Chapter 263: The State of the War, Traitors and Urgency

Rings of shimmering water lashed out from the fountains, jugs and gourds scattered around us, encircling my brother like a nest of agitated snakes, hissing at the petrified man. Much to the amusement of everyone present I would’ve wagered, had their minds not been utterly overwhelmed by the sudden change of events relayed to them by their gawking eyes.

Yet leaving the situation as such any more could not be allowed. So I began enacting my plan.

"Warn the princess." I breathed, as a tidal wave of might roared from my body, instantly multiplying the pressure they all felt by a crushing margin.

"I already did." The reply came, just as almost all of the ordinary mortals around us collapsed like dolls who’s strings had been cut, foaming at the mouth, including that waste by the name of Nao.

Of the few who did remain conscious, most of whom encompassing those who followed behind the princess, as they were all experts of the three fields, and a couple of the stronger built gardeners, turned a bleached shade of white, as a single thought passed through their minds.

Monster!

Even the supposedly more knowledgeable and skilful women behind the princess looked at me with the horror of a mortal man looking towards a natural disaster, which showcased their ineptitude. Women so weak they could not even discern my skill level, only meant people so far below me that they could not even glimpse the edge of my power.

’What a miserable rabble of followers.’ I thought in contempt, yet their subsequent actions slightly altered my view of them.

For their swift actions to stand before their mistress then, even while shaking in response to my power, did show at least that they were loyal to a fault, even in the face of an insurmountable enemy.

"Halt! Stand away from the princess!" Shouts of platinum armoured men swarmed us then, as more than three dozen guards encircled me and my brother.

Most prominently of whom being the man in the forefront, with his black sword gleaming menacingly in the sunlight as he aimed it directly at my throat, and radiated with a power no less than the eighth rank.

"It is you who will halt Guard Captain!" Ziyi’s voice cut through the racket, booming with authority, following the script Eve was whispering in her ear.

"My lady...?!" The man looked to her in shock.

"They are my personal guard. My hidden ones, who keep an eye on me from the shadows." She finished with the ghost of satisfied smirk momentarily gliding across her fair features.

’Her second sentence is not from my Eve.’ I thought, knowing that such words were not my lover’s style. Yet I did not understand why the princess felt the need to add such a detail, until I then caught the emotion over the Guard Captain’s eyes.

’He’s one of the traitors.’ I realized. ’And she’s just used us to rattle him and his masters. Laying the illusion that the loyalists still had more forces the rebels have yet to uncover. Clever girl.’

The Guard Captain looked back to me then, his eyes full of scrutiny and what he most likely believed to be intimidation. Yet what was his glare to the horror of Nicholas and Aurelius. To the eruption of solar flares that levelled cities and had us change the topography of maps more than once. Or the blizzards of swords and razor blades, that shredded and peeled away the skin and muscle from the armoured forms of my greatest warriors within the blink of an eye.

Such comparison was little more than insulting to my true foes, and this thought had me smiling to myself more than anything else. Yet it’s sight caused the man’s face to twist even more in rage. Not that I cared, as I tilted my head ever so slightly lower, shielding my features from his wanting eye.

"Come now, we have much to do!" Ziyi said with a commanding voice then, turning in place as she led us and her still shocked entourage back into the Palace.

The journey to the princess’ personal wing seemed to take just as long as our waterborne journey from Thalab to Hei Sha. Yet once we were there, the previously calm and composed imperial princess abandoned all pretence of decorum and launched herself into my brother’s eager embrace.

"How are you...?!" She asked through chocked breathes.

"Your letters." He simply replied, holding her closer.

Though I hated to disrupt such a moment for them both, I had little choice after our earlier stunt.

"We can not remain here." I commented, breaking the two from their little world, as they both leapt away from each other, seeming almost surprised by my presence.

"Your imperial majesty!" Ziyi even yelped a moment later while she quickly performed a curtsy, as though just now remembering the proper way of things.

"What do you have in mind?" Eve’s voice echoed, as she rose like a blooming rose from the abyss of my shadow.

I did not immediately answer, as I pinched my chin in thought.

"I’m very sorry, I just couldn’t stop myself." Ziyi bowed low then, her head almost in her lap.

"That was indeed reckless princess." Eve said to her. "Why did you stray so far from my words when I first spoke to you?"

