THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

Chapter Forty-Nine — Forging the New Family

The Third Prince stared at the alliance contract from Hidden Dragon Pavilion for a very long time.

Even now, disbelief still lingered in his eyes.

He truly could not understand how Zhuo Fan accomplished something this outrageous.

Long Jiu may have valued him greatly—

But as merely one elder of Hidden Dragon Pavilion, Long Jiu absolutely lacked the authority to form an equal alliance independently.

Which meant only one possibility remained.

The Pavilion Lord himself had approved it.

Thinking this far, the Third Prince looked toward Zhuo Fan again with even deeper admiration.

“Steward Zhuo…”

He sighed heavily.

“Keeping someone like you inside a mortal clan is honestly a waste.”

Then suddenly, the fat man leaned forward.

“How about this…”

“Come work for me instead.”

The moment those words fell, everyone present froze.

Especially Tai Rong and Tai Xiaoting.

The imperial family personally recruiting Zhuo Fan?

That level of treatment had already surpassed ordinary talent.

This was open competition for him.

Luo Yunchang immediately became nervous as well.

Though Zhuo Fan previously rejected Hidden Dragon Pavilion—

This time was different.

This was the imperial family itself.

If Zhuo Fan nodded, he would instantly become one of the empire’s central figures.

Power.

Status.

Glory.

Everything would arrive overnight.

For the first time in a long while, Luo Yunchang genuinely felt afraid.

Afraid Zhuo Fan might truly leave.

But Zhuo Fan only chuckled softly and shook his head.

“Your Highness flatters me too much.”

“Besides…”

He smiled faintly.

“By remaining with the Luo Clan, am I not still working for the imperial family anyway?”

The Third Prince paused slightly.

Then he laughed loudly.

“Fair enough.”

“If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”

After saying that, his expression gradually turned serious again.

“Then it’s decided.”

“The Luo Clan will serve as the core family.”

“The Tai and Lei Clans will fully merge into the Luo Clan and assist them in carrying out the Pearl Decree.”

Tai Xiaoting immediately panicked.

“Your Highness, we—”

But before he could continue, Tai Rong grabbed his arm tightly and slowly shook his head.

Tai Xiaoting froze slightly.

Then he noticed something terrifying.

For the first time since entering the pavilion—

Real killing intent appeared in the Third Prince’s eyes.

Cold sweat instantly drenched his back.

Only now did he finally understand the situation clearly.

The Pearl Decree was the imperial family’s hidden thousand-year plan.

Its importance could not be questioned.

Originally, if the three families remained relatively balanced, perhaps the imperial family might still consider alternatives.

But the moment Zhuo Fan produced the alliance contract with Hidden Dragon Pavilion—

Everything changed.

The Luo Clan instantly became the only acceptable choice.

At this point, if the Tai or Lei Clans continued objecting—

The imperial family would simply erase them.

Exactly as Zhuo Fan said earlier.

With him alone, the Luo Clan already possessed the ability to execute the Pearl Decree independently.

The other two clans were merely support.

And support that refused to obey…

…could be discarded at any moment.

Realizing this, Tai Xiaoting no longer dared show the slightest dissatisfaction.

Both he and Tai Rong immediately bowed deeply.

“We obey Your Highness’s arrangements.”

The Third Prince nodded with satisfaction before turning toward Lei Yuntian.

Lei Yuntian immediately cupped his fists.

“Your Highness can rest assured.”

“From this day forward, this old man will devote himself entirely to assisting Miss Yunchang and Young Master Yunhai.”

Then his voice suddenly grew heavier.

“The destruction of Luo Clan’s Returning Cloud Manor happened because of me.”

“I am willing to serve the Luo Clan for life as repentance.”

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, the Third Prince nodded approvingly.

“Good.”

“Since no one objects anymore…”

“…then begin the integration process immediately.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Everyone bowed respectfully and prepared to leave.

But just as Zhuo Fan turned—

“Steward Zhuo, stay behind for a moment.”

The Third Prince suddenly called out.

Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow slightly.

The others also looked toward him curiously before leaving the pavilion one after another.

Soon, only Zhuo Fan and the Third Prince remained inside.

