As soon as the crowd heard the name; Vermilion Bird, everyone took a few steps back from shock.
"Wha… what does the Vermilion Bird of the Black Phoenix wants from a teenage boy?" One man asked
"Somebody call the MAA (Martial Arts Association) we can't let this monster kill this young man." Other man shouted.
The Martial Arts Association is the organization that governs the martial artist of this country; they oversee the duels contract, crimes and many things related to martial arts.
"He… he's a monster, I once heard he skinned a man to death, wh… who does that, who would take time to remove someone's skin while the person is screaming from pain?" the other man said, before he tried to take few steps back but fell on his butt since his legs didn't want to move at all.
Everyone present had heard that story or at least a different version of it, except for Tristin. Since the central district is the neutral zone, there were gang members from all sides of Bongsburg. They did nothing but looked at Ronald the Vermilion Bird. "So this man here is racked forth in the Black Phoenix strongest list." They thought as they scan Ronald.
Lerato also took a step back from fear, she has heard of this man in front of her. "He's the most despicable person in the Black Phoenix, whenever the Black Phoenix wants to send a statement, they send him, they say; the screams from his victims, are his favorite song." She murmured, her eyes wide open, as she took a step back, sweat forming in her forehead.
Tristin noticed the fear written in Lerato's face; "I've never seen her scared before, is he really that terrifying?" Tristin wondered as he looked at Ronald in the eyes. "Alright then, let's go, I want to see what you really made off." He said his voice calm and unwavering.
The crowd heard Tristin words, they almost drop from shock. "Who in their right mind would follow a lunatic like the Vermilion Bird?" they wondered.
Lerato grabbed Tristin's arm. "Tristin, let's wait for my father; he can solve this without breaking a sweat. The Vermilion Bird is nothing like Sammy the Azure Dragon." She pleaded, her eyes narrowed, her grip firm as she holds Tristin's arm.
Tristin looked at Lerato, his eyebrows rose. "Don't worry Lerato, I promise nothing bad will happen, let's just follow the Vermilion chicken to his nest, it will be fun." He said with a smile, looking into her eyes.
Ver… chicken? Lerato lost her words; she shook her head a bit. "Tristin this is not the time for jokes, this guy is ruthless." She said her tone sharp, her eyes narrowed.
"Whether it's the Azure snake or the chicken in front of me, to me, it really doesn't matter; they are all just a bunch of domestic animals." Tristin said with a smile, looking at Ronald in the eyes.
Since Ronald wasn't something you can just laugh at, the entire crowd looked at Tristin like he was a crazy person. From the exchange between Tristin and Ronald, the crowd has already figured that the two are not friends at all, Ronald wants to teach this teenage kid a lesson but the reason is still a mystery to them.
"I guess you won't sheer a tear until you see the coffin." Ronald snorted, his gaze fixed on Tristin while he folds his arms.
Tristin looked at his wrist watch then looked at Ronald with narrowed eyes. "Time is money, stop spouting nonsense about coffins and lead the way, I don't have all day, you know." He said with a frown face as he thought; "it's just after 4pm, I need to be home around 5pm at most."
Ronald was taken aback for a moment. "After everything they said about me, why is this kid not afraid of me, not even a bit, is he really that strong or just an idiot?" He asked himself as he scanned Tristin, trying to see what level Tristin is at. "He has completely blocked his meridians, he might be more skilled." He thought, still trying to see Tristin's cultivation.
Seeing Ronald busy trying to see his cultivation, Tristin snapped his fingers right in front of Ronald's eyes; "stop spacing out, are we doing this or have you changed your mind?" He asked, his eyes narrowed, his voice cold.
The crowd drop dead, eyes about to pop out. Lerato also drop dead as she held her eyes in each hand. Ronald didn't react at all, Tristin smiled. "If a bad guy thinks he can intimidate me by using his reputation, I'll shutter that reputation with confidence and being fearless, it always keeps them guessing." Tristin thought as he looked at Ronald with a smile on his face.
Ronald snapped back from the daze, he gestured with his hand. "Follow me." He said as he walks away.
The other members of the Black Phoenix gang circled Tristin and Lerato while they follow Ronald as they wondered why Tristin is so composed.
The onlookers didn't want to be left out, they all followed. They all act like they don't like violence but curiosity got the better of them, Tristin's behavior made them eager to see how will he end.
Seeing Tristin surrounded by the Black Phoenix gang, Sipho, who hadn't gone to school today because he needed to see a doctor, the two slaps from Tristin had done more than just disfigure his mouth a bit, he immediately called Thomas. When the call connected, Sipho told Thomas what was happening. Thomas, eager to witness Tristin's demise, came rushing.
As the group of people navigates the passages of Bongsburg near the mall, they arrived at a park filled with trees and green grass. At the center of the park was a martial arts stage made with reinforced concrete. It was twice the size of the martial arts stage Tristin had used when he was facing Thomas.
Tristin and Lerato didn't waste time, they both jumped to the stage, after having a chat with Tristin while they were walking to the stage, Lerato had regained her composure. "Are you really going to show me the next stage of qi energy control?" Lerato asked, her eyes sparkling while fixed on Tristin.
Tristin looked at her and pattered her head a bit. "If I said I'll do it, you don't have to second guess it; I'm a man who doesn't go back on his words." He said with a smile.
Lerato smiled back, her face reddening. "How strong is he, really? Right now, I can't even imagine his strength. After seeing his confidence, even I believe in him. I'm sure he will come out on top after all this." she thought, looking at Tristin with admiration.
Tristin glanced down at the crowd, a mix of gang members, bounty hunters, ordinary civilians, and members of the Black Phoenix gang. He narrowed his eyes and spoke sharply, his voice loud and commanding. "Because of time, I won't be doing a one-on-one. I want you all to come at me at once; that will save us a lot of time." He held his hand behind his back, exuding calm authority.