"How is it? Are you alright?" Fiend Gui was worried for Zhuo Fan while the others watched nervously.
Clutching his chest, Zhuo Fan muttered to himself before easing a breath, "It's nothing, just a feeling. Double Dragon Gathering won't go easy on us."
"Tell me something I don't know. Double Dragon Gathering has the greatest powers in western lands. It'd be strange if it were easy. No one, not even the superior three sects will boast they'll reach their goal." Fiend Yang chuckled and patted his shoulder, "I am most thankful for how much care you have for the sect, but don't beat yourself over it. You said it yourself, to be a superior three sect. We didn't even ask you to take us to the top, so why worry? Ha-ha-ha…"
[You're beating Steward Zhuo over it!]
The gang twitched, watching Fiend Yang's eyes in silence.
[Anyone would feel the pressure getting a lower three sect to become a superior three sect, even Steward Zhuo. Venerables, isn't your aim a bit off from reality?]
Zhuo Fan's mouth twitched as well, but sighed, "Superior three sect it is, nothing to it. Blame my loose mouth."
"Ha-ha-ha, don't say that. It's good for young people to have big dreams." Fiend Yang beamed and patted Zhuo Fan harder on the shoulder.
While Zhuo Fan's smile was bitter, his eyes were firm.
He alone knew what that throb was all about. It came with a warning label, that he was about to meet the biggest threat of his life.
Like a clash of titans, coming to a head. The winner rose while the loser was vanquished. It was a battle weaved in the fabric of destiny.
[Does that mean I'll meet my match?]
Worry bore down on his furrowing brow…
Knock~
Everyone turned to the door as a man in gray stood there, an Ethereal Stage cultivator and just as plain as the usher.
The man bowed and smiled, "People of the Demon Scheming Sect, I ask that your honored elders and venerables will be coming to Heaven Reaching Pavilion to discuss the Double Dragon Gathering."
"We're the ones. Please lead the way, brother." Fiend Yang bowed. He had enough getting on one caddie's bad side.
The fiends dumped everything in Zhuo Fan's lap as they followed the man.
Zhuo Fan turned to his people, face hard, voice calm, "Right, let's get this done. Pick a room and eat this, then meditate."
Zhuo Fan threw each of them a vial.
Kui Gang perked up, "Heaven Reaching Pill?"
"It can heal meridians and renew life, but it's also Zombie Pill's antidote. Taking this will transform your bodies."
"Haven't we taken it already? You said it only works once." Kui Gang asked.
Zhuo Fan nodded, "Its effect will only work once, but does not equal removing the poison. Your progress from removing it will have a lesser effect than when you took this pill the first time."
Everyone nodded.
It didn't change the fact that Tie Ying and all others that took it once felt they were losing out. It was plain to see the biggest effect came from getting Zombie Pill to stiffen you up before overcoming it with the Heaven Reaching Pill.
[Ah, what a shame, wasting such a pill just to remove some poison.]
Ignorant of the fact that by not taking it the first time, they wouldn't be alive to take it the second time. Zhuo Fan shook his head. They withdrew to their chambers and began the process while Zhuo Fan set up a defensive array.
Knock~
The gentle rapping on the door was just like the first. Zhuo Fan spoke, "The venerables have left for Heaven Reaching Pavilion. What is the-"
That was no man standing at the door, not with that figure. The two women brought a smile to his lips.
"Shuang'er, Yongning, what are you doing here?"
The two shared a long look before squealing at him, "Zhuo Fan!"
"Wait, back up, what's going on here?" Stopping the two out of reach, Zhuo Fan asked, "Don't tell me you're joining the Double Dragon Gathering too."
The two gave a dry laugh.
Yongning began, "We're not you, some fighting junkie. We only came to watch."
"Watch?"
Shuang'er nodded, "The Double Dragon Gathering decides the positions of the nine sects, their resources, and their territory. Each nation sends a delegation to understand these changes that might affect their future. Taking the Demon Scheming Sect as an example, if you become a middle three sect, you will be offered a much greater territory and resources, even having a whole empire under it."
Zhuo Fan's eyes shook.
