In a damp and dark warehouse about ten miles away from the Qin Empire's frontier, a young soldier was facing the darkest as well as the final moment in his short, dull and colourless life...
Just a moment ago, he was together with his squad, escorting his lord, Commandery Prince Shao, and his lord's fiancée, Lady Rei back from a neighbouring Kingdom, where they rested at a small tavern midway. When he was guarding outside the tavern just as commanded by Commandery Prince Shao, he heard a loud commotion.
As soon as he rushed into the building along with fifty more of his comrades, he was greeted by the pungent smell of blood and rotten flesh, however, before he could have a good look at what happened inside, he lost his consciousness and the next thing he knew was waking up in that dark and damp warehouse...
"What do you think you are doing?! I am the Imperial Elected Fifth **Pin Knifed Imperial Guard! Do you know who my father is... Ah... What... Aaahhhh!!!"
**Pin is a ranking system for ancient China for the official, 1st is the highest, and 9th is the lowest.
That was the first phrase the young soldier heard when he just regained his consciousness, and he clearly recognised that voice as the voice of Commandery Prince Shao's close bodyguard. Following the sounds, the poor young soldier turned his face and was immediately astonished by what he saw.
The first thing that caught his eye was the twisted neck of that close bodyguard who is now a dead body, at the side of the dead man are two other men, one in a white robe and the another in a military outfit. The one in the white robe is wearing a pair of glasses and has a strong vibe of literati, however, his hand is grabbing on the head of the dead man which means he is more likely to be the one who ended the man's life.
"Not suitable again?" The man in military attire asked.
"Mmm... Too bad."
With a slightly cold tone, the man in white robe spoke.
"Ah... But Dr. Ben, that's the fifteenth subject you slaughtered without getting any results... Would we be able to get enough ingredients we needed?" The man in military attire asked again.
"Well, we still have forty-five subjects left, I believe we can at least gather the minimum amount needed." said the man in white robe as he glanced at another soldier that has kneeled with his face down to the ground.
The tone of that doctor is so cold yet so casual that as if he is not talking about a living person but a lifeless experimental subject.
"Please... Have some mercy on me... I have a wife that is seven months pregnant... Please... Spare my worthless life..."
The soldier begged for mercy as he banged his head to the ground several times, seeming to be bowing to the doctor.
"Hah..."
The doctor sighed as his facial expression slightly softened, and with that softened expression, the soldier's tensed nerve relaxed a bit. However, just as the soldier thought he was going to be spared, his chest was punctured by a cold, thick and long silver syringe needle that directly reached his heart.
"Ah... Finally, there is another one huh?" The military man asked with a slight excitement in his tone.
The doctor nodded without saying anything as he focused on drawing out the blood from the poor soldier's heart with the syringe...
.
.
.
The poor young soldier watched all these gruesome scenes and was stunned on the spot, he did not dare to make any noise, not even the noise of his breath. He feared that his short uneventful life would end even faster if he accidentally drew their attention.
"...*koff*...*koff*..."
And yes, this is the exact moment when the person next to you would cough or sneeze to draw your enemy's attention.
As soon as the doctor heard the cough, he turned his head around and that poor young soldier who was stunned at the spot immediately caught his attention.
At that moment, the cold icy eyes behind that pair of blood-stained glasses met that pair of terrified and desperate pair of eyes...
***
"Aahh!"
With a brief scream, Shangguan Rei woke up from a nightmare.
"Rei? What's wrong? Were you having a nightmare just now?" A man asked as he hastily rushed into the lady's room.
"Dr Ben..."
In a slightly confused state, Rei stared blankly at the doctor who was not wearing his glasses again. Instead of getting allured by his deep and nice-looking eyes as usual, Rei felt a dash of anxiety when she saw Ben, the nightmare just now was just too surreal and overwhelming for Rei. Even if Rei knows it was just a nightmare, that icy cold glance from Ben in her dream is definitely not anything she could get over easily.
"From your reaction right now... I was in your nightmare, right?" Ben asked, with a concerned look as he slowly approached Rei fearing that he might startle her for some reason.
Hearing that statement from Ben, Rei immediately shook her head, refusing to accept the fact that this doctor had once again seen through her easily.
Seeing Rei's reaction, Ben sighed before pouring a cup of warm water out of a clay teapot.
"Here, have some water, it will calm you down a bit," said Ben as he handed that cup of warm water to Rei.
Rei sheepishly nodded as she accepted the water from Ben. Then, she took a sip and was surprised to find out that it's not just a cup of plain warm water, it is infused with the nice scent of bergamot orange, which is quite refreshing and enjoyable.
"What a nice scent of bergamot orange..."
She murmured as she stared at that cup of water in her hand. And suddenly, she remembered something very important.
"Ah! Dr Ben! How is His Majesty?" Rei asked in an anxious and worried tone.
"Well... It can be quite complicated to explain to you his condition in detail at this moment but rest assured, he will survive," said Ben, keeping things as simple as possible.