Dragon's Soul Chapter 24: Escape

The streets that were just moments ago teaming with people were now eerily quiet. If someone dropped a pin it would be audible in this silence. Breaking the silence, the sound of hooves pounding against the cobblestone laid streets could be heard. A lone rider could be seen in the distance. Zhang was galloping through the empty streets of Red Mist city alone.

The armored man's mouth opened in disbelief as Zhang's dagger hacked off the two front legs of Jin Chang's horse. Once that horse's legs were cut off it tumbled toward the front sending Jin Chang flying toward the ground.

The armor man quickly jumped off his horse to catch Jin Chang. Jin Chang's cultivation was miniscule and a fall off a horse would injure him pretty badly.

Using this chance Zhang tapped the side of his Inferno Wind walker and made it gallop. He charged toward a row of soldiers blocking an alleyway. Once in front of the soldiers the wind walker jumped over their heads. One unlucky soldier's head was smashed to a pulp by a hoof of the horse when it landed.

"Quickly you useless fools get him!!" Jin Chang yelled as he stood next to the armored man.

Hundreds of soldiers began cramming into the small alleyway to chase after Zhang.

As Zhang made his way through the maze like alleyways he finally reached his destination. In front of him were hundreds of homeless people. He had ridden to the poorest sector of Red Mist city. Although the city itself was extremely wealthy the vast majority of its wealth fell into the pockets of the already rich and privileged. The ruling clan pocketing a large chunk of the revenues of the city.  

Due to this a large portion of the city's population was left in poverty. Some could not afford to feed their families or provide shelter for their children. And a vast majority of them lived in this sector of the city or rather a better word to call this place was slums.

With only so much wealth to go around the people in the slums only survived by scraping together the bottom of the barrel.

"Quickly get him!!" A voice rang out behind Zhang

"Everyone who follows me will receive gold coin!!" Zhang screamed while tossing a hand full of coins into the air.

So they all rushed to where the gold coins fell ignoring the income soldiers.

Puff

"No fighting whoever picks up the coin it belongs to them!!! Also make way and there will be more than enough for everyone!" Zhang screamed.

Soon a mob of thousands were trailing behind Zhang hoping to pick up some gold coins. However due to Zhang's words no one fought over the coins that other people had picked up. The man who was killed was a prime example of those who did not listen and were too greedy.

As some of them picked up the gold coins they thanked Zhang. This money would help them get a new life for their families and could ensure that they did not die of starvation on the cold streets. Although Zhang was doing this to help keep the soldiers at bay.

The mob by now had doubled in size and numbered tens of thousands. These people who lived in the slums had nothing to lose and these gold coins meant they had a chance at bettering their lives so troves of them began filing out of back alleys and their shacks to follow and pick up coins.

Zhang with a sweeping motion of his hand made thousands of gold coins' rain from the sky. It was literally raining money and everyone went crazy.

Everyone besides the guards and a man stood and did not pick up gold coins. The man seemed roughly in his later twenties and was dressed in rags.

"What will a few gold coins do? A few gold coins will help these people but it won't help everyone in this city. Those in power trample on those without and bleed them dry. Today we can pick up these coins but tomorrow can we keep them?" The man replied.

"My name is Sima Yi." The man replied with a slight bow. Upon further examination Zhang noticed that the man although dressed in rags and very skinny gave off a dignified aura within his gaze.

With a smile on his face Zhang began galloping away. Once Sima Yi caught the coin he looked at it and his face was will with mix feelings.

Instead looks filled with pity and mocking was all Sima Yi saw.

When Sima Yi turned twenty-five he became a strategist for Jin Sho and helped devise strategies for the clan's army. He had love, money, and prestige everything that a normal person wanted.

The engagement between the two lovers was cancelled and Xia Mei was then betrothed to Jin Chang. Thankfully for Sima Yi she was faithful and strongly refused to marry Jin Chang. However, there was nothing her family could do due to the pressure from the Jin Clan so all they could do was push the date of the marriage back. In a few years however she would be married to Jin Chang.

Grasping the gold coin in his hand Sima Yi walked off into an alleyway with a slight smile on his face.

While Zhang lead the mob away he couldn't help by remember Sima Yi's gaze when he was talking about the situation of the people within the city.

As the mob continued through the city it reached Zhang's 2nd destination the eastern gate of Red Mist city. By now teams of hundreds of soldiers blocking the gates to exit the city. Archers were stationed on top of the walls ready to fire.

Seeing this man alone made some fall into fear. A few even went as far as to soiling their pants.

Suddenly a loud BOOM could be heard from the opposite side of the city.

"I I don't know my lord." The man replied.

"My lord! Someone blew a hole in the western gate!!"

"Someone blew a hole in the western gate!! One of the massive gates fell over milord. And fire from the explosion is starting to spread to the guard posts along bottom of the wall" The man yelled.

Seeing that everyone fell into confusion Zhang activated the Ruler's Domain. It had grown just big enough for him to keep his Inferno Windwalker within it. A black hole appears and sucked the horse inside of it.

"Quickly find him!" Jin Chang asked as he saw Zhang jump into the crowd.

However, this was easier said than done. The crowd had grown huge which made it hard for them to see where Zhang went.

Chapter end