Crack!
"You bitch! Move faster!"
Li Mengdie walked along the dilapidated road in ragged clothes. Simply because her shoes had worn through and her aching feet had slowed her steps, a guard beside her rewarded her with a lash.
The whip struck her face, leaving a bloody welt, but she felt no pain, because too many other places on her body already hurt.
There were three hundred others like her in the procession. Besides slave women like them, there were also many sturdy male slaves. Bound together in a line, they walked toward a place where death was certain.
No one resisted, because those who had resisted were already dead.
In the past, these escort parties had carried only swords and sabers, and slaves who broke free still had a chance of escaping. Now, however, this earl's domain, the closest to Heaven Dou, had acquired advanced equipment beyond their comprehension by plundering the neighboring country.
Anyone who tried to flee became a plaything for these demons, who could shoot them dead from far away.
In this oppressive, numbing atmosphere, Li Mengdie had already abandoned all hope for her fate.
After several hours of walking, the forty-odd escorts seemed tired. They found a place, tied the slaves up, and gathered to play cards, utterly indifferent to whether their captives lived or died.
"Brothers, keep playing. I'm going to relieve myself," a guard said before slipping into the surrounding wheat fields.
Hearing him, the others seemed to catch the urge and followed, four or five men entering the wheat fields together.
The rest continued playing cards, with someone occasionally bursting into wild laughter, seemingly having won money.
The slaves remained tied together nearby, baking beneath the blazing sun. Before long, some fainted.
Seeing this, the escorts stopped playing and prepared to lead