The moment everyone disappeared—

The Third Prince immediately let out a long breath.

Then, before Zhuo Fan could react—

The fat man grabbed him and rushed toward the garden outside.

“What exactly are you doing?” Zhuo Fan frowned.

“Don’t ask questions yet,” the Third Prince whispered urgently.

“In a minute, just repeat after me.”

Before Zhuo Fan could respond, the fat man suddenly knelt down onto the ground.

Then he raised two fingers toward the sky and shouted loudly:

“I, Yuwen Tong, Third Prince of the Heavenly Yu Empire…”

“…swear before heaven today…”

“…to become sworn brothers with Zhuo Fan of the Luo Clan.”

“We shall live and die together…”

“…and never betray one another!”

After finishing, he immediately looked toward Zhuo Fan anxiously.

“Your turn!”

Zhuo Fan blinked several times.

Even he failed to predict this development.

But after thinking for a moment—

Becoming sworn brothers with a prince certainly carried benefits.

So he simply followed along casually.

“I, Zhuo Fan of the Luo Clan…”

“…swear before heaven today…”

“…to become sworn brothers with Yuwen Tong, Third Prince of Heavenly Yu.”

“If he does not betray me…”

“…I shall not betray him.”

The moment the oath ended, the Third Prince’s expression froze.

Then he looked toward Zhuo Fan helplessly.

“Brother…”

“You really are cautious.”

Zhuo Fan shrugged calmly.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

“It’s just that this world’s too dangerous.”

The Third Prince nodded thoughtfully.

Surprisingly, he showed no anger at all when Zhuo Fan casually called him “fatty” again.

“Call me whatever you want.”

“Honestly, after becoming brothers with you, I feel a lot better already.”

Now Zhuo Fan truly became confused.

The fat man sighed deeply.

“Remember our duel yesterday?”

“The loser was supposed to give up on Sister Kui.”

He scratched his head awkwardly.

“But after losing…”

“…I still couldn’t let go.”

“So I thought about it carefully.”

“Once we become brothers, your woman becomes my sister-in-law.”

“And there’s a rule among brothers…”

He looked at Zhuo Fan seriously.

“A brother’s wife must never be touched.”

“So now…”

“I can finally give up properly.”

Zhuo Fan stared at him blankly for a moment.

Then he burst out laughing.

This entire sworn-brother ceremony…

…was for that?

“Fatty…”

He shook his head helplessly.

“There’s nothing between me and Long Kui.”

“She only said that to reject you.”

“What?!”

The Third Prince practically jumped three feet into the air.

His tiny eyes widened with excitement.

“You mean that’s true?”

“So I can still pursue her?”

Zhuo Fan nodded slowly with an evil grin.

“Go ahead.”

“Best outcome would be annoying that little girl to death.”

“Hahahaha!”

The Third Prince laughed wildly and slapped Zhuo Fan’s shoulder repeatedly.

“Brother, you really are my true brother!”

At that moment, his happiness was completely genuine.

Zhuo Fan simply smiled faintly.

Then suddenly—

His eyes narrowed.

“Fatty.”

“The Pearl Decree…”

“…what’s its real purpose?”

The laughter stopped instantly.

The Third Prince froze slightly before forcing out an awkward smile.

“Didn’t I already explain everything earlier?”

“The plan’s structure is indeed clever,” Zhuo Fan said calmly.

“And the objective sounds reasonable enough.”

“But…”

His eyes sharpened dangerously.

“The ambition behind it is far too small.”

“Small enough…”

“…that it doesn’t resemble something a founding emperor would create.”

The Third Prince’s expression changed slightly.

Zhuo Fan continued calmly:

“Every founding emperor in history possesses monstrous ambition.”

“A man like that would never spend a thousand years merely balancing the Seven Houses.”

He smiled faintly.

“There’s definitely something deeper hidden underneath.”

The Third Prince laughed awkwardly.

“I honestly don’t know.”

“My orders only involve completing the decree.”

Zhuo Fan stared directly into his eyes.

But no matter how carefully he observed—

He found nothing.

Either the fat man truly did not know.

Or his acting skills were terrifyingly good.

“So then…”

Zhuo Fan suddenly changed the topic.

