On the night of the Lantern Festival, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting someone. With their emperor's birthday fast approaching, the buildings were decorated with lanterns turning the capital into a breathtaking scene.
Many romantics and couples took full advantage of this rare occasion to get together and whisper sweet nothings to their better half.
Then again, an exception was almost guaranteed to exist. Sticking out like a sore thumb was a guy with white hair, surrounded by three belles and at the admiration of the crowd.
[Buddy, you're one daring trailblazer on the righteous path of love. We, poor fellows, only date one on the night of Lantern Festival, while you've come out with three. I tip my hat to you sir!]
The eerie looks came everywhere he went. Zhuo Fan's face was twitching looking at the girls with a sigh.
Yongning wanted to come with Yun Shuang, but since Luo Yunchang overheard them, she just had to join. She even shot down anyone else who wanted to join them, lest they became a third wheel.
[Sister please, isn't it already a crowd with three girls in tow?]
Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes, hearing the bubbly girls giggle and chatter. All this time he was sighing and sighing.
At some point, a sharp and heavy sound came followed by a mighty pressure clearly focused on Zhuo Fan.
"Dodge!"
Zhuo Fan waved at the girls, sweeping them off their feet and sending them a hundred meters away.
Yongning ended up sputtering dust from the maltreatment. She slapped the ground, getting to her feet and told him off, "Zhuo Fan, what the hell is wrong with you?"
She was royally pissed. Here she was taking the guy on a night out and earning some brownie points, and the twit had sent her flying.
[That's no way to treat a friend, especially a princess!]
But noticing that Zhuo Fan was staring at the sky, she did as well and gasped.
The other girls paled as well, filled with worry for Zhuo Fan.
A bludgeon easily ten meters in diameter came smashing on Zhuo Fan's head. On the other end of the mace was Zha Lahan, with bloodshot eyes and a malignant face.
He wanted to flatten Zhuo Fan in one strike.
[He-he-he, you pompous cretin, weren't you godlike? Try this on for size!]
Zha Lahan cackled inside. The average people participating in the lovely festival shivered all over and scurried for their lives.
[Where did that meteor come from? It'll ruin the celebration…]
The ever cold Zhuo Fan flicked his Qilin arm, now shining red.
Bam!
Zhuo Fan smacked the bludgeon into the pavement, sending an earthquake that flattened anything in its path, destroying the lanterns.
The girls flew again from the shock wave, with blood coming from their mouths.
Finally recovering their wits after the fall, they found a dozens of meter wide crater at the epicenter. The golden bludgeon stood there majestic and Zhuo Fan was buried under it.
"Zhuo Fan!"
The girls' cries went unanswered.
Zha Lahan floated above, pleased as punch, holding the mace, "Ha-ha-ha, I knew you weren't up to snuff. One smash and I've plastered you. I should've just used a third of my power instead!"
"Zha Lahan!"
A figure flashed above the mace, Touba Lian'er, "Look what you've done? Didn't we say we're only teaching him a lesson? Why kill him? And there's not even a corpse left. How will we explain this to the others?"
Shrugging, Zha Lahan chuckled, "It's not my fault that the brat was weak and was posing around with that cocky attitude. What taking two peak Radiant Stage experts' attacks? That was clearly a lie! If I had known he was a wimp, an average Profound Heaven cultivator, I'd have used only 1%. Humph, he had it coming."
"That's besides the point. It was us who acted first. With such a ruckus, our plan…" Touba Lian'er facepalmed.
Her rant came to a halt when a casual voice said, "What 'is' your plan?"
The two watched the massive bludgeon rocking, unleashing heavy tremors.
"Y-young miss, that power…"
Zha Lahan felt himself being lifted along with his arm no matter what he did to stop it.
The force came from the crater and he realized that he didn't have enough strength to fight it.
[This is impossible! Since when did the world have such a mighty being!]
Zha Lahan narrowed his eyes and watched Zhuo Fan lifting the mace up with one hand, like a giant holding the heavens.
His casual look gave the feeling that he wasn't even pushing it.
"Zhuo Fan!" The girls cheered.
Touba Lian'er pointed with a trembling finger, "H-he's still alive and not a scratch on him. Zha Lahan, use everything to push him back!"
"I already am!" Gnashing his teeth, Zha Lahan's face twisted as he swelled under the strain. But no amount of strength proved to be of any use, still being unable to budge the mace.
Touba Lian'er paled, looking at Zhuo Fan like he was a monster.
[Can the rumors be true? Does he truly surpass the strongest of our people, Zha Lahan?]
She used to think that her father's Savage Wolf was the strongest person there was. But today, Zhuo Fan was handling him like a child.
Zhuo Fan put on a savage grin, "This doesn't look like a good place to chat. That makes this stick an eyesore."
With a cold glint, Zhuo Fan gripped harder.
Crack~
Snapping sounds jarred the ears of everyone as the bludgeon was covered in fractures.
Zhuo Fan added just a hint more oomph and the giant stick fell into pieces.
Everyone watched in stunned silence. The Quanrong were even more shocked.
[The purple gold-forged Heaven Breaking Bludgeon was a 5th-grade spiritual weapon and this guy used his brawn alone to crush it in his hand.]
[What is he?]
Zha Lahan's face was unnatural, to say the least. He had never heard of such freakish power and was now shocked to his core.
As a typical narcissist, he took it upon himself as being the best there was, only to face the harsh and cruel reality. There would always be someone better.
Zhe Bie and Hu Lianchai acted as spectators, scared out of their minds. The rumors didn't even do Zhuo Fan's power justice.
[That damn hearsay is asking us to get beat! In what way is he any weaker?]
Hu Lianchai felt like crying. His intel gathering had hit a snag again…
Zhuo Fan drifted over to a panicked Touba Lian'er, his smile wide and creepy, "About that plan of yours, care to fill me in?"
Gulping, Touba Lian'er was lost for words in fear.
Zha Lahan sweated buckets, his eyes only reflecting fear. But he wasn't part of the Eight Wolf Wardens for nothing. He wouldn't give up just like that.
It went double for when his young miss was under threat.
While Zhuo Fan was focused on Lian'er, he took out an identical bludgeon. After a short wind up, he socked Zhuo Fan's head with it.
Zhuo Fan never even looked, merely flicking it away in pieces.
While the weapon's owner's arm snapped from the power running through the crumbling bludgeon.
Zha Lahan still hadn't woken up to smell the roses. A mere wave from Zhuo Fan broke Quanrong's best warrior's arm like a twig.
[This freak is not human. He is worse than a spiritual beast!]
Zha Lahan's arm dangled while he sweated like a pig. His heart was consumed by fear and in denial of what was right in front of him. It took a long time for it to sink in, the fear, the dread, the futility of it all.
Touba Lian'er gave the wretched Zha Lahan a long look, then looked at the grinning Zhuo Fan. [The poor girl was about to cry.]
She was really regretting it now, messing with a monster without rhyme or reason.
Zhe Bie at the side, had his bow and arrow primed, aimed between Zhuo Fan's eyes. He was also soaked in sweat, it was Sky-piercing Wolf's first time facing such a thorn.