The Steward Demonic Emperor

Writer: StarReader

Proofreader: Silavin

A year back, the Sacred Domain found itself with a giant black hole in its lands. It cout of the blue, erased a fifth of the domain, and it was here to stay.

As with anything new, humans always exercised caution, if not downright paranoia. They avoided paying the ultimate sacrifice when testing the limits of this seemingly benign invasion of nothing.

In the first month, the Sacred Domain got used to its new freeloader. Known figures from all factions got close to measure the impact it might have, good or bad.

Conclusive tests have shown, through the ‘noble’ self-sacrifice of the most heinous criminals, along with the reckless idiots fancying themselves heroes, any contact would lead to the blackness expanding. The two bodies would merge, all turning into black like tar, conforming to the interloper’s shape.

Throughout the following months, the interest in the foreign invader waned, reduced to a tourist attraction by day, and a dumping ground for the unsavory, or power-hungry types. For if one glossed over the heavy loss of millions of acres of mines, forests, farmland, or perhaps potential spirit veins, naturally, they would cto the obvious conclusion on the only practicality this endless black abyss seemed to offer: wiping away any tracks.

It was the cheapest and surest way to remove any and all evidence, tracking or otherwise, from oneself.

In today’s age, everyone has gotten their hands dirty. It was more about who had a knack to wipe away the grthat set them apart. Those that could would be hailed by the ignorant as leaders having the masses’ best interest at heart.

The Sacred Mountains were the best example. Their presence felt like the ever-watchful protector over its domain, ensuring no war would reduce it to rubble. However, they were the ones who ensured the cultivation gulf could never be bridged across. The Eight Emperors, with their endless greed and paranoia of control, born out of fear that they would one day be replaced when the populace would birth a Sovereign without their knowledge, naturally prevented others from rising.

This public sentiment turned on its head the past years. One could trace the beginning to this change at Gambling Town, when the Nether Sea map was auctioned.

Ever since, disasters kept happening one after another, beginning with the Emperors war and ending in a an anticlimactic war the rest of the Sacred Domain had against Sacred Mountains led by the Luo Clan.

Throughout all these happenings, mishaps, and incidents, the Luo Clan had always con top with impeccable response.  Thanks to their most capable head steward Zhuo Fan, they saved the people in the Emperors war by welcoming in Demonic Emperor’s lands. They outstripped the three paupers Sacred Domain had sent to deal with the increasing disappearance throughout the Emperor lands, and even solved this high profile disaster. Though, the disaster was discovered to be nothing but the greedy act of demented Emperors gone astray in their cultivation and reduced to nothing more than raving ghouls hungry for flesh.

It went without question that the Luo Clan had been the highest acclaimed ruler the Sacred Domain had ever seen since the tof the Sovereigns, but they were more feared than respected or honored. Though, having an honorable and righteous Clan Head didn’t hurt to boost their popularity.

As for what the acclaimed and self-proclaimed ruler of the Sacred Domain did at the news of this unknown entity covering a fifth of the lands? It investigated of course. Thought, finding quickly how benign it was, it declared stactful propaganda that abated people’s fear regarding safety and casualties due to it. It was fortunate as well that the lands overtaken weren’t that populated, except for sisolated village or the other settlement that no one knew or cared.

People tended to sleep better knowing, that they and their family were safe. They could pity or snicker at the poor unfortunates later when they felt like it, and had the tto chat with like-minded folk.

Out of public eye, however, the Luo Clan knew the real cause behind the blackness from Sword Child. Which was why while they focused on getting their top experts even stronger, while their ladies tried waking their best chance at survival. They also ran a public campaign to further their already highly acclaimed influence in case they would need to rally all of the Sacred Domain against Heavenly Sovereign. They did that by rewarding those of exemplary conduct and loyalty with cultivation methods and generous resources, all the way to Saint level, starting with their closest allies, of course.

The people were ecstatic, mad with joy, and in a frenzy. It led to a sudden influx of do-gooders, at least on the surface, and a sharp spike in convicts.

Since there were only so many cells to go around, they were dumped at the nearest disposal site, the blackness, especially the high-profile ones and the rogue ones.

Such was the case today, with a town official appointed directly by the Luo Clan standing before a crowd and conducting the 16th summary execution of the day. They had naturally guards on all sides to make sure nothing happened.

“People, we have before us the heinous Black Hand, accused and tried of murder of his own parents, friends. He had stolen from the town’s storehouse. He is hereby sentence to liquidation!” The town officials droned, bored from doing it for so long as this had lost the flair it had at the beginning.

Liquidation was the term that got around once the people witnessed how the blackness took someone over, looking as if it was sucking the victim dry and replacing it with nothing.

“Begin!” With the official’s last order, the guards dragged a frantic and ragged man, his cultivation sealed, ever closer to the edge of darkness.

Stopping at three meters from it, they hoisted a screaming Black Hand by the clothes and threw him in.

The scarce audience was glad to find a cease to the screaming. It had gotten on their nerves since the early hours of the day when the first case of today started.

“What’s that?” One bystander cried out, breaking the short silence, and drawing annoyed glares from the others and the town official.

Their panicked and horrified expression painted a different story.