“How did Nether Valley learn about the Pearl Decree?”

The Third Prince frowned slightly.

“That’s strange to me as well.”

“There are countless spies within the imperial capital. Perhaps the secret leaked accidentally.”

“Accidentally?”

Zhuo Fan laughed softly.

“The decree remained hidden for a thousand years.”

“And it just happened to leak now?”

He stepped closer.

“What if…”

“The leak itself was part of the plan?”

The Third Prince’s pupils contracted violently.

For the first time—

True shock appeared in his eyes.

Zhuo Fan smiled internally.

That reaction alone was enough.

Then suddenly, he waved his hand dismissively and laughed loudly.

“Forget it.”

“As long as the Luo Clan benefits from this, why should I care about the rest?”

“Maybe I’m just overthinking things.”

“Hahaha…”

Still laughing, Zhuo Fan turned and walked away casually.

“See you again someday, Fatty.”

The Third Prince remained standing silently in the garden.

Only after Zhuo Fan disappeared completely did cold sweat slowly slide down his forehead.

“That monster…”

He muttered hoarsely.

“He’s way too intelligent.”

Whoosh.

A green-robed figure suddenly appeared beside him.

Fang Qiubai stared toward the direction Zhuo Fan left as well.

“The more I observe that kid…”

“…the more he reminds me of someone.”

“Who?” the Third Prince asked immediately.

Fang Qiubai’s eyes narrowed.

“Zhuge Changfeng.”

Boom.

The Third Prince’s body trembled violently.

“The Prime Minister?”

“One of the Four Pillars?”

Fang Qiubai nodded slowly.

Then he looked toward Yuwen Tong meaningfully.

“Tong’er…”

“Becoming sworn brothers with Zhuo Fan today…”

“…might become the greatest decision of your entire life.”

His voice grew deeper.

“One day…”

“…that boy may become your own Zhuge Changfeng.”

“And help you rule the empire.”

The Third Prince stood frozen silently for a very long time.

Then slowly—

A rare trace of imperial dominance appeared in his eyes.

Meanwhile, outside the estate, Zhuo Fan finally rejoined the others.

The moment Luo Yunchang saw him, she hurried over anxiously.

“What did the Third Prince say to you?”

Even though Hidden Dragon Pavilion failed to recruit Zhuo Fan before—

This time was different.

The imperial family personally extended an invitation.

As long as Zhuo Fan agreed, he could instantly become a core imperial official.

How could she not feel nervous?

Zhuo Fan smiled faintly.

“That fatty didn’t say anything important.”

“He just told me to handle the Pearl Decree properly.”

The moment the word “fatty” left his mouth—

Luo Yunchang immediately covered his mouth in panic.

Then she hurriedly glanced around.

“Are you insane?”

“How can you casually call the Third Prince that?”

“What if he hears you?”

Zhuo Fan waved dismissively.

“He won’t.”

“He still needs me.”

Then he suddenly looked toward Luo Yunhai and raised a thumb.

“You performed well today.”

“Very fitting for a future clan head.”

Luo Yunhai immediately puffed out his chest proudly.

“Of course.”

“Don’t forget who my big brother is.”

Clearly—

The “big brother” he referred to was Zhuo Fan.

Everyone burst into laughter immediately.

Even Luo Yunchang smiled warmly.

Then she slowly raised her head toward the sky.

Tears shimmered in her eyes.

“Father…”

“Did you see that?”

“Yunhai has finally grown up.”

“One day…”

“He’ll truly be able to carry the Luo Clan on his shoulders.”

The next day—

The new unified family officially formed.

The family name remained Luo.

And with imperial support behind him, Zhuo Fan naturally became the Luo Clan’s Grand Steward, overseeing all clan affairs directly.

Under his appointments:

Lei Yuntian became First Elder.

Tai Rong became Second Elder.

Commander Pang remained captain of the guards, now commanding the Tai Clan’s former protectors as well.

Lei Yuting became commander of the Shadow Division, leading the former Blackwind Mountain bandits in intelligence gathering, assassination training, and covert operations.

Meanwhile, due to the imperial family’s arrangements—

Neither Hidden Dragon Pavilion nor Nether Valley could step into Windforest City again.

