The Steward Demonic Emperor

Chapter 985: Testing

Proofreader: Papatonks

Whoosh~

A cold figure landed just a hundred meters from Zhuo Fan’s group with a cold smirk.

Everyone turned to jelly at the sight of this vile witch, staggering backward. Only Zhuo Fan not just stood his ground, but walked closer, with an ineffable smile, “Miss, we meet again. How’ve you been? Good, I hope.”

“Humph, keep your slick words to yourself!”

Bali Yuyu had a crooked grin, mocking, “Kid, didn’t you say I wouldn’t touch you? Just watch me! I made sure to destroy your goods and kill your men. Now it’s your turn, ha-ha-ha…”

Bali Yuyu’s cackle chilled the others to the bone, while Zhuo Fan’s smile never faltered, slowly shaking his head as he walked even closer, “Miss, it was I who offended you. The others have nothing to do with this. Why take it out on the innocents instead of me?”

“Innocent? Humph, no one around you is innocent!”

Bali Yuyu huffed, feeling playful, “Since you care so much about them, I’ll leave you for last while I wring the life of every last one of them in front of you. It’s your fault they will die, their sin for working with you!”

Zhuo Fan sighed, “Do you have to? Involving bystanders in another’s disputes is never the way. Here I am, right in front of you, so if you’re going to kill someone, kill me! At least I will be the first to die before them…” 

“Humph, not everything goes your way. The more you want to sacrifice yourself and ease your crimes, the more I want to save you for last and let them die in front of you, because of you. I’ll have regret eat you up inside before I move on to you. This is what you get for pissing me off!”

Bali Yuyu growled as she glared at Zhuo Fan who kept coming closer, “Weren’t you from that place? Weren’t you tough? Why, can’t you even save a few lives?”

“It’s not that I can’t, but that I never considered it…”

Zhuo Fan had reached Bali Yuyu at this point, just a meter between them, as his vague smile grew wider, “Miss, did you hurt your face, perchance? That would just not do for a pretty thing like you, miss. You should be using your Yuan Qi to patch it up and not waste time on something as vapid as reaping lives.” 

Zhuo Fan reached out, going after Bali Yuyu’s swollen and red cheek. 

Bali Yuyu jumped back and shouted, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Healing you, miss, since it’s too much for you to do it yourself.” Zhuo Fan grinned, his raised hand glowing green and oozing vitality. 

“Such a scratch means nothing with miss’ cultivation, healed in a blink. But to keep it like this, despite how it looks, I’ll have to do it myself so that your leader won’t have anything to reproach.”

Bali Yuyu growled and her brows shook, “Keep your hand to yourself! This is Patriarch’s punishment. Only he gets to decide when this is healed, and certainly not you!”

“Am I to assume then that it’s also your Patriarch who egged you to attack us? Is Patriarch letting you kill now?” Zhuo Fan smiled.

Bali Yuyu gave a cold smirk, “Damn right, there’s nothing holding me back. Your luck has run out!” 

“Did Patriarch have you kill me as well?”

Zhuo Fan shouted.

Bali Yuyu jerked, needing a moment before sporting a sinister smile, “Right again, kid. Just wait till I kill you!”

“Is that so?”

Zhuo Fan beamed, shaking his head having gotten his answer. Bali Yuyu covered it well, but the split second in demeanor change was enough to betray the truth.

Baili Yutian did tell her to go on a murder spree, but to an extent. 

[The old coot wants to test me, or better yet, test Devil Mountain’s disciples and Overlord Nine Serenities.] 

[Ha-ha-ha, thanks, Devil Mountain, you’re finally living up to your fake name by reeling in the strongest in mortal domain. That means that even the Nine Sword Kings will need his explicit approval before touching anyone from Devil Mountain…] 

[I must say, the name sure has its uses…]

Grinning with confidence, Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone with insight. Bali Yuyu, the great and revered Sword King, was overcome by a very bad feeling, one laced with fear. 

Zhuo Fan was too much of an unknown that robbed her of all confidence…

Bali Yuyu grew enraged, unable to accept his ridiculing smug smile, “What are you smiling at? You don’t believe I can kill?”

“Oh, I believe alright. You most certainly have it in you to kill me. That’s why I’m here, before you, at your tender mercy.”

Zhuo Fan gave a dismissive wave and resumed walking towards Bali Yuyu. They were so close now, they could practically touch. Even their breath felt warm on the other, despite the cold weather.

Bali Yuyu flushed red and jumped back again, putting some distance between them and panicking, “J-just what are you doing?”

“Coming before miss, ready to be captured and presenting my neck.” Zhuo Fan raised a taunting eyebrow, “Why, does miss hate it that I completely understand my powerless situation and accept it?”

Bali Yuyu’s lip shook as she saw Zhuo Fan’s bright and insufferable smile with a red face and blank mind.

She was a mighty Sword King from the central area’s Sword Star Empire. Anyone and everyone, almost, would have to scrape and bow at her feet, worship her even. Then how come someone would be so daring and infringing on her personal space with playful smiles?

Bali Yuyu lost her mind, pointing at Zhuo Fan, “Stay right there! Don’t come any closer! Humph, don’t think I’m going to let you off so easily. I’ll be sure to torture you and let you have a taste of real horrors as I kill your men, one every day. Who knows when your turn will come as you wallow in despair.”

Bali Yuyu no longer looked at Zhuo Fan and vanished.

Only the footprint in snow bore testament that a graceful and vicious woman had been here…

Zhuo Fan shook his head and walked back to the others, “People, look at the carriages. We’re moving on!”

None moved, too dumbstruck to react. Their eyes were filled with nothing but respect and awe.

“What’s wrong with you? Get to work already!” Zhuo Fan frowned and shouted at them.

They gave a silly giggle yet in no rush to do their jobs, “Sir, were you just flirting with Frigid Rain Sword King? You’re so awesome, to even do it with a bloodthirsty witch…” 

Bam!

Zhuo Fan smacked them on the spot, “Cut the senseless chatter! I was only testing her limits!”

“And did you find them?”

“Of course!”

Zhuo Fan grinned, “That broad got free rein from Baili Yutian to start killing, but the only one who she can’t touch is me. I gave her ample reasons and occasions to end me then and there, but she never went for it. While she was leaning on excuses, those weren’t her style. With how petty and quick to anger she was back in the store, there’s no way she’d gathered the patience necessary to toy with me for so long. So I’ve nothing to worry about her going after my life and can keep going.” 

The others sighed, relieved.

Zhuo Fan blinked at them, “That’s only valid for me alone. You all aren’t included. Why then are you so at ease? Be careful not to get her to waste you.”

“You’re wrong there, sir.”

One guard chuckled in joy, “Since she won’t touch you then we’ll be safe as long as we stay close to you. That’s why from now on we’ll eat together, sleep together and ride together. I hope sir won’t mind it, he-he-he…” 

Zhuo Fan frowned then nodded, “Sharp guy. That’s a good plan with a high success rate. Though if we want to get rid of her for good, we need a large ruckus and force the man behind her to come negotiate. It’s not good to always be reactive to the other’s actions and under constant watch.”

“The man behind her?”

The men exclaimed, “Sir means to…”

Zhuo Fan gave a resolute nod with a cold smile, “Sooner or later we’ll meet the best in the lands. So we’ll use this chance to get a feel of him, ha-ha-ha…”