Chapter 6: Chapter 6: A Devil’s Proposal

CHAPTER 6

A Devil’s Proposal

LUO FAN

After taking a deep breath, I pulled the rope attached to a heavy pail at the bottom of the well. Filled with water, it weighed even more that I had to pause halfway through to take another deep breath before pulling again.

Jinjing had gone to the market to buy food, so while waiting, I had decided to fetch water and wash the dishes. She did not want me to do any chores just yet in fear that I might aggravate my injury, but I did not want to be a freeloader, so I had to make myself useful in any way I could.

Finally, the pail was out of the well and I reached over to grab it. I poured the water into another pail and when I straightened up, I found myself gasping.

I could not believe how my strength had diminished. Even a woman or a child could overpower me in a duel with very little effort.

It had been months already. I should have at least partially recovered by now, but I was getting weaker with each passing day instead.

The giggles of three women standing nearby caught my attention. They were whispering to each other, but with my enhanced hearing, I could clearly hear every word they said.

“I feel sorry for this man,” one of them said. “He’s too beautiful to end up as Jinjing’s plaything.”

“I heard Jinjing found him beaten on the road and took him in, so this man serves her in bed to return the favor.”

“Oh, lucky her.”

“What do you mean lucky? A man and a woman living under the same roof while unmarried? They should be ashamed of themselves.”

I wanted to cut in and set things clear, but I had no energy to bother with them. I’d rather take the water back home before Jinjing returned.

I lifted the pail and left.

Along the way, I pondered about the things that the women had mentioned. I might have tainted Jinjing’s reputation even more for staying with her.

When I made it back in the house, Jinjing was already there and was cooking something. The moment she saw me carrying a bucket of water, she rushed to me and took the bucket from me.

“I told you not to carry heavy loads yet,” she scolded me as she carried the bucket of water to the kitchen. “You still have not fully recovered. If you vomit blood again, I’ll have to call the physician to check on you and we don’t have the money to pay.”

I felt guilty. Every time money was mentioned, I was helpless. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to be of some use to you.”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll make certain to make good use of you when you’re healthy. For now, the least you can do is not to overwork yourself to minimize expenses, or I’ll make you work harder the moment you recover.”

I smiled. I knew she was just humoring me.

“Sit down and rest,” she said. “I’ll cook something delicious for you.”

I sat by the table. I had only carried a bucket of water and already my chest had tightened. I had to put in extra effort just to breath.

Half an hour later, she set the table. The smell of fish and vegetables delighted my senses.

From where I came from, fish was a luxury. Kan Empire was surrounded by mountains, tall rocky mountains where trees wouldn’t grow and blocked the empire’s access to the western sea. The southern part was nothing but desert. The northern part was eternally frozen with snow. Almost half of the empire was uninhabited and even unexplored.

The remaining half, however, the central and eastern parts, had an abundance of fertile land, and that was why the empire had managed to flourish despite its hostile surroundings. But water had always been a problem in summer. Without rain for even just two months, rivers, lakes and fishponds dried up, so naturally, the fishes could not cope with the changing of the seasons that made their habitat unstable. Even if a few could survive, they would be all sent to the palace or to the residences of selected high-ranking officials and nobles.

It was a crime for a commoner to eat fish during summer, punishable by ten lashes or ten days of hard labor. Ridiculous as it may sound, it was a fact.

Xianru Empire, however, was different. Surrounded by bodies of water and a rainy season that could last for six months, fishes thrived all over the place, and that was why they were abundant and cheap. It’s definitely a food for commoners.

While we were eating, I noticed Jinjing’s strange silence. I had been with her for a while already, so I knew there was something she wanted to tell me, but she was holding back for some reason.

“Is there something you want to discuss with me?” I asked.

She took a deep breath and laid a coin on the table before me. “Here,” she said.

I reached out to fondle the coin. It felt like silver. “Where did you get this?”

“Remember that scary man that blocked our way and called me a whore the other night?” she asked.

