Chapter 8: Trouble
"I'm on the road to Viridian City! I'm on my way I'm on my road! Yea!" Aaron kept singing joyfully.
"Oi, what's that song that Aaron is singing?", Josh whispered to Andrew. He had never heard this song but it seemed as it was made for their city! They had gotten used to calling Aaron by his name.
"I have no idea but its quite catchy...'On the road to Viridian City!'", Andrew smiled and began to sing as well.
"...What the hell.", Josh simply shook his head watching his friend start singing along. Veronica and Jasmine had been singing along with Aaron ever since he started. They had never heard this song but found it quite catchy. Soon enough, they could see a wall about 1.5 miles miles away.
"We should probably get off this guy before we get too close, The guards might attack us", Andrew noted.
"No problem", Aaron jumped off followed by the rest.
"Thanks for the ride Snake-y, you can go back now", Aaron gently patted the Boa.
'Ssssssss'!!!
The Boa who had been experiencing hell for the last 2 weeks never knowing if it would be killed or not was ecstatic! It immediately turned tail and fled!
'Finally away from that Demon King!' it screamed in its heart.
Watching the fleeing Snake who appeared to have been pardoned, Aaron was sure how to feel.
'I treated you well dammit. Gave you food, water, and let you live yet you flee without hesitation and look so happy doing it! Ungrateful!
"Well lets head over the gates we still have a little bit to go" Andrew said as he started walking. Aaron and the rest followed.
Viridian City had a population of 129,000 people ,the city had a total of 4 gates. The Northern gate would take you to the Port of New Haven, the Eastern Gate would take you to the capital, Emerald City as well as Jade Bay Port and Deep Mist City, the Southern gate would lead to the Emerald Forest and the Western gate that leads to a few small towns and villages that grew food for the city. The Southern gate was mostly used by Adventurers.
As they got closer to the gates they could see more people heading towards the city, some where leaving the city and others on there way to the Emerald forest. Most of them were Adventures but a few mercenaries could be seen as well. They would usually be hired by adventurers when they didn't have enough members to perform certain missions.
As they approached the gate they kept getting glances. Aaron wasn't sure and asked if the Red bands were famous around here. Hearing this they group didn't know how to respond.
'It you dammit! It's that face! How can you except people not to look, Also those clothes that practically scream 'I'm Rich!', it would be strange if you didn't get any looks', the same thought ran through all their heads.
"They're just trying to catch a glimpse of you Aaron", Veronica was the first to respond with a smile on her face.
"At me?", Aaron responded.
However before he could continue someone hollered at them. Looking back to his left he saw a group of 6, made of men and women approaching them. The one in the front was the most hideous man he had every seen in his life. He had the face of a frog and the body of a stick bug.
'Where do his organ go?' Aaron couldn't help but think. He had never seen anyone so thin. Lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed that Veronica and Jasmine had stepped in front of him.
"Look who it is! Our ol' friends the Red Bands!' The frog faced man spoke.
"Stop smiling! You're ruining my eyes!", shouted Veronica. After seeing Aaron's heavenly face for the last 2 weeks she simply couldn't stand seeing such an ugly man.
"What do you want Marvin?",said Andrew. Marvin was the frog faced man, he was a known slave trader. In fact him and his team we're kicked out of the Adventurers Guild due to their actions, due to this they ended up being mercenaries. However, it was still known that they engaged in slave trade and some even said they had become bandits.
"Nothin' much, We just happened to hear a strange rumor and came to see for ourselves. Some people that had left the city spoke of a young man wearing a robe made of golden feathers, I wonder if your little friend wouldn't mind letting us take a took.", Marvin said with a smirk. Glancing at the young man standing behind the 2 women.
As Marvin and his group were walking towards the gates they heard a commotion from those leaving the city. When they stopped and asked a passerby, he told them that a few people leaving the city had seen a young man with the face too beautiful to describe, draped in a golden feather robe. When Marvin heard this a glint could be seen in his eyes. He then decided to speed up to catch sight of this robe. As a side thought, he figured if the kid was as handsome as they said he could get a good price for him. How strong could a kid be?
When the Red Bands heard this their hearts sank, they knew that Marvin wanted to cause trouble. They were just far enough away from the city gates that the guards may not notice or care, as long as Marvin didn't go overboard and try to kill them, they probably wouldn't move. Marvin was at the late Core Forming realm and so was everyone else on his team. 6 late Core Forming experts, needless to say they didn't stand a chance. They knew that Aaron was strong but he's only 14 or 15 at most, they didn't think even he could take on 6 late core experts.
Aaron had also figured out what was happening.
'Scan', he said in his mind.
[Status]
Name: Marvin Winston
Age: 25
Level: 7(Late Core Formation)
Qi: 300
Bloodline: None
After seeing his level Aaron scanned the rest. After seeing there status he wasn't worried anymore. They couldn't hurt him even if they all grouped up and attacked him. In fact with his Strings they wouldn't even be able to get near him. He shook his head at Marvin, his Qi level was so low for his level, his cultivation art must be low grade.
