Kalina’s thoughts moved rapidly.
Her mind gradually reached a conclusion.
’So that is what happened.’
The answer suddenly seemed very simple.
The Purple River Sect had already found a backer.
Not just any backer.
A Nascent Soul King.
More precisely...
King Kainaat and the Black Yin Flower Trading Company.
That explained everything.
It explained why the Purple River Lord had retreated without showing fear.
It explained why this King had appeared personally.
It also explained why the Purple River Sect had dared to not agree to her earlier demands without worrying about the future.
Kalina quietly sighed.
’Our intelligence was incomplete.’
This campaign had been planned carefully.
The royal faction had spent quite a lot of time and resources gathering information.
Every influential sect had been investigated. Every Lord had been monitored. Every possible reinforcement had been accounted for.
Yet...
Nobody had discovered this relationship.
The Black Yin Flower Trading Company had quietly taken the Purple River Sect under its wing.
That changed everything.
The Shinayin Empire had many rules despite the fierce competition among its factions.
One of those rules was simple.
If another faction had already claimed a force or a region first, the others would generally avoid interfering unless they were prepared to start a much larger conflict.
No one wanted unnecessary wars between factions. That only wasted manpower and resources.
Kalina naturally assumed that this was one such case.
The Purple River Sect no longer belonged to the conquest list prepared by Great Elder Runiye’s faction. It belonged to King Kainaat now. Attacking it again would accomplish nothing except offend another King.
She had no authority to make such a decision.
’I will have to report this.’
Her superiors needed to know immediately. The conquest plans would have to be adjusted. A different sect would have to become the next target.
After all, one way or the other, her faction had to have a foothold on this subcontinent before they were ready to plunder it.
Fortunately...
The Dadangar Subcontinent still contained plenty of influential powers. Losing one target would not affect the overall campaign very much.
As long as the information reached Great Elder Runiye quickly enough, another operation could begin without much delay.
Kalina secretly relaxed.
Although tonight’s mission had failed, at least she now understood the reason. She could at least report these things truthfully and blame her failure on them.
No one could blame her for retreating after encountering another faction’s Nascent Soul King. That would have been the correct decision.
...
Naturally...
Every conclusion Kalina reached was completely wrong.
She could not be blamed for it.
The man standing before her emitted the pressure of a genuine Nascent Soul King. Nothing about him appeared false.
If this were one of the techniques known within the Shinayin Empire, Kalina would have already noticed the flaws.
There were indeed cultivation arts capable of imitating a King’s aura.
However...
Those techniques all had obvious weaknesses.
Some could only imitate pressure but not spiritual fluctuations. Some became unstable the moment the user circulated Spirit essence. Others could fool weaker cultivators but failed immediately before experienced Lords.
Kalina herself possessed enough knowledge to recognize every one of those methods.
Yet...
She found no flaws in the cloaked King’s aura.
Not a single one.
That was because what Aksai had used was not an illusion...
Nor a disguise technique.
It was the False King Essence Pill.
A unique creation born from Aksai’s own isolated Spirit farm.
Arkaal had developed it by making use of the byproducts produced by fourth-order Gu insects.
It was not an inheritance from the Heavenly Poison Sect. Nor was it a treasure from another world.
It was an entirely new invention.
As far as Aksai knew, nothing like it existed anywhere within the entire Dadangar World, talk less about the Shinayin Empire.
That single difference had completely fooled Kalina. She never even considered the possibility that the terrifying King before her was merely a Core Formation Lord putting on the greatest performance of his life.
As such, Kalina took a deep breath before saying.
"Great Elder King. I thank you for your graceful presence tonight."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"However, may I ask for permission for my subordinates and me to take our leave now?"
"We must report tonight’s events to Great Elder Runiye. We must also inform him that the Purple River Sect has already come under the protection of your esteemed Black Yin Flower Trading Company. All so that we wouldn’t disturb your plans in the future."
After speaking, she quietly waited.
Aksai chuckled. It was a soft laugh. Yet, in the ears of everyone present, it sounded strangely oppressive.
"Leave?"
His voice carried clear amusement.
"Who told you that you could simply leave?"
Kalina blinked.
She slowly raised her head.
Before she could react, Aksai continued.
"Who gave you permission to attack my people without consulting me first? You almost wiped out one of my investments."
He casually folded his arms beneath his cloak.
"And now you wish to leave as though nothing happened?"
His tone became increasingly dissatisfied.
"Aren’t you forgetting something?"
Kalina felt her heartbeat quicken.
She instinctively asked,
"What does Great Elder King mean?"
Aksai looked at her as though she had asked an incredibly foolish question.
"Compensation."
"You forced me to leave my secluded cultivation and come all the way here personally. My time is valuable. My cultivation was interrupted. My mood has been ruined."
He slowly shook his head.
"Do you really believe all of that comes free of charge?"
Kalina froze.
She had not expected the conversation to take such a turn.
Aksai continued speaking without giving her time to think.
"If you refuse to compensate me then I suppose I will have to visit King Runiye myself."
He sighed dramatically.
"I shall register a formal complaint."
"I will tell him that one of his subordinates performed such a poor job gathering intelligence that she almost attacked my people."
He clicked his tongue.
"What a troublesome child. No manners. No patience. And poor judgment. I truly wonder how King Runiye manages to tolerate you."
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