"No way in hell are we going to submit!" The two were very much thick in the head, shaking their heads at Zhuo Fan's every attempt to sway them.
Then the smile faded from Zhuo Fan's face.
"Since you are unable to face reality, you'll only have yourself to blame for what happens next!" Zhuo Fan spoke coldly.
A mere sign for him had the two writhing on the ground in wails of pain. Their limbs contorted and cracking was heard each time a bone shifted.
Blood pooled beneath them but not from any visible wound. It was akin to twisting a towel to squeeze all the water out.
This was one pain not even these two old veteran monsters could cope with. It stabbed their very core.
Li Jingtian rejoiced inwardly. [Thank heavens I switched sides so quickly. Who knows what untold suffering might have awaited me besides this one? This is inhumane!]
This time, he watched Zhuo Fan in fear.
The two spirit animals panicked at their masters' suffering. They once again flew at Zhuo Fan, but Li Jingtian jumped in defense.
All while Zhuo Fan held an uncaring hand sign.
A series of pops sounded as the couple's bodies went off like firecrackers as wounds opened all over them and setting them off into another round of even more heartrending wails.
Zhuo Fan turned to the two poultries, "Don't pets know how to obey? I told you to sit down and behave, or they won't get to live much longer!"
Their charge stopped, reduced to flying in circles from worry. They could neither withdraw nor retreat, forced to watch their masters in tears.
If they could talk, they'd urge their masters to give in. One should know when he's beaten!
But all they could do was cry out in sounds no human could decipher.
Zhuo Fan shook his head, "Your pets are worried sick. Why must you be so cruel to yourselves?"
"He-he-he, punk, don't look down on us. We may have fallen in your trap, but there's no way you'll make us submit. Get it through your thick head!" Qiu Yanhai cackled through the pain.
Xue Qingjian showed a mournful smile, "Ha-ha-ha, old fart, we've done whatever we wanted for so long, only to die at the hands of a child. We've lost all respect. My only joy is that I can die alongside you!"
"As am I, ha-ha-ha…" Qiu Yanhai nodded, determined to stare death right in the face.
On the brink of death, these two could still show a smile of joy. Even Zhuo Fan was touched, [These guys are the real deal, so goddamn stubborn!]
But the more they were like this, the more they tickled Zhuo Fan's fancy!
Whenever hearts came to mind, Zhuo Fan was an expert at striking where it hurt the most. Didn't he turn Li Jingtian and Yan Song on his side the same way? The reason for the couple's tough character was love. This was both a strength and a weakness.
Zhuo Fan deadpanned, "I had a fairly short time to know you but I can see how deep you love each other. Are you so set in watching the other die?"
"He-he-he, punk, how can a brat like you know what love is?" Grinning, Qiu Yanhai looked deeply into Xue Qingjian's eyes with a gratified smile, "As long as she is with me, I welcome death!"
Xue Qingjian nodded with a beautiful smile.
Zhuo Fan let out a cruel smile, "I don't know love, is it? Humph, then let me tell you of the love that I see!"
"First of all, you…" Pointing at Qiu Yanhai, Zhuo Fan sneered, "You fought with this old hag for all your life yet not won once? You both have the same cultivation, the same rare flame, but she used some cultivation to keep herself young. Of course she's the weaker one. How could you not beat her? It's clear as day you went soft on her each time!"
Qiu Yanhai only had a prideful smile in reply.
Zhuo Fan turned to Xue Qingjian, "And you, in this world might make right and you went and wasted some cultivation just on looks. The way I see it, you're clearly asking for death. It was fine if you were someone going out in public every day, but who will see you when you're hiding out in a mountain? Humph, of course I know you dolled yourself for your man. How could I not? But the way I see it, it was a complete waste…"
"What, Qingjian, you stayed young just for me?" Qiu Yanhai ignored Zhuo Fan's disdain, watching Xue Qingjian in gratitude, "I need to look closer then. I must've been blind to not appreciate you all these decades!"
Xue Qingjian blushed and pouted. She took Zhuo Fan's critique as a compliment.
Zhuo Fan didn't mind, since this was his aim. He wanted to spur their love to the highest possible point, only to smash it down to pieces.
"Humph, you must really think I'm singing you praises, right? Well let me tell you, love is your greatest weakness!"
"Bullshit! Our love is eternal. We live and die together and there's nothing you can do to stop it!" Qiu Yanhai mocked.
"Oh really?"
