Chapter 1137: Central Area Amba.s.sador
Proofreader: Papatonks
“Dad!”
In a moment of great turmoil, Luo Sifan’s group came in with the wounded elders.
Luo Yunhai gasped, “Sifan? Where have you brats run off to the last few days? Your mother has been searching for you everywhere!”
“Dad, we’re not children. We’ve gone to do important stuff.”
“Important?”
Luo Yunhai glanced behind them, at Li Jingtian and others.
He only got utter confusion from the elders, and a shrug.
Luo Yunhai turned to the kids, with Luo Sifan looking prideful, “Dad, you don’t have to worry about that Danqing Shen guy anymore. We scared him off. He must be back in the central area by now.”
“What?”
Everyone gasped, looking at the kids in disbelief. These wee kids made Dragon Cleaving Sword King leave? As if!
Luo Yunhai asked, still out of it, “Elder Li, you went to stop Danqing Shen. What on earth happened? Are you alright?”
“Thank you, Clan Head, for your concern. Actually…”
Li Jingtian bowed, then their faces twitched, “We’re not sure.”
“Not even you? Why?”
“Clan Head, we’ve been unconscious from our heavy wounds. And when we woke up, we saw the kids had taken us to a bamboo shack. They say they’ve made Danqing Shen fall back and the only thing we could do was come back since there was no sign of him around. No checkpoint we pa.s.sed had seen him either…”
Li Jingtian’s story began shaky and ended in confusion.
[Did he leave or not?]
Luo Yunhai looked hard at Luo Sifan, “How did you get him to leave?”
“We…”
Luo Sifan giggled, putting on Zhuo Fan’s style as she wove a touching tall tale. Long Jianshan and Xie Nianyang joined in as well, ramping up the danger, the tragedy and, inadvertently, the comedy. They were sure to include any trial imaginable to any human being, no short of going to h.e.l.l and back.
“And that’s how Dragon Cleaving Sword King felt sorry for us pathetic three and left.” Long Jianshan ended with a few sniffs, though the pride obvious in his eyes, “Alliance Leader, you can’t imagine the danger sister Sifan was in, but I stepped in…”
“As if! I stepped in…”
“Shut it! It was me!”
“No, me!”
…
Long Jianshan wanted to paint himself as saving the damsel, but Xie Nianyang wouldn’t have it. The next thing you knew, Alliance Leader Luo would think of him when giving his daughter’s hand.
The two agreed that anything else was fine, except this.
The innocent Luo Sifan looked dumbstruck.
[Why fight over who lied?]
They weren’t fighting for just some breadcrumbs, but for their future father-in-law’s favor.
Luo Yunhai was clearly not buying it, snapping at them, “Alright, already. Who told you brats that you can go into such danger? Guard, cane them fifty times, without Yuan Qi protection, and then ground them in their room for a month!”
“Ah?”
“Don’t give me that! I’ll make sure you won’t soon forget this.”
Luo Yunhai had the guard take them away, at the dismay of the heroes.
[Didn’t we do good? Why are we punished?]
Zhuo Fan laughed at their expense, patted Murong Xue’s shoulder and left.
Wu Qingqiu and Luo Yunhai were in the dark as to what actually happened, but their nerves relaxed with Danqing Shen giving up…
Whoos.h.!.+
Zhuo Fan took Murong Xue through the forest outside the Luo Alliance, laughing, “The brats did it this time. They thought they could take credit? I’d have slapped them in Yunhai’s stead. How could they go through such dangers, when their parents are worried sick? Ha-ha-ha…”
“You sure know your way around, having been the first steward of the Luo Alliance. No one picked up on anything.” Murong Xue looked behind the barrier.
“Please, I set these up before leaving. Even if it is improved, it is done with my own work as the base. I don’t need to know much about this place, ha-ha-ha…”
“The good and evil you speak of…”
“This!”
Zhuo Fan shrugged, “Double Dragon Manor represents what’s good and fair in western lands, earning people’s trust. Shangguan clan also preaches righteousness. Miss Murong must think that with the Luo clan holding the same values and asking them for help, they ought to jump at the occasion to do good. Why then the cold shoulder?”
Murong Xue sank in thought.
Zhuo Fan smirked, “It didn’t get them anything by helping. The Luo clan is large and Double Dragon Manor began to have different opinions about it. Since such a prime chance came to cull it, why waste it? Shangguan clan is an upright clan, but having not gotten western lands’ boss’ green light, what would be the point of saving the Luo clan? It was ill-advised getting on Double Dragon Manor’s bad side as a result. So I ask you, miss Murong, is this good or evil?”
“Behind a greedy heart, demons lurk.” Murong Xue sighed.
Zhuo Fan shook his head, “Hardly. Double Dragon Manor has its own issues. It has deep roots into western lands, tied to it. Once that changed, western lands changed. Moreover, one’s nature is forever unknown. What kind of boss out there would allow an underdog to rise above it? Even beasts would do everything to drive out intruders, most of all humans. Why? Fear. Double Dragon Manor wants to do things for itself. Failing sometimes means losing one’s life.
“Shangguan clan looked after itself just as well. By offending Double Dragon Manor they lose a strong ally. What’s so bad about getting your family strong before doing good? What point is good if it can’t keep you in power? So, are they good, or evil?”
Murong Xue was mystified.
Zhuo Fan laughed, “Keep watching. The five lands are going to clash again. I’ll then show you what a real disaster and calamity is all about!”
Murong Xue followed him still…
In a gloomy hall, Yuwen Yong hastily came forward to bow, “Prime Minister, Dragon Cleaving Sword King was thwarted. Someone stopped him, holding strength beyond his, from taking down Luo Yunhai.”
“Oh, did those two geezers intervene?” Baili Jingwei smiled.
Yuwen Yong was grave, “No.”
“Who then?”
“I don’t know. The Sword King didn’t say, only that he was powerless.”
“I see. Dragon Cleaving Sword King’s word is his body. For him to say that then it exceeded his ability.” Baili Jingwei nodded, “No matter, what about the other lands’ reactions?”
“Ignored.” Yuwen Yong replied, “They all say they reap what they sow and none stepped in, not even Double Dragon Manor. Ultimate Clarity Sect’s Wu Qingqiu even asked Shangguan clan’s help for the Luo clan, only to be refused.”
Baili Jingwei’s smile grew, “Good, there’s at least some result. Sir Yuwen, ever thought of returning to Tianyu?”
“What?”
“Pa.s.s my order. Prince of Harvest, Baili Yunming, in his position as central area amba.s.sador, along with Deputy Minister of War Yuwen Yong are to go to western lands and discuss the removal of Devil Palace with every land. The other three lands will have a renowned member from the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Works as amba.s.sadors informing the leaders of the lands of this action.”
“Prime Minister, you…” Yuwen Yong was stunned.
Baili Jingwei waved him off, snickering, “Sir Yuwen, you have one other mission. Listen…”
Baili Jingwei explained in the dark Yuwen Yong’s true purpose.
Baili Jingwei dismissed him and said coldly, “Understand? I’m letting you do this not to get Tianyu back, but to become lord over western lands, under the Sword Star Empire!”
“Thank you so much, Prime Minister. I won’t let you down!” Yuwen Yong cupped his hands and went away with glee…