An alliance

Inside the palace in Hastinapura, Bhishma stormed in angrily, glaring at Dhritarashtra Dhritarashtra, who looked like a child who had made a mistake.

This was, of course, feigning ignorance. Although Dhritarashtra was a hegemon, he knew that in front of Bhishma, only by showing weakness could he fool him.

"Dhritarashtra, what do you mean by this? How could you grant me this fiefdom without consulting me and Vidura? And what kind of place is that? It's Khandava Forest!"

That's Takshaka's territory; he'll attack any human who comes there! Karna helped our warriors on the battlefield, is this how you repay him?"

Bhishma's question echoed in the palace, where not only Dhritarashtra but also Vidura and his Hundred Sons of Dhritarashtra were present.

But now, no one dared to speak up for Dhritarashtra under these circumstances; no one wanted to anger this raging lion. Upon hearing this, Dhritarashtra put on an innocent expression and said:

"There's nothing wrong with my fiefdom. Khandava Forest is indeed our territory. In what way did I violate the Dharma by granting it out? Besides, Karna didn't refuse, did he?"

Dhritarashtra said with some grievance, "There are three kinds of attitudes people have towards the Dharma: one is that they do not know the Dharma and do not abide by Dharma; another is that they know the Dharma and uphold Dharma; and Dhritarashtra is clearly the third kind."

Knowing the law and understanding the law, yet failing to abide by it.

"Then I think there's no need for the Emperor of Hastinapura to stay here. I'll immediately muster my troops to conquer the most barren lands. Would you be willing to move the palace there?"

Bhishma roared angrily, and Dhritarashtra was standing nearby, trembled slightly upon hearing this and slowly walked to Bhishma's side.

"Uncle, if this is what you want, then I will do it. Anyway, I can't see anything. What difference does it make to me between a magnificent palace and a dilapidated one?"

Upon hearing these words and seeing Dhritarashtra's empty eyes, Bhishma's anger instantly subsided by half. Not that it disappeared, but rather that he had nowhere to vent it.

Family ties and responsibilities held this mighty warrior back.

"It's alright, Grandfather," Duryodhana spoke first. "Karna is a powerful warrior. Even you find his armor troublesome. How could a warrior's blade be inferior to a viper's fangs?"

You're worrying too much.

Bhishma sighed deeply, looked at Dhritarashtra with a troubled expression, and finally said slowly, "You must help Karna, give him resources and manpower, otherwise, how can he establish himself in such a place, far from home?"

Meanwhile, Duryodhana's uncle Shakuni, narrowed his eyes slightly, and Duryodhana leaned over to ask Shakuni, "Uncle, is this an opportunity? I will take on this mission to escort the supplies."

In this way, I can form an alliance with Karna, and then I can obtain a divine archer comparable to Arjuna."

Shakuni shook his head and said, "That was a terrible decision, child. Your father has undoubtedly offended Karna to death. He must be suffering in Khandava Forest right now, cursing Dhritarashtra."

Your presence there will only make him more wary of you. Besides, are you willing to follow Karna's advice and judge solely by ability, not by birth, from now on?

Don't forget, at this moment, the prince whom the people of Hastinapura are eagerly awaiting is Yudhishthira.

Upon hearing Shakuni's words, Duryodhana frowned deeply. Then, Shakuni chuckled and said, "No need to worry, my child." Shakunti played with a candle beside him, closing one eye as he spoke:

"Soon, you won't need to worry about the Pandavas anymore. Don't forget, the Palace of Lac is already built."

Upon hearing this, the unpleasant expression on Duryodhana's face immediately turned into a relaxed and joyful one.

Deep within the Khandava Forest, descending through a tree hollow, lies a vast underground space. The air inside is exceptionally cool, and a clear spring flows down from above. On the other side of the stream stands a colossal Shiva Linga.

On a throne carved from stone, Indra sat in the main seat without any hesitation, while Takshaka, whose eyes flashed with Takshaka, sat beside him. Opposite them, Bai Mo and Kama sat side by side, while Maya simply sat in the last seat.

There were two celestial beings present; he, Asura, was already fortunate to be able to sit there.

"So, you've decided to establish a kingdom here? Ridiculous! Khandava Forest has always been our serpent clan's territory. Heavenly Emperor Indra, this is clearly a declaration of war!"

"Takshaka said sternly, while Bai Mo took out the land grant certificate that Dhritarashtra had given to Karna. Takshaka took the certificate and Snake Eyes read the document from beginning to end."

Then, his gaze became fixed on the two characters "Dhritarashtra).

"That bastard... Khandava Forest has been our land since ancient times. We've lived here for generations, simply unwilling to go out and cause trouble. How dare this bastard claim my Khandava Forest as his own land and even divide it up?"

At this moment, Takshaka wished he could transform into a venomous snake, enter the palace of Hastinapura, and then strike the sleeping Dhritarashtra.

We usually keep to ourselves, so why are you pulling this stunt on me now? What do you take me for, the Snake King?

"So, it's this guy who caused you trouble, which means he's also an unlucky fellow. He clearly performed meritorious service on the battlefield but received such a reward."

"Heh heh heh, as a superior, this guy is really going too far."

Indra chuckled, legs crossed, but soon sensed a subtle gaze. He saw Kama's resentment almost solidify, staring at Indra with a dark expression.

"You, as a superior, aren't much better..." Bai Mo said helplessly on behalf of Kama, but Indra, seeing this, was not annoyed and laughed:

"Who knew Shiva would just burn her to ashes? That's Shiva's problem, it has nothing to do with me. Besides, you guys seem to get along quite well, both of you are speaking up for this guy."

Let me make this clear first: Kama, I don't care about your personal life, but you still have to finish your work.

"Tsk, I knew Karna should have gone to ascetic practices," Kama clicked his tongue and muttered.

"I didn't call you here to chat. This contract is utterly absurd. Khandava Forest will never acknowledge it. Take this back to that Dhritarashtra. No one has ever set foot in Khandava Forest, and no one will ever set foot there again!"

"Are you sure? Then it might be Bhishma comes. That guy isn't as easy to talk to as I am with outsiders." Bai Mo explained the pros and cons to Takshaka, and Bhishma was also stunned when he heard the name Takshaka.

After all, he single-handedly conquered Hastinapura, and his fame was widespread. Plus, he was the Son of the Ganges, making him a figure not to be trifled with. Takshaka said indignantly:

"Why would God arrange such a powerful and loyal dog for a blind and heartless scoundrel?"