The Steward Demonic Emperor

Proofreader: Papatonks

“Commander Touba, are your aides gone?”

Behind Quanrong’s palace, the forlorn emperor sat on a rock as he sighed.

Tuoba Tieshan nodded heavily at the side, “Your Majesty, I’m aware of the gravity of this matter to take such measures, going as far as sending away the people I trusted for decades. Regardless, I still need to know just what is going on.

“Old commander, there’s no harm in telling you now that you’re in this mess.”

Looking at the moon, the emperor took a deep breath and began, “Oh, the disgrace, the Quanrong’s greatest humiliation. For so many years, in this palace…”

Whoosh!

His words got cut off as a figure came out of the dark cave, soon followed by three more.

The emperor was startled and cried out, “Y-you weren’t found out?”

The trio looked at each other and shook their heads.

[More like this bigshot here was strutting inside out of fear of not being found out!]

Zhuo Fan scratched his head.

Sixth prince chuckled and bowed, “Imperial father, they found us the second we got in and that led to a long fight.”

“Then why…” The emperor was in disbelief.

[You were found out and fought, yet still got out? What’s going on here? Since when was the Beast Taming Sect so weak?]

He had been waiting here for the Beast Taming Sect to come for revenge, to kill him. Now he found out that none came, instead greeted by the people who should, by all accounts, be dead instead. Even the emperor found it hard to cope with such facts.

Sixth prince laughed, “Imperial father, Sir Zhuo’s power is unmatched. He has gotten rid of all the bastards making the Beast Taming Sect!”

“All of them?”

The emperor and Tuoba Tieshan blinked in shock, “W-what?”

The sixth prince’s eyes shone with joy, “Imperial father, Sir Zhuo has purged the world of the Beast Taming Sect. We will no longer suffer at those bastards’ hands!”

Shaking all over, the emperor and Tuoba Tieshan stared at Zhuo Fan like he grew a second head.

[One guy destroyed a sect? Is that possible?]

“Son, is this true?” The emperor was still in denial, but hope began to blossom.

Lian’er and the other two smiled. She took a step forward and bowed, “Your Majesty, sixth prince is correct. He was so ruthless as to remove all the disciples as well. Not one survived.”

Lian’er complained, but her words sounded pleased, like Zhuo Fan did her a favor.

Giving Zhuo Fan another long look, the emperor became grave.

“Son, come here!”

The emperor grabbed him and threw himself at Zhuo Fan’s feet, “I’m but Ha Lichai, Quanrong Emperor. I am immensely grateful for saving Quanrong of this calamity. We shall never forget this.”

Tuoba Tieshan and the rest were in shock at his display, “Your Majesty, you can’t do this. You’re the lord of our nation…”

“Some lord I am. Without Sir Zhuo, I would’ve still been a figurehead even now.” The emperor rose and showed a bitter smile, “Commander Touba, didn’t you want to know how hard it has been? It is the greatest shame and humiliation for Quanrong and the imperial family!”

The emperor looked at the sixth prince, “Son, you know as well, don’t you?”

“I know everything, even how my mother died.” Desolate, the sixth prince sighed, looking at Zhuo Fan with gratitude, “Sir Zhuo, all these years, Quanrong’s palace had been nothing more than a place for the Beast Taming Sect’s elders to vent their lust.”

𝘧𝑟𝙚eｗ𝑒𝒃n𝒐𝘷𝑒𝚕. c૦𝙢

[What?]

Tuoba Liufeng cried out with the others. Only Zhuo Fan had guessed it and was calm, “Since the tunnel was located near the imperial harem, it has nothing to do with politics. Then there’s that woman you killed in tunnel. She’s the emperor’s…”

“Concubine.”

Eyes flashing with murder, sixth prince gnashed his teeth. “In the entire western lands, the guardian sects don’t involve themselves in a nation’s politics, except Beast Taming Sect. Being just ten miles from the imperial capital, it held Quanrong in a tight grip. This was the usual practice in the past. Only later they went even further, cutting a tunnel to the imperial harem to indulge.”

The emperor nodded. “This tunnel has been around for centuries, throwing the harem in chaos. Every emperor was aware of this but none could expose Beast Taming Sect’s debauchery. All the girls of the palace would be taken in by force by those elders. Any that refused still, would be dealt a savage blow. In face of such a situation, many women compromised. But some, who were loyal, like the sixth prince’s mother, chose death instead.”

“They had come begging for help, only for them to turn a deaf ear and play the inapt ruler.” The emperor shook his head with teary eyes.

Tuoba Tieshan clenched his fists in anger.

The ruler of a nation couldn’t even protect his women. It was a national disgrace!

Commander Touba’s fury hadn’t subsided as sixth prince continued, “But then it got worse. These rotten bastards plotted against Quanrong’s leadership. Many of imperial father’s sons, including Crown Prince, aren’t even his.”

“What?!”

Outraged, Tuoba Tieshan shook, “Does that mean… they wanted to affect the imperial family’s bloodline?”

The emperor was filled with hatred, “Yes, with the backing in the shadows, they planned on taking control of Quanrong from me. Especially that Crown Prince, appointed as the next emperor by the Beast Taming Sect’s Sect Leader himself. No matter how I saw it, he was his son. Humph, woe is me, the great emperor of Quanrong, reduced to passing the throne to someone other than my son.”

“This is absurd! A secluded sect wants imperial power? What empire in western lands would ever want to have them as support then? You have to report this to Double Dragon Manor at once! How can we bow down?”

Bam!

Tuoba Tieshan punched a nearby rock to dust as he cursed.

The emperor and sixth prince sighed, “Commander Touba, you’re too naive. There’s no such thing as good and evil in this world. Righteousness is nothing more than a rule to enslave mortals.”

Seeing their downcast looks, Tuoba Tieshan was startled.

Zhuo Fan nodded.

“Commander Touba, if the emperor had told Double Dragon Manor, would they purge Beast Taming Sect?” Zhuo Fan asked Tuoba Tieshan.

Tuoba Tieshan paused then shook his head, “The nine sects of western lands are its main power. Taking one out meant crippling themselves. Double Dragon Manor would never do this.”

“Exactly. As long as Beast Taming Sect exists, a few years later this news would die down. But would you, a third rate nation, was able to bear their revenge?”

Tuoba Tieshan turned grave and sighed.

Zhuo Fan laughed at the sky, “I can now understand somewhat the feeling Danqing Shen had when he stomped on the nine sects. Western lands is nothing more than a tranquil hell. Order and righteousness are nothing more than filthy excuses. There’re some things only demonic cultivators can do. Evil begets more evil, ha-ha-ha…”

“Sixth prince, this is what you had in mind when you took me to Crown Prince and then the imperial palace.” Zhuo Fan laughed, eying him, “Though I’ve been searching all the time, even without clues, I’m still willing to bet you’d take me here. All so I would clash with the Beast Taming Sect…”

“I would never!”

The sixth prince rushed to bow, “I know Sir Zhuo’s style more than anyone, hating being used. I never ever dreamed of using you either, no matter how much I wanted to when we met. Seeing sir’s display at Double Dragon Gathering, I knew your character and that you wouldn’t stand for these hypocritical bastards. All I entertained was a thread of hope that sir would help free Quanrong of their suffering.”

“I would’ve been happy even if I only helped sir to find what you sought. You must believe me that I’m just a fanboy!”

Looking him dead in the eye, Zhuo Fan nodded, “I know. I’ve been testing you all the way here. Even when you were excited, you still didn’t try to shift my decisions. This was good enough…”