Sss~
Zhuo Fan faltered back three steps with a frown and a pained look. Venerable Shi’s soul pressure felt like the whole world was on his shoulders and he almost activated azure flame’s self defense.
But Zhuo Fan chose to bear it, staring defiantly.
Venerable Shi’s eyes shook with surprise and wonder from his tough character, “You’re not afraid?”
“That’s my line.”
Zhuo Fan broke out in a grin, “I’m not just any laborer you can touch. Make your move, see what Sect Leader has to say about it. Who’d he pick I wonder? The pawn you keep droning about or some oldies. You didn’t think this through, did you? He-he-he…”
Venerable Shi took back his show of force and nodded, “So that’s why Xie Wuyue entrusted everything to you. You don’t lack a spine. In any case, remember my words, sooner or later you will leave his protection.”
“Thanks for the tip, I’ll be sure to treasure it.” Zhuo Fan cupped his hands, “If that is all, Venerable Shi, I’ll be going now.”
Venerable Shi’s eyelids twitched but he waved him off in the end.
Zhuo Fan smiled and flew away.
Grand Elder sighed, “He sure is something. Just a Profound Heaven Stage in cultivation and yet could hold his own under your soul pressure. His own soul must be tough, tougher than a peak Radiant Stage.”
“He is a talent of exceptional quality, and that’s not the worst of it. He actually managed to make me feel fear, even if for an instant, from his ineffable calm.” Venerable Shi squinted, “His gall is impressive, but unlike others who bluster with misplaced confidence or are rash, his calm comes from complete control of the situation. This tells me that he isn’t just a pawn, but the true mastermind.”
Grand Elder nodded, “Indeed, he got us where it hurts the most and knew we won’t touch him at such a critical time. That is why he came behind enemy lines so carefree. He is of the leading stock, and may even be the next Sect Leader!”
Venerable Shi’s silence was answer enough.
“Another Xie Wuyue… no, even more dangerous in fact!” Venerable Shi sighed.
Grand Elder looked around, “What is our next move?”
“Force won’t help us here. With all of us elders and venerables in the inner sect having the same interests, nobody can use force, especially now with so many disciples turning on us. By my reckoning, there will only be more people going to the Labor Office in the days to come. Our grip on them has slipped.”
Venerable Shi’s eyes flashed, “However, since we can’t touch him, I’m sure we can find someone who can. Since they used disciples to destroy us, we’ll pay them back with the same coin! Ha-ha-ha….”
Venerable Shi cackled as Grand Elder fell silent…
Whoosh!
Zhuo Fan returned to the cemetery and Venerable Bai came to him the next second, “Steward Zhuo, is everything alright? I was about to take the rest and make them answer for detaining you!”
“Ha-ha-ha, it’s fine. They aren’t fools. Fighting is the worst option for them. I was confident in this estimate.”
Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow the next second, looking at the four doors.
Because there were no disciples around them but only oldies.
So why would it catch his attention if they were watching over them?
Venerable Bai chuckled, “Oh, almost forgot, Steward Zhuo, someone wants to meet you.”
“Me?” Zhuo Fan eyed Venerable Bai, “Who?”
“Come.” Venerable Bai had a vague smile as the two walked past the crowd.
Three people surrounded the doors while commenting and nodding like critics. One was a portly man in yellow, wobbling his lard ass in excitement. The second was a lanky man with a face in a perpetual frown, while the last one was an impeccable gentleman. Though his attire spoke of his grace, his face was a thorough disappointment due to his plain features.
The trio were escorted by the oldies as if the Sect Leader was coming for inspection, hanging on their every word and sucking up to them.
Venerable Bai chuckled, “Venerables, Steward Zhuo has come.”
Whoosh!
The wobbling butt froze, and the jiggling belly twisted around to let the guy see Zhuo Fan.
“Zhuo Fan, we meet at last!” The incoming bear hug grew bigger and bigger as he laughed, “Ha-ha-ha, genius, join our elite area!”
