Under the cover of night, Zhuo Fan moved like a cheetah through a groove fifty miles out of Drifting Flowers City. He stopped in a clearing and inspected the ice on his hand.
He took a deep breath to calm down. He had not expected to meet Chuchu so soon, and in the Drifting Flowers Edifice no less. Much less that he would be injured by this familiar yin energy.
Yet, this encounter brought him some ease.
Zhuo Fan cast a look back while sporting a strange smile.
This was where his meeting with Iris Overseer would take place. It was also the escape route marked on the map. He would give her the Bodhi Root here.
What Iris Overseer didn’t know was that he wasn’t coming alone, bringing his tail along.
A white immaculate figure floated on a branch not far behind Zhuo Fan under the cover of the darkness. A light breeze rustled the leaves and Zhuo Fan strained his ears.
He knew Chuchu was here. When was there a Profound Heaven expert that couldn’t give chase to someone of his cultivation level? Well, of course, him not using the Lightning Wings may have had something to do with it.
His plan was to find out Iris Overseer’s true purpose and Chuchu’s true identity. Who knew if he might even find clues to the real Bodhi Root.
It all came to him in a flash of inspiration the moment he recognized Chuchu. All that’s left was for the two Profound Heaven experts to meet and reveal their secrets.
Smiling, Zhuo Fan sighed as he looked around, “This is where we’re supposed to meet, but it looks like I’m late. Since she doesn’t want it, I’ll just take it with me.”
“Pff!”
Delicate laughter resounded followed by a bluish figure trailing among the trees. Her soft eyes stared down at Zhuo Fan in anger, “Young master Song, I never took you for an impatient man, that you can’t even wait for two minutes. If you took that treasure away, the only thing that will happen is the destruction of the Song clan!”
“I know that, but you should also know this item is a headache for us third rate clans. The longer we have it the more dangerous it will be.”
“Ha-ha-ha, young master Song is a wise man. Then please hand it over.” Qin Caiqing smiled as she stepped forward.
Zhuo Fan took the box out and held it in his hand, his eyes staring into her eyes, ready to grasp her every reaction, “Overseer, you need to handle this carefully, lest it will come back to bite me. If it does, you’ll have me to deal with.”
“Hi-hi-hi, I didn’t know that young master Song is so bold and so careful.” Qin Caiqing giggled, but then her eyes flashed when she opened the box.
Zhuo Fan also noticed.
“Yes, this is Drifting Flowers Edifice Lord’s treasure, Bodhi Root!” Iris Overseer nodded pleasantly, “Young master Song, you’ve done well!”
Zhuo Fan lifted an eyebrow as he gave her a deep look.
He was clear Qin Caiqing knew this thing was a fake, but pretended otherwise. Her aim was obvious, for him to steal the fake and not the real Bodhi Root.
All to deceive Vicious Pill King!
Just as he thought, an aged voice cackled when Iris Overseer spoke. Vicious Pill King floated next to her.
“Who are you?” Zhuo Fan faked surprise and retreated a step.
Snorting, Yan Song watched Zhuo Fan in contempt, “He-he-he, foul punk, you fought my disciple. Did you forget already? But that is only normal since you were unconscious.”
“You hurt me?” Zhuo Fan put on a pondering look then shouted, “Oh, I know, when I was trashing that bastard Yan Fu so hard, a damn old coot jumped me. You’re that son of a bitch?”
Yan Song’s eyes flashed and his beard trembled from rage.
In the entire Tianyu Empire, who the hell would dare curse him?
But that was nothing compared to saying he jumped a kid. He was the number one alchemist in Pill King Hall, the Vicious Pill King. Once word got out he sneak attacked a Bone Tempering junior, his face would be thrown in the mud.
He rushed to amend this, “Punk, that was just to teach you a lesson.”
“Humph, shameless geezer, admit you jumped me! You’re so old and yet you and your disciple colluded against me from the start! Humph, so this is how Pill King Hall acts! Strength does come in numbers!” Zhuo Fan mocked, as if grieved from the injustice of it all.
Qin Caiqing laughed, while Yan Song was turning purple.
