Chapter 56: Zhao Yu is Fierce, Quickly Summon My Son

Learning that Zhao Yu had captured the female ghost, Master Liu and the steward stood frozen in place.

After a long while, the steward finally grasped the situation and asked in disbelief, "You... you... Senior, are you truly a Gold Core True Person?"

"Judging by your reaction, it’s almost as if you think I like to lie?" Zhao Yu said, looking displeased.

He never lied, alright!

At most, he simply chose to remain silent when it was inconvenient to speak.

The steward hurriedly explained, choking back his words, "Senior misunderstands. This lowly one is merely overjoyed—overjoyed that Senior has rid my master's household of this demonic and evil specter."

Zhao Yu grew impatient again. "Hurry up and give me my money."

He still needed to find the origin of the woodcutter's saber, and he had no desire to linger among these savages.

Master Liu also snapped back to his senses and barked out an order, "Someone come! Quickly fetch the prepared reward and bring it to True Person Zhao."

A few servants hurriedly departed.

The three Nanshan Daoists glanced at one another, hesitated for a moment, and then slipped away without a trace.

Something was wrong; they had to flee immediately.

While Zhao Yu was present, the Liu family dared not make a move, but once Zhao Yu left... especially since Zhao Yu appeared to have no intention of slaying demons and eliminating devils for the greater good—if they didn't seize the opportunity to run now, wouldn't they be utter fools?

Flashes of ferocity crossed the eyes of Master Liu, the steward, and the third person, yet none dared to act.

This was a Gold Core True Person after all. Until they figured out what was on Zhao Yu's mind, the more they did, the faster they would die. Doing nothing at all was the best course of action.

After another moment, a servant returned carrying a tray.

On it lay quite a few silver ingots.

Master Liu forced a smile and said, "True Person Zhao, this lowly one knows that these meager silvers are unworthy of your efforts, but I depleted much of my family's wealth years ago, and in the short term, I simply cannot produce more cash..."

Zhao Yu had no idea how much these silver ingots amounted to, but surely they exceeded five liang.

Remaining silent, he quietly stuffed the silver ingots into his robes.

Once Zhao Yu had tucked away the money, Master Liu forced another smile. "True Person Zhao, this lowly one has already prepared a banquet. Would you care to join?"

"No need, I have business to attend to. I'm leaving." Zhao Yu strode away quickly.

Since this foolish Master Liu had handed over so much money, what if he changed his mind if he didn't leave now?

Just as he had taken a few steps, Zhao Yu turned back.

"True Person Zhao?" Master Liu and the others felt their hearts tighten.

Without a word, Zhao Yu walked back.

By the time Zhao Yu approached closely once more, Master Liu and the others felt their hearts trembling violently.

So, was Zhao Yu going to kill them after all?

Had the shadow of death finally enveloped them after all?

As it turned out...

Zhao Yu withdrew a silver ingot from his robes. "This single ingot is probably worth more than five liang. Take it; the extra is my treat."

He had agreed with the steward yesterday to split five liang with him.

He was simply such an honest young man who had just resolved to turn dark.

Looking at the silver ingot in his hand, the steward found himself torn—keeping it felt wrong, yet refusing it felt even worse.

"I'm leaving. Farewell forever." Zhao Yu gave a slight wave and strode away with long strides.

With this much money, he could buy plenty of good things, and the scabbard for the woodcutter's saber would finally be sorted out...

Once Zhao Yu had walked far enough to vanish from sight, Master Liu and the steward turned weak in the legs and collapsed instantly to the ground.

They had survived.

It turned out that the taste of being alive was truly this wonderful.

After a long while, Master Liu struggled to his feet. "Gold Core True Person, Gold Core True Person... My foot is a Gold Core True Person! For a dignified Gold Core True Person, how could you stoop to eyeing such paltry coins just to come to the Liu residence to banish evil and slay demons?!"

The more he spoke, the angrier he became.

