The Corridor

After wave upon wave of agonized screams...

The ocher fields had been splashed with a thick layer of blood.

The corpses lay in horrifying states. Some had been hacked into several pieces, others cleaved cleanly in two, and still others looked as if a giant had crushed them into pulp with his bare hands...

Blood continued to seep from beneath the bodies, gathering into a crimson stream. Brightly colored organs floated in it, completing the scene of hell.

Sasori flexed his fingers. A burly man was kneeling before him. It was none other than Naganuma Kento.

Beside him was another filthy boy whose features were hard to make out. He was trembling all over, as if two man-eating demons stood before him.

But Naganuma Kento's expression was as calm as ever, without a trace of fear.

That was because Sasori had just subdued his mind with Sub-Brain Sand Control. At Souya's suggestion, Sasori had developed the technique not only to seal away certain important memories, but also to directly control the minds of those weaker than him, turning them into living puppets.

It was extremely useful when they needed to investigate something, since it ensured the information they obtained was genuine.

Naturally, the technique's aftereffects would cause irreversible damage to the victim's brain.

But as long as this state lasted long enough to help them accomplish their objective, that was all they needed.

"Hmm, let's keep this guy around for now. We can see if he's useful later." After Naganuma Kento had disclosed everything he knew, Souya stroked his chin and spoke in a harmless tone.

"And you..." Souya turned to the boy.

"Sir, I had nothing to do with it! I was forced to come!"

"That man tricked me! He said that if I killed you, he'd give me enough money to redeem my sister from the pleasure quarter!"

"Please spare me, sir!" The boy shuddered and hurriedly begged for his life.

"I deserve to die for offending you, sir. Once I've earned enough to redeem my sister, I'll come before you and take my own life!" The boy slammed his head hard against the ground.

Souya glanced at the shallow dent in the earth. His suspicions had been confirmed a little further.

"There's no need to take your own life. If I redeem your sister, will you put your life at my disposal from then on?" Souya watched the boy's hunched back.

"Really?!"

"Yes! Sir, as long as you redeem my sister, my life is yours!" The boy raised his head at once, his dirty face lit up with hope.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Mori Kazuhiro, sir!" the boy replied excitedly.

"Then, Sasori, I'll take him with me for a while. Want to come along?" Souya turned to ask him.

"No. I'm not interested in that sort of thing. I'll head to the workshop first. Take this puppet with you; when it's time to meet up, use it to contact me." Sasori's gaze lingered on Mori Kazuhiro for a moment.

Then Sasori took a small, exquisitely crafted bird puppet from his backpack. It was only palm-sized, but astonishingly detailed.

"Sasori, keep a low profile!" Souya reminded him.

Sasori glanced at the scene of corpses strewn everywhere but said nothing. He only nodded.

Ehara City was the most famous city in the Land of Artisans—not because it was home to highly skilled craftsmen.

Instead, it was known for its many idle rich youths and the crowds who flocked there after hearing of its reputation.

In the western district of Ehara City was a place called the Returning Willow Corridor.

The western district was where the river entered Ehara City. The area was crisscrossed with waterways, and its streets were lined with lush green willows.

By day, it looked fairly ordinary. But after nightfall, the streets of the entire western district were adorned with all sorts of alluring lights, enticing passersby.

Every side street branching off from the western district had wooden doors. Behind them were houses of courtesans, some known as Zhang Shops. The closer they were to the main road, the more prestigious they were; those farther to either side were of lower rank.

At the deep ditch running alongside the outer wall was where the streetwalkers plied their trade. In Ehara City, the highest-ranking courtesans were called "oiran," or "Ehara Tayu."

Most of these courtesans came from poor families. Their parents sold them when they were five to ten years old, usually for around four hundred thousand yen.

If a girl came from a more prestigious family, her price could be several times higher.

When the girls first arrived, they had to do chores, clean, and serve the higher-ranking courtesans. They also had to learn how to please clients, speak the trade's jargon, and write "love letters."

It was said that they also had to learn to hide alum in their sleeves, so they could make themselves cry when necessary.

That way, they could put on a pitiful act at the right moment and win the sympathy of wealthy patrons.

According to Mori Kazuhiro, his father was a gambler. After falling into a trap set by the casino owner, he racked up more than a million in gambling debts.

That was a huge sum for ordinary people, so he had no choice but to sell his wife and children to escape the casino owner's pursuit.

Mori Kazuhiro hurriedly led Souya to the western gate of Ehara City.

"Entry fee!" Two arrogant samurai with swords at their waists held out their hands, demanding payment from a passerby.

Souya paid the entry fee for two without changing expression. Under the guards' suspicious gazes, he walked into the western district.

Clearly, Souya's composure and clean clothes made them wary. Important figures sometimes came to the western district for a taste of its pleasures; if the guards offended one of them, they would be in deep trouble.

Just inside the gate stood a black stone arch bridge spanning the river. The water had worn it down, leaving it steeped in the weight of age.

From the high point at the center of the bridge, one could see rows of courtyards ahead, arranged neatly from small to large, then from large to small. Seen from the side in the distance, the western district resembled a low pyramid.

Mori Kazuhiro walked confidently into an alley, and Souya followed.

Strangely, both sides of the alley were lined with fences facing the street. Behind them, many women sat upright on their knees.

Their makeup was somewhat exaggerated, and they wore brightly colored clothes, but they gave off a cheap air.

They all smiled at Souya as he passed.

Some of the bolder ones flirted with him, batting their eyes and licking their lips. Others slipped their kimonos off their shoulders, raised their legs high to hook them over the fence, and danced for their own amusement.

Though Mori Kazuhiro had seen scenes like this before, the lewd spectacle still made his face flush.

Souya, however, watched with interest. What he had seen on a screen before had felt distant; this was far more real.

Only later did he learn that the place where these courtesans were confined was called "Zhang Jian Shi."