AKITO
"Do you like lamb?"
"Huh." The boy looked at him in confusion.
"Do you like lamb skewers?" Akito asked again showing him the treat he had in his hand.
The boy gave him a short nod probably thinking why he was asking about lamb right now.
Akito handed the skewer over to the kid. "Go on take it and go home to your mother. She must be worried." The child hesitated a bit but after a reassuring nod from him he slowly nodded and got up moving away.
"What do you think you are doing, step away young man. I am going to punish this bastard."
The fat man came forward to grab the small child. By now the loud yelling of the man already had attracted the passers-by and a small crowd was beginning to form. Akito initially wanted to go undetected but fate had other plans.
He again pushed the kid to go away.
"Go on, go home." He told the kid. With a nervous look between the fat man and him, the kid slowly backed into the crowd disappearing.
"What do you think you are doing?" The fat guy yelled at his face. Akito could smell the disgusting stench from his mouth as he tried to stop himself from gagging. Did this guy ever bathed, he reeked. Other than a small twitch of his nose, he remained stoic. His sensei had drilled into him a cultivator should always be in control of their emotions.
"Are you even listening, baka-yaro(fool)." The guy screamed as he clutched Akito with his collar and pulled him towards himself. The stench was more proficient now and his very sensitive nose was experiencing a big trauma. His sensei would really beat him up if he knew a lowly man was dragging him around. With whatever level of patience he had left in him, he calmed himself down.
"Let go." Akito spoke calmly with an underlying threat to the man. The man was startled to hear him speak. But the man was confident he might be in a bad shape now but he was a Martial Artist.
In cultivation world, another type of cultivation is known as Body Cultivation or Martial Artists. Martial Artists have different cultivation method. They use Qi to change their body strength level.
The first level- Skin Refining is done between 10-15 years during which the basic process of Qi gathering, condensation and strengthening is achieved.
Similar to Soul Cultivation in Body Cultivation after the first stage, the Foundation level is the stage for settling the core. The work done during this stage forms the base for the future cultivation processes. Many find passing this stage very difficult and remain in this stage forever.
"You lost me my money and now you owe me, baka. Give me the money." He sneered at Akito as he harshly pulled at him. The fat man was indeed a martial artist during his younger times but now he was just an illegal slave trader.
Aki's patience was running low. His sensei has told him to stay low and not to become a target but apparently, it's not going to work anymore. Without thinking much, he punched the guy in his face. The fat man was pushed back several feet and a hush fell around the crowd.
Araa, he overdid it again, Akito sighed, he really needed to get better control of his power distribution he realised as he looked at the man who has now fallen on his ass.
"You broke my nose; you broke my nose." An angry exclamation came from the fat man as blood gushed out of his nose into his palms.
"Blood....blood, you made me bleed, I am going to kill you, shineeee (dieeeee)." He screamed as he ran towards Akito, who with a look of surprise just side stepped him, making the man fall down.
The crowd around them laughed at the fat man who turned and sneered at Akito again. He was getting bored and he wanted to leave fast before the situation escalated.
The fat guy who was glaring at him from the ground looked like he will attack again. And Akito thought it's better to just knock him out so that he could leave. But everything came to a freeze when a voice cut through the crowd.
"What is happening here?" A sharp crisp voice spoke as a young man in red and black clothes stepped forward with two of his men trailing behind him. With one glance itself you could see that he was a martial artist, his body was built with accordance to the combat and the badge on his chest indicated that he was a patrol officer appointed by Mount Haven.
While comparing a cultivator and martial artist these two are different sides of the same coin- Qi. Soul Cultivators absorb, preserve and condense Qi within their body and use them through different elemental attacks whereas Martial artist they use the condensed Qi to strengthen their body and are more suitable for hand combats. One can achieve mastery in either cultivation or martial arts but some very rare prodigies can do both.
The fat man's face paled when he saw officer Tomoki Shimura's face. He immediately started crying and crawling towards the officer.
"Shimura-san, please save me....I was just going on my merry way but this young man picked a fight with me, demanding money. Please save me." The fat man continued his grovelling at the feet of the officer.
Aki tsked and looked away annoyed by the little vermin. This just kept getting messier and messier, he just wanted to eat lamb skewers then climb the mountain before night. But it doesn't look like the case anymore. His sensei is going to be so upset with him.
Tomoki looked at the pathetic man on his feet who was bleeding profusely from his nose. Looks like he was a martial artist and the kid looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. He immediately recognised the pathetic man at his feet.
"Toita-san, take both of them into custody. You will be punished for starting a fight in public streets." Tomoki ordered his subordinates. He didn't want to escalate the situation with the number of cultivators present in the town it might get dangerous if more people get involved. The kid looked bored as he walked away with his officers but the other one though was still begging at his feet.