The other five Houses also faced varying degrees of restriction.

At long last—

Windforest City had become the Luo Clan’s protected territory.

As for the clan’s new headquarters—

The Tai Clan originally suggested moving into the Tai residence inside the city.

But Zhuo Fan had already made his choice long ago.

Blackwind Mountain.

The place surrounded naturally by heaven-formed grand arrays.

A second demonic stronghold…

…was about to rise.

And step by step—

Zhuo Fan’s true plan had finally begun.

[End of Chapter Forty-Nine]

Chapter Fifty — The First of the Four Pillars

Outside the imperial city, deep within the capital’s largest slum district, stood the darkest and most lawless corner of the entire empire.

Everywhere one looked, the streets were rotten and broken.

Collapsed walls.

Leaking roofs.

Starving beggars.

Drunks sprawled across muddy alleys.

Only people with nowhere else to go remained in a place like this, waiting for life itself to grind them into dust one miserable day at a time.

But at the very edge of the slums stood a ruined little courtyard no one dared approach.

Even wandering refugees who accidentally stumbled near it would immediately be warned away by the locals.

No one lived there.

At least, no one was supposed to.

Yet late at night, strange noises sometimes echoed from inside the abandoned courtyard.

Whispers.

Footsteps.

Conversations.

Some people once gathered enough courage to investigate.

None of them ever returned.

Not a single trace remained behind.

At first, people assumed it was just another ghost story born from fear.

Then several Bone Tempering experts entered the courtyard to investigate.

Later—

Even Heaven Profound experts disappeared inside.

After that, no one dared step near the place again.

The ruined courtyard became a forbidden zone.

A true dead land.

And tonight—

Under the pale glow of the full moon, the entire slum district had emptied itself once more.

Every family shut their doors tightly and stayed far away from the cursed courtyard.

Yet inside that abandoned estate—

A dim light suddenly flickered alive.

Like ghost fire floating within darkness.

Inside the ruined room at the center of the courtyard sat an old man with white hair at his temples and a long silver beard.

He reclined calmly in a wooden chair while gently fanning himself with a feather fan.

His half-closed eyes occasionally flashed with terrifying intelligence.

The corners of his lips curved upward slightly, carrying the detached calm of someone who viewed the entire world as nothing more than a chessboard.

Behind him stood two old men.

One with completely black hair.

The other with hair white as snow.

Both stood motionless with their eyes closed.

Yet the invisible pressure radiating from their bodies alone was enough to ensure no living creature dared approach within a hundred meters.

Even insects instinctively avoided the area.

Whoosh.

A black figure suddenly appeared outside the room.

The man wore a wide black bamboo hat that concealed his face completely.

The old man’s feather fan stopped moving.

Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Valley Master You…”

“How did things go?”

The black-clothed figure removed the bamboo hat slowly.

Revealing the face beneath.

Nether Valley’s Valley Master—

You Wanshan.

He let out a heavy sigh.

“Decades of planning…”

“…completely ruined.”

“The emperor ordered Nether Valley to withdraw from Windforest City and imposed restrictions on the other six Houses as well.”

His expression darkened further.

“It seems the imperial family has already decided to activate the Pearl Decree.”

“Oh?”

The old man raised an eyebrow slightly before chuckling softly.

“So the emperor finally intends to move?”

“It appears so.”

You Wanshan nodded heavily.

Cold fury flashed through his eyes.

“This time they got lucky.”

“But next time…”

“They won’t escape so easily.”

“The imperial family wants to raise an Eighth House?”

His face twisted viciously.

“Then they’d better pray that family survives long enough to rise.”

“Hahaha…”

The old man laughed softly while gently waving his feather fan.

“Valley Master You…”

“Losing is losing.”

“Why search for excuses?”

His smile remained calm and elegant.

But the mockery hidden beneath it was impossible to miss.

“Nether Valley is one of the Seven Houses.”

“And yet you couldn’t even eliminate three mortal families.”

He shook his head slowly.

“If you’re replaced one day…”

“…wouldn’t that be perfectly natural?”

Boom!

You Wanshan exploded instantly.

Terrifying Heaven Profound pressure burst from his body without restraint.

