The Steward Demonic Emperor Chapter 5, Obnoxious Servant

A smug grin spread across Zhuo Fan’s face as he grasped her intention.

The young miss surely deemed him mentally unstable, yet she still could not bring herself to let him perish. Even while they were engaged in the confrontation, she was desperately searching for a way to maneuver him behind the protection of the guards.

“Are you still just standing there? Get him over here at once before he further humiliates our house!” Luo Yunchang commanded the guards with a sharp shout.

Before anyone could react, a gore-stained blade was pressed firmly against Zhuo Fan’s throat.

“Wait!”

Steward Sun let out a mocking sneer, his gaze sharpening as he immediately pierced through Luo Yunchang’s desperate ploy. “He-he-he, the young miss remains as soft-hearted as ever, seeking to protect even a deranged servant.”

Luo Yunchang erupted with fury, “Steward Sun, can you not even show mercy to one who has clearly lost his mind?”

“Ha-ha-ha, spare me the lecture. If you refuse to let an innocent soul perish, simply surrender the Returning Dragon Palm. Our weapons are hungry, and we certainly do not mind staining them with the blood of another wretch.”

With that, the bandit dragged the cold edge of the steel across Zhuo Fan’s cheek, wearing a bloodthirsty smirk.

Luo Yunchang compressed her lips, her eyes betraying her inner turmoil, yet she finally decided to close them in silent resignation.

Zhuo Fan understood the implication.

Although the young miss had no real intention of surrendering their martial art to save him, the mere fact that she had hesitated for his sake filled him with a strange sense of gratitude toward his mistress.

Even so, ultimately, his survival rested solely in his own hands.

Casting an evaluating glance at the bandit, he identified the man as a brute of similar build, currently at the 7th layer of Foundation Establishment.

[This should be manageable!]

Zhuo Fan clenched his fist, focusing his Yuan Qi into his left hand while a ruthless glint ignited in his eyes.

“Humph, since you insist on being so stubborn, Zhuo Fan shall be the very first to pay with his life because of your choice.” Steward Sun lowered his hand, fixing his cold gaze on Luo Yunchang’s pained expression, then barked, “Fatty, finish the job.”

The bandit grinned and hoisted his blade high into the air.

A sudden, heavy thud resounded through the clearing, immediately followed by the sickening crunch of bone and a piercing wail from the fat man.

His sword had long since slipped from his grasp.

Zhuo Fan seized the weapon and swiftly decapitated the assailant.

Fountains of blood sprayed into the air as the heavy head tumbled away.

Although Zhuo Fan’s cultivation was only at the 5th layer of Foundation Establishment, his Yuan Qi possessed the intensity one would normally expect from a master of the Qi Condensation realm. Exploiting a split second of the fat man’s arrogance, he had slammed his elbow into his chest, shattering his ribcage instantly.

He followed the strike by swinging the blade in one flawless, fluid motion.

Not a single soul could react before the fat man’s head was sent flying from his shoulders.

Plop!

The severed, gore-covered head rolled across the dirt and came to a stop right at the feet of Steward Sun.

He stared down at the familiar, lifeless face, utterly unable to comprehend the outcome.

He had watched Zhuo Fan grow up within the Luo clan and believed he knew his character perfectly. He was a simple, honest soul, nothing more than a slave who begged to be stepped upon.

Yet, this submissive lamb had bared its fangs like a apex predator, dispatching a 7th layer Foundation Establishment expert with a single strike. The act was carried out with such cold-blooded efficiency that even the other bandits were shaken to their cores.

The guards of the Luo clan were even more stunned. Was this truly the same man they had constantly teased? Beyond the brutality of the kill, his reflexes and violence were levels beyond even their own captain.

Every single one of them stood frozen in shock, watching in dazed silence as blood dripped from Zhuo Fan’s stolen blade, completely forgetting to even draw breath.

Zhuo Fan recognized that if he did not seize this moment to flee, he would never have another chance.

He narrowed his eyes, pressed his slight advantage, and hurled the blood-stained saber directly at Steward Sun. He sprinted toward the young miss and the young master, covering the distance before the weapon had even landed. By the time the saber clattered to the ground, he had already reached Luo Yunchang.

He grabbed Luo Yunhai with one hand and caught her with the other, sprinting frantically deep into the dense forest.

Luo Yunchang remained in a stupor, allowing herself to be dragged along.

Steward Sun watched their escape in panic, roaring, “After them!”

However, the captain and his remaining guards stepped forward to block their path.

“Humph, you actually believe you can stand in my way?” Steward Sun sneered cruelly.

The captain offered a grim smile and shook his head, “No, but we can certainly buy them enough time to escape.”

“He-he-he, do you truly think your deaths will lead to their safety?”

Taking one final look in the direction they had fled, the captain nodded, “In the past, perhaps not. But they have that boy with them now.”

The other guards nodded, a newfound trust in Zhuo Fan beginning to spark in their hearts.

They may not have understood why Zhuo Fan had suddenly grown so formidable, but with him at the side of the young miss and young master, their prospects for survival were vastly improved.

Gritting his teeth, Steward Sun stared murderously into the distance, “That little brat dares to defy me. Once I capture him, I will flay him alive. I shall make him beg for the sweet release of death!”