"Help me Shimura-san, I didn't do anything. I am innocent, please believe me.... please I am innocent."
"Skiya Goto, do you really think I don't know who you are. A slave trader who sells kids in auction, you were on our hitlist for a time now. Now move." Tomoki sneered at the man and kicked him off then walked away already thinking of the amount of paperwork he needed to fill.
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MISAKI
"Huh.....that was anti climatic." Asami said sipping her tea slowly as she looked at her best friend who was still looking bored as she gazed at the street below.
"Maybe a word with my cousin might help our little saviour." Asami added as she looked for a reaction from her friend. As expected, the tell-tale sign of sneer came onto her face. The beautiful face of Misaki Tokugawa turned ugly as she glared at her.
"He is a stupid little boy who wanted to play a hero. Let him rot in the pressure cells that ought to teach him a lesson."
Asami giggled as she refiled her little cup with more tea.
"So cruel Misa-chan...so cruel."
Misaki just frowned at her best friend as she picked a mooncake and savoured the taste. Asami Shimura was an enigma she could never truly understand the level of her thinking but she was her best friend, her soulmate so a little bit of cruelty was granted.
"Well look at that, a new menace is headed our way." Asami giggled again from behind her fan. Before Misa could ask, what she meant she heard the most annoying voice of Tamura Kyotaro.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Misaki-san, Asami-san." The man bowed to both of them. Misaki and Asami bowed back and exchanged greetings. Asami looked very happy because she knew a good drama was about to come now. (Good morning)
"May I join you, ladies?"
"Tamura-san, we would be pleased to have you in our company." Asami replied sweetly before Misa could reject the man. She wanted to throttle her best friend and shove her stupid little fan down her throat and choke her.
As if knowing exactly what she was thinking Asami looked at her and smiled evilly at her friend.
"What brings you to the tea house, Tamura-san." Asami asked with honey dripping her voice. She had a natural talent for seduction and not many were immune to it. A small graze of her touch and her sweet voice many easily become putty in her hands.
"Some of my father's pupil are here, I came to escort them." The man replied as if he was proud that he was given this job. Misa rolled her eyes and looked away from the foolish man.
"Surely a servant could have done this errand job, you shouldn't have bothered my lord."
The man flushed slightly at the double-edged words of Asami and Misa held back her smile. Simple words conveyed that you are not important enough to your father that he sent you for an errand job.
Asami Shimura was exactly like this with her poisonous words and seduction, she could charm any guy she wants, have them dance to her tune or she can also easily burn them down.
The man coughed and he settled himself as he sipped the tea which Asami poured for him trying to hide his embarrassment. Damage done Asami went back to hide behind her fan with mischief written all over her eyes.
Misa rolled her eyes as she looked at the pest who was currently sipping his tea.
"Anyways after that I was roaming the streets and found these beautiful peonies which immediately brought Misaki-san to my mind. So, I had to get them for you."
The man's overly sugary words floated by Misaki as she looked blankly at the flowers presented. She wanted to hit the man with his stupid flowers. Who does he think he is giving her flowers. Does he not know who she is. Is he that arrogant enough that he dared to do this. Misa raged inside her mind while looking at the flowers.
"Ohh, Misa-chan look peonies, isn't this onee-san's (elder sister's) favourite." Asami smiled ever so sweetly as she peered at the flowers. Misa frowned at her friend since when did aneki (elder sister) liked peonies.
"Who are you talking about Asami-san." The man asked confused.
"Izumi-chan, she is a bigger fan of peonies than Misa-chan. I am sure she will like them more when she gets here."
The man flinched badly, lightly knocking the table with his knees. He had gone deathly pale and the hold on the flowers tightened. Misa looked confused at Asami, as far as she knows one-san was busy with organising for the competition and she won't be coming down the mountain today. Asami just winked at her, a signal to just play along. Alright, if she wants to play, she can keep quiet.
"Izumi-san came down the mountain?" The man asked uncertainly.
"Oh yes with us, a small trip we were short on some items, she should be here soon, we need to climb the mountain before night fall after all."
The lies seem to roll smoothly from her tongue as the man started to lose more sweat. He chuckled horribly looking very scared, as he cleared his throat.
Misaki held back her smile seeing the man's reaction, her sister-in-law did have a reputation and many feared her. The man in front of her was the very proof of how powerful Izumi one-chan was. She wondered if she could ever achieve the heights that Izumi-chan has reached.
"Well, I should be off too my....my friends, they will be waiting for me. Have a safe journey back, Misaki-san, Asami-san." The man hurriedly got up and bowed to them albeit clumsily. Then scrammed away as fast he could, taking even the flowers with him.
"Aww he took the flowers away; I would have pinned one to my hair what a shame." Asami spoke with her fake sad tone.
"And you call me evil." The only response was a cute giggle from behind the fan.
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