Chapter 1206: Honey Trap

Proofreader: Papatonks

Zhuo Fan stood in the center of a pitch-black room. He took out a black sword as his right eye shone in two golden halos.

“Divine Eye of the Void’s 2nd stage, Void Annihilation!”

Bam!

A ripple struck the sword, making it shiver. It then whooshed as it turned into a tanned child. Sword Child had regained its freedom.

“Master, you’re letting me out at long last. I was wrong and it won’t happen again!” Sword Child bowed on the spot.

Zhuo Fan stared at it with a critical eye, “Then where were you wrong?”

“I disrespected my betters and was hard on young master San. He is master’s godson and I’m just a sword. It was a clear breach in status and deco-“

“Please, how is that your mistake?”

Zhuo Fan barked, “You see no difference between friend or foe, having no control. You’re jealous and reckless. As my sword, you are closest to me. But with young Sanzi as my godson, you wanted to replace him. That’s why you taunted him so much, backing him into a corner until you had no other choice than to go for the kill. Tell me I’m wrong!” 

Sword Child was silent.

Zhuo Fan continued, “You know that everyone around me is a person I cherish, a comrade and a friend, treating the Sword Kings and Elder Li’s group the same way. I don’t want them to feel left out and harbor ill will, leading to conflict. In any society or group, its end is sure to come by wasting all its energy on infighting. The Sword Star Empire fell because of Baili Jingwei’s rampant expansion, leading to two groups of Sword Kings forming and clashing. Young Sanzi is one of us. I don’t want my sword and my people to be at their throats, are we clear?” 

“Yes, master!”

“Don’t call me master, but dad!”

“Dad?” Sword Child started.

Zhuo Fan smiled, “I told you, I don’t want infighting, treating everyone as friends. You are born from my path, resembling me the most, and that makes you my son. Since you feel sour about young Sanzi, then I’ll take you in as well, treating you both the same. He’s your eldest brother, of equal status and there’s no reason to feel jealous.”

“Yes, father!” Sword Child beamed.

Zhuo Fan warned, “One last thing, as my spitting image, you know my standards. Demonic cultivators need not only be demonic, but have principles as well. None of us may ever be allowed to be heavy handed on our own regardless of reason. It’s no different than smearing your heritage and your ancestors, taking it out on your own people. Remember Demon Scheming Sect’s Xie Wuyue? If it were then that I’ve learned you had the same character as him, I wouldn’t have been so light as your grandmaster was!”

“Yes, father. I’ll focus on my mentality and achieve Dao like you. I won’t let demons take hold of me.” Sword Child stood straight as he vowed.

Nodding, Zhuo Fan patted his head and sighed.

[I can only hope.]

Creak~

Bali Yuyu slipped in, “Steward Zhuo, someone’s here for you.”

“Who?”

“Who else but a distressed damsel!”

“Qingcheng?” Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow, then nodded, “I’ll go right now.”

Zhuo Fan was practically running, with Bali Yuyu rolling her eyes, “Steward Zhuo, when do you plan on stealing that busybody from Ruby Cloud Sect?”

“Not now, we’re not ready to take on the Eight Emperors in the open. Also…” 

Zhuo Fan smiled, “The Ruby Cloud Sect is where she grew up. Her heart is still there and using force is no different than killing her parents. She would hate me forever. Taking it one step at a time is better, starting with winning her heart. Once I ruin their ties, everything else will fall in place.”

Bali Yuyu rolled her eyes, “How long will that take? I hear she’s spoiled in the sect. All the elders favor her, even her master, that Crone Empress.”

“That’s what worries me. Those hags are conniving banshees. Qingcheng has shown nothing extraordinary about her so how could she have caught their eyes to such a degree?”

Zhuo Fan asked in a frown, “Speaking of, I had Elder Li look into Qingcheng’s past. Any news?”

“None so far. He said he’ll start once we’re safe out of Gambling Town.”

“Tell him to do it now. The Gambling Emperor’s group is watching over the town. No one will try anything under their watch.”

Zhuo Fan said, “Also, with my other son here, safety won’t be an issue. Tell him to get on it right away!” 

Zhuo Fan patted Bali Yuyu’s shoulder and left. She raised an eyebrow, looking oddly at Sword Child, “Son? You became a son as well?”

