Chapter 203: Dragon Army
Christina stood by her mother with her puffy red eyes as she uttered her ultimate decision, “Mother, I’ve made my decision. I want to hug you one last time.”
Leaving Safety Sector No. 17 was a must for her, so her family had provided her with two choices.
The first option was to agree to the arranged marriage with the Yuelin family immediately. Then, the Yuelin family would take her away to the eastern Huayue Safety City.
The second option was to travel back to the main Braid family the first thing tomorrow morning.
Indeed, the Braid family in the Ormarlo Safety City, the powerful and legendary family, was Christina’s family real secret. Her current family was just a small branch of the larger family tree.
Back then, Christina’s grandfather was ordered to expand the family’s influence in Safety Sector No. 17.
Although the main family’s intention was unknown, the Braid family was known for high efficiency and powerful influence, so they managed to settle down in Safety Sector No. 17 and grew their influences deeply in less than 30 years.
Now, Safety Sector No. 17 was going through an uprising and the main family did not give the branch family a retreat order. However, for Christina herself, the main family had provided two choices for her.
Christina’s grandfather was not surprised by the choices at all.
Firstly, it was because Christina was a girl in the family, so it was a rare chance. Secondly, Christina’s friend was the one and only Tang Ling.
The first point might be difficult to understand, but the core members of the family knew what was going on. It was either difficult for the family to have a girl, so whenever a girl was born in the family, she would be destined to hold double talents in the future.
Christina was undoubtedly a treasure to the Braid family even though her current talent was average and she had not shown anything stellar.
As for the second point, it might not be the absolute one because it depended on whether Tang Ling could grow, so even a powerful family like the Braids dared not simply come up with a conclusion.
However, it was treated as a family investment. Having a relationship with a potentially powerful person or someone that might rise to be a shining star in this era proved to be a way of survival.
Regardless of which, her friendship with Tang Ling increased her status and leverage to bargain, but she herself had not been informed about him.
She was overwhelmed when she was told that the family had an arranged marriage for her and that it was to another powerful family from the eastern side. She was confused and doubtful. Since when was her family this influential?
It was impossible for her to know that the Braids and the Yuelins had had a long relationship of secret marriages throughout the years.
Whenever a girl was born in the Braid family, the family would offer the daughter to the Yuelin family who would select a son of their direct lineage to match the Braid daughter.
Christina’s mother preferred the first choice, which was to marry her daughter to a son of direct lineage of the Yuelin family.
She knew how powerful the Braid family was in the Ormarlo Safety City. On top of that, she also knew about the Yuelin family’s influence in the Huayue Safety City.
She wished for her daughter to be protected and live a steady life. She understood that Vian and Amir’s incident had hurt her daughter deeply. What her daughter needed was a steady environment to heal her wounds.
Therefore, when her daughter said she wanted to go back to the Ormarlo Safety City, which was the second choice, she was deeply overwhelmed and saddened. She did not hug her daughter back. Instead, she asked, “Are you sure about this?”
“You don’t even know what it is like to be in the main Braid family in Ormarlo City. It’s unlike us here in Safety Sector No. 17. They are powerful but cold-blooded. If you go back there, it’s not going to be comfortable, and you’ll have to compete with the other descendants of the family and fight for everything, including resources and status. They treat the descendants like animals and only care about the best of the bunch. The rest are...”
“My daughter, can you choose a different path?”
Christina’s puffy eyes teared up after listening to what her mother said.
Her mother did not want to part with her, and she did not want to see her daughter suffer in such a competitive environment. She knew Christina would be treated fairly because it was only a matter of time before she displayed double talents. Then, her Genetic Chain would change drastically.
Genetic Chain formation at 15 years old was just a conservative and traditional theory because this world had too much uncertainty.
Nevertheless, what her mother said was the truth. The Braid family treated the descendants poorly and those with valuable talents would only get tougher training. It would only be more difficult from here on, not the other way around.
“Mother, that’s why I wanted to go to Ormarlo City. In the past few months, I’ve learned a lot. I lost my best friend and a group of close friends. It made me understand what I should do and what my responsibility is.
“I shouldn’t just live in comfort, and there isn’t really a comfortable place in this era anyway. The only place that I can find comfort in is in my heart, my peaceful heart, and I can only be at peace when I know that I have a group of powerful and reliable friends behind my back.
“Mother, they are waiting for me to be stronger, and for Vian’s sake, I have to be stronger.” The tough Christina wept. It was the first time she cried after she returned from the hour-long gathering with her friends.
“Can you please hug me?” Christina wiped her tears and looked at her beloved mother.
Deep in her heart, she decided to shoulder Vian’s life and live together from here onwards, so she could never place both their fate in the hands of a boy she had never seen before.
Political marriage might have been a path that she would choose in a heartbeat back then, but now she rejected it the moment it was suggested. If not for her mother, she would not have hesitated for so long to speak her decision.
“Christina.” Christina’s mother finally hugged her tightly, embracing her and her decision altogether.
At the latest, by tomorrow, someone from the main Braid family would come over and take Christina away. As for the branch family, no matter how chaotic Safety Sector No. 17 had become, they would not have to worry about their own safety.
But this Tang Ling boy, can he really escape alive?
There are always other girls who are carried by the tide of matters. They become stronger, mature and braver overnight just to face the challenge all because they wanted to protect what they hold dear in their hearts.
Tang Ling, please don’t let Christina down.
...
Yu was in his room, Orston was on the back of the Maitreya dark cloud eagle, Andy had left the outer city of the safety sector with his parents, and Christina was hugging her mother.
The four of them crushed a crystal stone in their hands at the same time.
The moment the stones cracked, four bright beams of light shone for a moment before disappearing into the night.
“Take this. After you are safe, crush it to let the others know. Those who aren’t safe yet will at least get a little comfort from the light,” Yu said when he gave his friends the one-time communication crystals.
The four bright lights shone in the night, meaning that everyone was safe, including Andy who had secured his future.
‘What I asked of the family is being carried out. Could it be one of Tang Ling’s?’ Yu, Orston and Christina were having the same thoughts. All they had to do now was wait for Tang Ling.
...
Waiting for Tang Ling was a must for Ah Bing. His butterfly knife blocked Anthony’s Night Lightning once more and his eyes appeared restless.
Twenty minutes had long gone. Why had Tang Ling not come back? Did he run into some problems or danger?
Ah Bing had played around with Anthony for too long, so he was getting impatient, but he had no choice. He could not simply take Anthony out because if he did, the safety sector would just send another person.
“Who are you exactly?” Anthony pulled back his Night Lightning, so an electrical current sparked in the air before dispersing.
Since the start of the battle, he had no idea what Ah Bing was trying to do, but the more he tangled with the man, the more he felt like Ah Bing was trying to stall him.
There were a few times when Anthony was able to secure the victory, but Ah Bing miraculously turned it around. There were also occasions that Anthony made mistakes just when he was able to beat Anthony.
Conclusively, Ah Bing was a lot stronger than Anthony and he was trying to keep the battle under control. However, nothing baffled Anthony more than the sense of familiarity he felt from Ah Bing.
Why does this man feels so familiar?
“Who am I? You can call me Ah Bing,” Ah Bing answered Anthony’s question while he twirled his butterfly knife and lunged towards Anthony.
All Anthony could do was block it by raising his Night Lightning up. Ah Bing? He had never heard of the name before. The man might seemed to have answered the question, but the answer was irrelevant.
Three more minutes passed, and Ah Bing was still tangled up with Anthony.
The battle at Glory Square was getting quieter as more and more black-mantled figures amassed around the Tower.
Wherever Tang Ling was, the black-mantled people would be since it was the objective of tonight’s operation. They amassed at the Tower, implying that the black-mantled people had won the battle in Glory Square.
At the same time, the three Tiger Generals quietly hooded themselves and left Safety Sector No. 17 with the fleeing public, not leaving any trace behind. No one noticed their presence at all, and only a handful of people knew that after the Tiger Generals left, they would never come out and fight again.
The real battle would start when Tang Ling finally came out from the Tower, but not a majority of the black-mantled people would be involved since only the high tier powerhouses would have to fight.
Ah Bing heaved a breath of relief when he saw the black-mantled people gathered.
He once again blocked Anthoy’s Night Lightning, but he was not as strained as before. Instead, he looked like he was stretching his body instead. Ah Bing said all of a sudden, “You aren’t half bad. Among all the kids in the 67th year, only you manage to get to this stage.
“Let me guess. You still haven’t truly reach rank 3, have you? You are very close to the limit of breaking to rank 3. So, you’re a rank 3-to-be, am I right? Are you breaking your third genetic lock soon?
“If you do, your lightning shouldn’t be just a spark. Your body will enter a new stage and you’ll be able to resonate with natural lightning.”
As Ah Bing explained, his butterfly knife grazed Anthony’s throat. Anthony managed to cock his head backward to dodge the cut, but at the same time, the butterfly knife’s hilt, which should be closed, split up all of a sudden. Ah Bing’s fingers held one side of the hilt tightly and flung the other side forward, hitting Anthony’s Adam’s apple.
Anthony widened his eyes in shock. This move! It somehow reminded him of that legendary Purple Moon Warrior titled the Double Aces of Spear and Arrow.
“You mustn’t just pay attention to the tip of the spear in his hand. You must also be careful about the body of the spear. Even if you dodge the tip, you can’t dodge the body. Just look at this.”
A vicious beast managed to dodge a Purple Moon Warrior’s spear thrust, but the body of the spear suddenly split into half and the Purple Moon Warrior flung half of the spear’s body forward, hitting the vicious beast’s throat.
It’s him? How can it be him?!
Even though he finally figured out who Ah Bing was, Anthony had no way of dodging the hit to his throat.
In the nick of time, Ah Bing’s wrist twisted and swung the half of a hilt back to his hand, sparing Anthony’s life.
