The Kind of Evil

Chapter 631: Preservation and Flow.

"Oh, look at this flower over here. I would never expect to see this flower to bloom in my lifetime," a very old man with a long white beard and hair said, smiling with his eyes closed with wrinkles on the corners of his eyes and lips. He slowly knelt on the ground, unbothered by the expensive silk robe he wore that got dirtied by the soil. "It’s a shame that I can only admire it with my eyes..." He said as he chuckled and opened his eyes slightly to admire the colorful petals of the flower.

A man with slick black hair staring at the old man while holding peacock feathers hand fan. His gaze then moved from the old man to the flower, a unique flower that only existed in the Immortal Mountain of the Heavenly Alliance.

"If you want it to be preserved, I know someone who’s a master flower preservation specialist, Alliance Leader Ma," the man pointed out, standing not too far and not too close from the old man.

"Hohoho, you really know how to make people fall for temptation, Master Strategist Ogun," the old man responded as he kept admiring the flower. "But I must decline. Such beauty of nature shouldn’t be preserved. Let it wither and die, then it will grow and bloom once again. Preserving it only shows the beauty, but you killed the nature of it," he pointed out as he slowly stood up.

Ogun smiled softly as he closed his eyes and nodded. The moment he opened his eyes, Ma’s expression hardened when he looked at the vast garden of flowers that the previous leaders had preserved for centuries.

"So, Master Strategist, what news you’re carrying with you?" Ma asked as he put his hands on his back, his expression grew serious.

"There are a few unpleasant news, Alliance Leader," Ogun answered and watched the hummingbirds move around to feed on the nectars that the flowers produced. "Allow me to serve you a cup of tea, Alliance Leader," he requested as he stared at the pavilion at the edge of the cliff next to a natural spring that was surrounded by trees and rocks.

"What an offer that I could never decline," Ma laughed as he nodded and then walked toward the pavilion.

Ogun filled the teapot with spring water and pulled out the tea he kept under his robe sleeves. Ma watched Ogun use his ability to control Mana and boiled the water inside the teapot before Ogun put the tea leaves into the teapot. The smell of tea filled the small pavilion, giving a relaxing effect to both Ma and Ogun. Ogun then poured the tea into Ma’s cup carefully and then into his own cup.

"Are you ready to tell me the news, Master Strategist?" Ma asked as he took the cup and took a sip of the tea. He closed his eyes and hummed with a smile on his face when he tasted the fragrant and both hints of sweetness and bitterness of the tea.

"The Emperor seems to have moved to the third phase, Alliance Leader. The war seems to be inevitable now even with our effort and the Asghar family to prevent it," Ogun answered as he looked at the green tea in his hand. "With the new weapons that the Imperial family invented, the casualties might be more devastating than what I have calculated. But what I fear the most is the aftermath," he added before he took a sip of the tea.

"The aftermath? You’re talking about the sultans that might work together for the first time to fight the empire?" Ma asked with a serious expression.

"Yes, Alliance Leader. We might understand the progress of the Emperor’s military growth, but the sultans, we know nothing about their true power in the military. The Sultans have all the wealth that influenced the other continents, and it would be weird if they didn’t have something hidden under their sleeves to protect it," Ogun nodded.

"The Emperor seems to have moved to the third phase, Alliance Leader. The war seems to be inevitable now even with our effort and the Asghar family to prevent it," Ogun answered as he looked at the green tea in his hand. "With the new weapons that the Imperial family invented, the casualties might be more devastating than what I have calculated. But what I fear the most is the aftermath," he added before he took a sip of the tea.

"The aftermath? You’re talking about the sultans that might work together for the first time to fight the empire?" Ma asked with a serious expression.

"Yes, Alliance Leader. We might understand the progress of the Emperor’s military growth, but the sultans, we know nothing about their true power in the military. The Sultans have all the wealth that influenced the other continents, and it would be weird if they didn’t have something hidden under their sleeves to protect it," Ogun nodded.

"Is there anything we can do about it, Master Strategist?" Ma asked with his brows furrowed.

"If I have to be honest, Alliance Leader, the most efficient way is for you to protest directly to the emperor himself. Even then, we are still subjects and the people of the empire. If the emperor dismissed our protest, nothing would backfire to the imperial family due to the imperial system where we can self-sustain and survive without the influence or need of the outside power," Ogun pointed out as he sighed and rubbed his nose bridge.

"Our nation is so great that nothing can threaten us. But the moment that realization bloom into a desire for more, this is the fruit that ripened from it," Ma nodded in agreement and took another sip of the tea. "I will meet with the emperor and do my best," he revealed.

Ogun didn’t say a word but lowered his head in gratitude because not only did he care about the lives of the people, he was also wary of the gaps that would appear because of the war. Those gaps could be taken as opportunities by powerful figures that had been lurking in the dark.

"To think you would convey the most bitter news first is something that I wouldn’t expect, Master Strategist Ogun," Ma said with a soft smile on his face.

Ogun didn’t say a word and kept sipping his tea, and that alone was enough to make Ma realize that something far more bitter was about to come. Ma closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and let the fragrance of the tea fill his lungs and brain.

"There’s a message from the Nuwan Clan," Ogun revealed.

"The Nuwan Clan? It’s a surprise to hear the most notorious unrighteous clan to send a message to us," Ma narrowed his eyes, already knowing where it only led to.

"They said that the Demonic Cult is preparing for a war, Alliance Leader. They said they encountered a Grandmaster of the Demonic Cult, a beautiful woman in black. They called her as Queen of the Night because when she appeared, daylight turned to darkness," Ogun revealed, his voice filled with anxiety. "They believed even experts wouldn’t be able to defeat her," he added.

"Also, the Nuwan Clan might go on an all-out war with the Senan Clan due to their recent conflicts that led to the death of dozens of their people," Ogun continued before Ma could say a word.

Ma closed his eyes and he never expected that the demonic cult would make a move in his lifetime. There were too much coincidence that was happening, and whether one connected to each other or not, it didn’t change the fact the Heavenly Alliance had to deal with them all.

"Lastly..." Ogun paused, his hands clenched on the table. "Anastasha Asghar has been seen wandering around Khan Empire in the past week, Alliance Leader. She’s not alone, and those guests of her are categorized as an unstoppable danger. Those are the words of the Patriarch Gang of the Ganyi Clan," he revealed.

Ma brushed his long beard with his fingers, he didn’t show any expression and it was the worst kind of reaction he could ever show. Ogun knew how expressive Ma was, and the moment Ma didn’t show any, it meant it was too much to handle.

"Alliance Leader?" Ogun asked when Ma hadn’t said a single word for minutes.

"Summon everyone," Ma said, his gaze sharp and cold when he stared at the distance.

"Understood," Ogun lowered his head as he slowly rose from his chair and excused himself.