Ch 3 - Besieged

Xu Ming looked back at the vanishing landscape behind him and watched it disappear slowly.

Then, he took a deep breath and turned forwards.

"Hey kid, don't think too much of it.", a slightly aged voice came from the front of the carriage.

Xu Ming glanced at the man who spoke just now.

"It's natural for young men to leave home to go and learn elsewhere, find work, hell, even join the army. You're not the first one to leave home, and you all get used to it over time.", said the man before he cracked a smile.

"You'll go back eventually, don't be heartbroken, hahaha!"

A boy, the same age as Xu Ming but slightly smaller in frame nodded at Xu Ming.

Xu Ming smiled too before saying, "I'm not too worried, uncle."

"Aye, that's good. That's how you should be. Anyways, where are you going?"

Xu Ming replied, "I'm headed to Tianming City."

"Ah. That's not too far. It's only a two week journey from here. Don't worry, we'll be there before you realise it.", the man spoke.

"Are you a guard for this caravan, uncle?", Xu Ming asked.

"Well, sort of. I've got items I have to escort to Langnan, and they let me carry my carriage along if I join the guard team. It's pretty standard stuff.", the man spoke.

"Well, it's easy work. Nobody really attacks the caravans since the new Province Lord cracked down on the bandits anyways, and the only time I have to move my lazy bones is when the gnolls and wolves attack. But that's a once a year event, and they're not life threatening."

Xu Ming nodded before saying, "I've heard people say that the gnolls have gotten out of hand."

The man simply disdainfully looked at Xu Ming and said, "Gnolls are easy pickings. All they know how to do is charge at you like mindless beasts. A child with a spear could kill ten of them, armed."

"Say, if they dare attack, Uncle will show you how to murder these simple creatures. After all, I'm a bronze ranked mercenary. Haha!", the man laughed as he thumped his chest proudly.

"A bronze ranked mercenary! That's pretty strong, right?", asked Xu Ming.

"Well, strong enough.", the man said as he scratched his head.

"You have to undergo the three levels of trainee warriors before you take a bronze certification exam, and only then can you call yourself a bronze level adventurer. Most people can't do it, you know."

"But your uncle here was born different, haha!", the man laughed.

"Say, Uncle, have you ever seen cultivators before?", the other boy asked.

"Cultivators!", the man was lost in thought.

"I've seen a few in my time. But they're so high and mighty that I don't even have the right to talk to them.", said the man as he scratched his chin.

"Huh? That can't be, right?", the boy was shocked.

"Ahaha. Let me put it this way. Even the strong Gold-Ranked Warriors that can defeat the strong Rank-2 Beasts are no match for any random cultivator that has been cultivating for a few years. Their strength and potential are truly scary.", the man sighed.

The boy didn't gasp this time and merely smiled.

"Say, boy, where are you going?", the man asked.

"I'm going to Lejiang City.", the boy replied.

"Oh? I've heard the cultivators are testing for spirit roots there. Wait, could it be?", the man spoke.

"Yes, uncle. A passing cultivator tested my potential and told me to head for Leijiang to test my potential for cultivation.", the boy confirmed.

"Oh! By the heavens, I've can tell people I've talked to a cultivator before.", the man guffawed.

"You're quite fortunate, lad. I also got tested when I was younger but didn't have the fortune to cultivate."

The man turned to Xu Ming and spoke, "Ah, but that doesn't mean that body cultivation and martial arts is weaker than Cultivation. It's just harder. Way harder. And painful, too. You have to dedicate yourself to this stuff if you decide to do it.", the man spoke as he looked at Xu Ming.

Obviously, he didn't believe that Xu Ming had the potential to cultivate too.

Xu Ming simply nodded, and the man laid his head to the side to doze off.

"Well, if anything happens, wake me up.", the man spoke as he closed his eyes.

The boy looked at Xu Ming and raised his hand towards Xu Ming.

"My name's Lin Feng. I'm from Baiying Province, nice to meet you.", the boy introduced himself.

Xu Ming shook his hand and said, "I'm from Shi Province, nice to meet you."

"Are you also headed to Leijiang?", the boy asked.

"No, I'm headed to Tianming City.", Xu Ming said as he shook his head.

"Really? What for?", Lin Feng asked.

Xu Ming just smiled and shook his head.

Lin Feng didn't press further and said, "You have to be careful around Tianming City. It borders the Xiang Mountains and has a lot of fierce beasts. Sometimes it even faces a lot of attacks from the beasts. You have to be careful."

Xu Ming thanked Lin Feng for the warning and also lay his head to rest in the wooden carriage.

After a while.

Xu Ming woke up, yawned for a while and then looked out of the small carriage window.

Lin Feng, also woke up at this time, and also looked out.

The sun was setting over the endless blue mountains. The violet-red tint in the sky evoked a nostalgic feeling, and the rise of darkness below the sky gave way to the instinctual feelings of awe. The trees stood tall, and the jungle all around was quiet. It was serene, yet teeming with life deep within.

