Assassination

The man was handsome. It wasn't a handsomeness gained from cultivation, but one he had from the moment he was born. He radiated a kind of suffocative and provocative aura.

I scrutinized him while he did the same. His eyes landed first on the Old man, second on me and then on Zoe. There, a glint of lust could be seen. He didn't try to hide it and just shifted his gaze to me and regained a normal expression. My hands clunched for a moment but the next one, I calmed myself. I didn't need to stress myself for somebody like that.

" So you're the new Qi Core Creating stage cultivator... I came because of you. I hoped we could strike a conversation, learn from each other. I came as soon as I knew that a new Qi Core Creating Stage cultivator emerged but it seems I'm a bother now. I'll let you have your dinner in peace." Something shot out of his hand and stoped itself just in front of me.

"You can come to my palace any time you want. Just show this token and you'll be received. Also do remember who is the mayor and everything will be alright..." He looked at me with his false smile as I kept a calm and uninterresed face.

" Ok, I'll come..." I said and took the token. Even if I could just reject his invitation, it wasn't a durable plan. I needed to find my parents and when I did, I planned to bring them back here. If the mayor and I had a bad relationship from the get go and he was stronger than me, my familly could just be used as hostage to make me shut up. I didn't want them to suffer or be in dangerous situation because of me.

His smile grew a bit and he nodded to me, the Old man and to Zoe. His eyes lingered for a long second before I coughed. His eyes met mine as anger began to fill me. He smiled, excused himself and exited the manor from the same hallway he came from.

We sat down at the same time and I needed some time to calm myself. Zoe took my hand and looked at me with reassuring eyes. The Old man told me this.

"Be carefull James, he might be the mayor but he is a ruthless man. He first killed everyone who was against him being the mayor just after establishing this city. If it wasn't thanks to his good gestion of the city and his cultivation. He would have been replaced by someone else. He is a tyrant. Caution is extremely important." He said. I could hear a certain fear within the Old man's voice. Clearly he didn't like this man.

I looked at Zoe and remembered that she was the first to arrive in this city. How could she avoid him ? I asked her how she felt about him and if she knew him. I didn't care if she knew other men than me. Please, I'm not like that, she isn't a slave or a prisoner. She is free to do evreything she want to but I couldn't help but be serious when thinking about that man.

"I know him since the first year I came in this city. He has tried to chase after me for a long time even tough I clearly rejected him numerous time. It doesn't matter as he didn't try to force himself onto me but his eyes have been bothering me for a long time. They are filled with lust and I don't like that. You know why..." She explained to me with a tired, stressed and a bit afraid face.

"Excuse me, I don't feel good and I think I need sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." She excused herself and went to her room as I was filled with anger. How could he not understand, how could he be this stubborn, how could he be such a pest... Arghh he was tiring me too...

" Old man, tell me what are your toughts ?" I asked .

He pondered and responded after severals minutes spend in silence.

"Leave the city with Zoe tomorrow... You won't let him try anything funny with Zoe, this I know. But knowing his ruthlessness and that he is stronger than you, I wouldn't be surprise if he killed you so he could be free from competition. Your only chance is by traveling. Everyone know that it's by travelling, experiencing the world that someone progresses's the fastest. If you want to make a little heaven for your familly and Zoe, you'll have to fight for it." He said while sighing. He suddenly seemed to be 10 years older.

"Can't you do anything about it ? You're in the 2nd Stage too, and for a longer time than me." I asked.

"Ahhh, I would like but I can't.

When established, the Arrays Association, to prevent any other organistations from taking their business, made Oath Contract with the city mayor of each city they were in. These Oaths Contracts says that the city lord won't try to have a hand in the business and won't impede the business of the Arrays Association too. In exchange the Arrays Association won't intervene in what the city Lord do too. Be it slavery, killing or anything else we can't do anything. Being part of the Arrays Association I can't be implicated in this. But you can. You are an Array master, but you didn't receive your token yet. Furthermore, you've not been presented to the other Arrays masters, so no one know that you're from our organisation." He explained while I stayed silent.

"How strong is he ?" I asked. Even though I had to go search for my parents, I didn't want to be drove away from a place I planned to call home.

" He is in the Solid Phase of the Qi Core Creating Stage. You have no chance at all against him." He replied with a frown and a slightly ugly look on his face.

"Ok, tomorrow, I'll go. Don't tell any servaants or butlers ok ? There could be spies." I said.

We finished eating in the calm. The interuption had poured a bucket of cold water on everyone. I needed to think of where to go and How I could find my parents and the parents of Zoe. After eating, we both went to our room to prepare ourselves.

I talked with Osis about what happened. He wanted to fight first but finally understood after I explained everything. I was happy that during these few months Osis had greatly improved in communication. He could form long and complex phrases. Our conversations were pretty fluid too, now.

I went to Zoe's room and knocked on the door. I waited for her to respond but was met with silence. I knocked again didn't hear anything. I entered the room as we had things to talk about.

There I saw Zoe in the arms of a man in dark clothes. Clearly an assassin and kidnapper. I could see her with eyes filled with tears, anger and most of all fear. A deep fear, trying to resurface. She had her hands and feets tied up and her mouth was covered by this shadow's hand. An anger I had tried to supress from this evening erupted and I jumped at the assassin. I shouted using my powerfull lungs and Natural Qi as a amplificator as a warning for everyone in the manor.

I didn't have my spear but I didn't care. I learned the variant of my metal and lightning Qis Martial Arts just for this kind of situation. For hands-to-hands fight. Alas it wasn't as easy as hands-to-hands battle, did you see a lot of assassins without weapons ? Me too, none. He took a dagger, hid in his clothes, and tried to threaten me to use it on Zoe, but I was already near him.

