"Third master Han, our sect found the herb first. What is the meaning of your presence here, are you trying to steal it?"
The leader of the Mystical Heaven Sect's group was a charming and valiant girl. Her eyebrows delicate, her eyes pure, complimenting her beauty and tenderness, but the fire in her worked as a deterrence, especially that ancient jade sword. Unleashing a chilling and sharp sword intent even sheathed.
None from the Demon Soul Sect met her gaze, afraid the sword intent might split their heads open on contact.
One feminine man, with a sneer and sinister air had no qualms about facing off, "Jade Sword Fairy of Mystical Heaven Sect, Shui Ruohua, is worthy of her reputation, even unpolished can exude her brilliance. Sword still in its sheath yet the sword intent can cripple one's heart. I bow before the master."
"Enough patronizing, do you give up the spiritual herb or not?" Shui Ruohua spat.
Young master Han smirked, "Spiritual herbs have no owner, belonging to the one who can get it first. Why should we give it to you? Then again, dual cultivation in the company of Fairy Ruohua might give me pause."
"Swine!"
Shui Ruohua blushed and her sword came out the sheath.
Waves of light and sword energy flashed about as it whistled for Han Sanshao like a dragon.
Anyone struck by it would find himself an extra large breathing hole.
From up above, Zhuo Fan lauded her in silence. [Women like her are quite rare, unleashing such a sharp sword strike. She's just like that sword fanatic, Xie Tianshang. I bet she's a real feisty one even casually.]
Yet no matter how good the attack was, with her being in the 5th layer of Radiant Stage and him in the 7th, it wouldn't hit anything if he had some skills as well.
[To say nothing of the danger, it only got worse from here. By unleashing such a strong attack, she left herself open for a killing blow.
Zhuo Fan sighed.
Sure as he lived, Han Sanshao laughed at the incoming sword, reacting with a palm attack, "Great timing. Since Fairy Ruohua has no qualms, neither will I!"
A two-meter tall scarlet palm shot in front of him.
"High profound martial art, Soul Seeking Scarlet Palm!"
Pff!
With a muffled sound, the sword and the scarlet hand clashed into a deadlock. Shui Ruohua lapsed for a second then gnashed her teeth as she pushed the sword forward harder.
While Han Sanshao waved and the palm split into countless stars hammering Shui Ruohua's body.
Being so close didn't give her room to react. She was flung away and spat dark blood.
"Senior sister!" Her group shouted while the Demon Soul Sect's side snickered.
Han Sanshao mocked, "Jade Sword Fairy, your sect is but a low ranked one while ours is a mid level sect. We are better than you in every way, be it martial arts or cultivation methods. You've seen it yourself. So walk away, knowing your limits, and not fight us over the herb."
"So what if you got dibs? In this world, power is everything. Everything belongs to the winner!" Han Sanshao snorted.
Up on the vantage point, the Four Scheming Demons laughed inside and nodded.
"The dumb broad is toast, he-he-he. She asked for it, going against a demonic cultivator." Violent Demon laughed at her expense.
Sly Demon giggled, "That's not all. If the young leader from the Demon Soul Sect took her away to dual cultivate, that old foggie from Mystical Heaven Sect would choke on it, hi-hi-hi…"
"True, true…" The rest bobbed their heads excitedly.
Zhuo Fan asked, "Do you mean to say Demon Scheming Sect and Mystical Heaven Sect are bitter enemies? Why do I get the feeling that you want Mystical Heaven Sect to suffer a worse fate? "
"Nope, we can't stand either of them, but Mystical Heaven Sect is on the righteous path. As demonic cultivators, we want nothing more than to see them squirm, ha-ha-ha…" Violent Demon laughed.
Zhuo Fan shook his head.
Be that as it may, such a course of action was born out of ignorance. Tallying everything up, one looked at the profits and not one's alignment. All to further one's self-interests.
You Ming escaped the interests of his house to achieve what he was now, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Zhuge Changfeng and Leng Wuchang.
