Chapter 1003: Fooled
Proofreader: Papatonks
“You used to be so shrewd till now so why are you stupid all of a sudden?”
Bali Yuyu mocked him, “Weren’t you scared she might have just destroyed your soul and body?”
“Ha-ha-ha, this much is nothing to the ordeals I’ve gone through to get here.”
Zhuo Fan eased a long breath, “When you return the favor, you have to be sincere, giving the other the chance to have a life for the one he had given you. Only this time, my twin souls were too strong for even her full power to destroy. My dragon soul might be hurt, but my domain can absorb all the harm, within limit. Anyway, I got my life back!”
Bali Yuyu gapped, “You’re such a weirdo, returning a favor at the cost of your life.”
“In any other situation, I could’ve returned the favor easily, but she and I walk different paths. She not only disdains my help, but even if I could help her it would only smear her beliefs, doing more harm than good. Thus the only choice was a life for a life. Though I still have uses for mine and can’t just give it up, happy with just offering the chance for her to take it. It’s her problem if she falls short of success, but all debts have been paid.”
Bali Yuyu blinked in confusion, “That’s one fresh outlook you have that I never seen before.”
“Paying debt can be reduced to just finding inner peace. I don’t owe anyone and neither does anyone owe me. Breaking the ties that bind is nothing more than a formality, so long as my heart achieves tranquility.”
“True, grudges and gratitudes are all about the heart. Why bother haggling over how when the stress is dealt with.”
Bali Yuyu nodded then turned solemn, “What say I give you a chance to get rid of another tie?”
Zhuo Fan gave her a long look, “What are you up to? What tie are you talking about?”
“Why a favor as great as the heavens themselves!”
She rushed over to his side and she looked Zhuo Fan right in the eye, “What do you think of me, Qian?”
Shuddering, everyone in the carriage looked at Frigid Rain Snow King with dumb looks.
[What’s this Sword King doing, confessing?]
[Curses, she’s truly daring taking initiative like that, unlike any woman I know. Wait, that’s just like a Sword King!]
All eyes were now on Zhuo Fan, dropping obvious hints.
[Sir, getting on with a Sword King won’t just help you but also ourselves immensely.]
[Look how eager she is so just accept it. While she’s a bit wild, she has loads of power as well to cower anyone.]
Glaring at them to stay out of it, Zhuo Fan looked into Bali Yuyu’s hopeful eyes, “Uhm, miss Yuyu, what are you saying?”
“Just what I meant. What do you usually think of me?”
“Nothing much.” Zhuo Fan blurted in a flat tone.
Bali Yuyu’s face twitched and yanked his clothes, “Nothing much? Would you like to try that again?”
“Now miss Yuyu, let’s not get hasty. Sir has always been blunt, so please don’t jump to anger.” The others noticed the wild woman was about to flip and rushed to placate her.
Bali Yuyu paused in thought then let Zhuo Fan go. She steadied her heart and gave her sweetest smile, “Sir Qian, your words are so hurtful. You don’t look like a saint and certainly don’t act like one either, but you have one redeeming quality, being grateful. You’d even give your life to return another’s gratitude. I am a woman who respects men with such traits!”
“Out with it woman, and don’t dawdle!” Zhuo Fan huffed.
Bali Yuyu’s lip twitched in anger and glared at him, her fists clenched, but she managed to get all that frustration out of her with one long breath. Her face maintained the warmth she started with as she judged, “What I mean is, Qian, to protect you back in Galefrost Town, I had to face Murong Lie all by myself. Didn’t I save your life? So shouldn’t you be grateful?”
“Nope.”
“Why?”
“You’re a guard Baili Yutian gave me and you just did your duty. How’s that anything like saving my life?”
Zhuo Fan spoke with confidence. Bali Yuyu’s heart sank but she still gave it another try, “You caused that mess back in Galefrost Town, why else would Murong Lie meet us? Since I handled it for you, the least you can do is return the favor!”
“Like I said, you’re working for me now so everything is part of your job description, included, but not limited to, obedience and protection. How is that a favor?”
Zhuo Fan looked at her longing eyes as he drawled, “Besides, any extra reward I was to give you I already did in Galefrost Town. You’d have been beaten black and blue by now if it weren’t for my divine sword, right? I just saved your reputation and your life. Now ain’t that the highest gratitude?”
