"Crack." Bones cracked in his hand as the other man's overwhelming grip bent them out of place. Pain made the corners of his eyes twitch. Unable to care about anything else, he hurriedly pulled back his aching hand, which was beginning to go numb.
"That bastard is dead." Yenaier spoke so quietly that only she and Zeng Mu could hear.
As Zeng Mu used his left hand to straighten the bent fingers of his right, the brothel attendant suggested, "Since you're here, why not rest awhile? I'll have the maids prepare some fine tea and breakfast. You can enjoy them while listening to our musicians and zither girls. I guarantee you'll be able to relax all morning-or even all day."
"Where is that girl now? We want to see her." Zeng Mu released his right hand and asked him.
"In the sleeping quarters out back, but brothel rules forbid guests from going there."
"Rules? What rules are you talking about?" As he spoke, Zeng Mu extended his right hand again, now holding another bag of gold coins. Their crisp clinking sounded sweeter than the loveliest music, its ethereal notes echoing in the attendant's ears.
Accepting the heavy bag of brightly clinking gold coins, the attendant's face practically blossomed. After stuffing it into his bottomless pocket, he nodded repeatedly, yet spoke in a puzzled tone. "Rules? What rules? Ah, I must have remembered wrong. We don't have any such rules here."
He bowed. "I'll take you both to the sleeping quarters out back right away." He gestured for them to follow, then stepped forward.
The two followed him down to the first floor, through the back door, along a narrow alley, down a shaded path, and through the brothel's kitchen before finally reaching the sleeping quarters.
It was a single-story building,