“Brother Aksai, basically, the Silver Moon Palace can pose a threat to you, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
Now, a major righteous sect like Green Glory Palace—they’re a different beast altogether,” Haitin said calmly.
Aksai sighed. “The Green Glory Lord is bound to get dissatisfied if I make his disciple disappear, right?”
Haitin smiled knowingly.
“That’s right. But here’s the thing. Lini Lowanfield’s value as a pawn shouldn’t be that high in Green Glory Lord’s eyes. After all, she is a direct disciple but hasn’t been given much weight in her sect. We could say Lini was raised by the Green Lord to be used as a disposable pawn.
Now, this is where your connection with Nuya would come to your rescue.
Green Glory Palace surely knows about Nuya’s origins. As one of the Big Five Sects within the righteous faction, they wouldn’t make a move without understanding every angle, especially in matters involving someone like the Frostbound Lord’s kin.
They play the long game, brother Aksai. You’ve already agreed to make Lini Lowanfield disappear from the Dadangar Subcontinent, and if you manage to pull that off, Green Glory Palace won’t target you. Especially now, given the urgency surrounding that mysterious opportunity they’re after.”
Aksai felt the weight of those words. “So, if I succeed in taking her out, I’m safe?”
“Safe enough,” Haitin nodded.
“But only if you’re smart about it. There are political traps and ladders everywhere in this game. You need to play it carefully—highlight your strengths, minimize your weaknesses. If you do that, your foundation at Emerald Cove will remain solid, even if you take down two pawns in the process.”
Haitin’s voice carried quiet confidence, the kind that came from someone who understood the delicate balance of power in the subcontinent.
Aksai could feel the underlying message—much of this hinged on Nuya, and Haitin was subtly pushing him to leverage her hidden lineage.
“So, Nuya’s background could do a lot of the heavy lifting in protecting the island,” Aksai said, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Haitin smiled. “Sometimes, the best defense is letting your enemies trip over their own caution.”
Aksai nodded, understanding the message clearly. If Nuya’s lineage came into the spotlight, many of their problems would solve themselves. But that also meant forcing Nuya’s hand, something she might not appreciate. Still, if it meant keeping Emerald Cove safe, he had to consider it.
“Understood,” Aksai said at last, his voice firm. He then smiled mirthlessly before asking.
“That wraps up the safety of my foundation on Emerald Cove. But what about my safety? Who will keep me safe? Even if the Silver Moon Palace and Green Glory Palace don’t do anything to Emerald Cove because of Nuya, they won’t stop targeting me.
Especially when I’m not on Emerald Cove, like right now when I’m so far away from my island,” Aksai asked, shaking his head.
Haitin pursed his lips, his expression more serious than before.
“Brother Aksai, I understand your situation is tricky, and I’m sorry I can’t offer an easy solution for fending off these attacks on your own. But why remain a vagabond Spirit cultivator? I’ll say it again. Why don’t you join my sect?
As one of the three major demonic organizations, we have the strength to ensure your safety. That’s why I brought up eliminating those pawns earlier—it was a precursor to this conversation.
My sect doesn’t have much influence in the regions beyond the Wild Devil Lands. However, it still has the capability to eradicate the existence of the Silver Moon Palace entirely.”
Aksai gulped as he heard Haitin’s words. He knew that Haitin was dead serious.
Aksai roughly understood the overall strength of the Silver Moon Palace. It should be more than thrice as strong as Emerald Cove, which meant that it had the capability of dealing a fatal blow to Emerald Cove if not outright destroy it.
Aksai knew that he couldn’t do anything to Silver Moon Palace on his own at this point. Nuya would also be helpless. Unless Aksai created special circumstances, it would be very easy for the Silver Moon Palace to destroy Aksai’s foundations. This was provided they became active in the Dadangar Archipelago.
The possibility of Silver Moon Palace becoming active in the seas was low but never zero. Even though Aksai had worked a lot and his island had progressed way further, they had just started whereas a sect like Silver Moon Palace had centuries worth of headstart. How could Aksai compete with such existences?
