Chapter 326, Zhuo Fan’s Deceit
Translator: StarReader
Editor: Elitecoder
“Eldest young master!”
You Yushan and the other two cried out seeing Huangpu Qingtian frozen in place.
Huangpu Qingtian was sweating buckets, “I-I can’t move. What are you standing around for? Do something!”
He knew Zhuo Fan must’ve done something, though he didn’t know exactly what.
Never for the life of him did he think it possible for Zhuo Fan, on his deathbed, to be hiding such an eerie trick. The fear of not knowing how he did it only amplified the dread.
He was now stuck in place, waiting for the axe to fall even as his heart was beating out of his chest.
His three allies knew time was of the essence and sprung on Zhuo Fan as well.
The three mighty Radiant Stage powers slammed into Zhuo Fan. He was forced two steps back, but he was not in the least bit panic, going by the wide grin.
“Stop!”
Making the same sign, Zhuo Fan mocked, “I told you, you already lost.”
Rumble!
Just like Huangpu Qingtian, the three stopped as well. Bug-eyed, they looked at the grinning Zhuo Fan in fear.
They couldn’t move as well….
The viewers cried out in shock and doubt. Zhuge Changfeng and Leng Wuchang were also astounded.
[What did the punk do to gain control of them?]
They knew Zhuo Fan had the four in the bag. As for when the bag opened and the four were shoved in, no one knew, not even the two greatest minds of Tianyu.
The most aware of it all were the victims. Huangpu Qingtian watched Zhuo Fan in shock, “W-what did you do to me?”
Zhuo Fan only giggled and looked around. Once he had the four riled up, and the dozen va.s.sals scared out of their minds, he spoke, “Eldest young master, you are fated to rule, providence made you king. Can it be that your elders never told you when you were a child not to take candy from a stranger?”
“What? W-what did we take?”
Huangpu Qingtian was stunned for a second and then it all came crashing down, “The pills…”
Nodding, Zhuo Fan showed the same smile, “We have a winner. The very same 8th grade pill, Br.i.m.m.i.n.g Sacred Pill. I left a little something inside it, you see. So when you entered the Radiant Stage, you had already lost.”
[This can’t be!]
Huangpu Qingtian and the other three felt a chill crawling up their spines. The pills they got that boosted their power were spiked.
That meant they were now affected by its poison.
[But Huangpu Qingtian got them by coincidence when he ripped out Zhuo Fan’s right arm. How could Zhuo Fan give it to us on purpose? Don’t tell me…]
Eyes wide as saucers, they looked upon Zhuo Fan in horror.
[It was his plan all along? To even rip his own arm…]
Zhuo Fan knew fully well what went on in those little heads of theirs, “Looks like you figured it out. I let Huangpu Qingtian take my right arm on purpose.”
The crowd was in complete shock.
Leng Wuchang’s eyes shuddered. Zhuo Fan’s scheme ran so deep, so ruthless, that it made even Unwonted Contriver shiver.
Who’d ever see it coming? He gave up an arm to have Huangpu Qingtian at his mercy.
The people looking at the one-armed and frail Zhuo Fan had long lost their sympathy. Even his pale face was warped into that of a demon in the minds of his enemies.
This clueless herd of sheep actually dared to surround the wolf!
“Ha-ha-ha, shocking, ain’t it? I knew that I wouldn’t be a match for you so I cooked up a little something and had you all invited for dinner. Victory got to your head and pride lowered your guard. You thought I was breathing my last, that all danger had lifted. Then you took those tampered pills in your greatest moment of weakness!”
Zhuo Fan ginned maliciously.
Back then, he knew Chu Qingcheng and the others were trapped as he rushed to the water exit. On his way he noticed a cold pond, reminding him of his old plan since G.o.d knew when to use Bloodworms on his enemies.
So he took advantage of the time Huangpu Qingtian believed his mind was in chaos after falling for their ploy and prepared his own scheme.
Seeing Ning’er dead truly made him go berserk, going after Huangpu Qingtian for revenge. Killing him himself would have been better, but if he did lose, he had this trick in mind ready to turn it all around, just in case.
