THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS
Chapter Forty-One — Edge Against Edge

After speaking with Long Jiu for an entire day, Zhuo Fan finally learned everything he wanted to know. Once he respectfully saw the old man off, he immediately entered secluded cultivation for a full month to recover.

During that month, he refused to see anyone and focused solely on healing his injuries. Thanks to the medicinal supplies Long Jiu had sent over, most of his wounds recovered within ten days. Unfortunately, the Blood Infant had suffered much heavier damage and only barely stabilized after more than twenty days.

A month passed quickly.

When Zhuo Fan finally pushed open the door and stepped outside, he stretched lazily before taking a deep breath of fresh air. The cool breeze instantly cleared his mind.

More importantly, during the final days of cultivation, both he and the Blood Infant had broken through into the fifth layer of the Qi Gathering Stage.

Thinking about it now, nearly dying had not been a complete loss.

The real pity was those two Heaven Profound elders from Nether Valley. Such massive reserves of spiritual energy had simply vanished with their deaths.

If he had managed to absorb all of it…

Zhuo Fan narrowed his eyes slightly.

He might already have entered the Bone Tempering Stage.

“Ah—Steward Zhuo…”

A startled cry suddenly rang out.

Xiao Cui froze when she saw him emerge from seclusion. Then her face lit up before she immediately turned and ran away.

Zhuo Fan blinked in confusion.

Instinctively, he touched his own face.

Had secluded cultivation somehow changed his appearance? Why did the little girl flee the moment she saw him?

It wasn’t as though he was some man-eating monster.

But after a moment’s thought, he quickly figured it out.

Back then, when he dragged Xiao Cui back by force, he had been far too rough. He had nearly torn her clothes off in the process. The poor girl probably still carried some lingering trauma from that incident.

Just like Luo Yunhai still flinched whenever Zhuo Fan raised a hand near him.

The thought made Zhuo Fan chuckle quietly to himself.

Maybe he really had been too harsh on those two children.

“Brother Zhuo, your injuries are healed?”

A rough familiar voice suddenly called out.

Zhuo Fan looked up immediately.

“Old Pang!”

Laughing loudly, he strode toward Commander Pang. Since his rebirth, Pang was one of the very few people Zhuo Fan genuinely considered a friend. After not seeing him for an entire month, even he felt a trace of nostalgia.

Commander Pang initially looked ready to step forward and embrace him like brothers reunited after war—

Then his expression suddenly changed.

As though he had remembered something terrifying.

Without another word, he turned around and fled.

This time, Zhuo Fan was completely stunned.

Xiao Cui running away was one thing.

But why the hell was Old Pang running too?

Zhuo Fan frowned deeply, utterly baffled.

He replayed everything carefully in his mind several times but still could not understand it.

In negotiations and battle, he could always read people perfectly because he understood one simple truth:

Every action had a purpose.

A motive.

A benefit.

But Pang’s reaction made absolutely no sense.

The man clearly was not afraid of him.

Then why run?

Zhuo Fan shook his head dismissively.

He was the former Demon Emperor. He had no interest in wasting energy over something so trivial.

But just as he prepared to leave, another figure suddenly appeared before him.

Lei Yuting.

She held a food box carefully in both hands while Xiao Cui hid shyly behind her, occasionally peeking toward Zhuo Fan.

“What exactly is this supposed to be?”

Zhuo Fan stood there with complete confusion written across his face.

Lei Yuting slowly walked toward him.

Unlike her usual decisive demeanor, today she seemed strangely timid, almost delicate. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she lowered her eyes.

“Steward Zhuo… thank you for saving me that day. This is just a small token of appreciation. Please accept it.”

She handed him the food box.

Still puzzled, Zhuo Fan accepted it and slowly opened the lid.

A rich aroma instantly spread through the air.

The dishes inside were arranged beautifully. At a glance alone, anyone could tell how much effort had gone into preparing them.

“That smells incredible.”

Zhuo Fan looked up at Lei Yuting in surprise.

“Which restaurant in Windforest City made this?”

