Author and the Aftermath

Chapter 24: Author and the Aftermath

Aram was dumbstruck and unable to belief what he just saw. The person that just died, the person that just got killed, murdered, brutally beheaded ..., was Mu Ying. His one and only Mu Ying.

"MU YING!!! NOOOOOOO!?!?!?!" he shouted in agonizing cries and then aimed his gun to the perpetrator. 

He shot few bullets, but none of them hit. As he pulled the trigger without being able to shoot out another bullet, he then sprinted to the lifeless, headless body of his beloved. He immediately sat down on the ground and took her head as he hugged and cried on top of it.

"Bastard, catch him! Close the gate! Don't let him escape!? Archers, what are you doing, shot him!?" 

Aram could hear his soldier sent out series of command. He was so despaired with the sight that he unable to think rationally. He just dumbly looking at the beheaded head of the simple cyan-haired girl.

"Master, they're escaping!? Please master, come to your sense!? If it's like this, then Mistress' killer will escape!?" someone loudly shouted at his side, waking him up from the stupor.

Aram looked at the man escaping with his horse. He brought Lin Wutang with him and was heading to the north gate. A rage filled his heart as he saw their running figure. 

"There's no need for prisoner, execute these sons of bitches who dares to kill in our turf! Hang their body in our wall, let them body rot and become food for crows and vultures." after saying that he turned to Go Pang and commanded, "Take care of my wife's corpse, I'll deal with them."

The soldiers were unable to stop the force of a cornered Silver-rank, they tried to stop him with number, but only to be sent flung with a sword slash. Some unfortunate one was killed in the process.

"Motherfucking goddamnit!?!?"

Aram who was incensed and enraged to the extremity cursed his ways as his eyes beneath his google turn bloodshot and his temple bulging with worm-like vein. He then turned to the still dumbfounded Fang Tongxin and her guard.

"Why don't you stop them?! You could just do it, don't you!? What the fuck are you standing and gawking around like that?! Fuck!?" he cursed to them as he put blame on them.

"Ehhh ..., err ..., ehnn ..., Ya-, that ..." Fang Tongxin was trying to say something, but couldn't as she tongue-tie.

"You, you're here to pass the money from the auction, right? Quick, give it to me!"

Fang Tongxin silently gave him a storage ring as she somehow feared him.

'Shit, damn, fuck with you people! I won't forgive, I won't forgive the likes of him. To kill my Mu Ying, my one and only Mu Ying ..., won't forgive.'

Aram took out the shrine to Yama and then activated his system. He bought Kawasaki KLX-250 and a H&K MP5 sub-machine gun. The thing he bought suddenly appeared in front of him after he finished the transaction. 

He then gets rid of the vacuumed plastics that got stuck on them, turning on the off-road motorcycle machine and ride his way on the forest. 

The motorcycle was not the best off-road vehicle, but it was extremely agile. The problem was he couldn't use one hand to grab weapon as it uses clutch system which required both hands. Though, as long as he maintained constant speed, it won't be a problem to leave the clutch as it is.

'Damn, this feels extremely annoying. I really should've bought a Humvee or something.'

He began to catch up with them two. The horse is running frantically, the rider brought Lin Wutang with him. Aram with his left hand pulled out the MP5 and turned the safety switch and put it on A for automatic fire. He then began to aim and pulled the trigger.

Bam!

That was not the sound of firing of a gun, it was the sound of his fall. He did shoot few bullets, but for it to be strays that sprayed to the ground and tree bark. He felled after his moto stepped on a tree root and he was sent flying just like before he died back on earth. 

Aram was flung away and then hit a tree headfirst. He didn't wear a safety helmet, and thus ..., the impact was quite hurtful even for him. He lost consciousness for about few minutes. 

As for the escaping horsemen, even after he heard the sounds in his back ..., he didn't dare to turn around. He sped up his horse as his only goal was to take Lin Wutang back to the camp where the rest of the men stationed.

...

Back to the Temporary Base.

Granny Jian was inside the apothecary when all the commotion happened. She thought it was another noisy training regime she always been bothered these few days. But then the scream turned even more intense. 

In the end, her patience run thin as she put down the chemical tube and walked out from the building ..., to see her granddaughter beheaded corpse. She felt the world turned very bright and then fainted.

...

When she regained her consciousness, the first thing she heard was a commotion raised by the slaves and the noblewoman.

"She's with them, isn't that enough to make us want to kill her?"

"She said she's that vile man's advisor, right? Then it makes more sense to hang her on the wall like everyone else!"

"Yes, yes ..., you're right. I know you hate that man and this young lady here. They have killed your Mistress and some of your fellow friend. But her identity is not someone you could possibly mess around with! If you kill her, then thousands of them from her family would revenge for her death. Killing her now would buy you a ticket to the death gate! You and your master would only meet with impending doom!"