Who could forget? Even though I had met that man just once and only for a brief moment, he had certainly engraved himself in my memory with the amount of insults that he had thrown at us. But more than that, he was the only one in this empire who knew my real identity. “Why would he give you this?”

She sighed and was silent for a moment. “He… he wanted me to convince you to join him for dinner tonight.”

My finger stiffened over the coin. I suddenly had a bad feeling about this. “And you agreed?”

“I did not want to. I was afraid he had nothing but bad intentions toward you, but he promised me that he has none of that. He only wants to talk to you. To assure me, he even prearranged the dinner at the restaurant. In front of many people, I don’t think he will dare harm you.”

I shook my head and pushed the coin towards her. “Jinjing, give that back to him.”

“Fan…” She reached out and lightly touched my hand. “It’s not that I’m selling you out. The mister gave me this not as a payment for you, but for me, for my effort to try and convince you. I accepted it because right now we’re in a dire situation… I had borrowed money from a friend to buy your medicines and… she needs the money back. I have nothing to pay her with.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. This was my fault. Because of me, she had incurred debt. I shouldn’t let her carry the burden alone. “He will only talk to me, right?” I asked. “Nothing more?”

“He had given me his word. Don’t worry, I will accompany you.”

I sighed again. “Fine.”

*****

“We’re here,” Jinjing told me as we stepped inside the restaurant that she and that man had agreed upon.

A lanky man immediately approached us. “Is it Mister Wei?” he asked me.

I nodded. “It is.”

“My name is Jia Xing. I’m the manager of this restaurant. Lord Lan is waiting for you upstairs.”

Lord Lan?

Finally, I got a name to address him with. Since they referred to him as ‘lord’, it meant he was someone important, or someone who belonged to a noble family.

The realization heightened my anxiety. If he were a commoner, I probably would not feel so threatened, but someone so powerful and wealthy could easily reach out to the members of the royal court in Kan Empire and make an arrangement for my head.

I discreetly took a deep breath to loosen my tightening chest. I did not want Jinjing to notice how distressed I was or she’d feel guilty.

The manager led us upstairs. There was not much light in the area so the silhouettes of the two servants who greeted us were hard to distinguish.

I returned their greeting.

“This way, please,” Jia Xing said but I was hesitant to follow him.

As if Jinjing was aware that I almost could not see anything anymore and I was anxious I might bump into things, she gently held my right hand to reassure me. With that added support from her, along with my stick, I followed the manager with ease.

When we stopped, Jia Xing pulled a curtain aside and I saw the silhouette of a man seated comfortably at the table. The frame of his body was enough to tell me that it was indeed the same man that I had encountered the other night.

Who else could it be? Not too many men in this area, not even from where I came from, could possess such an intimidating form.

He was not actually as buffed as those men I had met from the Northern part of the continent, but he had a strong physical built. Combine that with his towering height, he was definitely a sight to be reckoned with.

“Lord Lan, your guest has arrived,” the manager said.

My heart pounded and my fingers felt cold, but I struggled to exhibit a calm demeanor as I folded my hands before my chest and bowed to greet the man, but the man remained seated and did not even utter a word.

Jia Xing pulled a chair for me but I did not sit down. From where I was raised, we always made sure that in the presence of a woman, the woman must settle down first before the men.

I turned to Jinjing instead. “Take the seat.”

“Fan,” she uttered softly as if she was embarrassed about something. “I cannot sit with you here. I’m not worthy.”

“What do you mean you’re not worthy?”

“You already know,” she replied in an embarrassed tone. “My previous profession.”

“But you promised to accompany me.”

“I did accompany you, but I can’t sit at this table with two respectable gentlemen. It’s not appropriate, considering my… reputation.”

Before I could say another word, the manager interrupted. “Miss, your table is right over there.”

“I won’t be far,” she assured me before she left with Jia Xing.

The place became totally silent and I was left alone with a stranger. It felt a little awkward.

Slowly, I sat on the chair. I felt like I had just thrown myself into a tiger’s den.

