"You barbarian! Your origins are unknown, your behavior suspicious. What are your intentions, luring our godson south?!"
"Godfather! Ancestor Shaman is a priest of the Eastern Sea tribes, with magic in his body! His tribe is born different from others—they have no beards, and no armpit hair..."
"Shut up! You gullible fool, tricked by others!"
Grand Eunuch Luo's eyes sharpened, and he abruptly turned hostile, frightening Ali into trembling all over. He paid this godson no further mind. With a sweep of his long sleeve, he barked at the guards and household servants on either side.
"Luo Jin, Luo Gang! Pin down this barbarian and put him to the rod!"
"Beat him properly, beat him with care! Question him as you beat! Beat him until he tells the truth, beat him until he confesses!"
"Yes, my lord!!"
The two men in tight-fitting martial dress bowed respectfully, then pounced forward. With a deft twist and throw, they slammed the baffled Zuwaro to the floor and pinned him there before he could react at all.
"?! Main God! What's going on?! They were laughing and talking just now—why did this Cihuacoatl turn hostile the moment she felt like it?"
"Ali! What on earth did you say?... Ah! Ugh!!"
Zuwaro's vision went black, heaven and earth spinning, as he was held down fast. Then two pairs of rough hands searched over his body, and once they had found the right spots, the sharp sound of rods came whistling in.
"Whoosh! Crack!"
"Ah!!"
"Talk! Who are you? Who sent you?"
"Ah!"
"Was it the Uriankhai Great Khan who sent you? You must be a Tatar spy!"
"Ah!"
A string of questions in Mongolian Language came at him, accompanied by vicious blows of the rod, bringing searing pain! Zuwaro could not help screaming, while the