Chapter 2: Cowards survive.
I dressed up into a really nice white and blue coloured robe, and hung the Shenyi token on the golden belt around my waist. I admired myself in the mercury mirror, until I heard some bugs trying to make my ears rot.
They were rather quiet, when compared to most days, but their silence was the problem. It was so slight, that while nothing else could be heard in the silence, an irritating laughter could be heard, silent as a whisper, sneaking in from outside.
I knew the cause, and I knew the solution. I didn't want to do it, but I'm in a really bad mood, today. First, the servant; then, the high commander; now, these filthy rats.
I went outside to see which ones were there. I saw three of them there. One was twelve, another was ten, and the youngest was around five. Even if their names were unknown, at least their ages should be known, is what I'd like to say, but their age is just a guess on my part. Bastards deserve no attention.
I went up to them to try 'mingling'.
"hey, kiddos. How's life?"
"ew, gross." said the youngest. "mother said there were pedos in the mansion. I didn't think I'd find one so quickly... big bro, help me!"
Bitch, I will gut you and hang your head on your courtyard entrance, for your mother to see.
"don't worry, I won't let this bastard hurt you!" screamed the oldest.
The middle child didn't seem to interfere.
"a pathetic whore-spawn like you dares call me, the legitimate child of the Jia's, a bastard?! My name will not be Jia Pangzi, unless you two die today!"
They were clearly unconvinced. The middle child seemed pretty confused, but worry not, child. I do not direct hate at the wrong party.
I shoved the eldest of the three and dragged the youngest by the hair, before throwing her into the ornamental pond in my courtyard.
She started flailing around pathetically, despite being able to reach her feet. Of course, her flailing just wanted me to torment her more.
I snapped off a branch from the tree nearby, and used to to 'help' her up. She grabbed it, and as I was halfway pulling her up, I kicked her directly on the nose. She yelped and fell into the pond, yet again.
I started getting annoyed by her cries, so I used the branch to push her under. After a few minutes, she went quiet, so I assumed the job was done.
When I looked behind me, I saw the eldest pissing his pants, and the middle just standing exactly where he was before.
I dragged the eldest, now a sobbing mess, by the hair, and dumped him into the ornamental pond, along with the corpse.
However, unlike the stupid bitch, he did not flail around in a pond where he could reach his feet. I felt humiliated.
I pushed his head under for a few seconds, and brought him back on land. I then took out the pin keeping his hair together. He didn't seem to notice, seeing as he was too busy catching his breath.
While he was weak; busy and vulnerable, I used the pin to pierce his throat. He struggled around like a fish on land, until he descended into a slow death filled with sudden palpitations.
I looked at the middle child.
"a pity you had to try leeching off the Jia's. When the time comes, not only them, but you and the whores you call your mother will be soon taken care of."
He glared at me, but did not say anything.
"a coward lives the longest." I muttered.
"a coward is the smartest." he replied.
"and the coward has the most pride." I laughed.
He glared at me, again. I didn't say anything, this time. Neither did he.
I left my courtyard and asked a nearby servant to cut the bitch's head off and mail it to the fifth whore; I told them to write a note, saying it was from me.
I went on my way to the abandoned winery slash grape farm. I went through the main road, beginning at the entrance of the city; going through the marketplace, while ending at the Jia's doorstep.
I went through the almost abandoned ghost town, through the eerily empty marketplace, and took a sharp left, at the town gate.
To be fairly honest, I could have gone completely around all of that, but I just prefer this longer path, since I'm not reminded of my past, whenever I walk the even longer path.
When I arrived at the abandoned winery, I sat down on my usual spot, and sighed as loudly as I possibly could. There was something wrong with the winery. It was quiet, as usual, but I could here faint rustling every once-in-a-while.
"to whom ever is out there, the Jia's city is due east from this winery. Now get lost. You're ruining my alone time."
I heard something like a twig break, but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like a ghost.
"aiyya, no one told me ghosts lived here! I better call the owner! Ghosts fetch a high price, these days! Humans give even more!" I said in an unbelievably fake voice.
Suddenly, someone jumped out from the main building behind me, and tried to either kill me, or knock me out. Luckily, I, being the successor of the Jia's, have unnaturally high martial prowess.
