The Steward Demonic Emperor

Chapter 669: Danqing Shen’s Purpose

Proofreader: Papatonks

“Ha-ha-ha, I see. I was wondering why you were so odd before. When you switched to using your left instead of your right, it turned out it was wounded.”

A sudden old chuckle pierced Zhuo Fan’s ears, making him shiver. He swished a shocked face around but only found an old drunkard. It looked as if he had been in Zhuo Fan’s room from the start, taking his sweet time gulping down wine and looking at him with a penetrative sneer.

His brow shook, and Zhuo Fan cried, “S-senior, how did you get in?”

“What, ain’t I welcome?”

Danqing Shen’s face looked a little savage as he said, “I’ve told you already, there’s nowhere on these lands I cannot go. No one can stop me!”

Ugh!

Zhuo Fan’s face stiffened, and he let out a strained laugh, “Ha-ha-ha, yeah. You do me a great honor seeing me, senior. You light my home with your presence. How could little old me ever refuse you? It’s just that senior’s sudden appearance caught me by surprise.”

“Tch, quite slick, I see. Who’ll ever believe your smooth talk?”

Danqing Shen sneered, then his cruel eyes snapped on the bleeding right hand, “You must be most annoyed this old man found out your secret.”

Speechless for a moment, Zhuo Fan’s eyes spun all over the place, but then he chuckled as he strained to deny it, “Senior, how can you say that? How could a little old and average Radiant Stage disciple ever hide something from so many experts? Senior must be joking, ha-ha-ha…”

Even with the forced laughter, Zhuo Fan made sure to hide his wounded right back in his clothes.

“Spare me your lies.”

Danqing Shen’s face went cold, his piercing eyes staring right at him as he questioned, “Boy, tell the truth. Who gave you that wound?”

Flicking his eyes around, Zhuo Fan waved him off, “Isn’t it obvious? Having fought so many times, injuries are common. Sir also knows I am a tough man, not going to let a flesh wound bother me, so I endured it. Since sir has found me out, then I am most grateful for your concern.”

“Cut the crap. Don’t you play dumb with me! I’m not buying it!”

Danqing Shen’s face twitched and snorted, “I’ve seen your recent fights, and you think I don’t know who you’ve been fighting? They couldn’t even scratch you, let alone hurt you. Moreover, that wound is a through and through, clearly made by sword energy. Talk, where did you run off to?”

Heart tensing, Zhuo Fan gave the old man a look. He clearly knew everything despite questioning him, so all he could do was admit it. “Senior, you’re so astute, and I can’t hide anything. I was curious, explored someplace, and got this little scratch for my troubles.”

“Boy, you sure are deceitful. Using your teammates that were toying with Heaven Trailing Sect, you sneaked away to check out the sacred mine. Not even the Exalted Double Dragons figured you out. Boy, your plan was brilliant!”

“Ha-ha-ha, you’re too kind, senior. Did it not fail to pull the wool over senior’s brilliant eyes?” Zhuo Fan grinned at Danqing Shen, flattering him whenever he could.

The way he saw it since Danqing Shen had left Double Dragon Manor ages ago, he came to him after finding him out. It was a clear sign the old man wanted to negotiate something.

So, Zhuo Fan was working to lighten the mood and see what he wanted.

Sparing him a glance, Danqing Shen sneered, “Easy on the flattery, boy. I needed one look and knew something was off about the show you pulled on Heaven Trailing Sect. Why did each disciple go after their prey and then return to that valley, all except you? Why were you so late for the show? Then there was the fight with Demon Soul Sect. It was clear from your demeanor that there was something with your right hand, though just a hunch. Now that I see it myself, it all became clear.”

“You got guts, boy. The sacred mine is Double Dragon Manor’s territory, yet you dare go in? Talk, who sent you? What is their purpose?” Danqing Shen barked.

Zhuo Fan shrugged, muttering for a bit, “Senior, you’re only fussing over trifles. No one sent me; I didn’t even know there’d be a sacred mine in that place. I just felt that spiritual energy was incredibly thick when I entered. So curiosity got the best of me, and I went to check it out. I never thought it would lead to such a careless mistake and got wounded.”

