Chapter 998: Holy Righteousness

Proofreader : Papatonks

Boom!

With a sharp crack and a deafening explosion, all the ice encasing Zhuo Fan turned to pieces before being eroded by the black thunderflame into nothing, including the blue flame within the ice.

Zhuo Fan walked on with his left eye shining black, with not a hair out of place from that ordeal.

Turning to the two girls, Zhuo Fan's face was stoic as he cupped his hands, "Ladies shouldn't fight, for I shall be the one to raise my own daughter. I can do without anyone else's help."

"You actually survived my palm? How?" Murong Xue gasped in shock.

Baili Yuyu stared at Zhuo Fan, filled with curiosity, "You sure are something else, not just of insidious mind, but of great strength as well. What you just experienced was the ultimate skill of the Murong clan, needing two great world treasures to train, the North Sea's Perennial Ice Crystal and southern lands' Geocentric Flame, the coldest of the flames. Combining them results in a mix of fire and water, water and fire, engendering one another in any situation. Under such an attack, the chill seeps into your flesh and freezes your meridians while the fire burns you alive. Anyone else would've been sent to oblivion. Yet you lived through that? Now you have my respect."

"Since when was I just anyone?"

Zhuo Fan glared then turned to Murong Xue with a frown and cupped hands, Miss Murong, I never knew you were the young miss of the Murong clan in the southern lands. I believe that with your brother by your side, there's nothing you'd need help with. Nonetheless, I owe you a favor that I shall repay one day. Now, however, I shall say farewell."

Zhuo Fan gave another bow and glanced at Qiao'er and Baili Yuyu, "We're leaving."

He was the first to start walking after his short speech, like he wanted to avoid Murong Xue, not wanting to stay a second more if he could help it.

"I don't think so!"

Murong Xue shouted, unleashing another palm on his back. In her hand was a scorching coldness so acute, it quickly reached Zhuo Fan's back.

Zhuo Fan turned around and his Qilin arm glowed scarlet, meeting the palm. He forced Murong Xue five steps back from the clash, while he staggered for four steps.

Baili Yuyu raised an eyebrow, the only indication of her shock.

First time, Zhuo Fan used some super skill to get out of his confinement, while this attack was met with brute force, and repelled.

Her amazement only grew, finding the two of them on equal grounds.

In her eyes, no 3rd layer Radiant Stage cultivator should be able to handle Murong Xue's 5th layer Soul Harmony Stage power.

[What's this punk using to hide his cultivation?]

Baili Yuyu squinted, content with watching from the sidelines and analyzing Zhuo Fan.

Qiao'er would never move a muscle without Zhuo Fan's say so, striking the image of a most sweet child, especially around strangers.

Of course, that excluded critical moments, but it was obvious Zhuo Fan was in no dire need of rescuing...

"Young miss!"

Zhui'er grew tense as she witnessed her young miss' moves having no effect. She rushed to her side in worry.

Murong Xue waved her off, her icy glare set on Zhuo Fan, stopping now and then on his Qilin arm.

The ice was spreading.

Catching her gesture, Zhuo Fan raised his right hand with a faint smile, "Is miss still planning to hurt me with that palm? Ha-ha-ha, I'm afraid miss is wrong here. This arm of mine fears neither cold nor heat. Miss' frozen flames have no effect on me."

Zhuo Fan's right hand jerked and ice broke off, leaving an unmarred skin behind, without not so much as a scratch.

Murong Xue's eyes shook, her face grave.

"Young miss' palm isn't the Glacial Blaze Palm, nor was it any martial art. But young miss had trained with the North Sea ice crystal and had long since grasped fire and ice's natures, imbuing her every attack with them. Even a stronger adversary would feel his meridians burning and freezing, so how come..."

Zhui'er was overwhelmed as well as she muttered to herself.

