Koji Fights The World - Chapter 11 Patrolling Sailan City

Once the couple lost sight of the indoor garden, Koji breathed a big sigh of relief.

“Mother’s test was scary, eh?” Zelea teased him gently.

The bonder furrowed his brows and stopped walking. “Based on a comparison of the Qis, I believe that Queen Herecia is even more powerful than King Aphraphus,” Koji shared his observation.

His wife smiled mischievously but said nothing.

Koji shivered at the memory of fighting against the queen’s monstrous Yin Qi. “Your mother held back a lot. If I’m not mistaken, Queen Herecia used only 10% of her Qi to test me,” he surmised.

Zelea tilted her head and thought for a moment. “You are probably right about that,” she admitted honestly. “Holding back is something my mother would do because of your seal. She wants to fight you on even terms.”

“Even terms?” Koji repeated the words bitterly. “Is she a Martial God?” he inquired out of curiosity.

Zelea shook her head. “No, she’s a Martial King like my father.”

Koji nodded in acceptance of her words. From his sparring session with King Aphraphus, Koji believed that the proud warrior was in the lower stages of the Martial King rank. However, his father-in-law wasn’t as terrifying as his mother-in-law. One was the sun and the other the moon. Their temperaments were opposite.

Zelea pulled on his arm. “Let’s get going.”

As the couple walked through the inner sections of the Nephosia Palace, guards and servants paid their respect to the princess and her consort.

Koji felt Zelea’s grip on his arm tighten and winced inwardly. He understood the reason for her annoyance: she had to act like a proper princess in front of these subjects. This reaction meant Zelea could not run to reach the exit. Instead, she had to slither along in a dignified manner–not too fast and not too slow.

“Poor princess,” Koji joked in a low whisper.

She responded by pinching his arm. The lamia glared at him with her yellow eyes; her irises narrowed into slits.

The bonder wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Hmph!” Zelea snorted and continued dragging him along. It took a good twenty minutes for the two to reach the exit out of the palace.

In the courtyard, a commander and two dozen troops stood like statues. Upon Zelea’s arrival in the yard, the group moved in unison and followed the middle-aged commander, who approached the couple.

Koji saw the man who wore a full suit of lamellar armor dyed in red. Small, rectangular plates of iron laced together to cover his chest and extended to his upper thighs and shoulders. The military officer wore a black cape and a helmet which left his face open. A black sheath hung on each hip.

“Uncle Bai Peng,” Zelea greeted with a smile.

The commander bent one knee before her, and his face angled toward the ground. The men under his command immediately did the same. “Princess Zelea, His Majesty has ordered us to accompany you during your trip out of the palace,” he explained.

“Okay,” Zelea agreed immediately. Commander Bai Peng was a close friend of her father, and she enjoyed a good relationship with this man. Thus, Zelea didn’t mind having him tag along.

The man returned to his feet. “What are your plans for today, Princess?” Bai Peng inquired respectfully.

She turned and looked at Koji with shyness. “I want to walk around the city with my Bonder.”

“I’m Koji Adalwin Becker, and I’m Princess Zelea’s Bonder,” Koji introduced himself with a polite nod.

Commander Bai Peng’s eyes widened for a brief sudden before he wrestled control of his emotions. “Congratulations, Prince Consort!” the older man said while offering a palm-over-fist and a low bow.

The other troopers repeated their commander’s words and gesture. Their eyes reflected various emotions–surprise, admiration, and jealousy.

Bai Peng whistled, and his men immediately surrounded the Royal Family. The commander stood in front of the couple. “Where should we go, Princess?” he asked politely.

“The Qjang Jin Market,” she answered.

The guards followed their commander with military precision, and they accompanied the royalty out of the palace.

The marketplace was a courtyard for the troops to practice military maneuvers. But as the border of the city expanded, the practice area had to be relocated closer to the wall. The ruler at the time, Queen Aelais, did not want permanent structures built so close to the palace wall because the courtyard served as a staging area to gather soldiers, equipment, and provisions. But at the same time, to leave this precious land fallow was foolish and doing so would elicit ridicule and mockery from the citizens. Thus, Queen Aelais issued a royal decree which created the Qiang Jin Market and permitted citizens to rent temporary stalls in the former courtyard.

Commoners and government officials alike applauded this decree. Merchants, crafters, and others could rent space at a mere fraction the cost of buying land to set up stores. The officials saw the rents from the marketplace as a new source of revenue for the kingdom’s coffers, and annual tax collections will increase, too.

As Koji followed the soldiers, he saw the pedestrians quickly parted for his group to past through. Additionally, when the commoners saw Princess Zelea at the middle of this group, calls of “Princess!” filled the air.

Zelea smiled broadly and waved her hand in acknowledgment. She grabbed Koji’s arm and pulled him along.

People saw this movement and became ‘high as a kite.’ “That’s her Consort!” they exclaimed breathlessly to each other.

