Suotuo City Turmoil (Part 4)

Sometime later in the morning. Streets of Suotuo City.

"H-How... why...?" - the whole Shrek academy stood there in a dark alley gazing at the bloodied street and headless corpse.

Aiden was contemplating the cold corpse and had a complicated look as if he was deep in his own mind.

"Who did this?" - an ice-cold voice full of tremendous rage and killing intent permeated the air making people suffocate from pressure.

"We are investigating it, sir." - answered one of the spirit master from Law Enforcement Hall of Suotuo city.

"Someone killed my student inside your city and you think your "we are investigating it" will suffice?" - Flender was trembling and his spirit unleashed, he was barely holding himself together to not start slaughtering people left and right.

"Culprit is a woman. She should be at least spirit ancestor rank and use the sharp weapon as her martial spirit." - said Aiden. He didn't fake shock or grief, as he knew he won't fool most, so he opted to tell at least some people that Hongjun is alive. Well, the ones that can act on the public.

"What woman? How do you even know that?" - the investigator wasn't pleased with everything because of interference. And after hearing a young man he had a hunch who could do that and if it really were them, it is better not to start an investigation at all. He can't afford to offend that group.

"Look here. She was standing at this location through all the fights barely moving. Look at that dent of the stone, if I am correct it was made by a stomp with high heel boots. Let's count spirit rings now, shall we? First is her dodging ability – she shifted from one place to another, dodging Hongjun's Phoenix Arrival. We all know how fast it is. To avoid it without a skill? Even Dean will fail. So that is the first skill." - Aiden went to the body of Hongjun covered with cloth. - "Second ring is something that should do with transferring the strike from one place to another. His wound at the side came from a weird angle with a blade shaped like a long fang. Hongjun is... was a genius and had great combat senses if it was a long-distance strike he could have avoided it and he didn't even saw it coming and the angle is just to weird for it to be a strike from a blade or a spear. If you ask me, that woman uses a scythe."

Flender came over and looked closer, finally nodding in agreement. Well, it was easy for Aiden. He witnessed the thing first hand.

"It can also be a claw or an external spirit bone of some sort!" - the investigator said, earning a calm look from Aiden.

"Perhaps, but claw with one finger and so long and thin? As for external spirit bone – that thing is so rare that you should just remove it as a conjecture." - Aiden replied calmly, however deep inside saw that the man definitely knew something.

"So it actually must be her weapon spirit. And something similar to space bending her second skill. Next, look at that place." - Aiden pointed to the ground where it was broken in a circle. - "I presume it was a trapping skill cast on Aaron who tried to attack her." - with that Aiden directed his gaze to Tang San and later walked over.

"It is actually similar to mine binding, vines? No, it scorches the edges black. Fire?"

"Close. Lightning." - said Aiden. - "Have you noticed? The street is secluded and has no wind. Breath in deeply, what do you sense?"

"Strange smell..." - Bing'er frowned, her face was still pale.

Then Aiden released his lightning and that same smell intensified.

"It is a smell of ozone surprisingly is yet to dissipate. Thus my guess about her having lightning power. And her third skill – bindings. But to so easily subdue two of them she should be of a higher realm, that is why I think she is at least spirit ancestor. Actually, with that it shouldn't be hard to find the culprit, but why I have that feeling, that you, mister investigator, from the very start have a hunch of who it might be?"

"What are you talking about?" - asked investigator with no show of fear or understanding. If not for his madly beating heart Aiden will really believe his lie. Still, he pretended to believe.

"Perhaps I was wrong. Sorry. However, I believe that with all those clues you will find her easily."

"Okay, get back to the arena." - Flender commanded, making many become shocked.

"Dean, they killed Ma Hongjun! And you ask us to fight?" - Oscar screamed and others felt uncomfortable.

"So what will you do?" - it was Grandmaster who stepped forward.

"I want revenge!" - Oscar said emotionally with fists clenched together.

