The Steward Demonic Emperor

Zhuo Fan returned to the Luo clan in the evening. The whole day had passed yet Grandmother and her other two allies remained, waiting for his return.

Seeing them, Zhuo Fan washed away any dejection he had and cupped his hands, “House lords, I had some matters to tend to. But we can talk now since they are over.”

Everyone looked amazed.

The Zhuo Fan, Chu Qingcheng dragged away with her and the one that had returned were totally different. He was back to his swift and decisive self, without a hint of grief.

[What’s going on? What did Chu Qingcheng do to get him back?]

The Luo clansmen saw him looking thin, but his bright eyes let them know that he had pushed through the haze. They were overjoyed.

Luo Yunchang especially. She didn’t get along with Chu Qingcheng but she was at least grateful the woman got her Zhuo Fan back to his normal self. 

“Zhuo Fan, y-you had me worried sick!” Luo Yunchang came to him in tears.

Zhuo Fan smiled, “It’s all in the past.”

Zhuo Fan turned to the three houses, “People, I know what’s on your mind. You fear that our declaration of war was impulsive and would ruin everything. But I will tell you that the faster we dispense with this charade with Regent Estate, the faster we can grow.”

They were all startled.

The seven houses were at peace until now, all because of pretense. But once the war broke out, the dead would pile up just like they did a thousand years ago. Their houses were in danger of annihilation!

How were they going to grow after that?

Zhuo Fan had a cryptic smile in reply to their thoughts, “In fact, the world hasn’t really changed. “War and peace shift places just like yin and yang. War does not mean the absence of peace or suffering. It all moves according to the bigger picture. The situation will change after the Esoteric Debate. You need to consider what happened in the Esoteric Debate, and the changes in our enemies. The best choice right now is to fight Regent Estate.”

They all entered deep thought, mulling over his words. 

Then, the three house lords’ eyes brightened and they nodded.

“I see. Steward Zhuo wants to turn it into a three-way confrontation! But… where do we find the power to fight Regent Estate to a draw?” Grandmother asked.

Zhuo Fan smiled, “Do you remember my words? In ten years, you will see a brand new Luo clan. But I no longer need those years as I can show you a powerful ally in the form of the Luo clan already. Don’t worry, we will restrict the Regent Estate without a doubt!”

The house lords found it hard to believe Zhuo Fan’s bold proclamations.

He just said that the Luo clan had the power to challenge Regent Estate, alone! But how? Eight years couldn’t compare to a thousand year’s legacy. It was normal for Zhuo Fan to create miracles, but to grow a clan to such a height so fast was impossible.

But when they looked at Li Jingtian, they fell quiet.

Was there something he couldn’t do after he turned a peak Radiant Stage expert into an elder?

They had now changed their thinking and were looking forward to seeing how big of a shock would the Luo clan give, the next time they appeared along with their entire might. 

The three house lords sighed. [Zhuo Fan is truly astonishing.]

“Ha-ha-ha, since Steward Zhuo is certain of success, we will make preparations and move according to your instructions. I have to admit, when I saw Steward Zhuo taken over by rage, I never expected you’d still be capable of deep thinking. I am in awe!” Grandmother praised.

Zhuo Fan returned her gesture, “Grandmother exaggerates!”

The three houses took their leave. Besides the three house lords, everyone else was in the dark about what just happened.

“Father, why didn’t I understand a thing you guys talked about?” Long Xingyun asked.

Long Yifey smiled as he lifted his head in pride, “Boy, this concerns the grand scheme of things. If you could understand it, you’d have been the next house lord by now!”

Long Xingyun was shocked, “It contains such profound topics? That means Zhuo Fan could understand it while we had to be reminded. Won’t that mean…”

“Zhuo Fan is a truly rare genius. I can’t help but wonder where he comes from. Such a young lad with such a wide gaze that not even we can match. No wonder Leng Wuchang fell for his handiwork.” Long Yifey sighed in amazement.

Long Xingyun had admiration as well.

They were peers yet Zhuo Fan was far stronger than any of them… 

After the houses left, Luo Yunhai asked, “Brother Zhuo, I made the declaration of war yesterday. I was overcome by anger from their insidious nature in dealing with you. But I had never imagined it would have so many implications.”

“Ha-ha-ha, if you knew, you’d already be Clan Head.”

Zhuo Fan then turned serious, “Yunhai, following Dugu Zhantian has sharpened your senses and familiarized you with war tactics, all for this day. But this has only made you a talented general and not good enough to take on the clan’s burdens. This is the perfect chance to teach you a monarch’s methods and the way to infer the bigger picture from small events.”

