The Steward Demonic Emperor

“Zhuo Fan, you rotten punk, today I will bury you!”

Wailing like a banshee, You Wanshan glared at Zhuo Fan with bloodshot eyes. Yan Bogong and Lin Rufeng were also releasing their bloodthirst.

Long Yifey and Xie Xiaofeng held their guard up. Since Zhuo Fan was safe, of course they’d to jump to his rescue. The same thought ran through Chu Bijun’s mind as well. For Drifting Flowers Edifice’s benefit, Zhuo Fan had to come out unharmed.

It all became a stand off in an instant, as six house lords surrounded Zhuo Fan as they were on guard regarding each other’s reaction; each out of their own selfish desire. Meanwhile, Zhuo Fan was peachy, taking but a light jump backward and through the city gates. He then pointed at You Wanshan in taunt, “You old farts, come and get me if you have the guts! You won’t get to touch a single hair of mine regardless of where we’d been. That goes especially here, in my domain. Well, any takers?”

“Zhuo Fan!”

You Wanshan had long lost his patience with Zhuo Fan’s taunts, roaring as he charged after him with the others.

With so many Profound Heaven experts burning to eat his heart out, even Zhuo Fan felt somewhat overwhelmed.

Chu Bijun’s group rushed to block them, but You Wanshan’s team were long since prepared.

“Rainbow Cloud Palm!”

Yan Bogong was the furthest behind, turning around and spreading his arms. The seven colored mists flew at Chu Bijun and others, making the stop and withdraw in panic.

“Split up!”

“Ha-ha-ha, quite clever!” Yan Bogong laughed with pride. But seeing the rest of You Wanshan’s group going after Zhuo Fan, the anxiety ramped up in Chu Bijun.

Regardless how outstanding Zhuo Fan was, or how many Profound Heaven experts he got under his belt, none of them believed it to be from a head on fight, but earned through cunning and subterfuge. This time, You Wanshan’s team was all going after him.

In this desperate situation, even with Zhuo Fan’s godly skills, his chance at life would be slim at best.

Yet, for some odd reason, Zhuo Fan’s was as relaxed as ever, even having time to throw them his trademark evil grin.

This sounded off an alarm in the enraged mind of You Wanshan. As to why, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, with a booming sound, a bluish light landed smack in the center of Windgaze City’s gates. You Wanshan’s team was in mid flight when a wave of bluish power erupted from the light and sending them barreling.

When they recovered, they looked upon a ten foot long bluish crescent blade, having seven foot long hilt engraved with a blue dragon and a three foot long blade shooting blinding red rays. It spoke of its thirst of tasting the blood of everyone it touched.

And on the blade was a shimmering silver dragon image.

You Wanshan’s team cried in fear, “6th-grade spiritual weapon, Dragonslaying Crescent Blade!”

“Ha-ha-ha, You Wanshan, I didn’t think you’d recognize my trusted battle companion!” An aged voice boomed, followed by Dugu Zhantian floating next to the crescent blade.

Picking it up as if it was nothing, the blade started ringing out dragonic roars.

The Four Tigers of Tianyu brought Luo Yunhai to Zhuo Fan. They were glaring at You Wanshan’s team, releasing their imposing auras all the while.

Scalp numb, You Wanshan never considered this scenario. For Tianyu’s great Marshal, God of War Dugu Zhantian, to descend upon Windgaze City, a backwater town.

Chu Bijun’s group were slackjawed from the sudden turn of events.

“Marshal, this is between us and the punk. I hope you won’t meddle!” You Wanshan’s brow trembled, his mood sinking dangerously low.

Making a half swing with the blade, Dugu Zhantian roared, “Ha-ha-ha, that’s rich! The Emperor ordered me to defend Windgaze City, and you’re implying your casual words carry more weight than His Majesty’s? Humph, You Wanshan, the seven houses’ prestige must have gotten to your head and forgot your place!”

“What, the Emperor’s edict?”

You Wanshan shuddered, his face white as paper. The hearts of the other house leaders hit rock bottom.

The whole purpose of Windgaze City operation was to test the imperial family’s bottom line. If the Luo clan fell to ruins and the imperial family gave a cold shoulder, then they’d ramp up their already obnoxious arrogance to swallow whole every other houses while completely disregarding the imperial family.

But now they met face to face with God of War Dugu Zhantian of the frontier. This was Emperor’s warning to the seven houses, to stay in line.

This time, they really went and groped a tiger’s butt!

You Wanshan sighed, filled with grievances. He didn’t want to grope anything, but the Regent Estate made him.

Now that the tiger left the mountain, Regent Estate would shirk off the blame, falling in the background, while letting them take the fall. The emperor would then make a harsh example of these three houses.

The three house leaders looked at each other’s eyes, ready to explode in tears.

Chu Bijun’s group was elated at their misery. For the first time in a century, the imperial family stood their ground. This should curb Regent Estate’s arrogance in the future.

At the very least, it would greatly delay their plan to swallow the seven houses.

Grumbling, You Wanshan cupped his hands, “Marshal, knowing that you stand guard at Windgaze City, I shall not cross into it. However, Zhuo Fan killed many of our elders and even crippled my 5th elder’s arm. I ask that you hand him over for us to handle. This great favor will one day be repaid by our three houses.”

