Chapter 5

“Wish if I was able to smell gold from far distances, this would have made things a little easier”

Zuojia continued sneaking into the palace, shifting from a room to another until he finally arrived at a large chamber filled with paintings, sculptures and jewelry hanged on various parts of the chamber from inside.

“Looks like my search is finally over!”

Zuojia quickly dove into the room, collecting everything he could find so valuable and shiny until he came across a door at the far end of the chamber, a small text was written on the door which said: ‘Yan Zhu’s priority’

“Too bad its not the treasure room”

Zuojia continues gathering more items until a different thought rushed instantly into his mind, making him run back towards the door, quickly breaking the door wide open.

As he stood before loads of shining stacks of golden coins stacked above one another, zuojia stood before the gold, stunned as he dropped everything he had gathered.

“This is. . .Magnificent!”

As he began to gather the gold, throwing it all into two huge bags timing them well, he noticed something hanged on the right side of the room, which was meant to be there so that nobody can easily find it, a paper wrapped tightly into a leathery cover.

“. . . .”

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

“WATCH OUT. . . .KAIJIN!!”

Kai stood there trying release his friends by rolling the liver handle, unwary of the guard who stood behind him attempting to cut him from behind with his malachite.

“YOU LITTLE SCUM. . .!!”

And on the right time kaijin managed to take a quick look behind him with the corner of his eyes, thanks to the voices of his friends, alerting him of the danger right behind him.

“. . . .!?”

*Ching!*

“WHAT?!”

The malachite hit hurt into the rocky wall, it was pretty sharp that it was dug into the wall from the impact, kaijin had successfully evaded the guard's attack on the right time.

“HAAA! My neck is still there!”

Kaijin placed both of his hands on various parts of his body to check if everything was still there yet in a silly way he shouted as a relief of his survival.

“Run kaijin!!”

“Leave now!”

Kai's friends started yelling one after the other, with a worrisome expression on their faces.

“DAMMIT! YOU GET BACK HERE!”

The guard pulled the malachite out of the wall with all his might he rushed at kaijin, with another attempt to cut him down.

“. . . .”

Kai stood there calmly. Taking a deep breath before remembering something clearly he had seen before.

His thoughts took him to when zuojia had beat him in the forest with just one palm strike. Kaijin started mimicking zuojia's pose and the way he has flattened his hands by.

“PERISH!”

The guard stood right before kaijin to cut him down without any hesitation he heartlessly as he rose his malachite upwards to send the final blow down at him.

“This is it!!”

He broke out of the thinking state. Instantly sliding between the guard's legs and with all his might he attacked the guard's sensitive area between his legs with his palm strike, the same way zuojia had performed it...yet that wasn't exactly the same.

“Haaaa. . .!!!”

A smile was carved on kaijin's face, the smile of the guaranteed victory. A smirk had escaped from his lips right after taking a few steps from the guard.

“M. . .My tes- UGH!!”

The guard fell on the ground in deep pain from the impact which he had taken from kaijin.

“. . . .”

Everyone had a shocked expression on their faces, they didn't believe what kaijin did and how he took the guard down.

“WAY TO GO!”

“GOOD JOB KAIJIN!”

“AWESOME!”

All of them continued praising him as he stood tall and mighty, feeling proud of what he did.

“Ehehehe!. . .now let's get you guys out of here.”

Kaijin rushed back quickly towards the the liver once more. As he continued rolling it over and over while the bars continued to raise up.

“D. . .Damn you!”

The guard managed to stand up once more. The he started walking towards kaijin slowly.

“Dammit how many golden pebbles does this guy have. . ?”

Kaijin began to roll the liver faster although it was heavy, yet he exhorted more force on it before the guard would be able to catch him up, although his friends continued asking him to leave and escape yet he didn't listen and continued on rolling the liver.

“You will pa-”

*Bang! Clink!*

It seems that something heavy hit the guard from behind which made him fall on the ground and lose his equilibrium.

Apparently what hit him was a huge sack made of cloth, the bag contained something heavy which made some clinking noise similar to the friction between the coins.

“Yo kaijin! I found the gold!”

“What the-”

A pale expression kaijin's face wore up when he saw that it was zuojia who threw the bag of coins at the guard.

“You still haven't helped them out? Hurry up already i want to spend some- i mean we need to get out of here!”

Pretty much with the same stupid attitude which made kaijin smirk in playfully. Zuojia was already holding another bag filled with coins, he placed the bag on the ground the he walked towards kaijin. When kaijin's friends saw him get closer to Kaijin they all panicked until zuojia grabbed the liver and with just a few rolls the bars of each cell had risen up and they were all freed.

