64. Nothing…

"Why?" he mutters.

Why the hell did he do that? Once again his body had acted on impulse to protect her. Just like when Hong Xi tried to take her away, he had impulsively acted. Here he was repeating the same thing.

"Ha! And you said you were going to reach the peak. You said you were going to surpass senior, so why Hiro? Why? Why would you let us die here?" he heard his voice ask in his head.

He could only smile wryly as a response. He didn't have an answer for the questions. However, for reasons he knew not off, he was happy.

"I repaid my debt," he muttered. He didn't realize or understood what he said, but he said it anyway. "If you don't make it, then let us meet in the next life."

***

"Hao Ren go! Mother will be here soon so I'll hold them off."

"Wuzu Mi, let us run."

"That's not possible, I can't run while protecting you. Besides, why aren't you calling me Mi'er?"

"This isn't the time for that."

She pats his head and gave him a smile. "If you don't make it, then let us meet in the next life." She places a kiss on his forehead and adds. "Maybe in the next life you won't be cursed and would get the chance to grow, my little husband."

Hao Ren wanted to say something but three rays of light fell from the sky. When they disperse, three people took their places; a man and two women.

"Little girl, hand over the boy," the man ordered.

"I don't think you understand what you are saying. Which wife will allow her husband to be killed when she can do something about it."

"A woman should know when her actions are futile. You are from the Wuzu family, so we don't want to hurt you."

"You don't have to worry, I'm an illegitimate child of that family they wouldn't bother about me. After all if they did, they would have supported my family. So unless you kill me, you can forget about getting my husband."

"Is that your final decision?"

"Hmm… wait let me think about it again."

"Master, a king realm is approaching," one of the ladies said.

"I know, it's his mother. What the hell is Xeng doing? You two take care of her and get the boy, I'll hold his mother until other kings arrive."

"Yes sir," the two ladies replied and rushed at Mi'er and Hao Ren.

"Hao Ren run," Mi'er yelled as her body glowed red. With that, she shot at the two ladies rushing towards them.

The trio clashed with all their might and sent waves and waves of aftermath in all directions.

"Ah!"

Caught in it, Hao Ren was sent flying. He screamed out and struggled to his feet. This was not a fight he could get involved with. His presence here was only an hindrance. He knew it and hated himself because of it. He was always an hindrance.

He took to the sky and was about to leave, when something hit him and sent him flying and crashing into a building.

"Ack," he coughs and struggles to his feet. He needed to leave quickly. His attacker was getting close.

"I'm sorry Hao Ren, they got my family. If you escape my family will die," a familiar voice mutters as his attacker steps into his view.

"Mi… Miki?" Hao Ren stammers at the sight of the woman before him.

"I'm sorry… I can't allow my family die, I'll take you back to them," she raised her right hand. In it was a boomerang. This was what hit him and sent him flying. "It's your fault for being weak."

She swings her hand down and knocked him unconscious.

…

Hao Ren opens his eyes. At first his vision was blurry but after a while it became clear. He was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

Before him was a beautiful face that was smiling at him. Usually this smile comforted him but now it only brought ache to his chest.

"You are up," Mi'er says. Her breathing was low but her smile was bright. "I stalled them long enough for mother to arrive. I even managed to kill one of the two of them and gave Miki a serious wound. Mother killed the last one."

She stretched her hand to him and placed it on his cheek. "I'm glad you are safe, little husba…"

The light in her eyes dimmed, her breathing ceased and her hand glides down his cheek. Hao Ren's heart missed a beat as he realized, she was dead.

"No! Mi'er wake…"

A force pulls him to the sky interrupting him and a hand grips his shoulder. "We have to go son," the owner of the hand said and shot into the night sky.

***

"I see," Hiro mutters. "But that isn't Mi'er, that's Mia and she has to make it."

He placed his right thumb over his ring and little finger, while his index and middle finger points to his chin.

"Stall," he murmurs the word.

The wind formed a sphere around him and his body ceased to fall. That wasn't it. He couldn't explain it but he knew what he was doing didn't affect his body directly but the space around him. That was wrong too, it wasn't the space, rather it was the time around him.

