Chapter 187: City Chase

“Are you dead?”

Zen groaned and opened his eyes to see a frowing Hong Lu looking at him.

“Oh you’re not dead,” she said with a smirk. “Still got it!”

“Miss Hong?” Zen sat up, “what happened?”

“You tell me kid,” she parted her lack hair. “Someone just dragged you here, you were full of injuries.”

“Oh, I remember.” Zen said, holding the side of his head.

“To be honest, I thought the girl who rought you in was the one who beat you up.” Hong winked.

Zen clenched, “How did you know?”

“I was right?” she frowned in confusion. “Well… then this is going to be awkward. Here she comes.”

Zen tensed, confused how the assassin was able to get onto academy grounds. But no matter what, he was prepared to fight the Masked Woman. He could hear her steps getting closer as he and Hong turned to look at her.

“Xue Shaonu!” Zen was releaved to see the woman was not his would be assassin but instead the woman he loved.

“Wang Zen,” Xue Shaonu said.

Shibi hopped off Xue Shaonu’s shoulder and onto Zen. He lovingly caressed the Scorch Ape’s head. “Shibi!” he smiled. “Xue Shaonu found me?”

“Not exactly.” She said. “Shibi found me and led me to you.”

“Then she carried you here.” Hong said. “I’m glad you’re okay, kid but… please leave. The academy might be near empty but I still don’t get enough cash to keep you in this bed.”

Zen got out of the bed and left the healing facility. He and Xue Shaonu were walking outside on the academy grounds.

“Thanks for the help, Xue Shaonu.” Zen said. “I thought you would be home like most of the other nobles.”

“Its complicated.” She said. “Let’s just say, I can’t go home.”

Zen knew that Xue Shaonu was above the normal nobility. She was actually royalty, a princess of some foreign monarchy.

“Oh, sorry to hear that.”

She gave him a sad smile before looking out. “Isn’t that your cousins?”

Zen looked out nd sure enough could see Jao Fuu and Cong. He waved to them and they met.

“Wang Zen?” Jao Fuu said in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“Yes, aren’t you suppose to be at…” Jao Cong stopped to exchange an awkward with his twin sister.

“You’re father’s funeral.” Jao Fuu said a little more quieter.

Xue Shaonu gasped, “Wang Zen, I am sorry.”

Zen nodded, clenching his fist. “I was trying to get home when I was attacked. I’ll try again today.” He began walking away from the three.

“Do you need any help?” Jao Cong said.

“No,” Zen said tersly, continuing to walk away.

The sun had fallen under the horizon. More stars twinkled over the unusually dark and quiet city. There was a curphew set in place to regain peace after the Commoner Rebellion. Few people were out an about at this time, and those who were not enforcers would be arrested if they were ever spotted.

Zen moved across the city, criss crossing the dark alleyways. His plan was to get outside of the city under the cover of the night, jog through the woods outside the city and make it to the nearest town in the outskirts. Then he would hire a carriage to take him home with some time to spare before his father’s funeral. Not even the Masked Woman would be able to track him if he used those methods.

Shibi spun on Zen’s shoulder and bared his extended canines.

“Shibi?” Zen stopped and his hand hovered over his storage stone as he looked back, his worried face hidden by his mask. “What’s wrong?”

“Not sure.” Shibi said. “We should move fast.”

Zen nodded and began to speed up, jogging through the alleyways. He used his ki to keep his stamina up.

Something was wrong.

Even Zen’s inferior senses could pick up what Shibi had felt before. It seemed like there were eyes on him. He was unsure if it was the City Enforcers or the Masked Woman. He was unsure which would be worse.

His jog was almost a sprint now, as he was trying to keep ahead whateverit was chasing him. He changed direction sharply and used two adjacent walls to zig zag up to the roof of the buildings. He needed to get eyes on whoever it was that was chasing him.

Zen summoned his the Zen Blade as he reached the roof and peered at the alleyway, waiting to see who was after him.

There was no one. Only him, Shibi and the night.

A killing intent rose ad he whipped his head around to see the Masked Woman with a sphere of ki needles hovering above her palm.

“No,” Zen was able to whisper in horror before she sent a stream of the needles at him. He dove down in the alleyway and the needles felw over head.

He landed roughly but was able to recover and continue running on. He could hear the Masked Woman’s steps overhead chasing him. She dived down after him and delivered a swift kick that unbalanced him and sent him sprawling to the floor.

Shibi, proving to be much more nimble, leapt off Zen’s shoulder, did a flip in the air and landed on the ground, hissing at the Masked Woman.

Zen grimaced as he looked at Shibi, defiantly standing between him and the Masked Woman. The Scorch Ape charged at the assassin, its tiny fist emblazoned in fire that lit up the alleyway. The Masked Woman met the fist with her palm and it seemed that fire was forming before her palm, while Shibi’s fire depleted. Her hand closed over Shibi’s as she caught his fist, before flinging her to the side and delivering a viscious kick to the ape.

Shibi slammed against the wall of a building before falling to the ground.

Zen looks up at the Masked Woman as her killing intent engulfs the small alleyway. Even with his face hidden behind his mask, it was obvious that Zen was scared by the trembling of his body as he looked up at his would be killer.

“There is no escape,” The Masked Woman began as she gathered ki above her palm, “There is no survival. Wang Zen, make your peace cause tonight, you’ll die!”