Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 174: Separation at acro

After a few weeks they finally arrived in Aetherland. Liao Bao look at the rea they passed and he released a relieved sigh.

By now, he is far away from the grasp of the Emperor.

They are in the North of Aetherland. They share the same destination which is Acro. The continent greatest city some people called it.

Most of the people here speak the common tongue.

From what Liao Bao heard, their architecture is top notch aided by the immigrants who brought with them their expertise.

Its growth from a small village in a backwater region of the Kingdom to the most prosperous city of the continent owes it all to one family who have spent their money and effort on creating the city to what it was today.

The Vermont's.

'Finally we arrived' Zhengping remarked on the back. It brought Liao Bao brought him back from his musing.

He looked and flashed her a grin.

'Yes, it seems so.' She smiles gently

These days when they stop at an inn, he usually would sneak up to her room at night.

With his footwork and his lightness technique he had managed to pass Zhao Lu without her senior brother ever noticing him coming for her

Well, if Zhao Lu ever knew what he did with his junior sister, Liao Bao doubt he could keep his head attached safely to his neck

He knows how steadfast Zhao Lu about keeping his princess safe.

Though There is this one time when he forgot to leave in the morning and Zhao Lu suspicious of something barge inside the room

Thankfully at that time, he jumped to the ceiling and for a few moments he had to exert all of his internal energy, attached to the ceiling as he searched for the Princess room

If he only looks up, he would be toast. And it is not beautiful sight. Liao Bao called it the Lizard Attaching Skill. It has no other uses other than attaching oneself to the wall.

Zhengping laughed at him that night when he came back to her room.

But he couldn't keep up this relationship for long. They already nearly reached their destination.

From now on, their path diverged. Liao Bao sighed as he gripped his knapsack tighter. Liao Bao intend to meet the young lord of Acro and relay him the content of this letter.

That is his plan. If he could somehow convince the young lord that he is speaking the truth, he might not have to choose his other plan which would be more dangerous and involve a trip to the Dark Lands

'Liao Bao' Zhao Lu called me

'Yes, Brother Zhao?' Zhao Lu look at Liao Bao and then said

'I guess we will separate in Acro later.' He said telling him first. This means like he had suspected Zhao Lu and Zhengping has other objectives for going to Acro.

He understands and as such he could only to him.

Even though Liao Bao still don't know what reason they come here from Chu to Aetherland he knows they want to go to Acro for their business.

But for some reason Liao Bao think it has to do with someone called Qi An Long. Whoever that is. I overheard Zhao Lu talking with it the Princess when he accidentally eavesdrops on him before.

So, they will stay together until Acro. Like they agreed beforehand. Liao Bao sighed again as he looks at the little princess not too far away from him

'Then let us move now.' Liao Bao smile a bitter smile and gestured the horse to moves. He strokes its head while looking ahead as they are nearing their destination.

He looks at the hill in front of them and there is a mixed feeling in his heart. If his plan work, then he will be free. But at the same time he felt complicated.

He doesn't know why but his emotion is a tangled mess right now

'Hah' he complained

'You have always been simple minded, Liao Bao. Why try to be so complicated?' he asks himself but as the wind passes him by, it offers him no answer at all

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IN FRONT OF THE CITY

'The city is big' Zhao Lu marvel as they look at the bastion in front of them with awe. Even the walls of the city in Vern did not look as big as this Liao Bao thought

'Yes, I agree' Liao Bao nodded.

'Me, three' the Princess said as three of them looked at the large city in front of them with lots of the building higher than three storeys filled the streets and large houses and large store all around it.

People all over the continent, some were pale faces like Eastian, some were black who must come from the Land of Many Sands, and all kinds of races, from Etrushk to Loth and Franks all over the city, trading and intermingling with each other.

Scholars fill the inn, talking about complicated stuff, reciting poems and discussing about the general affairs.

Culture, knowledge and all what they come to expect from a thriving kingdom is here in this city. Nobles and common folk intermingle with each other.

It was a different culture than they have in Vern and as such it intrigues them

If nobles walk the street the common folk must give way but here, they treat themselves almost equally as long as they maintain respect with each other to their corresponding position they have in their society.

Zhengping is wide eyed with all the marvels and beauty this city had to offer. Then she saw this one store.

Liao Bao know she is interested in it, because she asked for gold from Zhao Lu. She looked at him.

'What?' he asks

She grabbed his arms as she pulled him to this accessory store. She began viewing the assortments of jewellery in the store.

'Liao Bao look at this' she takes one earring and show it to him. It is green and carved in very intricate design

'What do you think?'

'What do I think about what?'

'This on me' And she twirled around like she is buying a dress.

'It would look beautiful on you.' He said as he too looked around at the accessory store.

All the stuff in it is foreign and beautiful.

Outside the store, trade items from all over can be seen. There are some irons from foreign lands, spices from Ariundus, whale's meat from Vorthy and beautiful intricate silk and exotic fruits from Asteros.

