Lily was just one of the many people affected by Lin Sahu’s words.
If Aksai had been present at Everwood Palace, nobody would have thought to stir up trouble within its confines.
However, his absence only added to the uncertainty and fear that the people had already cultivated in their hearts due to being trapped inside the Devil’s Den for a prolonged period.
Lily assumed that Aksai had gone into hiding somewhere within the city and that he was not coming back to take responsibility for the people he had sheltered. In his absence, Everwood Palace was bound to fall when Lin Sahu and the martial arts school behind her attacked it.
So why should Lily allow someone else to have the resources stored inside Everwood Palace? She decided that she should be the one to rob Aksai’s possessions instead of someone from outside the palace.
Lily enlisted the help of her martial artist ally, who could assist her in gaining access to Aksai’s sealed chamber. This martial artist was one of the people allowed to stay inside Everwood Palace by Aksai right after Devil’s Den was created.
Lily effectively used her maid identity to execute this plan. Everything went smoothly, and she finally gained access to Aksai’s private chamber with her partner in crime.
However, who would have thought that Aksai would choose to return to Martial World Sharang on the same day that Lily succeeded in her intrusion and was about to complete her heist?
Aksai listened to everything Lily had to say before snapping her neck, giving her a relatively easy death, just as he had promised upon her clear confession.
He stored the bodies of his maid and her martial artist partner-in-crime inside the Everwood Farm. There, his Scarecrow puppets would dispose of them by turning them into nourishing compost fertilizer.
“Just one word from an outsider was enough to shake the morals of people living under the roof I provided for them. Should I blame my lack of leadership skills or give credit to my opponent’s strategic play? Or is it because of the situation created by Devil’s Den?” Aksai thought to himself and sighed, shaking his head.
“I guess there’s a need to instill fear within the hearts of my enemies as well as my allies so that a situation like this doesn’t repeat itself. If my opponents want to use fear as a tool against me, I’ll have to use the same tool to answer them in their own language,” Aksai narrowed his eyes, reflecting the cold cruelty he was capable of unleashing onto his potential enemies.
Aksai liked to think that he was a kind man. However, he would never forgive someone who consciously tried to harm him and his interests with ill intentions. Lily could have chosen to put her trust in Aksai and stay inside Everwood Palace, or she could have left the palace if she felt insecure about her future. She could have also asked the head maid, Zinnia, for help. Instead, she decided to use the impending calamity at Everwood Palace as an opportunity to strike big.
There was another reason Aksai eliminated Lily and her ally as soon as he saw them. They had witnessed him teleport back to Martial World Sharang, appearing out of thin air.
Aksai would never let someone who knows about the peculiarities of the Myriad Worlds Painting live to see another day if he could help it. This was one of the core secrets he possessed that he would never share with anyone else.
***
Everwood Palace. Aksai’s private chamber.
The sounds of footsteps echoed in the corridor. Soon, a beautiful woman entered Aksai’s chamber, clasped her hands together, and offered a sincere apology.
“My lord, I’m sorry for Lily’s actions. I failed to live up to–” Zinnia began, intending to apologize for Lily’s betrayal. However, Aksai shook his head and interrupted her.
“It’s fine, Zinni dear. I’m sure you must have had your hands full in my absence.
I didn’t tell you about this incident to criticize you but rather to make you aware so you can be cautious in the future.
Now, please update me on the situation,” Aksai said, motioning for Zinnia to rise from her kneeling position. Relieved, Zinnia organized her thoughts before briefing him on the impending attack on the palace.
It appeared that martial artists from the Temple of the Guardian had already besieged Everwood Palace from all directions, blocking anyone from entering or leaving. They were waiting for Lin Sahu to arrive, signaling the start of the attack.
“A siege, huh?” Aksai mused to himself, a cunning smile creeping onto his face. “I suppose I can afford to let them make the first move. Let them breach my Everwood Palace on their own. I’ll ensure they receive top-notch hospitality they won’t soon forget,” he chuckled menacingly.
In the next moment, he produced a wooden mask and donned it, concealing his features. He didn’t want his allies or enemies to know he was back in the palace, at least not immediately.
He intended to reveal himself only at a crucial moment.
***
Utilizing his Spirit Sense, Aksai swiftly identified the traitors within the palace walls. Concealed by his masked identity, he swiftly dispatched them, disposing of their bodies in the Everwood farm without giving them a chance to identify him.
Before dealing with the enemies outside the walls, Aksai deemed it necessary to eliminate the threats within his own ranks.
It took him just over half an hour to quash the rebellion with his formidable power as a late-stage Bronze Body Martial artist as well as a late-stage Spirit cultivator.
By this point, those who had been spared by Aksai realized that someone was systematically silencing the rebels. Some who had contemplated joining the rebellion quickly reconsidered, relieved they had not acted rashly.
With the mutiny quelled, Aksai emerged and positioned himself squarely in front of the main gate of the palace, calmly awaiting the inevitable assault.
Surrounding him were thirty Scarecrow puppets, including four Scarecrow Fiends, along with palace guards who had regained their confidence in his presence.
A sense of tranquility settled over Everwood Palace as Aksai took command.
He instructed those unable to fight to retreat while ordering those capable to stand firm.
With everyone positioned as needed, Aksai simply awaited the enemy’s advance, eager to bring the battle to a swift conclusion.
“Hmm. I suppose I should also snatch the Temple of the Guardian’s Martial Intent now that I’m set to destroy them.”
Aksai thought to himself, a cruel smile gracing his lips as he waited patiently for his enemies to make a move.