Nizam even looked to her then, wondering the same thing as well.

The eastern princess clenched her fists, as she replied. "We are the losing faction within these walls your majesty. For the last few days I had to even suffer the presence of that hateful man, who enjoys this small power over me. Make’s his non-existent worth and ego feel greater than what they are."

’It seems Ziyi has grown fangs of her own in this little while since we’ve last saw her.’ We all thought as we heard the bite in her words.

"My brother seems to have fully given up fighting on the idea of fighting them, locking himself in the highest tower with the Gods’ knowing what he does there all day." She continued. "And father has recently taken up the odd new habit of disappearing most nights, and recently even during the day he seems to vanish for a few hours!" Her voice strained then. "So when I heard her majesty’s voice behind me, I felt I was no longer alone."

"Your brother is trying to grow stronger. As for Tianlan... his disappearances need explaining indeed." I said, my brows now furrowed with mental strain. "But regardless of all that princess, your impatience was a clear mistake, not to mention you brother. You should have held your temper, that man wouldn’t have dared to actually harm Ziyi with her guards so close."

They both blushed at my words.

"But if it was so wrong of us to do what we did, then why did you show your own power, and to such an extreme?" Nizam asked almost defensively.

"Because it was the wisest thing to do at the moment." Eve sternly said to him. "Your brother’s open display of power was the best thing he could’ve done to buy us time for what we need to do. It’s so overt it’s covert." She summarized at the end.

"Regardless of my final gambit, this will force us to speed up all our plans." I said looking to my Eve. "It won’t take them more than a few hours at most to make their move against us."

"What? But why?!" Ziyi anxiously asked.

"They are too close to victory princess, and we just threw an unexpected wrench in their perceived triumph. A triumph they could basically taste by now." I said. "This anxiousness will force their hands to quickly subdue the variable."

"And the fastest way to do this, is by cutting the head of the snake." Eve nodded with darkening eyes.

"As far as they now know, you could have dozens more of these reinforcements waiting in the wings, ready to jump into the fray. They can not let such a situation occur." I added.

"What do you have in mind?" Eve asked me then.

"You know what I’m thinking." I turned to her seriously. "You must go call Isaac. I don’t even know why he hasn’t come back yet? Inform him of everything and bring him here. We must immediately start making preparations."

"Very well." She nodded, already expecting my words, as she then added, her tone thick with grave warning. "But what if one of the tenth rank monsters of this land moves?"

I grew quiet then, for I had no answer to the mortifying possibility of such overwhelming power intervening at this point.

"If that’s your worry, then you needn’t fret over it!" Ziyi exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, cold relief beginning to slightly seep into my heart, flooding it with hope.

"The three for some reason have not moved once during this whole mess. I know my father has went to beseech their aid more than once, but they never answered him. And ever since you have marshalled your armies at our borders, lord Jinguo has left to command our southern forces. So by now, only lady Fengyin and lord Jingwen remain. And they both have always been the type to never care for all the going-ons in the palace."

"Princess, do you know who among the three betrayed you?" I asked then.

"No." She shook her head. "Well at least not absolutely." She then clarified. "We are certain that lord Jinguo does not side with us though. He’s the patron of that rat Ruiyuan after all." She said in a venomous tone. "That’s also why he was the one to go south, he didn’t want the other two to take command over the southern forces and possibly have them give us more power we could marshal towards the capital."

"And the other two?" I asked, frowning.

"We have no idea." She said. "Lord Jingwen has ever been the enigmatic man. No one knows what he thinks. Lady Fengyin on the other hand is my brother’s bow master, and he has vouched for her numerous times, yet we have yet to see her help us even once, so we are honestly still holding reservations about her."

"So only Jinguo has openly moved against you?" I made sure, and she nodded with a hurt expression.

Which was completely understandable, as he was the oldest of their ancient guardians, and supposedly the most loyal of them all.

It would be akin to Adam betraying me. The thought of it was impossible, yet if it ever happened, than the ramifications of it would be unspeakable.

We were silent for a moment, captured by our thoughts. But I didn’t have the luxury at the moment, as I looked back to my Eve and said "My love, do not dally. We must be gone from this place before sun fall."

She nodded in agreement, quickly sinking into the shadows, as I looked back to the princess. "Lead me to Weixiao and Tianlan."