"One, two… one, two…"
On a bright day on a wide road, a group of people had taken to a particular type of walking.
They twisted with every movement, giving their all as they undertook the sheer ordeal that was walking. From how stiff they were, they looked like polio patients.
They were none other than Demon Scheming Sect's disciples whom Zhuo Fan cheated by making them take the Zombie Pill. What started off as a dozen disciples on this journey was now less than ten, though their stiff faces showed unprecedented resolve.
They saw with their own eyes how their teammates turned into solid rock and how the wind carried away their ashes. None wanted the same horrid fate to happen to them.
"For god's sake, Zhuo Fan is savage. Once you stop moving, you're dead." Kui Lang took another step, practically hearing his bones and muscles creaking.
He turned a worried look behind, "Gang'er, how are you holding up?"
Kui Gang was overwhelmed, "Dad, it's been ten days without my cultivation. I can hardly hold on. I just want to rest. Now I know what they say about a life worse than death."
The rest nodded their sorrowful faces, cursing Zhuo Fan's lineage as far as they could take it.
Kui Lang gnashed his teeth, "Gang'er, keep going. Any break will kill you. You saw it yourself what happens to those that stop."
"I know, dad. Master is so vicious, he expects us to go like this to the Double Dragon Gathering before curing us." Kui Gang gulped, his eyes tearing.
Kui Lang sighed. He only held on so far for his son, or he'd be long since scattered among the clouds…
Zhuo Fan and the venerables watched over them from a cliff with ease of mind.
Fiend Yang frowned though, "Isn't this enough? So many died already and if this keeps up, there'll be no point in going."
"I'll just go alone then. Besides, my word is gold. I'll stay by it to the end and let them endure it until we get there. All those who die are just too weak."
Zhuo Fan snorted, "Look at them, aren't they getting a steady pace by now? Just like plain walking. Now that's progress!"
[You call a habit progress?]
The trio shook their heads, worried at the disciples' weary and sweaty brows, "They're nothing but mortals now, and having gone through such an ordeal for so long they're at their limit. A break will do them good."
"Are you sure?" Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow, his smile creepy, "The day of Double Dragon Gathering draws near."
The trio eyed him and were puzzled. It was like staring at a whitewashed wall but without all the emotion.
Fiend Yang thought Zhuo Fan was being particularly vague, "What's wrong with it? Taking a half-day break won't be a problem."
"Alright then, we'll do it your way."
Zhuo Fan beamed and looked at the far-off town, "How about we rest there?"
The trio nodded skeptically, [Why is he so kind all of a sudden?]
Zhuo Fan flashed before the tormented souls shouting, "Seeing your great progress these days, the venerables pleaded for you, and I relented in letting you rest in the town just up ahead."
"Truly?"
They all lit up. The harsh ten-day-long journey took its toll on their bodies, teetering on the edge of collapse. Steward Zhuo's words were music to their ears.
"Don't dally then, chop-chop!"
They sped up on the spot. The dangling carrot was too enticing to give up. While still stiff as wood, they were now resembling humans at least.
An hour passed, and they arrived at the town, though it was desolate; there was not a person in sight nor any signs that they were there. The stillness from even the lack of animals was eerie. A ghost town…
The venerables sensed something and frowned, "Zhuo Fan, this is no place to tarry. We better leave soon."
"Take it easy. We're only gonna rest our legs." Zhuo Fan looked around, "Let's look for a tavern and leave these now-mortals to rest their laurels."
The others nodded, "Steward Zhuo, you're finally showing some compassion."
All they got from him was a wide smile as he led them to a tavern. The inside was just as desolate as the town, with dust settled on the chairs.
"There's no one here. We'll help ourselves then." Zhuo Fan smiled.
The rest sighed, they were too stiff to even twitch. It took so long for them to get here yet not a single servant was there to serve them. Oh, the humanity!
Unfortunately, they just had to make do with doing these things themselves, or were they about to ask Steward Zhuo and the venerables? The disciples dragged their weary bodies into the role of laborers once more. Doing it in the sect or outside, was the same as being fated for this job. Everyone shared a forced smile.
Zhuo Fan and the venerables took a table, releasing their Discerning Field only to find it devoid of any movement still.
"This place is strange. By the looks of it, it feels like a demonic cultivator's handiwork. It must've been recent too, going by the furniture's state; half a month at most." Zhuo Fan knocked on the table.
The venerables nodded.
Fiend Yang said, "I can only hope he's no longer here…"
"He doesn't stick his nose in our matters, and neither will we. Let him try and then he'll get it, humph…" Zhuo Fan cut in.
The others snickered.
