“Big brother Zhuo, congratulations on getting into the final battle!” Xue Ningxiang couldn’t stop the sweet smile from gracing her face.
Xue Dingtian and Dong Clan Head’s hearts jumped from fear, despite knowing fully well that Zhuo Fan had always been on their side.
It was all because his power was the biggest threat.
The sight of Zhuo Fan slaughtering thousands of people with intent alone gave them the feeling of ants looking at a giant. He could kill them on a whim if he found them displeasing in any way. Who wouldn’t shake in their boots?
They had a stiff smile on their faces, but their backs were soaked.
They were like deer in the headlights. The tiger had them in his sights, and even if his appetite was abated, their fear was very much real.
Zhuo Fan was oblivious to the fear he evoked, he who had become a dreaded existence just minutes ago, was now smiling and nodding.
The others nodded stiffly with an awkward smile.
He puffed up his chest as he looked at Xue Ningxiang, “That was going to happen in due time anyways. It will hardly make a difference when garbage throws itself at me, even if they are in the tens of thousands!”
They all laughed dryly, but sweat poured out harder.
His tone was haughty, but then the people thought about it from a different angle. Weren’t Dong clan and Xue clan average clans as well, garbage even? What would be their future?
Wasn’t he clearly mocking them in a convoluted way?
It wasn’t like the two could complain. Who told him to get strong enough to end their lives with a squeeze?
[Just smile and nod.]
Zhuo Fan was minding his own business, and with how often he was around big shots, he had no idea what waves his words were stirring in these two clan head’s minds.
Xue Ningxiang chuckled innocently. But then she frowned, “Uh, big brother Zhuo, will you really end their clans? They just lost their relatives. On the stage, death is unavoidable, but going so far as to kill their whole clan afterwards is cruel. My clan was also on the verge of being wiped out and I can relate. Please, c-could you just let them go?”
“Well…”
Zhuo Fan frowned. Xue Dingtian noticed the predicament and chastised, “Ning’er, Steward Zhuo had his reason for doing it. You can’t go and ruin his plans with your playfulness! Moreover, a true man never goes back on his word, even more so for Steward Zhuo, who is a hero, a great…”
“Fine, no problem!”
Xue Dingtian didn’t even get to teach his dear granddaughter about manners before Zhuo Fan just shrugged it off, “I only meant to scare them anyway, to dispel any thoughts of going against me. Since I got what I wanted, there’s no need to exterminate them. What do you take me for, a pitiless Demon Archon?”
[Damn right!]
They all shook their heads but nodded in their minds.
[If you’re no Demon Archon, what are the thousands of corpses doing on stage?]
Xue Ningxiang was ecstatic. She felt for those pitiful clans deeply, [Big brother Zhuo doesn’t need to go through a pointless slaughter.]
Zhuo Fan smiled and ruffled her hair. His savage face showed a rare hint of being content.
Xue Dingtian was dumbstruck. He was looking to justify Zhuo Fan’s cruel way all this time and even reproached his granddaughter.
And yet Zhuo Fan actually agreed with his granddaughter’s pleading instead of giving credence to his reasoning. Where would his face go when speaking to his juniors now?
But seeing that Zhuo Fan had eyes for Ning’er alone, the old man sighed, [My face is useless here. Better leave them alone, lest I become a third wheel.]
“Hey, hands off! Don’t you know mere acquaintances should never touch?”
Xie Tianyang burst into their corner of the world and flung Zhuo Fan’s hand off Ning’er’s head. His jealousy was already burning strong and seeing Zhuo Fan patting her was the last straw.
Zhuo Fan saw right through him and sighed.
Luo Yunchang took this moment to barge in as well, “Yeah, how could any respectable woman be touched so casually?”
Then she said in apology, “Ning’er, please don’t mind it. Steward Zhuo is a boor. I’ll teach him some manners when we get back.”
“Uh, it’s alright. Young miss Luo, don’t blame big brother Zhuo.” Xue Ningxiang panicked. The gullible girl thought the young miss had the power to knock some sense into Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan frowned, feeling ticked off for some odd reason.
“Steward Zhuo, here’s the list!” Captain Pang came with a paper.
Zhuo Fan scrunched it up and threw it, “Never mind.”
Captain Pang was stumped, [What’s with Steward Zhuo? Why is he so angry?]
Zhuo Fan had no clue why, but felt something amiss when Xie Tianyang flung his hand off the girl’s head. It only got worse when Luo Yunchang showed up and her words stung him.
