Shards

Chapter 70 - Premonition

Captain Chiang was worried.

Lord Yuan had somehow manipulated Lord Zhai into punishing the Shard in public. Lord Zhai was more a man of logic and action. He who was like a solid rock on the battlefield had misstep when faced with his precious daughter's outrageous situation. The unexpected wild accusations backed by a 'reliable' witness had thrown him off guard. Facing with unaccustomed emotions, he had made a rash declaration in a fit of frustration to shut Lord Yuan up and salvage Lady Shuang's reputation.

Now it was too late to issue commands otherwise. To backtrack would make the Ruling Lord look indecisive and weak. Also, he did not really have a valid excuse to free the prisoner. To do so arbitrarily would undo all his hard work so far in showcasing 'fairness' in his laws for his long term goals.

Furthermore, Lord Zhai had told him what Ghost had said before being dragged out. It was not good.

"My Lord ..."

"Shut up."

"Is it wise to display and humiliate the Shard like that? And tomorrow, are we really going to whip him in front of everyone?"

"I said shut up."

"Old Wolf will come for us when he finds out, with the Dark Sect close on his heels."

Lord Zhai groaned, kneading his forehead with his fingers. They were alone in his war room, a place where he could let his guard down. Captain Chiang could be trusted. He knew he had made a tactical mistake by letting Lord Yuan get under his skin.

Get a grip, Lord Zhai reprimanded himself. You're a soldier, a war veteran and Lord of the finest army in the lands. Old Wolf is merely a man, a resourceful and dangerous one but still ultimately just a man. He was also just a peasant, a glorified commoner. Maybe it was time to remind him of his real place in society and the new world he was building. And his Shards ... were just common rebels. They were all made of flesh and blood, killable enemies.

So why was he feeling so uneasy? Dread crept into his soul making him anxious and restless. His battle instincts were at maximum, blaring warnings at the invisible but very real danger. The usual heady excitement he felt before a war campaign was soured by an unexplainable fear and growing doubt. Fighting the Dark Sect was not like fighting an opponent on the open battlefield. His strength lay in his army, his highly trained soldiers who won battles via tactics and strategies, fighting for victory like real men. The Dark Sect favored guerrilla style fighting, striking and disappearing without a trace. Those cowards!

Better to take precautions. Lord Zhai decided he would take a defensive stance until he was free of his now unwanted guests. When they had all vacated his property, he would go on the offense. Old Wolf would regret it if he did anything stupid against him or his mighty House. Meanwhile, he would increase security and use delay tactics to stall in inevitable retaliation.

"We'll keep the news from Old Wolf for as long as possible. By the time he knows, Shuang will be safely married and gone with Lord Yuan. Then we'll fortify this place. No one, not even the Dark Sect will be able to penetrate our defenses."

"It might be too late."

"Why is that?"

"The other Shard, Key, is missing."

Lord Zhai groaned. That was not good.

"Damn it."

"He's been missing since after the investigation this morning. No one can find him," reported Captain Chiang. "For all we know, he might be halfway to Old Wolf by now."

"This is all Lord Yuan's fault! What does he have against Ghost? He doesn't even know the man! This is definitely a personal fight between them, why bring Shuang into the matter?"