Chapter 223: Not you... You stay

"Then please, come with me right now!" Song Tianyu begged, stepping backward to hastily reach into his spatial ring.

"Big brother! I know... I cannot simply demand your supreme services without proper compensation," Tianyu stated seriously, pulling out something heavy wrapped tightly in thick black cloth.

And then without any explanation, he shoved the bundle into Gu Fan’s chest, practically forcing him to take it.

"This is the ’Abyssal Dragon-Fang Halberd’, something my Aunt gave me long back," Tianyu explained, hua eyes glued to the halberd, "It is forged from Deep-Sea Cold Iron and can effortlessly slice through anything that I have come across."

"Please, Big Brother, take it!"

​Gu Fan effortlessly held the halberd with one hand, completely unfazed by the weight as his system interface instantly chimed, confirming the high-tier quality of the deadly weapon.

​Gu Fan looked at the weapon, then looked back at Tianyu’s pleading face while the annoyed look on his face was replaced by a smile.

​"You know, Tianyu," Gu Fan sighed heavily, casually resting the massive halberd against his broad shoulder, "I would have preferred just punching you in the face and snatching this from your unconscious body... but well, whatever."

​"But tell me something, little brother. Why exactly do you care so deeply about your aunt?" Gu Fan put his arm around Song Tianyu and asked.

"Huh?!" Song Tianyu blinked, completely caught off guard by the sudden question, "Because... because she is my family, Big Brother. She has always treated me well since I was a child."

"No... No... No..." Gu Fan scoffed, crossing his arms as he looked Tianyu up and down with a suspicious glare, "Just because she treated you well? I don’t buy it."

"Are you sure there isn’t some other deeply hidden reason? Is there some kind of twisted, highly inappropriate Song Clan tradition I don’t know about?"

"W-What do you mean?" Tianyu stammered, his face immediately turning bright red.

"I mean," Gu Fan leaned forward with a wicked grin, "Are you secretly eyeing your own aunt, Tianyu?"

"NO! Absolutely not!" Song Tianyu waved his hands in the air, his face burning with mortifying embarrassment as he quickly stepped backward, "Big Brother, you can’t say such things! She is my elder! She is my father’s sister! I absolutely do not see my aunt in that kind of dirty way!"

"Really?" Gu Fan shook his head, clicking his tongue in sheer disappointment as he acted deeply disgusted. "Because if you were eyeing her, that would be a scandal hard to cover up."

"It is absolutely sick to actively lust after your own aunt, Tianyu. You need to quickly go out and find yourself a normal girl from the town."

"I am not lusting after her!" Tianyu defended himself desperately, almost on the verge of tears since his highly righteous Dao heart was being relentlessly questioned,, "I swear to the heavens, I only respect her!"

"Fine, fine, I believe you," Gu Fan laughed, "Since you don’t harbor any dirty thoughts, you can just sit back and let me take full care of your aunt."

Gu Fan tossed the halberd into his inventory, "Come now... Your aunt must be waiting for her favourite nephew."

"BIG BROTHER!"

~~~~~

In no time, the two of them had already reached the Bamboo Spring Pavilion where the honourable widow resided.

​However, as they rapidly approached the entrance of the serene courtyard, the familiar, highly annoying sight of an armed blockade greeted them.

​Standing directly in front of the arched gateway was Patriarch Song Tianming, his face dark and imposing, flanked by two rows of armed Song Clan guards.

​And standing right beside the Patriarch was the fat, incredibly arrogant Second Elder, Song Boyan.

​Gu Fan didn’t even break his stride as the absolute second he saw the arrogant elders and the drawn swords waiting for them, Gu Fan let out an exaggerated groan of sheer annoyance ​"Hell no!’

And before Song Tianyu could even understand anything, he had already spun around on his heel and was walking back the way they came.

​"Wait! Big Brother!" Song Tianyu frantically grabbed Gu Fan’s sleeve, his face pale with panic. "What happened?! Why are you leaving?!"

​"I am not going to do this every single time, Tianyu," Gu Fan scoffed loudly, forcefully yanking his arm away from the young master.

"I am not the one desperate to save your aunt. If your clan elders want to block the door every time I come to save a life, then your aunt can just completely rot in there."

"And how the fuck do they know that I am even coming?"

​Hearing the blatant disrespect from the masked man, the fat Second Elder stepped forward, his face twisting into a sneer.

​"Hah! The fraud finally knows his place!" Song Boyan laughed loudly, pointing a chubby finger directly at Gu Fan’s back, "You realize we caught onto your pathetic scam, don’t you?! You didn’t cure anything!"

"Shut the fuck up fatso... Or I will let everyone know what you were up to last night..."

"Wha... I was... I did nothing..."

​Song Tianyu was just about to draw his sword and charge towards his elders when the heavy wooden doors of the Bamboo Spring Pavilion slowly creaked open.

​Creak!

​Song Yan slowly stepped out onto the porch.

She was the kind of heaven-defying beauty who looked absolutely elegant even while standing on death’s door, and today was no different.

​She looked breathtaking. Her beautiful silver hair was worn loose, cascading perfectly down her shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight, framing a face that was completely pale and fragile, yet undeniably ethereal. Her pristine white robes flowed flawlessly around her slender figure, completely devoid of a single wrinkle or stain.

And ​even she had to rest her delicate hand against the wooden doorframe just to keep herself standing, her sheer elegance commanded absolute respect.

​"Aunt Yan!" Tianyu cried out, instantly rushing forward, "You shouldn’t be out of bed! I brought the Master back to heal you!"

​Song Yan didn’t look at Tianyu. She didn’t look at her powerful brother, the Patriarch. She didn’t even glance at the fat Second Elder.

​She leaned heavily against the wooden doorframe, her chest heaving aggressively as her dark, hazy eyes locked directly onto Gu Fan’s masked face.

​"Leave," Song Yan ordered, her voice weak, trembling, but undeniably authoritative, "All of you. Get out of my courtyard."

​"Aunt, please!" Tianyu tried to argue frantically. "Your condition is relapsing! You need his treatment!"

​Song Yan slowly shifted her gaze to her nephew, her dark eyes flashing with such coldness that instantly made Tianyu swallow his words and step backward in fear.

​Patriarch Song Tianming let out a long, heavy sigh, completely misinterpreting her desperate state for agonizing pain caused by the curse.

​"She has made her choice, Tianyu," the Patriarch stated grimly, waving his hand to dismiss the guards, "Do not force her to suffer any more humiliation. We are leaving. Let her rest in peace."

​The guards sheathed their swords and began to march away. The Second Elder shot one last venomous glare at Gu Fan before turning around, and even a completely heartbroken Song Tianyu lowered his head, slowly turning his back to walk away from his dying aunt.

​Gu Fan casually shrugged his broad shoulders, turning around to follow the group out of the courtyard since he was perfectly willing to play the long game and let her suffer until she begged.

​But just as he took his first step away from the gate...

​"Not you..."

​A weak, almost a whisper echoed through the silent bamboo grove, instantly freezing everyone in their tracks.

​Gu Fan slowly turned his masked face back toward the pavilion.

​"Not you," Song Yan repeated, "You... stay."