CHAPTER 5

Encounter with the Devil

RUAN YANJUN

I sighed in relief when the carriage finally stopped in front of my private residence.

I had just come from the imperial palace in Guan, the capital of Xianru. The crown prince’s condition had rapidly deteriorated. He’d been spitting blood for days already and the imperial physicians could not tell the cause of it.

When I arrived in the palace a few days ago, he still could speak, but last night, he had fallen into a coma.

At first glance, it looked like the crown prince had been poisoned, but I could not detect the toxins in his body. Even the palace’s experts were clueless.

It was a puzzle. I was certain that it was a poison and I even had a suspect as to who had masterminded it, but unless the poison was identified, treatment would be impossible, and connecting the crime with the culprit would be difficult.

“Greetings, Master.” Huang Wen bowed before me as I stepped out of the carriage.

“You’ve returned,” I said as I headed directly towards the door, ignoring the servants who had lined up at the front yard to greet me. I was tired and wanted to rest.

“I returned just yesterday.” My disciple followed close behind me. “Master, I managed to gather more information about the Divine Mage, and this will surprise you.”

“Are you sure? If it’s the same useless trash that you’ve been giving me before, don’t even waste my time. I want to rest.”

“I assure you, Master. It will be worth your while.”

I stopped and turned to look at him. “Did you get the portrait?”

He reached inside his lapel and handed me a scroll of paper.

Unlike before, I wasn’t that eager to take a look. I was probably too bothered by the condition of the crown prince that my search for the missing priest was no longer my priority.

“Fine then,” I said. “Go get me some tea and let me hear what you got for me.”

“Yes, Master,” he said and left.

I sat by the tea table and unrolled the portrait.

I frowned.

It was a portrait of a beautiful woman.

I was about to call Huang Wen back and punish him for playing a prank on me when I saw the name written at the bottom of the paper. I took a closer look at the woman’s face until I noticed a striking resemblance to someone I had seen before.

I slammed the portrait on the table and looked up.

Could it be… that blind man I had watched a few days ago?!

*****

LUO FAN

“Fan!” Jinjing exclaimed when she saw me standing across the road from the brothel. She ran towards me. “I told you not to worry about me. You’re ruining your reputation being seen around this promiscuous place.”

I walked with her. “It’s not like anyone knows me around here, and honestly, I don’t really mind what people think. If they judge me wrongly for a mistake they themselves have perceived, then that’s their fault.”

She sighed and held on to my elbow. “Let’s hurry. I’m hungry.”

“You did not have dinner again?”

“I wrapped it up so we can share.”

“You didn’t have to. I cooked something.”

“But this is special. It’s meat.”

I smiled. For people like us, meat was something we could hardly afford. For over two months that I had stayed with her, we only had meat twice. And that was probably the reason why she wanted to share her dinner with me because it was also the reason why I had bought meat for her. “I also cooked meat.”

She gasped. “Where did you get meat?”

“I bought it.”

“And where did you get the money?”

“Remember that neighbor who’d been complaining about his bad back. I volunteered to massage his back. He was satisfied with the result and gave me some copper coins.”

“Oh… you know how to massage? My whole body aches too. Standing for ten hours a day really takes a toll on my aging body. Could you give me a massage, as well? But I have no money to pay you with.”

I forced out a smile. “You don’t have to, but I can only massage your feet and hands. Nowhere else.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s inappropriate.”

She sighed. “You are a very virtuous man. Maybe I should call you Mister Appropriate.”

“I just want to protect your dignity. What’s wrong with that?”

“Because you treat me like I’m a pure young maiden. You know very well that I’ve long been stripped of my dignity, and I’m old already.”

“You’re only twenty-nine. That’s not too old. And it’s not because you had a past means you have no more dignity left. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.”

She sighed and rested her forehead on my bicep. “I wish all people think like you do.”

“They just don’t know you well enough.”

“Do you?”

“Maybe not, but I know you enough to see that you’re a good person. One good person is all I need and I’m fine living in this place.”

She laughed.

“And thank you for thinking about me that you had to save your dinner just to share it with me. I’m really touched.”

“You also used your hard-earned money to buy me something to eat. We’re even.”

“No, we’re not. I owe you so much more, and I don’t think I can ever repay you.”

“Ah, you’re being overly melodramatic. Don’t make me cry again.”

From out of nowhere, a man suddenly landed right in front of us, so close he had practically intruded into our personal space.

Jinjing squealed and her hand tightened around my arm.

I, too, was stunned.

In terms of height, I was already tall that an average girl like Jinjing barely made it pass my shoulder level, but this man was even taller. He also had broad shoulders. His body radiated power that I could not possibly match even if I were fully healthy.

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Just him standing there was already intimidating. The fact that I could feel Jinjing’s trembling hand meant he probably even looked terrifying.