Go Pang pointed at the pink-haired noblewoman who was seated on the ground tied with strong rope, as he stated. "It doesn't matter, Master ordered us to execute all of those who messed with us. She is a part of them, she must be executed!"

The grey-haired noblewoman put her hand on her temple as she sighed out loud. "Sigh ..., Didn't you hear me? Are you aware who she actually is? She's the daughter of the current patriarch of the Yu clan, Yu of Tangzhi Youyu, the Four Great Clan of this Kingdom! If she got killed here, then you only invite their army to swarm this place until every single one of you are killed! Even with that what you call it ..., bu-dou-zier and that chen-sao, you couldn't possibly match army of ten thousand with just your meager number!!"

"In the first place, aren't you also part of them!? Why should we listen to what you said? You're the one who brought them into our base!" said one male soldier-slave. 

"Yeah, that's right! You're just an outsider of this place, you have no right to speak in here." another male soldier added.

"That ..., I ...," Fang Tongxin tongue tied because she also feels immensely guilty for bringing Lin Wutang group into this place. 

She really never thought that Lin Wutang would actually kill and rampaged like a crazy lunatic. And then, the fact that one of them killed Mu Ying before he brought Lin Wutang to escape. At that time, Fang Tongxin was so shocked, and her eyes could only see the cyan-haired head that rolled in the ground. 

She feels soo twisted, because deep inside her heart she actually felt glad off her dead. But then, as she saw the grievance and saddening expression of her fiancé, that glad turned into guilt. And she was soo ashamed of herself that she couldn't say a word to her fiancé.

"If you dare to touch our family princess ..., then you have to deal with us!" a middle-aged man from Fang clan showed up as she shielded Fang Tongxin who was surrounded by the slave-soldier.

The soldier hesitated because they know they are no match for the soldier without the chainsaw and bulldozer. 

Before, they could somehow gain the upper hand because the element of surprise and they who still don't know the characteristic of their weapon. But now, as the Fang clan guard already assess the effective range of the two weapon and its many other disadvantages ..., they couldn't possibly use that same weapon on them.

"That's enough you all ...," granny Jian stood up from the medical bed and walked to Fang Tongxin. "Girl, you ..., so you are the noblewoman who know about the boy, right? Ah Ying has talked a lot about you before ..., before ...,"

"I ..., my name is Fang Tongxin, grandma. I ..., I am really sorry."

"I've ..., seen a lot of dead ..., in this life."

Granny Jian closed her eyes as a drop of tears fell through her cheek. She sighed as she has seen too much of death in this life. But to witness personally the dead of her parents, husband, son, daughter-in-law, and now her granddaughter ..., and not to mention the gruesome death in the war. Granny Jian was numbed of the feeling.

Fang Tongxin didn't know what to say, but she felt the heavy atmosphere and felt compelled to say something.

"I ..., I ..., am at fault. I don't know if they would actually do something like this."

"It's really not your fault. If there's one at fault ..., it's that boy who let someone malicious to enter his home. He's like inviting a thief to a dinner. Where is he, now?"

"He's chasing them, Lin Wutang and the killer of your granddaughter."

"Who exactly is this, Lin Wutang? And what grudge did he have with the boy that you guys kill each other?"

"This ..., I think it might be better if you listen to her explanation, she is Lin Wutang's advisor." Fang Tongxin pointed at the tied and gagged Yu Huiqin.

"Ad Visor ..., that's some title I've heard since a long time. So, you guys this generation future kings, eh?"

"G-grandma also know about Dragon King Succession?" Fang Tongxin asked a little bit perplexed.

"I've ..., lived quite the life back in the days. Sigh, it's no wonder I always smell troubles from the boy. Is he also one of them?"

"As far as I know, he isn't. Lin Wutang is the fifth and the last emerging candidate."

Fang Tongxin removed the cloth which gag Yu Huiqin's mouth. The pink-haired lady doesn't even have the strength to lift her eyes to look at them. Granny Jian sat on the nearby bench and commanded the slave to bring Yu Huiqin to her. Again, she didn't resist at all. In fact, she just slumped her body as she didn't have any will to continue living.

"Say, just what's all this about? A month ago, the boy was found in the forest dying. After I save his ass, he lost his memories of what happened back then. And now, here you are causing trouble ..., killing him and even managed to kill my granddaughter. Do you have unresolved grudge with him or what?"

"I ..., don't know who he is." Yu Huiqin hopelessly said, she sighed and then continue. "I don't even know who he is, how could we have a grudge with him? I guess there is something wrong with Lin Wutang's head a moment ago. He's not like that ..., but there he is. Rampaging and recklessly do something."