"I asked what will you do, not what you want to do!" - harshly admonished Yu Xiaogang. He was right. And Aiden more than anyone understood how harsh the upcoming war will be and how unfair this world can get. Today they are lucky. Hongjun could have become one of the many casualties. - "You can do nothing as you are now. To get revenge, you need strength, to protect yourself and people around, you need strength, to be free to choose you to need strength! So you need to train! Fight and when you are ready, you will find the culprit and rip her apart."

"Yes!" - they all understood it, so giving one last glance at the covered body they left for the arena but Tang San and Aiden stayed.

"As for us, teachers, we need to find Aaron. He was fighting too, but seems like he was spared for some reason." - Flender unfolded his wings and flew to the sky.

"San, protect others properly. Aiden, I think you already have an idea."

"Simple. Be the bait. Kill." - said Aiden with thick war intent in his voice. It was what he planned, but with some minor corrections. If he wanted to kill them, it must be done at the moment of their aggression or outside the city. They can't give Spirit Hall a justified reason to kill them all for the felony of murder.

That way Shrek Academy will be relatively safe. Otherwise, it will cause trouble for all.

"I approve. Among your peers, I trust your strength the most." - Yu Xiaogang nodded. He changed a bit and from mild-tempered person became a veritable master with an ironclad will.

"Brother San..." - Aiden put his hand on his shoulder and passed a little paper to his pocket while no one was watching. - "I'm counting on you."

"Naturally, they can hurt our friends only over my dead body." - he said firmly but also noticed that his pocket has something new. Seems like Aiden meant several things at once.

Aiden glanced at the edge of the roof and Sixth revealed himself for a split second, showing a hand sign. Finally, all was in place.

'It is time to do some hunting. First is the girl. She had a scythe, martial spirit, and five rings. Second is a guy with rare eye body spirit. He is an illusion master. I should kill him first. The easiest target for me, but the deadliest for others. The third is the necro guy. His spirit is rather particular. Undead Legion. He is a one-man army and he will be killed by Sixth to avoid trouble.'

'And the last is the most troublesome. Spirit Emperor, their leader. I will back up Sixth on this because he has something others don't. They trained him in demonic martial arts and his bloodline is full of corruption. He was chosen for bloodline superposition by one of the high ranking demons. I wonder which one. Who knows what all that can do in a link with his martial spirit. He has Blood Cloud. A very particular spirit.'

Aiden spent a day wandering around doing the shopping and waiting for the night or the time they attack. Now that they think of Shrek as easily bullied softies, they will be braver. They should be. It was evening when a distress call came from one of his Ghosts, following the students.

"Bing'er!" - Aiden looked at the south of the city and immediately sprinted at her location.

'Provocation is done. Now the hunt truly began.'

He snapped on the ring and signaled Sixth. It was a long-awaited kill order.

* * *

At the same time elsewhere. Bing'er.

"What a beauty indeed, such a fine woman can only be mine, come, call me lord Hu, call me big brother Gang, call me a husband!" - a man with glowing eyes was approaching Bing'er who stood at a place with ice around her and a trail of blood at the corner of her lips. Her eyes were shaky as if spirit received a strike.

"I know about your seniors, but don't worry, no one will disturb our time, because they think you are sleeping in your room. My illusions can do wonders, beauty." - he said.

"Don't think you have won." - she gritted her teeth, meeting his gaze with cold defiance. - "A scum like you want me to call you husband? In this entire world only one person can make me call him that and it is not you."

"Tch... than tell me who is it? I'll bring him here, make him beg for me to take you, and spare him!" - Hu Gang really was full of some weird ideas.

Surprisingly, Bing'er laughed like hearing the best joke out there, and suddenly her head turned to the right.

"Make him beg? Let's see whether or not you are capable." - she said in a mocking tone, looking at the young man on the roof of a house by the street the man trapped her in. He stood there gazing straight at Hu Gang as if illusions were just a joke in his eyes.

His golden dragon eyes exuded tremendous pressure on his surroundings.

Aiden unleashed his Storm Wings and moved inside the illusion barrier on a bolt of lightning. He turned around and saw a trail of blood on her perfect face. Bing'er finally relaxed, but they didn't have time to talk.

