Only the scrawny young man, beaten black and blue, laughed aloud. But as he laughed, he began to cry, his tears and snot mingling with his blood.
He rolled up his sleeve and scrubbed his face hard, crying out in pain when he used too much force. Then he smiled again and murmured forlornly to himself, "If... if we'd met these lords sooner, little A-Nan wouldn't have been violated to death."
Another victim beside him patted his shoulder and sighed.
They all traveled between the island's two shores on business and had heard a little about what had happened in each other's families. Seeing him cry so bitterly and laugh so freely, everyone understood.
Chu Xuanzhen sheathed his sword and looked down at the corpses scattered at his feet. His bloodshot eyes slowly darkened once more.
But when the drumbeats signaling their arrival at shore rang out beside him, he lowered his eyes. By the time he raised them again, that darkness had vanished, leaving only a gaze so calm that nothing stirred within it.
Buzzz-thunk!
The ship docked, and long chains secured it to the pier. Once the kneeling security soldiers received their orders, they began ushering everyone off the ship without another word.
Whenever the civilians passed those mangled corpses, they could not hide the fear on their faces. Some were so frightened that their legs shook, slowing their steps, while those waiting behind them to get moving simply shoved them forward.
Someone even snapped, "Are you going or not? If you're not, let me go first!"
As if they would stay.
Who wanted to remain in this hellhole?
Those whose legs had been trembling immediately gritted their teeth and broke into a run. When they reached the soldiers conducting body searches onshore, they cooperated without being told,