Lightning flashed across the darkened sky, coinciding with a sudden downpour that lashed onto the western hills.
Zhi Ruo watched the random raindrops falling against her window, splashes and droplets beaded and slid down the clear glass, leaving long streaks of water racing to the bottom of the pane, spooling on the sill before slowly dripping over the edge.
The heavy shower pelted down against the roof, its soothing and rhythmic pattering gave a serene and relaxing vibe to the grey afternoon.
Down below in the yard of the manor, she saw people outside scampering off, seeking shelter from the wintery afternoon shower, one unlucky young man tripped and fell in the sloshy snow, his friends laughed helping him up as they made a dash for the shed nearby.
Zhi Ruo turned away from the window with a chuckle, striding across the silent and dimly lit room.
The beautifully decorated private chamber had high ceilings and a bed centred on marble tiles.
Hartley was sat on a cushion in the lotus position near to the far wall, hands on his thighs with eyes closed. His face a picture of peacefulness.
She went over and sat beside him, snaked her arm around his waist and leaned her head onto her husband's shoulder.
Hartley's blue eyes flashed open soon after, he turned his face towards her, planting a tender kiss on the crown of her head.
"What's on your mind Ruo?" He asked lovingly.
She sighed and just sat there listening to the rain, watching the wet streaks crawl down the window.
"There might come a time when you'll have no choice but to ascend and leave us here." She said.
Hartley's lips broke into a smile.
"What makes you think that?."
Zhi Ruo gathered her thoughts, her head still leaning against his shoulder.
"It took you ten years to reach the saint realm from the ninth layer, and that was within the pocket dimension where it's ten times more conducive for elemental cultivation.
It will probably take a hundred years for me to reach sainthood from the eighth layer, by that time...."
Hartley laughed out loud, cackling from his stomach.
"By that time I would have already ascended?" Hartley finished his wife's train of thought.
He kissed her on the crown of her head again.
"Don't worry about that Ruo, I'll never leave here without you, even if I have to destroy this plane to bring you with me."
Hartley's admission drew silence, filling the room with the pattering sound of the rain and the trickling sounds of dripping water outside the window.
"I'm sure it won't come to that, me, you, Alrick and Qin Li might have to pay a visit to the pocket dimension when things settle down though."
Zhi Ruo raised her head to look at him, her red hair tied in a pony tail bounced over her left shoulder.
"Why?" She asked nervously.
Her experiences in the pocket dimension hadn't been exactly comfortable.
Hartley smiled at the disgruntled expression on her face.
"We've gained a solid footing for now, to hold what we have in the long run will require way more strength than we possess.
Our current situation is due to a chain reaction of circumstances and timing.
It's not out of the realm of possibility for the princes to strike a deal, they've both got birth right and entitlement to the land, when they stop seeing each other as their greatest threat, they'll join hands for a common cause."
She returned her head to his shoulder. He was right, she remembered her vow to help conquer the continent, this was far from the continent.
With so many strategically important locations spread across the country, it's impossible for one faction to hoard them all.
Occupying all these places at once would be spreading yourself too thin, potentially crumbling once you were attacked on multiple fronts.
For now, Hartley suspected that liberating the farm lands and coal mines of the west wasn't high on anyone's list of priorities."
****
Later that day there was a meeting to establish a command structure in the west.
All the nobles hoping to be granted fertile land and a higher position turned up to the manor, they were all guided into the reception hall on the first floor.
The lesser nobles who had fought valiantly alongside the western hills weren't misled, vivid ecstasy was abundant on their faces, Hartley had kept his word.
They were promoted to prominent positions in the region.
Rewarded with fertile lands formerly reserved for the high born nobles with links to the royal family.
This was their chance to stamp their authority on the region, generate wealth and make a name for themselves.
People like Jin Xamei were at the forefront of the restructuring.
He had identified and helped to weed out those troublesome old nobles, removing those potential stumbling blocks early in the campaign, ensuring a quick victory and a low casualty count.
Others like him, who had chosen to forsake the old regime and hop on-board the new, celebrated with glee as they were appointed new positions by Fu Qian.
The ambitions of people like Jin Xamei and the smaller nobles would align with Hartley's philosophy of rewarding based on merit.
He wouldn't have to worry about some of the ungrateful and established nobles who had gotten fat purely based on their connections to the princes.
They were all expelled from the region.
Command was centralized in the western hills, with Hartley at the top of the pyramid of authority, his orders would be handed down to the nobles appointed to run the individual territories.
In times of peace everything will function as before, with each noble left to make their own management decisions.
In times of conflict, orders on strategy and troop deployment would come directly from the western hills.