“He looks so dreamy and handsome!” a young maiden sighed as she stared at his face.

“Don’t be fooled by that pretty face. The Prince Consort arrived at the arena this week and survived the deathmatch!” a man snorted. “His true character is a tiger!” he added while pantomiming claws with his hands.

“This little fellow is truly ruthless and uncouth! He insulted Third Princess Daethix, who then ordered the other 15 contestants to attack him together! And they still lost!” another man said fearfully.

“Winning a 15-to-1 fight? How is that possible?” a teenager asked in disbelief.

“He targets people’s dantians!” an old woman answered with dread.

The onlookers’ mouths dropped, and their hearts became heavy. The dantians are sacred because they refine inner Qi and help people become stronger and healthier. Very few fighters have the skill and ability to target and destroy a dantian. A young man who uses this style of combat, while others could not, must be extraordinary!

Although Koji heard the conversation, he kept a neutral expression. He knew that his incredible actions at the arena from two days ago would not fade from the public’s mind so soon. However, he did hold out hope that no one would recognize him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t fool the eyes of the public; thus, Koji must accept his misfortune with grace.

When he turned his attention to his wife, Koji was surprised by the joy and delight on her pretty face. He allowed Zelea to drag him into multiple stands to examine trinkets, earrings, necklaces, as well as herbs and flowers for medicinal purposes. “Are you a herbalist?” he asked with surprise.

Zelea nodded. “I used to accompany my real father into the forest on hunts. I learned herbology from my real mom, who was also a herbalist,” she explained. Suddenly, a delicious aroma drifted into her nose, and her eyes lit up. Without warning, Zelea grabbed Koji’s arm again and pulled him to a food stand where the vendor was grilling delicious looking meat on skewers.

“Hello, Princess Zelea! The usual?” asked a jovial looking Asian man with a bald head, a large stomach, thick forearms, and short legs who hunched over the hot grill.

“Yes, Sha Yun! It’s been too long since I tasted your spicy octopus skewer!” she answered while staring at the sizzling grill. Drool started seeping from the corner of her mouth, and Zelea casually wiped it with a handkerchief.

“What about your consort?” Sha Yun prodded her.

“Oh!” Sheepishly, the lamia turned toward her bonder. “Sha Yun has the best skewer stand in Sailan City. Order whatever you wish,” Zelea offered.

Koji stared at the red sauce dripping from the skewers and winced inwardly. His stomach could not tolerate spicy food. “Do you have any food that isn’t spicy?” he inquired politely.

The food vendor eyes widened for a moment. He quickly nodded. “I’ll make a new batch of skewers. Do you want meat or seafood?”

“Lamb is my preference if you have it. Otherwise, beef or chicken,” Koji answered. His favorite dish was lamb casserole with radish, carrots, uncut lettuce, and green onions. Unfortunately, it was an expensive dish, and thus, he ate it only once a month back on Earth.

“I have lamb,” Sha Yun confirmed with a nod. “Do you want grilled onion with it?” he asked.

Koji nodded.

Once the shopkeeper handed three skewers of grilled spicy octopus to Princess Zelea, Sha Yun took out two skewers of lamb and onion, and he placed them on the grill. The chef devoted 100% of his attention on the skewers.

After five minutes of periodically turning over the skewers, Sha Yun asked. “Do you want the lamb medium rare or well done?”

“Well done, please.”

The food vendor nodded and allowed the two skewers to cook for another five minutes. During this period, Sha Yun received several orders, and he started grilling them as well. When the chef judged the skewers sufficiently cooked, he handed them to Koji.

The young man handed one of the skewers to his wife, who was eyeing the food hungrily.

Zelea accepted the offering with a radiant smile, showing her large snake fangs. Without amble, her sharp teeth tore into the hot meat and shredded it with little effort. After she swallowed a piece of the lamb meat, Zelea’s eyes grew wide. Her tail twitched with happiness. “It’s delicious!” she praised.

Sha Yun chuckled at her reaction. The two turned their attention to Koji, who was still blowing on the meat to cool it down.

Koji took a small bite to sample its taste. Once his taste buds transmitted the result to his brains, the reserved young man ate his skewer like a hungry lion!

The jovial street vendor chuckled. “Would you like another skewer?” he asked.

Koji was very tempted by the offer. But he noticed the twitch in Zelea’s brow and asked diplomatically, “Can you give it to the princess? She hasn’t eaten your beef yet.”

Sha Yun nodded. He grabbed the cooked beef skewer off the grill and carefully handed it to Zelea.

“Thank you!” the princess said and started eating the food.

When oil started dripping down her cheek, Koji took her handkerchief and wiped it for her.

The onlookers gasped at the casual display of affection between the newlyweds. They started wondering when the couple will announce Princess Zelea’s pregnancy.