He was now sulking and had no one to vent on.
Suddenly, Zhuo Fan shouted, “Wait!”
They all looked around to see where Zhuo Fan was looking. The Sun clan’s four were tip-toeing away.
They were depressed. They worked so hard on their cultivation the last five years too. They thought with their strength, it was enough to at least take Zhuo Fan to his grave together if not alone.
But then they saw that monstrous Zhuo Fan turn into an abomination, killing with intent.
The four of them had no chance whatsoever now. They would be finished in a blink!
Oh, they still wanted revenge of course, but that didn’t mean becoming cannon fodder was in their plan. Only an idiot would jump right in when there was no chance of victory.
So they chose to high tail out of there!
Once Zhuo Fan figured out who they were, he no longer cared about them. But now he needed a good punching bag to blow off some steam and they became the perfect targets.
Zhuo Fan hardly ever got angry, especially the kind of dubious and inexplicable type of anger he was feeling right now.
But now that he ran into these guys, he felt like the luckiest man alive.
Staggering, the old man in front stiffly looked back as he used the same hoarse voice, “You need something?”
Are you serious?
[You’re asking me? After you had the gall to shout that you’ll kill me?]
Zhuo Fan smiled in anger, walking towards them while spouting, “Cai Rong, Cai Xiaoting, and the Sun clan’s father and daughter, drop the dumb act!”
The four shuddered as they turned, yet they were too scared to even look him in the eye.
Luo Yunchang’s group jerked. They threw the four out of their clan but who knew they’d end up looking like freaks of nature?
Zhuo Fan cared not about their flimsy explanations and appeared right in front of the four as he taunted, “Come then. Weren’t you gonna take revenge? I’ll take you all on and even give you two free moves!”
Their faces sank, no longer arrogant as before, but down in the dumps.
[What good will two moves do when you can kill us with intent alone?]
“Don’t feel like it?”
That only got Zhuo Fan’s rage to tower higher and roared, “Since you have no guts, kneel. See how I put you in your place!”
Regardless of how unwilling they were, their knees buckled.
To kneel or not to kneel? That was the question.
Kneeling was shameful, but most likely a better outcome than ending up a smear on the ground at this savage’s hands.
[Life is ever precious. Face matters not, especially with our creepy looks.]
One after the other, they bent their knees and fell on Zhuo Fan’s feet.
Luo Yunchang cried, “H-how did you all end up like this?”
“How else? The Hell Valley gave them some double-edged demonic method.” A Demonic Emperor like Zhuo Fan saw through them in a flash as he cursed, “Just look at yourselves! You’re neither human nor monster and yet you still want to live? Is this the awe inspiring power you all sought? Especially you, instead of staying as an elder in the Luo clan you went ahead and threw your whole lot with the Sun clan! What a fool.”
Zhuo Fan sputtered into Cai Rong’s flushed face.
Zhuo Fan had hardly had enough and kept on flinging curses, “Do you know why you look like this? It’s what you deserve for being so adamant in becoming someone’s lap dogs. Even as an elder of the Luo clan, you wanted to climb aboard Hell Valley. Now that you did, you’re worth less than even a dog! Idiot, nitwit, dumbass, nimrod… “
Zhuo Fan was on a roll. He was thorough in cursing out every bit of respect the four ever had.
They couldn’t even muster a retort.
Luo Yunchang glanced at Zhuo Fan with complicated thoughts.
“Zhuo Fan, kill us or torture us. But stop with the insults!” Cai Rong had had enough it seemed.
Zhuo Fan squinted, “Kill you? Why would I ever do that?”
The four were startled and echoed, “You won’t kill us?”
“Of course not. I only care about two kinds of people. Friends, to hang out with, and enemies, to kill!” Grinning, Zhuo Fan added, “What do you suppose you are?”
“Enemy?” Cai Rong tested.
Shaking his head, Zhuo Fan snickered.
“Friends… perhaps?” Cai Rong’s heart thumped with hope. Was Zhuo Fan absolving them, was he going to help them?
Zhuo Fan was cracking up, and mocked them even harder, “Wrong, you are nothing to me! Just a bunch of clowns unworthy to kill and even less to call friends!
“Beat it! Live on like the dogs you are and have a taste of worldly pain as you reflect on your mistakes. I expect a good show on your part!”
With a grin, Zhuo Fan finally felt at peace, having cursed them and humiliated them so thoroughly…