Banished

Outside of the Palace, Prince Clayton was just stripped of his clothes, and left with rags.

His mother, the former wife of King Aldon, was left with him weeping in similarly horrible rags.

The last thing Prince Clayton expected on his fourteenth birthday was to be discarded outside in the rain. He was supposed to meet the imperial scholar for morning class when the guards found and threw him outside. He still hadn't heard the story of what happened, but his mom told them for many years that he should never get cut.

He could tell his mother was bleeding on the grass as she had claw marks on her arm. When he saw this, he knew that their life in the palace was over. Her pearl like arm was drenched in black blood, demon's blood.

If it wasn't for King Aldon's attachment to his mother, they wouldn't even be able to escape to the lowest section of Mermithid Lock City. He had no choice but to carry his mother, and with his Six Star Mortal Rank cultivation, it should've been easy to take her there.

He'd never seen the lowest part of the city before, and when people saw him in embroidered rags, he was attacked and forced to defend himself.

Finally, after being beaten and left naked to protect his mom. They arrived by two castle guards that immediately laughed at him.

"Ha, you somehow made it boy! Thank the heavens the locals didn't neuter you!"

Clayton looked down and then looked back up.

His heart was still thumping from being brutally stripped by strong, angry girls. THUMP, THUMP.

They took everything but his necklace, which they for some reason couldn't get off his neck. This necklace was just garbage to the guards, though, as they walked over towards him and his mother.

"They really should've neutered you… I bet the king prayed for you to keep your package, so he might sacrifice his grandchildren! HAHAHAHAHA"

Clayton didn't really want to see these two men.

He was hoping they'd leave immediately so he could crumple up into a ball and think of how to salvage his life.

"What… you're not answering your superior? You're rank is now low as the shit in the grass! Come on… Get down on your knees prince and thank these two soldiers for your sendoff."

These guards were supposed to defend him from rowdy crowds, but he was mauled by both animals and people alike for his princely rags. They then proceeded to stomp on his dignity and even threw stones at him.

"I apologize…. May I pay you back in the future." Clayton smiled hiding his true feelings.

They then glowered at the little proud shit who they used to have to teach.

"I didn't hear you, Clayton… Did you just say you'd pay me back? Did the mighty prince just offer to pay me?"

"Ugh, yeah! He did! He did!" His somewhat dumb partner added.

Their weapon's sheathings were gold with jewels from the head castle blacksmith. Clayton had no choice but to indirectly bribe them for his life. A second later, though, his mom fell on the floor.

"Mother!" Clayton screamed. Her black hair drooped to the ground causing even the guards to wince and reach out.

"You know, Clayton. Your situation sucks, but at least you got us to escort you… We'll be back for the money you promised in two weeks. It'll be 20 bronze coins to keep your sorry life!"

They sheathed their swords and walked over towards his mother.

BOOM!

Clayton took a hit into the stomach before the guards smiled and watched his body flutter away.

"Yes, remember that Clayton! Now… for five more bronze coins we can keep your mother's arm attached to her body?"

Clayton slid in the dirt as he saw a dagger at his mother's throat.

"I'll give you thirty bronze coins in two weeks! Just leave her alone! Thank you for taking us to our new home!"

The guards heard this and laughed looking at the small rundown shack that looked like a backwards cup. It was full of spider webs and had a do not enter sign.

"Sure, it really was nice seeing you suffer our prince! May you forever suffer in depravity while your mother repents for her sins!"

"Yup, what he said, and give us our money!"

They both laughed as Clayton clambered off the ground. His body was now covered with dirt and some dark blood from him being scratched. When this happened, he felt the aura surrounding his body blossom as if he could crush these two mortals.

His mother, though, then smiled at him and calmed him, as she coughed her way to her feet.

She waved her hand saying calm down as the two guards laughed at his bravery.

"Ha, the prince is getting angry! Is that what's happening, Fen?"

Fen was the dumb guard, and he nodded his head. "Yup, let's give him a sword, and then challenge him to a duel! If we do that, we can kill him, right Langston?"