With a slap from my hand to the dagger, I changed the direction of the blade and drew even closer to my target.

He threw Zoe on the ground while focusing all his attention on me. I could see that he was now serious. He gathered the ambient Qi and prepared to make a move.

'Shit, he is a 2nd stage cultivator, I need to be carefull and protect Zoe at the same time.'

I jumped back and placed myself in front of Zoe. I called upon the four Elementals and the four non-Elementals Qis I knew and tried to create a barrier. I didn't even try to create one after 3 years in the wild but now, while in a city with civilised people, I needed to fight for my and Zoe's lives and invent new means while fighting. Fortunetely I had far more elements than him. Even though his dark Qi and art was more profound and strong than mine, the mix and fusion of the eight differents Qis I called upon were just enough to block his dark Qi.

"Tsk, lucky man..." He said before jumping from one of the windows and running away.

I took Zoe in my arm after untying her and tried to calm her. She was crying and sobbing a lot and couldn't stop herself from trembling. Then the head butler, Old man and some servants came hurriedly.

"Head butler, go back and take my bag and my spear in my room. The servants can go back, we don't need you." I nearly shouted in anger. My blue eyes betraying my killing intent.

" Old man, there was a kinapping attempt, from an assassin just now. I don't know if the manor is secure anymore and don't really care. Zoe and me will go now. I'll protect her with my life on the line, you don't have to be anxious about that. I love here and won't abandon her." I said harshly. I tried to explain the situation the fastest possible without forgetting to reassure him.

The head butler came with my bag and spear and I put it near the bed. I took two longs blacks robes that was in one of the wardrobe of Zoe and put one on her while I took the second.

I looked at the Old man, who was completely stunned and seemed to age as the seconds passed by, for the last time.

"Snap out of it Old man, you're a 2nd Satge cultivator, you may be useless now but it won't stay the same forever. Work. Work hard, try to come up with solutions and differents Arrays and means to improve your strenght and influence in the world. Reinforce the manor with Arrays if needed. Don't let yourself slip in a endless loop of self-depression and hate. We will come back. At that time we will kill this lustfull, vicious and stupid city Lord." I said extremely harshly, I could see that if I didn't do anything the Old man would little by little exhaust himself and die from depression. He was like my grandfather, how could I let him do that.

I saw him regain some clarity in his eyes and he nodded with renewed vigor and determination.

"Go and find your parents. Grow strong, I'll be waiting for the both of you." He exclaimed solemnly.

I took my bags and weapon. I put my spear on my back and took Zoe's hand. We vanished in the night as we took the same way as the assassin, the window. We traveled in the city trying to avoid guards and passer-bys and soon arrived before the city gate. Of course it was locked. After all, it was nighttime. I clenshed Zoe's hand a bit and lift her up with all my strenght an Qi. She flew and shouted a bit. I propulsed myself and soon arrived just behind her. I put my hand on her waist as we began to fall. Just before we touched the ground I used my Time Phasing Mouvement Art and used the force behind our fall to propulse us in the directon of the forest.

It was a forest named Golden Claw Forest. Apparently there were a Qi Beasts of the 2nd Stage ressemning a wolf with golden claws. I was surprised as usually there were only silver, moon, swift, etc... wolfs and I hadn't ever heard of Golden Wolf.

Nevertheless we went on and desapeared from the plain the city was established on.

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In a mansion, in the center of Blood Moon City.

A man covered in black clothes was kneeling before another. The assassin could be heard reporting what had happened during his mission. A moment of silence could be heard as the assassin finished reporting. Slowly as more and more time passed the assassin was sweating more and more profusely.

" So you failed..." A deep voice was heard. Two eyes filled with snake-like viciousness could be seen. The voice came from a man with black hairs and black eyes. He had a lean but strong body and was known for his extreme ruthlessness. Fortunately fro this assassin he wasn't merely ruthless but he was cunning and vicious too.

"That's alright you just need to cut one of your hand and you'll be spared for your failure." The man said with a little smile on his face.

The assassin gulped loudly but didn't say anything. He hadn't pondered for one second before drawing his blade and cut off his member. There, a little scream was heard and servants came in.

"Clean this up and heal him back to full health." The city Lord said in an impassive voice before going out of the room.

"Yes, Lord Clayford." The servant all said before taking the assassin out of the room to heal him up.

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In the Golden Claw Forest two young persons were resting. A young woman with world-toppling beauty was laying in the only arm of a man who could described as slightly handsome. A match that could even anger the Heaven.

While the woman was sleeping, the man was trying to come up with a plan.

'We can't stay in this forest for long. First, it's too close to he city and second, It's not here we will find our parents.

Concerning my strenght I need to improve but I can't follow my previous path. I need to focus on several Qis and quickly make them Wills. I can't just train all of them. Jack-of- all trade are the worst. They aren't good and bad at anything. I need strenght that can rival other's and to do that I need to focus.

First I will focus on my Spacetime Qi, my Spear Qi and then on my Elementals Qis. I won't touch the non-Elementals Qi as they are useless to me now. I can slowly train them in the day. While traveling I can train my Spacetime Qi, while fighting I can train my Spear Qi and while relaxing I can train my Elementals Qis. I also need to began my Body and Soul cultivation... Ahhh so much to do....' I thought. I was tired and was falling little by little asleep. I looked at the sky and saw Osis look at me. He nodded and I knew through our blood bond that he was the guard for tonight. I fell asleep.