"Ah, I think you're wrong on the first part." Fang Tongxin suddenly said.

"Which part?" Yu Huiqin furrowed brows as she gazed at her in puzzlement.

"The part that you don't know him. You guys, know him better than I do."

"I ..., really don't know that man with the name Aram Hadrian."

"Grey girl, just say it ..., who is he before he lost his memory? Perhaps it could help her remember."

"Ah, un ..., alright grandma. So that man, Aram Hadrian ..., is actually Yang Xian. Young Master Yang."

"What?! Impossible, he should've been dead!? No, there's no way he could survive!?" Yu Huiqin widened her eyes as she loudly rebuked.

"Believe it or not, that's the truth. Ahh, he returned ...,"

The gate opened and Aram returned with his green KLX and his battered body. His google was dangling in his neck, but he still has half of his face covered with that black mask. There was a trail of blood in his hair and forehead making him quite menacing.

"Boy, are ..., are you alright? That looks serious." Granny Jian carefully asked as she looked over his injury.

"I'm fine ..., granny, I ..., I ...," Aram wanted to say something, but he was choked with his own tears streamed like a broken dam. He could only gaze on the ground and then said. "I ..., they killed Mu Ying, I ..., I can't protect her. She's dead!? I ..., I ...,"

Granny Jian who wanted to at least get mad at him couldn't bear herself to do so. Thus, she placed him into a warm embrace as she also started to cry. Both of them cried over the loss of their close one. 

Though it was only one short month, the slave was also got quite attached with the others. And especially their benevolent master and kind mistress. The slaves grieved on their death, and also for their mistress.

Aram wiped the tears on his eyes as he put on stoic face. He then said softly.

"Let's bury the dead ..., Go Pang and Tie Zhong, you guys bring your men and began digging. Liu Bai ..., where is Liu Bai? No ..., don't tell me!?"

"Master, Liu Bai ..., didn't make it." Go Pang grieffully said.

Aram closed his eyes as short memories of that young man revolving in his mind. When they were chopping tree together, when they were playing checki and other game, when they are enjoying meat together. 

"Sigh ...," 

He let out a sigh, this is the price of carelessness and ignorance. He knows that he was at fault because he let a group of armed men entered his fortress. After all, even if he believes in Fang clan's Fang Tongxin, there's always a possibility she would betray him. And furthermore, she brought a person who was of doubtful intention into the base. His lack of vigilance brought this tragedy.

"Tu Kuo ..., bring some men to prepare last bath for the deceased. Tie Zhong, go fetch the hoe and shovels. Go Pang, I'll go with you ... " 

"Wait!" Yu Huiqin suddenly shouted.

"Ah, right ..., you're still here." Aram tapped something in the air and then some odd-looking circular metal with chain appeared near that small statue. He took the thing and also the statue as he walked to them.

"Are you really Yang Xian, Young Master Yang? And is Lin Wutang ..., is he, dead? Did you kill him?" Yu Huiqin asked.

"Oh no ..., how could I possibly some kind of Young Master?" he apathetically waved his hand as he denied her word. He then with a bit forced voice said, "As for that bastard who didn't even listen to what a person is saying ..., he seems to have some kinds of dogshit luck. I couldn't even catch him."

"Is ..., that so, that's a relieve then." Yu Huiqin sighed.

"Hmmm ...? Oh, once again, no ..., he might be alive but soon he'll meet his end. And you, you guys come here with ill intention, caused disturbance to my home and even killed my family! It's quite fair if I treat you as a captive, right? At least I don't unnecessarily kill you all like what they did."

"...," Yu Huiqin didn't answer, as she already tied by the rope anyway.

Aram put on steel handcuff on her and then gave one to Fang Tongxin.

"I'm sorry, but you left me with no choice."

"I guess, I'll be your prisoner from now on." she didn't seem like objected to it and just put her hand toward him.

"Young Miss, you can't possibly do that!? We are innocent and have nothing whatsoever regarding their squabble!" the Silver-ranked middle-aged guard protested.

"It's alright uncle Deng, we were still at fault because we brought them with us."

Aram held them captive and brought them into the tent, he bought an animal iron cage and place the men on them. As for Yu Huiqin, Fang Tongxin, and the female bodyguard, he them to the longhouse. Within their own iron cage and hands were cuffed with the handcuff.

He then went to search for ideal place for the cemetery and found a relatively good hill. He then with the slave dug a total of eleven grave. The deceased people from the camp were only ten, but then Aram also decided to make a huge pit for his enemy that has fallen in the battle. As for the captured, they were hanged on the wall.