The Steward Demonic Emperor
chapter-968

Proofreader: Papatonks

“Elder Yu!”

In the wake of thunderclap and violent winds, Wu Randong drifted further and further into the portal. His vision brightened at some point and passed through a bright exit as he stepped on grassland.

Looking back, the bright light got cut off and the portal vanished. Wu Randong panicked, and shouted, wanting to go save them, but he had no way of going back now.

He could only shout himself hoarse at his weakness, heart filled with hatred and sorrow.

Thump~

Steps approached and a thin man stopped ten meters behind him, carrying on his back a sleeping child, “Second young master, who knew we’d meet again so soon? Well met, ha-ha-ha…

Wu Randong shook all over at the familiar and equally terrifying voice. He turned a stiff head to see the same sharp eyes and fury lashed out from his burning eyes. His desire for this man’s blood was plain to see, his knuckles cracking as he made his fists.

“Second young master, have you been well the past three days?”

Zhuo Fan, still carrying Gu Santong on his back, ignored the warranted killer vibes coming off Wu Randong, showing his bright and cruel grin with ample meaning.

Wu Randong’s face twitched and wheezed, gnashing his teeth in hatred, “You! You ruined my family! You had them all killed!”

“Are you sure?” Zhuo Fan’s smile never faltered, still as infuriating as ever.

Wu Randong shook with hatred, “Elder Yu told me while he helped me flee that it’s because of your damn stones that Baili Jingwei came to destroy our company. Father and brother’s fates are unknown, all because of you, bastard. You owe me thousands of lives!”

Wu Randong stomped and shot for Zhuo Fan with brutal hatred, wanting nothing more than to kill him and end his pain.

Zhuo Fan wasn’t one to follow anyone’s wishes, merely side-stepping at the last second and whacking him with his Qilin arm so hard the tough young man was in a ten-meter-big crater.

Wu Randong bled from the mouth, not even budging in his newfound hole, not like he could from the immense pressure he felt on his spine as a scarlet arm simply held him there.

Giving the struggling and defeated guy a cold look, Zhuo Fan mocked, “Second young master, you can’t beat me, so save your energy. And isn’t this what you always wanted? Do you regret it maybe?”

“Cut the crap, when did I ever say I wanted the company…”

Wu Randong howled in fury, but then he stopped. Frozen stiff, he began to recall something that had him spooked.

Zhuo Fan grinned and took back his arm, standing and saying, “Remember now? Three days ago, at the tavern you said you wanted it destroyed. Shouldn’t you be having a victory dance right about now? Ha-ha-ha…”

“It was only in anger that I said it. How could I want for…” Wu Randong winced as he looked at Zhuo Fan in regret.

There was no way for him to know that this man would take his words seriously and that he had the power to follow through. In three days, the company became the empire’s target and burned to the ground.

[Who is he? The devil?]

Heart overcome with dread, Wu Randong regarded Zhuo Fan in fear.

Zhuo Fan read him like a book and jeered, “Youngster, think before you speak. In anger you say? I took them at face value. You said you wanted it ruined and so I made your wish come true. I also told you not to regret it, but now, ha-ha-ha…”

“No, I regret it. Sir, I know you’re a great man and can save the company along with my father and brother. You have to. I beg of you, save them!”

Zhuo Fan’s gaze left Wu Randong unable to read his intention and grew more nervous as he begged.

Zhuo Fan shook his head, “Second young master, you can escape every hardship the world throws at you, but never from your own sins. It would’ve been easy to stop it if I was the sole reason for your company’s plight. But since I have nothing to do with it, being the company’s sin, I have no solution.”

“Our sin?”

“Yes, sin!”

Zhuo Fan gave a vague smile as he explained, “Second young master, haven’t you always despised your company’s style? Allow me to open your eyes to the cruel truth you’ll most certainly hate. Three years ago, your friend and his sister were sent to Baili Jingyu by your father and brother. It wasn’t that degenerate suddenly taking a fancy of her.”

“What?!” Wu Randong cried out in denial, “No way! You’re lying!”

Zhuo Fan smiled, “I have no reason to lie to you. This is something I managed to squeeze out of Baili Jingyu in the last three days. Your dad and brother’s lips are sealed, but that dead weight just loves to prattle. And your dad did it not to win the fool’s favor, but to have leverage over him. The company grew so much because they showed weakness through accomodation, while hiding their strength underneath, doing anything to further their goals.”

“Impossible, those were our guards! Dad would never…”

Wu Randong was still in denial, refusing to hear a word Zhuo Fan said, who continued regardless, “Businessmen value money over friendship. To them, everything is weighed. Throwing away two servants for complete control over the city lord was a bargain for them. Think back on that event. How did Baili Jingyu act around your company before and after? Humph, I only needed to use your commercial line for a bit, which hardly warranted the approval of that dead weight. As a result, your father still wanted to gang up with the lord so he’d milk me for all he could. Simply blinded by greed…”

Wu Randong shuddered but then those events played back in his mind.

[Yes, Baili Jingyu was very cocky before then after that…]

“Then what about that stone? Didn’t you give it to us?”

Whoosh~

A black cover spread and everything turned dark. Wu Randong cried in fright, “Domain soul harmony?”

“Yes, this is my domain!”

With a hum, the domain brightened and Wu Randong could see Zhuo Fan in front. He had many human-shaped black stones, with looks of fear, horror and all kinds of pained expressions. The worst part, there were thousands upon thousands of them.

Zhuo Fan grinned at his achievement, “Second young master, what do you think these are?”

“Demon spirit stone?” Wu Randong stared.

Zhuo Fan shook his head, “There’s no such thing like that in the world. A man’s cultivation is based on his own hard work. The world doesn’t give shortcuts. These are people!”

“People?”

“Precisely!”

Zhuo Fan nodded with a stony face, “I have killed many with this rare Devouring Domain of mine, turning them as you see before you. The reason why using the demonic spirit stone got you to fly through the ranks is because you were using another’s Yuan Qi. But this Yuan Qi was made with my special demonic art. I’m fine if I use them, but I can’t say the same for the rest. One’s Yuan Qi becomes infected and would lead to this result as well. Now do you know what got your company to suffer this calamity? It’s because the users of this item had died from it.”

“That means you did this to us…”

“No, you did it yourself!”

Wu Randong accused, but Zhuo Fan berated in an even higher tone, “These Yuan Qi stones are my creation and will be fine using them, but even I won’t be reckless and use so many to cause my cultivation to soar. That’s because I know greed is our downfall. There are no shortcuts in the world. Using all these stones will lead to an unstable cultivation and a messy Yuan Qi. I don’t want to see it happen. I do want to grow stronger fast, for my own goals, but I control my desires, exercising moderation.

“As for your company, they went straight to using it without fully understanding its effects. Now problems arose, huge ones, threatening their lives and causing their demise. Who is to blame, I wonder? Everything is balanced in the world. Going too far in one aspect and giving up everything else will lead to dire consequences. You’ve been too greedy and it was only a matter of time before disaster struck. Not to mention…”

“What?” Wu Randong rushed to ask.

Zhuo Fan took a deep breath, “Sword Star Empire has wanted to restrain your company for a long time. Today was only the trigger. Even without the demonic spirit stones making a mess of things, one day, the Sword Star Empire would have come for your head using some other excuse. It was only a matter of time. While now, with it coming all of a sudden, the other party suffered out of nowhere and came unprepared, leaving you with a glimmer of hope. You ought to thank me for that!”