"Holy cow, he wasn't faking! The brat did have a card up his sleeve!"
On the terrace, Xie Tianyang stumbled. Then it hit him, "Right, he used the same azure flame against You Guiqi too. I took it as some martial art at the time but now I see that it's actually a heaven and earth treasure…"
It all made sense now, how he faced Hell Valley's profound ranked martial art and easily overcame it.
The azure flame could easily handle a heaven and earth spirit flame so it was only natural to be able to deal with You Guiqi's wicked skill…
Xie Tianyang found himself looking at Long Jiu, "This brat has so much stuff on him that makes him a walking treasury. Are you sure he's only a third rate clan kid?"
"Why are you looking at me for? I'm as clueless as you are!" Long Jiu snorted then kept watching Zhuo Fan.
Veiled Dragon Pavilion had looked again and again into Zhuo Fan's history but they always came with the same answer. A servant that never left the Luo clan.
Yet the night of the Luo clan's demise marked his complete change.
A mere servant took the four-membered Luo clan and pulled it through the crisis. Along the path of remarkable wisdom and deep schemes, he changed the fate of the Luo clan; turning it into a future opponent for the Seven Noble Houses.
Veiled Dragon Pavilion weren't fools, of course, especially Long Jiu. Their new hatred for Hell Valley was all because Zhuo Fan instigated it.
Yet, even so, they were willing to take this burden for him.
First, just as Zhuo Fan predicted, Veiled Dragon Pavilion was not about to show weakness before their archenemy, Hell Valley. With how deep their hatred was, adding one more debt was of little concern.
Not to mention, in the great battle of Windgaze City, making them carry the killing of those two elders was in fact a favor. Even when he was summoned by the Emperor, the Pavilion Lord was grinning from ear to ear.
It had been years since Pavilion Lord was this excited.
And secondly, Zhuo Fan's power shocked every one of them to the marrow. Even Veiled Dragon Pavilion's highly ranked men started discussing with Zhuo Fan when he was but a Qi Condensation cultivator.
None of them could've come with a more perfect plan than his.
Sowing dissension, escaping, bidding his time to land the final blow—it all may have seemed simple tactics but their execution would've been far from his.
This was something easily understood by reading the two houses' millennia-long feud.
Moreover, Zhuo Fan was very skilled. Not only he could set up a 5th-grade array, but he also had many long lost ancient arrays.
After so many miracles, Pavilion Lord's quick decision to cooperate with Zhuo Fan was met with no objection. And that was only because this kid's actions left everyone unable to unravel his true purpose!
From the looks of it, Zhuo Fan's change seemed to have started from that fateful night.
Before it, he was just an honest-to-god and shy servant. After it, he changed into the sinister and cunning steward that none in the seven houses could compare with.
That night was the crux. But what did happen that night?
Taking a deep breath, Long Jiu was filled with confusion trying to pick some hints by looking at the smug figure, only to sigh in the end.
[He may very well be the only one who knows the answer to this riddle…]
Totally oblivious of Long Jiu group's comments, the overseers had long been skipping in joy at seeing Vicious Pill King taken down a peg, again.
Just like some 16-year-old girls, blushing to the ears.
This was the finals after all. Pushing the old man back would help in increasing his chance of winning it.
Xiao Dandan had never seen her senior aunt and master so happy in her life. She knew they were happy and so was she, raising her pretty face in pride.
As if to tell the world, [Here comes my man!]
As Chu Qingcheng saw that figure growing in authority, her heart grew with love, though still reserved enough not to be so frank about it as Xiao Dandan. But her eyes couldn't hide the warmth and feelings she had for him.
On the eastern stand, Huangpu Qingyun's elegant visage was now twisted in rage.
Even the most oblivious of his men could see he was best left alone, if they valued their life.
But did that mean he wouldn't come to you by himself?
"Elder Lin!" Huangpu Qingyun squinted and snapped.
Lin Zitian shivered and stood at attention, though his heart was on the verge of crying, "Second young master, orders?"
"Didn't you promise me that the old fool will win? Well, where is his win? He quoted fairness and offered to let the punk refine first, only to be shamed further. What fairness? He wouldn't have brought more shame on himself if someone else did that to him…"
"Second young master, Elder Yan isn't the only one at fault." Lin Zitian spoke over Huangpu Qingyun to curb his anger, or he would've been sent into the fray sooner than needed. At that time, that bastard Vicious Pill King would've been long gone and he unable to deal with the kid alone. To safeguard his life, he had to speak up.
He continued anxiously, "Second young master, you saw it too. It's not Elder Yan who is powerless but that punk is just too… too freakish!"
Lin Zitian stammered for a long time before coming with an apt description, "The heaven and earth spirit flame is the lord of the flames. But who saw it coming that the brat would pull an even more freakish flame rendering the lord of the flames inferior. None of us did!"
