Chapter 964: Treatment P4: Using Ongoing Chaos to One’s Advantage

Then there were people like the Sun Ocean Lord.

He had been able to put his pride aside.

He understood when a situation had become impossible and prioritized his own survival.

But that alone wasn’t enough.

His planning had been poor.

The Sun Ocean Lord could abandon his pride but not his greed.

He eyed the accumulated resources of the Eastern and Western Limiya Gates more than his need to ensure his own safety.

His decisions had created consequences that eventually hurt not only those around him but himself as well.

Seeing the future was not the same as knowing how to optimally use it.

There were many people capable of glimpsing what awaited them.

Some could see events several steps ahead.

Yet when the moment came to act, they still failed to turn that knowledge into an advantage.

Because knowing what had to be done didn’t make doing it easy.

Sometimes, planning for the future requires sacrificing something valuable in the present.

Sometimes it required abandoning the very thing that gave a person their current status.

And sometimes it required admitting that something they had spent years building was no longer worth protecting.

Aksai had done exactly that.

He had refused to treat the Emerald Cove Guild as his strength the moment he experienced the true might of the imperial cultivators.

Instead of allowing the guild to become his liability, he had dismantled its visible structure before the enemy could seize it.

He hadn’t even waited for the Big Five Sects or the Major Three Sects of Orveth to decide what they wanted to do.

He had simply acted fast and decisively.

And without allowing his attachment to the guild to cloud his judgment.

Selene had to admit that it was impressive.

Aksai’s ability to anticipate events and plan several steps ahead was truly remarkable.

But there was something else she found even more impressive.

He actually had the courage to follow through.

Selene was about to praise him again when Aksai smiled.

It was a rather mirthless smile.

"It’s not what you think," he said.

Selene raised an eyebrow.

"At least not entirely."

Aksai leaned back slightly in his chair.

"I would have indeed liked to use the guild for my own safety. If possible, I would have also used its resources to further my interests."

His tone remained calm.

"So what if a majority of them ended up dying?"

Humeyin’s gaze shifted toward him.

Selene remained silent.

Aksai continued.

"I’m not some kind of saint who abhors mass killings simply because they’re happening on my side or my enemy’s side."

There was no pride in his words.

Nor was there cruelty.

He was simply stating his view.

"But the deaths should make sense."

His fingers lightly tapped the side of his empty teacup.

"They should accomplish something worthwhile."

He looked toward Selene.

"If people are going to die, their deaths should at least buy something meaningful. If we’re going to lose everything anyway, then throwing more lives into the same battle for the sake of pride is pointless."

Selene’s expression became thoughtful.

Aksai continued.

"Otherwise, it’s better not to engage in such battles at all."

He paused.

"And technically speaking, I haven’t completely disbanded the Emerald Cove Guild."

Selene’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"I merely put it on pause."

"On pause?"

"I deployed the guild members in different directions."

Aksai’s voice remained casual.

"Some were sent away from their original territories. Others were given different identities or assignments. The important thing is that the guild no longer exists as one obvious target."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"This protects the guild members while also giving the royal faction something to chase."

Selene understood immediately.

"A wild goose chase."

"Exactly."

Aksai nodded.

"If they want to waste their time searching for a guild that no longer exists in the form they remember, I’m not going to stop them."

Selene stared at him for a moment.

Then she chuckled softly.

"You really are ruthless when it comes to cutting your losses."

"Practical."

"Well... Being practical is a term often used by ruthless people."

Aksai shrugged.

"Perhaps."

He picked up his empty cup and looked at the bottom before placing it back on the table.

"This arrangement should also help me make my exit through the mainland."

Selene’s eyes flickered.

"You intend to use the chaos itself as cover."

"Why wouldn’t I?"

Aksai looked toward the distant windows of the reception hall.

"Right now, everyone is watching everyone else. The royal faction is searching for enemies. The sects are preparing for war. Imperial cultivators are hunting down resistance. The Wild Devil Lands are becoming even more chaotic."

He turned back toward Selene.

"When everyone is looking for something big, it’s much easier for something small to disappear."

Selene remained silent for several breaths.

Then she slowly nodded.

She felt that the rumors surrounding Lord Turtle had probably understated him rather than exaggerated him. He wasn’t simply someone who had become a Lord by fluke or by acting like a turtle on his island, not taking any risks at all.

He knew when to and when not to use his power.

And more importantly, he knew when something that once represented strength had already become a burden.

Humeyin quietly finished the last sip of her tea.

Her eyes lowered toward the empty cup as various thoughts swirled in her mind.

She wondered if Aksai would still honor his words of treating her under such a situation.

Selene remained silent for a while after hearing Aksai’s explanation.

Her fingers lightly traced the edge of the crystal intelligence device before she finally looked up.

"Then, Lord Aksai..."

She paused for a moment.

"Are you planning to head toward the Shinayin Empire itself?"

Aksai’s eyes flickered.

Selene noticed the reaction but continued before he could answer.

"Hehehe. Don’t worry. I’m not spying on you. I’m simply guessing. As an intelligence operator, I have to admit that it might be the most practical choice available to you."