"Patriarch, all people age under 15 gathered in the hall." A servant came to the garden where Nezha and patriarch were to report.
"Ah, the time sure run fast. I want to talk with you more but it seems we can't." Patriarch said.
"Grandfather…Why don't you…" Nezha tried to ask something but stop midway.
"I can't, My head must be present, if not the empire won't stop. I'm the relic of the past, a last symbol of the old system. Everybody had a chance for mercy but my death was inevitable."
"Should we postpone the date of our escape? I still want to learn more under you." Nezha always held grudge against the clan, he did not like anybody in this place except his mother,
The patriarch who was his grandfather was good to him but he still found resent with the man, and when the mountain was besieging his resentment only build up more with the patriarch indecisive that led even him to doom.
However, this time when he really talked with this grandfather of him and knew that the man prepared to sacrifice himself instead of escaping, he began to look at his grandfather in the new light. Although everything would be the same Nezha wanted to stay a bit more to learn and listen to his grandfather words more.
At the inner meeting hall of the Akkee sect, all the young people of the sect were gathered with the confusing and sadden face. If it was last year this type of meeting where there were only the youngster gathering, the place would fill with laughing and boasting, but now it was an opposition.
Their face showed their emotions that were filled with all negative emotions whether sorrowful, regretful, depressed and despairing. Unlike the normal attitudes of them which were self-important, egotistical and arrogant.
"Patriarch…Do we need to go to battle too?" One of the youngsters could not endure the atmosphere and ask. Although many people had gone to stand guard on the first and second barricade most youngster still waited on stand by at the living quarter.
They were still under training and continued their study, but the situation was dire and they too noticed the change. Some of them sometimes went to the edge to look down at the makeshift earth wall that went longer as they stood still in the sect mountain.
"No, all of you don't need to go to battle. Let's us adult handle this." The patriarch said.
"But grandfather, the enemy's army outnumbered us a lot. How could you fight against them?" A girl age around 15 asked the patriarch in an undertone voice. This girl was Nezha's cousin, a child of the first young master, who just start on her training as a magician.
Her life would be filled with rose with her beautiful face and delicate feature surely brought her a suitable groom for the clan or lived a luxury life with some noble, but now the grim life of prisoner or slavery only awaited her and there was the worst case that she would be bury to death as per emperor decree.
Emperor David was merciful yet ruthless at the same time, for the Akkee sect that dared to oppose him the misfortune surely befell on them.
"All of you will not stay here, this Nezha will be your leader. I entrust him with the future of our clan, from today onward he will be the next generation of Akkee sect. He will lead you via the secret passage route."
"Grandfather…" "Patriarch…" The sadden murmur continued to rise higher and higher.
"I want you to know that Nezha will be the next generation patriarch, all of must obey his decision as the situation is very dangerous. All of you must be unite and work according to the same goal in one spirit. Or else…" The patriarch repeated his words and emphasized that they need to work together in order to survive.
While the patriarch was talking, the servant came and told him that Nezha's mother had arrived.
Nezha saw his mother and hurried to help his mother walk, from her condition anyone could see that her illness was reaching the last state.
This is one of the reasons Nezha reluctant to go, his mother was sick with an untreatable illness. He could not treat it, he needed more than just penicillin to treat tuberculosis and it was not like he accurately remembered the method of producing penicillin.
Nezha already understood that his mother's death was destined to happen, he just wanted to stay with her as long as he could. Nezha was an orphan in his old world living without knowing of motherly love and died a dog's death in a gang fight, now that he had a mother he wanted to be with her until death came.
The Akkee sect patriarch did not know about Nezha past life but he understood that this boy was fond of his mother very much. He too thought of waiting but the situation may change any day, the empire could come any second or continued sieging to starve them out of the mountain, he did not want to risk the chance of these people escape.
His friend told him that David finished with the prisoner gather at the garrison outside of the capital and en route to personally command the siege at Akkee sect if David stayed at the capital he could wait longer but now that David had departed from the capital. He concluded that there would be an assault when David arrived, this would be the best chance for his men to successfully escape as the enemy post should be sluggish until the time their true commander arrived.
Another thing the patriarch regret was his friend well being, he believed that the next target must be noble and he could not help. In fact, he even decided to keep the evidence and hoped the letter would change David target into nobles, in turn diverting the empire attention from his men.
"Grandfather, I promise you that I will lead them to a safe place. Grandfather doesn't have to worry." Nezha bowed toward the patriarch.