The Steward Demonic Emperor

Chapter 852: Freebie

Proofreader: Papatonks

“Freebie, freebie~”

Like an innocent child, Gu Santong was all smiles as he skipped into the house in excitement.

One moment he was on a beam, the other in the pond, looking up every nook and cranny for that previous stuff.

Zhuo Fan let out a chuckle, “Young Sanzi, that man only said it to bait us into buying the house. There’s no freebie. If there was any, they have long found it and left us with nothing.”

“Maybe not, dad!”

Skipping still, it did not put a damper on Gu Santong’s excitement, “Maybe those idiots couldn’t find it while we can. With dad’s smarts and my nose, we’ll sniff out any secrets.”

Zhuo Fan shook his head, “Young Sanzi, and what if you find it? A puny Soul Harmony Stage’s toy is junk to us. There’s dozens of stuff in my ring, and any one of them is superior by far. Why waste your energy? “

Gu Santong shook and looked back, though his searching never missed a beat.

Zhuo Fan found it odd, then he exclaimed.

[Young Sanzi is a child at heart. It’s not about finding something, but the journey.]

[Young Sanzi used to search for herbs not just to fill his belly but also to play.] 

Then Zhuo Fan and Kunpeng gave him more herbs than he could swallow, but took away the fun.

His belly was stuffed, but had nothing this child could do for fun.

Zhuo Fan looked at young Sanzi ashamed. He failed as a father, feeling guilty for not having understood his heart.

“Young Sanzi, go search. If you find it, tell me. I want to see it as well.” Zhuo Fan shouted at the child darting around.

Gu Santong looked back with a wide smile, “I’ll be sure to find it…”

Gu Santong was gone.

Looking at the flash of red, Zhuo Fan shook his head, smiling inside.

“Dad, I found it! There’s a treasure here!” Gu Santong’s cheerful cry came, “I bet this is something dad hasn’t gotten yet.”

Zhuo Fan was stunned, “There’s actually something here? That was quick. Maybe that thief was right about being a freebie here.”

Zhuo Fan followed young Sanzi’s voice, arriving before a run down building. Zhuo Fan sized it up.

[Isn’t it just a shed?]

[The lord must’ve been a weirdo to set up his cultivation room here. Or is it out of paranoia? Yeah, that has to be it. Those Ethereal and Radiant Stage experts wouldn’t think twice about looking here.]

Zhuo Fan not once thought about the stuff that might be hiding here, since hardly anything could impress him now. He only came to cater to his son’s excitement.

[It’s what a father must do…]

“Young Sanzi, what did you find? Let me, uh…”

Zhuo Fan cheerfully entered the shed, only to freeze in shock.

In the middle of the shed lay a girl, with an egg-shaped face, sharp eyes, rosy skin and thin waist. 

By the looks of it, heavily wounded, if the pale face and red line from the mouth were to be trusted. Young Sanzi squatted next to her and pointed in excitement, “Dad, treasure, woman, he-he-he…”

Zhuo Fan’s face twitched, revealing a vile smile at young Sanzi and bopping his head, “How old are you? How is a woman a treasure?”

“I’m only three and a half centuries old!”

Gu Santong was annoyed, “I’m no child. I know plenty of stuff!”

Ugh!

Zhuo Fan was speechless. 

[I stand corrected, he isn’t a child at heart, but a shifty old man using his appearance to his advantage. He doesn’t need compassion, but a heavy hand!]

Zhuo Fan eyed Gu Santong, “Young Sanzi, what will you do with your ‘find’? Since you’re three centuries old, it doesn’t look like you can use it as you are.”

Blushing hard, Gu Santong knew exactly where Zhuo Fan was going. He glared in shame and anger, “Dad, you’re nasty!”

“I’m nasty? When you called a woman a treasure, what else could you have been meaning other than something nasty, oh wise guy?” Zhuo Fan stared back.

Pouting, Gu Santong huffed, “I found her like this, unconscious and weak. The way I see it, she must be the cauldron the lord used to cultivate. If so, I only saw her as a cultivating treasure. What’s wrong with that?”

“Damn brat, are you splitting hairs with me?”

Zhuo Fan didn’t shirk and touched the girl’s icy wrist. He laughed, “Ha-ha-ha, you got it all wrong. How’s a maiden supposed to be a cauldron…”

Gu Santong turned to the girl with a puzzled gaze.

[Was I wrong? Then what is she doing in this place? Was she left behind?]

Zhuo Fan mocked, “Kid, what are you thinking? This girl ain’t from this house. Think about it. With her looks, even as a cauldron, they’d take her for sure. Also, judging by her wounds, a month at least…”

Zhuo Fan faced his son, showing off his wisdom. but then he squinted.

“But that means…”

Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone and walked behind the house, “Young Sanzi, get a room ready. I’m going to heal her.”

Gu Santong was taken off-guard by his actions. 

[Never knew dad as a caring guy, going as far as healing a stranger. Especially a girl…]

Gu Santong had a coy smile, “Sure, dad, you’re going to use healing as an excuse to dual cultivate. Wait till I tell mom.”

Zhuo Fan jerked, then glared back, “Why you little miscreant, since when have I dual cultivated? Did you forget what happened a month ago in Flying Cloud City?”

“Flying Cloud manor had a break in.”

Gu Santong bobbed his head then pointed at her, “Dad, then…”

Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone, nodding, “More likely than not, this girl is involved. By saving her, we’ll get some valuable info out of her. So don’t just stand there, get a room ready!”

“Oh…”

Gu Santong bobbed his head and darted for the house, setting up a room in a jiffy. Zhuo Fan came in with the girl, and set her on the bed. He used his energy while touching her forehead, “Returning Dragon’s Roar!” 

Roar!

A green glow started entering the girl’s body, healing her under their very eyes. When the glow vanished, the girl didn’t wake. Her breathing faint, still in danger of vanishing. 

“Dad, it didn’t work? When we beat that old Huangpu, he gave us a hard time with this skill.” Gu Santong was puzzled.

Zhuo Fan smiled, “We were just in the Radiant Stage. But once in the Ethereal Stage, the real wound isn’t on the body, but the soul. The lass is in the 8th layer Ethereal Stage. Her wounded soul comes first, then her body. It won’t matter if her body is healed but not her soul. I only gave her some first aid, letting her hang on a little longer. Now comes the hard part, healing her soul.”

Gu Santong nodded.

“Young Sanzi, look after her. I’ll be cultivating for three days to make an 11th grade pill to heal her soul. Don’t disturb me.” Zhuo Fan walked out.

Gu Santong said, “Aren’t the pills we have enough?”

“It’s not just her soul wounded, but her odd state, like…”

Zhuo Fan frowned in thought. He lifted the Qilin arm, looking at the scar Vaulting Sword left, “A wound made by a sacred weapon. The strange energy is still there. Since it’s a heavy wound, it needs special pills…”