For the next ten-odd days, there was not a shadow of Zhuo Fan gracing the small courtyard in the Veiled Dragon Pavilion. Not only Long Kui, not even Luo clan's members saw him.
After his bold words that day, Zhuo Fan worked harder on cultivation, locked up in his room. He only let Blood Infant roam free at night to gather Yuan Qi.
His target, the Cai clan.
As such, Clan Head Cai was dejected all this time. His guards shrank in numbers with each passing day, without so much as a trace left behind. This left him wondering if the Luo clan he offended asked Veiled Dragon Pavilion to deal with his clan.
In his opinion, only the Seven Noble Houses had such dreadful power to reap his guards without notice. As such, Cai Rong's heart grew heavier, to the point his son balled up under his blanket, shivering at night; afraid he would be next.
To the living, it wasn't death that was scary, but the wait before. Father and son felt the crawling of time in the agony of fear.
He also thought of seeking Hell Valley's help. But ever since it got his family martial art, it cut off all ties.
This only went to further prolong Cai Rong's agony as he shouted out his frustration one day in his room. No demonic cultivator was trustworthy, but he was in too deep to turn back now.
Zhuo Fan took them all in stride with a sneer.
As for the Sun clan, he let the Blood Infant pay them a few visits too. However, Elder Jian was there so, there were many close calls to getting caught. And as of late, many great powers have been present there, so Zhuo Fan avoided entering.
He only left Blood Infant to monitor at the gates.
On this day, as per usual, the Blood Infant ate a dozen Cai clan guards then staked Cai clan's gates for a bit before returning to the little courtyard, pleased.
Just as he was about to enter his home, a trace of energy caught his eye. Zhuo Fan frowned in his room as the Blood Infant hid its energy. Soon, in a corner across from the little courtyard, a shadow was reflected in his eyes.
That person was watching his home.
"Humph, no one dares to step inside Veiled Dragon Pavilion's territory yet this one does? He must be from Blackwind Mountain." Zhuo Fan grinned.
He recalled Elder Jian telling it wasn't the Cai clan nor the Sun clan who'd come after the Luo clan, but a third party unrelated to them, Blackwind Mountain.
If the Luo clan fell, Hell Valley was spared of all liability. But how were a bunch of bandits going to enter the little courtyard?
[You think this is the Cloud Manor?]
Raising an eyebrow, Zhuo Fan guided the Blood Infant after the person in black. Because Blood Infant's hidden energy, it wasn't found out.
After taking stock of the surrounding, the bandit left, followed by a red trace.
An hour later, the person jumped through a window of a tavern and the Blood Infant floated to peer inside. Zhuo Fan saw seven strong men and a 17-year-old girl to the side. They were all waiting for the person in black to speak.
"Young miss, how's the situation?" Before the person in black spoke, the girl poured tea and spoke with concern.
Zhuo Fan was taken aback, "A woman?"
He never expected the leader of the Blackwind Mountain bandits to be a woman. Were they looking down on the fact that the Luo clan had only four members?
Zhuo Fan shook his head.
He saw the person in black remove her veil to reveal a pair of bright eyes, black hair flowing down to her waist, with fair and unblemished skin worthy of the title beauty.
Even the men couldn't help but swallow dryly and stare. But the woman's glare made them lower their heads.
"Xiao Cui, get me a pen and paper." Being shouted to, the girl rushed to obey.
The beauty drew in detail for fifteen minutes. The contents shocked Zhuo Fan.
That was Veiled Dragon Pavilion's little courtyard in minute detail. He had to admit, making such a map after one night of staking earned a thumbs up from him.
She wasn't the leader for nothing.
"Look closely. Here, here, and here are guards. The four corners here have Bone Tempering experts… "
"Young miss, this is Veiled Dragon Pavilion, how do we proceed? By the look of things, we'll be dead before we even make it through the door." One man wiped his sweat from fear.
The woman dismissed him. "Relax, senior brother got in contact with Hell Valley's men and said they will distract the guards. We just need to capture Luo Yunchang and kill the rest."
