The Martial Unity

The Sloth Sage shrugged. "The kind of favor that only a Martial Sage could complete. Nothing unreasonable, of course. I am not going to assassinate the other princes for you. As long as it is not detrimental to the Martial Union and the Kandrian Empire, I'll do you a solid deal."

Rui narrowed his eyes. "And what if I refuse?"

"Then the Martial Union rescinds its support for you," The Martial Sage lightly remarked. "We will not support someone who refuses to be transparent with us."

"Shouldn't this have been done before the union announced its support for me?" Rui raised an eyebrow.

"If I had the power to have stopped that, I would have. I was against the Union supporting you," The Sloth Sage shrugged. "But you have acquired some…fans. A lot of fans. However…"

His eyes narrowed. "I am not necessarily one of them. At least, not a fan of the political support for you. I was chosen to represent the Union out of all my peers because I have among the least compromised interests and am able to represent the Union rather than my personal interests, believe it or not. The major sects don't want to allow one of their rivals to get it. I, on the other hand, am least involved with my sect, or anybody or anything else."

He heaved a tired sigh as though the very act of monologuing was exhausting.

"The Drunk Dame is even more detached than me, but she's perenially too drunk to be entrusted with representing the Martial Union," The Sloth Sage remarked.

His eyes lazily turned to Rui. "So what's it going to be, Void Prince? Show us you are worthy of our trust by divulging your true intentions, get a favor from me, or…refuse to do so and lose our support due to lack of transparency, as judged by me?"

Rui stared at him.

It appeared that the Sloth Sage was willing to use the fact that he was entrusted with deliberating with Rui to take away the Martial Union's support of him if he didn't come clean.

To a certain extent, he could understand where the Sloth Sage was coming from.

and investing in a political candidate, knowing the

didn't appreciate being attempted hypnosis

needed the Martial Union's

a favor from the Sloth

keep it a

why would I

want me to ascend the

Sage closed his eyes. "Your Hungry Pain technique has helped my sect more than you can imagine. Your so-called voidlet techniques will lead

His eyes opened.

fixed on Rui, sending

The

his lazy eyes. "Era-defining power.

defining knowledge. Era-defining potential."

today convinces me all the more that you must never ascend the throne. For the sake of the future of Martial Art.

don't want me to ascend the throne, then…" Rui's eyes lit up. "…It would you do well to keep my true intentions a

stared at the man. "I do not intend to

narrowed his eyes as he peered at Rui with his

could only sense

don't understand," The Sloth Sage tilted his

reason I'm growing my faction is to prevent any of my other princes and princesses from ascending the throne even if the Emperor passes away. I will monopolize seventy-five percent of the high-ranking government officials needed to