The carriage and horses continued on their journey once again but during the brief break that was allowed Ki went to meet up with Marilyn to talk.
She entered the carriage and spoke. "So what is it you want to know?"
Marilyn sighed and spoke. "How did you know that we would directly be fighting with them? They could of been a little rude and arrogant on the surface but if talked to they may have been open to letting us through… even so you behaved like a battle would happen even before words were spoken. Why?"
Ki smiled mockingly and then calmly answered. "It didn't matter if they were friendly or not. It didn't matter if they were good people or not. What mattered is that they obstructed our path at a crucial time which is very important. Our presence here is suspicious by itself and the fact that we are escorting several carriages is also suspicious. If they requested stuff from us then if they sell it then it would be traced back to them and then back to us if anyone is looking for any abnormalities during this time. Even if we do not give them anything and pass through peacefully the moment a notice appears offering a reward for any suspicious people travelling around with many carriages stored with treasure and other items the first thing they will think of is their encounter with us all. We needed to eliminate them immediately no matter who they are not only to silence the witnesses but also because of the fact that they were obstructing and delaying us putting all of us in further danger of being discovered before our return to the village."
Marilyn sighed and placed her hand over her face. "So you immediately choose the most ruthless method.. are you sure you couldn't wait to confirm if they were enemies or not? What about if they were innocents? Wouldn't it weigh on your mind that you may have slaughtered innocents by making a hasty decision?"
Ki shook her head and calmly replied. "You just don't yet understand the power the martial alliance has. If I didn't silence them and we had too much contact with them we would slowly reveal clues of our identity the longer we talked to them. The Estrella family is aware of the major changes within the world that could benefit various forces so… with their ability to read fate and the stars do you truly believe that they did not find out about what we have gained? If they know then they knew of it the moment it happened. By now they have already held a meeting with the martial alliance and used their resources to look for the slightest clue. Our best option is to remain as careful as possible. With every great gain there are also tests and disadvantages that come with them."
Marilyn lowered her eyes as she gripped her hands to make a fist. "So you mean what we have gained from the tomb is a big prize that everyone would want and if anyone finds out about it there will be many dangers. The martial alliance already knows and is already looking for it and will eliminate anyone related to it just to get the spoils of war."
Ki nodded. "It's a silent battle between us and the martial alliance. We just need to make our way home in time before their forces are mobilised in the northern parts of the central lands then we will be much safer. After that we need Isaac's help to come up with a strategy to not draw suspicion to ourselves. Right now the slightest mistake can lead to our downfall so we have to be careful and ruthless if it is needed."
Marilyn looked a little on edge after considering the danger level of this mission and then asked. "So what about the people who setup the blockade?"
Ki thought for a moment and then spoke. "There were two forces involved in the battle. The larger group seemed more like mercenaries judging by their clothing and the way they were the first ones to join the battle. Then there is the other small group of two, I believe one was a noble lady while the other was her personal guard."
Marilyn began to feel a little suspicious. "What is a noble lady doing in the middle of the road as unlawful as that place? And with so many unruly men?"
Ki replied. "Have you ever heard any whispers of the evil yin sect?"
Marilyn frowned and then spoke. "I have only heard a little but I thought they were rumours… is it true that their members are able to go back to their youthful appearance if they continue to use their martial arts?"
Ki nodded but then gravely spoke once again. "Yes and no. Everything has a cost in order to achieve a result. Anyone involved with the evil yin sect must swear loyalty to the sect master before receiving the martial arts, if they betray or try to escape the masters control their master will expose them for their crimes to the public which will lead to them being hunted down by the martial alliance. It's similar to the blood sects methods of dealing with traitors. As for the cost of achieving a youthful appearance… just like your evil flame qi art has a palm art that devours what it needs to grow the evil yin sect has a similar method but it involves absorbing the yin energy from a females body but it is preferred that they remain a virgin so their yin energy remains untainted by a males yang energy."
Marilyn looked back towards Ki and her eyes turned serious. "So the reason why you are mentioning this is because?"
Ki spoke in a cold tone of voice. "Keep your ears open within your territory and keep up your vigilance in order to avoid their infiltration. Most of all keep an eye out for any information concerning missing people particularly young girls under the age of eighteen."
Marilyn frowned again and then replied seriously. "You suspect they will begin to entice people around our territory?"
Ki nodded and spoke as her voice sounded absolutely certain. "The fact that we encountered one recruit on the road proves that they have begun to spread around the northern parts of the central lands and maybe other places. Now we have the underground in our parts in our control and enforce our own rules they are not able to find people to sacrifice for their vanity and to achieve greater strength. In noble families there may be some elderly who had previously been retired who suddenly stepped forward to take control of the family once more, signs of missing maids and servants within their household, mysterious or suspicious deaths or missing people on the streets which will be helpful to identify potential members. Otherwise they would turn to other cities that we have less control over to purchase female slaves in order to achieve their goals. Keep in mind that while they don't seem dangerous at a glance you should never approach any member and have close contact with their hands. If you find any you must inform me immediately."
Marilyn nodded and then spoke. "So what would win in a battle? My evil flame palm or their evil yin palm?"
Ki shrugged. "It's hard to say. It's probably down to who can devour the other the fastest and the proficiency in which you can use your palm art compared to the other person."
When it came to the blood sects palm art it often was used though not in direct confrontations but those that had mastered its use or had higher strength were able to absorb others vitality much faster than others who used it.
If two people tried to absorb each others vitality they would be caught in a tug of war between who can seize the most from their enemy until one perishes but in reality if it was a life and death battle many other factors would be involved as those involved would still be in combat and would put up a struggle in order to avoid death or break their enemies concentration.
The same is true for a confrontation between the evil flame and evil yin palm arts, while they have their own unique features it was uncertain which would be described as the strongest depending on the people using them.