He stepped closer to me, leaving just half an arm's length between us.

“Divine Mage,” he uttered in a low voice.

My eyes widened. His imposing figure had not frightened me, but the words that he had just uttered did.

I took a step back.

“Wei Fan,” he continued, as if he was taunting me, or probably testing me to confirm my identity.

I held my breath. I did not dare say a word.

Did they hire this man to find me and finish me off? Or is this an ally of that man who had helped me escape?

While I was unsure, it was best for me to keep my lips sealed.

The man snickered. “So this is indeed the banished disciple of Frost Mountain. You have gone astray too far. No wonder no one can find you.”

I discreetly took a deep breath to calm myself down. For Jinjing, I had to look unperturbed, even if I had no chance against this man.

“Mister, do you need anything from me?” I asked courteously. I could barely see his face, but I saw the outline of his strong jaw when he turned sideway.

He was taller than I was for probably half a foot, with broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist. He was physically fit, and even if I had lost my ability to sense someone else’s cultivation level, I could tell his strength was enormous. If I were to fight him, I stood no chance. And my priority now was to stay out of trouble, especially since I had a woman in my company.

He smirked and just stood there. Even if I could not see his eyes, the slight movement of his head told me he was studying me from head to toe.

RUAN YANJUN

I did not expect that the now infamous top disciple of Ethereal Frost Sect was this exquisite. He indeed lived up to the name of his sect, an ethereal beauty with a very cold expression and voice. The plain white robe that he wore and the simple lace that tied his hair only emphasized his natural charm.

At my age, I had seen countless beauties already that they no longer appealed to me, but this beauty before me was someone I could not get my eyes off. He was a piece of art on his own, a breathing masterpiece. However, that woman beside him, who was clinging to him like a leech, ruined the perfection of the scene.

I scowled at her. “Only a whore clings to a man like a slug in public. Where’s your decency?”

The woman stared at me with her mouth agape, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes welling in shameful tears. Even the beauty before me was rendered speechless.

Then I remembered that this was the same woman that those three drunk men had harrassed before, and the uniform she wore reminded me of what she was. “Oh,” I sneered. “You are a whore.”

The woman quickly dropped her hands off the priest’s arm and turned her head to the other side, hiding her shame away.

“Mister,” the former Divine Mage said. Although I had insulted his companion, he still spoke calmly and gently. “This woman is my wife. Please treat her with the respect that she deserves.”

I ran my eyes over him, and then I laughed. I was too old to be fooled by a priest who was wearing a plain white robe. “I have not heard of a priest marrying a whore, and the more that I have not heard of a whore deserving of some respect. Don’t tell me you have turned away from the teachings of your sect right after they’ve kicked you out and decided to be the exact opposite of what they taught you instead.”

I saw how his lips thinned. Apparently, the words I had said had gotten into him, yet he tried to keep his emotions at bay. When he spoke again, his voice remained calm yet unyielding. “Mister, it’s late. We should talk again some other time.” He turned to the woman beside him and reached for her hand. “Let’s go.”

I watched as they passed by me. When I was watching that beautiful man fighting with those drunk men days ago, I was appalled. His inner strength was totally absent, his strikes were pathetic. Who would believe that this was once a seventh-level cultivator, recognized as the youngest grandmaster in the world, and despite him not appearing publicly, the Tianhui Sect, a sect known for its ranking system, had previously placed him ninth among the top ten cultivators in the whole continent.

That ranking system was a joke, however.

To think that I wasn’t even on their list.

Regardless, I did not mind it at all. I had no interest in attending their bi-annual tournament just to prove that I deserved the top spot in the ranking. Many of those cultivators who felt that they had been snubbed from the top ten, would do that. Not Ruan Yanjun.

I liked to fight. To me, life was not worth living without fighting, without getting the opportunity to boast my prowess. But I had no time to fry small fish. Even fifty of those could not possibly satiate my hunger. They could leave me out of the list, but they all knew that there was a certain someone that even the top ten combined could never defeat, someone whose name they would rather not mention and pretend he never existed. That someone’s name was Ruan Yanjun.

“I’ll be expecting it,” I said aloud, but only the woman turned her head to glance at me.

I kept my eyes on Wei Fan until they turned to a corner. Although his cultivation had been nullified, I had felt a spark from within him, as if the ember that had turned into ashes still had some flicker left and was simply waiting for a stimulant to make it glow once more.

He was indeed special, even more special than his master. I could use a disciple like him. Nevermind if he’d start again from nothing. I’d nurture him until the light core he had been born with returned to life, and I’d nurture him further until he was back to that same level he had once possessed.

Huang Wen had assured me that Wei Fan had indeed reached the seventh level, and that was one of the reasons that had caused his fall from grace.