Like he said, he accepted all of Leng Wuchang’s machinations, but not without leaving Huangpu Qingtian with a gift of his own.
Something Leng Wuchang would never consider.
Seeing how everyone was up to their neck deep in his ploy and couldn’t make sense of anything, Leng Wuchang always a.s.sumed they couldn’t spare anything in plotting back. But Zhuo Fan knew he couldn’t avoid it so he accepted it all with open arms, leaving him with the opening needed to plan his own trickery.
The one to take the win!
Huangpu Qingtian stared at this demon incarnate horrified. Leng Wuchang was also trembling.
He’d been a schemer and a plotter all his life, always achieving his projections. But Zhuo Fan managed to twist it around at the final moment. Then again, when taking into account Zhuo Fan’s weird methods, hardly anyone could make feasible projections.
But nevertheless, a loss was a loss. Leng Wuchang had to man up and admit he failed at the most crucial moment.
All victories leading up to here were for nothing when he botched the final and most crucial battle.
Zhuge Changfeng taunted, “Sir Leng, it seems to me that you messed with not just any monkey, but Great Sage the Equal of Heaven, ha-ha-ha…”
Leng Wuchang’s face twitched as he stewed in his own anger…
Huangpu Qingtian was floored, “Impossible! If we had never found those pills, your plan would’ve gone up in smoke and you’d lose your hand for nothing. Those pills clearly had Fang Qiubai’s… seal…”
Huangpu Qingtian’s stiff face turned to Yan Fu.
Grinning, Zhuo Fan said, “What about the seal? Ha-ha-ha, true, you wouldn’t have trusted the vials if you found them without the seals. But what if those seals were somehow removed in front of you, or given the impression that they were?”
“Yan Fu…” Huangpu Qingtian glared in hatred.
Under the bewildered gazes of everyone, Yan Fu stepped behind Zhuo Fan.
They just had the shock of their lives. Yan Fu was one of Zhuo Fan’s!
Luo Yunchang was stunned. Since when did the Luo clan get to him? Hall Lord Yan Bogong’s eyes were ready to pop from their sockets. [He’s on Zhuo Fan’s side? Since when?]
It was common knowledge that Zhuo Fan killed his master. There was no one out there who hated Zhuo Fan’s guts more than him. So how…
Ignoring the dumbstruck faces, Zhuo Fan mocked, “You guessed it, he’s with me. I made sure to give him a sending jade way earlier too. If you hadn’t found the pills on your own, he was there to make sure you’d correct that little mishap. And to make sure to remove any traces of my meddling of course.
“For you guys, someone insignificant like him would fall under your radar. But he ultimately sided with me and got you to fall for it, thus turning all this around. He takes all the credit for your defeat!”
Zhuo Fan praised Yan Fu, “You were marvelous. I won’t soon forget it.”
“Thank you, Steward Zhuo!” Yan Fu bowed.
Yan Bogong’s frail heart cracked. How was it that the pride of Pill King Hall, their genius alchemists hailed within their house, all ended up at Zhuo Fan’s hands?
And that was right under their nose too. He did it so openly, before every clan and house in Tianyu, that he literally b.i.t.c.h slapped Pill King Hall into the ground!
Long Jiu and Jian Suifeng sighed in admiration.
They discussed it back in Drifting Flowers City that Zhuo Fan was unequaled when it came to digging up a party’s cornerstones. But seeing it first hand, they had to take their hat off to him. And he did that with his most hateful enemy.
Not even Unwonted Contriver saw that coming. The spy Zhuo Fan planted, or converted, was none other than the one who hated him the most, Yan Fu.
Yan Bangui saw red before his eyes, “Yan Fu! You d.a.m.n treacherous knave, you actually stooped so low to side with the man who killed your master? You are unworthy to be a Pill King Hall disciple, even less so to walk the earth!”
“Humph, ever since my master left, it only got worse for me living in Pill King Hall. I have nothing to return to. Who cares about being some Pill King Hall disciple? Also…”
Squinting, Yan Fu’s hate filled eyes showed a hint of warmth, unaware he clutched at his chest. There laid hidden a green jade slip…