Chapter 1213: War

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The woman shook her head and chuckled, “You all, high up on your perch made you forget the basic human nature.”

“Basic nature?”

“Don’t common people eat, drink and relieve themselves?”

She threw the yellow paper in Mei Sangu’s hand smiling, “Remember when raising Qingcheng that she drew the same map up to four times a day? And that smell, it just never gets old, ha-ha-ha…” 

[What?!]

Mei Sangu gave the copy another sniff, finally coming to an explosive revelation, “Senior sister, you’re saying that fricking punk relieved himself on this paper?”

“What do you think?”

“This is absolutely outrageous!”

Mei Sangu flipped out, flicking her hands with lightning speed, tearing it in drifting pieces on the ground. The thought of having treated that foul thing as treasure for so many months, tracing its every ‘mystical’ line and making her hands reek, she keeled over and emptied her stomach on the spot. 

Fang Min and the disciples sniffed their own hands and couldn’t wait a second more to wash their hands.

They were elegant ladies, yet had to touch such filthy and repugnant things?

Chu Qingcheng shook her head in disbelief, “No, that can’t be. He wouldn’t lie to me. Why would he use such a thing to toy with me?”

“Humph, dumb girl, he was only messing around and never truly cared about you one bit. You still went on playing the honey trap, when the other played you instead. You even dared to involve ourselves, how worthless!” Fang Min spat. 

Chu Qingcheng lowered her head, her heart crushed with heartache.

On her first time leaving the sect, the first man she ever felt something for was Zhuo Fan. They were such a good match together, wanting to remain like this, but it turned out that Zhuo Fan had been toying with her. 

[He could’ve just said the map couldn’t be copied. Why did he have to lie to me?]

[Are senior sisters right, that he’s only using me and never really cared? How could I be so foolish to not see it. In Gambling Town, he had so many pretty women around, so why would he care about some plain girl instead?]

As her bleak outlook turned forlorn, Chu Qingcheng’s heart sank.

The woman on the main seat coughed, “Qingcheng, men are fickle, so don’t let them get to you. You have your destiny with you and are much better off without those fools. Focus on cultivation.”

Chu Qingcheng deflated and gave a weak nod as tears brimmed her eyes.

“Senior sister, I can’t do anything right, letting some brat get the best of me at my age and even bringing such filth back to the sect. I deserve to be punished!” Mei Sangu looked ashamed.

The woman waved her worries away, “We have thousands of years of experience, making our childhood memories vague. The disciples are also sensible to not encounter such an event. It only came to mind because I’ve been looking after Qingcheng all these years. She is my dear precious disciple, making these memories deeper, ha-ha-ha…”

“Master!”

Chu Qingcheng was touched. Unable to overcome the sadness within, she started bawling. Fang Min huffed in envy.

[Damn this girl, throwing tantrums. She didn’t help the sect one bit yet master still treats her so nicely. Where’s the fairness gone to?]

Mei Sangu only grew angrier and roared, “Rotten cretin! Senior sister, I’m going after him and putting him in his place or he’ll think Ruby Cloud Sect is a pushover!”

The woman caressed Chu Qingcheng’s hair, her eyes flashing.

“Sect Leader, Devil Mountain made a declaration to the entire Sacred Domain!”

A sharp voice came from outside and a girl floated in to present a jade slip.

The woman took the jade slip and shouted, “Sangu, you don’t have to go. He’s untouchable.”

“Wha…”

“Take a look at yourself. He and the Luo clan are now cherished men of Demonic Emperor. Going after him means waging war.”

“What?” Mei Sangu snatched the jade slip and gave it a quick read, her face fuming, “Damn it! They must’ve given the real Nether Sea map for his status so the dog would have a master. We can’t do anything to him now!” 

Fang Min and the rest were shocked. 

[The Luo clan sure works fast, getting the Demonic Emperor’s protection in such a short time.]

The leading woman shook her head, “Don’t worry, they won’t be safe for long. When their protector falls, we’ll get them and make them pay for Qingcheng!”

[What?]

The others blinked in doubt…

Three months later, Zhuo Fan handled the transition of the twenty cities Zhao Chen gave to the Luo clan who happened to be under the two he killed.

There would always be some trouble when such a change occurred, from some ignorant fools trying to take over or other such overambitious people. Three months to settle all that was not nearly enough.

The Luo clan, however, moved with power and speed. Adding to them Murong Lie, Liu Mubai and the other Sword Kings, all the trouble became trifles. The twenty cities fell into their hands, finally making it officially Luo clan’s second turf in Sacred Domain, thousands of times bigger than Joy Town.

It wasn’t meant to last, as barely after the Luo clan set up their operations, they met a huge issue. 

The Three Emperors war!

“Steward Zhuo, Featherwind City has noticed suspicious activity outside its walls!” A guard bowed before Zhuo Fan.

Zhuo Fan frowned, “Featherwind City is next to Wraith Emperor’s lands. Do Wraith Emperor and Falcon Emperor prepare to move?”

“Big brother Zhuo, do we act?” Luo Yunhai came over to ask. Luo Sifan spoke with pride, “Let them try. We have nothing to fear with the Demonic Emperor watching over us! The Luo clan isn’t the only one fighting in this. We have reinforcements!”

“Not happening!”

Zhuo Fan glared at the two, “You think of yourselves shielded and want to fight them? Even with covered backs, it’ll be our Luo clansmen who will die out there. Why should we take such losses?”

Luo Yunhai nodded, “I can understand that, but we are at the border of the Demonic Emperor’s lands. Are we to retreat if not attacking?”

“Retreating will ruin this rare chance of getting in the Eight Emperors’ conflict.”

“Then…”

“Get the best of two worlds by watching them slaughter each other. This grudge is between the three of them and we can stay clear. How is the question.”

Zhuo Fan mused with a flickering gaze.

Another person burst in with a new jade slip, “Steward Zhuo, Demonic Emperor Zhao Chen requests your presence!”

“I was about to go see him as well.”

Zhuo Fan grinned, taking the jade slip and leaving for Devil Mountain with Bali Yuyu, taking three days to arrive.

The Demon Guard knew them and let them in.

In the hall, they bowed before Zhao Chen, “Greetings, Demonic Emperor!”

“Steward Zhuo, please sit!”

Zhao Chen impatiently gestured at the chairs, “Steward Zhuo, I believe you know by now why I called for you, having taken over the twenty cities I gave you.”

Zhuo Fan nodded, “The Wraith Emperor’s forces show increased activity. They have ill thoughts!”

“Not just that, but they want to settle the score from years ago.”

Zhao Chen huffed and flicked his hand, “The Falcon Emperor’s men are acting up on the other side as well. The two must’ve planned it to pincer me. Do they really think they can beat me with this? Ha! Steward Zhuo, I called for you to ask how the Luo clan is handling the twenty cities. Are you ready to block Wraith Emperor’s forces?”

Zhuo Fan paused, “Demonic Emperor sir, the Luo clan is still new here, struggling to get all the local thugs in check. Now that the enemy is coming from outside, getting complete control in just three months is a little…”

“Alright, I know where you’re going with this, but escaping this war is impossible. Now how many men do you need? I’ll give them to you. I want to let them know that even with both against me, I’ll still crush them. They want to settle things over? Humph, they’re far from worthy!” 

Zhao Chen’s eyes shone with cruelty.

Zhuo Fan muttered, “Demonic Emperor sir, the way I see it, avoiding a war is the best option…”