Chapter 327, Revenge Game
Translator: StarReader
Editor: Elitecoder
It was the same jade Zhuo Fan gave him when the man answered Huangpu Qingtian’s challenge. It had a simple sentence, one that touched his heart.
It was something his master had Zhuo Fan give to him, “If you find your life in Pill King Hall difficult, come with Steward Zhuo to find me!”
He was certain from the soul trace on the jade slip that it was without a doubt his master’s. The familiar feeling was so strong, he barely held back his tears.
His master lived in the Luo clan. And by the sound of it, quite well.
He recalled what Zhuo Fan told him at the time, that he’d take him to see his master in hell. It was a clear proof of acceptance.
From that instant, this youth who hated Zhuo Fan’s guts switched sides at the drop of the hat. He became Zhuo Fan’s spy, feeding him information in secret.
Yan Fu’s eyes snapped to his clansman and he shouted, “Yan Bangui, listen up. From this very moment, I and Pill King Hall are through. I belong to the Luo clan. A failure like you has no right to judge me.”
Yan Bangui was a keg set to blow, evident from his red face. His chest heaved yet he couldn’t find a word of reply.
[This son of a bitch finds himself some backing and thinks he can defy me? No matter how big a nerve he had earlier, he still wouldn’t curse back.] But now…
Zhuo Fan was laughing it up at their expense. He praised Yan Fu, “Well said. This is the kind of mettle all youths of the Luo clan should have. These four may be in Six Dragons and One Phoenix, but to me, they aren’t worth a goddamned thing!”
Zhuo Fan’s words were lofty and powerful, looking down on all creation.
Yan Fu was excited. Chest forward, head bobbing, the pride on his face unmistakable. He took on the same attitude he had when traveling with Vicious Pill King.
Inside he sighed. [Following Zhuo Fan is truly out of this world, freedom and bliss.] All the hatred and bitterness festering in his heart during these years magically went away. [No wonder my master got up and dumped Pill King Hall.]
His attitude sent a shiver down their spine.
Scour the world and one would find the Luo clan’s Zhuo Fan the only one to ever look at the seven houses with such loathing. [By the looks of it, this clan was growing in power, its future only bright.]
People began seeing the Luo clan in a different light.
But the Luo clan’s people had no time to mind other’s opinion of them, looking at the National Elemental Stone in worry.
Zhuo Fan was dominating the show, but seeing how wounded he was…
Luo Yunchang couldn’t fight back the pain in her heart seeing the bloody one-armed Zhuo Fan.
Outsiders got the wrong idea seeing the Luo clan so worried. They thought worry came from Zhuo Fan possibly letting emotions override his judgment and that he might do something he would regret.
In every Esoteric Debate that had been held in the past thousand years, many people died while the seven houses held each other in professional courtesy, thus coming out unharmed each time.
This time was no exception. They were split into factions, with heavy casualties on both sides, yet even in the most disastrous Esoteric Debate in history all those that died were vassals.
None from the seven houses fell, not one from Six Dragons and One Phoenix. This seemed to be the houses’ bottom line.
However, if Zhuo Fan were to get impulsive and kill these four, it would mark the start of the house war. This will make the Luo clan fodder in this war. And nobody from the Luo clan wanted to see that happen.
But they were clearly overthinking things.
They were blissfully unaware that the Luo clan was loyal to Zhuo Fan to a fault, even if fewer in numbers. They would accept any decision Zhuo Fan made, even bringing doom to the Luo clan.
Of course, with Zhuo Fan’s cunning mind there was no way he’d let that happen. So Luo clan’s people held unshakable trust in Zhuo Fan’s every action.
Zhuo Fan’s decision was Luo clan’s decision…
“What are you gawking at? He’s on his deathbed. Attack together and he will die!” Huangpu Qingtian shouted at the rest. The four of them took the Brimming Sacred Pill and couldn’t control themselves, but their vassals hadn’t and could still pose a threat to Zhuo Fan.
It was the perfect moment to strike, at his most vulnerable. Once he got better, all would be done for.
You Yushan noticed this as well and shouted along with his allies.
They didn’t get to move as the dozen Bone Tempering cultivators’ eyes went blank and they collapsed.
Zhuo Fan snickered, “I may be wounded, but did you forget? My soul is in the Radiant Stage.”
The four gasped.
They should’ve known that a sleeping tiger was still a tiger. Since when could ants take the Soaring Demonic Dragon’s life?
