"Who said that? Step forward!" Zhuo Fan roamed the group with a critical eye.
A thin elder moved, sneering at Zhuo Fan, "Humph, you snot nosed brat…"
Pa!
Zhuo Fan instantly cuffed the man, making him stumble, "That's Steward Zhuo for you!"
"Y-you…" The elder was dumbstruck, too angry to even speak clearly. Forget about him being a Profound Heaven expert, just based on his age alone, receiving a slap from a brat was a downright disgrace!
The blood rushed to his head and charged Zhuo Fan, "You damn punk, you think you're great? I will teach you a lesson for daring to raise your hand against an imperial guard!"
But then he groaned and went bug-eyed. His breathing grew fainter and his head forever lowered.
His chest was now sporting an extra fist hole through his chest. Zhuo Fan glanced at his dripping bloody hand, painting a marvelous work of art!
Sss~
Gasping, the other elders watched Zhuo Fan in shock. How was this 5th layer of Bone Tempering kid able to kill one of them so easily??
Luo Yunchang yelped and covered her eyes. The fatty's face twitched and said, "Brother, I knew you were awesome, but these were bestowed to you. You can't just kill them!"
Fang Qiubai's eyes trembled, watching Zhuo Fan with an even more curious gaze.
This Divine Dragon had heard rumors aplenty regarding Zhuo Fan, but seeing was believing.
With Zhuo Fan's mere cultivation, the feats he pulled against others higher than him left people shocked.
Zhuo Fan frowned and ignored the other's unusual gazes as suspicion grew in his mind. [This geezer is clearly in the Profound Heaven Stage yet his speed and power are lackluster.]
He was planning on making an example out of this one for the rest of them, by leaving him a heavy wound. But it ended with him getting killed instead.
[It's as if he's…]
Squinting, Zhuo Fan's eyes shined faintly azure, releasing a short range soul scan to scour these acting elders while hiding from Jade Flute Divine Sword's notice.
Sure enough, these guys were all posing as Profound Heaven experts, while their power was far below the threshold. Just like Huangpu Qingyun's four porters in Drifting Flowers City.
If you'd must define these guy's power, that'd make them fake Profound Heaven experts.
But this fake stage was only privy to a Radiant Stage expert, while all others couldn't tell the difference. [In a nutshell, they're goddamn props!]
Sighing, Zhuo Fan barked, "Fatty, you tricked me! These are no Profound Heaven experts! You brought me fakes! Just take them away already!"
Fatty cried, "You know?"
"Cut the act. I am not blind enough to not see a real Profound Heaven expert from a fake." Zhuo Fan glared, "Are you looking to see me loose out when I'll be facing other houses with these fake Profound Heaven experts that are no more than some Bone Tempering pups?"
The fatty scratched his nose in embarrassment, "Uh, it's just so you can look the part. When others see these twenty men, they will be intimidated… "
"Spare me the nonsense, and give it to me straight. Where did you get these weirdos?"
The fatty scratched his face in silence.
Fang Qiubai chuckled, "Let me explain it. Their talents were meager, imperial guards with slim chances to even enter the Profound Heaven Stage. They couldn't even take two hits from a real Profound Heaven expert even if they did enter it. So the imperial family had a project to raise many of such people into Profound Heaven experts through pills. But it failed. They have the air of a Profound Heaven expert but not the power to back it up.
"But as Cong'er said, even these props have use. Two decades ago, Quanrong was about to invade Tianyu. His Majesty was scared of war, losing his subjects and wealth and pushed tens of thousands of fake Profound Heaven experts to the frontlines, scaring away the Quanrong. Ha-ha-ha, you have to admire His Majesty's wisdom!"
Face twitching, Zhuo Fan watched speechless. [No wonder he's the weakest in the empire's thousand long history. He doesn't do anything, he just poses.]
Though he had to admit, mixing lies with truth was an ingenious tactic. [But it has no damn use in a war between houses…]
Zhuo Fan threw the fake experts a look, then sighed, "Fatty, when you give something, make sure it has some use, alright? Even ten real Profound Heaven experts would do!"
"What, ten? We got none!"
Crying out, the fatty persuaded like a cheapskate, "Bro, real Profound Heaven experts are the creme de la creme in any clan. How can they be raised so easily? Veiled Dragon Pavilion has nine, and of Hell Valley's 12, you killed six. Our imperial family is also short on them. Imperial father can't dispense any!"
Zhuo Fan shrugged, "Then if he wants to bestow something, let him give something real. These fakers are not only cocky, they even start posing in my face. Take them back!"
"Uh, that's unlikely. How can we go against an imperial edict? If you really do this, I cannot bear the responsibility. Imperial father won't budge either. Also…"
Fatty turned to those fake elders and shouted, "Also, you! If you go back, your heads will fall!"
They instantly fell to their knees, pleading.