[That's why the Demon Scheming Sect's higher-ups stress so much about this tournament. They would pay anything if it means getting amazing rewards and more resources.]
[Win now to benefit for centuries!]
With more land and resources, a sect could grow to unseen heights, and it all rested on Double Dragon Gathering's outcome.
Zhuo Fan was pensive, "You're telling me a middle three sect has an empire all to itself? While a lower three sect can only get a third, like Tianyu's three guardian sects?"
"Yes, and no. What matters here is the resource allocation."
Cocking her head, Yongning had a faint smile, "Look at Beast Taming Sect, they are a lower three sect, but as they are from the Quanrong Empire, with little resources harvested there, you can say they have a sole empire under them. Tianyu, bordering the Quanrong Empire, is rich in resources. So much so that it has two lower three sects and a middle three sect sharing its haul. As for the superior three sects, they each have a large empire, with tens of more resources than us."
"That's why the late emperor made a deal with Quanrong in secret. By ceding land, he affected the sects' gains and ultimately their future. Any accord between nations is for them to settle, the sects can't interfere. This is a rule of Double Dragon Manor, all to prevent the western lands from plunging into chaos." Shuang'er added.
Recalling the old wound, Yongning looked dispirited.
Zhuo Fan was reminded of Xie Wuyue's words and now knew the true leader of western lands.
[It's all Double Dragon Manor's tactic to keep western lands' strength up.]
In this grand design, the empires were but ant swarms, each toiling over extracting resources. As long as nothing interfered with them, the income would be constant. While the allocation was all decided in the Double Dragon Gathering, based on their efforts.
The sects would stem any budding chaos from growing out of hand while also banned from interfering with an empire's ruling just so the western lands would keep their peace.
[Each is a cog in western lands' machine to ramp up the power.]
By controlling the nine sects, Double Dragon Manor controlled western lands.
[It's all so simple yet much more far-reaching than it seems, with incredible results.]
Zhuo Fan's eyes shone.
A snort reached the trio's ears, butting into their friendly talk, "Just like an animal pen, rearing them for slaughter. Who does Double Dragon Manor think it is?"
Zhuo Fan stared to see a very familiar man at the table. An unkempt man with a red nose was gulping down from his flask.
The others had one feeling watching him, lonesome.
"Senior, are you from Double Dragon Manor?" Zhuo Fan probed.
The guy was so strong even he didn't notice him coming in. Making it that much easier to die if the old man wanted to.
The drunkard sneered, "Double Dragon Manor, ha-ha-ha, that was before…"
[Before?]
[Is he an exiled disciple? But how did he get in? Any sect would have warned itself against its exiles. That goes double for Double Dragon Manor. ]
Zhuo Fan was filled with questions.
The drunkard chuckled, "Ha-ha-ha, they can try all they like to keep me out but it won't work. There's not a place out there I can't reach."
[Cocky!]
Zhuo Fan jerked and even felt respect, but more than anything, on alert. [At best, those words will make him a hero. At worst, a criminal.]
If he lost it, nothing could stop him from doing whatever the hell he wanted.
[Back up, why does that sound familiar? It sounds oddly similar to me.]
Wracking his brains he came to one conclusion. [The old man and I are so alike.]
The drunkard had a thin smile, "Lighten up, you've given me wine and I find you to my liking so I won't be hard on you."
Then he turned a ridiculing smile at the girls.
They shuddered back, tense. His simple presence sent fear deep into their bones.
"Ha-ha-ha, I'm not one to pick on girls."
He chuckled, "Tianyu's princess, I take it. Ha-ha-ha, I heard what happened to your empire and what you said. Tell me, do you think your father was right?"
Yun Shuang paused, "He may be my father, but he sold out his nation. He's no different than letting evil in."
"Ha-ha-ha, what a just princess. What then if he only ceded the land while no soldiers came in?" The drunkard laughed.
Yongning hesitated, "Isn't that the same?"
"Not even close!"
The drunkard shook his head, "An enemy invasion means pillaging and slaughter. While ceding some land does not include such cruel actions. Nevertheless, the land is the royal family's, and the common man has not one stake in it. Regardless of the master, the common people will still be worked to the bones for their lords, so what's the difference? Win or lose, the populace suffers all the same. That being said, Double Dragon Manor, the sect, and even empires, all they're doing is raising cattle. So they could suck the blood and marrow from their weary bodies."