Grinning, Zhuo Fan grabbed Xue Qingjian's fair neck, Qiu Yanhai shouted in fear, "What are you doing? Take it up on me if you're a man and leave my woman out of it!"
"Don't fall for it, old codger. If one dies, the other will soon follow. Nothing he'll do will make a difference!" Xue Qingjian glared.
Qiu Yanhai nodded and relaxed.
Zhuo Fan, however, snorted, "You think it's that easy to die in my hands? Fret not, I won't kill you, though I have the nagging feeling you're going to beg me for it later!"
A black energy came from Zhuo Fan and seeped into Xue Qingjian as he began using Demon Transformation Art.
Xue Qingjian's Yuan Qi was sucked away and her body started to age, her hair whiting.
But that wasn't caused by Demon Transformation Art, but from having the Yuan Qi reserved in keeping appearances stripped away.
"Ha-ha-ha, old hag, so this is how you really look. You can no longer keep up your youth. Why don't you let your old man get a nice long look at you now!"
Zhuo Fan laughed, twisting Xue Qingjian's head towards Qiu Yanhai. He also put a mirror in front of her to see her true face.
Xue Qingjian shuddered at the aged, grizzled hair old woman. She wailed, "No~, old codger, don't look…"
"Ha-ha-ha, nice try, but your body is under my control. Shutting your eyes won't work. The old guy will now see how old and wrinkly you are!" Zhuo Fan cackled.
"No, don't look, don't look…" Xue Qingjian shook her head as tears flickered in her eyes. Qiu Yanhai consoled, "Qingjian, don't worry. To me, you are the most beautiful!"
Zhuo Fan smiled inside.
[Women doll up for their men, and this is the men's attitude? Humph, why would any woman do it if not to attract men? Especially towards the one they love, the woman will want to look at their prettiest.]
Even if the man spoke of loving her wholly. She never wanted to let him see her ugly side.
Zhuo Fan saw through it so he raised their love higher. Then made her return to her old and ugly appearance. He wasn't aiming at the old guy from the start, but the old hag instead.
First came the bashing of the old hag's mental walls, and later came the defeat of the old guy.
Zhuo Fan snickered, hopped on Xue Qingjian and mocked, "He-he-he, sister, you don't much look like a sister now, do you? More like a granny if you ask me…"
"Don't say it, please…" Xue Qingjian cried as she covered her face.
Qiu Yanhai cursed, "Beast, stop this instant or you'll be sorry!"
"Sorry? Ha-ha-ha… your lives are in my hands yet you dare take that tone with me?" Zhuo Fan snickered as his hand grabbed Xue Qingjian's sash, "You old pair of farts, do you believe me when I say that I can make this old hag look even more unsightly? Though I have no interest in seeing and let your old goat eyes feast on her alone. But I can't help but wonder, just how interested are you, old man, in this sister's fine body?"
Zhuo Fan punctuated by a light pulling.
"No!" Xue Qingjian cried, her eyes already rolling in her skull. Qiu Yanhai was tearing up, sobbing a plea, "S-Steward Zhuo, we submit. Please, just let her go. Don't shame us any more, I beg you…"
Qiu Yanhai, a mighty expert, was crying like a child, earning sympathy from any who would see him. Zhuo Fan turned to Xue Qingjian, to see the old hag nodding through her tears as well.
Zhuo Fan switched to a cheerful smile on the spot, "Was that so hard? You could've done this from the start and spare yourself the suffering. Please rise, elders. Oh~, how can anyone be so cruel to you, elders? I have with me some healing pills. Kindly take them, elders!"
Zhuo Fan suddenly turned bipolar, as if his previous demonic him was a different personality. He helped the two up with the proper respect and gave them a vial.
The old couple was scared witless. Seeing the vial they suddenly broke out in shivers. They recoiled and shook their heads vehemently. They dreaded any more of Zhuo Fan's pills.
But Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow and snapped, "You dare refuse my pills?"
Shuddering again, the couple creaked over, and took the pills under Zhuo Fan's watchful eye.
Zhuo Fan beamed again. In this way, the Luo clan just got itself another pair of obedient elders.
Witnessing everything, Li Jingtian's heart shook to the core. [Steward Zhuo is an abomination to make these powerful experts crumble from his cruel ways in a matter of minutes. He is as demonic as it gets.]
He was grateful to high heaven for changing sides as fast as he did. Or with Steward Zhuo's cruel methods, who knew what boundless humiliation he would be showered with.
At that point he'd have no reputation to speak of, ran thoroughly through the mud…