The man finally sighed. From the position of his body, I could tell he had his elbow on the table while resting his chin on his palm. He had been watching us quietly and indolently.

“If I wanted to harm you, do you think that woman can do anything to stop me?” he asked.

It took a while for me to respond as I pondered if he meant the words he had said as a threat, but I thought I must be overthinking things. “It’s not for that reason. It’s just that I feel more comfortable when she’s beside me.”

He sighed again. “Just as she’d said, she’s not supposed to sit with us.”

“I’m just a commoner. I hardly have any reputation left as well. If she doesn’t deserve to sit with his lordship, then I don’t either.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Divine Mage High Priest Wei Fan, Grandmaster of Ethereal Frost Sect,” he taunted as if to slap in my face that I was not as common as I claimed I was. “You misunderstood what I meant. We are men and she’s a woman. She’s married to neither of us nor is she a relative. If she sits with us, it gives people the wrong impression. Don’t worry, I told the owner beforehand to cater to anything she wants. She won’t be bored.”

I found his reason acceptable, but I did not like how he had addressed me. “I’m no longer a priest or a disciple of any sect. You can just call me by my name.”

“Isn’t that a bit disrespectful to a seventh-level cultivator? Only a handful can make it to a grandmaster level. You deserve the utmost respect.”

“Lord Lan, since you know my name, I’m sure you’ve heard of my downfall. No need to rub salt into my wounds.”

His laugh was deep and low as if it came from the underground. I felt like I was talking to a devil. “Ahh, Wei Fan. Not long ago, your sect was the talk of the martial arts world. They had been expecting the elusive Divine Mage to surpass the level of his master soon. And indeed, it had happened. So I don’t know what triggered you to poison your own master after achieving the pinnacle of cultivation.”

I swallowed. I could feel the heat creeping all over my face, but I held my anger down. After everything that I had gone through, it was no longer difficult for me to just swallow the insult and pretend I heard nothing. “I came here because you told my wife that you have something important to discuss with me.”

To my surprise, he suddenly tapped the table surface so hard that the plates and bowls bounced.

I froze, wondering what had made him so angry all of a sudden.

“If you keep referring to that whore as your wife, let’s end the discussion right now,” he grunted.

The more that I was dumbfounded. Even if he did not believe that Jinjing was my wife, I could not understand his furious reaction over one small word.

I took a deep breath. If not for the debt that Jinjing had incurred, I would have walked out already. “Then Lord Lan, please proceed.”

He smirked and poured tea into a cup. “The tea here is excellent. You should try,” he said in a calm and pleasant voice and placed the cup in front of me.

After his brief feat of anger, he was suddenly in a good mood. I could not help but wonder if this man had some mental issues.

“Thank you,” I said and took the cup, but I hesitated to drink from it.

“What’s wrong? You’re afraid that I’ve poisoned the tea?” he taunted.

I swallowed. He was too clever to see what I had in mind.

I had been through some terrible experiences that I could hardly trust a stranger anymore. Only Jinjing had managed to gain my trust because I could not find any reason why she would help me out of a motive. She had seen my condition and she had no idea about who I was. She knew there was nothing for her to gain from me, so I could only assume that she had done so out of genuine kindness.

But this man here knew me, probably too well. Otherwise, he would not waste his time sitting here before me.

“Lord Lan, if you don’t mind, I have a question,” I said.

“Then ask.”

“I had been secluded from the rest of the world since I was young. Not even half of the disciples in Frost Mountain had seen me. How did you figure out who I am?”

He smirked and sighed. “A-Fan, how could you forget me so easily? To think that I was the one who saved your life.”

I frowned. He just called me A-Fan. Does that mean that I had known him all along but I just could not recognize his voice? And what did he mean he saved my life? As far as I was concerned, I had never needed any saving until recently, but this man had not come to my rescue.

“Can I trouble his lordship to remind me?” I asked.