“I can’t? You might say that I’ve been with my father day in and day out, every minute of the hour.”

Sword Child showed her a toothy grin, “Why, wanna be my mommy?”

Bali Yuyu flushed and looked away, feeling defeated. 

[Why does he only ever care about her…]

Zhuo Fan reached the dazzling lounge, meeting with a hesitant Chu Qingcheng pacing around.

“Qingcheng, how did you get here?”

“Zhuo Fan!”

His voice pulled her away from her worries and then she hung her head, her shoulder slumped.

Zhuo Fan knew why, “Is something wrong?”

“Zhuo Fan…”

“Just speak your mind, after all, there’s no secret between husband and wife, right?”

“How irritating, calling me your wife!”

Chu Qingcheng glared at him with red cheeks, but her sadness returned once more, “Zhuo Fan, I just don’t know where to begin. Senior aunt Mei wants you to give us the map.”

Zhuo Fan’s brow shook, giving her a long look, “Qingcheng, you’re putting me in a difficult position. You’re my wife, yes, but the map belongs to my lord. I’m but a steward. Clan Head saw greatness in me and took me in as steward. I could never betray his trust by taking what is his.”

“I feel the same. Despite being a steward, you rely on others. Senior aunt is asking for too much.”

Chu Qingcheng paused then gnashed her teeth, “Forget it, you don’t have to feel bad, Zhuo Fan. I’ll just tell them I failed. It’s only going to get me a nagging at most.” 

Chu Qingcheng walked away but Zhuo Fan caught her shoulder, “Wait, you’re saying they’re going to fault you for this?”

“Yeah, senior aunt won’t be hard on me, but my senior sisters will mock and deride me.” Chu Qingcheng muttered.

He took the forlorn Chu Qingcheng into his arms and said, “My poor Qingcheng, my dear wife, what did you do to suffer so? Why don’t you leave Ruby Cloud Sect and live with me?”

“How could I? Master and senior aunts are so nice to me. I can take a bit of scolding. I could never betray them!”

Zhuo Fan knew this was coming and faked difficulty, “While I can’t give them the map, as long as they’ll give you to me, I’ll have them take a look at it. I’ll have you know I’m an established painter.”

“Give me to you?”

“Yeah, just mention it to them. It’s their problem if they agree or not. It won’t have anything to do with you and they won’t scold you.”

Zhuo Fan snickered, holding her close and cooing, “Dear wife, I’m not saying that to demean you, only thinking of being together again. I would give anything for us to live together.” 

Chu Qingcheng smiled, swooning. But then she scrutinized him, “Alright, but how did you cut Elder Liu’s legs on the betting stage? You’re not an Emperor but a…”

“Bone Tempering cultivator, I know. You must all be disgusted with me.”

“No, ever since then, senior aunt Mei changed her opinion of you. How did you do it?”

“Simple, really.”

Zhuo Fan snickered, “Speed, ferocity and accuracy. He was just ahead of me and complacent in his victory. I just needed something sharp enough and the result was clear to all. Not even a Saint could escape from that.”

“That can’t be it. Senior aunt said that a sword so fast could only be polished through mountains of corpses. How can you, at the Bone Tempering Stage…”

“I’ll be honest with you. I used to be… a butcher.”

Zhuo Fan chuckled, “Millions of pigs must’ve crossed these hands, isn’t that a mountain of corpses? Your senior aunt has good eyes, ha-ha-ha…”

Chu Qingcheng nodded and exclaimed, “I see, only there’s a big difference between a murderer and a butcher…”

“About the same, just look at people as pigs to the slaughter. You’ve been gone for quite a while now, should you head back? Tell them what I said and maybe we’ll seal the knot. I’ll become the mighty son-in-law of Ruby Cloud Sect, ha-ha-ha…”

“Annoying!”

Zhuo Fan urged Chu Qingcheng to leave, flirting while at it. Chu Qingcheng didn’t mind it, just replying in good humor. 

Seeing her go, Zhuo Fan’s face fell, gripping his fists, “Rotten Ruby Cloud Sect, trying to honey trap me with Qingcheng? What do you take my wife for? Bastards!”