help but open her mouth and scream, “Fu Wang!”
She sprinted past the corner, but before she had a chance to see the scenery in front of her, she felt herself tripping over something and falling forward.
“Be careful.”
An extremely familiar voice rang right next to her ears. At the same time, Shu Yu felt herself crash into a warm embrace. Someone grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up, then held her shoulders until she steadied herself, and then respectfully released her. The warmth of their palm brushed past Shu Yu’s wrists, making her want to burst into tears.
But when her red-rimmed eyes pitifully looked up at him, she noticed that the man in front of her was different from Fu Wang, his features only looked half-similar, however, his atmosphere was extremely alike— gentle, disciplined, with eyes like a pool of peach blossom springs when he looked at her.
Shu Yu felt a bit uncertain. She timidly asked, “Fu Wang?”
The man in green colored robes smiled at her. He took a step back and greeted her with a fist and palm gesture. “This person is Ye Linhuai, son of the Imperial Tutor Ye and the Minister of Rites. I have caused an offense in my haste; I beg for forgiveness from her lady Consort Jing. Is her Lady alright?”
Shu Yu stood there staring at him. Her heart gradually sank down from its rush of delight, feeling more dejected and pained than before she had seen him. The feeling of extreme disappointment caused her to be unable to hold back the stinging in her eyes. She could only duck her head and stare at some flower petals which had fallen on the ground and been trampled into bits.
A plain white handkerchief appeared before her eyes. The man who introduced himself as Ye Linhuai softly said, “Please use it.”
Shu Yu hesitated for a moment. She then reached out, not for the handkerchief, but instead she directly grabbed his hand. At a time like this she didn’t care if this person would think she was a pervert or not, she only wanted to verify this—— That moment when she had accidentally fallen into his embrace, that feeling of safety she felt then was indeed something that only Fu Wang could give her. She needed to know if that was a hallucination from being overly emotional.
After his wrist was suddenly grabbed, Ye Linhuai paused, but didn’t jerk away his hand. Instead, he inquired with that ever present gentleness: “Consort Jing, is there anything amiss?”
“You are Fu Wang, aren’t you?” Shu Yu didn’t let go of his wrist. She felt that the feeling this person gave her was very familiar, even more so now that she was touching him.
“I don’t know who Consort Jing is talking about. Moreover, his majesty the Emperor has summoned this officer for an audience, and I’ve delayed it for quite some time. Does Consort Jing have anything else? If not, this officer must leave first.” Ye Linhuai said leisurely and calmly, smiling as he gazed at Shu Yu.
Faced with that gaze which looked at a stranger, Shu Yu had no choice but to let go. Once again, she began to doubt herself, wondering if she missed Fu Wang so much that she had mistook this person who resembled him as Fu Wang.
Thinking about it clearly, it was unlikely for Fu Wang to appear here to begin with.
“I’m sorry for my actions,” Shu Yu said thickly. After he bowed and left, Shu Yu felt her strength leave her body. She dejectedly sat on a stone block on the side of the road.
Tong Xiang found them some moments ago. She had looked at them with a horrified expression, and then looked uneasy and afraid they would be seen by someone. Seeing that Ye Linhuai had finally left, she quickly walked to Shu Yu’s side and said, “My Lady, what were you doing just now! If you had been seen by anyone, the Emperor would’ve punished you!”
Both of them did not notice—— After the departing Ye Linhuai walked off a certain distance, he turned back and glanced at Shu Yu, his expression unreadable.
Shu Yu was spacing out. She mulled over the identity of Ye Linhuai. The son of Imperial Tutor Ye. She remembered about the Imperial Tutor Ye, it seemed like he was a small villain in the original plot. He disagreed with the Emperor and always sought to kick him down and have the third prince take the throne. But wasn’t that old man infertile? His manor was full of wives and concubines but he didn’t have a single child. What was the deal with this Ye Linhuai, who never appeared in the original plot like the Grand Advisor?
Situ Jingjing arrived at Tianyun Kingdom not long ago, there were still many things she didn’t know, so after she found there were no more useful memories, she tugged at Tong Xiang beside her and asked, “That Minister of Rites, Ye Linhuai, do you know anything about him?”
Tong Xiang’s face was miserable. “My Lady, you cannot. Although Lord Ye is indeed a prestigious gentleman, if the Emperor finds out…”
“Talk!” Shu Yu interrupted her.
Tong Xiang could only whisper: “Lord Ye is a famous young lord in the imperial capital, no one knows just how many young ladies dream of being favored by Lord Ye. When he was sixteen, Lord Ye earned the title of the top scoring scholar. He’s very valued by the Emperor, who praises him for his unparalleled tactics and wisdom. But I hear that Lord Ye has a strange disease, said to be carried from when he was in his mother’s womb, he will sometimes suddenly fall unconscious and wake up after a few days, and at such times he seems to be unable to hear others or speak a word, he will just stay in a trance. They say it’s because he has the lost soul syndrome.2失魂症 or 离魂症, where the person seems to be in a trance or hallucination, where he looks to be soulless and bereft of life. In ancient China, severe insomnia, exhaustion, mental breakdowns, or intellectual disability could be mistaken for this. Sometimes, in novels with the settings, it’s the real shit and the person has lost their souls.”
