Bale Family Home...

San Fidwud finally arrived at the location of his hearing where the Plebeian leaders would try him for his poor planning that had cost them quite a lot the day before yesterday.

The day after his failure and the attack on the Fidwud Family Home, San had done a lot of reflecting and come up with a conclusion and a new philosophy.

As he alighted from his carriage and walked through the front gates while completely disregarding all those who stood there, no one could tell what was on his mind.

His expression seemed perfectly natural and could even be interpreted as acceptance of a situation he could not change.

In the meeting hall that had been selected, all the other Plebeian heads sat behind an inverted U-shaped Desk at the head of which, Bale sat with Tod by his side.

San walked into the hall and was quick to notice Bale smirk in his direction. Towards this, San had no response and simply sat in a chair that was in the middle of the inverted U.

The position made San seem more like a criminal on trial than anything else.

Evian who walked behind him was visibly upset by this sort of treatment but San once again was simply impassive and since he arrived, had not said a single word.

Bale felt comfortable with his silence as this made it seem as though San could feel the end of his designated leadership close at hand.

"San Fidwud. I believe you know why you are here" Bale said with an arch of his brow.

San looked quizzical,

"No, I don't. Why don't you enlighten me?" He said and Bale sneered at his denial,

"Really? You send so many Plebeian men to their death because of your incompetence and you are still so shameless as to act dumb?" Tod said.

The words were quite scathing but San's expression remained the same as he regarded Tod with his pearl black eyes,

"Sent so many Plebeian men to their deaths? Have you already forgotten that it was with my plan that we were able to deal the Great families such a huge blow?" He asked with a calm voice.

*Bam"

Bale hit the table with his palm,

"Compared to the lives your plans cost, your successes value next to nothing" he said.

The Plebeian heads agreed with him and San could tell that they had already decided on what to do so there was no need to let this go on for too long,

"Okay then, what now?" He asked.

Bale interlocked his hands and leaned forward,

"It's pretty simple actually. You surrender your role of designated leader to someone -anyone- more deserving" He said with his sneer becoming even more pronounced.

San narrowed his eyes,

"What about THAT plan?" He asked and it was clear from the expressions of the other Plebeian heads that they knew what he was talking about.

Tod cleared his throat,

"No one denies that that plan has merit but someone else will see to its implementation. All you need to do now is let your leadership role go" He said with a smirk.

San took a deep breath.

Not only were they trying to take away his power, they wanted to do so while keeping his brains or more accurately, his plans.

San gave a sneer of his own,

"No" he said.

Bale looked confused,

"What?" He asked.

San shrugged,

"I said, No, I won't give it up"

Tod sat forward,

"You do know that this is a formality, don't you? We don't really have to ask you to let go of a position that was never truly yours in the first place. It was never permanent. It was just to establish hierarchy.

Not to mention that you killed our messenger and are also guilty of gross disrespect"

San nodded at Tod's words as the man had made some valid points and was actually in line with San's new conviction.

"I know that the position was never permanent. Which is why I believe we should make it permanent. Until the end of the war when the Plebeians stand on top, I shall be the Plebeian leader"

Murmurs and conversations quickly broke out as many wondered if they had heard wrong.

"What nonsense are you speaking?" Asked one of the other Plebeian heads.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Asked another.

They could understand what San was saying and knew he was not saying he would vacate the position once the war was won, on the contrary, it was clear to them that he planned to continue lording over them.

San's eyes flashed,

"Do you wish to challenge me?" He was facing the Bale-Tod duo when he said this but the Plebeian heads knew he was talking to them all.

"And what if we are? Don't tell me you expect to win against all of us" Bale said and released the pressure of his Peak stage Cosmic Armament Realm cultivation base.

Tod did the same.

While not all of the twenty or so Plebeian leaders were at the Peak stage of the Cosmic Armament realm, with the majority of them at the Late-stage and the rest at the Mid-stage, San could not possibly win against them all.

Unless...

San's altered his position in the chair into a lounging one as a terrifying pressure extended from his form and bore down on all of them.

A Cosmic Phenomenon began to form around the Fidwud Family head who grinned from the joy of oppressing his fellow Plebeians.

At this point, Bale and Tod who were struggling and failing to resist the pressure bit their tongue in regret. They had been too forward, this Bastard,

This bastard was now at the Early Stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm!

However, even if he could sense their regret, which he could, San did not care and sent a Cosmic attack to the two.

Except that it was not just a Cosmic attack, it was one that was infused with a Cosmic Phenomenon, which guaranteed that even letting out their Cultivation base in its entirety to repel the Cosmic attack, it would be of no consequence...

*Boom!*

...The attack hit into them and sent the two smacking into the building wall, so hard that they became encased in it.

The only reason they were still breathing was that the Cosmic attack had only been for impact and had not been to seek their lives.

And all this San had done with a wave of his hand.

Terrifying!

So this was the gap between the Cosmic Armament Realm and the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm.

The Plebeian heads could not help but a shiver when San's eyes gained them.

"Any more challenges? I will accept your challenge" San said in a forthright voice that caused the Plebeian heads to grit their teeth,

What a Bastard!

How could they still possibly challenge him now?

Seeing as none of them said a word and Bale and Tod were now unconscious (Damn weaklings), San sighed,

"I will take your silence as trust in my capabilities and I shall do my best to lead you right. Now I can finally take back the reins and initiate my plan;

Operation: Gatecrasher.

We have less than a week. I will summon you all soon. I hope you converge at Fidwud Family home then" San said as he stood from his chair and walked away from the hall.

As he did, his cruel smile faded and his face twisted into one of unbridled rage as he withdrew an envelope from his robes.

It was the envelope the Malevolent One had delivered to his home through his emissaries and once San opened the envelope, the letter had been projected just like at the Confluence.

The message had mostly been to gloat about the successful attack on the Fidwud family and to insult San for not being at home when the Emissaries came knocking by.

Also, the Malevolent One confessed to killing the Holgers or more accurately, bragged about it.

San was not quite sure he could believe that the Malevolent One was guilty of this as he was still convinced Hal Payne was guilty.

Except if Hal Payne and the Malevolent one were one and the same.

San shook his head as he sat in the carriage and it trudged back to the Fidwud Family home,

"That's not possible. That Malevolent bastard is just trying to mess with my mind"

Up until the moment, San still did not make the connection between Hal and the mysterious Malevolent One.

That said, he now felt that if he wanted to get to the Malevolent One, it would be through Hal who was most likely serving the mysterious figure.

Of course, this was a stretch but it was also the only lead San had at the moment.

...

In the afternoon of that same day...

Payne Estate...

Hal had just alighted a carriage at the front gate where the guards stood. When they saw him, they made no move to stop him and did not display any clear animosity.

However, Hal could still see their frown which was understandable considering the fact that the last time he was here, he came with Melinda who beat a lot of them up.

Not to mention that Hal himself had killed Rad Payne, their young Master on that day as well.

Hal could understand that, while they had been ordered not to show any hostility towards him, the guards could still not help it if the very sight on him infuriated them.

However, in regards to this, Hal could not care less.

At the end of today, who knew if any of them would be alive anyway.

At the top of the stairs leading to the entrance of the main building, the same stairs Hal had once punched Rad into, Gregory stood with his arms wide and a benign smile on his face,

"Welcome home, Son" He said in a seemingly proud voice.

Hal sneered in his mind,

'What a load of Crap!'