He sighed again. “Once upon a time, I visited Frost Mountain to see your master, and while we were discussing important matters, a five-year-old sniveling boy entered the hall and cried so loud your master felt so embarrassed. No matter what he did, the boy did not stop crying. Some disciples came to take him out but the boy held onto your master’s leg and would not let go. Until your master got exasperated and decided to take the boy to the orphanage because a crybaby is not suited to be a disciple of Frost Mountain.”

I ignored the way he narrated his story as if he was reading me a fairy tale book and mulled over the important details instead, but I could not remember my master taking in a five-year-old crybaby. My master just could not stand a crying child. “I’m afraid I don’t remember my master taking in a child. He had a minimum age requirement and that was ten.”

“Oh, you have such a short memory,” he said. “Most children usually already remember things at the age of five.”

I pondered again until I realized that he must be referring to me. I remembered I was five when I was sent to Frost Mountain to be a disciple. “Lord Yan, were you… referring to me?”

He laughed deeply. “Who else?”

My cheeks turned hot. It was embarrassing to know that, other than my master, someone else had seen my pathetic childhood. It was true that I was a crybaby then. I had just lost my father then and my uncle had left me in the care of my master. So naturally, I clung to my master often, afraid that he’d also leave me.

If I remembered that event correctly, I had just woken up from a nightmare and I was alone. I had searched for my master everywhere but I could not find him. I had cried so hard until one disciple told me that my master was in the main hall entertaining an important guest, so I ran to the hall to make sure, and when I saw him, I cried even harder.

More heat burned my cheeks as I recalled that embarrassing event. “So that was you.”

“Mmm. You just recalled?”

I nodded. “That was almost twenty years ago.”

“Ahh… Has it been that long already? Time has flown so fast.”

I nodded, but there was one problem. “However, if I remember correctly, my master’s guest at that time did not look very young. He was an adult, and I recall my master addressed him as an elder, so I’d assume he must be older than my master who was already in his forties then. Almost two decades have passed since. At present, he should be in his sixties at least. His lordship’s voice does not sound that old to me.”

He laughed louder. “A-Fan, if a face can deceive, so can a voice.”

I was unable to speak. Guessing a person’s age just through a voice was a game that I had played with my sect brothers before, and I was good at it, so it’s quite odd that this time, I was mistaken.

I knew that this man was a high-level cultivator, and I knew that the higher level a cultivator achieved, aging would slow down, but I had never heard of anyone in his sixties who sounded like he was still in his mid-twenties. Even the legendary Liang Hu who had lived for over two hundred years already looked old in his fifties, but he had retained a middle-aged look until his death.

If I were to believe this man, it’s like I had placed him on the same pedestal as Liang Hu. There were not many grandmasters in the entire continent, so if he were one among them, I should have at least heard of his name before. I was certain there was no grandmaster named ‘Lan’.

“You still don’t believe?” he asked after my long silence.

“If I may ask his lordship, how did you save my life then?”

“Try to recall, what did I do when your master threatened to take you to the orphanage?”

I remembered that too well. I had never forgotten it. “You grabbed me from my master, put me on the table, and glared at me. You said that if I don’t stop crying, you’ll eat me. And every time I cry, you’ll crawl out of the ground and devour me.”

“Exactly, and immediately, you stopped crying.”

How could I not? I was five and was threatened to be eaten by a stranger with devilish eyes.

“How did that save my life?”

“Have I not stopped you from crying, your master must have ordered his other disciples to take you to the orphanage, and we all know that children in the orphanage are usually neglected. Half of them die before the age of ten, and those who survive run away to live in the streets as thugs until they’re killed. Be glad I was there, or you could have suffered the same fate as those orphans.”

I was speechless. It was true that after that, I almost never cried again because I was too afraid that the devil would come back to eat me alive. It left a trauma in me for years actually, but ever since then, my master had started to like me more.

But still, I wouldn’t say that he had saved my life. But my upbringing had taught me to appreciate everything that had made an impact on my growth, even if it was only a coincidence.