“Hmph, it’s not from a restaurant,” Xiao Cui jumped out proudly. “Miss personally spent ten hours every day making those dishes while waiting for Steward Zhuo to come out of seclusion!”

Every day?

Only then did Zhuo Fan understand why Xiao Cui had run off the moment she saw him.

She had gone to notify Lei Yuting.

Because Lei Yuting had no idea when he would emerge, she had apparently prepared fresh food every single day while waiting for him.

Even Zhuo Fan felt slightly moved by that level of persistence.

He nodded slowly.

“You put real thought into this. I’ll accept it.”

Lei Yuting’s cheeks instantly reddened further.

“You only just recovered from your injuries,” she murmured softly. “You should eat while it’s still warm. Cold food isn’t good for your body.”

“You’re right.”

Zhuo Fan immediately carried the food box back into his room.

After an entire month without proper meals, even a Qi Gathering cultivator eventually felt hunger.

Lei Yuting shyly followed him inside with Xiao Cui trailing behind her. Warmth filled her eyes like sunlight melting winter ice.

But before Zhuo Fan could even begin eating—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Another figure appeared at the doorway.

Luo Yunchang.

Commander Pang stood awkwardly behind her with a helpless expression.

Zhuo Fan’s brow twitched slightly.

Because in Luo Yunchang’s hands… was another food box.

“Oh? Looks like someone already brought Steward Zhuo breakfast.” Luo Yunchang smiled faintly. “Seems my concern was unnecessary.”

Her smile was beautiful.

Her eyes were not.

The sharpness in them felt like blades aimed directly at the room.

“What’s wrong with her today?” Zhuo Fan muttered inwardly.

He glanced toward Commander Pang, only to find the man giving him a look full of helpless despair.

Bang!

Luo Yunchang slammed the food box down onto the table.

“Steward Zhuo,” she said through a stiff smile, “I personally made this for you. I hope you’ll properly take care of your health.”

“But I already have food.” Zhuo Fan shrugged. “I’m not a rice barrel. There’s no need for that much.”

He reached to push her food box back.

Then suddenly—

A terrifying chill swept through the room.

Zhuo Fan slowly raised his eyes.

Luo Yunchang was staring directly at him.

Smiling.

Barely.

“…Fine. I’ll try both.”

For the first time in his life, Zhuo Fan instinctively backed down.

Even he didn’t understand why.

He simply had the overwhelming feeling that refusing her right now might genuinely threaten his life.

But when he opened Luo Yunchang’s food box and saw the blackened remains inside…

His appetite instantly dropped by half.

“…Actually, maybe I should just eat this one instead.”

He immediately reached toward Lei Yuting’s dishes.

Lei Yuting instantly brightened.

Bang!

Luo Yunchang slammed her hand onto the table again and looked at him with wounded resentment.

“You already agreed,” she said quietly. “You said you’d eat both.”

Zhuo Fan stared silently at the burnt food.

Then at Luo Yunchang’s expression.

In the end, he sighed inwardly and pulled both food boxes in front of him.

“Fine. I’ll eat both.”

Luo Yunchang immediately smiled.

Lei Yuting snorted softly in dissatisfaction.

“Mine first,” Luo Yunchang said immediately.

“No, mine first,” Lei Yuting countered at once.

Their eyes met.

The atmosphere crackled with invisible sparks.

Zhuo Fan looked between them in total confusion.

Before his seclusion, weren’t these two getting along perfectly fine?

How had things escalated into open hostility in just one month?

More importantly…

What exactly caused it?

“Enough,” Zhuo Fan said with a wave of his hand. “I’ll try Miss Lei’s first.”

Lei Yuting watched nervously as he took the first bite.

A moment later, Zhuo Fan raised a thumb.

“Excellent.”

Lei Yuting instantly beamed.

Xiao Cui puffed out her chest proudly.

“My lady has been cooking since she was ten years old! Nobody in Windforest City can compare to her cooking skills. Steward Zhuo, you’re truly lucky.”

Lei Yuting lowered her head shyly, though the smile on her lips became impossible to hide.

Luo Yunchang’s mouth tightened slightly.

“Zhuo Fan, hurry and try mine.”

Zhuo Fan nodded and took a bite from her dish.

The food entered his mouth.

Then immediately left it.

He spat it straight back out.

“…Poison tastes better than this.”

Without hesitation, he grabbed Lei Yuting’s food box again.

“I’ll stick with this one.”

Lei Yuting nearly burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, tears instantly welled up in Luo Yunchang’s eyes.

“Whoa! That smells amazing!”

Luo Yunhai suddenly rushed into the room excitedly.

“Big Brother Zhuo, you’re finally out! With this much food, you’ve gotta let me have some!”

“Get lost. Eat your sister’s cooking.”

Zhuo Fan waved him away casually.

Luo Yunhai’s face immediately collapsed.

“My sister knows how to cook? She probably doesn’t even know where the kitchen is.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Luo Yunchang silently picked up her food box and walked out.

Everyone clearly saw the tears falling to the floor behind her.

Luo Yunhai blinked in confusion.

“…Did I say something wrong?”

“You said nothing wrong.”

Zhuo Fan calmly finished the rest of Lei Yuting’s dishes before standing up.

“I’m heading to Hidden Dragon Pavilion. Stay inside the estate and don’t wander around. Nether Valley people may still be nearby.”

Luo Yunhai and Commander Pang nodded immediately.

Meanwhile, Lei Yuting’s face had already turned bright red.

Xiao Cui leaned close and whispered excitedly, “Miss, Steward Zhuo definitely likes you more!”

Lei Yuting smiled softly and lowered her head without denying it.

At the same time, inside the imperial palace of the Heavenly Yu Empire…

Inside a grand study hall, two men sat facing one another.

One appeared to be in his forties and wore white robes threaded with golden silk. His face was refined and elegant, and the mustache above his lip twitched constantly as though he permanently carried a smile.

The other was an older man dressed entirely in black.

His expression was dark and heavy. His bronze-like eyes radiated suppressed hostility.

Though seated together, neither acknowledged the other’s existence.

Cough. Cough. Cough.

An elderly figure slowly entered the hall.

He wore golden robes embroidered with nine dragons.

The moment he appeared, both men immediately rose.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

The old emperor waved dismissively before slowly taking his seat, coughing several more times along the way.

“Hidden Dragon Pavilion and Nether Valley are both pillars of the Empire,” the emperor said slowly. “Why have the two of you come before me today?”

This old man was none other than the Emperor of Heavenly Yu himself.

“Your Majesty!” the black-robed elder immediately said. “One month ago, Hidden Dragon Pavilion killed two elders of Nether Valley and violated the agreement between the Seven Houses. I ask that Your Majesty punish them severely!”

The white-robed man sneered.

“U Wanshan, you truly have no shame. Your Nether Valley elders trespassed into Hidden Dragon Pavilion territory first. Who exactly violated the agreement?”

“Our disciple, You Quan, was killed in Windforest City. Sending elders to investigate was perfectly justified!”

U Wanshan narrowed his eyes coldly.

“Long Yifei… this is retaliation for what happened twenty years ago.”

“Retaliation?” Long Yifei laughed coldly. “And what if it is? Twenty years ago, your people lured the Ninth Elder of Hidden Dragon Pavilion into Fallen Leaf City and destroyed one of his divine eyes. You called that justice under the Seven Houses agreement. This time your elders invaded our territory—four of them at once. And you call that an investigation?”

“Enough!”

The emperor’s voice exploded through the hall.

For the first time, sharp killing intent flashed through his aged eyes.

“Both sides are at fault.”

Silence immediately fell.

The emperor continued coldly:

“By imperial decree, Hidden Dragon Pavilion will withdraw from Windforest City. From this day forward, it will no longer belong to your territory. Furthermore, neither Nether Valley nor Hidden Dragon Pavilion may ever set foot in Windforest City again.”

“Your Majesty!”

Both men protested at once.

But the emperor cut them off with a wave of his sleeve.

“This matter is settled. I will not hear further conflict between the Seven Houses.”

The two men clenched their jaws unwillingly.

Still, neither dared resist.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After they departed, the emperor’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“So. Nether Valley finally moved toward Windforest City. It seems they’ve learned of the thousand-year secret decree.”

A hoarse old voice suddenly echoed from behind him.

“The imperial capital has always been a land of hidden eyes. Every major power has spies buried here. Surely Your Majesty already knew that.”

The emperor smiled faintly.

“Yes…”

A strange light flickered across his eyes.

“It seems the plan can finally begin.”

“The pearl… is ready to shine.”

[End of Chapter Forty-One]

 

Chapter Forty-Two — A Fat Man With Backbone

After leaving the small courtyard, Zhuo Fan headed straight for Hidden Dragon Pavilion.

The distance was no more than a few hundred steps.

Before long, the Pavilion’s grand entrance appeared ahead of him.

But before he could approach, his footsteps slowed.

Then stopped.

Outside Hidden Dragon Pavilion’s main gate stood a soft sedan chair wrapped in golden silk.

Four bearers stood at the front and rear, each one at the peak of Qi Gathering. Around them, sixteen guards waited in silence.

Every one of them was at the Bone Tempering Stage.

In front of the sedan chair stood an enormous object.

A man.

At least, Zhuo Fan assumed it was a man.

He wore a long golden robe, and his body was so round it nearly erased the shape of his limbs. His face was packed with flesh, squeezing his already tiny eyes so deep into the folds that, without looking closely, one might mistake his head for a large steamed bun sitting on his shoulders.

Zhuo Fan could not help shaking his head.

He had seen many strange people in his life.

But this was new.

“How does a person even grow into that shape?”

He exhaled quietly and continued forward, though his eyes kept drifting toward the fat man.

The man’s appearance was ridiculous. His cultivation was only at the seventh layer of Qi Gathering. But the guards around him were clearly elite.

That meant his background was not simple.

Could he be from one of the Seven Houses?

Zhuo Fan quickly dismissed the thought.

If the fat man belonged to Hidden Dragon Pavilion, he would have already gone inside.

He would not be standing outside the gate waiting.

“Wait!”

Just as Zhuo Fan was about to enter Hidden Dragon Pavilion, a loud shout rang out behind him.

He turned.

The fat man was running toward him.

Every step sank into the ground.

Every step made the earth tremble.

Zhuo Fan’s face twitched slightly.

“You… need something from me?”

“Heh heh heh…”

The fat man stopped in front of him and smiled honestly.

“You’re from Hidden Dragon Pavilion, right?”

The smile made things worse.

Once he smiled, his eyes vanished completely.

Zhuo Fan shook his head, utterly speechless at this world-shaking appearance.

“I have some ties with Hidden Dragon Pavilion, but I’m not one of their people.”

“Oh, that’s fine. As long as you can get inside.”

The fat man nodded in understanding and revealed a warm smile.

“Then may I trouble you with a small favor, brother? Please tell Miss Long Kui that if she refuses to come out and see me, I’ll sleep right here and never leave.”

Zhuo Fan finally understood.

So this strangely shaped fat man was Long Kui’s pursuer.

For a moment, Zhuo Fan nearly spat out laughing.

If they were not standing in public, he might have laughed until his ribs hurt.

Long Kui was always so proud and arrogant.

Who would have thought she had this kind of admirer?

Regardless of his background, with this appearance alone, Long Kui probably would not dare take him outside in public.

“Fine. No problem.”

Zhuo Fan forced down his laughter and patted his chest.

“I’ll tell her to come see you right away.”

The fat man immediately cupped his hands with gratitude.

“Then I’ll have to trouble you, brother.”

Zhuo Fan quickly entered Hidden Dragon Pavilion.

He was afraid that if he stayed near the fat man any longer, he really would burst out laughing.

And if laughing offended some major power, that would be far too stupid.

Soon, Zhuo Fan found Long Kui outside the meeting hall.

“Miss Long. It’s been several days. Have you been well?”

“Hmph. I was doing fine until I saw you.”

Long Kui snorted coldly and refused even to look at him.

Zhuo Fan did not care.

He went straight to the point.

“Is Brother Jiu here? I need to see him.”

“He’s not.”

Long Kui rolled her eyes.

Zhuo Fan studied her expression carefully.

She did not seem to be lying.

And since Long Jie was nowhere to be seen either, Zhuo Fan guessed that they had gone out with Long Jiu to handle something.

If that was the case, the matter of taking control of Windforest City would have to wait.

But the fat man’s request still had to be delivered.

After all, once someone accepted another’s request, one should see it through.

More importantly—

Watching this arrogant girl suffer a little was an excellent way to pass the time.

With that thought, Zhuo Fan suddenly revealed a strange smile.

“What’s with that look?” Long Kui frowned.

“Nothing.”

Zhuo Fan waved his hand and smiled.

“There’s a very rich handsome man outside who asked me to pass on a message. If you don’t go out and see him, he won’t leave.”

He leaned closer and nudged Long Kui with his elbow.

“Miss Long, who is he?”

Long Kui naturally knew who was outside.

She also knew Zhuo Fan was mocking her.

Anger flashed across her face.

Ignoring him, she turned and walked out.

Zhuo Fan laughed and followed immediately, looking every bit like a man eager to watch a disaster unfold.

“Damn fatty!”

Long Kui’s voice arrived before she did.

“Didn’t I already tell you? I will never accept your marriage proposal. Why are you still camping outside?”

The fat man’s excited face instantly collapsed.

“Sister Long Kui, I proposed to you when I was ten. Now I’m almost twenty. For ten full years, I’ve proposed more than a thousand times. Are you really not moved at all?”

“Moved. Of course she’s moved.”

Before Long Kui could speak, Zhuo Fan stepped forward, patted the fat man on the shoulder, and looked toward Long Kui.

“Miss Long, a man this devoted is hard to find. Since he’s so sincere, you should just accept him.”

When he said the last sentence, Zhuo Fan almost laughed out loud.

The fat man, however, looked at him with sincere gratitude.

He did not hear the mockery at all.

Long Kui was so angry her lungs nearly exploded.

One confessed.

One encouraged.

Together, they were practically singing a duet.

But then her eyes shifted.

An idea came to her.

A charming smile appeared on her face.

It was the first time Zhuo Fan had ever seen Long Kui smile like that.

Even he was slightly stunned.

As for the fat man, his mouth nearly flooded the street.

Long Kui felt disgusted inside, but she maintained the smile.

“Brother Tong, you’ve always treated me well since we were children. How could I not know that?”

She lowered her eyes slightly.

“But now… there is already someone else in my heart.”

“What?”

The fat man’s expression changed instantly.

“Who is he?”

A rare murderous glint flashed in those tiny eyes.

Zhuo Fan’s heart sank.

Not good.

This girl couldn’t be planning to dump dirty water on him, could she?

Sure enough, Long Kui turned her gaze toward Zhuo Fan.

There was even a trace of strange amusement in her eyes.

Damn it.

Zhuo Fan clenched his teeth.

He did not know exactly who this fat man was, but judging from his entourage alone, he was clearly not someone easy to provoke.

Zhuo Fan had only just offended Nether Valley.

If he offended another force of equal or greater power now, even the former Demon Emperor would have trouble turning danger into safety.

“So that’s why you can enter and leave Hidden Dragon Pavilion so casually…”

The fat man also followed Long Kui’s gaze.

Then he grabbed Zhuo Fan by the collar.

“You and Sister Kui are—”

“Brother, misunderstanding. This is all a misunderstanding…”

Zhuo Fan quickly waved his hands.

But the fat man could no longer hear anything.

His eyes had turned red.

There were two things a man could never tolerate.

The murder of his father.

And the theft of his woman.

Especially the second.

Sometimes, that hurt even more.

For no reason at all, Zhuo Fan had been slapped with that accusation.

Now this grudge between him and the fat man would not be easy to erase.

Zhuo Fan sighed helplessly.

It seemed he would have to find Long Jiu later and ask him to explain, or he might really offend another enormous power.

But just as Zhuo Fan was thinking about how to handle the aftermath, the fat man shouted one sentence that made his mind go completely blank.

“Sister Kui, tell me! What part of me is worse than this brat?”

Pfft.

Zhuo Fan nearly coughed up blood.

He stared blankly at the fat man.

“Brother… now I understand why you’ve proposed more than a thousand times.”

He had seen plenty of arrogant people.

But someone this lacking in self-awareness?

This was a first.

Looking at that mountain of flesh, standing still long enough to almost sink into the ground, Zhuo Fan truly wanted to shout in his face:

Brother, what part of you is good?

What part of you can compare to me?

Of course, except family background.

But did Long Kui lack family background?

Long Kui was also speechless.

She rolled her eyes helplessly.

Only this fat man could say something like that.

“Brother Tong, you must have come to Windforest City for something else. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be allowed to leave the imperial capital so casually.”

She sighed.

“So go handle your business. Stop wasting time here.”

“How can I do that? You’re the wife I plan to marry properly in the future. I specifically volunteered for this miserable assignment just so I could come see you. But I never expected…”

The fat man turned and glared at Zhuo Fan, full of grief and anger.

“Duel!”

He shouted and pointed at Zhuo Fan’s nose.

“Today, I’m challenging you to a duel. Whoever wins gets to marry Sister Kui. Whoever loses gives up on his own!”

Zhuo Fan froze.

Then he studied the fat man more carefully.

A faint appreciation appeared in his heart.

This brat was the first noble descendant Zhuo Fan had met who did not immediately throw his family name around before a fight.

Just for that, Zhuo Fan looked at him a little more seriously.

“Young master,” one of the guards quickly said, “your body is precious. How can you casually duel someone? If you want to teach this brat a lesson, let us—”

“Shut up!”

Before the guard could finish, the fat man roared.

“I’m the one who wants to marry Sister Kui. This duel concerns my dignity as a man. If you make a move for me, where am I supposed to put my face? Wouldn’t Sister Kui look down on me even more?”

I already look down on you, Long Kui thought silently.

But Zhuo Fan nodded slightly.

The corner of his mouth lifted.

“Good. I accept your challenge.”

He paused.

“However, every one of your guards is stronger than me. If they interfere, I definitely can’t win.”

“I said I would duel you, and a duel means one-on-one.”

The fat man grew even angrier when he heard the doubt in Zhuo Fan’s words.

“My word is worth nine cauldrons. You don’t believe me?”

Zhuo Fan shook his head lightly.

“I believe you. But if their master is beaten, will these servants really stay still? At that point, your orders may not matter.”

The fat man’s tiny eyes narrowed until they vanished completely.

No one knew whether he was thinking or simply closing his eyes from anger.

A moment later, he turned toward his guards and shouted:

“All of you stay here and don’t move. Before I come back, anyone who dares take even one step will die by my hand.”

Then he turned back to Zhuo Fan.

A sharp light flickered inside those tiny eyes.

“You choose the place. We fight alone. No one interferes.”

Zhuo Fan smiled and nodded.

Long Kui frowned and quickly stepped close to him.

“You’re really going to fight him?” she whispered. “Let me warn you. If he gets hurt, even Hidden Dragon Pavilion won’t be able to protect you.”

Zhuo Fan shook his head without concern.

Then he looked at Long Kui.

“Actually, this fat man isn’t bad.”

Long Kui froze.

She did not understand what he meant.

But when the fat man saw the two of them standing so close, rage surged through him again.

He breathed heavily, every exhale rough and furious.

“Brat, just wait! I’ll beat you half to death!”

Hearing this, Zhuo Fan laughed loudly.

He did not take the threat seriously at all.

[End of Chapter Forty-Two]