The steward hesitated for a moment before offering comfort, "Master, please calm down. Is he necessarily a Gold Core True Person just because he claims to be? Besides, neither of us has any cultivation; whatever he says, we have no way to refute."

Master Liu fell silent for a brief moment, then hissed with hatred, "You ignorant dog of a servant, what do you know! That undying spirit was nurtured only because my son obtained a great opportunity... According to my son, although the direct offensive power of this undying spirit cannot yet match a Gold Core True Person, even a Gold Core True Person with an Astral God Incarnation could never defeat her!"

Yet she had been defeated, which proved that Zhao Yu was no ordinary person.

The steward shrank his neck and dared not utter a sound.

Their young master—yes, the very young master from his story who stubbornly insisted on marrying a farm girl—was a genuine practitioner of the Dao!

As he pondered this, the steward's expression shifted slightly, and he whispered, "Master, that True Person Zhao took the undying soul away."

This was their young master's ultimate treasure, specially placed at home to be nurtured. If their young master flew into a rage... Master would certainly be fine since he was the biological father, but low-level servants like them would likely wish for death and find no release.

Master Liu thought of this crucial point as well and gritted his teeth. "Quickly, notify my son at once and ask him what we should do."

"Master need not worry overly much either. That True Person Zhao is indeed bizarre, but the bounty we offered was not high. Logically speaking, it should only have attracted swindlers. Since such a meager bounty happened to draw a True Person like Zhao Yu, I suspect that even if he possesses other strange abilities, he is surely only gambling with his life."

Pausing for a breath, the steward smiled again. "Moreover, since the undying soul was still being nurtured, it surely retains certain weaknesses. Without a mishap, True Person Zhao must have caught a glimpse of the undying soul's weakness last night."

Master Liu had calmed down by now and nodded. "That does make sense. No matter what, since he could be tempted by a paltry sum of silver, it is impossible for him to defy the heavens... Furthermore, since he didn't break my son's seal and emerge last night, it proves he could do nothing against my son. If my son makes a move, capturing him should be as easy as turning over his hand."

...

Outside the Liu Family Estate

Zhao Yu, leading the female ghost, leisurely strolled out of the Liu residence.

The town streets were as bustling as they had been the previous night.

However, now that he was flush with cash, Zhao Yu observed his surroundings much more carefully... which led him to notice quite a few beggars huddled in every corner of the town.

Some beggars curled up in corners, their entire bodies oozing pus.

Others lacked arms or legs.

There were also those who appeared physically sound, yet had their faces smeared with dirt and grime to disguise themselves.

After observing for a moment, Zhao Yu led the female ghost into a gloomy alleyway at a street corner.

"Senior," the female ghost trembled inwardly.

Although she had been constantly controlled, it did not mean she failed to remember the scenes while under control... How on earth could Zhao Yu slice through those bizarre threads from last night?

She had once heard that man mutter to himself that even the descent of a Nascent Soul Exalted Sovereign could not sever those threads.

Yet Zhao Yu had severed them effortlessly.

As for the so-called Gold Core True Person Zhao, she did not believe it for a single second.

Without beating around the bush, Zhao Yu pointed at the woodcutter's saber. "I ask you, where is the origin of the woodcutter's saber?"

The female ghost was instantly dumbfounded.

The woodcutter's saber? Its origin?

Did these two things even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath?

Yet, recalling how Zhao Yu had used the woodcutter's saber to slice through the threads yesterday... Zhao Yu's own incredulous nature was one thing, but perhaps the fact that this woodcutter's saber was a divine weapon disguised as an ordinary tool was also a crucial factor.

Zhao Yu grew displeased. "I asked you a question."

The female ghost's heart tightened, and she hurriedly shook her head. "Senior's inquiry must have its reasons, but... I must beg Senior's forgiveness, for this lowly female truly does not know."

Moved by the female ghost's sincerity, Zhao Yu could only look skeptically at the woodcutter's saber.