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.

were a donor considering heavily supporting and investing in a political candidate, knowing the latter's true intentions and goals was a

he didn't appreciate being

he needed the

mind a favor from

it a secret,"

why would I do that,

me to

a waste of potential," the Sloth Sage closed his eyes. "Your Hungry Pain technique has helped my sect more than you can imagine. Your so-called

His eyes opened.

on Rui, sending chills down his

it that I have borne witness to…" The Sloth Sage

lazy eyes.

defining knowledge. Era-defining potential."

his head. "What I have seen today convinces me all the more that you must never ascend the throne. For the sake of the future of Martial Art. For the sake of

to ascend the throne, then…" Rui's eyes lit up. "…It would you do well to keep my true intentions

stared at the man. "I do

eyes as he peered at

could only sense

understand," The Sloth Sage

growing my faction is to prevent any of my other princes and princesses from ascending the throne even