“Let me express my gratitude to Lord Lan then,” I said with a bow. “Even if it’s twenty years late.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “And since you acknowledge that you owe me your life, I supposed you should be willing to return the favor this time.”

I was speechless. For the sake of courtesy, I had acknowledged that I had indeed owed him my life thinking it would not cause any harm to do so. Who would have known that this man was such a lecherous devil who had manipulated me into acknowledging a ludicrous debt and now he wanted remuneration?

“So,” the man said casually. “Are you willing to return the favor?”

“…What favor does his lordship want from this blind commoner?”

He chuckled. “It’s simple. I just need you to accompany me somewhere.”

“Where is somewhere?”

“West.”

I was dumbfounded. It had taken me a lot of pain to come all the way to the South. As much as possible, I did not want to return even a step closer to the western part of the continent, where Kan Empire was. “I apologize. I do not wish to return to that place.”

“I won’t take you back to Frost Mountain, or anywhere near the capital, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“Even so, it will only make me feel miserable. I apologize to his lordship if I have to refuse for personal reasons.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to find out who’s behind what happened to you?”

“I already know.”

“What if you don’t? What if… what you know isn’t exactly the truth?”

I took a deep breath, suppressing all the bitterness that this man’s words had evoked from within me. “My lord, forgive me that I am no longer interested to find out about it. I have been reduced to nothing. I can no longer undo what has been done. Even if I could, the betrayal has already wrecked my trust. Nothing can repair what has been broken.”

He sighed as if he pitied me. “So you’re just going to run away from it all and allow those who condemned you to roam free despite their crimes?”

I pondered about his words for a moment. It seemed this man knew more than I did. He knew that I was innocent.

“My lord, I am delighted that at least, there is someone who believes in my innocence, but the culprits are very powerful people. My reputation has been severely damaged. My cultivation’s been nullified. What can I do against them? Who will believe me?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

I was speechless. What exactly is he planning to do?

“Wei Yusheng is your master,” he continued. “As his disciple, aren’t you even interested in uncovering the truth behind his mysterious death? Will you just take the blame?”

“My lord, I appreciate the concern. You must be good friends with my master that you are willing to go that far to uncover the truth surrounding his death. But right now, my health is poor and it keeps on declining each day. I can’t even walk for too long.”

Without even asking for my consent, he pulled my left hand and laid it across the table. I was about to pull away, but when he pressed three fingers on my wrist, I realized that he just wanted to check on me.

Suddenly, his fingers stiffened.

“Is there… anything wrong?” I asked. His reaction told me that he had discovered something.

“Hmm,” he hummed and moved his fingers around my wrist as if seeking a particular spot. When he found it, he pressed harder.

When he sighed a moment later, I knew that it wasn’t good.

“Your inner energy is empty,” he said. “Your pulse is weak yet erratic. It seems that… there’s a poison inside your body.”

My eyes widened in shock. “Poison?”

“Do you doubt?”

“I… I can’t understand why anyone would poison me. I am practically dead.”

He laughed mischievously. “Some people are just too evil that to see you dead is not enough for them. They want to see you suffer until your very last breath.”

I pulled my hand away. “I don’t feel any poison.”

“You can’t feel it, but it’s there, slowly destroying your internal organs. It’s a very slow killer. As days pass, you’ll only get weaker and weaker until you feel like something is eating you up from the inside. The pain will be so unbearable that you’ll wish for death. But you’ll be too weak to even end your own life. You can only lie there and wait in agony. But death will not come so soon. Every second will feel like hell.”

The words he’d said made me shudder. My fingers turned cold.

The man slowly leaned closer towards me and whispered, “Someone… wants you… to die… a terrible death.”

My whole body froze in fear.

Is he telling the truth? Will I really die in such a miserable way?

He laughed devilishly, and so I thought that he must be amusing himself at my expense. “Lord Lan, please do not humor me.”

“I have no reason to humor you. If you do not believe me, then don’t. I’ll just sit back and watch you suffer. That poison in your body is a rare one. I’d like to know how long you can last and how horrible the pain and damage it causes a person. If I found the effect satisfactory, I might use it to another person for my own amusement, then I don’t have to be bored for a while.”

