Heaven Destroyer

Chapter 177: Ghouls Once More

Wind howled as the horses paddled on the ground. The group of youngsters rode on the horses at a steady pace. They seemed to be on a long journey. The boy around the age of eighteen was at the very front. His black and white hair fluttered in the icy breeze as he glanced round the tall tree that passed as fast as he rode his horse. 

The large grey clouds roamed over the towering mountains, like the cotton, and covering those humongous mountains into their enormous shadows. The group passed many mountains and hills, but there was no trace of their destination. Though they encountered quite a few bandits, a nice and everlasting way of entertainment.

After all the Barbara Mountain Range was famous for bandits, but in front of Ayaan and his companions, they were as the sheet of paper, not strong, nor durable, no quality at all, the strong and overbearing bandit group should have.

After taking off their needs in the Odoport City, the group resumed their journey. As for the citizens? They went towards the Spiritstar Forest and wanted to live their lives in seclusion, at least, they would be alive there. Though Ayaan didn't know they would still be safe after going there if the Emperor was moronically stubborn, then

The journey in the Mountain Range was nothing special, though there were beasts, might be dangerous for other people, but for Ayaan, they were nothing but an ordinary group of beasts.

As their horses' hooves made the soundclip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop. As the breeze passed themwhoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The group heard anotherclip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop. Everyone looked and tried to find the source of the noise. The sound became deeper and deeper, the more they tried to hear. 

Finally the group sawdust flying on the horizon. Ayaan narrowed his eyes when he saw such a scene. So did others. "Be ready!" shouted Leafwhisk. They have encountered too many bandits, though they weren't much strong, Leafwhisk never let the group relax, sometimes people don't die because they were weak but because they were overconfident, and there was a saying, the winner is often the one who strikes first. 

As the group neared them, they realised it wasn't a small group; they had at least about fifty or more people. And Ayaan also didn't know the strength of the other party. Therefore he hid with everyone in the bush and waited for that bandit or whatever group was that to pass them.

"Whooho!" 

Ayaan heard an excited shout from the bush and peered at the source of the sound stealthily.

"Ahhh!!"

He just looked when another sound interrupted his train of thoughts, and this scream was filled with agony and pain and misery and helplessness. Everyone looked in front of them, wide-eyed. 

At the very front was a group of horse riders. They looked strong, intimidating, and full of vigor. There were around twenty horse riders at the front, and one of the men was riding a white horse. On his waist slung a long scabbard which held a sword, of course. This man gave Ayaan the strongest pressures, and he was at the Peak of the Larva Realm!

Behind him were four carriages, holding about ten men each. Speaking more precisely, they were cages for holding prisoners or such criminals. Around the cages there were riders, holding wipes, and they weren't for the show for sure. Because from time to time the prisoners inside the cages would get one or two shots from them. And they would let out miserable cries.

Their bodies were filled with wounds, miserable wounds, blood dripped from their bodies painting the carriage and the ground below afterward. The riders laughed in ecstasy when they heard the shrieks of the prisoners. Long and deep whip marks dug into those miserable people's bodies. Some of them frothed while lying on their tired bodies, it looked as the tears had long dried in their eyes. 

The scene was heartbreaking, but Ayaan knew better than anyone when he could interfere in someone's business. He held his breath as his companions and no one made a single noise. 

There were also riders behind the carriages and who chuckled when they heard the screams as if it gave a pleasant sensation. Anyway, the group passed in no time. Ayaan didn't hear any talk, and he didn't want to hear, because he wasn't strong enough to act wilfully in front of that kind of group. He thought he could run amok in this small Empire, only now did he realize that there were many hidden tigers and crouching dragons lying dormant in this worthless Empire.

He glanced at his companion and saw their temples were filled with a cold sweat. Well, his own back drenched in sweat. He felt lucky because those people didn't notice his small group or it would be troublesome to escape from those people.

"Wh-who were they?" stammered Noor, her face pale.

"They looked civilized yet uncivilized," Rebecca murmured. 

Ayaan's eyes flashed when he heard Rebecca's statement, as if remembering something. 

Leafwhisk looked at Ayaan's reaction and asked, "you know something?"

"Did you remember those two Ghouls in the Death Desert?" asked Ayaan.

Everyone looked at him in confusion, but then their eyes flashed in understanding. 

"Wasn't the Barbara Mountain Range one of their hiding places!?" screamed Noor, and everyone's expression became ugly. 

"Do-does that mean those forty people" she trailed off in between when she remembered their miserable sight just a few breaths ago.

"Can can we not help them?" asked Rebecca, her beautiful eyebrows almost joined each other due to her frowning.

Ayaan shook his head at her silly thinking. "First we are not strong enough to deal with those people." He pushed. "Didn't you see that man who was at the very front? He was at the Peak of the Larva Realm. Even Leafwhisk would die miserably at his end. And I suppose they won't let us die that easily, especially you guys." He glanced at the four girls and shook his head.

He caressed her soft cheek gently. "You should think about yourself first before thinking about others. You are feeling pity for those people because you are alive, being alive is a good thing. I won't mind helping them if I was strong enough, but I am not, nor are you, and I won't put my and everyone else's lives on the line because of some nobodies. So we can't do anything to them for the time being. Who would have thought that those animals would be so strong?"

"I understand," Rebecca smiled and held his hand and kissed it. 

"Don't worry, when we are strong we will come back and destroy these cannibalistic beasts," comforted Ayaan, and looked at everyone. 

"Hmm," they bobbed their head, indicating they understood his meaning. Ayaan smiled gratefully. He looked in the direction where the horses and carriages disappeared and narrowed his eyes. Sooner or later he would destroy them.

"Alright, let's go," Leafwhiks said impatiently. Everyone nodded and walked out of the bushes. They adjusted their horses' saddles and slouched on them comfortably. Though no one spoke for a long time.

The group crossed the Barbara Mountain Range with no problem. However, when they arrived, they looked at the vast plain land in front of them; it was already evening. Therefore everyone opened their tents and ate their food together. They have become accustomed to such a life already. 

The chilly breeze howled in the dark night, as the crescent moon roamed the sky majestically, showering its beautiful light over the dark world, trying to fight with dark. The insects made all kinds of weird noise and animals howled and roared in the distance. 

Ayaan sat crossed-legged in the tent, eyes closed. Akash also sat not far away from him. Ayaan had already given him a Mortal Cultivation Method. From Leafwhisk Ayaan heard that, though, these cultivation techniques called Mortal, even people from the higher world would slaughter to get one such technique, because these Mortal Techniques let people enter the Immortal Realm. 

They were Mortal Cultivation Techniques for that majestic identity who made the Pagoda. But for others, they were a kind of Devine Techniques.

After giving the cultivation technique, Ayaan also gave him the sword type Mortal Physique. Now his understanding of the sword would become even deeper. One day he would become a terrifying sword cultivator.

As for Ifre, Ayaan also gave her a fire type cultivation technique, because she already had a fire type mortal physique, Ayaan didn't bother with that thing. She was destined to become a fire cultivator and cause chaos with her fire in the world.

When the night faded and the birds chirped and squeaked, only then, Ayaan opened his eyes. He looked at the side and saw Akash sleeping while saliva dripping from the corner of his lips. He smiled and went to make breakfast. He was the only chef in the group after all. 

Though others could also make little things such as sandwiches or tea, they still preferred things made by Ayaan, and being a good husband he couldn't refuse their wishes, could he?