Xu Ming took it all in with a deep breath, and sighed.

He had never seen sights like this back home on his mother planet. Being an exhausted, overworked and underpaid worker who didn't have any aims in life other than to provide for his sister, he didn't know how to even begin appreciating the little beauty in things around him.

But he sure felt like he could get used to sights like these now.

Lin Feng was confused seeing the reaction of his companion but didn't question it, and instead woke up the uncle who was still in sleep.

"Ahah.....Already evening, huh. Time sure flies, hahaha...Ow, my back.", the uncle groaned and woke up.

Xu Ming nodded at the uncle, who then went off towards another carriage.

Not long after, the caravan came to a halt.

The uncle came back and informed them, "Hey boys, come out and have some food. Nothing beats a nice evening meal in the cool air. Of course, lay off the alcohol, haha!"

Xu Ming and Lin Feng nodded and followed the uncle off the caravan.

Xu Ming looked around and saw that the people of the caravan had stopped in a small campsite near the forest and had started a fire in the middle.

The women were busy prepping meals, while the men brought out the alcohol and were chopping wood whole laughing and cracking jokes. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

"Old Lei, come here, we have the finest beers ready for you!", a booming voice came towards the uncle.

"Alright, I'll be there quickly!", the uncle laughed.

Turning towards the boys, he said, "Well, have a seat near the fire and make some friends. Eat well, we won't be having another meal until it's time for lunch.", and then he wandered off towards the men.

Lin Feng nodded and said, "Hey, Xu Ming, come-"

Lin Feng didn't finish his sentence as he saw Xu Ming look towards the trees.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?", he asked in a questioning tone.

Xu Ming was uncertain and didn't reply.

"Maybe it's nothing after all.", Xu Ming shrugged.

Lin Feng simply looked at Xu Ming like a weirdo, and said, "Come, let's go take our rations."

Xu Ming nodded and made his way to the dinner tables where some aunties were giving out food.

"Eat well, eat more. Young boys need more nutrition, ah.", a tan skinned aunt smiled at Xu Ming and loaded his plate with beef and potatoes.

Xu Ming thanked the aunt for the food and made his way to a bonfire where some men were laughing and cracking jokes.

Xu Ming had barely started eating his food when he perplexedly looked up into the trees for the second time.

"Hey, Xu Ming, why do you keep looking up?", questioned Lin Feng with a confused look.

Suddenly, a loud screech rang out from the trees. It sounded like a mixture of a brass horn and the high pitched scratching of a nail against a board.

"It must be a band of Bluetail Langurs!", a surprised voice shouted.

The men stopped laughing and looked serious, as they hurriedly put on their gear and loaded their crossbows.

A man had just finished donning on his leather vest when a strange figure landed on his shoulders, and before he had a chance to react, the figure shoved its sharp claws deep into the neck of the man.

"AARRGHH!", the man screamed as he fell to the floor, bright red blood spurting out into the ground.

The figure revealed itself as it bared its fang. It was a creature resembling a langur, but had thin faint silver hair and a yellow mark on its head, and prominent blue zebra lines on its tail. The langur was much bigger however, at about 1.2 metres, and long limbs, with great claws that looked like perfect weapons of killing.

*Swoosh*

An arrow travelled very quickly and lodges itself into the langur's brain, and killed the creature before it had a chance to screech.

The man who killed the langur was the uncle Xu Ming had met earlier, and he shouted, "Be careful of these Bluetail Langurs! Aim for their brains, and kill them with one clean stroke!"

More langurs started falling from the trees and were engaged in combat with the men, and there was screaming everywhere.

Suddenly, Xu Ming pushed Lin Feng out of the way. A Langur fell right into the place where Lin Feng had been standing, and it looked confused as it stared at Xu Ming, before baring it's fangs.

Xu Ming didn't give the langur much of a chance. He kicked it in the stomach and delivered a strict jab to its jaw.

"I'll be back, Lin Feng! Watch yourself.", Xu Ming shouted, to which the latter was dumbfounded.

Xu Ming ran towards the carriage and pulled out his iron spear, and ran towards a man who had been struggling with two langurs tackling him turn by turn.

Xu Ming took a deep breath, and executed the second stance of the Heavenly Mountain Art - Floating Rock, and directly lopped one of the langur's heads off.

Suddenly, he was scratched in the back by a langur, and Xu Ming screamed out in pain.

Right as the langur was about to finish him, the man arrived just in time and kicked the langur away.

"Hey kid, thanks for the help.", the man said as he panted.

Xu Ming got up from the floor as he grit his teeth, trying to ignore the pain.

Xu Ming nodded at the man and took up his spear again before getting into a stance, and rushing towards the langur.

The langur seemed to have expected this, and slid back just as the spear was about to penetrate it. Then, it jeered as it sprang forwards with its hind legs, aiming for Xu Ming's head.

Xu Ming was caught off guard, but was saved by the man, who delivered a clean strike to the langur's head, ending its life.

"Kid, you should know never to be hasty on the battlefield."