But Zhuo Fan shook his head still, finding it hard to accept, "They have no skills. With you here, of course they'll beg, but once you leave, they will return to their haughty attitude…"
"I see, brother. Don't worry, leave it to me!"
The fatty cursed at them, "You bunch of good for nothing bastards, you have been bestowed to the Luo clan as elders and must follow its rules to a fault, especially steward's orders. Also who are you to say no? You're just a bunch of fakers! Let me tell you, this brother of mine, steward Zhuo Fan, has fought Hell Valley, kicked around Drifting Flowers Edifice, punching and smashing any and all from the seven houses. The number of Profound Heaven elders from the seven houses under his belt exceeds ten!
"You must be wondering, how is he still alive? Power! If you had his power, of course you'd defy him. If you don't, then you better goddamn listen or just drop dead!"
The fatty's 'pep' talk did the trick and the fakes watched Zhuo Fan in shock.
Not once did they think this brat was such a monster, to openly defy the seven houses.
No wonder he acted so high and mighty with them, even daring to kill one bestowed by the emperor. The Luo clan's steward being powerful seemed valid.
They'd always lived in the palace and knew nothing of Zhuo Fan's exploits. So they instantly prostrated half into fatty's howling speech.
Of course they were nothing compared with such a man of power. What right they had to still act tough? Luo Yunchang was overwhelmed with emotion, but mostly watched Zhuo Fan in joy.
"What do you think, brother? They'll listen now!"
"Cough, Cough…" Ignoring the smiling fatty, Zhuo Fan faked a cough and stuck out his chest as he spoke to the fakes, "As you've been bestowed by His Majesty, and seeing how important it is to third prince, I will accept, albeit reluctantly, such fake Profound Heaven experts."
The fatty was over the moon, as were the rest. Their mission was now complete, and were exempt from the emperor's punishment.
"However…"
Zhuo Fan's tone turned heavy, "You are to abide by Luo clan's rules if you are to stay! First, the most important of all, only me, steward Zhuo Fan, is allowed to show off! Whoever dares to show off before me will find their life cut short!"
They all turned dumbfounded, [How is that a rule?]
The fatty's face darkened and twitched, "Young miss Luo, does the Luo clan really have such a shameless rule?"
Luo Yunchang bobbed her head and held her mouth, yet her stomach hurt from how hard it was to stop from laughing.
The fatty was speechless.
"Second, when you are outside the clan, I am the first and foremost who show off, and when it's your turn to do it, it must by all means be a cut below mine! Failure to comply means death!"
They all held their foreheads. [So this is the Luo clan? Is this how its steward acts? It's just so hard to fathom! Are these what you call rules?]
Luo Yunchang was laughing so hard she laid on the table. The fatty patted his fat cheeks helpless and Fang Qiubai watched it all engrossed.
"Third," Zhuo Fan continued, "You are to obey my every order without question. When I say you kill, you comply. Otherwise, death!"
They shivered when he reached this point and nodded.
They may have submitted, but Zhuo Fan could see the doubt in their eyes.
To someone like Zhuo Fan, it was this doubt that spoke of the problems ahead.
Zhuo Fan cracked jokes with his first two rules just to ease them into a false security. While the third rule was to test them.
And just as he saw, the third rule was accepted with some hesitation.
If they were indeed bestowed by the emperor, the latter would've ordered them to obey the Luo clan to the letter. So the third rule ought to have been received instantly.
But they hesitated. This proved they had a different aim being here, and this sudden rule caught them off guard.
Zhuo Fan showed a crafty smile, "This makes you Luo clan's elders. Grand Elder will take you now!"
"Elder Lei!"
Lei Yuntian flashed before Zhuo Fan and cupped his hands, "Steward Zhuo, orders?"
"These are elders bestowed by His Majesty. They will be under your care. You have to take good care of them!" Zhuo Fan grinned evilly.
Lei Yuntian was happy so many experts joined. But Zhuo Fan's 'good care' painted a very clear image as to Zhuo Fan's intention regarding these fakes. To not let them wander off and to keep his eyes on them.
Nodding, Lei Yuntian took the elders with a solemn look.
The elders were sadly mistaken that they were now in the clear, having entered the Luo clan, when in fact they would be under tight surveillance. What was more, neither the fatty nor anyone else there knew this would happen. The fatty then saw Zhuo Fan return to being seated at the pavilion along with him and the rest.
"Brother, besides the third rule, the first two will have me killed!" Fatty patted Zhuo Fan's shoulder laughingly.
Zhuo Fan spoke solemnly, "Without these two, how can there be a third rule, ha-ha-ha…"
Fatty joined in, thinking the first two rules were to establish Zhuo Fan's prestige for the third one. But then he looked at Zhuo Fan seriously, "Then let us get to the matter at hand. Luo clan's steward, Zhuo Fan, receive this edict…"