Chapter 857: One Step Back Two Steps Forward
Proofreader: Papatonks
As the laughter grew faint in the distance, the auras of the guards faded as well. The trio watched them go with a sigh of relief.
“Now, close the door and see her out.”
Zhuo Fan clapped and said. Young Sanzi woke up and pulled the girl posing as his mom outside.
Gu Santong didn’t use force, just playing the role of a child. Anything else and he’d be throwing her out.
The girl was stunned, “What are you doing?”
“What, you ask? Humph…”
Zhuo Fan glared at her, “Didn’t you hear senior? Meeting any homeless…”
“Wandering…” Gu Santong added.
“Shifty…”
“Repulsive…”
“Guilty-looking people…” The father and son finished together as they stared at the girl, “Anyone suspicious is to be reported to the Flying Cloud manor! You should be thankful we’re only kicking you out!”
The two threw her out like nothing then shut the door behind her.
She only woke up from her daze when she was outside. But seeing the door shut, anger burned in her gaze and she kicked the door open.
The two held the door and pretended to be shaken from the impact by staggering back. They looked at her in panic, “W-what are you doing? The guards are just around the corner!”
“What of it? That’s more than enough time to end your lives!” The girl glared.
Zhuo Fan shuddered in fake fear, then wailed, “Big sister, we don’t know each other. Us two have been drifters for years before finally coming to the central area, avoiding western lands’ pursuit, and starting a new life. We don’t want any trouble. I don’t know if you’re related to the guards’ search, but for our safety, please leave! Take it as a returned favor for saving your life. Please don’t drag us into this. “
The girl looked hard at the two, biting her lip.
But then she asked, “Hey, was what you said true?”
“What did I say?”
“About you and your wife. Did the sect break you up? What about your wife? “
Startled, Zhuo Fan didn’t think she’d be hung up on that in this critical situation. But it was also related to Zhuo Fan’s pain.
Zhuo Fan mocked all of a sudden, “As if! To get them to ignore you, I made that on the spot. While I cast out my wife for better things and a brighter future. She’s just a hindrance, that’s all. She should be having the time of her life…”
Pa!
The girl gave him a heavy slap in anger.
“You rotten bastard, I’ll kill you for your wife’s sake!”
Her sword was once again pointing at Zhuo Fan’s throat.
Zhuo Fan waved his hands frantically, “Wait, wait, attack now and the guards will hear you. And I’m your savior. Attacking me is being ungrateful!”
“Humph, I’ll spare you for now, but pray we never meet again!”
The sword shook and the girl roared as she sped away, “I’ll never stay a second in a bastard’s place, or I’ll end up as vile as you!”
Seeing her vanish in the night’s sky, her curses growing faint, the duo shared a crafty smile.
“Dad, are you just going to let her leave after all the trouble of saving her?”
“Leave? Where would she go?”
Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow, “Did you forget why the guards came? They are combing through the city. The Flying Cloud manor wants to have eyes on every corner in the city, on every citizen. The taverns are the most conspicuous, with no way of hiding under such heavy monitoring.”
“Leaving, her? Ha-ha-ha, as long as she’s in Flying Cloud City, she’ll soon come back here. She’s got no choice.”
Gu Santong nodded but wanted more details, “But even so, why did we drive her out? Isn’t it over the top?”
“Not at all, this is psychological warfare. One step back, two steps forward.”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes glinted, “We didn’t kick her out because of her, but the people behind her. Think about it. Since we saved her, but by also hiding her, then we’ll become suspicious about having our own designs. Maybe her people will think that we’re on the guards’ side, baiting them to come out. That will make gaining their trust harder.
“Now though, we kicked her out, like scared average cultivators avoiding trouble, making saving her just a coincidence. As time passes, those people will be pushed into a corner by the guards’ monitoring and would think of using us. When in fact we’re using them. The roles reverse as the schemes become twisted from every little detail, giving us the perfect win.”
Gu Santong nodded inside, “I see it now. You know she can’t go anywhere so might as well kick her out. All so the people behind her would come, right?”
“Ha-ha-ha, exactly. Now’s just a matter of time.” Zhuo Fan closed the heavy door and took Gu Santong behind the house, “Young Sanzi, where have you gone the last three days? I didn’t see you at all.”
“Around town, but since they took me for a child, they didn’t let me enter many places. You said I couldn’t force my way in so…”
“I’ll take you there tomorrow, what do you say?”
“Truly?”
“Of course, we’re waiting for news now so we can afford some leisure, ha-ha-ha…” Zhuo Fan smiled at the child.
Gu Santong was overjoyed.
On the second day, Zhuo Fan took Gu Santong to every known place in Flying Cloud City. They played around, had fun, not thinking about anything, not bothering with anyone.
On the third day, Zhuo Fan and Gu Santong went to enjoy the local cuisine and the fine dishes, relishing in these rare father-son moments. They put their plan behind them.
So it went for ten days, carefree and relaxed. Only that night, when Gu Santong was skipping towards home with Zhuo Fan smiling behind, the sudden sight stunned them.
The same girl ten days ago was now back, only this time she looked far more downcast.
She hesitated upon seeing them.
Zhuo Fan’s face twitched, faking shock, “Big sister, what are you doing here?”
“Don’t just shout!”
Her jade sword was out and pointing at Zhuo Fan, though looking awkward as she had to shout with hatred, “Listen here, I’ll be staying here from now on. You can’t kick me out nor report me. Try anything of sorts and I’ll kill you!”
[The lass was forced for sure to come back against her will.]
The father and son mocked her inwardly.
[Where can an Ethereal Stage cultivator hide in a city with Soul Harmony patrols? Instead of acting nice to get a place to stay, you’re like a thug stealing it.]
[Would you have been so tough when you left back then if you knew? Would you have still burnt your bridges, ha-ha?]
Zhuo Fan sighed, “Miss, I get you’re back, but can you not shout at us? I’m not one to look for trouble, but since our lives are in your hands, I don’t have a choice. But where did that gentle and kind miss from ten days ago go? How did you become a shrew stooping so low as to steal someone’s home?”
Shuddering, the girl looked hurt at his words, feeling like the victim instead.
“You dare say that when you kicked me out?”
The girl raged, “Do you know what I did these ten days? Skulking like a rat in the streets, scared that every person I met would call the guards. I couldn’t go to a tavern, I couldn’t stay in another place from fear of being found. Flying Cloud City is so huge yet there is no place that can have me. All I’ve done is run and run, in constant fear. If I hadn’t come back, they’d have found me. Yet you call me a shrew…”
The girl broke down crying.
Zhuo Fan sighed inside.
[She kicked herself out. But only by encountering despair on the streets would she be willing to come back here…]