Shu Yu was in deep thought. After a while, her gaze became determined again. Through the tree branches, she could see the top of a towering structure in the distance, that was a high tower of the Grand Advisor’s Crescent Pavilion, said to be where the Grand Advisor lived. She had to go there and ask the Grand Advisor some questions.
As for how to get there, Shu Yu decided to investigate the Crescent Pavilion at night.
When it was night, Shu Yu, disguised as an imperial female servant, traversed through the imperial garden, arriving near the Crescent Pavilion. Thanks to the sixth sense she had painstakingly trained, she managed to slink past a few squads of patrolling guards and smoothly arrived near the enclosing walls of the azure gate.
After having gotten used to the inhuman constitution of a demon’s physical body, and then suddenly turning back into a human, it really was a bit awkward. As expected, it’s difficult to go from luxury to frugality, she couldn’t even climb up a wall of this height. Shu Yu gritted her teeth and tried a few more times, and finally pulled herself over the wall with great difficulty. She began running towards the Crescent Pavilion.
There were no patrols near the Crescent Pavilion. It was pitch black, there were some lights only on the highest floor of the tower. Towering high walls surrounded the Crescent Pavilion. As with moments prior, Shu Yu started climbing over the wall, but it was only after she climbed over it did she realize a problem.
There was only one building in the Crescent Pavilion. It was that tall tower. And that tall tower was surrounded completely by water.
No bridge. No boat. Was she supposed to swim across it?
Just as this thought crossed her mind, she saw a small boat approaching the shore. The boat was empty, there was only one lantern on it, and then a hole opened in the lantern as it started speaking. “The Grand Advisor invites the guest into the tower to meet him.”
Shu Yu remembered the rumors of how the Grand Advisor could suppress demons. The speaking lantern in front of her wasn’t a demon, it seemed more like one of those spiritual creatures. So, those non-human creatures that appeared in this world, did they have a connection with Mengze?
Moreover, the Grand Advisor was truly worthy of being the Grand Advisor, his discipline and attitude as a sorcerer wasn’t too bad, the way he pretended to be all mysterious and mystic was so smooth~
After carefully boarding the boat, the boat rowed itself towards the tower. It was very eerie, it really made the hairs on one’s back stand up. Shu Yu thought about how to ask the Grand Advisor for help in finding a person when she saw him. She calmed down, but then she began to get a little nervous.
When she got off the boat and entered through the tower’s door, the tower lit up with lamps and lights. Then a voice from somewhere in the place said, “The Grand Advisor is in the middle of praying. Esteemed guest, please wait upstairs for a moment.”
Lights were also lit on both sides of the stairs in front of her, as if they were guiding her. Shu Yu glanced back at the lake outside, then walked toward the stairs. When she reached the third floor, the voice spoke again, “Esteemed guest, please wait here.”
Shu Yu was in a place that looked like a guest reception room and somewhat like a library. There were tables, chairs and tea sets on one side, the tea visibly steaming hot air, and on the other side there were many bookshelves and books.
Shu Yu sat patiently on a chair for a while. She didn’t see the Grand Advisor appearing, the whole building seemed quiet.
The wind started whistling outside. It blew open one of the windows, causing it to hit the wall with a loud banging sound.
Shu Yu jumped a bit and looked over, just in time to see a book being blown off the shelf and onto the ground with a soft plop.
She hesitated slightly, but still stood up. First she closed the window that was blown open. Before closing it, she glanced outside and saw that in just a short amount of time the skies had indeed changed, as dark and churning clouds gathered in the sky. It seemed like it would rain.
After locking the window, she then walked near the shelf and picked up the fallen book. The book had landed with its pages open. Shu Yu was about to close it and put it back on the shelf, but she abruptly stopped after glimpsing its contents.
On one side of the page, there was a man drawn on it. His body was splattered with blood as he stepped on a mountain of corpses and through a sea of blood, his hand gripping one single head as his lips stretched into an icy and ruthless smile, invoking terror in any who saw him.
But the thing that caught Shu Yu’s attention were the words written on the side.
—— The Devil Lord is originally a half-demon from the Fox Clan, who by chance afterwards, falls into corruption. He becomes the Devil and, consumed by madness, rampages and slaughters the members of the Fox Clan, proceeding to eradicate the entire clan, while the other four clans also suffer countless casualties and injuries…
—— Cast into the Abyss of Buried Gods, he did not perish, and instead, his cultivation progresses to horrifying heights and thus then proceeds to obliterate the Abyss of Buried Gods itself…
—— Mengze is dragged into civil chaos. One hundred years later, the four clans divide and turn on one another. Countless demons cannot withstand the atrocities of the Devil Lord and retreat to the human realm…
—— The Devil Lord pursues the demons to the human realm, resulting in the suffering and strife of all living beings on the continent…
—— The Heavenly Dao rejects his existence and casts divine retribution, imprisoning the Devil Lord under Acheron Mountain, wherein he’s sentenced to the torment of having his soul flogged endlessly, with no chance of escape…
Shu Yu was trembling as she flipped to the next page, only to see one single line written:
—— Records transpired more than one thousand years ago.
Chapter Description: Where is the boss~ Oh where is the boss~
Author’s Note: OK, keep guessing guys.
Translator’s Note: It’s hard to write the denominations and positions of imperial harem plots…
![[Western Fantasy] What Kind of Character Did the Devs Give Me Anyway?](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/冥河摆渡者.jpg "[Western Fantasy] What Kind of Character Did the Devs Give Me Anyway?")
