The dark alleys in the cave, the oil lamps along the alleys helped a little in lighting the dungeon of the Golden Cloud palace.
The sound of moaning.
"Ahh!"
The harsh rattan whips, moans, guards screams, all sounds that emerged from the large room at the end of the hall. Echoing through the hall to the other part of the dark caves.
"Ahh!!"
The endless screams of prisoners being tortured in a large room with prison holes around it. The smell of fresh blood and sweat made the almost airless room stuffy and could make even a sane person go crazy. The dark room was indeed perfect place for torturing, give no light and almost no air. Some can even just swallow their own spit to watery the dry throat. That not the place one who's be dream of coming on. Not the place for the living one to get out of there. There's hundreds of years history that been told that none of the prisoner were out alive from the horrific place.
"Akh!"
Pai stood in front of the prisoner who was being tortured that morning, his hands were tired of cracking the whip until he was replaced by his men. Human's flesh and bones are not easy to tear down like cloth of woods. Some people are like papers, some are like metals.
"Damn it" Pai spit on the dirty floor, he almost faint from exhausted.
Elder Zhou and his disciple XuYa were covered in wounds and blood on their torn clothes, while the guard still threw down the whips mercilessly.
"Ahh!"
Pai was bored, he's back to his chair and sat enjoying his almost cold tea. This job getting so not exciting as the first time he done it. As the King's right hand, he have to do all the job that crucial to the Palace, including finding the new method how to torture the prisoner effectively.
"How long do you want to remain silent, this is just the beginning, I feel sorry for you if the King steps in and regrets that it's too late, he will dig up information by cutting off your fingers one by one every day, until finally you admit that they are useless, your fingers are gone. That would be useless"
Pai sipped his tea which was still slightly hot,
"slurp"
Putting the cup back on its saucer.
"Heh, I don't know what the King has encountered outside, now he doesn't even want to see your faces because he's afraid of going crazy. Heh, this is very troublesome, what if the King becomes soft-hearted, this can't be tolerated."
While Pai was busy wailing the guard called out.
"The king has arrived!"
Pai opened his eyes wide, how did the King get there. This morning he told him to take care of the prisoner, leave the rest to him. Pai stood up waiting for Tai Yang who was approaching.
Tai Yang's eyes glanced at Pai, who invited him to sit down. From his eyes looked like the King might have heard his complaint earlier. Tai Yang pulled his lips at his man who's been his trusted man after Huang Bai, the young man never dissapointed him until now.
"Eh, my King, please sit down" Pai scratched his head awkwardly.
Tai Yang threw his clothes wide open and sat on the chair that Pai had been sitting on earlier.
"You're taking too long Pai, how much longer do I have to wait for you, you're wasting my precious time."
Tai Yang grabbed the teacup that Pai had just poured for him.
"Uh, that's it"
Tai Yang glanced at the two prisoners whose faces were no longer visible due to wounds and the bloods all over the face. Elder Zhou glanced slightly, curious about the famous King of Golden Clouds who was cruel and merciless, who was none other than a beautiful-looking young man with glistening skin and magnificent clothes. He's no how the people descriped him was.
However, the look in Tai Yang's eyes was so dominating and frightening.
"Pai, I told you Tutu hasn't tasted delicious food for almost two months, why haven't you acted yet and instead spent time here, at least the fingers, or the right toe, the right hand."
The two prisoner's eyes wide opened.
"My King, please spare our life! We know nothing!" Elder Zhou exclaimed.
Xu Ya looked daunted, he glanced at his Master who insisted on keeping their mouths shut, even though they probably knew very little.
"Master"
Tai Yang grinned, he raised his hand slightly, sending the force and made the iron shackles on Elder Zhou's hands and feet tighten even more, causing the man to screaming agonizing.
"Ahh!!"
The iron was getting crushed only by Tai Yang's inner force. He was too lazy to move. Elder Zhou's screams were so loud that he couldn't imagine the pain when his bones were crushed by the iron shackles, Pai could only watch while swallowing hard. His King was back in action, even though he was horrified, his eyes were filled with tears with emotion to see the King is back.
The sound of bones being crushed was clearly heard along with Elder Zhou's non-stop screams until XuYa screamed.
"Stop it! I'll say it! I'll say it, please stop it"
Elder Zhou glanced at his disciple.
"Y-Ya'er"
Xu Ya restrained himself, clenching his fists.
"How long is Master going to protect that person! Even though he is one of your friend before but all of that is long gone. Now you the one who's here, but that man is sitting comfortably in his luxurious house!"
Elder Zhou, who was bleeding from his mouth, tried to stop XuYa's words, but the young man didn't stop his thoughts. He raised his head to look at the violent Young King in front of him. Tai Yang, who had already lowered his hand, stopped his inner strength. He gave the man a chance to talk.
"So?"
Xu Ya swallowed hard for a moment, looking at Tai Yang's face which would probably crush him very easily if he didn't speak either.
"Ya'er, don't"
While Elder Zhou was still trying to restrain him.
"That person, is in the city of Clear Water now" said the young man.
…..
On the edge of the river behind Oei's hut.
ANing ran over to Yuen who was sitting on the big rock, he was carrying hot sweet potatoes from the hut. The two of them enjoyed the evening air at that time by sitting looking at the interesting view on the edge of the river. Several small animals such as birds and squirrels looking for abundant food in the fertile soil of the Medicine Valley, a valley that was quite far from the hustle and bustle of the village but still attracted residents who even deliberately even coming from far away to seek treatment from the famous Elder Oei.
Elder Oei, even though the old man likes to grumble and get angry at himself, is a very caring person, he always opens his doors wide to receive patients every day. AHe will inherit his abilities, because AHe's quiet and thoughtful nature makes him learn everything that Elder Oei tought him. Different from Yuen, even though he knows a little, most of his time is spent outside the hut looking for medicine, think as a routines practice to support his health, before the kid always stay in his room without doing anything bacsue of his condition.
But, today because Yuen's leg still hurts he had to stay in the hut while his older brother looked for medicine.
ANing liked the atmosphere, especially since none of his classmates, such as Mei Lan had to be taken home because Madam said she was not feeling well, which, that the good opportunity for ANing to spend more free time just with his beloved Yuen.
"Here, Yuen, be careful, it's still hot," said ANing, handing him half of the huge sweet potato. Yuen's eyes lit up seeing the perfectly cooked sweet potato with hot smoke still billowing out. It smelled so great.
"Wow, thanks Brother Ning. It smells so good"
"Yeah, AHe said uncle teacher put a little spice in the stew so it will taste much better, um"
Yuen cheerfully ate the steaming hot sweet potato casually. The air around was quite cold so the hot sweet potato was nothing to him.
ANing brushed Yuen's front hair which had fallen, blocking his view.
"Yuen, your front hair is already long, I'll help you to comb it later, okay?"
Yuen nodded with his mouth full like an adorable squirrel.
"Emm"
A Ning smiles. How could he resist wanting to pinch those round cute cheeks. He put his hand to support his chin, look at the young man's face with all of his heart content. Really like the fresh air in the middle of the summer, the warm wind in the winter, smells of the sun at the spring. This face kid, is all his need for this time, or perhaps the rest of his life. A Ning grasp Yuen's hand.
"Look at you, do't put all of the food in your mouth at once, you looks like a squirrel, it's so adorable." said A Ning who then wipe the left over potatoes at the kid's lips.