The trio looked at each other with a start and their hearts sank.
Zhuo Fan pondered, "Double Dragon Manor offers stability to western lands' powers and guarantees growth. A stroke of genius, one might say. Won't letting western lands grow weaker draw invaders in? The fate of the people then would be far worse."
"Bullshit!"
The drunkard sneered, "Nothing but a goddamn excuse. They're only after guarding the sacred mines, a cultivator's interests, and not giving a single lick about some weary nobodies. Let's say the central area invades, you think they'd go after the people, the ant? No, all they care about is taking the resources. They need these ants to mine the stuff just like Double Dragon Manor does."
Zhuo Fan chilled and hinted at the girls to not aggravate him further.
The drunkard caught him and flicked his hand, "Sorry, I forgot myself. Every time I talk about this I get riled up. I used to be just like you, thinking the best of the western lands, with hardly any heavy conflicts, filled with peace and prosperity. It all changed from one meeting…"
"A… woman?" Yongning's eyes lit up.
The drunkard exclaimed, "Girl, how did you know?"
"Isn't it obvious? Only a woman can change a man." Yongning stuck out her proud chest.
The drunkard had a cheerful smile, "You girls sure know a lot. Just how many did you change?"
"You can't slander me. I'm innocent. I didn't change one…" And she sneaked a peek at Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan said, "Senior, just ignore her, she has her head in the clouds from too many perfect matches stories."
"Perfect match? Ha-ha-ha, sometimes, that isn't far from reality either."
The drunkard sighed, going down memory lane, "I used to be a young man with dignity and elegance traveling the world. But after meeting her one time too many, that foolishly naive princess had trapped me in the secular world."
"I found her the most pitifully foolish girl. A princess, fond of walking among her people, falling for the most obvious scams yet never regretting it."
Zhuo Fan muttered, "Senior, such a dopey girl, oblivious to the dangers of human society, will one day die from it. If I were you, I'd cut all ties with her so I'd not fall as well. "
"What's my intention to you, anyway?" The drunkard raised an eyebrow.
Zhuo Fan shrugged. [He fell for it.]
The drunkard's face took a softer tone, "Women are like water. Men sometimes need them by their side to comfort them. Though on many occasions, her naive and foolish attitude drove me up the walls and got me in much trouble. Thinking about it, none of it mattered. It's not my fault I was awesome, wishing to take her burden."
On cue, the girls whipped their dewy eyes on Zhuo Fan.
[The drunkard reminds me of someone. Just like Steward Zhuo, who likes taking others' burdens.]
Scratching his chin, Zhuo Fan remained silent, his eyes avoiding their piercing stare.
"Only to later realize, even all my power had reached its limit. I wanted to fight those scheming geezers so much, yet was unable to."
The drunkard's eyes flashed with bloodthirst, "That year, their neighboring kingdom attacked her homeland. The sect in charge of its well-being saw the lands were safe and ignored them. Leaving the people at the border to suffer. She was plagued with worry for them. I even defied Double Dragon Manor's rule in not interfering many times, only to be accused by the enemy and forced back to the sect to receive my punishment. Our separation would be final."
"Did something happen to her?" Yongning was absorbed in the story.
Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes, [Girl, you really have read too many stories.]
The drunkard's face was hard and scary, "With me gone, the masterminds enacted their real plan. While they harassed the border, a group made contact with the princess. They enticed her into moving the defense a thousand miles inward, at a mountain range, which made it easier to defend. This way both sides' people would be spared."
"She fell for it completely. By stealing the emperor's seal, she signed a ceding agreement. The enemy used it to force the defending general to draw back and take the rich stretch of land. By the time the emperor found out, it was too late. The sects overlooking the empire were outraged, fanning the population's flames in making the royal family abdicate while condemning the princess to execution for high treason. The news came to me in the last hour, when I could do nothing to help. I reached only to see her corpse and could only hear the mob's accusations and mockeries…"
"They were clearly plotting against the dope-, uh, princess."