Hu Gang unleashed his third ring. It was a spiritual attack that went for Aiden but sadly had no effect. Perhaps only the wielder of Dragon Sword Aura at True level will know how it can help in spiritual fights. He guarded his soul and spirit with it easily. The magnitude of the attack was not even close to being enough to wound him.

It can be said Hu Gang met the worst enemy he can find.

He jumped back sending a wave of illusions which again had no effect. Instead, he received a full power fist in the gut and flew at the wall with a bang.

"That's it?" - Aiden said apathetically with no smile at all. - "That is your level? With that, you are so proud of yourselves to the point of calling demonic rings gifts of Gods?"

"You are a mere human, what do you know about our holy path!" - screamed Hu Gang.

'Another delusional idiot. Those Zealots are called like that for a reason.'

"Authentic enough, I'm just a human." - Aiden agreed lightly and his five rings came to existence, suppressing the entire street with tremendous pressure.

"F-Five... all... b-black!" - Hu Gang was shocked. He unleashed his and three of them were corrupted, exuding nauseous air about them. - "Behold the work of our God!"

"W-what is that? How is this abomination a work of whatever God?" - Bing'er was stunned. It was her first time seeing so obvious corruption.

Platinum-gold light full of purity surrounded Aiden. His rings were different. Some of them too had two colors – black and platinum, but the feeling it gave was that of righteousness and regal dominance. He clenched his fists and gave another punch. Hu Gang tried to intercept it but he was just a control master and his body albeit trained in demonic methods was far from Aiden's.

Purification force from the fifth ring entered his body and purged corruption out, leaving him with only a fraction of power.

'It is so effective! I aged it to a 50.000 year old ring not for nothing. Who knows how it will work for higher ones? Depends on the soul power, I guess. Hm... I never paid attention, because my music practice and tea Nexus created were very effective in the development of soul power. Guess we need to measure it one of these days. I need to trouble Nexus on this too. So much to do and so little time.'

"You... how dare you!" - although he removed the corruption of the body, it seems it is very hard to defeat the same in the heart and mind. Perhaps he was willing to live a life like that.

"I want to ask, where is Aaron?" - Aiden asked.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Haha, he has one of the most powerful beast spirits and is good at battle..."

"So what, he still was captu..."

He unleashed a sword and directly cut off his head. It is meaningless to save his life. He will just go on the same route.

'Looks like I was right about their closeness all this time. They don't share information and knowledge about the ones who didn't perform in group battles is very limited. They only saw two matches, but never bothered with a team of individual competitions. Lazy of them. I overestimated them. Not even knowing the martial spirit of the one they fought... the woman told no one it seems.'

"Bing'er, you okay?" - he turned around, hid his power, and came to her side. She was trembling a bit.

"I was afraid..." - she said and hugged him tightly, resting her head on his chest. Aiden stood there for a moment, before giving her an embrace and caressing her head.

"It is fine now." - he said in a low, warm voice. - "Let's go back."

"And... the body?" - she was still pale on the face after seeing Aiden kill a person, but she knew it was necessary.

"Leave it here, there will be people who will take care of it." - Aiden turned her head away with a hand gently, blocking her line of sight. - "Stop looking, it is bloody and dark."

Bing'er nodded with happiness and relief. After assimilating with Na'er memories, what she missed the most was the subtle warm care and feeling of security he gave to her. And now receiving it for the first time in reality and not dreamlike memories, she teared up and felt like melting in his hug.

"Bing'er, go back to the place you came from and meet up with others. Don't talk about what happened for now. I will also put on you an illusion so you won't be noticed until you get back."

"Why all the trouble?" - she looked at him not wanting to let go and instead hugged his neck.

"He is from Spirit Hall." - said Aiden. - "Even if it is a covert ops, we might get into trouble if things are not cleaned properly."

"Sorry... you killed him because of me and..."

"Don't be silly, Bing'er." - he patted her head with a smile. - "Don't worry, it is nothing so serious."

'I killed him because he ought to be killed. As simple as that. Oh, Sixth is already done. Good. Two down, two more to go.'

Aiden shifted from the place like a ghost, following a trail formation that was covertly left of the woman.