However, now wasn't the time to bother about that. His eyes, nose and ears were bleeding. Whatever he was doing gave his body a huge toil. He raised his left hand and did the same sign.

"Stall," he voiced.

A sphere appeared around Mia's body and her body stopped falling a little distance above his. He could barely see her through his bloody eyes. However, he could tell she had stopped falling, but what next. He knew he couldn't hold it for much longer, so what was he going to do. There had to be something. He didn't want to die neither did want Mia to die. So what could he do?

Nothing, there was nothing he could do. He could barely see, his body was exhausted from the toil and his consciousness was fading. Right now, his efforts were futile. It only delayed the inevitable.

"Ah," Hiro sighed and finally accepted it. His mind relaxed and eased up as he slowly loses consciousness. Unknown to him, the cracks that were running down arrived. They touched the spheres just before he blanked out.

***

+ Lu Family's Manor +

"Husband, you called," Ming Lu says as she enters Enji's office.

"A message just arrived from the academy," Enji replied as she made her way to him.

"Did something happen to Hiro?"

"A legacy cave opened and took in all the disciples of the southern region, a few from the northern and a lot of people at the foundation realm from Eagle's city."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be safe."

"I've sent out two guards to wait on him. Who knows what he'll bring out. I don't want him dying because of it."

"I didn't think that. Is the legacy cave that big?"

"It's an unknown legacy cave, however it took in about seven hundred people. Not just any master can set a mechanism like that."

"I see, I hope he comes out safe and sound."

"Me too," Enji sighs. She walks behind him and places her hands on his shoulders. A smile appears on Enji's face as she massages his back. "Right, I heard the situation at the southern battlefield has gotten much more intense. We may have to go support them."

"What? We just returned from our battlefield, we haven't even recuperated yet."

"We'll discuss it with the elders, we have to send some support."

"That won't be possible, dear. We are still gathering…"

"I didn't mean now, after the one month plan we would make our decision."

"Alright."

***

+ Hong Xi's Small World +

"We come in peace."

Shin stares at the man that made that comment. He was on top a strange bird, strangely dressed and had the aura of a core formation realm.

However, he was not alone. There were five others and each of them were on a similar strange bird. The group of forty-seven were making their way away from the cracking sky, when they met these six riders.

"We can't face them," Shin thought. Fighting was not an option, because each of their opponents was greatly stronger than them. Now they had to determine if the strangers on strange birds were really here in peace or not.

"There was a prophecy that enlightened us about those cracks," the man said and points. "Behind that is a great tide of beasts, our lord has ordered us to gather the outsiders to join us in facing this tide."

"Do not get offended but how can we trust your words?" a voice asked.

The girl, who had self proclaimed herself as the leader of the group was the one to speak. The man turned to her and replied.

"You can't. The choice is yours, follow us and join us to fight or remain and survive yourself."

The girl was taken aback as the man turned his strange bird to leave. Another rider moves to him and spoke in words they could not understand. When he was done the man turned back.

"I almost forgot, is any of you here Shin and Mia? My lord asked that we find them?"

Shin was taken aback. A smile appears on his face as he raises his hand. "What is your lord's name?" he asks.

The man squints at him before replying. "Lord Tan, are you the bearer of one of those names?"

"Is he the one?" Shin mutters to himself and said. "I am. My name is Shin."

"What's the name?"

"Shin Tu."

The man bows his head. "Forgive me for being rude. Please get on so I can take you to Lord Tan."

Shin walks forward toward him, but was stopped before he stepped out of the group. The self proclaimed leader had stopped him.

"You know the lord?" she squints her eyes at him. "Are you from the academy?"

"You are keeping these seniors waiting."

"Step aside girl," the man's voice sounded. She gulps and moved out of the way. Shin walked past her and climbed onto the bird.

"I really hope it's Tanji," he thought.

"Those who wish to fight, follow us," the man said and his bird shot away. The others followed in his direction but did not charge away like he did. They kept going at a steady pace allowing those who wish to follow to follow.

In no time the man had given them a great distance, and soon disappeared into a forest.