Chapter 386: Vile Dragon's Omen
Zhuo Fan couldn't care less, nodding by instinct alone as he made his way away from her!
The blank look of indifference dimmed the princess's enthusiasm as well, her tone becoming sour and biting, "Yunchang, is this how you teach your servant? He's like a popinjay!"
"Ha-ha-ha, forgive me sister. He doesn't know any better. You can just ignore him!" Luo Yunchang consoled her, while dancing inside.
[This princess has set herself up for disappointment. Zhuo Fan has never bothered with her.] She already had enough rivals and could surely do without any extras...
Luo Yunhai glanced at the girls and said coolly, "If brother Zhuo was like Yu family's stewards, would you be flirting with him and chasing him all day long?"
"Hey, who's chasing whom here? Who's flirting?" The two girls snapped at the same time.
Luo Yunhai just shook his head, "I am doing the chasing and flirting, alright? Brother Zhuo must've come for me so I'll be going now."
Luo Yunhai chuckled away. Leaving two tomatoes behind, sunk in awkward silence.
At one point they glanced at the door with admiration for Luo Yunhai.
He could go to Zhuo Fan whenever, while they had to find an excuse to maintain their prim and proper reputation...
In the gardens of the compound, Luo Yunhai briskly came to an already waiting Zhuo Fan. Zhuo Fan grinned at the kid, "Good, your sight is improving. You knew I came for you."
"Of course. Besides, I've been around brother Zhuo for so long that we are like brothers. He-he-he..." Luo Yunhai scratched his nose.
Zhuo Fan nodded, hooking his finger, "Come then, let me see your progress."
A fire was lit under Luo Yunhai's rear as he spurred on with purpose and threw a punch at Zhuo Fan.
Bang~
Punches flew everywhere, with power and speed. While Zhuo Fan returned some, he also preached.
"A fight is not just about power, but brains as well. Look for an opening.
"If there's an opening, seize it. If not, make one!
"Avail yourself to their weaknesses, avoid their strengths and lure them into a false sense of security before you spring your trap to crush them..."
Zhuo Fan had taught Luo Yunhai well into the night when the moon was up and the stars were shining.
For Zhuo Fan, it was all a light warm up. While Luo Yunhai, a Bone Tempering cultivator, facing such a monster, was now sprawled on the ground gasping for air.
He was burnt out, like a toad croaking its last.
"Brother Zhuo, you were quite free today to teach me for so long." Luo Yunhai shouted, soaked in sweat.
Zhuo Fan sighed at the starry sky, "Three years. Only one has passed and the stalemate is already stirring. You'll be hard pressed to find a quieter time like this afterwards, ha-ha-ha..."
Zhuo Fan shook his head, patting Luo Yunhai's head before going to his room. The thought of leaving again soon left him bleak.
Luo Yunhai gazed at the prideful back. He sensed something and picked himself up to go find Luo Yunchang...
Creak~
Zhuo Fan entered his room and sighed.
He frowned, having smelled something off about his chambers. Scanning the room, he arrived at the bed, with something squirming beneath the covers.
"Who's there?" Zhuo Fan said.
The squirming thing got squirmier.
Zhuo Fan flicked the bedding off, but the squirmy thing left him speechless.
The fair skin of a tight body, covered in thin red silk that could fly away at a simple breeze, was right there for the taking.
The owner of such a work of art had her eyes closed shut and teeth clenched while she was shivering and in silent tears...
"Miss... Shuang'er?" Blinking, Zhuo Fan swallowed dryly, "What are you doing in my bed? Looking like this no less..."
His voice trailed off, his shifty eyes gawking in all her splendor.
Yun Shuang blushed harder and shouted, "Isn't this what a beast like you wanted? I only hope you will keep your promise once you have had your way with my body!"
"Uh... Shuang'er, I think you may have slightly taken this the wrong way. When have I asked this of you?" Zhuo Fan's brain turned to mush, not that his sly eyes ever stopped soaking up the view.
Yun Shuang was mortified.