The four were wrecked with despair.
Huangpu Qingtian threatened, “Zhuo Fan, think this through. Killing us will start a war with our houses and the vassal clans. Are you willing to take that chance? Not even the emperor can save you then!”
“War?”
Yan Fu knew the Luo clan was under the imperial family and Dugu Zhantian’s protection, and since he had yet to be filled in to the Luo clan’s true power, he began to worry.
[Did I enter the Luo clan only to die?]
Zhuo Fan grinned, “Quite true. Killing you will start a war. How scary! But I am never one to write off a revenge. What to do, what to do? “
Zhuo Fan put on a hypocritical thinking posture. Huangpu Qingtian’s group was even more unnerved by his attitude. They hoped the punk would look at the big picture and get scared of what he saw, sparing them in the meantime.
It went double for Huangpu Qingtian. Providence had him king and all that. His life was invaluable. How could he just die?
“I have it!”
Zhuo Fan snapped his fingers, earning a jerk from his victims, “Since I have to get revenge but you are nonetheless valuable and oughtn’t be killed, I can only let heaven decide your fate.”
The four were shocked. But Zhuo Fan’s hand made a sign and the four could move. Though none of them could use their Yuan Qi.
Their cultivation was sealed.
Pff!
Huangpu Qingtian groaned as a thumb-sized hole appeared on his chest. The pain almost made him black out as he looked down.
He was unbeatable all his life, never even suffering a heavy wound. But this sudden hole exploding from within was heartrending.
Bam~
Three more groans and his allies shared his pain.
“Zhuo Fan, w-what are you going to do?” Huangpu Qingtian gnashed his teeth, “If you plan on killing us, stop playing and release us from this torment!”
“Release you? Ha-ha-ha, did you release Ning’er?”
Zhuo Fan’s smile was that of anger, “Relax, I said that your fate is in heaven’s hand and will give you guys a chance. I am a man of my word.
“The holes in your chest represent your number.” He gestured at the four.
The four found Huangpu Qingtian having one hole so he ought to be one. You Yushan had two, Yan Bangui had three and Lin Xuanfeng had four.
They looked at each other bewildered.
Zhuo Fan smiled, “We will play a game, the great escape! I will give you guys three days to find the keys and leave this place. Getting back to Dragon Cloud City, your lives will be spared. But if I find you before you leave, he-he-he, terribly sorry but that’s providence. Now you can’t blame me for being shortsighted and not giving you a way out.”
Zhuo Fan’s hand flashed and the keys to three exits appeared. He tossed them into the sky and they were soon spread all over Beast King Mountain.
“Yan Fu, make a sealed box for me holding four lots. Three days later I will be drawing one, my target. As for the rest of you lucky fellows, you’d be spared, for a while. Since I am a bastion of fairness, I will release a signal before my hunt. Your lives are now in heaven’s hands.”
With a wicked grin, Zhuo Fan waved them off, “Come on, off you go. But remember, you better hope I don’t find you~.”
The four exchanged a glance and bolted in four directions.
They knew Zhuo Fan was playing with them but they had no choice in the matter. All they could do was fight…
Yan Fu gasped and turned to Zhuo Fan, “Uh, Steward Zhuo, are you killing them or letting them go? Why go through all this trouble just to kill them? And if you wanted to let them go…”
“Humph, how could I ever let them off.”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes glinted and his mood became deadly, “Yan Fu, do you fear death?”
“Uh, yes!” Yan Fu nodded after a pause.
Zhuo Fan shook his head, “No, you do not fear death, but dying. Ning’er was a pure hearted girl. Although she had a smile upon her face at death, I know it was for our sakes. She knew she was going to die and must’ve felt a terrible dread. This fear tortured her for three days!”
Zhuo Fan clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot as he spat, “So I will make those sons of bitches know the true meaning of fear every waking moment until they’d wish for death.”
Yan Fu shuddered and nodded.
Zhuo Fan never cared about some big picture, nor intended to let them off. He wanted them to suffer more than Xue Ningxiang did.
Yan Fu now understood why he did it and went into the forest to carve a box out of a tree. Zhuo Fan stayed behind, closed his eyes and resumed healing.
Time passed on and the third day was soon up. At the dawn of the fourth, Zhuo Fan’s eyes flashed open, out for blood.
By his side, Yan Fu presented the box obscuring its content. This was the item that would decide the four’s fate.
The hunt was on…