The Kind of Evil

Chapter 624: Layers.

‎Patriarch Gang was stunned by Rasmus and Aris’ skills. He knew they weren’t martial artists because of the way they moved with a few unnecessary moves. He was stunned because his most elite unit got defeated so easily by mere brute strength and movements that were unfamiliar to him. The most humiliating part was the fact that Anastasha enjoyed the show and mocked his pride.

‎Rasmus and Aris were enjoying the fight against the warriors of the Ganyi Clan. They both were fascinated by the clan’s swords that were so thin that it could bend easily, making it both unpredictable and as deadly as a whip. They admitted that they had never fought against someone as unpredictable as these warriors.

‎"All of you stand back!" Patriarch Gang shouted as he unsheathed his sword.

‎All of the clan’s warriors retreated with heavy injuries all over their bodies. They were ashamed that they couldn’t even leave a scratch on Rasmus and Aris’ bodies. Aris on the other hand took a few steps back because Rasmus said that he wanted to take this opportunity for whatever he meant by that. She sat on the bench, joining Serena and Anastasha.

"Call the elders," Patriarch Gang glanced over his shoulder at his men that only had minor injuries.

A few of them immediately left and jumped from one building to another. Patriarch Gang took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, trying to calm and clear his mind. He knew it wasn’t the right time to be overwhelmed with emotions, it was the time for him to focus on the fight. He had observed the fight long enough, and he knew that getting too close against Rasmus would be fatal.

"I have no business with you, and I have no problem with you, esteemed guest. But may I ask your name?" Patriarch Gang asked.

"Rasmus Blackheart," Rasmus answered.

Patriarch Gang didn’t show any reaction, he knew it was a foreign name, but he knew nothing else about it. Rasmus who saw that he wasn’t being recognized immediately, it felt like a breeze of fresh air.

"Sir, I don’t want to fight you because I know that I might not be able to win against you or her. I only have business with Anastasha Asghar, and my only desire is to send that woman out of my city," Patriarch Gang said as he tightened his grip on the sword. "It’s a wound on my honor and pride to admit defeat so easily, may I ask you to stand down since I have admitted my defeat?" He asked with a serious expression.

"Funny that you said that when you just told your men to bring the elders. You admitted defeat but at the same time you’re buying time for the elders of the clan to assist you to fight these two, don’t you?" Anastasha chuckled as she winded-up the hand fan to cool the air around her face.

"If I can use words to prevent more casualties on my side, I wouldn’t hesitate. But if I that doesn’t work, I have to fight with everything I can, for my clan’s honor and for my duty as the lord of this city," Patriarch Gang answered as he clenched his jaw. "You’re a threat to the peace that we have tried to maintain. We have no desire to let an Asghar to step their foot into this city, and we have made that clear," He added.

The warriors that were sent to bring the elders had come back with the elders. There were seven old men behind them and they immediately stood behind Gang. Their eyes immediately found Anastasha and showed hostility toward her. They hadn’t unsheathed their swords yet because Gang hadn’t ordered them to.

Rasmus knew if he accepted Gang’s request, he would betray Anastasha but at the same time if he chose to stand for Anastasha for something that had nothing to do with him, he would be seen as a threat not just to the Ganyi Clan but to the other clans that he deemed unnecessary. Both Anastasha and Gang looked at him, waiting for his decision.

"I owed Anastasha for many things, and I have chosen to be her ally," Rasmus responded and it was enough to put Gang and the elders to look at him as an imminent threat. "However, I have no reason to bring myself into the conflict between your clan and the Asghar family. My alliance is with Anastasha, not with the Asghar family," he pointed out as he walked out of the inn. "I know that wouldn’t resolve the problem. May I propose something else entirely?" He asked as he looked at Gang and the elders with a serious expression. He found a way to not hurt the Ganyi clan’s honor and assure them that they weren’t a threat.

"And what is it, esteemed guest?" Patriarch Gang asked.

"All of you can use your most powerful attacks and if you can leave a single scratch on my body, we will leave the city immediately. But if you failed to do so, please allow us to stay and I can promise you under my name that I will not let her cause any problem to you or your city," Rasmus proposed. "Isn’t that right, Anastasha?" He looked over his shoulder and stared right into Anastasha’s eyes.

"Even if I wanted to cause a problem, I could die by your hands whenever you wanted. Yes, I can promise you that," Anastasha smiled as she nodded.

"What do you think, Patriarch Gang? Would you accept my proposal?" Rasmus asked.

"Why would I accept such a proposal when my only desire is to send her away from our city?" Patriarch Gang asked with his brows furrowed. "I know you haven’t even shown your true ability, Rasmus Blackheart. I’m not confident even if we all used our most powerful combined attack. It’s a lost for us no matter what," he pointed out.

"And I’m not saying that we will stay even if you lose, Patriarch Gang. We just wanted a night to rest, that’s all what we are asking of you," Rasmus said as he used the same hands gesture that Hue showed him before, wrapping his left hand around his right fist.

"If what you desire is only a night to rest than you’re welcome to stay in our clan. That way, we can keep an eye on her until the morning so you can leave as soon as the sun rises," Patriarch Gang said with a serious expression.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Patriarch Gang," Rasmus lowered his head.

Patriarch Gang responded with the hands gesture at Rasmus before he turned around and walked away with the elders while he let a few of his warriors escort Rasmus and the others to their estate. Rasmus and the others then walked along with the warriors of the Ganyi clan with the patriarch and the elders in front of them.

"Where are you from, Rasmus Blackheart? I don’t know if what you have shown me was a martial art or just pure instinct. The way you use your hands to disarm my men, using your whole body and momentum to throw them around so flawlessly are unheard of," Patriarch Gang asked.

"I was born and raised in Central Neva. I wouldn’t call it a martial art compared to yours, Patriarch Gang. You can say it’s an art of self-defense," Rasmus answered with a smile on his face.

"What kind of life you have lived in for a young man like you to have such a terrifying skill for survival like that?" Patriarch Gang asked as he looked at Rasmus over his shoulder.

"An unpleasant one," Rasmus answered.

When they entered the Ganyi clan estate, the servants escorted Rasmus and the others to where the guests slept. Rasmus looked at the beautiful pond with the reflection of two moons and the swans floating where they stayed with their partners closely. He decided to admire it and stayed there while the others went inside to rest.

"Can’t sleep?" Patriarch Gang asked.

Rasmus looked at Gang, seeing different sides of the man that he had just met in less than an hour. A man that looked so transparent but at the same time had many layers to his existence.

"No, it’s just a waste to not admire the view," Rasmus answered as he watched the swans intertwine their necks.

"Are you admiring the beauty?" Gang asked as he stood beside Rasmus.

"The beauty, the tragic, and the irony," Rasmus answered as he kept staring at the swans.

"They are..." Gang smiled.