Vicious Pill King no longer hesitated and swallowed the pill in one gulp.
He realized on the spot that Zhuo Fan saw through the flaw of the pill recipe since he could make the antidote.
The Rainbow Cloud Palm was made of seven incredible poisons that only Pill King Hall could remove. But even that wasn’t a real antidote, just diminishing the poison within the body so that it would no longer be deadly. Yet as time passed, that little bit of poison would constantly harm the body.
Anyone who used this palm was never long for this world. But to make their house look mighty, they chose to use it anyway. This skill was a double-edged sword.
To the point that his hair turned green as well as his eyes.
For this reason, they had planned to get their hands on the Bodhi Jade Sap for centuries. Not for evil intentions, or swallowing Drifting Flowers Edifice, but to use Bodhi Jade Sap and dispel the poison.
As to Regent Estate entering the fray, that happened later!
And Zhuo Fan, the Eminent Alchemist of his generation, not only understood the pill recipe, but even refined the antidote to its perfect form, 8th grade.
Since Vicious Pill King, a Grandmaster of his generation, knew how great this pill was, he took it without a shred of doubt.
The pill roared in his belly like a dragon, turning into an azure dragon power that scoured every corner of his being.
As if alive, it rooted out every scrap of poison, yet was mild on his meridians while also increasing his Yuan Qi.
He was moved and immensely intrigued by this perfect 8th-grade pill.
Standing at the side, Zhuo Fan saw him shining in an azure glow and the green from his originally black hair was retreating.
The wrinkles smoothed over as well, giving him a fresh and youthful air. Vicious Pill King flashed his black eyes open, free of any trace of poison.
Laughing, Vicious Pill King stood up. His manner grew more dignified as his power advanced a layer. He went from the 5th to the 6th layer of Profound Heaven Stage.
By the looks of him now, he ought to be in his forties and not the aged geezer from before.
Sizing him up, Zhuo Fan chuckled, “Elder Yan, you truly have been reborn. Even your acquaintances may not recognize you.”
“It is all thanks to Grandmaster Zhou’s pill. I was filled with poison after practicing that art for far too long. Grandmaster Zhou is truly the best in the empire!” Vicious Pill King cupped his hands in admiration.
Returning his gesture, Zhuo Fan smiled, “We are all on the same side now. So, there is no need to call me Grandmaster. You are an elder of the Luo clan while I am but a mere steward. From now on, you can call me Steward Zhuo.”
“Eh, Luo clan?” Vicious Pill King’s tone was odd, “I heard that you came from a third rate clan, but no one said anything about a Luo clan. Then again, thinking of Steward Zhuo’s incredible talent, the Luo clan must be a hidden dragon, ready to rear its head and tower over all. It may not be as renowned as the seven houses, but its might is that of a crownless king!”
“Uh, maybe later!” Zhuo Fan chuckled awkwardly.
The Luo clan had only one Profound Heaven expert who only broke through two damn years ago. At best, it’d be considered a second rate clan. But with this old guy joining the fold, they’d make a good first rate clan.
But Zhuo Fan’s appetite was far from being quenched. He wanted to raise the Luo clan above the other seven houses in ten years, to be the best clan in Tianyu.
However, it was not a ripe time. They were far too weak. [So what? Can’t we steal what we miss? Didn’t I do the same with this Profound Heaven elder here?]
[Humph, if there’s a first, there’s bound to be a second.]
All in all, there was no one who could stop the Demonic Emperor from fulfilling his cunning plans!
With a flash of insidiousness hidden in his eyes, Zhuo Fan spoke heavily, “Elder Yan, I promise you that the Luo clan is the best in Tianyu, second to none!”
Gasping Vicious Pill King was shocked. Not even Regent Estate had the gall to proclaim that. But the air about Zhuo Fan made him realize this was not a joke.
It made a believer out of him as well. With a genius like Zhuo Fan around, any clan could become the best. He was so moved thinking that joining such a powerful clan would raise him to even greater heights.
But how could he had known Zhuo Fan’s words only applied to the future. Even so, he was simply thrilled.
“Gran-, no, Steward Zhuo, when will we be returning to the clan?” Vicious Pill King was quite eager.
He was dying to see this hidden and powerful clan.
Although seeing it might be a tad bit of a letdown.
