Zen was slow to get up. His mind was a blur from the hit he took. When his vision cleared, he could see Li Yue stomping towards him, the double edge sword, jian sword with a red hilt. He could also feel a great warmth and realised it was Shibi, standing between him and Li Yue.

“Out of my way, you overgrown rat!” Li Yue spat, brandishing her blade. “Or I will have you gutted and skinned!”

“No!” Zheng said, joining Shibi’s side.

“Of course,” Li Yue said, stopping short in her tracks. “Commoners always swarm around each other, like coach roaches to trash.”

Yin Zheng did not rise to her provocation. He simply looked at her, while Shibi bared his fangs.

Jun Nee rushed to Zen’s side, helping him back onto his feet.

“I knew I would be facing some resistance from commoner trash.” Li Yue smirked. “Good thing, I did not come alone.” She snapped her fingers and the group were surrounded by four guards.

Zheng clenched his fists and took a fighting stance.

“Wait!” Jun Nee said, her voice cutting through the tension. “Zheng and I are commoners but he isn’t.” Jun Nee made a gesture to Zen.

“What?” Li Yue laughed. “He does not look like any commoner I know.”

“Probably everyone you know is trash and Wang Zen is not trash.” Zen said.

“W-What did you say?” Li Yue said, her face turning red in anger.

“I’m sorry, I forgot the Li Family are as dumb as they are deaf.” Zen said. “I am the Wang Zen, the son of the City Lord! Or are you too stupid to know the name of your City Lord?”

She kept opening and closing her mouth, unsure what to say. Then she laughed, it was as high pitched as her voice and even more pretentious. “That is a lie! The Wang Family may be a bunch of pathetic people but even they could not produce a snivelling specimen such as yourself. Even if their head, Wang Lin, is a pathetic, trash wench from the gutter!”

Zen glared at her. “What did you say about my mother?” Each word was punctuated by the waves of killing intent coming from him.

Li Yue stepped back and it took all of Jun Nee’s will not to leave his side. Zheng looked back at Zen to make sure he was okay. His sight shifted between him and Shibi, who seemed to be comfortable in the killing intent. He was impressed at how strong their bond were.

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“I… I… Tch!” Li Yue turned to the crowd of merchants around and raised her blade to draw their attention. “Let it not be said the the Li Yue are not kind and merciful. I will let these scragglers as well as all of you go. But you still will pay the toll for selling your wares here, illegally.”

She turned and gave the group a dirty side eye look. “Hope that we do not meet again, Commoners.”

She and the guards departed.

The group made it back to the alleyway.

“Damn those Lis!” Jun Ning Xe swore. “They took it all. How am I to make money now?”

“We’ll find another way, Brother.”

“We’re all alive,” Zheng said, looking at Zen, “and relatively unhurt. We should be thankful for that.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Jun Nin Xe said.

“The Li Family are an evil bunch. I heard what they did to commoners during the civil war.” Zheng said. “They should be dealt with.”

“I just wonder how come the Yellow Market is under their control.” Jun Nin Xe said. “How could the City Lord allow this to happen? I he…?”

“Nin Xe!” Jun Nee warned.

Jun Nin Xe shut his mouth and looked at Zen, who stared at the ground.

“No matter,” Jun Nin Xe said, putting on a fake smile. “I’ll find a way. I’ll see you home Neenee. You guys stay safe.” He said waving goodbye as he left.

“I’m sorry, he is just stressed.” Jun Nee said after his brother left.

“Its understandable.” Zen said. “I don’t understand why this has to happen.”

“Don’t worry about the Li family.” Zheng said. “What they are doing to the commoners is wrong but if they think they will get away with it, they have another thing coming. The commoners still have bite in them”

Zheng smiled at Zen.

“We should take you home, Zen’er.”

Zen nodded.

Zen said his farewells, promising to see them again in the future.

When he was back in the house he headed for his mother’s office.

He knocked lightly on the door before entering, “Mom?”

“Zen!” his mother said, looking over documents. “You actually came here for a change.”

“Huh?”

“Your medicine.” She said. “I usually have to hunt you down and force it down your gullet, nice to see your well trained enough to come over yourself.” She said.

“I’m not trained!” Zen protested.

“Regardless, thanks.” She said. “Being City Lord has basically got me chained to the desk.”

Zen stood there in silence. He and Shibi exchanged looks.

“I’m sorry.” Zen said. “I didn’t know how busy you were.”

She looked up from her paperwork and gave him a sad smile. “The city is still struggling to recover from the war. Every city, small and big is. It’s hard to get the nobles and commoners behave and not attack each other, or me!”

Zen walked to the glass container at the corner of the room. This was his medicine. He poured himself a cup of the bitter medicine.

He sat opposite his mother. “Mom, did you hear what happened in the Yellow Market today?”

She froze. “What happened?”

“The Li Family attacked the Commoner merchants.” Zen said. “Forced them to give them their products.”

She groaned. “Those people! I’ll need to speak to them.”

“What about the commoners?”

“Not sure, Kiddo.” She said.

“I have a friend who is also effected by this.” He said. “Can we give her a job here in the mansion?”

“Oooh!” Wang Lin said, raising her eyebrows suggestively. “You want this girl to work here, huh? Close to you.” She winked.

Zen sighed and took a sip off his bitter medicine. “Its not like that, Mom.”

“Sure… it’s not.” She said. “Don’t worry, I’ll find something for your little friend… your girlfriend.”

Zen sighed and downed all his medicine. “I’m going to bed!”

Zen stopped at the door and looked back at his mother.

“Mom, I know you can keep this town stable.”

She smiled at her son. “Thanks, your faith makes all the difference.”