With a smirk, I shook my head. That poor thing had to be punished and suffer for being so exceptionally talented.

But from now on, he’d be in good hands. Ruan Yanjun had no insecurities. In fact, I would love to make a rival out of him. It had been a while since I fought against a worthy opponent.

Now that I found my subject, I should make sure I would not lose him again.

I, however, had to attend to some important matters the next day, so I’d have some of my disciples to keep an eye on him at all times.

I might have scared him off earlier, so I did not want to aggravate the situation. Although I could simply abduct him and force him to submit to my whims, I would only resort to such means if necessary. In order to execute my plan, I needed his full, voluntary cooperation.

Patience was never my virtue, but with Wei Fan, I’d have to take things slowly and surely.

*****

LUO FAN

“That man is a freak,” Jinjing said softly as we entered the gate to her house. It was already late at night so we had to speak quietly so as not to bother the neighbors. “To think that he’s even so good-looking.”

“He is?” I asked. Although I knew that the man had an amazing physique, I wasn’t sure about his face.

“He really is.”

“More handsome than I am?”

“You’re beautiful. He’s handsome. You two can’t be compared.”

“Why can’t I be handsome?”

“Because you’re beautiful.”

The discussion was going in circles, so I might as well drop it. “A good face does not define a character, perhaps.”

“You’re right, except from you, I supposed.” She opened the door and let me in. “You are beautiful both inside and out.”

“You don’t stop humoring me.”

“Do you not believe?”

“We should eat. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

I went to the stove and was glad that the ember had kept the food warm. I put it in a big bowl and brought it to the table. Jinjing had also placed two bowls, chopsticks, and the food she had wrapped up on the table.

“You must have caught that man’s attention earlier,” she said as we settled down.

“What could I have done to catch his attention?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because you’re too beautiful.”

“He’s a man. How could he be interested in me?”

“That drunk man from before… Chang Tao, remember? He was also attracted to you.”

Who could forget that man?

“He was drunk he did not know what he was saying.”

She sighed. “You probably have never seen two men falling for each other.”

I frowned. “Is that possible?”

She giggled. “Fan, you really are too naïve. In this city, it’s not unusual to see that anymore.”

I was speechless. I could not begin to imagine it.

Two men?

“So…” I was so intrigued. I knew it was not proper to talk about such things with a woman, but I could not help my curiosity. “How do they copulate?”

She laughed again. “Fan, it’s not good to talk about those things over dinner.”

My cheeks turned hot. “I apologize.”

“Here, try this.” She put a few pieces of meat in my bowl.

I took one in and forced out a smile.

Before I went to pick Jinjing up earlier, I had been looking forward to enjoying a meal with her, but after encountering that mysterious man, I had suddenly lost my appetite.

I tried to pretend that the man did not bother me much, but he actually did. Someone had already found out my whereabouts, and it was someone I could not defeat in battle. I was afraid that Jinjing might be implicated, and if I really cared about her, I should leave immediately.

But where should I go? Without money, how can I sustain myself?

“Fan, I have a question,” she said, clueless about my dilemma.

“Just ask.”

“…Is it true what that rude man said earlier? That you’re a priest?”

I sighed and nodded. “I was, but I’m not sure if I still am.”

“That did not surprise me very much. Based on your personality and especially with the way you speak, I had expected it, but there’s one thing I had not… Were you… a disciple of a sect?”

I lowered my eyes and could not respond for a moment. “It is true.”

“So you’re proficient in martial arts? You lied to me when you said that you only know some basic things?”

I sighed. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to lie to you. It’s just that…”

“What?”

I sighed again. “Jinjing, I’m not the same man as before anymore. I had done something terrible, and because of that, they had nullified my cultivation and banished me out of the sect.”

She was silent. I was sure she was dumbfounded and was probably unsure if she could still trust me.

“Forgive me for keeping a secret from you. I was afraid that if you knew, you would not want to have anything to do with me anymore. I will leave first thing in the morning if my presence here is no longer wanted.”

“No.” She quickly put her hand over mine. “I didn’t mean that. I was just shocked. I didn’t expect…”

“I’m sorry.”

She squeezed my hand. “I still believe that you’re a good man. I’m sure that whatever you’ve done, you did not do so intentionally.”

I drew a deep breath of relief. “Thank you. Someday, I will tell you all about it. Not now. It’s still too painful to even think about it.”

“If you can’t talk about it, you don’t have to.”

“Thank you.”

“One more question. Is Wei Fan your full name?”

I sighed again. “My master had given me that name, but I’d prefer it if you call me by my real name. Luo Fan.”

“Oh.” She pondered for a moment. “I think I’ve gotten used to calling you just Fan. I won’t change it.”

I smiled. “I prefer it too.”