The bandits had no oasis of their own; their hideouts were constantly shifting. They belonged to no tribe, and apart from living by the blade and facing death by arrows, all they had left were primal instincts and desires…
Murder for amusement, rape, drunken orgies, wild gambling—there were no limits to their depravity.
And tonight, yet another night of unchecked animalistic lust and sleepless howling was about to begin.
Huang Bei Shuang glanced around. Though these bandits were brutish, they were highly skilled at observing the terrain. Their camp was built in a dead-wind zone, a place where quicksand and storms rarely occurred. Since all their food and supplies were stolen, this barren pit with no water or wildlife had become the safest base for them to settle.
Having returned victorious, the bandits prepared for an open brawl. The strongest would always claim the best spoils.
Ruo Wen stripped the remaining dozen or so maidservants dressed in yellow and green robes, leaving them naked, standing in a line. In front of them, a makeshift platform of sand had been built for the fights. The bandits were excited, their faces flushed and eyes bloodshot as they crowded around the platform, their beastly breaths washing over the helpless, terrified girls.
Huang Bei Shuang suppressed the pain in her heart, guessing that she would be the final prize, saved for the grand finale. She hadn’t seen any of the captured guards, unsure of where they were being held, but it was unlikely they had all been killed so quickly.
As preparations seemed complete, Ruo Wen appeared from the back. He was bare-chested, his bronzed body exuding strength. Around his neck, he wore the jewels that the Ernaqi tribe had intended as a gift for King Zhan. His face, freshly washed, looked far more handsome than before, with short, dark hair spiking upward like thorns. Water droplets clung to his jaw. Huang Bei Shuang estimated he was around twenty-four or twenty-five, with the imposing stature of a great general. His deep purple eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity, and at his waist hung three deadly weapons: a knife, a spear, and a sword.
He sat down on a large fur-covered chair to Huang Bei Shuang’s right, clearly pleased with the lively atmosphere. Turning to her with a smug smile, he said, "Look, the show is about to begin!"
Huang Bei Shuang turned her face away, refusing to engage.
Clap! Clap!
Unbothered by her indifference, Ruo Wen clapped twice, signaling the start of the festivities.
The first to step onto the platform were two scrawny, grotesque-looking men—twins by the looks of them. They exchanged eerie giggles before charging at each other, wrestling and throwing punches. The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts, egging them on.
"Those two are twins," Ruo Wen said, casually narrating while tossing chunks of meat from a plate into his mouth. "They were sold to slavers when they were six. Back then, they were quite beautiful, even prettier than women. Because they were so small, they were sold to nobles and generals to be toyed with. They managed to escape when they were fourteen."
Though Ruo Wen was speaking to her, Huang Bei Shuang ignored him, focusing on maintaining her composure. She needed to stay calm—any sliver of hope, no matter how small, had to be seized.
Ruo Wen studied her for a while before saying, "Aren’t you hungry? Eat. If you don’t eat this meal, the next one won’t be until tomorrow night. We only eat once a day."
Huang Bei Shuang was indeed starving. After everything that had happened, she hadn’t had a single bite of food. Now, hearing Ruo Wen’s words, she could no longer suppress her hunger. Throwing caution aside, she grabbed the food from the plate and devoured it ravenously, her actions wild and feral.
"Hahaha!" Ruo Wen laughed heartily at the sight. "You’re quite an interesting woman!"
Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the brawl on the platform, his face lit with amusement. The fight lasted about half an hour, with half the sand in the hourglass falling through. