Chapter 247 - The Biggest Underdog (1/2)
June 22, 2021
Translator: StarReader
Editor: Silavin
Five months later, at the Imperial Capital, the Emperor was reviewing reports in the study.
Suddenly, a black figure knelt at his side. Hands cupped in respect, black figure spoke “Your Majesty, Dragon Cloud City’s report on the Luo clan has come!”
“Deliver!”
The Emperor spoke, but didn’t spare the man a glance. The man offered the report with both hands.
The Emperor took one glance at it and threw it back into the man’s face, “Every damn report over the past five years has been either all quiet or all normal! The Luo clan is set to make waves in the Esoteric Debate, but where is that Bone Tempering Stage kid? How the hell are you even getting your intelligence?”
“Please sooth your anger, Your Majesty! I’ve been at fault!” The man was on the ground in a blink, shaking like a leaf.
The Emperor caressed his beard, but the fire in his eyes was like a smoldering volcano. Oddly enough, he soon restored his calm.
Yet this only worked to instill greater fear in the man’s bones!
“Is there anything on that Zhuo Fan?” The emperor’s tone was cold.
The man shook his head, “Nothing, Your Majesty!”
“And what of Divine Dragon Gu Santong?” The emperor followed.
The man was on the verge of tears, “Unknown, Your Majesty!”
“You’ve been searching for five years but can’t find anything about Zhuo Fan. That rampant guy Gu Santong must still be stirring trouble somewhere and yet you can’t even find a trace of him! Humph, why am I even raising you worthless mongrels? You can’t do anything!” The Emperor’s eyes flashed with bloodthirst.
The man kowtowed three times, pleading, “Your Majesty, please quell your anger. I am incompetent! Please spare me!”
“Out!” The Emperor flicked his sleeve.
The man kowtowed three more times and bolted, “Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you…”
The Emperor took a deep breath and lifted his head, “Gu Santong and Zhuo Fan are missing. Can this piece of information even be trusted? Did they perish in the Lightning Canyon?
“It’s fine if Gu Santong is gone from this world. It might actually be a blessing! But Zhuo Fan? He is yet to fulfill his task. His death would be such a waste! But this boy brings too many surprises. He lifted up a wretched third rate clan to one that is brimming with power! A miracle really! But I just can’t tell if the Luo clan can still complete the task without Zhuo Fan, ha-ha-ha…”
The Emperor chuckled quite cheerfully, like a sly rogue.
Just then, a guard fell to his knees before the emperor, “Your Majesty, Divine Dragon Gu Santong has returned!”
Ugh!
The laughter came to a grunting stop, and the emperor sighed, “Understood!” But his good mood was gone.
[Ah, the worst trouble is yet to come…]
Meanwhile, before the great gates of a city, a familiar figure appeared. He looked up and read the imposing words on the wall, Dragon Cloud City.
Rumor had it that the imperial family, Yuwen clan’s efforts to raise an army to found the empire in historic times all began from this place. As such, every single Esoteric Debate was held here.
“I got held up for too long in the Lightning Canyon. I hope I made it in time. Hope those guys didn’t get themselves wiped out again!” Zhuo Fan sighed under his black cloak as he entered the city.
There were soldiers all around the city, but that did not stop anyone from milling about.
This city afterall was a gathering place of the empire’s most distinguished houses and clans. Everyone was free to come and go or even join the Esoteric Debate if they wished.
But the army was tasked with breaking any conflicts among these clans, most of all among the seven houses. Once a fight broke out, it was easy to plunge the entire empire into unrest.
This made the soldiers stationed here ready to act at a moment’s notice.
The only one in the whole empire able to shake the seven houses was none other than the second of the Four Pillars and Tianyu’s Marshal, God of War, Dugu Zhantian!