Lord Shadow

Chapter 407: Scheming in the dark (5)

The day before the murder happened, that official was seen arguing with one of the commander in Athena army about unfair distribution resources and the Athena commander was accusing the official to be channeling the resources to other secret project without consulting Death Monarch and the other factions in the court.

And the Sina faction accuses that Athena faction orchestrated the murder in the Palace.

The one that was murdered was an old man with only Orb Condensing realm but he was the leading figure form the political faction in the Central Government.

Athena of course did not order such thing.

She might be upset having to deal with unfair distribution but she would not have resorted to murdering her political rivals.

Not to mention she was not desperate for the resources since she takes over the West. She was prepared to investigate the claims when something else happen that push both parties into hostile position.

The event escalated so quickly that both parties have no choice but to duke it out.

As the delegation of Athena was waiting for Athena response in the Capital someone killed all of her men, slaughtering them without mercy.

No doubt that Athena believes the Central Government had betrayed their promise of protection and instead in an act of revenge, slaughter her soldiers.

Like Wang Jian, Athena value her soldiers. The battlefield is her home and her soldiers are her family.

She of course was furioso. She strapped her armor and unsheathe her sword in anger and promise to avenge the death of her men.

She rides her Pegasus with ten thousand soldiers and flies toward the Capital City.

The Shadow Guards saw all of this happening but as long as Death Monarch did not say anything and as long as their war did not reach the people and involve the people, they remain in the shadows, lurking and watching.

It means the array was not activated as Athena charged into the Palace eager to slaughter all of the Central Government people.

Sina was not there at the time. If she was there she could have settled all of this down. Loki at the time was in Belize.

Then there was a battle inside the Centre Palace. Thankfully Wang Jian rushed there in time to make sure that no one kill each other in the Centre palace.

He arrived and reminded everyone what would happen to everyone if Death Monarch knows they are killing each other in his Palace.

The Head Palace Keeper then arrived and shows the Dragon Tally and everyone bowed and kneeled in front of him.

The Head Palace Keeper throws them all out and then closed the Centre Palace and designated the Ten Thousand Blessing Pavilion as the meeting place for the officials to discuss matters of Pandemonium until Death Monarch returns.

The Central Government of course was unsatisfied with this outcome. First they have their people killed and then they were accused of killing Athena soldier when they did nothing.

While Athena did not kill anyone inside the Centre Palace, the entrance gate of the Centre Palace is littered by the dead bodies of officials of Central Government.

The Central Government then summons Athena to the Palace to account for her rebellious action forbidding her to bring her army to the Capital

Athena is not an idiot.

She of course knew that this is a scheme by the Central Government to kill her. How could she obey that order?

She then contacted Freya and make an alliance with her as Freya herself established a court in the Northern Region.

A month ago, the Central Government finally bares its fang. They sent soldiers to force Athena to come to the Capital by trying to terrorize the Western region.

Athena repel them and send them packing back home.

But the Central Government have already branded her as a murderer and a traitor without even giving her the benefit of the doubt, accusing her to try to usurp the power of the Central Government and rule in Death Monarch stead.

Loki did come to her but she never trusted the Trickster anyway so she refuses to meet with him.

She fears that the Trickster has aligned himself with the Central Government.

Wang Jian on the other hand seal himself shut on the Southern Court, and only settle the matters in his region.

The Central Government sent an edict to pit Wang Jian against her but Wang Jian is loyal but he is also not that idiotic like before.

Before he himself was betrayed by the officials of the court so one could imagine his mood when he heard that the Central Government is sending a letter to force him to deal with Athena.

While Wang Jian and Athena had disagreements sometimes and did not always see eye to eye on something they respected each other.

And since Athena said that she did not scheme such a plot against the Central Government, Wang Jian was inclined to believe her.

But he is also very loyal to Death Monarch.

However, that is the mistake that the Central Government makes.

They thought themselves to be Death Monarch. Wang Jian have always hated the officials who for him uses the name of Death Monarch to suppresses people.

It is like a fox borrowing the might of the tiger.

But if the edict arrived at his table, he of course would have to set out and apprehend Athena. When Somi the Fairy of the Battlefield hears this he suggested something.

It is true that if the letter arrived at his residence, with Wang Jian personality he will surely follow the order even though he doesn’t like it.

But that is only if the letter arrives.

When the Central Government send out the edict, the letter would either get lost, robbed by some bandits, or get snatched by some beast or monsters and at one point even get ripped apart by two traveling swordsman.

All manners of weird thing happen as long as the letter was sent to the Southern region

Hearing this matter how could the Central Government does not know what Wang Jian is doing?

He is deliberately not wanting to see the edict at all.

He then pretended to be sick and will not be coming to any meetings or join any events other than ordering his men to clean out the Southern region of monster infestation.

He will wait until Death Monarch returns

And nobody in the Central Government like to push Wang Jian too much since his faction is still strong in the Court.

Freya maintains the North, Athena defended her position in the West and Wang Jian pretend like nothing happens in the South.

The Central Government which have control of the central, north and east part of Pandemonium was reduced to only controlling the center part and the eastern part of Pandemonium while the Three Generals controls the other three parts of Pandemonium

But no one is thinking of a full blown out war.

After all, the monarch of this continent has not yet return.

They only fear if they were rash they would be strike by red thunderbolts and perish into dust and ashes.

That is why Wang Jian fly almost immediately to the Centre Palace.

He wanted to address Death Monarch directly before the Central Government officials twisted what happen and why Athena even with the accusation heaped on her must go to the Centre Palace and explain to Death Monarch.

Freya is the same as she burst out from her camp heading to the sky and not before long those three generals meet each other on the sky and they nodded at each other as they sped up their movements.

The Officials on the other hand begun coming out from their residence, climb onto their carriage as they all are heading onto the streets to the Centre palace.

The Head Keeper tied the Dragon tally on his hip and he brought a few Palace keepers with him as his large body slowly and calmly coming down from the towers as he arrived at the entrance gate of the Centre palace and with a cold voice he orders to the Palace Guards

‘Open the Palace gate and get ready to accept guest’

***

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