"Where are we going?" Ast asked as they walked through crowded slums. Each step was taken with caution. Nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of the filth that made up the floor. Whenever his foot sunk into the floor he was certain some of the mud seeped through his shoes. A quick look at Layla struck him with frustration. The girl floated a few centimetres above the ground. Her shoes were spotless, cleaner than the freaking sun itself.
He tucked his hands into the large coat, trying his best to make himself as small and less threatening as possible. Every few steps he scanned the roads and buildings. He wondered why the slums were in such a condition. Wasn't the government constantly preaching about how much they did for the poor? Was this the extent? Laughable. Deplorable.
"To a man named Frisky Fisk," Layla gave him the light of day. "Uncle Xu gave his contact to me. Apparently, he runs a smuggling ring near Aboss river, in the Eastern Slums. We simply have to get there and call in Uncle Xu's favour. We might have to work a bit though. "
Ast dodged a block of horse shit. He dragged clumps of mucous from the back of his throat and spat to the side. He wiped away the disgust before running up to Layla.
"Won't we get recognised though?"
"Look at that beard of yours. Who would recognise you? I bet even Uncle Haise wouldn't be able to recognise you."
Layla patted a few drops of moisture that had formed on her forehead with her light blue handkerchief. She looked at Ast and gave him a light smile. Her emotions flew all over the place. Though the one that stood out the most was a relief. Ast's not blaming her too much for losing his future contributed to that. She knew his life would be a tad more difficult thanks to this. But at least he was alive and well.
After a few hours of walking, they finally reached the eastern edge of Western Slums. A small stream of grime and dark green paste formed the border between the two regions. All they had to do was cross the small bridge in front of them and they'd enter the Eastern Slums. Things would be much simpler then.
Unfortunately, things wouldn't be as quick as they hoped. A crowd of people clumped around a small bridge. From where they were all they heard were shouts.
"Let's stop and watch what's going," Layla said before dragging Ast to a wall that extended from one of the double story houses lining up the streets.
"Everybody! Shut'em asses up," someone shouted. "Dis bridge's now under our control. Three pathstones to cross."
The crowd quieted to process the man's words. They huffed and grunted once they understood what the man was trying to say.
"A fawking pawthstone for this shit?" A man with an eye patch raised his voice. "Whawt you thunk? We some'em rich suckers? Get your 'ed out cha ass. "
The crowd riled up l, agreeing with the man. They couldn't stand this. Jobs were decreasing by the day, especially since the Patrol started sweeping the west. Prices had gone up and now they had to stand around like idiots and listen to this piece of shit rob them in broad daylight.
"Fock this idiot. 'each 'im a lesson, " a lady shouted, fisting the air. "We ain't go' time for this shit. We'll be late for work."
"Yeah," the crowd roared in unison.
Jiang looked at the group of idiots trying their best to rationalize their new reality. They disappointed him. Couldn't they think for once? This place was now under The Blue River Gang's control. Why couldn't they get that through their thick skulls?
"L' sten up!" Jiang shouted once more. "The Blue River Gang got rid of the Purple Breasts. Those thickets won't be bothering Ya'll no more. And that's what you should celebrate. We are only asking for a pathstone to help c'ver our losses from the battle. After that everything will be fine. We won't need it. "
"Whawtchu trying to get at?" The Eye-patched man stepped forward and asked.
"This shit house is under new management, get in line," Jiang spat. "We don't want to start any bloodshed. Just pay the fucking three pathstones and you won't have any problem."
"How the heck are we supposed to do that smart ass?" the eye-patched man raised another question. "None of us are whawtchu call'em...way...wayfarers? A flipping pawthstone is equivalent to three fucking hawndred gold. Everyone just kick this dude's ass."
Jiang was honestly getting tired of this. Couldn't these people put two and two together? The price was a mere formality. They simply didn't want these idiots from the west coming over into the east. Things were bad. They couldn't support any of these buggers leeching off the jobs belonging to the east.
"Fuck this," Jiang shouted. "Le'me put it in a way your educated asses will understand."
Jiang inhaled a mouth of qi. He guided it through his limbs, grabbed the sword at his side and dashed. Blood shot up into the air. The eye-patched man's head followed after.
A few drops covered Jiang's face.
"We don't want you in the East no more. "
The crowd stepped back. Lost at what the heck was going on. The dude was a wayfarer as well?
Far behind the crowd, Ast and Layla were shocked when they saw the head fly into the
air.
"Did someone just die?" Layla asked.
"What's going on there? I felt qi. Shit! Ast, we need to head back. That dude practically called the Patrol here, let's move."
"Shouldn't we cross the bridge?" Ast asked, trying his best to rid the image of the flying head from his memory.
"We can't!" Layla was a bit pissed that Ast couldn't think straight at the moment. They'd be taken into custody as witnesses the moment the Patrol got here. That was less than a minute away from now.
"Let's move, Ast."