Chapter 175

Chapter 175

Her temple throbbing in irregular beat, Yuzhen clung to serenity by the barest of threads, reminding herself the Shrike, though lacking rank, was not someone to take lightly. Seeing her covered in blood supported the sentiment, calm and reason prevailing. Lady Han BoLao, I have already taken those responsible into custody, Yuzhen said, her tone careful and cordial. Should you wish to pursue further action, we will need to wait until a Justicar is available to us. Until the Purge has run its course, our hands are tied.

Ha, what custody? A farce. Chewing her thumbnail, the Shrike paced the length of Yuzhens command tent, her eyes wide and brow furrowed. Falling Rain, the architect of this travesty, sits comfortably in the tent I loaned him, smug and unrepentant in his actions as he hides from the truth. Custody. Pei.

Oh Mother above, Rain truly kicked a hornets nest this time. Lady Han BoLao, what else would you have me do? His actions, while impertinent, were not entirely unlawful. Youve already conceded your... regimen was concluded, which means Falling Rains... demonstration was more symbolic than anything. Spreading her hands, she tried to appeal to the Shrikes political acumen. This is a delicate matter which must be handled tactfully, lest emotion triumph over reason. You saw first-hand how the soldiers responded. If I were to punish Falling Rain without cause, we might find ourselves with an insurrection at hand.

My cause is just, who is he to tell me otherwise? Mine are the hands of mercy, carrying out the Mothers work, saving thousands from the Fathers Maw. Life is synonymous with tribulation, their fates sealed from their day of birth and I Her tool, Her emissary here below. The Shrike appeared a complete mess, reaffirming her creed beneath her breath as she continued to pace, unable to sit still for agitation. My Sacred duty has been called into question, my Divine Service disrupted by infidels and heathens, reparations must be made, scales balanced, minds enlightened. Falling Rain, Dastan Zhandos, both so blessed by the Heavens yet ignorant of Her plans, how can this be permitted?Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Lady Han BoLao. Yuzhens voice steeled, unable to hide her concern. Might I remind you, no soldiers or Warrant Officers under my command are to be harmed unless they too are tainted. Dear Mother, was the Shrike losing her mind? Both young Officers have repeatedly demonstrated their Purity for all to see.

You dont understand, I mean them no harm but they must be made to see, to believe. There is evil all around us, hidden deep in the abyss of our souls. My task is lay it bare for all to recognize, but it is pointless unless Falling Rain is there to witness.

Yuzhen shook her head, though the Shrike was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice. I can not and will not force him to watch. You know doing so might impede his future progress and bring punishment down upon us.

No, no, no, why is this so difficult? Why cant he listen to reason? Why havent any of them turned yet? I need Masters help, Ive made a complete mess of things, too inept, too stupid, too inarticulate, Master would utter a simple truth and things would be made clear. The Shrikes sticky, blood-soaked hands darted out and clasped Yuzhens in a clammy, pitiful plea, eyes filling with tears. You realize the need, yes? You can speak for me, help explain everything to him. Falling Rain with his incessant questions, twisting truths and turning left into right, day into night, I am not his match. Please, help me guide him into the light, hes already turned Dastan Zhandos and all those soldiers against me, what if little Shui-Shui turns against me too? We could appeal to a Justicar and request they sentence him to service in the Aspirants, he needs to be shown the truth, to accept the light.

Yuzhens jaw dropped before she caught herself, closing her mouth with an audible click. From their first meeting, the Shrike defied all expectations with her impeccable manners and coquettish charms, surprising qualities for a homicidal fanatic. Believing it merely a facade, Yuzhen had remained cautious of the Shrike, but if she was still faking then she was an actress unrivalled beneath the Heavens. In all likelihood, the Shrike was no monster, merely a woman whod been indoctrinated and radicalized in her youth, now seeing the cracks in the veneer of her core precepts for the first time.

Against her better judgment, Yuzhen lowered her guard and treated Han BoLao like the distraught and unstable woman she appeared to be. Quietly murmuring empty assurances and soothing noises, Yuzhen sat her in front of the washbasin and scrubbed away the blood and viscera covering their hands. Sitting in shocked silence, BoLao chewed her lip and stared into the bloody water, overwhelmed by the days events. Once BoLao was suitably cleaned, Yuzhen draped a blanket around the girl and stepped aside to brew a pot of tea, giving them both time to recover.

Placing a warm cup of tea in BoLaos hands, Yuzhen sat across from her and watched her sip absently and whisper her thanks, an ingrained reflex. Mother help me, what had Rain done to her? What did BoLaos Master do to her? Speaking softly, Yuzhen patted BoLao on the knee. Our cause will not be helped by taking Falling Rain to trial. Though a Justicar will likely rule in our favour, the trials are recorded and available for all to read. Word will spread of his actions and you know better than I of the general populaces attitude regarding the Purge. Currently, this... outburst is contained to a few dozen soldiers and two Warrant Officers. Should word spread, it will do substantially more harm than good.

Meeting Yuzhens eyes for the first time, BoLao shivered uncontrollably, terrified by the prospect of rousing dissent against her cause. Th-then what do we d-do?

Poor girl, how could any of this be faked? You and I both know Falling Rain and Dastan Zhandos are rising dragons of their generation and the soldiers here, while not elites, are part of the backbone of four cities. To have all of them openly denounce the Purge would be disastrous. Our cause is best served by coming to terms, offering to drop all charges in return for their silence.

B-but what about Falling Rain? He needs to understand...