Huangpu Qingyun rose his hand at first but soon put it down. He had calmed down somewhat after those words, though his calmness was one that inspired fear. He looked at Zhuo Fan, "Indeed, this is not on Elder Yan, but all because that brat is… too strong!"
This was the first time Huangpu Qingyun admitted Zhuo Fan's strength.
His men trembled. Their second young master was a man of immense pride who never acknowledged anyone.
Yet here he was praising someone for their strength and was also quite sincere at it.
Perhaps, Huangpu Qingyun's anger wasn't because of Yan Song's setback, but his unwillingness to admit someone could have the same authority as him.
This was something a proud and domineering man like himself would never allow to happen.
Therefore, they all looked at Zhuo Fan as if he was already dead.
And sure enough, Huangpu Qingyun followed with, "Elder Lin, there's no need to act anymore. I will kill that brat myself."
"Uh, then what of Edifice Lord Chu…"
Huangpu Qingyun's eyes flashed with naked killing intent, "I want to avoid fighting with Qingcheng, but I can never find peace until I kill the kid myself!"
His men's hearts shivered as they nodded.
Whoosh~
Vicious Pill King let out his white flame again and Xiao Ya rushed to stop him, "Forgive me, Elder Yan, but because of your flame and the beast flames, the other alchemists can't refine. So, to give a fair judgment I can only ask all of you to refine one at a time, from weak to strong."
"Humph, you want me to give way to them?"
Vicious Pill King snored, "Why should I? It won't matter even if my flame doesn't affect them! They don't rise to even one hair of mine! Giving way to them means wasting my time."
Tao Danniang grew angry and glared at him. Yan Fu snickered at the side, finding it only natural.
His master was the best in the empire, except the unknown kid that sprung up from who knew where. Who else could match his master?
The alchemists, Liu Yizhen included, were livid, but facts were facts. They had no ways to refute Vicious Pill King and could only sigh.
Xiao Ya found herself in a tight spot.
What was planned to be the finals between ten people, now became a clash of two. Were the other eight alchemists mere decorations to make them look good? What was the point of getting this far then?
Too bad Vicious Pill King was the best alchemist in the empire and was dead set on his decision. The judge could do nothing.
In Xiao Ya's moment of anxiety and stomping, a lazy voice echoed.
"Old man, since it's a competition, give them a chance. Why do you have to be so hard?"
This startled everyone and turned to see Zhuo Fan still with his arms crossed and eyes closed, but smiling nonetheless.
Frowning, Vicious Pill King muttered then withdrew his flame.
Those alchemists who had it rough with just their Yuan Qi flames were overjoyed. While the others looked at Vicious Pill King dumbfounded.
Even Yan Fu looked at Vicious Pill King as if he wasn't his master.
Since when did his prideful master secede just like that because someone said so? [This is mortifying!]
But the fact was, one word from Zhuo Fan was enough to make the grand and arrogant Vicious Pill King renounce his pride.
"What's going on? Did the old man get a personality change?" Up in the eastern stand, Hell Valley's fifth elder was filled with puzzlement like everyone else.
What they didn't notice, however, was Huangpu Qingyun's even thicker killing intent!
Perhaps he was the sole person here who understood authority.
It was what made others submit completely!
He wielded the same authority, an obvious fact from the people around him that listened to his orders without question. But this authority was bestowed by Regent Estate. As these men submitted to Regent Estate's power, he could only thus order them.
More clearly stated, they spoke yes while their hearts were against it.
Only Huangpu Qingyun understood that Zhuo Fan had become the man with the most authority here. And his authority was based on the true submission of everyone present. Vicious Pill King was the perfect example, seceding with just some words.
It was all because from the very beginning he grasped everyone's hearts, letting them take one step at a time in growing their faith in him.
This was the true way of the ruling class in seizing authority.
At first Huangpu Qingyun's killing intent at Zhuo Fan was rather hazy. He guessed it was because of a conflict of interest. But now he clearly wanted Zhuo Fan dead. After Lin Zitian spoke and Zhuo Fan showed a monarchic flame, he understood perfectly why Zhuo Fan had to die.
He wasn't as narrow-minded as others thought him to be, that he couldn't stand someone more powerful them him. His decision to kill Zhuo Fan was because of the feeling he got from the latter. Every time Zhuo Fan did something, it was like an open challenge to his authority.
How could a regent's authority be so easily challenged?
A mountain wasn't big enough for two tigers. With two people knowing the way to grasp the hearts of the people, they would fight over authority and only one would come out victorious.
Zhuo Fan had long noticed the killing intent coming from the eastern stand, but he was unfazed as ever, even sporting a scornful grin…