However, it seemed that something like the Silver Moon Palace wasn’t even worth mentioning in Haitin’s eyes. He saw it as nothing more than an ant that could be stepped on anytime he wanted.
‘I want to have this kind of confidence to crush someone like it’s no big deal,’ Aksai thought to himself as he looked at Haitin. He then sighed in his head and let Haitin speak.
The demon star paused for a moment, letting his words sink in before continuing.
“As for the personal retaliation of the Green Glory Palace, I can’t say that they won’t seek any compensation from you. However, as long as you join my sect, I will take the responsibility of paying sufficient remuneration.
If you give me some time to sort out things with the Green Glory Sect, they would drop the matter in a few months. I also have confidence to meet personally with the Green Glory Lord to ask for forgiveness.
You can remain in my sect until that happens. I will inform you once it is settled,” Haitin spoke.
Aksai smiled but didn’t say anything. Haitin didn’t give up.
“You might as well make it official and join us, brother Aksai. I promise you wouldn’t be mistreated. You’d join as a sect elder, with all the privileges and protections that come with the role. What do you say?”
His voice was serious, making it clear this was no casual offer.
Aksai smiled softly, then shook his head. “Brother Haitin, I appreciate the offer—truly, I do. But for now, I’d prefer to remain a drifting cultivator. Of course, if things start to get really difficult for me, I may reconsider and ask for your help then. Let me reevaluate the situation if and when that time comes.”
The refusal was polite, but both men knew it was more of a formality than anything. Aksai’s words were perfunctory at best. He had no intention of joining a demonic sect, and Haitin could probably see that.
Despite the offer’s temptation—protection, resources, influence—Aksai wasn’t one to give up his independence lightly. The personal consequences of joining the demonic faction were too steep.
Not only would it compromise his freedom, but his foundation at Emerald Cove could be jeopardized. Emerald Cove was now a part of the Dadangar Islands Alliance, and they were actively clashing with Kalingoot. If he switched sides and aligned himself with the demonic faction, Emerald Cove’s position in the Alliance would be at risk.
The Alliance wasn’t exactly forgiving of turncoats, and Kalingoot, while backed by the demonic faction, wouldn’t rush to his defense right away. They would likely let Emerald Cove take a few hits first, softening it up for easier control later.
The demonic faction played the long game, and a weakened Emerald Cove would be much easier to manipulate. If Haitin didn’t pay attention personally, Emerald Cove would completely fall into the demonic faction’s hands.
Would Haitin protect Aksai’s interests after the deal had been made? Probably. But for how long? Especially at this point when the mysterious opportunity was about to be exploited by the enemy Core Formation Lords.
Joining a sect—even one as powerful as Haitin’s—meant trading that freedom for structure, hierarchy, and obligations. Aksai wasn’t interested in having a master or being surrounded by fellow disciples.
From his perspective, they’d bring more trouble than they were worth. He enjoyed the simplicity of working alone, without having to watch his back for internal politics or power struggles.
There was also the issue of his secrets—Aksai had many, and keeping them was far easier as a lone cultivator. Joining a sect meant being scrutinized, even if he held a high rank like a sect elder.
People would ask questions. They would get nosy. There would be greed and pettiness. And he couldn’t afford that kind of attention, not with everything he had hidden beneath the surface.
So, despite Haitin’s enticing offer, Aksai knew he couldn’t accept it.
Haitin’s eyes narrowed for a brief second, then he gave a small nod, his smile never wavering. “I see. Well, brother Aksai, you know where to find me if you change your mind.”
Haitin then asked Aksai to take some rest. He told Aksai that the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he had promised to Aksai would be offered to him tomorrow. When asked, Haitin confirmed that it was indeed related to the disappearance of the three demonic Core Formation Lords.
Aksai nodded, satisfied for now. “Finally,” he murmured under his breath.