The room’s windows and doors shattered apart immediately.

Killing intent surged toward the old man like a tidal wave.

“Zhuge Changfeng!”

You Wanshan roared furiously.

“You were the one who told me about the Pearl Decree!”

“You were the one who said the imperial family intended to cultivate an Eighth House to replace Nether Valley!”

“Every part of this decades-long plan came from your hands!”

“And now you dare say this to me?”

His eyes turned bloodshot.

“Go to hell!”

But throughout the entire explosion of killing intent—

Zhuge Changfeng never moved.

His feather fan continued swaying calmly.

Smile unchanged.

Then suddenly—

The black-haired and white-haired old men behind him opened their eyes simultaneously.

In an instant—

Black light and white light exploded outward.

A terrifying invisible ripple spread through the room.

Boom!

The collision between the two forces detonated like thunder.

The entire slum district trembled violently.

You Wanshan’s face instantly turned pale.

Blood sprayed from his mouth uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, the two old men simply closed their eyes again.

As though nothing had happened.

Zhuge Changfeng remained seated peacefully with his feather fan.

Smiling.

You Wanshan stared at the two elders in horror.

“Yin-Yang Dual Elders?”

Zhuge Changfeng nodded faintly.

“As expected of Valley Master You.”

“These two seniors haven’t appeared in public for over a century.”

“And yet you still recognized them immediately.”

You Wanshan gritted his teeth hard.

Fear filled his eyes completely now.

The Yin-Yang Dual Elders were legendary monsters from the previous generation.

People who vanished from the world over a hundred years ago.

He never imagined Zhuge Changfeng had actually recruited them.

“As expected of the empire’s greatest strategist…”

“The head of the Four Pillars…”

“Prime Minister Zhuge.”

You Wanshan wiped the blood from his mouth slowly.

“With those two protecting you…”

“Even Fang Qiubai and the Five Dragon Guardians may no longer be enough to threaten you.”

“Hahaha…”

Zhuge Changfeng waved his fan modestly.

“You flatter me.”

“I’m hardly worthy of being called the empire’s greatest strategist.”

“And at present…”

“…I certainly have no intention of openly opposing the imperial family.”

“Hmph.”

You Wanshan sneered coldly.

“Overly modest words sound arrogant instead.”

“With your current influence, who in Heavenly Yu can still oppose you?”

“Even the imperial family.”

“Ah…”

Zhuge Changfeng sighed softly.

Then he slowly looked toward the sky.

“No wonder you failed in Windforest City.”

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“In this world…”

“Strength cannot be judged merely by appearances.”

“And besides…”

A trace of solemnity appeared in his eyes.

“I am not the empire’s greatest strategist.”

You Wanshan frowned.

“If not you, then who?”

Zhuge Changfeng slowly raised his finger upward.

“The one above me.”

You Wanshan froze slightly.

Then suddenly laughed mockingly.

“You mean that useless old emperor?”

“Useless?”

Zhuge Changfeng glanced toward him with amusement.

“I’ve served as Prime Minister for forty years…”

“And even now…”

“…I still cannot fully understand what that old man is thinking.”

His expression gradually became serious.

“If he were truly foolish…”

“…then this world would contain no intelligent people at all.”

The room fell silent.

A strange pressure slowly filled the air.

Then Zhuge Changfeng finally waved his hand dismissively.

“Go back, Valley Master You.”

“And for the near future…”

“…stop making unnecessary moves.”

His eyes grew colder.

“Be careful.”

“If that old monster catches an opportunity…”

“…even Nether Valley could fall beyond recovery.”

“Hmph.”

You Wanshan snorted disdainfully.

“With the imperial family’s current strength, destroying Nether Valley won’t be easy.”

But the moment Zhuge Changfeng’s calm gaze landed on him—

He immediately fell silent.

Because for some reason—

The pressure in those eyes felt even more terrifying than the Yin-Yang Dual Elders themselves.

You Wanshan cupped his fists stiffly.

Then vanished into the darkness without another word.

After he left, Zhuge Changfeng slowly exhaled.

His eyes lifted toward the endless night sky once more.

Deep thought filled his expression.

“Your Majesty…”

“What exactly are you planning?”

