Nestled at the base of the Savadeen Mountains was the city of Eirwen. This prosperous city was under the direct jurisdiction of the Misty Sect.
The Misty Sect had been around for close to three thousand years, and its roots ran deep in the Central Continent. It had several branches across the land, and even across the other continents.
Eleanor and the Elder, Lady Miriam, were the people assigned to handle the Misty Sect Branch in the Southern Continent. They had discovered Rebecca's talents early on, and decided to bring her under their wing to be raised as one of the pillars of their sect.
Their plan would have been perfect if not for the thorn that had the name "William" written on it.
Now that the honor and dignity of their sect was about to be challenged, these two elders weren't able to sleep well at night, due to the anxiety and fear in their hearts.
The citizens of Eirwen didn't share their worries and were in a festive mood. Every establishment, and house, had hung snowflake lanterns, which was an old tradition when the founding day of the Misty Sect drew near.
Although the celebration was still a week away, several flying carriages, and other special flying artifacts could be seen soaring towards the Savadeen Mountains, where the Sect was located.
They were the delegations from the different powerful factions on the Central Continent, and emissaries from the other continents who had also received an invitation.
Within the bustling streets of the city, a chubby young man with above average features, who seemed to be in his late teens walked proudly. He was wearing very expensive clothes, and anyone that saw him would definitely label him as a member of the nobility, or a wealthy merchant.
By his side, a scholarly young man who was also in his late teens, walked steadily. The young man admired the surroundings around him with a calm gaze. Unlike his chubby friend, who wore expensive clothes, the scholar's clothes were rather plain. However, they were very clean, and gave the scholar a refined presence.
As the two passed through the marketplace, a little girl carrying a basket of snow apples approached the chubby young man.
"Sir, would you like to buy some apples?" the little girl asked with a smile. "They are freshly picked and very delicious."
"Oink, how much for a piece?" the chubby man asked.
"Three apples for one silver coin," the little girl replied with eyes filled with expectations. She had been trying to sell the apples for the past three hours, but she hadn't found any buyers.
"These apples do look fresh and delicious," the scholarly man said with a smile. "Okay, we will buy six apples. Here you go."
The little girl was about to happily receive the coin when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled it back.
"I-It hurts!" the little girl cried out in pain and dropped the basket she was holding.
The apples rolled on the streets, and everyone glared at the burly man who was holding the girl's arm in a vice grip. He was over two-meters tall and was surrounded by a dozen men who were wearing red robes.
"Little girl, who gave you the right to sell apples on our turf?" the burly man asked with a sinister smile. He then strengthened his grip on the girl's arm, making her cry out loud in pain. "Do you think that just because you are a child, the Red Devils will turn a blind eye to your ignorance?!"
The vendors on the marketplace gnashed their teeth in anger. All of them wanted to help the little girl, but they were afraid that the Red Devils would come and mess up their business. The Red Devil was the biggest and most notorious gang in the city, and the locals were afraid to face their wrath.
"Wuwuwuwu! Mama!" The little girl's tears fell like a flood as she called out to her mother.
This was the first time that she had visited the main street to sell the apples that she, and her mother, had picked in their backyard.
Usually, she would just sell the apples near their home, but due to the influx of visitors that had arrived at their city, she decided to go to the main street in order to quickly sell everything, and return home to have lunch with her mother.
The passersby steered clear from the scene and looked at the crying girl with pity. Most of them were foreigners, so they didn't want to offend the local tyrants of Eirwen City.
The name of the burly man is Butch, and he was one of the captains of the Red Devils. He had managed to get his position by underhanded means, and was someone who liked to torture people.
He didn't care about their age, or gender. As long as he could hear their screams, he was more than happy to sate his sick hobby.
"Since you didn't pay us protection money then we have no choice but to collect it from you," Butch said in a teasing tone. "The protection fee for our services is a thousand gold a month. Pay up, and we will allow you to sell your apples anywhere in the city."
Butch's subordinates laughed because they had seen this scene many times in the past. All of them were already used to it, and of them cared if their captain's latest target was a little girl who was only under the age of ten.
"Wuwuwuwu! Mama! Help me!" the little girl's cry became louder. There was nothing that she could do but cry and call for her mother to rescue her.
"Awww, you poor child." Butch chuckled. "Go on. Call your mommy. Maybe she can pay us by spreading her legs."
Butch's subordinates laughed in agreement. The little girl was somewhat pretty, so they believed that her mother was pretty as well. All of them were lowlives. For them, a mature woman was way better than a little brat who was still wet behind the ears.
The burly man increased the strength of his grip further and a soft crack was heard, followed by the young girl's soul stirring scream. Butch and his subordinates had smiles on their faces as they teased the crying girl who'se tears, and snot, had already stained her adorable face.
The chubby young man clicked his tongue and walked towards them. He and his friends had just arrived at the city and they already saw this disgusting scene. It made his blood boil, so he decided to make his move.
"Oi, if you don't want to lose that arm, it will be best if you release the girl. Oink," the chubby young man said. "How dare you get in the way of my lunch? Did this Sir give you permission?"
Butch and his men stared at the chubby teenager before laughing out loud. This was also not the first time when they saw a "Knight in Shining Armor" trying to save the damsel in distress. Most of these knights were already buried six feet under, and Butch had tortured them until they breathed their last breath.
"Well, well, well, look what we have here." Butch grinned. He appraised the chubby teen's clothes and knew that he came from a rich family. "Are you talking to me, Pig?"
As one of the captains of the Red Devils, Butch's strength was of the Adamantium Rank. He could fight head to head with a Centennial Beast, and crush them with his superior strength. Because of this, even the Leader of the Red Devils favored him, and gave him the task of collecting the protection fees in the most profitable place in the city.
The chubby young man sighed and shook his head. "I do not wish for Dominion, but I cannot let the innocent suffer. Since you crossed my path, I can't turn a blind eye to your ignorance."
Butch's smile widened as a sinister glint passed through his eyes. "So you want to play the hero? I'd like to see how you can save this brat from my han— gaah!"
The captain of the Red Devil wasn't able to finish his words because he felt something hard hit the side of his face, sending him flying towards a nearby fruit stall.
The little girl cried out loud as she lost her balance. She was about to fall on the ground when a strong pair of hands held her in place.
The scholarly man chanted as he cast a healing spell on the girl's arm, who was already starting to turn into a darker shade of blue.
"Make sure to collect medical fees for this child's broken arm," the scholar stated as he focused on healing the girl. "Additional compensation is also needed for emotional trauma."
"Oink, got it," the chubby teenager said as he picked one of the apples that had fallen on the ground. He then took a bite without caring that it had already been dirtied. The crisp and delectable reverberated in the air, as the chubby teenager ate with gusto.
Butch roared in anger as he charged towards the chubby young man with bloodshot eyes. He had already summoned a bastard sword in his hands, and was hell-bent to cleave the "Pig" in two.
The scholar gently carried the little girl in his arms and walked towards a safe location. He was not concerned about his friend, because he knew that the burly man wasn't his friend's match.
"When man has a virtuous thought, Heaven will grant him support," the chubby young man stated as he held the handle of his rake firmly in his hand. "Fool who doesn't know your place, I Zhu will slap your face!"