Their standards of life seem to be different from the other region of the Kingdom.

Liao Bao did stop in other region of the Kingdom of Aetherland and he have never seen a more prosperous city than this.

Maybe after he is done sending this letter to the Demon Lord working here in this city wouldn't be so bad.

'Zhengping' Zhao Lu called the Princess.

Here they do not use the term Princess. That would attract too much unwanted attention and they don't want that.

Then Zhao Lu cupped his hand towards me.

'Hero Zhang' he said 'this is where we part'

'What!' Zhengping said, shocked by this sudden revelation. Liao Bao smiles wryly

'Couldn't he stay with us?' She pleads to her senior brother

Liao Bao cupped his hands back. He looks at Zhengping and he gestured to her not to insist.

They know this will happen.

They have their objective and he has his. Zhengping did persuade him before to follow her but he has his own plans and he likes to be free.

If he follows the Princess, he would be nothing more than a servant. Why would he do that when he could be free like a bird?

And there is the part that he had promised someone. And to him that is a duty. He knew what could happen if the future bride of the Demon King was murdered in Human Continent. It might incite a war.

If there is anything Liao Bao hated other than being poor, it is war.

He may not look much and there are certain laws he would bend to further his own interest but once he promised something, he would try his best to fulfil the promise.

That is what being a man is all about his mother once told him. Once you make a promise you must fulfil it.

He like to lie, and he like to talk and boast, he like to sneak around and he like woman very much. Maybe too much

Liao Bao never see himself tied down with only one woman. Liao Bao have no honourable qualities in him but these two.

He does not like breaking promises and he hates it when a girl cries. And his promise towards that beautiful maiden under the secret passage is one that he determines to fulfil. And he has chosen.

'So it seems' Liao Bao said to Zhao Lu and Zhengping

Then they all hugged each other.

'Zhao Lu, I hope your endeavour will go well.' He said

'I hope the same for you.'  Zhao Lu said as he broke the hug and an expression of gratitude can be seen. Zhengping is looking at him with a sorrowful expression.

'Senior Brother, can you go wait me at the inn?'

'Why?' Zhao Lu asked puzzled.

'I need to talk in private with Liao Bao' Zhao Lu nodded.

He went first. Zhengping and Liao Bao moved their conversation under this one hill under a large tree that covers them from the sun heat.

'So you're leaving' she said looking at him as she is doing her best trying to hold back her tears. And she is doing a good job at it.

'For a while' Liao Bao said.

They understand this would come from the moment they started this. They never make any promises to each other. And they know this is their farewell for now.

One day they will meet again. And maybe then, he could promise her something. Something more.

Liao Boa then said to her, his hand on her cheeks

'I wish…. desperately I could stay. If you were mine, truly mine… I couldn't leave you. But- 'And he said it to her. Because it is true. Because he does wish to stay. But she is not his. She never is.

And he is trying to make her understand that

'But you're not mine. Not yet. And we both have our responsibilities. I don't know what you and Zhao Lu are planning or what you are doing here in a land so far away from Chu but I know it is something important.'

'If you'll never leave me, I'll never leave you' she said. Liao Bao smirks and then he said

'We both know that isn't true. Whatever it is you are doing here, it is something important to your noble house. You couldn't abandon it as much as I couldn't abandon my quest. One day, maybe. One day. But for now…. we are in different places.'

He come closer to her and caressed her cheeks and finally her tears flowed down.

'Don't cry. Didn't I say once before I hate seeing girl cry? Leave your fears, Ping Mei, cast aside your tears.'

'How could you bear it? How could you bear this?'

He answers

'I can bear it now. But I know I'll never forget you if that are what you are asking. There is no doubt I will never forget your fragrance, that may come to me, out of the blue, on a crowded road in a lazy afternoon, or our memories together in the lonely night and the pain that your absence will bring me and the smiles that accompanied it. And when that happens, I shed a tear for your absence and your lost smiles. But I'm confident that destiny will not be so cruel to us. We will meet again.'

And as he said that he recites a poem.

"I am like you,

Destined to play my part in this world

And leave,

In the nature of my departure at least,

Some kind of sweet message left behind

In the fathomless pattern I make."

Then Liao Bao reached up and took a curl of her hair between his fingers as she blushed.

He was close enough that he could feel the warmth of her body, smell her perfume, the smell that he had smell countless of time during their lovemaking, and the feel of her skin and her silky hair flowing gracefully around his fingers.

He looks at her eyes as he closed their lips together. He kissed her slowly. A sweet kiss. A kiss of farewell.

'Not enough' he said letting her hair slip through his finger.

This is not enough. She nodded. She looks at him with that boatful eyes.

'Close your eyes and let me kiss you, Liao Bao. Today, I'll kiss you. Tomorrow I'll miss you.'