"You're not supposed to speak our plan out loud dummy… Remember, we talked about this earlier…"

Langston pat Fen on the head before he kicked a sword over towards Clayton. "Well, you heard him… Survive two attacks from us and you get to give us money. If our training was worth nothing to you, then you'll die, and we'll tell the king the locals killed you… So, survive or we'll also have to kill your mother, brat!"

Clayton coughed and picked up the sword. He was now naked with a blade twice his size, and his mother was looking at him with angst and depression.

"Fine, but… If I cut you, I don't have to pay you anything, deal?" He asked hopefully at the two overconfident guards.

"Hmmm, I don't like the way that deal sounds, do you Fen?" Langston slithered his finger up the blade.

"Nope, not at all, Langston! He'll pay double if he cuts us!"

Clayton sighed and forced himself to smile as he activated his inner Qi Matrix. A bright light spread out on his body as his 6th stage Mortal Rank energy flourished.

The two guards were in the 7th stage but were surprised he'd been hiding his energy during class.

"So, do we have a deal?" Clayton said and pointed at Langston, "I want to know from you, Langston… Do you at least have a knight's dignity?"

This was going to be more challenging than Langston thought, but he still nodded his head. If this little brat could beat him in a battle, he might as well retire and become a mill worker! No one below his stage had ever beaten him before, but Fen would be ripped to shreds. He was a little bit retarded, and was shocked that Clayton had reached the sixth stage.

"Wow, you're really challenging your teacher with such a brazen attitude?"

"Are you really scared of a child?" Clayton smiled causing Langston to laugh.

"Ha, I always liked you little shit. It's a shame that if I was nice to you, the gods would discover my treachery. Fine, if you can cut me you don't have to pay anything, but the first two attacks I will try and kill you… deal?"

Fen nodded his head. "Yes, it's a deal… Let's kill him now Langston!"

"Ugh, he's supposed to answer, Fen. If you answer, it won't count as a contract of battle… Do you accept, Clayton?"

Clayton coiled his arms and nodded his head. "Yes! However,… Langston, I hope you have the courage to fight me alone?"

When Clayton was trained as a prince, it was customary to train with five people, and even though they feigned weakness, it would be much easier this way.

"Ah, the prince thinks I'm a weakling? Why, yes, I think I'll give we'll give it a go!"

Langston shot off his foot and immediately a white energy shined at the tip of the sword. As a Seventh Star Mortal Rank cultivator, he was able to use part of the Heavenly Matrix to attack!

However, the black blood on Clayton's body began to glow as their swords echoed from the first hit!

BOOM!

Clayton slid against the ground as Fen approached from the side.

"Hehe! Don't let him move his blade!" He screamed and tore his sword through the air, which created a screeching sound. Clayton burst forward with his lower calves and slid between Langston's legs.

He then spun and parried two sword attacks from Fen and Langston. Langston then gasped and pulled back his sword.

"Stop! He won his time…"

"But… I wanted to kill him. He used to call me dumb." Fen said with a bloodthirsty stare.

"We all called you dumb. I just called you dumb two second ago…"

"You're not a little farmer boy, though, he's just a farmer now! I can kill him now that he's a farmer!"

Langston cackled before he turned around to walk towards Clayton's mother. She was poisoned much earlier and could barely stand on her feet.

"We'll leave you now, Queen Eliza, sorry, but the saints are always watching," Langston whispered.

Clayton's mother, Eliza, then began coughing and smiled. "Yes, thank yo--"

Cough Cough!

Langston sighed and then looked over at Clayton who was struggling to catch his breath. "Fen, lets get out of here, and Clayton… get us 50 gold coins and we'll throw in the antidote to your mom's poison! Now, dummy, stop showing your buckteeth… we got to get back to the castle…"

Fen frowned and sealed his sword at his side. "Fine, but… you're buying me lunch Langston…" He grinned thinking about food as Clayton nodded his head.

"Yes, you'll have 50 coins by the end of the month… Thank you for your benevolence."

Langston waved and then sealed his sword. "Sure, just be ready for your life to suck! Assassins are going to try and kill you in your sleep… As soon as you can, try and afford a new place… Remember what happened to the last half-blood."