Zhuo Fan tch-ed inside, but didn’t let it show and waved him off, “What’s the rush? We’ll get there eventually. I still have a task to fulfill so you’ll be coming with me.”
Slightly let down, Vicious Pill King nodded nonetheless.
For such a freak, a hidden gem, a first-class troublemaker, one who slapped the seven houses like they were children, him staying in the Luo clan will forever be the clan’s greatest fortune.
[Such confidence he has. That means the Luo clan must be a behemoth to stand above the seven houses. Just how many ages have they laid in waiting, beyond the prying eyes of the seven houses and the imperial family? They must be strong for Steward Zhuo to be with them.]
[As a new elder, I have to apply myself and not drag it behind.]
Vicious Pill King was having wonderful flights of fancy regarding this behemoth. What escaped his notion, however, was that the great Luo clan wasn’t hidden to conceal its strength, but so downright weak no one paid it any attention.
Zhuo Fan knew what he was thinking yet did nothing to bring his feet back to earth. He cared too much for the old man’s heart.
People always aimed higher and higher. The old guy may be listening to him since a little worm worked its magic, but Zhuo Fan still needed him to still be in an illusion. After all, Zhuo Fan needed to keep his motivation high.
“By the way, Steward Zhuo, aren’t you afraid some ill might befall the clan after the ruckus you made in the Drifting Flowers City?” It was just a sudden thought and soon he was shaking his head in self-mockery.
[How can such a clan be afraid of anything?]
Zhuo Fan didn’t much care either, “Afraid of what? The seven houses are banned from Windgaze City. And the other clans are trifles!”
“Oh, I see. The Emperor issued the order just to protect our Luo clan.” Vicious Pill King exclaimed, looking ever eager to see it.
[For even the Emperor to watch over it, this clan must be a paradise. It must be at least as strong as the seven houses since the Emperor ordered for the seven houses to stay clear of this city.]
The more he thought, the more excited he was. This turncoat business might’ve been the best thing that ever happened to him. He cracked up, “Ha-ha-ha, then I can rest easy. Even if Regent Estate comes knocking, they’ll only suffer. I would really like to see their looks now.”
Staggering, Zhuo Fan woodenly turned his head with a frown, “You’re saying Regent Estate can still go in? It dares violate the Emperor’s edict?”
“Uh, Steward Zhuo, it seems our Luo clan had been hiding for too long and doesn’t know everything.”
Vicious Pill King chuckled, “Over the past millennium, the imperial family had given many orders to the seven houses, but do you know why it never had a conflict with them despite them never obeying?”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes roamed in thinking then suddenly focused, “They were probing the imperial family’s tolerance?”
Vicious Pill King laughed, “Ha-ha-ha, Steward Zhuo is indeed wise beyond his age. Indeed, the seven houses were testing the imperial family. And these acts only increased over the last century.”
“What was the imperial family’s reaction then?” Zhuo Fan was anxious.
“Weak, always the first to back down!” Vicious Pill King squinted, “The current Emperor has to be the worst this empire has ever seen. The houses may respect him, but none fear him.”
“And you even killed Regent Estate’s second young master at Drifting Flowers Edifice. The Regent Estate will surely use this excuse to step out of line and see the impact it has on the imperial family…”
“Let’s go!”
Zhuo Fan was troubled and cut Vicious Pill King off as he flew straight for Windgaze City.
Vicious Pill King was startled, “Steward Zhuo, where are we going?”
“Home, this spells trouble!”
“What trouble? With the power invested in the Luo clan, not even the imperial family dares enter its domain, least of all an outsider. The Regent Estate is bound to suffer a great deal of pain…”
“What damn power? If I’m not there, there won’t even be corpses left!” Shouting, Zhuo Fan sped away.
Now, he regretted blowing the situation out of proportions back in the city. He didn’t know the delicate relation between the imperial family and the seven houses, that they’d enter a cold war. They may be cordial in the open, but conflicts still arose among them.
If this kept up, Windgaze City might be the fuse that would blow this charade sky high.
If the Regent Estate wasn’t going to attack the Luo clan directly, but the imperial family. His clan would end up sacrificed by the imperial family to de-escalate the conflict.
The more he thought, the faster he flew. Zhuo Fan thought the imperial family’s power was unquestionable, but it actually declined to such a degree.
Vicious Pill King might be clueless but still dragged behind Zhuo Fan as they sped toward the Luo clan…