And she kissed him, not a desperate one but one that is full of promise. And as she broke the kiss she whispered in his ears.

Liao Bao closed his eyes and she knows what he meant. He never like seeing someone leaving him. Liao Bao told her this once.

So, he always closes his eyes before someone is leaving as he tell himself that they are lost, and not that they are leaving him.

"And by the way, Liao Bao, I believe that I was a little bit in love with you." And he could hear her voice, so smooth that he…. wanted to open his eyes and see her.

And she waited and she knows that he has already decided.  And still he closed his eyes as he hears her footsteps went away and when he opens his eyes, she is lost.

He smiles a bit. It was a weird kind of smile. Because it doesn't look like a smile at all.

One day, he promised. One day he will meet her again. And when that day comes, he is never letting her go.

He looks at the crowd and after a while he turns his gaze away and began walking away.

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After that he went back to the city. As he is nearing the city square, he heard a commotion.

'Come, come' Liao Bao heard one man is asking people to follow him.

'Is there something happening?' he thought to himself.

There is a ruckus in the middle of the street.  A young man of dignified birth is standing on a rooftop with this another man who has scars in his left eye and has a pouch on his hand.

Liao Bao could guess that the other young man must be a noble or someone along that rank because his clothes can only be afforded by the nobility.

'What happen here?' Liao Bao asked to one of the spectators. Then a talkative young man stepped in and shakes my hand.

'You see that?' He pointed to the roof.

'That young man wearing white cloth has his gold grabbed by that man that has scars in his eyes.' He said enthusiastically

'The Scarred Man thought he could escape but the young man flew around the rooftops as he chases him around. I have been following them since they jump out from my inn. Now they will fight.' He said excitedly.

Aetherland is not a land famous for its martial arts and their knowledge of martial art is scarce. So when people of the martial world appears some of them would become very excited like this innkeeper

Liao Bao concentrate his internal energy to his ears to hear what they are talking about on top of the roof.

'Give me back my pouch and I will let you go!' The young man said, his tone is stern, not at all fearing the Scarred man.

'Dream on, kid.'

'Then don't blame me.'

Then they began battling in the top of the roof.

The young man has no weapon but the scarred man has a spear. But the young man has a calm expression on his face and he doesn't seem to be unnerved by this disadvantages.

Could it be he is an expert? If he is not, then surely he would lose this battle.

Then the Scarred Man and the tassel on his spear hook spins creating something that looks like a spiral attack movement.

The young man seems a bit surprised and praised.

'Excellent, Snake Slithering from the Ground.'

He uses his body to move along with the spear and dodged to the right. His right palm spun around and came up to meet the spearhead in an attempt to grab it.

'Lion Bite!' he yelled and as quickly he grabs it the Scarred Man realize he made a mistake and quickly feign his attack and at the last minute manage to keep his spear.

'Songwu Sect?' the young man tries to hazard a guess.

'Long way from home.' He snickered.josei

'It seems I did not yet master this technique.' The young man said as he looked at his hand and at the spear. The Scarred Man is angry to be so ignored as the young man look amused at the scarred man.

The Scarred man is two times the size of the young man but the young man seems to be perfectly relaxed.

He must have many experiences in battle to act so nonchalantly. Then the scarred man charged, his moves are swift and agile, changing and faking as they were an illusion.

But the young man body followed the spear around, easily dodging forward and back making him almost impossible to hit.

Then suddenly from nowhere another man a little bit older than the Scarred Man jumped into the fray.

'What are you doing Zhiwu! You should have defeated him fast.'

'So a two-man operation' the young man said realizing finally that the two men is accomplices. The older man has a halberd in his hand.

Still the young man looked fearless.

'This isn't fair!' some shouted from below the rooftops

'Let's go' as they try to flew from the scene.

Liao Bao rarely help man but this is so unfair for that young man so using his Treading in the Wind technique Liao Bao flew to the ledge of the roof and trip the old man.

He was shocked but Liao Bao flew so fast and his moves were so agile that he couldn't dodge it as his face kissed the rooftop tile.

'Stealing money and going away, that is unhonorable especially for a martial artist.'

'Who are you!' the scarred man yelled mostly because of the shock seeing Liao Bao suddenly on the roof.

'Just a passer-by that wish to help.' Then Liao Bao cupped his hand to the young man

'I hope you do not mind. My name is Zhang Liao Bao.' he said introducing himself.

The young man looked at him, looking amused.

'People of the martial art world?' Liao Bao nodded. The young man then cupped his hand towards me.

'I appreciate your help, Mr Zhang. I'm Helia" he said

Then as both of those men get up they have surrounded their means of escape. They then looked at each other and decided to charge towards us.

Liao Bao smile at the young man and he smiles at him. And then they both charge from opposite direction.

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The first meeting between Liao Bao and Helia. Though, it seems helia is now crossdressing like a man. Anyway, that will be explained in the other chapter. See you tomorrow