Chapter 148
The Devil's Intent
A faint smile appeared on the Third Prince's face after Arthur's bold declaration.
He slowly raised his gaze toward Arthur and Zhuo Fan, as though reevaluating them once again, before speaking in a calm voice carrying the weight of a decision within it:
"Zhuo Fan… Arthur… your presence and strength are not to be underestimated. And it would be foolish to leave such talent unused."
He paused briefly before continuing directly:
"What do you think about joining me and assisting me?"
It was a personal invitation. A direct invitation from the Third Prince himself.
And that alone was enough to show everyone the tremendous status both Arthur and Zhuo Fan had reached at this moment.
Zhuo Fan glanced sideways at Arthur.
Arthur smiled faintly, as though calmly telling him: You speak.
Zhuo Fan stepped forward and spoke with composed respect:
"Third Prince, you praise my brother and me too highly, but we will remain by the Luo Family's side, and we will raise its strength until it rivals the Seven Families."
Then he added steadily:
"Is that not, by itself, support for the Empire?"
The Third Prince stared at him for several seconds before smiling.
"Very well… since this is your choice, then it is decided."
Then he declared firmly:
"With the Luo Family as the head of the new family, the three families shall be merged. And from this moment onward, the Li and Cai Families must support and assist the Luo Family unconditionally."
Li Yun Tian, head of the Li Family, bowed deeply with respect.
"There is no need for concern, Your Highness. The Luo Family once saved me, and I pledged to assist them from that day forward."
As for the Cai Family Head…
he bowed stiffly, obvious anger nearly leaking from his eyes, yet he said nothing.
And thus… the meeting ended.
Everyone left the hall and returned to their own affairs.
Only the Third Prince and Ancestor Feng remained.
Before Arthur and Zhuo Fan could leave, the prince spoke:
"Zhuo Fan… Arthur… could you remain for a while?"
The two signaled for the rest of the Luo Family members to leave first,
then quietly followed the Third Prince.
The prince led them deep into the forest.
Beneath the open sky, he raised his hand upward, his voice echoing powerfully:
"I, Yu Wen Cong, Third Prince of the Empire, swear, from this day until the last day of my life, that Zhuo Fan, Arthur, and I shall become brothers! We shall share the same fate, and none of us shall betray the others!"
Arthur and Zhuo Fan remained still, watching the fat prince shout with sincere determination.
Then he said with a broad smile:
"Now it's your turn."
The two calmly breathed out and raised their fingers toward the sky.
"I, Zhuo Fan, swear to become a brother to the Third Prince, Yu Wen Cong. I shall not betray him unless he betrays me, and I shall not fight him unless he fights me."
Then Arthur spoke in an equally firm voice, following Zhuo Fan's words:
"I, Arthur, swear to become a brother to the Third Prince, Yu Wen Cong, and I shall not betray him as long as he does not betray me."
The oath echoed throughout the forest.
The Third Prince laughed lightly.
"Oh… the two of you are extremely cautious with your oath."
Zhuo Fan replied coldly:
"Fatty, I trust no one… that is the world."
Arthur added with deadly calmness:
"As Zhuo Fan said, this world is corrupt and unsafe. There is no oath that cannot be broken."
The Third Prince smiled without annoyance.
"Very well… from this point onward, we are brothers. Call for me if you need anything."
With that, Arthur and Zhuo Fan returned to the Luo Family residence.
---
Arthur entered the training hall and began training once more.
'The mission is difficult…
The world is powerful…
And I am still weak.
Even with Wrath and Kain… I still rely on power that is not truly mine.
If I face someone capable of stopping Wrath… then I will become completely helpless.
Wrath is my weapon… and if he is taken from me, I have nothing.
So I need to focus on two things…'
Arthur sighed quietly as he thought.
"First: increase my personal strength and properly refine my magical energy.
But the Luo Family is not wealthy, and it does not possess high-level techniques or manuals.
I have two choices…
The first: fully join Old Man Jiu… and obtain techniques from him.
But that is unacceptable.
My mission is the Luo Family… not Jiu.
And even if I joined them… how long would it take for them to trust me? Years?
A terrible option.
So I think that—"
His thoughts were interrupted by a light knock on the door.
"Arthur… do you have some time?"
It was Zhuo Fan.
Arthur opened the door.
"Come in, brother. What is it?"
Zhuo Fan calmly replied:
"I will be leaving the Luo Family temporarily, for several reasons."
Then he continued:
"We agreed to the Radiant Pearl Agreement, but we still do not know all of its details. And we have also made enemies of the Yu Ming Family, one of the seven royal families."
He added in a lighter tone:
"As for the Xian Long Pavilion… they will not allow us true independence unless we become a royal family equal to them in status. The Luo Family is now strong enough to endure without me."
Arthur listened silently before speaking directly:
"So your plan is to leave… and recruit powerful people to bring into the family?"
Zhuo Fan smiled.
"Yes."
Arthur answered without hesitation:
"Then take me with you."
Zhuo Fan froze.
"What?"
"Sit down… let's talk."
The two sat.
Arthur spoke steadily:
"It's true that the Luo Family is stronger now, but it is still weak in martial arts and formations. My goal is the same as yours: to make the Luo Family the strongest in the Empire. But how can I accomplish that while I am weak?"
Then he continued in a decisive tone:
"The best path for me to become stronger… is fighting, traveling, and gaining experience. So… I'm going with you."
Zhuo Fan listened carefully.
'Increasing Arthur's strength is something I want as well…
He is a tremendous help to me.
But he will not remain here even if I give him techniques.
Recruiting strong individuals… is secondary to me.
My true objective is searching for the ruins of the Heavenly Emperor.
In every era… personal strength is the true guarantee.'
Zhuo Fan raised his gaze.
"Very well… you may come."
Then he said while patting Arthur's shoulder:
"Prepare yourself. We leave in the morning."
He left the room.
Arthur looked toward the dark sky.
'Zhuo Fan… intelligent, powerful, and cunning like a fox.
I'm certain he is not leaving merely to recruit strong individuals.
He is searching for something… or someone.
Is he using me? Does he intend to dispose of me later?
I do not know.
But I am certain of one thing…
This journey… will be long… and difficult.'
Arthur sighed and closed his eyes.
---
Early the next morning…
Arthur and Zhuo Fan departed on a new journey,
far from the Luo Family…
and toward an unknown future.
---
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