If all of the Demon Scheming Sect was so narrow-minded, its future was hopeless.
Pa!
With a faint sound, Shui Ruohua leaned on her sword to stand, watching the herb with a killing gaze.
"Again!"
Shui Ruohua lifted her sword with gnashed teeth, facing Han Sanshao again.
Han Sanshao frowned, "You've lost, going further will mean death. Is that what you want?"
"Humph, hand over the herb or take my life! "
Shui Ruohua's eyebrows shook, filled with unwillingness, "The life of my young master depends on that herb. I must have it!"
Han Sanshao mocked, "Oh, that retard? Ha-ha-ha, death suits him better. What's a born cripple like him still living for, taking up space?"
"Shut up! I won't let anything happen to my dear brother!" Shui Ruohua stomped as she thrust her sword.
Her attack this time was far weaker, not even a tenth of the first. The wounds were taking their toll on her.
Han Sanshao waved in mockery and unleashed a gale.
With a loud sound, Shui Ruohua flew and spat blood again. Her eyes were desperate and hopelessly in tears.
[Little brother, forgive me. I can't protect you…]
Pa!
At this particular moment, her body stopped, feeling a strong arm holding her. But what came into sight was a foreign face.
"Y-you're…" Shui Ruohua spoke weakly.
Zhuo Fan smiled, "We don't know each other. It's just that miss' character is very much like someone I know."
Zhuo Fan was reminded of Chu Qingcheng and her desperate attempts to save Drifting Flowers Edifices. He sighed, "You're so much alike, I'm sure you'd be close friends."
Shui Ruohua frowned, not understanding any of his words.
Hi-hi-hi…
Creepy laughter announced the arrival of four black trails of smoke. The Four Scheming Demons were standing there while cackling, "Ha-ha-ha, when two fight, the third wins. You guys continue, while the Demon Scheming Sect takes the 9th grade herb, he-he-he…"
"The Demon Scheming Sect?!" Shui Ruohua was on guard around Zhuo Fan, pushing away from him in a rush.
Han Sanshao raised an eyebrow at the four, "Demon Scheming Sect? A herb was discovered yet here are three great sects fighting over it. Things sure got interesting…"
Zhuo Fan smiled and shook his head at the demons, "You four, repeat what you said."
"Uhm, the spiritual herb is ours. Right, Steward Zhuo?" Violent Demon beamed.
The resounding crack on his face was Zhuo Fan's answer, along with a serious tongue lashing, of course, "Right your rotten head! You've been around me for so long and you can't even tell that much about me? Is a 9th grade herb worth fighting for? Are you beggars? "
Ugh!
Zhuo Fan's shout echoed around the gorge and the demons looked down with crestfallen faces. While Mystical Heaven Sect and Demon Soul Sect grimaced.
[Who the heck is he? Are you calling us beggars? Is that it?]
Han Sanshao's smile iced over, "Since when did Demon Scheming Sect got so tough, so rich, that even a 6th layer of Profound Heaven disciple spits on a 9th grade herb? That would mean we, the mid level Demon Soul Sect, should be currying favor with the Demon Scheming Sect. Moneybags, let's be friends!"
Han Sanshao patronized and the rest of the Demon Soul Sect party laughed.
[Where the hell did he crawl out of? He's putting up such an exaggerated show, no one'll believe him!]
9th grade herb aside, the entirety of western lands had no sect that outstanding.
But the Four Scheming Demons knew something they didn't as they saw the unfazed mocking smile on Zhuo Fan.
"Steward Zhuo, since you don't want it, what did we run over here for? Couldn't we just watch the live show?" Violent Demon asked, holding his burning cheek.
Zhuo Fan smiled as he pointed at Shui Ruohua, "I came here for one reason, to save her."
All stood speechless. [Since when did the Demon Scheming Sect's people save Mystical Heaven Sect's?] Whenever the two sides met, there was bound to be an altercation.
Shui Ruohua was just as stunned, but blushed at his hard gaze, her heart jumping around inside.
[What is he trying to pull…]