4: Chapter 4 Aunt Chen Rou

Outside the main gate of the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion, two stone lions stood impressively.

Just as Chen Shanzhi crossed the threshold, a fragrant breeze rushed towards him.

"Shan'er!" A woman's voice, gentle and filled with a hint of anxiety.

Chen Shanzhi looked up and saw a beautiful woman in a simple yet elegant long dress walking towards him quickly.

She appeared to be around thirty years old, possessing the unique charm of a mature woman.

This was Chen Rou, the sworn sister of Chen Shanzhi's mother and his foster concubine.

She was also the only person in this vast Marquis Mansion, besides the old master guarding the border, who was close to him.

"Aunt, slow down."

Chen Shanzhi smiled and walked up to her, naturally supporting Chen Rou's arm.

Chen Rou looked Chen Shanzhi up and down, her gentle eyes filled with concern.

She even reached out to feel his body, confirming he wasn't missing any limbs before letting out a sigh of relief.

"You didn't return all night last night; Coachman Zhao Da said you went to Yihong Pavilion?"

Chen Rou's tone carried a hint of reproach, but it was mostly doting.

"That place is a mix of good and bad people. If you want to listen to music, just call people back to the mansion. Why did you stay there all night? Do you know how worried Aunt was??"

Speaking of this, a flash of lingering fear crossed Chen Rou's eyes.

The ambush seven years ago had occurred less than five miles from the capital.

Back then, in order to help Chen Shanzhi break through the encirclement, she had forcibly burned her Origin, causing her own strength to drop by a small Realm.

Seven years had passed, and she still hadn't fully recovered.

That ambush had become a heartache for her.

Every time Chen Shanzhi stayed out late, she would be on edge all night.

"Don't worry, Aunt. I had Coachman Zhao Da and the others with me; who would dare touch me?"

Chen Shanzhi felt a warmth in his heart, but he put on a playboy facade on his face: "Besides, how can the music at home compare to the outside? That's called atmosphere, Aunt, you wouldn't understand."

"You…"

Chen Rou poked his forehead helplessly and sighed.

"Alright, since you're back, go back to your room and rest. I've asked the kitchen to stew your favorite ginseng soup and will have it sent to your room in a while."

"Aunt still dotes on me the most."

Chen Shanzhi chuckled and didn't linger, turning to walk towards his own courtyard.

Watching Chen Shanzhi's departing back, the doting expression in Chen Rou's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sharp glint.

"Coachman Zhao Da."

"This subordinate is here." Coachman Zhao Da, who had been acting like an invisible person in the back, hurriedly stepped forward.

"Report everything to me in detail: who the Young Marquis met and what he did at Yihong Pavilion last night."

Chen Rou's voice was cold; there was no trace of the gentleness from just a moment ago.

After all, she was the woman managing this Zhenguo Marquis Mansion.

...

Inside the bedroom.

Chen Shanzhi dismissed the attendants and sat cross-legged on the bed.

He closed his eyes and sensed the situation within his body.

He had to say, this Yang Parasite was simply a cheat code.

He didn't need to deliberately circulate his Cultivation Technique; the True Qi in his body was already flowing slowly along a specific route.

With every breath, he could feel a faint but pure strand of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi being inhaled into his body and merging into his Dantian.

This was the legendary "fully automatic AFK Cultivate".

"At this speed, even if I sleep every day, I can Breakthrough to the Xuanguan Six Apertures in less than a month."

Chen Shanzhi opened his eyes, the joy in them gradually fading.

He walked to the table and tapped his fingers rhythmically against the surface, making a "tap-tap" sound.

In his mind, the game's plotline unfolded rapidly like a giant web.

One month later was the entrance ceremony of Four Seas Academy.

According to the rules, all new students had to participate in a martial demonstration.

This wasn't just a competition; it was a signal for major factions to choose their sides.

In the game, this martial demonstration would determine the subsequent direction of the plot.

Players would challenge different people based on the faction they chose.

The easiest route was choosing the First Prince. After all, the First Prince was born ten years earlier and had much greater influence than the Second Prince, allowing one to receive the most resource assistance in the early stages.

Next was the Second Prince. Although his influence wasn't as strong as the First Prince's, he had the bearing of an enlightened ruler and would treat capable players with sincerity, providing maximum help.

The most difficult was the route of the Prince of Qi, who lived outside the imperial court.

