Rise of The Demon General

Everyone in the room looked at each other. Amon let them take their time to decide. He didn’t urge them. He made it seem like he was fine, whatever their decision was.

The country leaders discussed among themselves, except for Xan Chi and Lei San. They came alone, so they had no one to discuss the matter with.

After some time, Zee Min asked Amon, ”Where do you want us to move to?”

”Your country has it the easiest, because the location I want everyone to gather is on the Western side of Khode,” Amon answered. ”Your people don’t need to move too far away.”

”Which means it is the worst for us,” Dim Loog said. ”Farghous is on the opposite end.”

Amon shrugged. ”I suggest you tell your people to pack up immediately and start walking. Otherwise, they won’t make it.”

Dim Loog tried his best to contain his rage. If Amon weren’t much stronger, he would have lashed out by now.

”Can you explain the reason why we must move to West Khode?” Sima Fang asked.

”The secret entrance to the lower world is in the no-man’s land West of Khode,” Amon answered. ”It is also in the opposite direction from the secret entrance to the upper world, which is Northeast of the old Gyleth Marx. The location is easier for my forces from the lower world to set up their defense, while the forces from the upper world must make an active effort to travel.”

”The entrance to the upper world is there? How do you know?” Xei Nuli asked.

”The lower world has been collaborating with the upper world for the Purge all this time. They have plenty of information about each other, including the entrances to their worlds. So, have you people decided? Do you want us to cooperate, or do you prefer to try your luck and fend for yourself?”

Everyone looked at each other again. To their surprise, it was Lei San who made the first declaration. ”The people of Echos will move to the location you mentioned.”

Dim Loog turned to Lei San with a fiery gaze. He stated, ”There is no longer a country named Echos. I own Echos, and you work for me! I make the decision!”

Lei San didn’t show any sign of being intimidated. He looked Dim Loog straight in the eye and replied, ”Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. If the upper world wins, then we will all vanish from this world. If the lower world wins, we will have a new master. You no longer sit at the top of the world. Lord Amon, Echos obeys your command and will do as you asked.”

Dim Loog was so angry that his body shook, but he took no action.

Amon looked at Lei San and smirked. ”You have become a better politician since I last saw you. Not that I despise it. Very well. Since you willingly offer yourself, I won’t refuse. Lei San and Echos are now under my command. Lei San, go back to Echos and direct all its citizens to make the exodus! Everyone must have left before the end of this week. Warn them to take only the essentials. They must arrive at my given location before the end of the third week.”

”I will immediately carry out your command!” Lei San bowed to Amon. He left afterward.

The others were disgusted by Lei San sucking up to Amon, especially Dim Loog, who viewed it as an act of betrayal.

”How about you?” Amon asked the rest.

Zee Min answered, ”We have agreed to follow your plan. We will instruct our people to make the exodus as well.”

”Tch! What exodus? You only move your people to a different part of your country,” Xan Chi criticized.

”We are not the ones who decide the location,” Hong Zi returned. ”The person who does is right in front of you. Go and complain directly!”

”Bah! Brother Amon and I go back a long way. We are the best of friends! If he tells me to migrate my people for our safety, I won’t doubt him!”

”Hehe. I remember you came to Echos to try to capture this best friend of yours,” Amon said.

”Hey! I thought you said you didn’t hold a grudge?”

”I don’t. I just want to make sure we have the same understanding of what a best friend is... So, this leaves Farghous and the Xei Dynasty. Are you joining the party or not?”

The two countries were situated in the East, so their people would have to travel the furthest. Hence, they got the most to lose.

After some consideration, Xei Nuli said, ”Our people will move.”

”Wonderful,” Amon responded. He turned to Dim Loog and gave him a questioning look.

Dim Loog glanced briefly at Sima Fang, who closed her eyes and sighed. She probably didn’t expect everyone to go along with Amon’s plan. Now that everyone had agreed, they would be the odd ducks if they were the only ones who refused to play along.

”Very well. We will go with your plan,” Dim Loog finally told Amon.

”Fantastic! Now that everyone has agreed, all that’s left is the execution. I understand that moving such a large number of people is not easy, and three weeks probably sounds impossible, but you must do your best if you wish to save as many people as possible. Have those with higher cultivation levels carry the weaker or non-cultivators, or better yet, leave the non-cultivators behind.”

”We are not a monster like you,” Sima Fang said.

”Hehe. That’s your loss,” Amon returned. ”One more thing, I hope no one tells anyone outside this room about the reason for the exodus. The Temple of Divinity used to be the upper world’s henchman. Though it has been destroyed, I doubt all its members are gone. Some might still hide among the populace. They might have a means to contact the upper world. This exodus is to bait them into an ambush. We can’t have someone contact them and leak our plan.”

Everyone nodded their understanding.

”I will leave you to realize this mass exodus,” Amon resumed. ”If there is no incident, you won’t see me again until the purge. I genuinely hope everyone survives this calamity. I look forward to ruling you once this is over. Hahaha!”

Amon’s laughter echoed through the great hall as he left. He left the country rulers with complicated feelings. Was it better for them to survive the apocalypse only to become the subjects of someone like Amon? They all knew for sure he was not a kind ruler. He was more likely to rule as a tyrant.

They could not answer. They all silently agreed that they would prefer to survive and find out rather than give up and perish in the purge. They all left without saying a word to each other.

Xei Nuli called her main military commander. A woman with his face covered in a mask entered the hall. ”Your Majesty, what is your order?” The woman asked.

The woman was Sura Yao, the previous general of Gyleth Marx. Xei Nuli recruited her after that country’s fall.

”Sura, make an announcement,” Xei Nuli said. ”Everyone in the country will move to Khode. Prepare the supplies. Leave no one here!”

Sura was shocked by the order, but she didn’t question it. She could hear the urgency in Xei Nuli’s tone. She expressed confirmation and went to carry out the order.

*

Dim Loog returned to Farghous with Sima Fang. He had sent a message to his ministers to organize the exodus. By the time he arrived, the exodus should have begun.

”Your Majesty, I wish to visit my clan and inform them. Can I take my leave?” Sima Fang asked.

”Go,” Dim Loog replied. He was not in a good mood.

Sima Fang flew away. However, she descended once Dim Loog was out of sight. She landed by the side of a river, sensed her surroundings to ensure no one was around, before taking out a message talisman. She wrote something on it. When she was still halfway, a lightning bolt zoomed past, and her hand that was holding the talisman was gone.

Her shock came before the pain. When it registered, she cried and grabbed her wrist that had become a stump. Blood gushed out. She hurriedly performed the meridian points technique to stop the bleeding.

Amon landed beside her and picked up the message talisman that had fallen to the ground.

”Yo–You...?” Sima Fang uttered.

Amon read the half-written message. ”Heh, as expected. You want to contact someone from the upper world.”

After Mu Qin was killed, the upper world lost its most valuable agent. Since the purge was only a few years away, they didn’t send someone from their world. Instead, they scouted for suitable agents in the surface world. The promise was that the agents would be spared from the purge. Sima Fang was among those scouted.

”Ho–How do you know...?” Sima Fang asked.

”When I mentioned the purge, you didn’t show enough surprise. Considering your passion to avert the calamity in the past, I found your lukewarm reaction odd. Hence, I tailed you. It turns out I was right.”

”Are you going to kill me?” Sima Fang asked.

”I have a better idea,” Amon replied with an evil grin.