Chapter 1182: Liao Clan Head

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In a dark room, a used rocking chair creaked as it swayed at the motions of an elderly man with white hair and a dim expression. 

Fang Ding bowed, “Clan Head, I’ve looked into them on the way and they’re merchants. The highest level cultivator is their Clan Head, a Spirit King, holding a bit of sway in a small town, they have nothing else to their name. We can begin!”

“How are the goods?” The elderly man spoke in a jittery tone. 

Fang Ding was solemn, “Clan Head, be assured they’re exquisite. The young miss and the twelve guards are in Genesis Stage. Only that pretty boy steward is a waste at Bone Tempering Stage and can be ignored.”

“Let’s take a look.”

The elderly man coughed and walked out with Fang Ding behind him.

With a light coughing, the elderly man entered the main hall. Luo Yunchang’s group stood up and greeted him.

The elderly man’s black and blue face, like a freak’s, had the women frightened, and they let out an, “Ah!”

Zhuo Fan squinted, sizing him up.

“Is my face that scary, young miss?” The old man coughed twice and smiled before taking the main seat with Fang Ding at his side.

The women strained to keep a straight face as they bowed, “Clan Head Liao, forgive our loss of composure.”

“It’s fine, I know better than anyone just how ghastly I look. Everyone jumps the first time, ha-ha-ha…” The old man waved off their concern, then sized them up with a glimmer in his eyes.

Luo Yunchang felt a chill come over her, like she was being put on display for others to judge her worth.

The old man restrained his piercing gaze and showed a wide smile, “Steward Fang has been telling me young miss Luo’s father is a lord over a city. Which was it again?” 

“Magical City!” Luo Yunchang smiled.

The old man pondered.

[Magical City is nothing special, occupying around a hundred miles, far smaller than my town. Any Spirit King can take the lead there. The Luo clan shouldn’t be a tough nut to crack then…]

The elderly man continued, “Magical City, under whose administration?”

“Liao Clan Head, please, everyone knows the Eight Emperors of the Sacred Domain. Half of Sacred Domain belongs to the Eight Emperors while the other half to the Seven Sacred Mountains. The bits and pieces stuck in between are at the discretion of the tougher Spirit Kings to fight over. They’re places no one cares about and, unfortunately, housing people they care even less.”

Luo Yunchang sighed, “Father offered a gift at the start of the year to the lord of Tempest City and hoped to get his recommendation to gain the Sword Emperor’s help. But even the last of the Sword Emperor’s seventy two city lords did not deign to see us. He even threw our gift out the door, forcing father to come back in disappointment. It’s not easy to get on anyone’s good graces.” 

The old man sighed, “Yes, in these times great danger awaits any who do not have a strong backer. You have managed to get a city lord position today, but tomorrow someone else will take it from you.”

“Yes, these are harsh times, eh?”

Luo Yunchang gave him an odd look, “Liao Clan Head, I-I beg your pardon? What do you mean by that last part?”

The old man had an eerie grin, “That I’m so relieved your father has no one to turn to. It’ll give me that much sweeter sleep once I take you, ha-ha-ha…”

Luo Yunchang started in shock and jumped to her feet. The twelve guards and Zhuo Fan moved to defend her.

“Don’t waste your energy, insects.”

The old man sneered and with a flick of his hand, the group felt a gale coming at them and flung them into the air. They then vanished the next second and reappeared in a place where there were piles and piles of bones.  

Luo Yunchang shrieked then looked for Zhuo Fan, “Ah, Zhuo Fan, save me…”

“Barrier!”

Zhuo Fan squinted at his surroundings and said, “To think the town had such a place. On the surface it looked flourishing, but beneath it hid a mountain of  bones.”

Luo Yunchang clutched to him for dear life as she looked around in worry, “How do we escape?”

“There is no escape! Your meager strength won’t ever get out of my 1st grade sacred array!”

A laughter came from everywhere in this morbid place and the old man reemerged in front of them with a snicker.

Fang Ding and all the town folks were here as well, laughing at the Luo clan’s flustered and panicked looks. 

Bang~

Luo Yunchang’s anger-fueled fist let out muffled sounds as it landed on the invisible barrier that surrounding them, roaring, “Geezer, let us out right now or you’ll be sorry!”

“Let you go? Why, on account of your third-rate city’s lord of a father? Ha-ha-ha…”

The old man cackled, “Please, not only do I not fear him, but would you believe me when I tell you that he won’t even suspect me, woman?”

Luo Yunchang’s face fell, her eyes staring hard. Zhuo Fan smiled, “True enough, with Scarlet Lightning Valley being so close, any disappearance would immediately think it is the main reason. Who’d ever think such a joyful little town would hide a den of bloodthirsty monsters?”

“I must say, you’re more than you look, kid. You got good eyes on you.”

The old man cocked an eyebrow as he gave Zhuo Fan another careful look, “I can see it’s not just your pretty looks that got you the steward job. So you do have skill after all. Yes, I picked this place because of Scarlet Lightning Valley offering a perfect excuse for any and all kills that I make. No one would ever think it was me!”

Zhuo Fan smiled, “Right, you’re quite cautious, looking into all travelers that reach your town. You’re letting those with backing go while striking at the nameless ones. It mattered little if those little groups the victims belonged to had the power or not, especially since you have Scarlet Lightning Valley as cover. Let’s say your cover is blown, but even then, as peak Spirit King you’d make light work of them. You’ve made a killer living in this place, and it’s safe too.”

“You know me so well, kid, despite being a cripple. I’m starting to like you.” The old man nodded, offering, “Why not join me and I’ll spare you.” 

Zhuo Fan smirked.

Luo Yunchang was furious, hammering away at the impervious barrier while screaming like a banshee, “You could be the lord of your own area with your strength, so why did you choose to do such things instead? Even working under the Eight Emperors should be easier than attacking in the shadows.”

The old man gnashed his teeth, then eased with powerlessness.

“Because he has no other choice. No matter how much the Eight Emperors love talent, they’ll never take in someone who uses the Soul Devouring Array. They’d rather avoid repeating the age-old scenario of being hunted down by all of Sacred Domain.”

Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone as he shouted.

The old man shuddered from shock, glaring hard at Zhuo Fan, “W-who the hell are you? How do you know…”

As for the town folk, they were equally overwhelmed.

“Soul Devouring Array? What’s that?” Luo Yunchang frowned hard.

With an evil smile, Zhuo Fan stared at the other party, opening the sordid past hidden for so many years, “Soul Eater is a demonic cultivation art that took everything from another cultivator to further their own power. Only what it’s absorbed also contains regret and hatred, taking its toll on the user’s mind while rotting the body from the inside. Therefore, restraint is an absolute must with this method, to purge all the hatred first and strengthen one’s core before using it again. That is if one doesn’t want to end up becoming a walking corpse.” 

Zhuo Fan pointed at the old man’s ghastly face and laughed.

The old man’s face twitched, boiling mad.

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