Liana remembered Aksai’s features vividly. She remembered how polite and innocent-looking he was when she had visited his farmhouse in the Lakir estate.
At that time, she had gone there to collect annual rent from him. Coincidentally, it was his birthday that day. She was a lot ahead than him in terms of the cultivation journey.
Aksai wasn’t even a mid-stage Spirit Refiner back then while she had already become a late-stage Spirit Refiner. The gap in their respective cultivation bases had almost made her not take a note of him.
She couldn’t have imagined a rental farmer with no background would not only survive the tragedy at the Lakir estate but also become a Foundation Building Expert like her. He didn’t stop there. He also became an island owner of one of the most lucrative islands in Dadangar Archipilago.
This was a progress beyond her wildest imagination. Only someone like her who had seen Aksai when he was at his weakest could understand how astonishing his progress was. Even though Liana was considered a prodigy, she wasn’t sure she could have pulled off the same feats as Aksai if she had been put in his shoes.
“A rental farmer from our farmlands, huh? So the rumors were indeed true. A mere servant under me has managed to become a Foundation Building Expert. Hehehe.
I bet that little thief stole many things and resources from the estate when it was being looted by the mob. Seems like he really struck it rich. He should be indebted to my clan for his current success.”
Aksai hadn’t kept his identity hidden while signing the deed for the island. As such, those who wanted to know about him were bound to know about where he had come from. Loshaar Lakir was one of those people. He just hadn’t paid more attention to this piece of information in the past, merely treating it as a baseless gossip.
Unlike Liana who preferred to focus in her cultivation apart from the tasks given to her by the clan, Loshaar Lakir was privy to more knowledge and intel regarding the Dadangar Archipelago.
At that time, Loshaar Lakir had his hands full dealing with the elders from the Purple River Sect as well as the ancestor from the Wilben clan. He had come very close to dying in an encirclement. If it wasn’t for his advanced preparations, he would have really died in the Lakir clan’s tragedy.
Later, when Loshaar learned about the incidents that took place on the Lakir estate, he had lost all hope to get anything back that was stolen from his clan by the unknown bandits as well as opportunists that were there on the scene. The lootings and plunderings initiated by the masses had not drained Lakir clan’s resources in the Lakir estate but also made their stronghold Lakir City look like a ruined site.
Loshaar obviously assumed that Aksai had looted his clan’s resources to achieve his current position. In the old man’s eyes, Aksai had come forward as the biggest thief. How else could he explain his sudden growth?
By this point, Shen Ji had come to realize who Loshaar and Liana really were. He breathed a sigh of relief when he remembered the two in front of him belonged to a cultivation clan that had already joined hands with Kalingoot.
Technically speaking, Liana and Loshaar were allies as the Lakir clan as a whole supported Kalingoot. So Shen had nothing to fear as long as he could clear up the misunderstanding.
Shen Ji seized the moment to provide more context. He first introduced himself as well as his allies. He then told the Lakir clan members that they belonged to Kalingoot and they were out here to target an important member of the Alliance.
“We have reason to believe that Aksai Everwood poses a threat to Kalingoot,” Shen spoke seriously.
“Emerald Cove has been listed as one of the high-priority targets for conquest by Kalingoot because of its rich resources and stable 2nd-order Spirit vein. Currently, Nuya from Alliance controls that island.
I’m sure you know that Aksai is also a co-owner of the Emerald Cove. What you might not know is that he is also the one who has constructed a mysterious barrier-type formation around the island, which would make it difficult for us to launch a conquest war.
Bringing Aksai down would not only weaken Nuya physically and mentally but the defensive formation would also lose its core strength when the owner dies. Our intention was to intercept and eliminate him before he could cause any harm to Kalingoot.”
Loshaar Lakir’s eyes narrowed as he processed the information. He had to say that Shen’s logic sounded flawless for the most part. “So you mean this rental farmer of mine is on this island?” he asked, his tone casual. It was as if Loshaar didn’t consider Aksai to be a threat at all.
Shen Ji took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “We have been tracking his movements for some time. Our sources indicated that he would pass through this region soon. We set up this formation to ambush him when he least expected it.”
Liana looked thoughtful, her earlier shock giving way to curiosity. “If Aksai has risen so quickly, he must have gained some powerful techniques or allies. What do you know about his capabilities?”
Kou Lau finally spoke up, his voice steady.
“Actually, not much has been known about him. We sent many spies on Emerald Cove and most of them didn’t return, dying under mysterious circumstances. And a select few who managed to send some intel back couldn’t be contacted the second time.
However, from what we have gathered about this man, he doesn’t really like a Spirit cultivator who picks up his sword to settle his problems. He seldom comes out from his palace and mostly keeps to himself.
This rental Spirit farmer of yours didn’t leave Emerald Cove for years. This would probably be the first week he had left his home wound after returning from Haan Di a few years ago.”