I was able to just barely deflect the hit, but I had to brace for another hit, coming from the left.
I used my hands to defend the left of abdomen, but then another hit cam from up top. There were two people. One of them attacked, and the other took that chance to ambush me!
I decided to minimize my losses, and purposefully fell down, and redirected my defense to the top. With this, the first person's attack will miss, and I can successful defend against the second one.
However, if they decide to barrage me with kicks, I'll be in an awful position. Is what I thought, until I saw another pair of legs, getting ready to kick me.
So basically, I was fucked up, no matter what I did.
The first person is incredibly fast, the second person must specialize in heaven attacks (up to down) and then the third person must use their feet.
So if I'm correct, the third person is the main damage dealer, the first is support and serves as bait/distraction, while the second helps the first, whenever they are in a pickle.
I braced for the impact on my sides, as I couldn't risk taking a heaven attack head-on. Against the high commander, that was the kind of move I lost to 8/10 times. It was too risky, so I opted to take on the kick, since the high commander never used kicks before. If he did not kick, then it must mean kicking isn't worth his time.
I braced for impact, and gritted my teeth, but nothing happened. Moved my arms out of the way, and I saw three people standing in front of me.
Did they fall back for some reason?
"why did you not attack?" I asked.
"well, uh... I dunno?" said the youngest.
Judging by their voice and build, I'd say the first/youngest is female, the third (the kicking person) being a male, and the second being a male. Around my father's age, would be the second man — the heaven attack user.
"you must be Jia Pangzi?" asked the heaven attacks user. "my name is Cike Si, and I am an acquaintance of your father."
"so, for what reason did you ambush me?" I asked with a glare filled with suspicion.
"so, a year ago, while your father and I were tight, we went drinking, and then he was bragging about how much of a martial genius you were. I decided to kill you and take your head to show him you're no match for my kids."
"well, since you openly admit to trying to kill me," I said while dusting my clothes. "I guess there's no reason to keep quiet."
They stared at me for a while.
"first of all, you can't be a Cike, if you laugh at your target making a bad joke, and two, your children needed your help to bring me down, and three, where is their mother? Or are they one-night stands? Accidents, perhaps."
"well," said the second. "my daughter is an accident. The whore left me with her. My son is the one-night stand. He suddenly showed up at my doorstep, you know? And Cike is the family name. We aren't real Cike."
"I see. But are you also from a martial family? You clearly follow a heaven style, your son kicking, and your daughter speed."
"as expected of your father's son, yes. We do come from a martial family. But there's on thing you got wrong. We are not soldiers or martial artists. We are mercenaries ans contracted killers."
"I see. Not only is the family name your profession, but it suits you as well. I wonder who tailored it for you?"
"whom else other than the creator?"
"I am an atheist." I replied.
But if I think about it, the plague demon is a sort of god-like entity? But in our beliefs, the plague demon creates nothing, but was instead created by someone. I guess it isn't that inaccurate to say I am an atheist.
"well, see you later." he said, while waving me goodbye.
"ah, so you don't want 'father' to see you, do you? Makes me want to become a snitch?" I muttered.
"ten taels?" he asked, sweating beads.
"gold. And anything else of value that you have."
"aiyya~ why is the high commander's son so stingy? Does your father not feed you or something?"
"occasionally. Now give the money."
The man handed over the money and left with his two children. The oldest son was pretty pissed and was probably asking why they didn't just kill me.
If the father has a brain, he'll say that my father will find out and annihilate the Cikes.
He sat back down on his usual spot, and waited for the sun to set. Due to the height of the Jianbukecui, sunset and sunrise was only around 7 hours, with the rest being considered 'nighttime'. Still, work cuts deep into the night, and people wake up late into the night, but it would be morning, if the walls were not there. Of course, everyone was used to the almost constant darkness.
Sunset was the time at which the sun went below the horizon of the Jianbukecui, and sunrise is when the sun goes above the horizon of the Jianbukecui.
At sunset, he made his way back to the city. On his way, he saw a group of or so men. It was obvious that they were knights. They were most likely sent by the royals to secure the area. Well, either that, or they were on some low-profile mission.
Cike: assassin or killer. I forgot which one.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
CatHam
CatHam *sophisticated neigh*