“Wait, hold up, who are you sirs…” As the fatty was barreling for him, Zhuo Fan waved all over the place.
Venerable Bai smiled, “Steward Zhuo, they are elite instructor venerables, Fiend Yang, Fiend Yin and Fiend Gui. They go by the name Three Fiends of Hell. Along with Sect Leader back in the day, they went by Four Fiends of Hell, geniuses who survived the Double Dragon Gathering.”
“A real man does not boast, Venerable Bai. Don’t do that, ha-ha-ha…” The fatty waved at him to stop with a smug face, reminiscing about the good old days.
Zhuo Fan chuckled inside, [What’s so great about coming back alive? Is that something to take pride in? Or is Double Dragon Gathering such a hellish place that even keeping your life is commendable?]
The fatty caught Zhuo Fan’s doubtful expression and his smile froze.
The other two sighed, knowing full well that it was hardly something to be smug about. Though it didn’t make coming out alive from that deadly place any easier.
Zhuo Fan cupped his hands, “Venerable sirs, to what do I owe this honored visit?”
Fiend Yang was the one to reply, “Zhuo Fan, you’ve done a great job with the Elite Labor Office. Sect Leader is so proud that he had us come here to tell you that besides the set of demonic treasures you owe him, you are to make three more, for each of us.”
“Uh… eh?!” Zhuo Fan was crying, “Venerable sirs, aren’t you getting it all wrong? After commending and lauding me, you should be rewarding me and not asking for more things from me.”
The trio laughed.
The fatty waved his hand, “Ha-ha-ha, you can’t even take a joke. Sect Leader has decided that these disciples can become the pillars of the sects in terms of quality and quantity. Hence he will allocate half of the inner sect’s resources for training these budding experts. In addition, you’ll have elite spots as well, but it will depend on their strength to take as many as they can. “
[Say what?!]
The oldies were over the moon.
They figured this might happen, for the Elite Labor Office to become the new inner sect but that was going to be much later.
Yet fortune smiled upon them, with the Sect Leader coming to this decision overnight. And by the sound of it, they’d get all the elite spots as well. It only spelled the end of the inner sect.
They all quaked in excitement and shock.
Happy that they made the right choice in jumping ship.
They could practically see the future of the Elite Labor Office, under Sect Leader’s grasp, but with plenty of resources going their way since they were the first wave of oldies to join.
As for Venerable Shi’s faction and stubborn disciples, it would only get worse from here.
All of them sported creepy grins, enjoying another’s misfortune.
Zhuo Fan nodded, “That’s great. The Elite Labor Office is on the right track and I’m one step closer to finishing my mission. When will the elite selection take place, sirs?”
“In two days, so get ready. And you’ll be joining it as well kid, no discussion. We have our sights on you and you can’t escape.” Fiend Yang laughed.
Zhuo Fan said, “But I’m just a laborer…”
“What’s wrong with that? Look around you, they’re all laborers. With so many promising inner and outer disciples coming here, not letting laborers enter the elite area is tantamount to suicide. I bet the Sect Leader will call a meeting of elders in a couple of days to talk it over. With so many venerables and even more to come, this decision is as good as made.”
Fiend Yang pointed at the old guys and they nodded on cue. Their pockets were going to get lined up based on Elite Labor Office’s development. They had to crush the old rule no matter what.
Fiend Yang turned serious, “Boy, you’ve done a great job, getting to change the sect’s rule. This has hardly ever happened in the sect’s thousands of years of history.”
Everyone looked at Zhuo Fan with respect and praise.
Zhuo Fan chuckled, inclined to disagree on this assessment. He was only playing his act, granted on a grand scale, at the whims of the one on top who gave him the script.
The leader wasn’t him by far.
He’d never take this role of pawn in the past.
But now he couldn’t care less. Like an outsider, he could leave just like he came in. The situation had no pull on him.
This realization made his heart thump, his eyes shining, [I’m advancing again…]