“Judging from your surprised gaze, you finally remember who I am, don’t you?” Ah Bing teased.
Anthony got back on his feet and stopped attacking. If Ah Bing was the man he thought he was, it was only natural that Ah Bing knew about his powers so well. Furthermore, it would be meaningless to continue fighting because Anthony would not be his match at all.
“Double Aces of Spear and Arrow, the man once mistaken to have no talent but actually possesses a rare talent of weapon mastery, the legendary Purple Moon Warrior, Chen Daobing.
“It’s you, isn’t it? The instructor whose four classes I attended back then, the idol that I once chased after because I didn’t show any talent at first either. It was until I reached rank 1 Purple Moon Warrior that my lightning talent started showing...
“But why you? Why did you betray Safety Sector No. 17?” Anthony asked in agony and despair.
Ah Bing, on the other hand, did not show any response. He still had that grave and aged expression. Seemingly dispirited, he said, “Since you already know who I am, do you want me to take you down myself or will you surrender?”
“Why not just surrender? Those old folks are coming. I don’t want to waste my energy on you.” Ah Bing put his butterfly knife away with a twirl and looked towards the east of Glory Square. If he continued east down Glory Square, he would reach the Agnes family’s huge manor.
Ah Bing was curious about how many old men there would be. What about Su Siao? Was he on standby there?
Although the objective of the operation was to follow Tang Ling, Tang Ling’s motive and intention were easy to guess. He was the son of the great leader after all.
“Tell me, why did you betray the safety sector?” Anthony bellowed. He was unwilling to accept that the man that he once idolized when he was young, the legendary Chen Daobing whose stories encouraged him, was going against the safety sector.
Ah Bing dug his ears with his finger in response to Anthony’s roar. He said impatiently, “It’s rare to see a fool like you. I never betrayed anyone. I’m still one of the Dragon Army until now. Don’t you get it?”
“The Dragon Army? You...” Anthony’s gaze started to lose focus and he finally quietened down.
A few seconds later, he put down his sword and put his hands forward in surrender. The man in the black mantle came up to him with an electric cuffing.
“Use another one. This kind of electric cuffing is useless against him,” Ah Bing said. He then turned around to the Tower. Why had Tang Ling not come out yet?
The man in the black mantle then switched the cuffing into an alloy chain. Right before Anthony was cuffed, he asked with a start, “Who is Tang Ling?”
He finally caught the point. He was never a thinker as he hated political competition. He concentrated on martial arts and yearned for a way to be stronger. That was the reason why even with his rank 3 capabilities, he was still not a unit captain of the Purple Moon Warriors.
Now, it seemed like he was nothing but a fool.
“Who else can he be? Didn’t you hear people calling him Young Master?” Ah Bing walked to Anthony and asked him back.
Anthony’s body quivered as he was really lost. He muttered to himself, “W-what should I do now? Where should I go?”
People with the least common sense knew that they should not go against the Dragon Army even though they had been wiped out and had disappeared.
Even when the people compromised due to endless pressure and swore to never mention the Dragon Army again, no one would want to fight them. It was almost like a principle of those with a conscience.
The Dragon Army once had the power to change this world. They had been the people’s beacon of hope!
“It might be a little painful, but you can hold it, can’t you? Why do you ask where you should go? Where else can you go? Follow Worf and accompany him in the upcoming difficult times,” Ah Bing suggested before he signaled his comrades around him.
Several seemingly powerful black-mantled men raised their weapons at Anthony and started to attack him.
Anthony endured the beating. He knew what Ah Bing was trying to do. Ah Bing wanted to damage him so that he could continue staying in the safety sector and be a follower to accompany the castellan in dire times.
Back in the energy room, Tang Ling finally opened his eyes.
The energy in the room was almost drained while the volatile energy was reduced to a minimal level. All that was left were a few energy ripples.
The war seed was full. Tang Ling believed that with a thought from his mind, the war seed would melt and the energy it stored inside would power him up to a terrifying stage.
However, the energy in the room was not drained because of the war seed. It was Tang Ling who could not hold back his urge to cultivate and perform energy washes on the first energy vortex in his dantian.
The facts proved that cultivating in such a rich environment was a very rare opportunity. He was able to usher the energy vortex into an almost complete state before the energy in the room was drained to nothing. Unfortunately, the energy vortex still did not reach its complete form.
The little seed was also satiated as it was fully charged with energy!
If he had the time, he would open another energy room to continue cultivating, but time was not on his side. After he opened his eyes, his Precise Instinct notified him about the time. He had been in the energy room for a full 28 minutes, a lot longer than the promised 20 minutes
It’s time then.
Tang Ling stood up. His body was covered in dried scabs that were caused by bleeding because he openly absorbed the volatile energy at the end. The volatile energy tore his follicles and dyed him red, but it did not matter because he was at his prime. The energy absorption after the volatile stage also healed the follicles and stopped the bleeding.
Tang Ling tightened his muscles as his hardened body shook all the scabs off instantly.
Let’s go. It’s time for battle!