The Steward Demonic Emperor

Proofreader: Papatonks

Checking Gu Santong’s pulse, Baili Jingwei turned to the others with a shake of his head, “No change. His wound didn’t mend at all and his blood kept flowing. He’ll soon die like this. Sword King Feiyun, you really went all out back then.”

“How’s it my fault?”

Shangguan Feiyun sighed, “I’ve just been wounded myself and the rage made it hard to control my power. But I didn’t try to kill him either, trying to heal him afterward. How was I to know he’s weird? Any other guy would be on their feet right about now. But look at him, he’s only getting worse!”

Shangguan Feiyun was perplexed at this outcome. Baili Jingwei shook his head and smiled, “Ha-ha-ha, nevermind. What’s done is done. The issue now is Gu Yifan wanting his son’s response for the deal. How is he going to reply like this? Maybe, young master Shangguan, will you give it a try? Maybe a father’s love is so great that it may rouse the son.”

Baili Jingwei chuckled.

“I guess I’ll give it a go…”

Shangguan Yulin had no hesitation, not when this involved his future. He had to get an answer out of the brat one way or another.

The other option would be Gu Yifan thinking his son was gone and the deal was off, and so was his body. His cultivation would drop and the worst part was the punk was going to become Shangguan clan’s son-in-law.

[Yan’er, my dear Yan’er, I’ll never let that bastard lay a hand on you!]

Howling inside to psych himself up, Shangguan Yulin went to Gu Santong and showed a more hideous grimace than when crying as he cooed, “Young Sanzi, wake up, your father sent me. Come on, wake up…”

Young Sanzi was as still as a corpse, blood dripping down his arm.

Shangguan Yulin was panicking, sweat trickling down forehead. Zhuo Fan’s brow shook.

He was in the dark about young Sanzi’s critical condition and had to wait until he saved the child before addressing it. But from how things looked, his life was on the line.

Zhuo Fan gnashed his teeth and his fists tensed, only to slump back in helplessness…

“Goddamn brat, be a good sport and wake the hell up. Tell me the signal you share with your old man before I get serious!”

Since the soft approach was a bust, Shangguan Yulin flung his finger in Gu Santong’s face and cussed, “I don’t give a rat’s ass about your rotten dad or you dying, but my life’s on the line here! If you and your old man are going to risk my life then, brat, see how I’ll squeeze the last drops of your miserable life!”

Awkward~

Young Sanzi lay there as if he had left this world, calmly resting without a twitch.

Shangguan Yulin winced and dismay struck his heart.

Here he was thinking the biggest problem was Baili Jingwei and the other two making it harder on him, only to find out that it was this snot-nosed antique of a brat that wouldn’t play ball.

[If this brat doesn’t wake up, everyone here will lose!]

The great young master Shangguan Yulin in particular. What did he do to suffer so? Each time the factions clashed it was always Flying Cloud manor and Gu Yifan, not Shangguan clan and the manor.

Well, he wasn’t completely unrelated since last time he was with the Shangguan clan. But he was totally tangential with Gu Yifan.

[Why does this punk and Baili Jingwei’s deal have to drag me down as well?]

Their ruined deal had nothing to do with him.

[I sure didn’t botch it. It’s this Gu brat who won’t wake up!]

And the one at fault for that was Shangguan Feiyun for being so cruel. None of this was his fault, he was innocent!

[Why then does your ruined deal end with me losing the most?]

[Why am I the one to always take the fall?]

Shangguan Yulin’s heart was filled with complaints after complaints, having a worse fate than anyone in the world. While others might die out of the blue, he was worked to the bone by both sides and what did he get, suffering and death!

[And for what?]

[Heavens above, why the cold shoulder, why the cruel fate?]

Shangguan Yulin’s heart was bleeding, finding the world’s misfortune dumped on his wee shoulders.

Baili Jingwei mocked him, “Young master Yulin, I thought Gu Yifan sent you to give a message to his son. Do so and maybe the strong bond between a father and his son will bring about the signal. Maybe even wake him up? Give it a go, ha-ha-ha…”

Shaking all over, Shangguan Yulin turned solemn and nodded with hope.

[Fine, anything’s better than dying.]

He lay next to young Sanzi on the bed, whispering sweet nothings, “Young Sanzi, your dad asked me to tell you about your agreement. Do you remember? ‘Whenever you’re in danger, I’ll always come save you. A gentleman can’t forget his promise!'”

“Is that what a father tells his son? Why does it feel like a talk of equals?” Shangguan Feiyun was puzzled.

Baili Jingwei was the same, but his mind was working on a solution.

Then a faint whisper resounded, “A gentleman never forgets his promise! Ha-ha-ha…”

Startled, the men looked to find the weak Gu Santong open his eyes and let out a faint laughter.

“I’ll be, he actually woke up! What’s up with that signal anyway?” Shangguan Feiyun shouted in astonishment.

Baili Jingwei chuckled and shook his head, “These two are a pair of oddballs. I heard that some fathers and sons see each other as equals, ignoring outdated traditions. This must be the case as well. A gentleman’s promise, ha-ha-ha…”

The others nodded, but Shangguan Yulin was not one to give a flying hoot about how much of a weirdo the Gu members were. He only wanted the deal to take place so he could keep his own skin, quite literally.

Shangguan Yulin perked up, “Brat, it’s damn time you wake up! Hurry up and tell me your answer to the signal. I’ll be off telling him the minute you do.”

“Degenerate demon, why the hell would I tell it to you?”

Gu Santong’s angelic face took on a savage smile. Pale as he was, he nevertheless succeeded in getting across the dripping disdain and scorn he had for Shangguan Yulin, cutting the man deep.

[For god’s sake, even the Gu brat is mocking me! How is that normal?]

Crunching his teeth, Shangguan Yulin clenched and spat, “Screw you, brat! Hurry up and give me the signal like a good kid so your dad can give the sword for your petty life. I win, you win, everybody wins. Cross me and I’ll be sure to make both your lives a living hell!”

“Degenerate demon, why the hell would I tell it to you?” Gu Santong rolled his eyes.

Sss~

Shangguan Yulin was fuming now, “Brat, didn’t I just say this is for your own sake? Staying here any longer will only get you killed. Your dad just has to give the sword and only then you’ll survive. Talk, what’s the signal?”

“Degenerate demon, why the hell would I tell it to you?”

“Screw you! Why can’t a rotten kid fricking understand reason?!”

Shangguan Yulin was on the verge of having a meltdown as he held his head, his knees softened and kneeled at Gu Santong’s side, pleading, “Child, I’m here to help your father get you back. I’ve said my signal so can’t you do the same? We’re on the same side. Give me your reply and everyone will be happy.”

Gu Santong gave him a long look, then sported a wicked smile, “Degenerate demon, why the hell would I tell it to you?”

Shangguan Yulin’s face twitched hard, his body shook, and his mouth bled. Turned out that Gu Santong’s repeated onslaught had popped a vein in him.

“Uhm, young master Yulin, pardon the interruption.”

Baili Jingwei intervened, “Is it possible that the reply is ‘Degenerate demon, why the hell would I tell it to you?'”

Shangguan Yulin’s eyes blanked out, dumbstruck. Then he turned to Gu Santong’s cute and mocking smile.

The wounded brat couldn’t be more obvious in his scorn, “I already told you the signal, but who was the deaf one here?”

Shangguan Yulin’s face twitched, his heart cracking like glass, tears seeping from the seams.

[These two are toying with me, they’re getting their kicks until I die…]