I clenched my fist that was resting on my lap. I had known from the very start that this man was not a good person. I should have followed my instinct and did not come here to meet him.

And I did not think he was a friend of my master. The Chief of Frost Mountain would never make friends with the devil.

“Then I refuse to go with you,” I said, my decision final.

“Are you sure?” His voice carried a malicious tone. “Your companion over there seems to be enjoying herself. She’s clueless. I haven’t had fun with a woman for a while now.”

My cheeks flared and I tightened my fists. This man was even worse than I had initially thought. I should never have agreed to meet him.

“I’ll ask her to return what you’ve paid her,” I said calmly. “Do not harm her.”

“Why are you very protective of that woman?” he asked. “Is her life really that precious to you?”

“…It is.”

He sighed. “I’ll give you some time to think about it. As for now, there’s someone that I need you to see.”

“Who is it?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

“I don’t wish to go anywhere with you.”

“Priest Wei Fan, you’re a world-renowned alchemist. That was why you were given the title of Divine Mage. Even though you’ve been banished, I hope you still have not forgotten your vow. This man that I need you to see has been ill for a while now, and he is close to dying. Are you just going to ignore him?”

I swallowed. “Give me his location and I’ll find a way to get there.”

“I’m afraid they will not allow you in unless I accompany you.”

“I believe you’re a very wealthy man. You can afford the services of the best physicians in this empire. I’m not a healer. I only refine elixirs and manufacture medicines for certain diseases.”

“The imperial physician himself has already diagnosed this man multiple times. He could not tell what is wrong. And you know what I think?” He leaned forward towards me. “I think he has the same poison as you have.”

My breath got caught in my throat. “You really believe that I’ve been poisoned?”

“The condition of your body is identical with this man. He, too, keeps vomiting blood. And I do not think this is a disease. You both have been given the same untraceable noxious substance that’s slowly destroying your internal organs. This man is now bedridden. Soon, you might be too. If you agree to go check on him, you might find a cure for him and you’d be greatly rewarded. You will also save your own life.”

“If I knew what poison I have, I would not be suffering until now.”

“If you take a look at it from another person, perhaps you’ll able to see it.”

I pondered about it and thought he made a good point. “If I agree, how far should we have to travel?”

“Not that far. Maybe six hours. But you might have to stay there for a few days while you conduct some research and experiments. All expenses will be paid for, and you’ll be paid for your effort as well so you’ll have something to bring home to your so-called wife. Isn’t that a good deal?”

I thought about it. There was nothing more that I wanted but to give something to Jinjing. She had incurred a lot of debt because of me. I wanted to make things easier for her.

“So…” He leaned sideways, resting his head on his hand. “Priest Wei Fan, do we have a deal?”

“Before anything, I have a request. I wish to disengage myself entirely from Ethereal Frost Sect, so I wish to revert to my original name, Luo Fan.”

“…Luo Fan?”

I nodded. “My biological father is Luo Zhong. I wish to honor him by carrying his name.”

“I see.” He nodded a couple of times. “From now on, I shall call you Luo Fan then. I think it sounds better too, and while you’re bearing another name, no one will know about your real identity.”

Something about what he’d said made me pause and think.

Does that mean he has no intention of selling me out to Kan Empire? Or is it just a trick to make me feel complacent?

“Since that’s been settled,” he said. “Let’s go back to our discussion. What is your decision?”

I was about to respond when I heard a pair of footsteps rush in.

“Ruan Yanjun,” a hoarse voice echoed around the empty place.

I stiffened.

I know that name. The infamous sect leader of the Eternal Damnation Sect, the largest sect in all five empires, one that had driven all other rival sects out of Xianru and Wun. A name linked to the murders of dozens of grandmasters and thousands of commoners. A name synonymous with the devil.

My eyes widened as I stared at the outline of the man before me.

Am I sitting right in front of the notorious Devil of the South?