With a crafty smile, Zhuo Fan asked Shadow King, “Look who’s talking. Luring and deceiving the young and innocent Sanzi into a backbreaking oath, does that make you a gentleman? Since you’re no saint, why go around asking others to treat you like one?”
“Zhuo Fan, I am loyal to the empire. No amount of vilifying by a twisted lowlife can change that!” Shadow King snapped, taking on an upright air, like he had the moral high ground, fearless and dauntless.
Gu Santong pondered, “Dad, he took my punches back then to defend his homeland. He is loyal to his country, a hero!”
“Young Sanzi, I never doubted his loyalty, nor his resolve. But what is on him that makes him a gentleman? Humph, what a sick joke!”
Zhuo Fan continued, “The die-hards in this world, under the pretense of loyalty, have done unspeakable things by the score. Can a loyalist then say with no shame that his back is straight, his heart is righteous and use the same words to bind others into an oath?
“Ha-ha-ha, then let me ask you, o great Shadow King sir, a bastion of justice, you conned an innocent child with no remorse, to become an indentured slave for imperial family for three hundred years. And now you’ve come again, using that same principle. Is this how a gentleman acts, picking on the small?”
Shadow King choked, but he cooled down soon, “This is a gentleman’s accord between me and Gu Santong. How can he just go back on it?”
“Hardly, I only hear how a gentleman adapts to the situation, how flexible he is. You cheated a kid last time, so how can you still call yourself a gentleman? As for being an accord between gentlemen, since you’re so ungentleman-like, how does it still hold?” Zhuo Fan grinned.
He always thought young Sanzi’s promise was a load of baloney that the sage had cooked up. But young Sanzi was a child of honor, taking it to heart and never breaking his word on his own.
And since the sage died in the fight three hundred years ago, Zhuo Fan had no way to break that promise.
How convenient, the creditor was still alive and kicking. Giving Zhuo Fan the leverage to break this oath at the seams, releasing the kid from the shackles of Tianyu’s imperial family.
Gu Santong was a passive listener to these two’s debate, finding his old man’s words sound and true, evident by that nod.
Shadow King panicked and hatred festered in his heart.
Gu Santong was gullible, despite being around for three centuries. But being in constant companionship with a mastermind like Zhuo Fan had turned easy persuasion into an undertaking.
“Gu Santong, remember our promise at my time of death, how I took ten of your punches…
“Shut it!”
Shadow King took on the same manner he had last time to move Gu Santong, but Zhuo Fan wouldn’t have it, “Sage, I may not think of you as a gentleman, but I do admire your feat three centuries ago. However, a man of valor does not flaunt his qualities. And you just keep on going back to it again and again, using it to lie to a child all over again and all in the name of empty honor. Talk about shamelessness.
“As a Divine Dragon, dying for your lord and in line of duty is something I understand. It’s in your job description. But to use that zealotry to bind an innocent child, humph. I’ve never seen a more despicable man in my life. Forget the fact that you turned into a spirit puppet, mind you, a prick with a thick face like yours, has the audacity to go on living, while building up the shadow corps, those deranged and twisted minds?”
“Y-you…” Shadow King panted, his shadowy face taking a red tint. He was so high strung that all he could do was point at Zhuo Fan.
Fang Qiubai and Sima Hui looked at Zhuo Fan in shock and gulped.
They were acquainted with Zhuo Fan’s strength time and time again, while only now did they learn of his sharp tongue. He had got this ex-expert tongue tied in a diatribe.
And since he fell short in insults and got trashed in battle, Shadow King showed a face the two had never seen before.
“Senior, ease your anger and mind your health.” Sima Hui advised seeing him on the verge of collapse from rage.
Shadow King pointed at Zhuo Fan but all he managed to do was gnash his teeth.
Zhuo Fan snickered, “Last but not the least, how did you know about the matter of young Sanzi’s godfather? Can it be that the imperial family arranged it?”
Shadow King’s heart seized, his shuddering body soaked.
“Ha-ha-ha, I’m right, isn’t it? Imperial family had planned it!” Zhuo Fan cackled.
Gu Santong looked incredulous, “Dad, what are you saying?”
“Young Sanzi, I do not know what happened three centuries ago, but this senior Sage here, through his attempt at using pretty words to cheat you again, has spilled the beans. Isn’t it odd how he knew about your godfather’s upright character? As I recall, the imperial family interfered after your fight with the seven houses. Your godfather should’ve been killed at that point.” Zhuo Fan’s eyes took on a wild glint.
Shadow King only looked at him in a deep frown.
Gu Santong mulled it over, “Godfather, what does it all mean? Just tell me!”
“Simple really. Everything that happened to you was because they used you. It was the imperial family’s plot to weaken the seven houses and reduce their position.”
Zhuo Fan had a twisted smile, “When I met the emperor, he said that he had kept an eye on me ever since the hubbub back in Drifting Flowers City. That’s normal, as every ruler would do when there’s an event in their backyard, to the point that they’d even figure out the source of it. But don’t you find it even remotely odd how the emperor back then only acted when you had half the nation in chaos? Ha-ha-ha, it’s because it was premeditated!
“The way I see it, ever since you pilfered the houses’ ingredient stash, your every move was under imperial family’s supervision. All so that you and the houses would fight it off to weaken them. If anything, your meeting with godfather was also part of imperial family’s plan to re-educate you and then have the seven houses kill his entire family…”
“What?!” Gu Santong clenched his fists, his eyes red, “Godfather, i-is that true?”
“Bullshit, Gu Santong, don’t believe his lies!” Shadow King roared, “The imperial family’s losses were also heavy at the time. If it were imperial family’s ploy, they wouldn’t burn themselves with it. There’s no one so cruel to themselves!”
“Ha-ha-ha, yeah, no one is that cruel to themselves. But you forget one thing, what man proposes, heaven disposes. There’s not a single man out there who can control everything. From just a simple mistake, everything could unravel. Young Sanzi, this is clearly the situation.”
Zhuo Fan continued, “All humans are good at birth. Young Sanzi had just entered these lands and didn’t know right from wrong. That is why he stole those ingredients, inciting calamity. But his strength kept him alive, even when badly wounded. This caught your attention. But you were wrong about one thing, young Sanzi’s wound was because he was still new at fighting, making an erroneous estimate of his strength and deciding to use him.
“That’s where his godfather came in. Whether he was your man or one you placed, he was young Sanzi’s teacher either way, showing him a life of honor. Then you drew the seven houses over to kill him, planting the seed of revenge. “
Zhuo Fan described it like he was there, “But this was only an excuse. Young Sanzi was your center stage puppet. Even if he was too weak, you’d just help him fight the seven houses from the shadows and let him take the fall. It must’ve come as a total shock I wager, when the enraged young Sanzi turned invincible, trampling even the likes of the seven houses.
“You were happier than ever, I’m sure. But all good things must come to an end. Young Sanzi’s power was outrageous, out of your control. So when you entered the stage for some spring cleaning, you couldn’t do anything and suffered heavy losses just the same.”
“That’s what being too smart for your own good does. Where the enemy loses a thousand and you lose eight hundred.” Zhuo Fan sighed.
Shadow King was sweating buckets, fear creeping in.
[Zhuo Fan does not just have an insidious tongue, but his eyes are damn revolting too! Is he even human to figure it all out so fast?]
Shadow King remained silent. Only Gu Santong shivered now and then, the rage boiling inside…