[This punk is too ridiculous. When did my disciple and I collude against him?] If this got out, he’d be the laughing stock of the empire.
The seven houses’ disciples picking on other clans was a common occurrence. But if an elder joined too, and against a third rate clan no less, it would be utter humiliation.
Worse, there had yet to be anyone in the seven houses who did this.
“Old Yan, ease your anger. This is his character, he is quick to anger those around him. D-don’t get angry…” Qin Caiqing advised Yan Song, but in the end, she had to hide her smile.
Glaring at her, Yan Song’s towering rage only grew.
“Humph, damnable punk, you’re dead anyway. Talk all you want!” Yan Song gnashed his teeth, his rage-filled eyes wiped the smile off Qin Caiqing’s face, “Don’t laugh and take it out!”
Qin Caiqing presented the box and Vicious Pill King opened it. His two eyes narrowed.
Bam!
Yan Song threw the box on the ground, crushing the Bodhi Root inside to pieces.
Qin Caiqing cried in shock, “Elder Yan, why?”
“It’s a fake. That is no Bodhi Root!” Yan Song stared coldly at her.
Qin Caiqing jerked, her face baffled, “Fake… how? This Bodhi Root has always been safeguarded in the Treasure Pavilion. She is about to come out of seclusion and so it doesn’t make sense. Unless…”
Qin Caiqing cast her suspicious eyes on Zhuo Fan, treading closer with killing intent, “Young master Song, I thought you knew when to retreat even if you are not the type of man that does so. I never took you for someone who would switch items.”
“You doubt me?” Zhuo Fan put on a fearful face as he fled, ready to spread his wings.
He now had what he wanted and uncovered her ploy. She, a woman of power, didn’t do it herself and used him, a stubborn Bone Tempering cultivator, so she could shift the blame on him.
Regardless if Yan Song was duped by the fake Bodhi Root or not, she would still shift the blame on him.
Yan Song would then blame her for her poor choice in men and would not tell her to go for the Bodhi Root again.
The Bodhi Root would be saved and she was free from Yan Song’s coercion, and all at the low cost of a third rate clan’s kid. Wasn’t this a win-win situation?
Zhuo Fan snorted inside as his fist tightened.
Such a pity the one before her wasn’t a mere Bone Tempering cultivator, but one who killed You Guiqi, the freak Zhuo Fan.
It wouldn’t be long now. Chuchu would jump in and he would then get to kill this pair.
What was the Drifting Flowers Edifice’s first Overseer, what was the Vicious Pill King? They were but a woman and a spineless coot who dabbed in poison.
[Killing them isn’t going to be easy, but it will not be hard either.]
Zhuo Fan’s eyes flashed with bloodthirst as he licked his lips in anticipation. As if he was a demon king prepared to engage in slaughter.
But then, something happened.
Qin Caiqing who was closing in, stopped in her tracks and launched a blue palm to Yan Song’s chest.
Bam!
Among the loud explosion, there were even sounds of bones cracking. Yan Song was flung like a ragdoll into the air as he spat blood.
“Y-you dare betray me?” Yan Song crawled to his feet and pointed at her with rage and rancor.
Zhuo Fan watched her in a daze, his fists relaxing.
[What? Didn’t Iris Overseer want me to take the fall?] Zhuo Fan was baffled finding his assessment wrong for the first time.
He sighed, [A woman’s heart is like an ocean, unfathomably deep!]
His guess was the most beneficial to her. But her betrayal would not only make both sides suffer, but it may lead to them dying together!
“Humph, Qin Caiqing, don’t forget, your life is in my hands. Do you want to die?” Vicious Pill King wiped the blood from his mouth as ice crystals formed on his chest.
Qin Caiqing lifted her head, her mind set, “Yan Song, get this straight. I am Drifting Flowers Edifices’s first Overseer, Iris Overseer Qin Caiqing. I won’t have you ruin Drifting Flowers Edifice even if I have to pay for it with my life.”
Zhuo Fan was stunned.
Iris Overseer was usually calm and collected. The beautiful Overseer also did not use coarse language even against an opponent she hated. For some reason, he began to feel deep respect for her…