Down by the docks, it was another chaotic mess. Hordes of commoners were trying to rush onto the ships as they were held back by the soldiers. They screamed and shouted violently, while others cried and wailed in lament. It was hard to feel unsympathetic towards their pitiful appearances. However, the guards remained steady and unwavering. Orders were orders, after all, and what was about to happen was irrelevant to them anyways. Their looks of indifference served to incite the crowd's fury even more. They grew unbridled and attacked the soldiers, and at the same time, they hurled profanity after profanity.
"How can you abandon us like this?"
"Screw the Imperial Council! You bunch of traitors!"
"Are you just going to run away? Come back and fight, you cowards!"
"I'm Lord Fan's third cousin and if anything happens to me, I'll have your heads!"
"I'm begging you to let us onboard! You can have all our money. Please, just take us with you!"
"Forget trying to talk to them. Let's barge our way through and steal the ships!"
"That's right! How many of us can they stop? Let's do it, everyone!"
A flick of a sword later, the speaker's head flew in the air, splattering the nearby people in blood. They gave blood-curdling screams at the horrific sight. Someone died just like that! The killer was none other than an Imperial Sentinel! The woman casually cleaned her blade and sheathed it without a care, as if the killer was not her. No one stepped forward to denounce or arrest her though. Carrying on like nothing happened, that was the power of an Imperial Sentinel! In exchange for their services, they were granted special powers, such as the ability to pass 'judgement' on anyone they deemed fit. It was not to the point of total lawlessness, but a few accidental slips of the blade would be ignored. The empire needed to do this much to enlist the help of these powerful individuals!
"Don't go overboard. We don't want to incite a full-blown panic," a stern voice ordered.
A heroic man stepped forward with an admiral's uniform, bearing a firm attitude that offered zero resistance. He was the Silver Tempest, Admiral Kang Bao-Zhi! As the one responsible for the Maelstrom Gulf's battlefront, he frequently clashed with Admiral Aura Stormwind of the Alzar Kingdom. Just like her, he considered the woman as his greatest rival and enemy. It was unknown how many battles they fought against one another, but both had wins and losses, with the most recent one being the battle over the Maelstrom Gulf. Although he was prepared to pursue them to the end, his orders came first. This made him a bit more sullen than usual.
The sentinel snorted before marching away which left the admiral in an awkward position. Getting snubbed by an Imperial Sentinel was technically not a punishable offense, though it did irk him on the inside. After all, not every Perception Realm was as honorable as Sentinel Chang. It took a person with special personality and talent to push beyond the envelope of mortality and break into Perception Realm! Admiral Kang grunted in displeasure and continued about his business. There was a lot left to do in the Yunyun Stronghold!
Overlooking the scene was a high-class 'female escort' venue or for the tactless, it was an expensive whorehouse. There was all manner of debauchery committed within these walls that could never see the light of day. On the lower floors, there were no private rooms, and everything was done in a large lobby. This was where the commoners could pay for a quick service, and the women were also plain-looking. As one goes up the floors, they would gradually see private rooms, and more beautiful women. This establishment was rather famous for its luxurious selection and many people visited every day. It was extremely busy, but also extremely profitable.
In one of the middle-class private rooms, a woman looked to the man next to her. With flushed cheeks and an alluring smile, anyone would be held captive by her hypnotic gaze. She was drop-dead gorgeous! And with her hand sneaking over to the youth's crotch, he brimmed with manly energy. Leaning over to whisper in his ear, it was almost enough to send him over the edge.
"Do you know what's happening downstairs?" she seductively asked.
The man laughed, "Of course, I know. Give me a kiss and I might tell you a thing or two."
The woman inwardly rolled her eyes but presented a coquettish face. "You're such a bully. You have to tell me afterwards, alright?"
"Trust me, I'm a man of my word." After getting his wish, he bragged, "Hehe, since you did that, I'll honor my word and tell you, except don't tell anyone else. The truth is that… the Imperial Council decided to abandon the Yunyun Stronghold. They got Admiral Kang to help transport the nobles and officials out, but they're leaving the commoners here to die."
"How horrible," the woman frowned.
"Oh, don't be sad," he held her chin in his hand, openly revealing his lecherous attitude. "I'll happily take you in as one of my concubines if you want. I don't want you dying here in this dump after all."
With a smile that was not a smile, the woman said, "You're too generous, my lord."
Just then, a bell chimed, and a meek-looking man entered. "Sir, your time is up. Please let us escort you out."
"What are you talking about? We're about to get started, so scram!" He waved his hand casually, not bothering to look in the servant's direction. His eyes were fully focused on devouring the woman in front of him.
"Sir, please cooperate with us for your own sake."
The 'servant' then snapped his fingers and summoned a pair of muscular guards. Each of them was big enough to cover the entire door frame and dwarf everyone else in the room. Armed with blunt clubs, a full force swing from them might be enough to cripple someone for life! Although they might not be Perception Realms, in the world of mortals, they stood at the peak! Seeing this, the man simmered down and gulped his saliva. He might be hotheaded, both above and below, but he was not stupid enough to challenge them.
"Fine!" the man snorted. "I'll come back for you later, my lady." Kissing her hand, the man sauntered out.
Once he left, she dropped the big smile and an immense look of disgust and discomfort appeared. With some water and cloths, the woman thoroughly cleansed herself of his filth. Her acting skills could be considered first-rate! If her background was not so pitiful, then with her beauty and skill, she could absolutely become a famous noblewoman with countless admirers. What a shame that her fate was decided before birth. No matter what she did, this was all she could amount to in the end. And it was precisely because of that loathing that she despised the Xingyuu Empire for what they did. That was why she became a traitor for the kingdom!
"I heard some interesting things from that man. You'll want to hear this," she said to the 'servant' before reiterating everything she heard. Despite the customers believing he was a servant, this shrewd man was actually one of the owners of the establishment and the primary contact for the Alzar Kingdom!
"This is a serious matter. Are you confident in its accuracy?"
"He might be an idiot debaucher, but he's also the son of the Lord Zhu Lanqin."
"Oh? If it's that man… Alright, I'll send the news off. Thank you for your hard work," he said offhandedly as he rushed off.
"What else can I do?" she joked self-deprecatingly before staring blankly out at the sky.
***
Across the Yunyun Stronghold, messages in all shapes and sizes were converging on the Alzar Kingdom's camp. Fragmented, they might not mean anything, but together… one could paint a very thorough picture! This was the power of the kingdom's information network coming into play. They had eyes and ears everywhere! Quickly, General Dennis and the other ranked officers were updated on the situation, as was Elizabeth. With so many informants saying the same thing, it was confirmed without a shadow of doubt. General Dennis immediately gave the order to mobilize the army. Once Admiral Aura returned with the second vanguard force, they would siege the Yunyun Stronghold and capture it!