Whoosh!
Something trailed the sky like a cold star, shooting for Zhuo Fan. He took a step back to look up.
A blade brushed his nose, followed by a soft wrist.
Quick to react, Zhuo Fan grabbed the hand, only to hear a charming cry as the elegant owner revealed herself.
It was an eighteen-year old girl, with shining eyes, flawless eyebrows, and innocent looks. Though those mesmerizing eyes flashed with chilling murder intent.
[A demonic sect disciple indeed, so young and so psychotic.]
Squinting, the seasoned Zhuo Fan saw through her on the spot, yet shook his head.
Walking the secular world, he had seen Luo Yunchang's kindness, Ning'er's innocence, Qingcheng's righteousness and Shuang'er's mercy. Now that he was back among his people, among demons, he found himself out of place.
Seeing this girl, he recalled the first time he ever entered a demonic sect as well, the cruelty and blatant ruthlessness to everything mortal, he came to borrow in his very nature. As if his sole purpose on this god's green earth was to wreck it!
Demons were born and died in the heart.
Having seen the wonders of the world, it had a negative effect on his demonic nature. Or more aptly put, it transformed, growing to a whole new level.
Clueless as to how high, all he knew was that he had a steadier heart than even the past Demonic Emperor.
"Ha-ha-ha, newborn chick, you've just stepped into the demonic sect and so you challenge an eagle. The young sure are filled with ambition. A shame you're far from being an eagle."
Clang!
Zhuo Fan twisted her hand behind her, making her grimace. She swished her head back at him but never made a peep, only gnashing her teeth.
Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow. [She sure is obstinate.]
The girl then twisted her body, dislocating her shoulder with a crack. Her other hand sported a short blade and drove it towards Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan was shocked.
[This lass is the quintessence of the demonic path. She's just like me back in the day.]
A kind of empathy grew in Zhuo Fan's heart.
The girl had the same cultivation as him, but that was where the resemblance stopped. Zhuo Fan's soul was tougher than a Radiant Stage expert. There was no way for her to catch him off guard, not while he used his soul to scan her every movement.
Yet Zhuo Fan didn't mind giving her a freebie.
Snickt!
The short blade plunged into Zhuo Fan's chest. The girl lit up and beamed.
"You're happy over something like this? Getting overconfident over a fluke leaves one wide open for a sudden death; a mistake common in youngsters."
The girl cried suddenly and found Zhuo Fan smiling back with no anger in his voice.
The girl was startled.
[He's strange. What's he smiling about despite me stabbing him? Did he do it on purpose?]
[No way. No one's that stupid.]
One thing was certain though, the blade did nothing to him. So she pulled it out to try again, this time going for Zhuo Fan's throat.
"Cease at once!"
The bark announced four trails of smoke coming into the sect then reforming in front of the girl.
Watching Zhuo Fan get stabbed by the girl, the Four Scheming Demons were about to tear her into four.
Zhuo Fan shouted, "You stop! Let her go."
Pa!
The girl slammed the ground hard, watching the four angry faces in the smoke with daze.
Violent Demon glared at her, "Damn brat, you dare kill inside Demon Scheming Sect? Who put you up to this?"
"Who are you? Why did you open the Demon Scheming Sect's barrier?" The girl frowned.
Yet there was no fear in her features.
Zhuo Fan admired her. [The girl has some backbone.]
The four gave a creepy laughter and Violent Demon mocked, "Hi-hi-hi, missy, you sure are ignorant. We are the demonic cultivator hero quartet having roamed the lands for years. Everyone knows us, everyone fears us…"
"Well I don't know. How could the Demon Scheming Sect have someone like you? So shady, so shifty and so creepy…" The girl snorted.
The Four Scheming Demons exploded in rage, "Hey broad, want to see yourself without a mouth?"
"To hell with it, that'll be too easy for her. Let's tear her into four!"
"No, eight!"
"No, 16!"
"No, one hund…"
The Four Scheming Demons went back to arguing over the girl's execution method when a giggle came, "Oh, the four executives. Why are you quarreling at the door? Do you want to have an elder throw you in that lightning prison again, forever?"
Ugh!
The four became deathly quiet as they saw a lady in her thirties, seductive and spruced up like a cougar.
The girl cried at her appearance, "Senior sister, they're actually one of us? Didn't you say you don't know them…"
"Ha-ha-ha, silly girl, these four are Demon Scheming Sect's wildly renowned Four Scheming Demons who once shook the world with their names. They only came back not long ago and became executives. You were still in seclusion at the time, training in Demon Devouring Sabre." The lady interrupted with a giggle.
The Four Scheming Demons saw her buttering them up, they chuckled as well, sticking out their chins in immense pride.
Zhuo Fan, though, grinned for a different reason.
The girl grumbled, "Is Demon Scheming Sect so empty to even have these weirdos become executives?"
"Hey, I resent that! Think I won't tear you a new one?" Violent Demon snapped.
Zhuo Fan patted his shoulder, "Miss is just blunt, so let it go. Since I am new, why don't you introduce me to these lovely ladies."
The Four Scheming Demons jerked and watched Zhuo Fan with a quirky look. [When did Steward Zhuo become so interested in women?]
Having no choice, they complied with a laugh.
"He-he-he, never thought I'd hear Steward Zhuo say that. Alright, Hu Mei'er, tend to great Steward Zhuo!" Violent Demon snickered at the lady.
The girl had a hard glare for them as she reprimanded, "Sect's rules forbids affairs. You four know this fully well. I'll be reporting you to the Sect Leader, so await your punishment!"
"Hey, missy, I find tearing your mouth off more and more appealing." Violent Demon cracked his knuckles, only to have Zhuo Fan stop him.
Zhuo Fan said flatly, "Miss, I am a new disciple and only wish to make some new friends. I have no other meaning."
All the girl did was huff.
While Hu Mei'er was very friendly, taking Zhuo Fan's hand with tenderness and tracing her hand in his long white hair, "A new disciple… It must've been so hard for you out there in the wild to have white hair at such a young age. You must be traumatized."
"I'm ok." Zhuo Fan smiled.
Hu Mei'er's hands roamed over him more and more, in clear disregard, "But now that you're here, I will take good care of you. You don't have to worry about anything."
"Thank you, senior sister." Zhuo Fan smiled, his heart a rock.
Violent Demon giggled, "Hu Mei'er, he is in your care so you better not neglect him."
"I could never have the heart to forget such a cute junior brother." Patting Zhuo Fan's cheek, she giggled, "But why are you calling him Steward Zhuo? Is that his name, Guanjia?"
(StarReader: with how Steward Zhuo is made up of three characters, as often Chinese names are, she took the title as part of his name, Zhuo Guanjia.)
"No, I have only been a clan's steward before this." Zhuo Fan smiled, "My name is Zhuo Fan."
Hu Mei'er nodded, "Zhuo Fan, outstanding and amazing. What a good name."
(StarReader: she used his name to make an idiom.)
"Of course, Steward Zhuo is an almighty hero that Sect Leader has personally invited. He is, at the very least, an elite, a future Sect Leader. A good name is a given." Violent Demon laughed with his head back, like he had picked the name.
But Hu Mei'er blushed while her eyes glinted.
As for the junior miss, she sat on the ground with an arm limp by her side, ignoring everything, even the next Sect Leader she just tried assassinating.
If Zhuo Fan were to be Xie Wuyue's successor, her future was destined to be bleak.