Since goin in Windgaze City was out, ripping Zhuo Fan apart wasn’t that bad of a trade off.

Frowning, Dugu Zhantian turned his incredulous eyes to Zhuo Fan, as if seeing him for the first time, “Is what he said, true?”

The Four Tigers of Tianyu, were also looking at him in amazement.

At first they were impressed such a youth could hold the position of steward in a clan. It was a rare occurrence indeed.

But who’d ever stop to think that this kid was so incredible, so outrageous, that he would kill so many of seven houses’ elders.

Perhaps telling them now that Zhuo Fan didn’t just stop at killing elders and went a step further in slaughtering Regent Estate’s second young master, might perhaps cause their brains to stop working.

“Well…”

Zhuo Fan was caught in the middle. So he chose another path, that of pulling Luo Yunhai forward and cursing at You Wanshan, “What are you droning on about? Do you know how close we are with Marshal Dugu, uh? How dare you have such gall as to ask Marshal Dugu to hand me over? That is outrageous!”

All were too dumbstruck to even reply.

[Dugu Zhantian had lived his life by the blade, fighting day in day out on the border. You have no relation to him, zero! So how damn close could you possibly be?!]

Then came Zhuo Fan’s laughter in response to their thought. He patted Luo Yunhai’s shoulder, “Humph, bunch of ignorant fools is what you are! Our young master is Luo Yunhai, Marshal Dugu’s fifth godson!”

Say what?!

The dull and shocked stares creaked towards Dugu Zhantian. The grand and mighty God of War, second of Four Pillars, Dugu Zhantian, just up and took a third rate clan’s young master? Could this relation get any more inappropriate than this?

Despite being done in a not so honorable way and barely a half a month old, Dugu Zhantian was forced to nod.

What a shocker!

For Luo clan to hug such a big tree was like a pheasant turning into a phoenix. Regarding fame, Luo Yunhai would be no less than at the level of the seven houses’ geniuses!

“Kid, don’t push it!” Knowing where Zhuo Fan was going, Dugu Zhantian gave the brat a warning.

Zhuo Fan chuckled in response, borrowing the man’s power to lay it down even thicker, “You Wanshan, you got any idea who I am? I’m the great Luo clan’s steward, the trusted aid of young miss and young master. Asking for Marshal to hand me over is the same as asking for my young master, the same to having Marshal hand over one of his four generals. Now you tell me, will Marshal ever agree to that? Will young master? Will our million strong Dugu Army?”

That had the expected effect of driving fear into their very bones.

[Just how did a simple matter got a million warriors in the mix? How? This guy would stoop to anything!]

“Furthermore, you even dare ask Marshal to hand me over? Humph, how then are your houses going to answer for the slaughtering you did in the Luo clan not a few days ago?” Zhuo Fan held his chest with pain in his voice, he cried, and he sniffed, “Oh, my poor hundred thousand unfortunate souls of my clan, how could you maniacs have robbed them from us…”

Pff!

You Wanshan was holding back the blood threatening to come out. The Sun and Cai clans acted as his eyes and ears in Windgaze City, so he at least knew the basic facts about Luo clan.

[What hundred thousand men?! Your third rate clan never had them! Stop talking rubbish! Not even the Seven Noble Houses has that many people!]

The cheeks of every one there started twitching and dark clouds loomed over their faces. Even Long Yifey, who was the most friendly with Zhuo Fan, scratched his head dazed.

[I get you’re framing them, but can’t you be a bit more realistic?]

Oh, but Zhuo Fan was just getting started, raining charges on the poor blokes, “Outside of the vile and inhuman slaughter you’ve lowered yourselves to, your greatest crime is disobeying Tianyu’s most brilliant, wises, amazing, and sacred holy Emperor. Our holy Emperor had explicitly stated this area banned for the seven houses, but you dare come throwing it in chaos. This is no longer disobedience, but plain insurrection!”

“Marshal Dugu, as the nation most esteemed patriot, how could you ever allow such conduct to take place before your very eyes? You must strike at once, take their heads and make them pay their crimes! The emperor would certainly not punish you for ridding the empire of this foul beasts!”

“Yeah, godfather, I shall go bring the soldiers here to crush Hell Valley and protect the sanctity of our holy Emperor, your patriotic heart, the people’s hope.” Striking while the iron was hot, Luo Yunhai cupped his hands and asked Dugu Zhantian for permission to go fetch the million head Dugu Army.

Dugu Zhantian felt like cursing right now, [How did these two brats’ topic ended with sicking the army on Hell Valley? This isn’t a joke, but the start of civil war!]

You Wanshan’s team was dumbfounded. Their demand was perfectly reasonable, to settle their grudge with Zhuo Fan. How did it degenerate to making Dugu Zhantian going after them and even sending the million strong army for their heads?

You Wanshan looked at the rest and saw that everyone was sweating buckets.

If these kids spurred Dugu Zhantian long enough, those brats would really get to make him send the army to uproot the millennia long foundation of Hell Valley…