“Kaijin!”

Kaijin's friend's had surrounded him from everywhere, exchanging hugs with the happiness on their faces.

“Well then, let's get out of here?”

Zuojia grabbed both of the big bags filled with coins, laying the on his back. Before heading upstairs to get out of the underground secret path.

“Kaijin who is this man. . .?”

A young girl asked kaijin in a low timid voice.

“This man. . .is chopper mantis—”

Said kaijin.

As zuojia overheard what kaijin said, he yelled

“I heard that!”

“When we get out, we should thank him then!”

“Yes!”

And they all agreed to thank zuojia once they are able to leave this place safely. They all followed zuojia while heading upstairs. Around twenty kids were imprisoned under the ground to satisfy someone's greed and hith filthy deeds.

“Goldy gold goldy go-”

Zuojia was singing with an innocent smile on his face until he opened the door to find himself facing a whole row of guards standing beside each other. And a certain man stood before them, a man who was pretty much similar to a pig due to his fat appearance and his hideous face.

“Sorry to break this down for you, but you will be leaving the gold and my pets right here.”

“YOU!”

Kaijin almost rushed towards the man in anger until zuojia stopped him by extending his hand. All the kids stood behind zuojia, terrified yet scared of this man.

“Alright then. . .”

Said zuojia before dropping the bags filled with coins on the ground.

“There you go.”

“WHAT?!”

Kaijin looked at zuojia with another shocked expression. Surprised that he would do such a thing and abandon them after all that.

“That was easy— you are very understanding indeed, I'm sure you may have any final words too?” Said the hideous looking man.

“Hmmm. . .not at all, i don't think i have anything at the moment.” Said zuojia after rubbing his chin. The he shrugged while sighing.

“Very well. . .Go now!”

The man yelled at his guards, pointing at zuojia.

All the children panicked even more when they saw the guards rush towards zuojia with their spears ahead of them to stab him. All he did was stand there with cold nerves and with his eyes closed while everything was at risk, time was moving so slowly.

“ZUOJIA!”

Kaijin's call had echoed through the whole palace. Zuojia's eyes opened widely.

In an instant wverything went bright, Zuojia swung both of his hands before himself while mumbling a few words in a deep voice.

“Secret art. . .REVERSED SKY STRIKE!”

Out of nowhere, a force had been formed within the air, sending orange colored energy which took the shape of multiple palm strikes, directed right at each guard.

“REVERSE!”

Zuojia yelled this specific word which pushed the palm strikes even further against each guard, sending them away flaying in different places of the palace.

“Now i remembered what i had to say. . .”

Said zuojia with a very provoking smile engraved on his lips. Giving a fearsome expression towards the man.

“I-Impossible!”

The man stood there looking at his fallen guards everywhere as they all were unable to move from the strength of zuojia's technique which apparently had a strong impact.

Kaijin stood behind zuojia with his eyes wide open in amazement, and all the other kids had the same loon on their faces, all directed at the guards who are laying on the ground everywhere.

“Now now, let's take our lea-”

Zuojia had lowered his body to pick up the bags with the coins until  suddenly out of nowhere a long whip had been extended directed at zuojia's hand. Surprisingly the whip hit his hand hard causing a loud *stitch* sound.

“Hmm. . .?”

Zuojia looked at his hand before looking at the source of the attack.

“Very well now, how pathetic. . . .even after all what you have been given, you can't keep up a good job.”

A feminine voice echoed through the silent atmosphere. The voice came from a woman who stood beside the man on the ground, the man which is supposed to be the master of those kids.

The woman held a long whip in her hand, her clothes were nicely nailed, reddish Chinese traditional clothes of the country covered with gold around various spots.

“Y-Your Majesty please listen!”

The woman kicked the man's face with all her might, sending him flying away until he hit the wall behind him. For a woman like herself she wouldn't normally be able to send someone heavy like that flying, however her strength seemed abnormally mysterious, releasing such strange aura.

“Filthy pig!. . . .oh?”

She looked at zuojia with the corner of her eyes, scanning him by looking at him up and down.

“I assume you are the one causing all this trouble?”

She looked at him with her eyes which was filled coldness that can strike fear into anyone's heart, since nothing can be expected from someone like her.

“Hahaha, you may be right, yes i am.”

Zuojia started laughing innocently as if nothing had happened, while scratching his cheek as he seemed to handle every single minute of the situation with aplomb.

