The men were taken aback as the doors of the room swung open with a powerful force, revealing a very pale, dark-haired woman who leaned against the round table.
"Greetings, gentlemen. How do you fare this morning?" she asked, interrupting their conversation. “Splitting your forces was not my plan exactly, but it was a boon. You all being here, at the same time, was what I was hoping for.”
“I cannot believe it,” Fulan gave a miserable chuckle, “Cousin Aini. Not only do you yet live, but don’t tell me you're also the needle in our eye we have been searching for.”
Aini addressed him directly and said, "hello, Fulan. You know, when I was little and visited you in your parents’ grand castle, I would have never imagined that Big Brother Fu would turn into such a rat. Oh, what am I saying? Of course I did, though not to an extent such as this. Even as a child, you always sought after the biggest share, fully disregarding what you did to the other kids.”
Fulan explained, "I did what I had to do to maintain control."
“Enough with the family chatter!” Xiangle yelled at them, “What do you want, girl? Have you murdered or bought off the guards to get inside? Given your lack of anxiety as you stand there, I must presume that is the case. We have money and power, choose what you want, then get off our backs.”
But Aini wasn't finished yet. She circled around them, her gaze sweeping over each man in turn. "Power and wealth, mhh. It does seem alluring. But is that really worth it in the end?" she asked, her voice rising. "Everything you would ever want on a silver platter? But stolen from the backs of the people of my country? No! I should do with you as was done with Bai Fu."
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The mention of Bai Fu sent a shiver down the men's spines. They had all heard of the gruesome fate that had befallen their former partner, and none of them wanted to meet the same end.
“Was it you who killed him?” Panshi asked, more of an accused than a question.
“No, but I was there. Blood and guts splattered the walls of his now dead empire. It took us days to scrape him off the walls, alongside his and Bushun’s men.”
Aini paused, turned to face the four men, and slammed her palms firmly into the table while yelling, "Now! I'll let you decide. If you give yourself up without resistance, I'll make sure that the time you'll spend jailed won't be too harsh, but if you resist, I can't guarantee your safety."
The room fell silent as the men considered their options.
They knew that they had already lost, that their actions had consequences they could no longer escape.
There were no guards to help them and she could not have come here all alone.
But the thought of surrendering to this woman, this little girl who had waltzed into their lives and threatened to upend everything they had worked for, was unbearable.
Fulan answered solemnly, "I think I can speak for all of us here; we will not surrender. As men of Alaran, such an act is simply beyond us.”
Aini reflected on the response in silence before saying, "I'm sorry to hear that."
As the men watched Aini leave, they couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. They were aware of the effects of their acts, but they had not expected that they would find themselves in such desperate situations. Fulan, in particular, felt a twinge of regret at his past actions. He had always been driven by his desire for power and control, but now he realized that he had been blinded by his ambition.
But the men were resolute. They had made their decision, and they were prepared to face the consequences.
As Aini's soldiers invaded the chamber and dealt with the men, Baohu waited outside the door, a silent witness to the events unfolding inside. He knew that justice was being served, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness at the fate of the once-powerful men. He wondered what would become of their families and their legacies.