Clayton recalled this as blood dripped out the side of his mouth. It was extremely hard fighting the gap between the sixth star, and seventh star rank, and Fen didn't hold back at all.

"Yup, I'll do my best, and I'll get your money!"

At the next moment, the two troopers left, and walked off back up the seven cities between them and the castle. Clayton and his mother used to be highly regarded in Seventh Lock city, but now they were in the lowest and first city. The land of the farmers, paupers, and the vagrants of the town.

He was supposed to go to school tomorrow morning, and he also had to live in this run-down shack. He opened the door while dragging his mother to bed. All he had were questions, but she could hardly stand.

"Mom! Mom! Are you alright?" Clayton activated his Mortal Qi and pet her head.

"You're sweating mother, your temperature is 103 degrees Fahrenheit… We really need to get you a doctor!"

His mother smiled at him and blushed thinking about her son's goodwill.

"W-We Can't… Now, I have to go find some work!" His mother tried her hardest to get off the thatched bed, but immediately plopped back down.

"No, you don't have to do anything! I snuck out 10 bronze coins! I'll buy us some food and try and barter for a temporary antidote!"

"Ah, my son! You're just like me… However, please don't worry about me… If I wasn't a demon, your life wouldn't have to be so horrible right now."

Horrible? What was so horrible?

He was going to have to go to school, and work, and also probably deal with loads of hate. For his mother though, was this really a comparable burden?

Rather than thinking that way, he thought of this as a getaway! This was the lowest town, and he was never allowed outside of the sixth city before this! Even though there were like criminals, he was also trained. Bring it on!

"I'm going to buy some clothes mother, and some detoxification source pills… With these, you should be able to move before I get you the antidote."

"Thank you, I think I'm too tired now, son… Please let your mother sleep…"

Langston felt a tear drip down his eye and nodded his head. "Yes, mother… may the gods watch over you…"

The gods… The ones that were supposed to protect them… The true gods of humanity, or the gods of devils.

"Heh… I don't think any god even wants us son… They're too proud of being pure blooded to want us."

Clayton sighed and pat her head before he walked towards the door. "Well, maybe I can be the first halfling to reach godhood?" He snickered as he ran out the door.

His mother could only laugh and fall asleep. In her dreams, she had a premonition, and there Clayton smiled at her with an overwhelming power.

Obviously, this was just a dream, but it could also be considered a premonition. Unfortunately, after that dream, only nightmares kept her company. Thanks to the seven-tier poison… this would be her main comfort in sleep.

….

At the castle, Centigrade Hall

King Aldon looked down at his youngest wife.

She had earlier decided it was necessary to slash his beautiful main wife with a claw. Every second he saw her, he wanted to kill her. His first wife, even though she was as old as him, never aged.

In fact, these two would seem comparable in age, even though one was twenty and the other was fifty.

Though rather than seeming upset, he was forced to be happy. In fact, if he wasn't, the gods and saints might condemn him to supporting the devil.

"You really went out of your way to detect that wench…" King Aldon said with a smile.

"It was my duty, my king! If I didn't find her, you might have had another kid with her. I was afraid the burden would be too great for you then."

"Hmmm, well, you shall now be promoted to the first wife spot! Your duties will be the same as hers!"

Her face glowed like a lightbulb and she smiled. "Yes, thank you king! I never expected such an honor! Thank you!"

"Your welcome! May the gods favor shine down upon you!"

"No, may they shine down upon us…" His youngest wife, Parra, whipped her arms around the King and began indulging herself in his warmth.

"I hope we can now make an heir to the throne,"

King Aldon sighed and then looked over at the bed of Queen Eliza. If she was here, he would never do this, but the gods were always watching, judging, and rating the kings of Mirith Lock Continent.

"Yes, I will gladly honor you with that privilege in a few weeks. Once my first wife is dead, from the poison you inflicted, I will gladly give you my offspring."

Parra smiled and then walked towards the door. "I see you have yet to truly get over the demon… I promise to help her die sooner, my king."