“Careless, you say? Who are you trying to fool?”

Danqing Shen mocked, “The sacred mines aren’t important just for Double Dragon Manor, but the entire western lands. While the mine’s interference prevented an array from being set up, thousands of monitoring arrays existed before it. There’s no way you could’ve bypassed them without inside help.”

“And not just you. Even I, a former Double Dragon Manor disciple, have no idea where they’ve changed those monitoring arrays’ positions. And just touching one of them will instantly get the two old coots on you. It may look like light protection when in fact, it’s at the highest. It’s like casting thousands of eyes on that place, taking in your every movement.”

Zhuo Fan’s brow shook. 

[So the monitoring arrays were placed by the exalted in person.] 

He had just skirted the two old guy’s traps under their noses.

Zhuo Fan sighed.

[That was close.]

[How fortunate I’m an array master and a good one enough not to run into any of them.]

Glancing over, Danqing Shen resumed the inquiry, “Talk! Why did you come here? Who’s your contact in the Double Dragon Manor?”

“Senior, I won’t lie to you. I was just curious and took a look. That’s all.”

Zhuo Fan chuckled, “As for those monitoring arrays? I just had to read the terrain and energy flow to find them out. I always stepped in their blind spot, going in and out without a sign. I had no devious ploy at all.”

Danqing Shen’s heart shook, looking at Zhuo Fan in shock and doubt, “Those were set up by the exalted themselves and hidden very well. Yet you saw them at a glance?”

“Senior, my low cultivation might not show it, but I’m a 10th-grade array master. Also, this is just what I can do now. If we discuss insights and theories in arrays, my accomplishments are way higher.”

Rolling his eyes, Zhuo Fan’s face was solemn. “I was a little nervous about when the two exalted might find me in the short time I had, or I could have just broken them, you know?”

Danqing Shen looked at him, filled with skepticism.

He did not believe him at first. 

[The two exalted set them up themselves and you, a snot-nosed brat, up and said you could break them? Even talent has limits!]

However, Zhuo Fan’s confidence was too genuine to write it off as acting.

Seeing hesitation play on his face, Zhuo Fan broke his thoughts with a smile, “Senior, what do you need of me? How can I be of help?”

“Boy, you’ve been caught messing around. Now you want to drag me into it too?”

“Ha-ha-ha, senior, you can’t say that when it’s you who came here for something. Now you approached me with the intent to test my limits, so how can it be all my fault?” Zhuo Fan chuckled and shook his head. 

Danqing Shen’s eyes flashed, praising his sharp mind, but his voice was still the same. “Boy, I only came to check something and not for anything else. Stop your wild guessing.”

“Oh, senior, you’re really… ha-ha, can’t you be a little frank with me?”

Zhuo Fan shook his head, annoyed, “Senior, you’re not part of Double Dragon Manor. Since you found my secret trip to the sacred mine, you had no reason to come and question me. Yet you came nevertheless. For you to keep asking me about my contact only means you have two purposes.”

“One, you still care about Double Dragon Manor and want to protect it by removing the danger, though that could’ve been easily done by dropping a hint about my actions. That leaves the second purpose for yourself, to eavesdrop. I think this one has a higher probability. Because that is your purpose, you need an insider who knows the ins and out of the current Double Dragon Manor. Didn’t you say it yourself that you’ve been gone for ages? “

Eying Zhuo Fan, Danqing Shen’s beard shook. He chuckled and shook his head, “You’re one little freak, you know that? You saw through me down to the last detail. No wonder in the fight with Demon Soul Sect, you let Lu Xie, who has been at odds with you, step in instead of others who would’ve listened just the same. Because he will do a better job. “

“Ha-ha-ha, when using others, one needs to consider every aspect. Lu Xie is petty and untrustworthy. Though sometimes, for some things, only petty people can do them.” Zhuo Fan’s eyes glinted and snickered. “Senior, what do you need of me? Please tell me.”

Danqing Shen’s eyes shook, and he finally sighed, “I want the sword that injured you…”