Translator: StarReader
Editor: Elitecoder
Three months later, the Luo clan finally arrived home, to Windgaze City. As the Blackwind Mountain appeared in view, Zhuo Fan’s heart called to it in longing after five years of separation.
He had gone through ecstatic and despair filled moments during this time. And now that he had returned, he felt even more attached to this place.
The word family or clan had been etched deeper into his heart. Absence only made the heart grow fonder.
“Steward Zhuo, let me open the array and give you a proper welcome!” Standing before Blackwind Mountain enveloped in thick mist, Li Jingtian laughed.
Zhuo Fan waved him off with a hint of smile, “No need. I’ll do it myself. Five years have gone by and I want to open the door myself.”
Li Jingtian nodded, while others watched him with warmth.
“Yan Fu, come!” The kid had been traveling along with the Luo clan, and under constant pressure from Li Jingtian’s valiant aura, he had been left a shivering mess.
Yan Fu rushed before Zhuo Fan with even more respect, “Steward Zhuo, orders?”
“Nothing of that sort. You will soon meet Elder Yan, master and disciple will be reunited at last. And you will become one of us now. So I will now teach you how to open the array. Watch closely.”
Yan Fu was excited. He will finally get to see his master, something that had only happened in his dreams so far. His heart was overwhelmed and he nodded instantly.
Under his dazed gaze, Zhuo Fan’s hand made a sign and he shouted, “Open!”
The fog parted in the form of a path up Blackwind Mountain. Zhuo Fan turned with a smile, “Yan Fu, this will be your home from now on. You and your master…”
Boom!
The reverberating explosion cut Zhuo Fan’s speech short. A gale kicking up dust slammed them right in the face and covered the foremost two in dust and grime.
And then came the shrieks.
“Hi-hi-hi, old hag, old geezer, who do you think you are, Zhuo Fan or Li Jingtian, to dare mess with us Four Scheming Demons? You can’t handle us! See how us four will blast you to pieces!”
Violent Demon’s familiar sneer came to Zhuo Fan, then the cheers from the other three demons, “Yep, yep, you two know nothing of how to stop us. There’s nothing you can do to us!”
Zhuo Fan’s mouth twitched, and his fist clenched.
[These little shits won’t sit still for a second. They completely ruined one of my rare good moods!]
The rest sighed and felt vexed. Elder Li brought these Four Scheming Demons five years back as new elders. Everyone was happy, at first.
And then they got to know these pygmies just a bit better. They were outrageous, squabbling and powerful, of course, but they were nothing more than bickering children. A menace every third day and a disaster every fifth. These guys almost had the entire Blackwind Mountain run into the ground with their toying. Even after Li Jingtian’s heavy handed punishment, it only took a day after his departure for them to start cursing him, and the second day for their demonic minds to cook up new mischief.
Everyone knew this was Li Jingtian cheating the four into thinking that he knew the way to control the Bloodworms and make them fall in line. Or hell would’ve broken loose.
“Steward Zhuo…” Yan Fu pointed at Blackwind Mountain with a sunken face, as if to say. [Why is this home of yours not one bit peaceful?]
Waving him off, Zhuo Fan laughed in anger, “Calm down, I will handle it. Just ignore the little shits!”
“Uh, Steward Zhuo, I’ll go set the four shits straight.” Li Jingtian ran over.
Zhuo Fan waved him off with a dark face, “No need. I’ll do it.”
Zhuo Fan stepped forward and the rest followed. Li Jingtian was snickering inside. [Those four twerps will finally get what’s coming for them.]
They all reached the peak to see holes everywhere and even the gate blown outward and slanted.
No doubt about it, those four shits were responsible for all this.
All this while the sound of explosions kept on coming from within. Xue Qingjian raved like an insane hag, “Ah! You damn bastards dare break my thousand year old mirror? I’ll kill you!”
“Hi-hi-hi, biddy, what are you doing with a mirror when you’re so old? We did you a favor!” Sly Demon poked where it hurt with his mocking laughter.
Xue Qingjian grew enraged in her howls, “Bastards, thieves! I’ll have your heads today!”
“Qingjian, stop wasting time with them and use Life and Death Art!” Qiu Yanhai’s own raving voice came.
Li Jingtian paled.
Him and the two had sparred quite often and he knew of the power behind that art. It could blast ten Radiant Stage experts into dust on the spot. All he could do was turn tail.
With the two using Life and Death Art on the four demons, they’d blow Blackwind Mountain sky high.
Li Jingtian rushed, “Steward Zhuo, I’ll stop them.”
“No need.”
A vein popped on Zhuo Fan’s forehead as his finger trembled, “Those four demons were wrong in the head from the start. There’s no point arguing with them. But were these two so quick to lose themselves? Humph, they need to be taught a lesson!”