[What? She isn't a man, so why capture young miss for?] Zhuo Fan was baffled, but not worried. Even without the guards, he still had the Nine Heavens Coiling Dragon Array.
They were ants throwing their lives away.
But what caught his attention was that Blackwind Mountain and Hell Valley were connected. They were being exploited just like the Cai clan, but on a much deeper level.
"Uhm, young miss, there's something you might not like to hear, but it concerns our lives…"
"Say it!" Waving her hand, the girl spoke calmly.
The man hesitated before firming his resolve, "Young miss, the young lord and Hell Valley are connected and will listen to him. Even if Hell Valley's men help us, the Veiled Dragon Pavilion is still one of the Seven Noble Houses. Offending them will leave us with no place to hide. Will the Hell Valley shelter us then? If they abandon us instead, death will be our only outcome."
"Humph, that's like saying you're scared of dying!
"Don't you think you're letting down Mountain Lord with your words? For helping camp lord recover, for his revenge, the least we can do is stake our lives!"
Her words brought shame on their faces.
She glared at them and shouted, "Withdraw! Follow the predetermined plan without fail."
"Yes!"
They cupped their hands and shouted with respect. When they left, they were resolute with staring death in the face.
"Not bad!"
Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow as he left the room.
Now it was his turn…
When all the people left, the girl clapped her hands in glee, "Young miss is amazing, like a true Mountain Lord."
Shaking her head, the woman sighed, "If godfather was back to health, he'd do it far better. No one on Blackwind Mountain would have doubted him, nor question his orders."
"Maybe, but they still believe in young miss."
The woman shook her head, "Xiao Cui, don't comfort me. I only hope to cure my adoptive father once we get the Returning Dragon Palm."
"Young miss will succeed in her filial duty!" The girl giggled.
However, it was now that a faint sigh reached them, "Girl, filial and success are different things. Moreover, who told you the Returning Dragon Palm can heal wounds?"
"Who's there?"
The woman and the girl turned to find Zhuo Fan sitting on the window frame with a smile.
"No need to panic, I have no ill intent. I just came to chat and clear some things up." Zhuo Fan made a friendly gesture.
"Who exactly are you?"
The woman drew Xiao Cui two steps behind her. She didn't realize Zhuo Fan was spying on them. If he wanted her life, she'd be dead by now.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself." Zhuo Fan bowed, "I am Luo clan's steward, Zhuo Fan."
"What, the Luo clan?"
The woman's eyes squinted and gnashed her teeth, "Then die."
She stabbed with two fingers. Piercing lightning danced between her fingers as if it wanted to shatter the skies.
Zhuo Fan was a bit startled, "9th layer of Qi Condensation, spirit ranked martial art?"
He'd never expected for the lass to be so strong and even wield a spirit ranked martial art to boot. Her power was close to a Bone Tempering cultivator.
Unfortunately, she met Zhuo Fan. He mocked all those below Bone Tempering.
Because he had the Blood Infant!
With a hand sign, a red light flashed from his body into the woman.
Her body froze yet the lighting still buzzed between her fingers.
She was afraid, "What did you do to me?"
Grinning, Zhuo Fan shook his head, "Nothing, I am only controlling your body."
And then grabbed her two fingers, "Cancel."
In an instant, the piercing lightning died out.
Blood Infant was born of blood and controlled blood. This, in turn, led to the control of the whole body. Only strong cultivation and Yuan Qi could repel such restrictions.
But this was because the Blood Infant was still weak. If it was in the Saint Stage, even an Emperor would find it hard to deal with.
"Come with me."
Zhuo Fan hugged her waist. She could do nothing but let the strange man embrace her as they went.
"Young miss." Xiao Cui shouted.
Zhuo Fan turned and thought of something, "Oh, forgot about you."
His hand grabbed her shoulder and the lass blanked out. Xiao Cui was just a servant that had yet to enter Qi Condensation.
Thus, as the first rays of dawn graced the earth, Zhuo Fan walked to his home embracing one girl and one woman…