UNBEATABLE! INVINCIBLE! UNPARALLELED!
Ramzey Ramzo
Chapter 12: Finally arrived!
“Are we getting out here?” asked Duan Li as he looked outside the window.
“Nope, we will continue to ride for another one stop before reaching the capital city.” replied Ling Yu.
“This Triding River town is technically the first line of defence for the Jiu Empire. Thus, there are many stores out here that sells numerous necessities for martial artists going on an adventure including armours, weapons, skill manuals and the sorts. You can come here next time to take a look.” she continued with a smile.
“Ahh I see… But why is it considered the first line of defence?” asked Duan Li curiously.
This was because the numerous surrounding villages on the outskirts were also part of the Jiu Empire. Then, why were they not considered to be the first line of defence?
Hearing this, Wang Guozhi turned to answer as he pulled out a paper and pen from the void. This seems to be that 'Inventory space' magic that was imbued usually on rings. These rings are made up from the sack of a rare monster called 'Three striped Fanged-Snake’ by which its tail has the properties of an alternate dimensional space, although the inner space would varies on random.
Ling Yu had told him about this before when they were travelling by the air previously as she took a sip from a water bottle that came out of nowhere.
“Well, imagine it like this, the capital city of Nine Lotuses is the centre of the Jiu Empire. It is surrounded by eight towns including the Triding river town. There are two towns in front of the capital city in each four of the cardinal directions, and they are all connected together by town walls as their border.” said Wang Guozhi as he draw a single circular shape which he then divides them in a sectorial manner on the paper.
Although Duan Li loved reading, and he knew that there are towns surrounding the capital city. He wasn't sure before how each were situated as the book that he bought at a very cheap price had only stated roughly without going into the details.
Duan Li cupped his chin with his fingers as he found this positioning of towns around the capital to be quite interesting. Still, he did not understand the relationship of these towns with the 'first-line of defence' thingy.
- Ttak! Ttak!
The Airtrain began to move and accelerate slowly.
Noticing Duan Li's expression, Wang Guozhi smiled as he continued “I mentioned that there are two towns in each cardinal direction right? Well, each of the first town after the capital are called the 'Production' town where they produce many stuff that are crucial for the prosperity and advancement of the empire. Thus, technically, they are the backbone of the Jiu Empire and where the majority of the people of the empire work.” he said as he labelled the middle sector shape as the 'production town'.
“Therefore, each of the town after that, where the majority of the people lived and commute from, protects the inner town and the capital city, which is the heart of the empire! Thus, my fellow senior teacher Ling Yu here, used the term 'first-line of defence'!” he said as he crossed both of his arms together proudly while giving side glances towards Ling Yu by the opposite side with a wink and smile.
He seemed to hint, 'Did you see that? I'm also quite knowledgeable as well, other than my manly figure and suave looks!'
Ling Yu giggled for a while as she shook her head slowly.
While Wang Guozhi had explained how the towns were located and their main functions, he seemed to have failed to explain the crux of the matter.
“Senior teacher Wang Guozhi is indeed correct. Also, the reason why I called them the first line of defence of the empire, is because whenever there are threats, such as the seasonal monster stampede, these towns will be the first to dispatch official Knights from the academy to protect the surrounding villages!” she explained as she emphasized the 'Also' on her first sentence.
As the other party had already explained to the best of his ability, it was only right for her to just add on to the explanation rather than pointing out which one he was missing in his explanation.
Hearing this, Duan Li seemed to come to a better understanding of the empire right now.
“No wonder everyone still respect the students from the Jixue Knights Academy even though some of them are quite the bully. It turns out that they would eventually become a full-fledged knights to protect villages against monster attacks...”
It wasn't that he didn't know that Knights had protected them from the numerous monster attacks before. But that he didn't know the responsibility they held. Now however, he had a more positive outlook towards the academy as a whole.
'Perhaps only that Li Feng fella was the most degenerate out of all the bunch of people…’
- Ting Tong!
“Next stop, Capital City, Nine Lotuses city! Please remember to take your belongings with you and to exit with orderly manner. Thank you for your patronage.”
“We have arrived, let's go quickly. The Airtrain will only stop for a minute.” said Ling Yu as she gestured for Duan Li and the rest to quickly move.
...
Capital city, Nine Lotuses city...
“What size! Such exquisite buildings... and how many floor is that? Perhaps ten or more?” Duan Li swallowed his saliva as he looked around.
When he first stepped out from the Airtrain, he was quickly mesmerized by the tall buildings and the orderly street view. Even the air seemed to be very clean and has a certain aroma to it that makes a person’s body to relax. Not only that, this city seemed to be in harmony with nature as trees were everywhere at just the correct places and angle.
This was truly a marvel in engineering and architecture!
“Surprised eh? Well, that look on your face doesn't seem all that far from when I first stepped into this city as well! HAHAHA!” laughed Wang Guozhi.
Duan Li's face turned red in embarrassment.
