Farewells are always depressing, but it is a little better if we know that it isn't goodbye. Today, Liu Kang is leaving the riding circuit and returning to the capital to inform my father, the governor about what we experienced so far.
While the battle with the monster need not be reported so urgently as we already took care of it, our encounter with the army should be reported as soon as possible since none of us can sleep properly if we don't. While I told Liu Kang that he will be sent back to accompany us on the rest of the riding circuit, nobody really knows what my father will do, especially since the journey back and forth will take several months at least so we might already be far away from Yao Feng town.
At the city gates, everyone is seeing Liu Kang off. It isn't goodbye so nobody is feeling sad but it still stings to know that we are losing a comrade so early in our journey. I spent the night preparing rations for him. I prepared more of the favour that he likes best. He calls it milky spicy but it's just curry favoured bacon…
As he sits on the tanned horse that the magistrate office lent us, he waves back at us as he disappears into the horizon…
"He'll back soon…" I mutter softly as I watch his figure gets smaller and smaller in the distance…
…
Back in the capital, in the royal palace, A man in armour is marching towards the emperor's study in the evening.
"Inform his majesty about my arrival and announce my arrival." He gives the palace eunuch an order.
The eunuch shivers a little and quickly runs inside to inform the emperor about the general's arrival.
Upon reaching the halfway mark of the study, the eunuch kneels down and yells "Your majesty, General Ling is here and he requests for an audience!"
"Hmm… General Ling? Why is he back so soon? Summon him in quickly." A deep voice echoes towards the court eunuch.
The court eunuch quickly runs towards the door of the study and stands at the side of the door of the study. The court eunuch then shouts loudly "Summon General Ling!"
General Ling takes off his helmet and walks into the room, making a *clink* sound with every step he takes.
Once he reaches the halfway mark of the room, he kneels down on one knee and greets the emperor.
"General Ling greets his majority, the Emperor of the Empire on the Sword Continent!" He says loudly with respect.
The emperor gives a slight nod and says "Do away with formalities for now, why are you back so fast?"
General Ling raises his stand and stands up as he was instructed to do away with formalities. He then makes a frown and says "While we were cleaning the villagers that had made contact with the monsters and demons, a group of men in black barged into the camp and rescued the villagers we have caught. We have captured and killed a faction of the escaped villagers but the majority of them have fled to Yao Feng town and are now refugees, while the whereabouts of the rest of the escapees are unknown."
"My men have all formed their cores and if this group of men could barge in, rescue the villagers and escape without harm, they must be highly skilled so I made the decision to report this to your majesty! Since the events 6 years ago, your Majesty had ordered me to look out for events that could lead to rebellions as the emperor's star has dimmed. If a person could recruit such a group of skilled experts, they could be a threat to the emperor!" General Ling addresses his concerns to the emperor.
Farewells are always depressing, but it is a little better if we know that it isn't goodbye. Today, Liu Kang is leaving the riding circuit and returning to the capital to inform my father, the governor about what we experienced so far.
While the battle with the monster need not be reported so urgently as we already took care of it, our encounter with the army should be reported as soon as possible since none of us can sleep properly if we don't. While I told Liu Kang that he will be sent back to accompany us on the rest of the riding circuit, nobody really knows what my father will do, especially since the journey back and forth will take several months at least so we might already be far away from Yao Feng town.
At the city gates, everyone is seeing Liu Kang off. It isn't goodbye so nobody is feeling sad but it still stings to know that we are losing a comrade so early in our journey. I spent the night preparing rations for him. I prepared more of the favour that he likes best. He calls it milky spicy but it's just curry favoured bacon…
As he sits on the tanned horse that the magistrate office lent us, he waves back at us as he disappears into the horizon…
"He'll back soon…" I mutter softly as I watch his figure gets smaller and smaller in the distance…
…
Back in the capital, in the royal palace, A man in armour is marching towards the emperor's study in the evening.
"Inform his majesty about my arrival and announce my arrival." He gives the palace eunuch an order.
The eunuch shivers a little and quickly runs inside to inform the emperor about the general's arrival.
Upon reaching the halfway mark of the study, the eunuch kneels down and yells "Your majesty, General Ling is here and he requests for an audience!"
"Hmm… General Ling? Why is he back so soon? Summon him in quickly." A deep voice echoes towards the court eunuch.
The court eunuch quickly runs towards the door of the study and stands at the side of the door of the study. The court eunuch then shouts loudly "Summon General Ling!"
General Ling takes off his helmet and walks into the room, making a *clink* sound with every step he takes.
Once he reaches the halfway mark of the room, he kneels down on one knee and greets the emperor.
"General Ling greets his majority, the Emperor of the Empire on the Sword Continent!" He says loudly with respect.
The emperor gives a slight nod and says "Do away with formalities for now, why are you back so fast?"
General Ling raises his stand and stands up as he was instructed to do away with formalities. He then makes a frown and says "While we were cleaning the villagers that had made contact with the monsters and demons, a group of men in black barged into the camp and rescued the villagers we have caught. We have captured and killed a faction of the escaped villagers but the majority of them have fled to Yao Feng town and are now refugees, while the whereabouts of the rest of the escapees are unknown."
"My men have all formed their cores and if this group of men could barge in, rescue the villagers and escape without harm, they must be highly skilled so I made the decision to report this to your majesty! Since the events 6 years ago, your Majesty had ordered me to look out for events that could lead to rebellions as the emperor's star has dimmed. If a person could recruit such a group of skilled experts, they could be a threat to the emperor!" General Ling addresses his concerns to the emperor.