Baili Yuyu grinned in mockery, "It seems to me that our young miss Murong has found her match. It would've been so much better if he was stronger, making this debacle bearable, but since they're of equal strength, her amazing skill also got countered as well. Gosh, it must've been absolute torture to train in fire and ice so they become one with you, but much good did that do, it's utterly useless, ha-ha-ha..."

"What did young miss ever do to you? Why do you ridicule her?" Zhui'er couldn't stand her young miss being mocked.

Murong Xue couldn't care less, only looking into Zhuo Fan's eyes with a sharp glint.

Zhuo Fan sighed, feeling how his savior was turning out to see him as a bitter enemy. He cupped his hands, "Miss Murong, I'm sure you know by now how devious this shrew is. Who in their right mind would hit on her? It's a miracle if she doesn't start toying with others. Why must you then insist on treating me like a criminal?"

"Hey, who're you calling a shrew?" Baili Yuyu snapped at Zhuo Fan with an angry glare.

Zhuo Fan only looked at Murong Xue, waiting for her reaction. Judging by those sharp eyes, she was not going to forget this anytime soon, still obsessed with getting rid of Zhuo Fan today.

"Hitting on women is a sin but not a capital one. I am not attacking you because of this, I ain't so petty!"

"Then why..."

"Thousands upon thousands of poor souls faded in the central area, all because of you. I won't let this injustice stand!" Murong Xue's eyes glinted with killing intent.

Zhuo Fan was puzzled, "Central area? But isn't Miss from southern lands, at odds with the central area? If you'd still go for revenge, you shouldn't do it in the central area's stead. Miss' reasoning would've been relatable if I had done such an atrocity in the other three lands, since we're allies and all. But against the central area, ha-ha-ha, it's both our enemy!"

"The enemy should meet his end, and while the targets were officials in the central area, why did you have to make a patsy out of Serene Shores Trading? You had them take the fall while you ran away. Thousands of lost souls cry for justice. Such evil can't be left to stand!"

"Oh, I get it. You think they..."

Zhuo Fan smiled, "Miss must be so bored, to hunt me down over some nobodies. But did you ask yourself if I was the one who harmed them? It was their own greed that became their undoing. Let me put it another way. They had been relying on the central area's nobles to start out and should've seen it coming. I only just happened to be passing by when it happened."

Murong Xue huffed and nodded, "You think I didn't know that? And I'm not doing this for them either!"

"Then why?"

"For the world. I can't let such evil roam the world for a second longer!"

Taking a deep breath, Murong Xue's gaze was resolute, "Serene Shores Trading had only money in their sights and would one day bleed over it, cast out by the five lands, no matter how grand it looked from the outside. I was clear on that, but between thriving and decline, there is a process. Ants carry on their lives and so do people, regardless. Serene Shores Trading's fate was sad, yes, but it shouldn't have come so soon, nor involve so many countless other lives. This is all on you!

"Demons plague the world and it's our duty, followers of righteousness, to purge you and uphold these values, regardless of everything. Yesterday you had the greatest company in the central area meet with destruction, causing unrest in the central area. Today you show up in northern lands, in cahoots with people no less devious than you. Any who join the devil will be swallowed by the devil in the end. No one can escape, there are no bystanders. Letting you go today might even make me your next victim, or my family. No, you must be removed here and now!"

Zhuo Fan let out a long and tired sigh, nodding, "I see, these are Miss' beliefs, even looking quite ahead. Yes, with me still breathing, countless lives will fall. Some might see the harm I do to be in their favor, but nothing is to say the same harm won't ever befall on them just as well. It is rare to see someone like Miss having such a strong heart and see the truth. What's rarer is people of miss' foresight. So long as people have the devil in their hearts, I still have grounds to live. Such a shame the two of us walk different paths...

"Farewell."

Zhuo Fan bowed with a solemn look of recognition, putting an end to the gratitude he had for her.

He stopped trying to return the favor for he had met holy righteousness, against his demonic ways. Or better yet, she was a warrior who carried such beliefs in her heart, not straying and completely set against demons...