LU LISONG assured him he was doing his best, and Ayden himself knew it, but there was nothing to be done... After several days, he was bored. The mercenary rarely had so much free time on his hands, always busy running around the Kingdom of the Plains, chasing contract after contract with his comrades. They had a busy life, and even if it wasn’t easy, they still had something to do. And they were together.

       Ayden watched a group of young disciples pass by, and catching the glances of the young women, he smiled charmingly. Several of them blushed and hurried off to their class, and Ayden watched them go with amusement. There was more prudishness in this world, and he found it almost refreshing. Seduction games and wandering hands were commonplace in his home, people masking their intentions with naughty fingers or a devastating smile. He had to admit that he had sometimes paid the price. But he had given others their money’s worth.

      Resuming his journey, he was about to join one of the training grounds he had discovered before his gaze caught a few well-known faces further on. A-Hui greeted him with a big wave of the hand, and Ayden turned to join him and A-Feng.

      “Young Master Ayden!” Lu Dehui immediately saluted, bowing.

      Ayden had given up trying to stop him with his ‘Young Master’ for several days already. A-Hui was adamant about it, so he gladly let him have it.

      “Young Master Ayden,” Lu Xiaofeng greeted more quietly.

      “Children,” replied the redhead, ignoring A-Feng’s grumpy growl. “Are you going somewhere?”

      “Yes, we are. Grand Master Zhongyou’s order has arrived in town, and we’re going to pick it up,” A-Hui replied with a smile.

      This kid was simply adorable, always in a good mood. Despite the incongruity of the situation, Ayden had quickly become attached to him. A-Hui and A-Feng were often together, and despite each other’s temperament, they obviously got along very well. A-Hui’s calmness tempered A-Feng’s more explosive side, and together they made an excellent team.

      “I’ll come down with you. Wait for me here. I’ll get something to cover myself,” said Ayden as he turned on his heels.

       Lu Lisong had told him he was not a clan prisoner: this was a chance to see. And a few minutes later, the three of them were walking down the path. The sun was high in the sky and beating down hard today, and as Ayden had feared, it was only a few minutes before he suffered from the heat under the layers of cloth. 

      But he was even more apprehensive when they arrived at the city’s gates: the main street in front of them was full of people. Even A-Hui and A-Feng seemed reluctant to face the crowd. It had to be said that they were arriving at the worst possible time: many goods had arrived this morning, and everyone was coming to pick up what they had ordered or to fill up on certain products. 

      “Think of it as a battle to be won,” Ayden murmured behind the two youngsters, placing a hand on each shoulder in encouragement.

      They both nodded and, after a deep breath to build up their courage, the three of them stepped forward as one. And the crowd swallowed them up.

      The multiple smells — hay, medicinal herbs, sweat, cattle — assailed them, along with the infernal din. People were yelling, talking over each other’s heads in an impressive hubbub. Everything was intermingled, intertwined, and created a striking picture that made many people dizzy. And with the mass, the heat in the middle of this crowd was suffocating.

      When Ayden arrived here the first time, he was right to think that the place was more populous than His Majesty’s city. He had never faced such a crowd in his world, even on the worst days, on the grand celebrations or the days of prayer.

      Ayden had his physique for himself; tall and muscular, those who had the misfortune to bump into him encountered an unshakable wall and were pushed away without mercy. People didn’t even have time to worry about his unattractive appearance, a tall hooded figure dressed all in black. On the other hand, Lu Xiaofeng and Lu Dehui were caught up in the crowd, trying to make their way, and Ayden had to resign himself to catch them both by the hand, not to lose them while protecting them behind him.

       Ayden glanced over his shoulder. “Which way?” he shouted.

      There was such a general racket that they could hardly hear each other. A-Hui tried to look around to see where they were, but... The boy was a head shorter than he was. 

      “Keep moving, young Master Ayden!“

      By all the gods. Even at a time like this, the young cultivator couldn’t drop the niceties? Ayden grunted vaguely and continued forward, following A-Hui’s directions. With the two younger men’s hands full, Ayden could no longer avoid the jostling, though it didn’t stop him from moving forward. And as he veered to the right to reach the medicinal plant stall, he bumped into a man carrying several weapons in his arms and...

      SCRAAATCH!

      A-Hui and A-Feng watched in horror as the flaming hair escaped, unfurling before their large eyes in long red strands. Silence fell around them as Ayden reached for the torn edge of his cloak, but the damage was done. The one he had pushed turned tragically pale; a sword fell grimly to the ground.

      “DEMON!”