However, a note emanating from a flute shattered this moment of marital bliss. The cascading music crashed into eardrums, and the weaker-spirited among the populace stood limply with a glazed look in their eyes.

Commander Pai Peng immediately recognized the danger, and he yelled out an alert, “Snake charmer!

The faces of the guards tightened, and their bodies tensed as the unaffected men immediately surrounded the royal couple. The troops pulled out their sabers and scanned the crowd for the source of the music. However, the half-conscious citizenry blocked their lines of sight.

Koji closed his eyes and listened attentively while sending out his Yang Qi. Abruptly, he opened his eyes. “Protect the princess,” he ordered. The bonder raised his left foot and tapped his toes against the back of the guard standing in front of Koji. Using his Qi, Koji jumped over the man! With a light tap of his heel against the guard’s shoulder, Koji pushed his body forward and broke through the barricade of guards surrounding him. Now freed, Koji dashed toward the flutist!

What fantastic light footwork, the guards praised silently in their hearts as they watched the young man ran through the crowd of the immobilized commoners.

“Commander, go after him,” Princess Zelea ordered in a harsh tone of voice. The lamia vented her frustration through her words because a Bonder’s primary purpose was to remain by the Bond Keeper’s side! However, Zelea was partially at fault for not teaching him. Thus, she resolved to explain the rules of the bond to Koji at the first opportunity to do so.

Pai Peng saluted. “Yes, Princess!” The commander burned his Qi and ran after the Prince Consort at his top speed. The Asian man moved like a blur around the living statues; the commander focused his attention on his target. Pai Peng was surprised at how fast Koji ran. The older man briefly toyed with the idea of overtaking the bonder. However, the commander decided to conserve his Qi instead and to allow the bonder to take the lead. After all, Pai Peng could not locate the Snake Charmer.

The two men ran through the area until they reached the middle of the marketplace. They discovered the flutist, who sat cross-legged on a rug the ground. A black cloak covered his head and face. Long, dextrous fingers held the musical instrument.

When the Snake Charmer noticed their arrival, his music changed. Instead of a soft, soothing melody, the notes became chaotic like waves crashing into the sand. A cluster of cobras slithered out of the cultist’s sleeves and attacked!

“They’re poisonous!” Commander Pai Peng warned as he drew his blades and stepped in front of the young man.

Koji did not argue. He was curious about the Asian man’s fighting skills. Also, he knew that Commander Pai Peng had a duty to protect Koji from harm. Thus, it was natural for the older man to take on the danger. Nonetheless, Koji resolved in his heart to step in if his protector encounters difficulty in fighting these snakes.

In a few breaths, the king cobras reached their position! Each snake was ten to twelve feet in length. The hood is long but narrow. The skin was black, but the underside was yellowish. The snakes surrounded the two men and slowly raised their heads until they reached mid-torso. The snakes swayed with the rhythm of the music and hissed.

Suddenly, the flutist issued a discordant note with his Qi, and the vicious snakes attacked!

“HA!” Yang Qi surged out of Commander Pai Peng’s body as his longswords slashed at the snakes! In a heartbeat, he decapitated two of them!

At the same time, Koji resisted his impulse to dodge because he knew that the king cobras would bite the commander in the back! Instead, he surged forward!

The snakes became startled by his reaction and paused for a split second!

The young man immediately took advantage of this opportunity–and stomped their heads! CRUSH! Koji channeled his power to his heels, and his daring attacks turned the two snakeheads into mush!

The two defenders turned around and saw that neither man required assistance from the other. They exchanged glances and dashed toward the cultist!

The flutist sent another wave of Yang Qi at the attackers. The discordant note crushed Pai Peng’s will and forced him to his knees!

However, Koji was not affected at all. He stepped closer to the cultist, who frantically sent more waves of Qi at the young man. Koji’s eyes turned cold as he drew closer and closer like the grim reaper. After suffering through Queen Herecia’s so-called “test” this morning, Koji learned how to strengthen his Will to protect his mind against a musical Qi attack. Furthermore, the Qi of this cultist was not even a tenth that of the queen. Thus, these Qi waves felt like a gentle breeze on Koji’s body.

When Koji was only five steps away, the Snake Charmer lost his nerve and tried to run off! “Where do you think you’re going?” Koji asked and reached out.

Suddenly, the cultist felt a firm grip around his neck. He tried prying the fingers loose with his hands but failed. To his dismay, the Snake Charmer discovered that the new consort had such monstrous strength hidden in his lithe-looking body. The cultist knew he could not be captured and interrogated. Thus, the Snake Charmer bit hard on his false tooth. A cold liquid entered his mouth and immediately turned into flames.

“YARGH!” the cultist screamed before his vocal cords melted away in the fire.

When the captive suddenly ignited into a human inferno, Koji immediately released the man and backed away. He watched in horror as the former flutist stumbly blindly for a few seconds before he finally collapsed to his knees. Soon, the body turned into charred ash.