Zhuo Fan noticed the drunkard's hard stare and rectified his speech, "Senior, this might not be my place to say this, but if it were me, I'd slaughter a bunch of them to put the fear of me in their hearts and let them know she was under my wing. At worst, I'll just get punished in the sect. But the result would be different. "
"Finding that no rules will hold you back, they'll never make a move against the princess. But by obeying the sect's orders like a good child, they acted regardless of how strong you were. Since the sect's rules bound you, you could do nothing. Even if you did, they'd just rat you out to Double Dragon Manor. All you had to do was go berserk from the start."
The drunkard nodded, "I regretted it so much not being a demonic cultivator back then. Having your recklessness, she would've still been alive. But I knew it was all but too late, bound by righteous rules while those bastards clapped in joy."
With a bone-deep hatred evident in his eyes, the drunkard relived that day before the trio.
"Senior, calm down."
Zhuo Fan intervened seeing the drunkard's foul mood, wishing he wouldn't go on a drunken craze for now.
Yongning, the ever dreamy lass, was too caught up in the story to care, "What then?"
Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes, feeling like kicking her out.
[He's bearing his soul's greatest pain here, yet you want to carve him up for the juicy bits? Are you suicidal?]
The drunkard turned heavy, his jaw tight, "Then I rushed to the enemy nation, slaughtering the royal family and killed my way through its guardian sect, throwing their nameplate into a bonfire…"
"Nice one!" Zhuo Fan clapped with honest praise, hoping, if anything, it would curb the drunken craze for a while longer.
Though all he heard was a sigh, followed by a dark face, "Boy, you'd be better off removed from this world. You'll sooner or later plunge it into hell."
Ugh!
Zhuo Fan jerked, his mouth curled in disdain.
He thought himself was the biggest rogue out there, only to find his match in an ol' drunkard.
[You're the one purging clans and stirring sects, so what are you doing making me the menace? I'll have you know I do not purge clans or sects… well not in this life…]
The drunkard smiled, pointing at his chest, "Boy, you're tough, shrewd, and brave. The only downside is your heart's unsteady. Then again, which demonic cultivator ever had a firm heart? I've hardly seen any even among righteous cultivators, not even myself have one, ha-ha-ha…"
With a self-deprecating smile, the drunkard continued, "The mess I caused then forced Double Dragon Manor to come after me. But who do they take me for, to just fall just like that? While the first time I came to receive the sect's punishment willingly, this time I was in too much pain to care about anything. I saw the whole world as my enemy and when I returned to the sect, I killed anyone in sight. Whichever of the ten sects of western lands I set foot on, all were left in chaos and burning. It was a warning to never try to use rules on me and to leave me the hell alone!"
"But what was the point? Just some tantrum since she didn't come back." The drunkard shouted, his eyes bloodshot, yet shook his head in the end, "I was only after one sect at first, but the rage consumed me. I targeted all of them, like a true madman."
Zhuo Fan's heart sank, his eyes looking everywhere. [Why does that sound familiar? Where have I heard it before?]
With a gulp of wine, the drunkard laughed, "I was this close to losing my mind in the madness, to let my demon control me."
"How did you crawl back?" Like a good child listening to a bedtime story, Yongning stared with big eyes, eager to hear the end.
The drunkard smirked at her interest, finding the audience pleasing, "I have to thank her for that. Taken over by madness as I was, I stumbled upon her lady-in-waiting, bringing me her will. She hadn't been fooled and knew it all along it was all a trap."
He sighed, "She knew it was the enemy's scheme and that it would ruin her clan but also knew if the land was turned over to the enemy, they wouldn't suffer. Whether the proposal was right or wrong, it all came down to the ruler's judgment."
"It brought me back to the time we talked about our dreams, of peace on earth. But how many could achieve it? Righteous cultivators hide behind justice when they take it all. Where in fact, all they had were demons, and do I need to say anything about demonic cultivators? You said Double Dragon Manor protects western lands' peace, while I say it has no moral behind it, making it just another cesspool of greed and power plays. The people are nothing more than dead men walking, destroying themselves, all under a false peace."
"Lass, tell me, was it wrong of her to cede her land?" The drunkard set his eyes on Yongning.