"No, that will not be necessary, you've already done enough, my beauty!"

King Aldon waved over towards his knights. "Now, I must be alone before the celebration begins! Knights take her to get dressed… A saint will be at this party, and you must look better than great!"

The guards snickered at his horrible joke as Parra waved and walked off into the hallway.

'Ugh, that old mans just delaying for time.. We will take over this city whether he likes it or not…'

She looked at the two knights next to her, and then wished to grab their lecherous eyes and shove them into their sockets.

….

Clayton hid behind a clay house as he stared at a pair of clothes drying on a string.

'I never imagined I'd be a thief…. I also never imagined I'd be stealing farmer's clothes…'

He graciously unpinned the stripped farmers suit from the claws holding them in the air. After donning them, and a straw hat he had taken from a blind man, he walked towards the medicine shop.

"Hi, I heard you have detoxification pills… Is that right?"

The blind man, the one he had taken the hat from, looked forward and nodded his head. "Yes, however, I don't like doing business without a hat on… I'm going to get a burn, so come back tomorrow!"

"Wait" Clayton said gently and put the hat on the table. "I think I just found it!"

The old man reached down and grabbed the hat before a smile covered his blanched face. His rosy cheeks went from solemn blue to bright crimson. A sanguine countenance then appeared and he happily waved Clayton into the store.

"Wow! I'm surprised this is actually the hat! Twenty percent discount on all the merchandise!"

Clayton was very happy to hear this, and immediately walked over towards the pellets on the wall.

"Thank you!" Clayton guiltily swallowed. He figured the old man was dead since he was lying on the ground and took the hat. However, he didn't rob a dead man, and robbed a man who was now the potential savior of his mother.

"No worries… you deserve the discount. It must have blown away during my nap!"

Clayton giggled and was glad about this coincidence. They always said in his town that if you were surrounded by bad luck eventually the good would break through.

Indeed, this was exactly what he needed to break his bad luck.

"Yes, I found it by the old tree outside the lowest farm lands of first lock!"

"Ah, my lucky day!" The old man said, "Now, what exactly do you need?"

Clayton looked at the wall. With his 20% discount he could now afford to spend 12 bronze coins. There were five detoxification pills, and he was hoping for a mid-grade detoxification pill. Unfortunately, the true cost of it seemed to be 20 bronze coins.

"I need a low-grade detoxification pill!"

The old man nodded his head and then walked over towards the racks of medicine. After pulling down a bottle, he held it in his hand, and threw it towards Clayton.

"Here, take this for free, there are 20 detoxification pills in there! Tell your mother to take one every six hours, and she should be able to work until the poison kills her or is cured…"

"H-How do you know this?" Clayton said aghast, "You really shouldn't know this…"

"Well, I have really good hearing! Luckily, you even gave me back my hat! Thanks prince Clayton!"

Clayton could only gulp as he looked at the old man questionably.

"What exactly do you want, old man?"

The old man laughed and then shrugged his shoulders. "Uhm, I want you to get out of my shop, and give those to your mom… Also, bring me lunch tomorrow so we can talk…"

Clayton sighed and nodded his head. "Ugh, your not as simple as you look are you, old man?"

The man with the long beard nodded his head. "Yes, now get out of my shop before I beat you for taking me hat!"

Immediately, Clayton turned around and bowed with an extremely gracious movement.

"Yes, thank you for your kindness elder…"

The old man nodded his head and then flapped his hand. "Yes, now get out of here, and go get yourself some clothes! Stop stealing from farmers!"

Clayton gulped and laughed. What kind of hearing did this old man have?

"Also, try and feed your mom as much protein as possible… The Seven Venom poison she has well be also slowed by protein… You should be able to get a small bird for five bronze."

Right now, to Clayton, he barely understood any of this stuff, so he gladly made a mental note.

"Thank you for your kindness, senior… See you tomorrow!"

Clayton turned around and ran off before the old man changed his mind. Once he was far enough away, the old man took of his hat and sat down in his chair.

"Yes, see you tomorrow… Please stay well, savior…"