[Is this how he acts? He got what he wanted and now plays the gentleman?] Like she was to blame for coming into his bed, and he was honest to god.
Yun Shuang snapped, "Zhuo Fan, are you mocking me? You clearly said to be with you and now you deny it? What am I to understand?"
Zhuo Fan finally figured it out and waved his hands around, "A total misunderstanding. I never meant it in this way. I only wanted you to be on my side, to look into fate, to be my adviser and not to preach me about growing a conscience or becoming goody-goody. That's all. But for you to jump to the conclusion that I wanted you to make such sacrifices... I... I... What was I saying again? Where was I?"
Zhuo Fan scratched his head.
Yun Shuang snapped her eyes open, buried her head deeper from shame and cried.
Her mind took a shortcut to the facts, leaving her to do such an embarrassing act.
Zhuo Fan panicked. The cool him was now lost as to what to do with a crying lady. So he took his clothes and covered the lithe figure.
A sudden bang on his door forced it open and a crowd stormed in with Luo Yunhai in front, laughing, "Brother Zhuo, me and sister talked to Captain Pang and heard today is your birthday. Come, let's go to your party..."
Luo Yunhai's eyes landed on the bed, he gave an awkward chuckle and scratched his head, "Uh, I see you had your own bit of fun already. Then we won't bother you, he-he-he... Carry on..."
"What won't bother? Zhuo Fan, explain yourself!" Luo Yunchang turned from happiness to anger at the drop of the hat after gazing on the bed, pointing at the squirmy thing under Zhuo Fan's clothes, "Who's she? Where did she come from?"
Glimpsing at the fine, white skin of the exposed legs, Luo Yunchang was incensed.
[This dense guy at least has good taste. The girl under there must be a doll!]
Zhuo Fan shrugged, having no explanation pop into his head, "En, can you guys step outside for now?"
"Hi-hi-hi, how can we? This is a high quality class act, catching Steward Zhuo in the act. We just gotta make it memorable!" Sly Demon always looked for trouble.
Then the Violent Demon cuffed him, "A load of tripe! Steward Zhuo is the perfect studmuffin, single too. He is a perfect catch any woman would swoon over."
The other pygmies bobbed their heads sagely.
Zhuo Fan's face sank, glaring at the four, [The shits are only making it worse.]
The one who was the real troublemaker here was in fact the princess. Others, for better or worse, were aware of saving his skin, merely wagging their tongues.
While her highness took two steps forward and yanked the shirt off, "Let's see who you are and if you're worthy of our grand steward Zhuo."
Yun Shuang curled up with a cry, this act filling her with shame for being seen like this.
Zhuo Fan's right eye flashed golden.
Divine Eye of the Void's 1st stage, Shift!
Yun Shuang and Zhuo Fan were gone the next second, leaving the audience puzzled and sighing.
[They ran away. We gotta admit, Zhuo Fan's trick sure is useful in cases like these.]
Luo Yunhai couldn't stop laughing inside. He had everyone gather around to ease Zhuo Fan's loneliness. Otherwise this classic act would never have happened.
One thing was certain though, they never figured out who was beneath those clothes.
In a pitch-black forest, Zhuo Fan stood in a clearing watching the expansive night sky. A rustle came and a clothed Yun Shuang came out of the tree line.
Her face was still red, red hot in fact, whenever she glanced at him.
Zhuo Fan only looked at the night sky, giving her the cold shoulder.
"Like I said, I want your unconditional support. We are a team, you are one of my people. Your grandfather's business is my business. Or the Yun clan's retreat to Windgaze City would've been harder. I admire your grandfather's virtue. Now forget about the matters in the capital. They no longer concern you." Zhuo Fan's cold tone came.
Yun Shuang watched his lofty figure, stalwart and imposing, and calmed down. She looked at the sky and said, "Vile dragon is coming!"
"Vile dragon?"
Zhuo Fan pondered, [I recall Yun Xuanji telling me about this... they're the Quanrong. Are the Quanrong invading?]
Zhuo Fan laughed inside and nodded, "Great, you are now on my side!"
Yun Shuang smiled and nodded.