Zhuo Fan’s hand signal changed and four blissful heartrending wails came from within, music to the ears of every Luo clansman.
“What’s going on? My belly hadn’t hurt in five years. What’s with the sudden cramp?” Violent Demon rolled around, followed by five others.
“I know, it’s the Bloodworms! That damn Li Jingtian is back!” Sly Demon cried.
Xue Qingjian and Qiu Yanhai collapsed as they cursed, “Dumbasses, you still don’t know that the old man conned you? He is a victim too and doesn’t know how to use the Bloodworms. Or you’d think all the chaos you caused five years ago would only result in some scolding?”
“What, he played us?” Violent Demon roared, “Bloody bastard! That old foggie dares to play the demonic hero quartet? I’ll tear him a new one if it’s the last thing I do! Hold on, if he didn’t do it, then why do I feel cramps all over and can’t even move?”
“Humph, morons, do you even need to ask? Who in this world has such cruel ways?” Xue Qingjian was sweating and her eyes jerked in fear, “The kid’s back!”
“What kid?” The Four Scheming Demons asked together.
Then a prideful voice echoed, “Correct, I have returned. So listen up!”
Zhuo Fan walked into the rundown place with fire in his eyes.
The Four Scheming Demons wailed, “Ah! A ghost!”
Zhuo Fan’s face twitched, but he took it in stride. Xue Qingjian howled and begged, “Steward Zhuo, the four little shits did it! It’s not us who started it!”
But Zhuo Fan walked right past them.
Li Jingtian sighed, “You guys, how can Steward Zhuo not know that the four demons are behind it all? But you two should never ever think about using Life and Death Art here. Are you planning on wiping out the Luo clan? Steward Zhuo just came back and was in a rare good mood. But you…”
“But… we were only talking about it, not meaning to use it!” The old pair grew frantic and looked hurt.
They now looked to see Luo Yunchang pass them. They grabbed onto their final hope, “Young miss!”
Luo Yunchang knew their intention and nodded and gave a thumbs up. [No worries, leave it to me.]
The two were in deep pain, but felt relief.
[We haven’t spent all that time with the young miss for nothing. She comes through for us when it matters…]
In the hall, Zhuo Fan took the main seat and saw no one inside, not even guards. [Those six must’ve scared them off.]
As the others came in, Zhuo Fan had Captain Pang look for Yan Song.
While Captain Pang ran along, Luo Yunchang pleaded the old couple’s case. Zhuo Fan knew they were innocent, only incited by the pygmies.
Not even he could quell his rage when dealing with those freaks, not to mention others. So with another sign, the couple was released from their torment.
The two came to the hall and bowed to Zhuo Fan, giving a look of gratitude to Luo Yunchang.
Luo Yunchang gave Xue Qingjian a cheering gesture. [Sister, we look after each other!]
The females in the Luo clan were few in numbers. And with Xue Qingjian often spending time with Luo Yunchang, their age may be different but the two were now practically sisters.
Yan Song had heard of Yan Fu’s arrival and rushed to the hall. He first bowed to Zhuo Fan then looked with joy for Yan Fu.
He soon found him.
“Disciple!” Yan Song’s mouth trembled from the overwhelming emotion.
Yan Fu was stunned. He looked at him long and said, “Y-you’re my master?”
“Uh…”
Yan Song slipped for a second, then smiled, “Ha-ha-ha, of course. I took Steward Zhuo’s 8th grade pill and washed away the poison, making me dozens of years younger. Handsome, aren’t I? I had told you many times if it weren’t for training in the Rainbow Cloud Palm from a young age, I’d be an elegant and refined gentleman, wooing thousands of girls with a mere wink. See, I wasn’t lying!”
Pff!
The people let a giggle slip. It was their first time seeing their Alchemy House Elder boasting like that. Just like a certain vile steward they knew. Indeed, bad habits do rub off when standing so close.
But Yan Fu shuddered and nodded, “Yes, you really are my master. Master only boasts like that with me. That’s our secret, master!”
Yan Fu fell to Yan Song’s feet. Yan Song was tearing up too. Master and disciple, finally reunited like father and son.
The rest didn’t disturb them.
Afterward, Zhuo Fan thought Yan Fu was too young to assume a position, so he made him an assistant. As for the Four Scheming Demons, Zhuo Fan threw them somewhere far off and only three days later was he reminded of them. He released their seal and gave them a tongue lashing.
Ever since their return, under Zhuo Fan’s tight supervision, the four were on their best behavior and Blackwind Mountain finally knew peace after five long and nerve wrecking years.
Meanwhile, Fang Qiubai and Dugu Zhantian stepped foot in the imperial capital’s palace with the Esoteric Debate’s report…