You must let it go, the boy is nothing if not tenacious. Hes not the first young warrior to be repulsed by the Purge, nor will he be the last. You yourself worried over such an outcome, which is why you approached them before we began. The battle is lost, we must salvage what we can.

It took another hour of comforting and prodding before Han BoLao agreed, unable to offer any argument besides he must see. It was easy to see why, Rain responsible for her crises of faith, so if he acknowledged his wrongs, then BoLao could set aside all her newfound doubts. After coaxing the poor girl to bed, Yuzhen left her heavily guarded, more for her own safety than anything. Who knows what the mentally fragile girl might do in the absence of supervision?

Choosing to deal with the head of the snake, Yuzhen announced herself before entering Rains tent. Although hed been disarmed, danger and anger radiated from him as he sat on the tent floor, his portly quin ready to pounce, hissing in warning at her approach. Thankfully his wildcats were left with Sumila, the boy fast becoming a travelling circus of murderous beasts. Hiding her fear as Rain soothed the beast, she plopped down in front of him, posture slouched in exhaustion. Im sorry Rain. This should never have happened.

What do you mean?

Confrontational, with direct eye contact and no warmth in his voice, bad signs. Shed need to work harder to appear sympathetic, win him over. I shouldnt have left you there alone, forced you to leave with me. Thats what Gerel would have done, what I would have done were I thinking straight. This entire mess could have been avoided.

Sitting at her desk as BoLao slept nearby, Yuzhen closed her eyes and calmed her nerves. Rain was right to be disgusted by her, shed ordered the Purge in spite of her apprehensions, the deaths of thousands of innocents sitting squarely on her shoulders. The death toll continued to rise, the Aspirants work readily heard in the distance, each scream sending a wave of guilt through her. Still, the work never ended, her pile of missives grown larger in her absence, and she sifted through them, searching for word from Gerel.

Finally, hed sent a message, and she tore open the seal to ease her worries, hoping hed included a personal note to brighten her day. Instead, her heart stopped as she read his message, hastily scribbled and delivered with all haste. Reading it again, she trembled for a second before leaping to action, bellowing for all to hear. Soldiers of the Empire, to arms! Break camp, we ride with all haste!

Whats happening? Is the Purge over? How many turned? Shaken from her stupor, BoLao rubbed her eyes from the cot.

Tossing Gerels letter at her, Yuzhen strode out the tent as she replied. The Defiled have gathered, the Purge ends now. I need every soldier available, we ride to war.

A minimum of twenty thousand Defiled warriors charging north towards Sanshu, the horde growing by the day as it pillaged and plundered through the Golden Highlands. Where had so many Defiled been hiding? Though not enough to take the city walls, an army that size could run rampant through the area, destroying the farms, forges, and industries which produced more than half the supplies needed at the Bridge. Weapons, armour, food, horses, the list went on...

Swallowing her fear, she redoubled her efforts and pushed her soldiers to hurry, praying she would arrive in time.

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Administrator Ping marked the taxes collected on his ledger and waved the caravan through the gate. Handing his things to an attendant, he savoured the brief respite and rubbed his temples as the next group of wagons rolled into place. Collecting duties at the gate wasnt the most glorious of work, but needs must. A rash of sickness was making its way through the city, with staff members and guards rendered incapable of their duties, so here he was at the end of another double-shift, exhausted from overworking.

Still, the day was almost done, and he could soon retire to bed with his beloved Jansu, an expensive indulgence paid for by his commissions from Warrant Officer Falling Rains prodigious bounties. Too often, the women chasing him were only interested in his money and with Jansu, he neednt worry about finding poison in his wine cup. Though originally purchased as a source of release, he soon became intoxicated by the lovely half-mouses smile, wanting nothing more than to see her happy.

Waving the hulking, hooded caravan master over, he collected his ledger from the attendant, dipping the quill in ink. State your name and business in Sanshu.

Ha, how fun. Okay then, this ones humble name is Yo Ling. You may know me better as The Spectre.

Trembling in place, Administrator Ping glanced at the face of the most notorious bandit in the North. Standing in broad daylight with a crooked grin, the Spectres one good eye stared him down, the other unseeing and milky white, ruined by the same strike which left a scar across half his face. A wound made by his former partner, Liu Shi of the Crossbone Corsairs, if the stories were true. Wh-what a-are...

Ah how silly of me, you also wanted to know my business. Waving forward as dozens of bandits exited the wagons, Yo Ling drew his dagger with a sneer. My business is death, and business is good.

The blade flashed and Administrator Ping coughed and sputtered, staring at the hilt embedded in his ample belly. Falling to his knees, he touched the wound and gaped at the blood, unable to draw breath enough to cry out. His strength faded as he laid on his side, pain shooting through him with every movement. Helpless, he watched as the bandits strode into the city, idly wondering why the alarm bells werent ringing. The guards atop the wall should have seen him fall, should have realized the danger, why did they still delay?

Take and hold your positions until our brethren arrive, Yo Ling ordered, his raspy voice jubilant. For too long have we suppressed our urges and denied our true selves, for too long have we suffered in silence. It all comes to an end today, no more hiding, no more inhibitions. Hold the gate, and once Sanshu lies open to us, we'll rape, pillage, plunder, and torture to our hearts content! Shed the trappings of humanity and embrace your true selves, for today, we are no longer mere bandits, but heroes of the cause, working to welcome our brethren in the north. Today we take down Sanshu, tomorrow the Bridge!

Closing his eyes, Administrator Ping wept.

Mother have mercy on us all.

- End of Volume 9 -

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