[The demonic cultivator must be a rogue one that steals others' cultivation. Without resources, all he can do is resort to these despicable and revolting acts.]
Unlike them, who had a backer, stopping them from wiping out towns whenever they felt like it. It would only get worse as they'd be hunted down by righteous cultivators. Unlike rogues, demonic cultivators from a sect had discipline and self-restraint.
They were less fearful from the moment they knew they were dealing with a rogue cultivator. How strong could he be when he lacked resources? All he could do was pick on mortals. He stood no chance against these sectarians. Though there were exceptions, like the really talented rogue cultivators; they were an extreme minority.
"Cheers! We have overcome the first training." With the cups filled and food served, Zhuo Fan sported an extra-wide grin as he toasted.
The others replied in kind, cheering and enjoying the respite.
After the meal, Zhuo Fan slapped the table, "Time to go!"
Whoosh!
Tried as they might to get up, they couldn't. They were back to where they started, stiff as a rock.
"W-what's going on?" Fiend Yang asked.
Zhuo Fan grinned all-knowingly, "Didn't I tell you? Once you take the Zombie Pill, you have to keep moving or you'll freeze in place. Now that you rested your legs, you're back where you started."
"You've got to be joking!"
The victims looked sullen and crushed. They just got walking figured out and now they were back to square one. The agony and the cruelty of it all waiting to be relished again had them all wish for a swift and easy death.
"Steward Zhuo, you duped us!" Kui Lang howled.
Zhuo Fan's grin widened, "When, pray tell? It's the venerables who wanted you to rest. I warned you, but did you listen?"
"Hey, don't shift blame! You didn't try to stop it either. "
"Yeah, you said we could stop, but we didn't think we'd bounce back to the starting line. How can…" Kui Lang complained.
Zhuo Fan scratched his nose like a damn rogue as he admitted it, "Yep, I did it on purpose. What are you going to do about it?"
They all fell speechless. [How damn rotten and vile can you be?]
[If we could hold a sword we'd have run you through by now and hanged your head!]
Every single one of them held Zhuo Fan in absolute hatred.
Then, a red blade flashed straight for Zhuo Fan's throat.
[We were only thinking of doing it, right?]
Whoosh~
The burning red sword was right at Zhuo Fan's throat.
The crippling bloodlust made everyone's skin crawl.
Zhuo Fan's heart tightened, raising his right hand to catch it as it screeched to a halt. He noticed the other end of the sword was held by a twenty-year-old dainty girl with big eyes. She unleashed a sharper and deadlier blow than her 5th layer Radiant Stage cultivation led one to believe.
Not that it was of any damn use against Zhuo Fan.
Squinting, Zhuo Fan's hand shook, and the girl was sent flying into a table. Zhuo Fan held the sword proper, his icy eyes staring at the attacker. The Three Fiends of Hell snickered from behind, drinking as if nothing happened.
No Radiant Stage cultivator, even a sneaky one, would get the better of Zhuo Fan.
The trio was enjoying the unexpected attack like a good act commenting on how the lass was weak, arrogant, and overconfident.
Clang!
Knocking on the red blade, Zhuo Fan sized it up, his mouth grinning in an evil way, "6th-grade spiritual weapon and made quite well too. A shame the owner fails to wield it."
"Why you…" The lass glared with hatred.
Zhuo Fan had a smile for her instead, "Missie, what on earth are you doing attacking me out of the blue, especially weak as you are?"
"Ha-ha-ha…"
The audience laughed at the comedy, even the stiff disciples, mocking the girl's stubborn streak.
The lass spared no hatred for anyone other than Zhuo Fan, "That's my line. Who the hell are you? Why did you take our young master? Hand him over!"
"Took your young master?"
Zhuo Fan and the venerables shared a glance, "We just got here two hours ago. We don't even know who you are and you say we took someone?"
The lass wasn't buying, "Liar! Do you see anyone else around? If not you, then who? Despicable demonic cultivators, you all are beyond saving for not even admitting your faults!"
That touched a nerve in the rest, and it was now their turn to glare at her. Kui Lang's side would've been tearing her to pieces by now, except for one tiny detail, they were frozen stiff.
Zhuo Fan shrugged, pointing at the lass, "See that? That's a righteous cultivator for you, self-righteous and cocky. What would you guys do if a mere lass would spout such rubbish?"
"Kill her, waste her, torture her, peel her flesh, force on…"
"Yeah, yeah, but save it in your condition, alright?" Seeing them so gung ho, Zhuo Fan cooled them off with a grin, "Don't you worry about anything, I have my ways. Why not have her join your club?"
The kids' eyes glittered, their smiles widening.