“And what…”

“…is the Pearl Decree truly for?”

Meanwhile—

Three months later.

Inside the fog-covered forest beneath Blackwind Mountain, Zhuo Fan stood beside a freezing blood pool holding a black gourd in one hand.

Cold white mist drifted endlessly from the surface of the pool.

With a flick of his fingers—

Tiny crimson specks suddenly floated upward from the blood water and flew into the gourd one after another.

Watching the wriggling red larvae inside, Zhuo Fan smiled with satisfaction.

Originally, this blood pool existed to nurture Snow Silkworms from the Frozen Abyss.

But now—

It deserved a new name.

Blood Silkworms of the Frozen Abyss.

Using a secret art from the Nine Serenities Secret Records, Zhuo Fan had completely transformed the original species into demonic parasites.

Not only did they retain the Snow Silkworm’s permanent parasitic abilities—

They also became spiritually linked to Zhuo Fan himself.

Most importantly—

They could now carry Blood Curses.

Blood Curses were one of the Demon Path’s cruelest control techniques.

Once planted inside someone, the victim became a slave for life.

Any betrayal—

And the curse would detonate instantly, causing the victim’s blood vessels to explode from within.

But Blood Curses possessed one major weakness.

If the target’s cultivation greatly surpassed the caster’s, backlash could occur.

For Zhuo Fan, that flaw was unacceptable.

But now—

With the Blood Silkworms permanently parasitizing the target’s body—

Even stronger cultivators could no longer escape the curse’s control.

And more importantly—

There would be no backlash risk.

A terrifying smile slowly spread across Zhuo Fan’s face.

With these demonic parasites…

He could build an army of powerful cultivators completely loyal to him.

If Heaven Profound or Radiant Stage experts learned about this—

They would immediately unite to exterminate him without hesitation.

Because this kind of demonic creature was simply too horrifying.

The ability to enslave stronger experts permanently…

…was enough to terrify anyone.

After filling the gourd completely, Zhuo Fan sealed it carefully and left the fog forest.

Then he formed several hand seals.

In an instant—

Blood-colored mist spread throughout the entire forest.

No outsider would ever enter this place alive again.

This was his breeding ground.

His hidden foundation.

No one could be allowed to discover it.

After storing the gourd inside his spatial ring, Zhuo Fan returned toward Blackwind Mountain.

Along the way, his eyes carefully inspected every tree, every stone, every formation mark hidden throughout the mountain.

Over the last three months—

The imperial family delivered thousands of spirit stones and hundreds of medicinal pills.

Hidden Dragon Pavilion later added another two thousand spirit stones personally.

With that much wealth in hand—

A formation master like Zhuo Fan could finally reveal his true value.

Combined with the natural terrain of Blackwind Mountain itself…

Even without ten thousand spirit stones, he could still establish terrifying large-scale formations.

At the eastern Azure Dragon position—

An area rich with wood energy and life force—

Zhuo Fan established the fifth-grade formation:

Poison Dragon Array.

Venomous plants filled the formation endlessly while toxic fog lingered permanently.

Even Heaven Profound experts entering carelessly would struggle to escape alive.

At the western White Tiger position—

Filled with metal energy and killing intent—

He established the fifth-grade formation:

Golden Light Array.

Blinding golden radiance filled the formation like endless sword light.

Enemies trapped inside could neither see nor defend themselves before being sliced apart invisibly.

At the southern Vermilion Bird position—

Where fire energy burned strongest—

He established the fifth-grade formation:

Black Flame Array.

The flames inside were demonic fire capable of burning flesh, bone, and spirit together until nothing remained but ash.

At the northern Black Tortoise position—

An area overflowing with freezing yin energy—

He established the fifth-grade formation:

Frozen Phantom Array.

Once trapped inside, enemies would wander endlessly through overlapping illusions while freezing to death slowly from within.

Together—

The four formations transformed Blackwind Mountain into an absolute death zone.

Even Heaven Profound experts invading recklessly would face catastrophic consequences.

But now that the formations were complete—

Zhuo Fan needed to leave temporarily.

Which meant…

Someone trustworthy had to inherit control over the arrays.

[End of Chapter Fifty]