However, Marvin couldn't be blamed, Aaron didn't have the slightest bit of Qi in him. To Marvin he appeared to be a mortal as for the Red Bands, he never put them in his sight.
"Do you insist on doing this Marvin?", asked Jasmine. She was able to maintain her cool but she also understood they didn't stand a chance.
However Marvin wasn't the one that responded. It was one of the two women that spoke up.
"Sister Jasmine, we just heard that this little brother was extremely handsome. We were just hoping to take a look", she said with a smile. However, that smile contained nothing but venom.
Jasmine was about to speak when Veronica cut her off.
" An ugly woman like you isn't worthy!", she scoffed.
How dare they try to steal her man!
The women's eye twitched and just as she was about to speak she saw the young man behind Veronica gentle push her aside and walked forward.
Silence
Marvin and the other 5 were frozen. They couldn't understand what they were seeing.
He must have fallen from the Heavens! That's the only explanation. They simply couldn't imagine how a human could be this beautiful. In front of them was a young man about 14 or 15 wrapped in luxurious white robes. Draped on his shoulders was a golden robe made of feathers, it shined so brightly that one couldn't stare directly at it. He had a healthy light brown complexion and loose curly hair that was as black as night. However, what struck them the most were his eyes.
"They're Gold!", the women that had spoken earlier couldn't contain her disbelief and accidentally shouted.
"Aaron!", shouted Veronica, she didn't understand why he stepped forward. She tried to pull him back but he waved off her hand.
"It's ok Veronica, they can't do anything to me", he said smiling.
Just as he was about to speak both the women on the other team begin hollering at him.
"Little brother! My name is Rose, do you want to come spend the night with these us two sisters",one of them said. Lust could be seen in her eyes, she had never seen a man so handsome, she had to have him!
"Yes little brother my name ia Violet, well treat you well. Whatever you ask we'll do.", the other said seductively.
"Whores!", yelled Veronica. How shameless these women were, they were at least 10 years older than Aaron yet acted so lewdly in front of him.
The other 3 men were who where stunned watched in confusion. The same could not be said for Marvin, he was seeing red! Violet was his woman! Yet she, in front of him, said she would serve another man! A junior at that! How could he accept this humiliation?!
When he first saw the kid he was just a stunned as the rest however that shock quickly turned to jealousy when he thought of his own appearance.
'The heavens are unfair!" he cursed. He was well aware that he wasn't the most handsome man around but to see someone so beautiful that it defined common sense drove him mad. He had decided to sale the kid into slavery at that moment. However after he heard Violet say she would serve him, he lost all reason.
'I'll disfigure him! Lets see who'll want him then!'
Just as he was about to make his move Aaron spoke.
"I'm sorry, I have no interest in women like you. Also I've been with two beautiful women for the past 2 weeks, the two of you simply can't compare." he said while shrugging. As he finished speaking Veronica became beet red while Jasmine had a light blush. She had to maintain her image.
'He thinks I'm beautiful', Veronica smiled while thinking, lost in her delusions.
Strangely enough the two women didn't get mad but rather started acting even more seductively.
"They can't offer you what we can. Both of us at the same time. What do you say?", Violet said while licking her lips.
"How shameless", even Jasmine couldn't hide her anger anymore. These two women knew no shame.
"Enough!", Marvin suddenly shouted. He stepped forward and pushed Violet aside while giving her a dirty look. She simply shrugged and kept staring at Aaron.
That was it! That was that last straw!
"Kid! I'll disfigure that face of yours and then sale you into slavery. Now hand over that robe and all your valuables or we'll take them off your corpse!" Marvin shouted. He had completely succumb to his jealousy. Even his teammates where shocked that he threatened to disfigure and kill the kid so close to city gates. However the other 3 men couldn't hide the greed in their eyes when they stared at that golden robe. At most they would just hide in the forest for a month or two. What's the big deal?
"What are you saying?!" Shouted Violet. She wouldn't allow such a face to be ruined, at least not until she had her fill. However Marvin ignored her and continued to move towards Aaron followed by his goons. All 4 approached while Violet and Rose weren't sure what to do.
Off to the side a few people passerby had noticed to commotion and stopped to watch. They were just far enough away that they couldn't make out the faces otherwise they would have been shocked by Aaron's appearance.
"Marvin's at it again, poor kids", an middle aged adventurer said while shaking his head. He recognized Marvin's group from a distance.
"Should we intervene?", said a young man that was following behind
"Do you want to die? That group is composed of entirely Late Core Formation Realm Cultivators. Do you think you can take on all 6?", said the old man
The young man could only sigh, he was only at the Early Core Formation Realm and his teacher was at the Late Stage Core Formation Realm. They could only watch from afar, they were simply to weak.
Similar discussions were happening around them. There were at least 20 people watching the commotion. Yet none intervened, even if the wished they could they didn't have the ability to change anything.
At this point Andrew and Josh who had been watching cautiously took out their weapons and stepped forward but were soon stopped by Aaron.
"Aaron we know your strong but all 4 of them at are that Late Core Foundation Realm even...", before Andrew could finish he was cut off by Aaron.
"All of you don't need to do anything", he said while walking forward.
"Just enjoy the show"