Yongning paused, "As long as the people had a better life afterward. Aren't empires supposed to protect the people?"
"Ha-ha-ha, how clever you are."
The drunkard laughed, "Only caring about the common good, you're just as foolish as her, yet smarter than all the others. The true fool here is none other than me, saying I wanted to build a perfect world. And what did I get? Her death, and I running amok across western lands. Such a fool I was…"
Zhuo Fan sympathized with a pat on his shoulder, "Ha-ha-ha, senior, men tell nothing but lies in their pursuit of women, spewing great and impressive things…"
"Oh, bite me, I'm not that shameless like you. I was always truthful to her." The drunkard glared, "I just knew your heart is skewed. But the more it is, the more you should search for a lass with her heart in the right place, to bring you back on the straight and narrow. Just like her. You said she was foolish, ha-ha-ha, when she was just so kind."
Zhuo Fan jerked and frowned, having felt this before.
The drunkard's feelings for the princess were just like his for Ning'er. By the looks of it, masterminds of their caliber needed a naive sidekick to keep their minds stable.
They were the only people capable of bringing peace of mind in this world of lies and deceit.
Dangling the flask over his open mouth yet not a drop came to soothe his suffering, the drunkard sighed, "Out of wine, again. I gotta get myself some more. It's a rare sight meeting young folk willing to listen to my ramblings. If luck has it, I'll lend a hand the next time, though it better be a trifle. Something like messing with a sect is more within my skill set, but you'll have to give me something for that."
"What?" Zhuo Fan asked in glee.
[With this old coot's strength, having him owe me it'll be like having a god on my side.]
The drunkard pondered, "A painting I drew for her, and my greatest work. A shame it got lost with the decline of her clan. I even got the word out that I'd do anything to he who brought it to me. So many years have passed, yet not one word. I may never see it again… "
The drunkard just turned and was gone.
Zhuo Fan started, "Senior, what does the painting look like?"
"My painting is quite famous, Lads of Our Nation!" The drunkard's voice echoed back.
Now the familiarity of it all was nagging his brain to an annoying degree.
Then it hit him like a ton of bricks, "Lads of Our Nation? T-that means he's western lands' strongest man, Danqing Shen!"
The girls jerked, "We also heard of this legend. He's still alive after a thousand years?"
"W-where's the painting? Doesn't Tianyu have it somewhere?" Zhuo Fan turned to Yongning. This was the chance to get a peak expert at his beck and call.
Yongning started, then her face fell, "When you went to the imperial capital last time, after third brother's coronation, the painting was gone. He wanted to use it as a betrothal gift for Long Kui, but it hasn't been found anywhere in the treasury."
"Damn that pile of blubber. He screws up right when it matters!" Zhuo Fan sighed.
That time the painting was there but not the person. Now that he found the owner, the painting was missing. Though they lost the chance to get Danqing Shen to owe them, so did Tianyu's imperial family.
[Knowing fatty, he'd use it to get the empire back in his hands. The fate of the Luo clan is obvious.]
Zhuo Fan nodded, "That's good, very good…"
In the Heaven Reaching Pavilion, two old men sat at the head of the room. One had white hair and sharp eyes, and the other had raven hair, a long beard, and a heavy complexion.
Below them sat the Ethereal Stage experts from every sect.
"It's settled, Double Dragon Gathering will begin in three days. The same rule applies, starting with the lower three sects. You may withdraw!" The white elder said.
The men bowed and left, "Understood."
Someone rushed inside, "Something is wrong with the barrier!"
"What?" The white elder asked.
The man spoke restlessly, "The doors have opened nine times, for every sect, yet there has been a tenth time!"
"You may go, but be on guard."
"Yes, sir!" The man saluted and left.
With the silence reinstated, the white elder began, "Only through special gestures and enough strength can one enter the barrier without a sound. Do you suppose… he came?"
"He's the only one in western lands so familiar with Double Dragon Manor and so brazen to do it right under our noses. But why would he come now? I hope it's not to cause trouble." The black-haired elder closed his eyes.
The white elder nodded and sighed.
[Our most prized pupil has returned. Why…]