Proofreader: Papatonks

Looking down at the blood, the ghastly scene made even Ruby Cloud Sect’s girls cover their eyes. It shocked them to the core to find someone so resolute to even harm themselves.

Zhuo Fan looked back up, giving the old man a snicker, “Senior, you’re playing hardball!”

“Kid, youths have little experience. There’re plenty of savager people in the world than me. You’ll meet them later. Letting this little frighten you proves you have no place on this stage.”

“Ha-ha-ha, sir’s lesson is right. I hope sir will go easy on me.”

“You’re making it hard for these old bones. The Sword Emperor must have that map. I urge you to withdraw. Kid, you don’t understand the world of adults.” The old man patronized.

Chu Qingcheng was worried for Zhuo Fan. He looked wise and bold, making her feel like a kid would be no match for him.

[I just hope he won’t push it and get hurt in the process.]

Zhuo Fan’s eye held an eerie glow as he offered, “Please!”

“Kid, the young fear nothing, but will only end up broken, ha-ha-ha…” The old man stared at him, extending his wounded leg, “Kid, the same question, how many toes did I have on my 5000th birthday?”

Zhuo Fan snickered, “With senior having nine, then it must be nine.”

“Ha-ha-ha, kid, you think I wouldn’t cut another off?”

The old man drew his fingers and shot for the leg and another bloody toe fell. The old man bore through the pain, looking smug, “Wrong, it’s eight!”

The people sighed.

Against such a question, no one could guess as long as he keeps cutting off his toes.

[The kid met his match in an aged scoundrel.]

Whoosh~

A black light flashed, and the old man Liu shook. Below him, blood spilled like a flood, followed by a searing pain.

“Aah!”

The old man howled as he fell to the ground, leaving two intact feet in the pooling blood. Zhuo Fan stood across, holding a black longsword glowing eerily.

“I was wrong after all. I mustn’t know anything, I guess. But it looks like senior was wrong as well. You didn’t have eight toes on your 5000th birthday, but none, ha-ha-ha…”

Everyone shivered as their eyes bugged out.

The old guy was the Sword Emperor’s representative, that nobody dared to offend. Now a Bone Tempering nobody did…

[Wait, how did he get the strength to cut an Emperor’s feet off?]

Chu Qingcheng was frightened. She never saw Zhuo Fan cut someone down, but the familiar scene had her hesitating.

[Is he the same brat I’ve been cursing all this time?]

“Senior uncle, are you alright?”

Xu Zhensheng rushed to his side, then glared at Zhuo Fan, “Y-you dare…”

Zhuo Fan cut him off, “What, since senior can change the outcome, why can’t I? City Lord, how do we settle this round?”

“Tie.” The city lord’s face twitched, giving him an odd look. He didn’t think this kid with low cultivation had it in him to be so cruel.

Zhuo Fan grinned, “I knew City Lord was fair. But that was his question and now comes mine. Although, senior doesn’t look to be in shape to continue. Switch, maybe?”

“Humph, rotten punk, I’ll take his place to bet with you!”

Xu Zhensheng gnashed his teeth and stepped forward. He then felt his senior uncle pulling his sleeve as he lay in his own blood, looking worried.

“Senior uncle…”

“Ah’Sheng, you’re not his match.”

The old man was trembling as he looked at Zhuo Fan’s vile smile, “I was wrong. He’s no youth, but a conniving old monster. Boy, you won’t win.”

Xu Zhensheng couldn’t believe his ears. He was a great peak-stage Spirit King yet he couldn’t win against a Bone Tempering punk?

The other youths on stage looked baffled.

Only a few veterans caught his meaning. Mei Sangu as well could see that Zhuo Fan’s eyes were beyond shifty, her opinion of him changing into fright.

The slash was too clean and without hesitation, coming at an Emperor no less. Such nerves and savagery didn’t come from just anywhere.

It was an edge forged in endless bloodshed and over a mountain of corpses.

How could a Bone Tempering cultivator wield such experience?

The old man gripped Xu Zhensheng hard, gasping for breath as he gnashed his teeth, “City Lord, we give up. You bet with him. Boy, this isn’t over. I will get you for taking my two feet!”

“Anytime!”

Zhuo Fan turned towards city lord, “Care to ask, City Lord?”

The city lord looked grave, “Steward Zhuo, now I know why you wield a clan’s power, having the skills to handle the job.”

“Thanks.”

“Here’s my question.”

The city lord paused, “This is the Nether Sea map. I want to know that if you got the map, how sure are you of finding it?”

Everyone flinched at the question, focused on the two with rapt attention as they waited for the answer.

Zhuo Fan smiled, “I didn’t even see the map so how sure I can be? Like with any treasure map, I’ll be doing my best. Is that enough?”

“A perfect answer, since this answer comes from your heart. Take it.”

The city lord handed the map to Zhuo Fan.

Looking over the aged paper, Zhuo Fan said, “Just like that? I’ve yet to ask my question. You’re the house and have the highest chance of winning?”

“Steward Zhuo’s methods opened my eyes. I’m sure I can’t answer it anyway. I lose, ha-ha-ha…” The city lord said.

Zhuo Fan paused then showed a vague smile as he stashed the map in his ring, “Thanks.”

Zhuo Fan waved and left with his group, under the hard stares of everyone there.

One looked forlorn, stuck between women as she sighed.

[He won’t even look at me once?]

On the road, Bali Yuyu looked back to see no one, smirking, “Here I thought the map was something special, but we got it easy.”

“Easy?”

Zhuo Fan chuckled, “Easy meant those people in there wouldn’t have bled for it. Didn’t you notice how pained the representatives were when taking out the treasures?”

“Since it’s so important, why isn’t there anyone tailing us?”

“Because it’s just a map and not something you can use either. It’s common practice of those relics to see the prize before jumping in. After we find the Nether Sea, those bastards are sure to charge, all of them!”

Zhuo Fan sneered, “The map is no treasure, but a headache. They’re all waiting for us to find the real deal before robbing us blind. Even the Gambling Emperor is no exception. Why do you think he never tried looking for it then? He had the map. I bet he couldn’t figure the map out, so he went to find another that can while he lurks from behind.”

“Why then would the other seven go through such trouble?”

“The other Emperors haven’t looked over the map and while they knew it was hard to understand it, they still want to try; such is greed. If he did unravel it by any chance, wouldn’t he get everything? Just like…”

Zhuo Fan trailed off.

Back then, in Nine Serenities’s tomb, he unraveled its mystery.

Bali Yuyu nodded and said, “Since it’s a headache, why did we fight for it? Couldn’t we be another lurking shadow instead?”

“Oh, Yuyu, the shadows are all seasoned and famed geezers. Our Luo clan has yet to make a name for itself in Sacred Domain. Why hide? We’re only using the map to knock on the Eight Emperors’ doors and enter the fray. Without it, there’s no way for us to enter the eight great lands of the Sacred Domain.”

“Oh, so that’s why. Who do we go to first?”

“The Demonic Emperor, Zhao Chen!” Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone, his smile evil…