"He-he-he, Steward Zhuo is the best. Yeah, let her get stiff like us then die as a rock!" Kui Lang snickered.
Sharing one's suffering with another always makes one happier. Though in this case, it was just plain mean since it dragged her into this torture.
Zhuo Fan turned to the girl, his smile widening. She shivered for no apparent reason and panicked, "W-what are you doing?"
"Me? Just giving you a taste of a demonic cultivator's handiwork, hi-hi-hi…" Zhuo Fan loomed over the lass, his smile disturbing.
The wee girl shivered in fear, losing her tough front the instant she noticed the twinkle in his eyes. Gulping, her eyes darted around for an out, and she bolted outside the tavern.
Zhuo Fan bamfed in her face and made her gasp. To make double sure, he also clamped down on her shoulder, the cracking sound earning a cry and a grimace.
Evil smiles were a trend today, as everyone bore it, wallowing in others' misfortune.
Zhuo Fan held a pill with the other hand and grinned, inching it closer to the lass's dainty mouth, "Girl, take it and you won't feel pain, since dumb people are too stiff in the head to feel it to begin with. Be nice and big bro here will take good care of you, hi-hi-hi…"
"What the hell was that? Did you do the same to the young master?" The lass saw the pill with fear.
Zhuo Fan didn't bother explaining and just laughed, "Ha-ha-ha, you'll know soon enough the meaning of hell on earth."
The girl shuddered and cried, "Help, senior sister, help me!"
"Go ahead, scream, no one's gonna save you now. Ha-ha-ha…" The pack of wild beasts being under Zhuo Fan's thumb for so long could only find joy in seeing others suffer the same treatment.
Three Fiends of Hell were beaming as well. They hadn't been this happy in weeks. [It's just a pit stop anyway to liven the mood before we resume our journey…]
"Stop!"
However, just as Zhuo Fan was about to stuff the Zombie Pill into the girl's mouth, a cold shout rang out. In a flutter of white clothes and long fine hair dancing in the wind, the view of a perfect woman laid before them in the doorway.
They all gasped, with the fiend's cups slipping from their hands.
[Such a perfect and amazing woman! How come I never knew she existed?]
"Quit your yapping, I'll be with you… uh…" Zhuo Fan sensed the 8th layer Radiant Stage cultivation behind him but didn't care.
Though when he took a look, he stared speechless, "Q-Qingcheng…"
Crack~
The Thunder Ring flickered, as did Chu Qingcheng's.
"Sister Qingcheng!" The girl took advantage of the demon's lapse of judgment and slipped away to get to her side with a victimized look.
Zhuo Fan let her go as he came to while the girl went to cry in Chu Qingcheng's embrace, "Sister, h-he is mean. They must've taken young master and sister!"
"Dan'er, you're wrong here. While he is a meanie, he isn't one so despicable. I know his style all too well. Believe me, they didn't do it."
Rubbing the girl's shoulder, Chu Qingcheng soothed her, then gave Zhuo Fan a coy smile, "I see Steward Zhuo's style hasn't changed at all, still picking on girls."
[They know each other?]
They all were slack-jawed, moving back and forth between them. Dan'er was stunned.
[The perfect and elegant sister Qingcheng knows such a nasty demon?]
Zhuo Fan scratched his nose, not meeting her gaze, "I'm not sorry for the girl when she was the one insisting on casting blame. I was only giving her a lesson, that's all."
Everyone was bug-eyed.
[What the hell? Is the world coming to an end? Steward Zhuo always moves with purpose and savagery yet is now coming clean?]
They always had to be careful when talking around Zhuo Fan, lest he snapped. This was the first time seeing this side of him.
They looked at him like a stranger.
They also turned to Chu Qingcheng with the same shocked expression. Who could she be to make the great Steward Zhuo turn meek? [Are the rumors true? Behind every strong man is an even stronger woman?]
Chu Qingcheng stared at Zhuo Fan's uneasy figure with a rare smile. Dan'er was speechless, having never seen her reveal such a beautiful smile…
"Zhuo Fan, are you saying it's all her fault?" Chu Qingcheng questioned.
Zhuo Fan flicked his head away, "Of course, she came casting blame."
"Is that what a grown man does, nitpicking with weak little girls?"
"That's me."
"What about me?"
"Well…"
The audience was lost for words. [What the hell are they doing?] The absurdity of it all made the situation fly right past them. But all in all, it looked like lovers flirting.
[Hey, Steward Zhuo, what are you doing flirting with a woman? Didn't you say there's only the weak and the strong in this world?]
They sighed, resigned, with Chu Qingcheng the only one questioning him and Zhuo Fan stuck up in his own stubborn ways…