In a dark room, a ten meter tall bronze cauldron sat on a raging fire that spewed out thick smoke.
The light shone upon a man, casting a black shadow and revealing his face.
He had his eyes closed, his hands poised in a sign, as he sat before the cauldron.
Hum~
The cauldron started shaking then, blowing out its lid with a bang. It revealed a round and shiny pill, with a golden luster. It floated in the air and darted away.
Zhuo Fanās flashed his eyes open and saw the pill flashing by him. He made a sign and pointed, āHold!ā
The pill froze in the air, not budging.
Grinning, Zhuo Fan took a vial and placed it inside. The pill looked like a victim as it just slumped dully on the glass wall.
Zhuo Fan closed the vial with a smile. He walked outside, taking a deep breath of fresher air.
āThree days refining feels like ages.ā
The gaudy sun above and the deep breaths helped lighten his mood as he took large steps towards the guest house.
Creak~
He found Gu Santong inside, bored out of his mind, sitting at a table and watching the bed with a dead look. The pretty girl was like a sleeping beauty.
Zhuo Fan smiled, āThe young miss, how has she been these days?ā
āDad, youāre finally out! Any longer and Iād have gone stir-crazy in here!ā
Gu Santong complained.
Zhuo Fan teased, āMany others wouldnāt have been able to sleep from the excitement to spend three days close to such a flower, but only youād see it as a chore.ā
āHumph, like you said, I first need to be equipped!ā Gu Santong looked at his small stature and sighed.
Zhuo Fanās face twitched, rolling his eyes, āDamn brat, you will one day. I heard sacred beasts mature when their powers increase. So grow up well!ā
Patting his head, Zhuo Fan chuckled, turning to the patient. Gu Santong held his chin, then shook his head.
Zhuo Fan touched her wrist, āThereās still hope, her situation hasnāt worsened.ā
Zhuo Fan took out the vial and placed the still warm pill between her soft lips.
The pill flowed into her body and she shook wildly, her unmarred face turning into a frown.
The change was brief, as the girl eased a breath and calmed down again.
āDad, why isnāt she waking up? Was your pill a dud?ā Gu Santong saw the girl laying as always and complained.
Feeling her condition, Zhuo Fan nodded and smiled, āBrat, that was an 11th grade soul pill, Sacred Soul Pill. A dud? No, itās her heavy wounds that need more time to heal. In a few days she will recover. You watch over her and donāt let her flee and make it all pointless.ā
Zhuo Fan walked out.
āHold on!ā
Gu Santong complained, āDad, why am I stuck babysitting? You do it!ā
āUh, I⦠will make some tonic pills for her, ha-ha-ha.ā Zhuo Fan beamed, his pace quickening. He justified himself, āRefining is so taxing. I wouldnāt have done this if didnāt want her to wake upā¦ā
Whoosh~
Just as he reached the door, a flash of red blocked him. Gu Santong pouted and snapped, āDad, my head might not be as quick as yours, but Iām no fool. You said no ordinary pill can help her so you had me watch her while you refined. And donāt we have plenty of tonic pills? What do you take me for, a three-year-old?ā
[Uhā¦]
Zhuo Fan froze, darting his eyes around for a solution.
Gu Santong shouted before he could find one, āItās your turn to babysit. Iām out to play!ā
Gu Santong was gone.
āHey, wait!ā
Too little, too late. The kid was long gone.
Turning from the sleeping beauty to the distant son, Zhuo Fan sighed, āCanāt this kid share just a little of my burden? Watching a comatose person is boring as hell. I still need to find more about Flying Cloud Cityās situationā¦ā
Yep, Zhuo Fan was like Gu Santong in this regard, not wanting to be stuck here.
Like father like son. Waiting here for the slow trickle of time was worse than killing them.
But since the son fled, that left his old man to do this rotten task.
Helpless to the extreme, Zhuo Fan slumped in the chair with Gu Santongās dead expression on his face. Yawning, he looked at the bed, then checked her condition now and then.
He soon noticed that her state was improving, though she showed no sign of stirring.
Frowning, Zhuo Fan gave her a few more pills, with no result. Three days trickled by painfully slow, and the damn girl was still sleeping!
Zhuo Fanās was far more impatient than Gu Santong, pacing around the room. The rare glance at the bright outdoors with chirping bird only worked to taunt him. Anyone wouldāve lost it at this point, āFor crying out loud! Where the hell did he run off to? He just couldnāt wait to get far away from his dad? Didnāt he want to stay with me at all times, to rely on each other, be each otherās support? Now look at him, it hasnāt been a week and heās already fled! What kind of son leaves his dad for three days?ā
Scowling, Zhuo Fan paced some more, and glanced at the bed even more, now turning his irritation on her, āAnd you, brat, Iāve already healed you so why arenāt you awake yet? If you keep sleeping Iāll just thrash you!ā
Silence welcomed him.
A raging fire roared in his belly, with no place to vent. These three days were spent doing nothing at all. He couldnāt even cultivate, out of fear the girl woke up and messed his concentration.
These long and arduous, but mostly flat, three days were getting to him.
He was no saint either, not shirking from hitting a woman. But he had an image to uphold, that of a father.
[Hitting a defenseless girl will ruin his image of me.]
As a father, only in front of his son did he curb his evil tendencies.
So, his sneaky eyes darted from one corner to the next, making double sure there was no young Sanzi in sight. He showed a vile smile as he approached the bed, rubbing his hands, āMissie, itās for you own good. A couple of slaps ought to wake you up. If not, itāll make me feel better too. See, win-win, right? He-he-heā¦ā
Zhuo Fan spat in his hands, lifted his hands high, and let them fall on the girlās most delicate face.
There was no real force in it, of course, doing it just to let off steam. Anything more and her head would fly.
The wind behind it though made her black hair float.
The slaps werenāt harmful, but they were sure to leave some lasting impressions.
But then her eyes shot open, staring straight at Zhuo Fan in anger.
Stunned, Zhuo Fanās hands faltered in the air.
Pa!
The pause gave the girl time to grab his hand and fling him on the bed. She jumped on him the next second, clutching his throat as she spoke in a loving voice, āWho were you trying to thrash?ā
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