Ling Yu just stood there to look at the both of them with a smile as she giggled. In her heart, she remembered it clearly during the first time when Wang Guozhi arrived to the capital city as well.
He came from a very faraway place, up in the mountains bordering the Liu Empire. Thus, when he first saw the city, he had been entirely flabbergasted with every single thing he saw.
Not to mention, he had even put on his guard against the approaching Airtrain before as he thought that it was the ancestor snake looming up upon them.
What not that different from his?
Duan Li's reaction right now could be considered quite mild compared to you before!
“Umm… senior teacher Ling Yu, I guess... we should hurry up... I think it’s about time for the gate to close soon... " reminded Xiahou Yu as she approached.
Realizing this, Ling Yu quickly woke up from her stupor as she beckoned towards the two men in front of her.
“Let us go quickly! Otherwise the gate will close!” she said in a panic.
“Crap! Let's go boy!” Wang Guozhi then lifted Duan Li with both of his arms like carrying a maiden in distress and shot forward with haste.
- Psheww!
“W-what's going on?” said Duan Li feeling a little bit shocked with the sudden turn of event.
Ling Yu had also turned to carry Xiahou Yu in her arms as they followed suit closely from the back.
“No one is allowed to be late in the academy! Not even us the senior teachers! Lest the principal himself might personally punish us!” replied Wang Guozhi with hoarse voice, seemingly afraid of something.
Ling Yu swallowed down her saliva as she also explained, “The principal is a very scary and savage man, he wouldn't let even the tiny small ants crawling on the ground to be late!”
- Pu!
Hearing this, Duan Li almost choked himself to death.
Not letting even the ants crawling on the ground to be late? Were ants also part of the enrolled students of the academy or something?
What kind of principal to not even let some innocent ants off?
Noticing the bizarre look on Duan Li's face from the front. Ling Yu coughed as she could imagine what the former was thinking in its head.
“It's like this, a few years ago, when the principal had just taken office to replace the previous principal, the first thing that he did was making rounds at the academy. It was then that he discovered some fingernail-sized ants called 'Keeper Ants' walking around the compound...” she said with an awkward smile.
“That's right. So he decided to follow the trail of this keeper ants back to their nest with some senior teachers including us following him at the back. We were curious as to why he did that, but when we have finally arrived...” continued Wang Guozhi as he stopped talking for a while, seeming to reminisce that moment as he shuddered.
“He... he spoke towards them in the language of the ants!”
- Pu!
Duan Li choked himself again.
He spoke with the ants in their language? Is he actually part of the species? Our principal is an ant?
“When he first spoke in such a language, coincidentally, one of the senior teachers at that time could also roughly understand their language as the latter mastered in the field of linguistic. Thus, he translated roughly what the principal had said to us...” said Ling Yu.
“The principal said that, ‘starting tomorrow no one is allowed to be late, not even you. So come before the gate closes. Otherwise I will punish you.” Wang Guozhi recalled every word that he remembered from that time.
“At first, we just laughed it out as we thought the principal was just being strict and he didn't actually mean what he said…” he continued.
“But the next day, we saw the principal standing near the gate observing the students and teachers. We bowed and greeted him as he smiled gently to each of us. When the bell rang and the gate closes, no one came late. But then, he was still observing the closed gate as we saw the Keeper Ants were passing through the gaps leisurely...” he said as his body started to shudder again.
“The next moment, everyone saw the most horrifying scene that we have ever witnessed. Using spatial locking spells, he sealed the movements of the keeper ants and pinned them on the walls as he pulled out a whip the size of several hairs combed together…” he muttered in a small voice, seemingly to talk in whispers, afraid of getting heard.
“He then started to whip the ants like a madman! And that was while laughing eerily too! Not only that, he didn't even let the queen of the keeper ants off, as he somehow summoned the queen out of nowhere and pinned her against the wall too to start whipping her!”
- Prakk!
Duan Li was closing his lips tight so he wouldn't get chocked if he got surprised, but now, he had bitten his own lips!
What savagery! The principal is a maniac!
…
They were currently leaping atop buildings with great speeds as the gate of the academy could finally be seen from afar. A lot of people were rushing in like soldiers that had finally collapsed the wall gate of an enemy in a rush.
Looking around, it seems like they would be the last one.
- Ding dong!
The chime of bells could now be heard echoing through the area as the gate slowly moved to close itself.
“Damn it!”
Both Ling Yu and Wang Guozhi cursed as they clenched their teeth together.
A burst of wild aura suddenly emanated out of them as their speeds increased by many folds and speeded even faster like a shooting bullet.
Like the gale of a strong wind, they passed through the gate on the last second before it closes tightly.
- Bam!
- Thud!
They fell to the ground as both Wang Guozhi and Ling Yu wiped the sweat off their forehead and said simultaneously, “We made it…” with faces as if they had just won a very tough battle.
Duan Li chuckled for a bit as he turned to look at that vast white building made up of marbles in front of them, standing tall and majestic.
“I... have finally arrived...”
...