“But that was obvious, since you couldn’t escape otherwise!”
“As you master, anything I give you, if ever, isn’t out of gratitude, but favor. It is you who should be grateful to me for what’s yours is mine, as a servant.”
Booping Bali Yuyu’s nose, Zhuo Fan had an evil smile while defining her responsibilities, then asked, “Oh right, where’s my demonic sword? Why haven’t you given it back?”
Bali Yuyu twisted and placed her hands behind her while shying away in hesitation.
Zhuo Fan’s brow shook, noticing the sword strapped to her waist then and held out his hand, “Give it here now.”
“I was just going to ask you that maybe, perhaps, I can keep it?” Bali Yuyu pleaded shyly.
The others’ eyes widened in realization.
[Frigid Rain Sword King she’s been wishy-washy all this time, but not to confess at all.]
[How boring, and you got us all hopeful for nothing.]
Everyone rolled their eyes and looked elsewhere. Only Zhuo Fan saw her intent from the start and mocked, “Keep it? Do you have any idea what this is? You tell me if your Patriarch is willing to let you even touch the Sundering Sword.”
“It’s because divine swords are so rare that only now I’ve wielded one for the first time and experienced the power it filled me with.”
Bali Yuyu looked excited once more, “Oh, I also heard there’s only five divine swords around. How come you have the sixth?”
Zhuo Fan glanced at her and jeered, “Who told you that there’s only five of them? More like there’s only five in the secular world.”
“Secular world? You mean there’s more divine swords in the world beyond?”
“Of course. Let me tell you, all of these divine swords come from Devil Mountain!” Zhuo Fan huffed with a wide grin.
Bali Yuyu started, shaken to the core, “Devil Mountain made the five lands’ divine swords?!”
“Well yes, the masters will make the disciples about to leave Devil Mountain a sword specific to their skill set. The five lands’ divine swords are nothing but weapons left behind by the ones that perished.” Zhuo Fan smacked his lips, weaving a shocking tale of adulation.
Bali Yuyu was dumbstruck, needing a long time to react and hold the demonic sword tight to herself while pleading, “Then you can just leave this one to me while you can ask your master to make you another.”
“You think it’s that easy? Why would it be called a divine sword if it’s so easy to make?”
Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes at her, “Who won in Galefrost Town?”
“Uh, Murong Lie.” Baili Yuyu hesitated, then pouted, “We fought for eight days but still I couldn’t beat him so I left. And since we’re about the same, he couldn’t stop me nor catch up to me.”
Zhuo Fan nodded and asked, “You’re Murong Lie’s equal and could fight him for years. Why did you run after just eight days?”
“How am I his equal? He’s been using the Decimating Sword for a thousand years while I only just got yours. I couldn’t even link with it either. Of course I lost!”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Zhuo Fan shrugged, “The demonic sword was made with me in mind so of course it’s in tune with me. You learned from Baili Yutian’s Sundering Sword and that’s the sword best for you while mine is useless.”
“But Patriarch will never give me the Sundering Sword. While even the unfamiliar divine sword you have is better than having none at all.”
“Sword follows your will, so you need one in tune to your being too. Using a random sword, especially this divine sword, will only hinder your path.”
Zhuo Fan dismissed her request, “Listen, if you obey me and succeed in the task Devil Mountain gave me, I’ll be sure to take you back with me so that master would make you a divine sword akin to Sundering Sword to fit your nature. Won’t that be better than insisting on taking mine?”
Bali Yuyu lit up in joy, “Really?”
“Have I ever lied to you?” Zhuo Fan gave his winning smile.
Bali Yuyu nodded in joy then handed over the demonic sword.
Zhuo Fan chuckled while tracing his hand over the pitch-black blade. Since the demonic sword was tied to his mind, no one could get its approval without his permission.
[Or this broad would’ve run off with it by now instead of wasting time with me.]
Zhuo Fan made a sign and the demonic sword slipped into his body. He then glanced at the cheerful Bali Yuyu with a hidden smile,
[Power and fame can blind people so easily, turning even this silly girl into being obsessed with a sword. She not once questioned if divine swords are so easy to make.]
[Besides, when was the last time I’ve been honest…]