Not only was there little resource assistance in the early stages, but most importantly, playing this route required killing the Young Marquis of the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion during the martial demonstration.

In the game, killing him early meant giving up all the White Lotus Sect plot branches and most of the Wu Clan plot branches.

And that Tang Liu, because of what happened last night, must hate him to the bone.

"If I'm not mistaken, Tang Liu has likely chosen the Prince of Qi route this time." A cold smile appeared on Chen Shanzhi's face.

That's fine. Without resources being diverted to Tang Liu, he could capture the heroines and steal his resources instead.

Without these resources, it would greatly limit the growth of Tang Liu's strength.

At that point, being slow by one step meant being slow by every step. He would ensure Tang Liu couldn't snatch any of the subsequent resources.

However, before that, he had to pass the martial demonstration.

Relying solely on this Yang Parasite, a month's time was far from enough to close the gap between himself and Tang Liu.

After all, Tang Liu was also a protagonist with a cheat.

"I must get that thing." Chen Shanzhi's eyes flickered.

There was a Secret Realm in the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion, which was the prerequisite for unlocking the Wu Clan branch.

Hidden inside was the only Red-grade Body Refining Cultivation Technique in the game, the first three stages of the "Nine-Turn Golden Body Art of the Witch God".

In the game, it required an extremely difficult strategy to get the Young Marquis's aunt to give him the method to enter the Secret Realm.

Then, he had to make Tang Xiaowu offer the essence blood of the Saintess of the Witch Clan, in order to obtain it from a blood-red jade bracelet inside the Secret Realm.

Now, for him, there were two difficulties.

First, the key was in the hands of his aunt, Chen Rou.

But the original body was an incompetent playboy who had no idea where this Secret Realm was.

If he rashly asked for it, she would probably be suspicious, or even think he had been subjected to Possession.

"I need to find a way to sound her out and let Aunt reveal the Secret Realm herself."

Chen Shanzhi stroked his chin. Given how much his aunt doted on him, this shouldn't be too difficult.

Secondly, and most difficultly, was how to make Tang Xiaowu willingly enter the Secret Realm with him, willingly offer her essence blood, and not attack him after obtaining the Cultivation Technique.

"This is a bit difficult." Chen Shanzhi rubbed his temples.

After what happened last night, Tang Xiaowu probably wanted to drink his blood.

Normal cooperation definitely wouldn't work, but who said he needed her to be willing?

Chen Shanzhi, who was familiar with the original plot, knew how heavy the responsibilities on Tang Xiaowu's shoulders were.

Now that his identity was the Young Marquis of the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion, if normal methods didn't work, he would use force.

As a villain, how could he not have the style of a villain?

A flash of sharpness crossed Chen Shanzhi's eyes; he already had a plan in mind.

Getting the Cultivation Technique was one thing; on the other hand, he also had to improve his Martial Dao Realm properly.

The strength of the Xuanguan Five Apertures was still too weak; he had to improve to the Xuanguan Seven Apertures before the martial demonstration.

When a Martial Artist reached the Xuanguan Seven Apertures, they would generate a Protective Astral Qi, and their strength would take a leap.

Chen Shanzhi looked down at his Dantian.

Although the Yang Parasite could Cultivate at all times, this was a slow trickle; it would take a long time to reflect this Heaven-Defying effect.

If he wanted to break through two apertures in a month, this was far from enough.

But as an adult game, with the setting of Yin and Yang dual Gu, this "Heart-Devouring Life-Sharing Gu" naturally had other settings.

For example… Dual Cultivation.

Jiang Yingrao was currently at the Xuanguan Peak. If he could "communicate deeply" with her frequently, his Cultivation speed would definitely take off.

"But my current strength is too far from hers; that demoness definitely wouldn't be willing to waste her own cultivation to Dual Cultivate with me."

Chen Shanzhi tapped his fingers on the table and chuckled softly.

"However, business is about give and take."

The White Lotus Sect was not a monolith.

The Sect Master's lineage and the Grand Elder's lineage had been fighting for over a decade.

In this operation in the capital, the Grand Elder's side had planted quite a few moles, waiting to betray them at the critical moment and make Jiang Yingrao and the others fail.

Except for the Grand Elder himself, only he knew the list of these moles.

"So, a name in exchange for one Dual Cultivation session—that's a fair trade, right?"