Luo Yunhai was serious as he nodded in glee. It was the first time Zhuo Fan was going to teach him in person.

The others looked lost.

The past Zhuo Fan would cook up the plans and then send others to do the dirty work. Like he did with Luo Yunhai’s education, leaving it in another’s hands. Now that he was going to involve himself in teaching the young clan head, everyone was excited.

Zhuo Fan was known for his treachery and even played Leng Wuchang, the Unwonted Contriver, like a fiddle. His teachings couldn’t be average.

How were they supposed to know that Zhuo Fan had struck a deal with Xie Wuyue for three years. If he didn’t get Luo Yunhai to mature fast enough, the instant he left, Luo Clan would be met with disaster.

It was the same as sending them to the slaughter. How could he leave with a peace of mind?

So, he sped things up a little.

“Yunhai, do you know who our former allies, backers and enemies were?” Zhuo Fan asked.

Luo Yunhai considered, “The allies were Drifting Flowers Edifices, Sword Marquise Abode and Veiled Dragon Pavilion. The backers are the imperial family and Marshal Dugu. While the enemies are Regent Estate and the rest of the houses.”

“And now?” Zhuo Fan followed.

Luo Yunhai’s eyes flashed with uncertainty, “Now… isn’t it the same?”

“No, it changed.”

Zhuo Fan turned serious, “Yunhai, you have to keep in mind that every man looks after himself. Allies and enemies are all but fleeting. The one true reason that connects everyone together in this tangled web is interest. Yin and yang switch places, they suppress each other, then switch again. The same transformation happens with enemies and allies alike. If you understand the grand design you will never fail. This is the way of inferring the big picture from the events around us. To become a Clan Head you must also grasp it!”

Luo Yunhai gasped and nodded.

“Then, let us begin.”

Zhuo Fan said, “Speaking of the Esoteric Debate this time, Marshal Dugu and the imperial family were our backers before it started. Because our interests aligned, to fight Regent Estate. But after the Esoteric Debate, through luck or otherwise, I received the dragon soul, becoming the imperial family’s enemy. No imperial family would allow those bearing the Dragon Vein Soul, and heaven’s blessing, swagger their way through the nation and shake its foundations. Thus our enemies changed. Fang Qiubai and Marshal Dugu’s loyalties lie with the imperial family. They were friendly before but have now shifted to neutrality, with a high chance of becoming enemies at any given moment. We can’t overlook them.”

Luo Yunhai never imagined that in just two short days his cherished godfather would become his enemy. It was too much to bear. 

Regardless of his inner turmoil, Zhuo Fan’s platitude prattled on, “As for the Regent Estate, they remain our enemies. But now we have the right to become their enemies as well. Because we lost the imperial family’s support, the Regent Estate can come at us whenever they want and stomp us into the ground. Of course, we do not need to fear them. But once the war starts, both clans will incur heavy losses and neither wants to let another faction reap from their misfortune. For this reason, we declared war on them and now all that remains is to think of a way to let them bask in our power. They are no fools and know a war would bring too many losses so they will refrain from engaging in it.

“This way, we restrict each other. While the emperor will take notice of our power as well and won’t intervene either, lest he’d like to let the Regent Estate pick us both off. This way, we become one of the three major players in Tianyu, with neither side winning or losing. The court, including Zhuge Changfeng, Dugu Zhantian and the emperor, has already been one such player, bringing balance to the equation. This would keep us safe for a while. All that’s left is to wait for a blind schmuck to lift the deadlock and then we would come down hard to reap the world for ourselves.”

Everyone was slack jawed. They never imagined that Zhuo Fan had such a comprehensive understanding of the powers that be and even had the same objective as the Regent Estate, the world.

This had never happened in the history of the Luo clan. They were a mere third rate clan with petty ambitions, wanting nothing more than to go down at peace.  

Zhuo Fan laughed at their thoughts, “Ha-ha-ha, in this world, the weak will be pushed around while the strong fight for greed. There’s no such thing as a man or clan of integrity in this world. If you want peaceful days, then get strong until no one can ever catch up to you.”

I do not want to see those around me suffer the same disaster as Ning’er.” Zhuo Fan sighed.

They hesitated, but soon determination shined in their eyes.

[Isn’t it merely stealing the world? With you, Steward Zhuo, it’s a done deal!]

As their power grew, Zhuo Fan made sure to bring the Luo clan’s ambition to a more appropriate level…