For the time being, no noble would have access to, or be permitted to stockpile any of the weapons developed in the western hills.
There was also a few rules of conduct that everyone was expected to follow.
Those nobles who wanted to work the commoners into the ground like prize mules, or keep them in squalid conditions for little to no compensation, would not be tolerated.
Anyone found indulging in these practices would be stripped of their position and expelled from the west.
With all the new policies implemented among the new hierarchy, the meeting was adjourned.
Happy faces were everywhere, leaving the western hills buzzing with a purpose and a new direction.
****
Natural light streamed into the room from the high windows, casting a shadow of its frame across the floor.
The scent of parchments filled the air, the brownish sheets of paper were strewn everywhere, scattered haphazardly across a wooden desk.
Prince Jian sat behind the desk in question, looking scholarly in a black robe, the streaks of white running through his hair was becoming more emboldened, standing out against the spots of dark hair still remaining on his head.
An assistant dressed in a military robe stood in front of the desk waiting for further instructions.
"How could this be? Are sure this report is correct?"
Prince Jian asked in a low voice as he re-read the information relayed on one of the parchments.
"Some of it is confirmed young lord, more details are pending. We however know that there has been a takeover in the west, all noteworthy nobles with any connection to you or your brother has been expelled."
The assistant had expected such questioning, he had memorised and confirmed the crucial aspects of the report.
Prince Jian sat back in his chair, almost looking at the ceiling in contemplation, the light from the window reflecting on his eyes.
The western hills had been relegated to a corner of his mind, there was much more lucrative assets up for grabs.
Planning strikes at his brother's vulnerable forces, while reinforcing his own operations was at the forefront of his mind. He had almost forgotten about the young man commander Genk had had so much loyalty to.
"So what about this mystery saint backing the western hills? And How does Patriarch Zhang tie into this whole mess?"
The prince asked as his eyes darted back and forth quickly perusing the rest of the report.
"There are unconfirmed reports that Patriarch Zhang was injured in the west, he himself hasn't confirmed the existence of this new saint, instead he has been said to be entering closed door cultivation for an unknown period of time.
The two others who were sent to investigate were also tight lipped about the situation, reporting that they saw Kang, who vouched for the mystery saint on behalf of the alliance of saints."
"The alliance of saints?" Prince Jian scratched his head in bewilderment, "what are those old fogeys doing? There has been no foreign saint sighted on our soil, has there?"
"No sir, none reported."
Similar conversations happened between Prince Dong and his closest advisors.
With the tangled web of information coming from the west, this was seen as a mix up that could be sorted out later, for now everyone vying to be the most powerful influence in the country had to consolidate.
There was a running battle for control of the docks in the Cassia province, the young prince had managed to keep hold of the docks and it's flow of cargo for the past week, with some of his best men stationed there.
The two princes continued their quest for not only military dominance, but also financial control of the country's resources.
What none of the princes had disclosed to the public was that King Yulan hadn't named a successor before ascending, instead he had looked at his two sons and uttered a phrase before sending them both on their way.
"Only the strong can truly rule, and neither of you are qualified."
That was the statement said without a hint of hesitation or emotion.
The last sentence the great King had said to his sons on the mortal plane.
****
Another winter's evening was approaching , the light outside dimmed, guards sporting the black bear emblem patrolled diligently through sloshy snow and mud.
People dressed for the weather strode by, talking while heading home towards the residential sector to the east.
Kang walked into the manor with a companion, back to his childish giggling ways when he saw the staff rushing to attend to him and his guest.
By now everyone knew who he was and how much respect Hartley showed this eccentric man. He was one not to be offended at all cost.
Hartley was notified of Kang's arrival immediately.
He made his way down to the first floor, as he was about to greet Kang his face went stiff.
Tall, lanky, white hair tied back in a pony tail with relatively refined features.
This man accompanying Kang was very familiar, in fact he was someone Hartley remembered quite well.
It was his first encounter with a saint, they had crossed paths in the back mountains of the western hills. Right after Hartley had broken into the ninth layer of the xiantian realm. (Chapter 118)
The skinny man laughed, "you remembered me that quickly?" He asked.
Hartley replied, "its kind of hard to forget when someone calls you an ant and proceed to burn a piece of forest to the point that it transformed to a bona fide desert."
The man cracked a proud toothy smile, "you weren't so shabby yourself, I couldn't get the dirt from my hair for days."
That's when Kang chimed in, "lets go to that lounge of yours Hartley."
"Aww"... The stranger sunk into a padded chair like an old man with back problems. He looked to Kang seated across from him.
Kang sipped his milk without concern. He turned back to face Hartley.
"I'm here to invite you to join the alliance of saints."