“That's interesting. . .and unusual I give you that.”

Said the mysterious women until suddenly without any alerts, she appeared instantly before zuojia attempting to drop a heavy kick over his head.

*Slam!*

“That's pretty dangerous, woman. . . but let me tell you something. . .out of all those fools who tried attacking me today, you are the best I will give you that.”

Zuojia prevented her kick by reacting on the right time and grabbing her fet before it hit his head heavily.

“. . . .?!”

The woman grabbed her whip tightly and by that she aimed for zuojia's neck with her whip but again before the whip had reached his neck, zuojia grabbed the whip then he pushed the woman away from her feet. And at the same time he pulled the whip away from her, the amount of force he exhorted to pull the whip away was enough as well as for pushing her away.

“Oh you bite hard woman.”

Said zuojia while holding the whip in his hand.

“Oh my my~ such a compliment makes me satisfied.”

Said the woman while smiling sarcastically.

“Sorry i don't mind telling you more but. . i have so many things to do now and you are in my way. You can keep the gold and the kids, i don't mind.” said zuojia with a careless look on his face.

“What. . .?!”

Kaijin panicked

Surprisingly the woman laughed for a moment then she replied.

“I could care less about money nor these scrubs behind you, you have seen enough and i don't think you should get out of here alive. . .plus im already having fun.” said the woman.

“Ah i see, too bad then i don't have time for your satisfaction today woman.”

“Eh. . .well i guess that's fine, can i have my whip back.”

“Oh sure thing!”

Yet with another silly response from zuojia, before he actually walked towards the woman. Handing her the whip.

“ZUOJIA ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”

Kaijin panicked once more especially when zuojia really went to give her the whip.

“Heh. . .SUCK ON THI-”

The woman attempted to punch zuojia's face with all her strength she threw a punch right at zuojia's face but then she stopped mid way with her eyes wide open while gazing at zuojia.

“Why did you stop?”

Her skin tone became pale. A wave of fear had stroke her entire body at this moment when it turns out that zuojia's hand was already before her stomach, yet she didn't even notice that his hand had already reached there, his speed was truly unnoticeable, his hand took the formation of a palm strike which was supposed to hit her stomach.

“Come on. . .why did you stop?”

A sadistic smile was drawn on his face, yet his eyes were challenging and provoking. But the woman seemed helpless in fear. She gulped before taking a back jump.

“When did he even. . .”

She remained silent while trying to think and figure out how he managed to prepare for an attack in this short time.

“What's the matter? I thought you were looking for fun already, where is the fun in running away?” said zuojia.

“WHA-!?!”

Yet again she didn't notice that he was standing before her once more, charging for another palm strike.

“Secret art. . .Sky den palm strike!”

By pushing his palm towards the female, on the final attempt to hit her with his palm. Until he changed the direction of his palm to hit right beside her head on the right side.

The strike caused a strong wind current which was strong enough to send  a blow towards the upper wall of the palace behind the woman. Which ended up causing a wide hole in the wall, leaking the sunlight inside of the palace after that.

“. . . .”

She stood frozen in her spot, unable to move from the fear, just by moving her sight and looking at the wall behind her with the corner of her eyes, she realized the grieve danger she was in.

“Well, i see no fun at all now. . . .looks like we will be leaving.”

Said zuojia and again with the same shocked expression on the kids faces and kaijin's as well.

“woah. . .”

Zuojia carried the bags which contained the coins they were pretty huge but looks like he deserved it especially after that long job.

“Let's go! Time to buy a horse and a palace for myself—never forget the ink Ahahahaha!”

Zuojia walked towards the exit of the palace with the kids following him, and with the bags of coins in his hands.

He looked pretty happy. Kaijin gazed upon zuojia from behind, admiring him.

“Okay now where do we go . . .?”

Kaijin asked.

“Hm? That's none of my business now, you had what you wanted, now you are off to go.” Zuojia responded.

“Ah come on. . .at least take us along, i know you are heading to the capital take us there. We know someone who is going to help us there.” said kaijin with a sad expression on his face.

“Later!”

Zuojia ran towards the forest without even listening to kaijin's request.

“I know the shortcut to the capital, the way you are going for takes up to one day or even more if you are walking on your feet!” The clever boy called for zuojia, with a convincing matter, and a sneaky smile on his face.

“Seriously?”

Zuojia stopped walking his happy walk then he walked back to kaijin.

“Lead the way bratty kid!”

Said zuojia.

“It's kaijin.”

“Whatever whatever, just lead the way!”

TO BE CONTINUED. . .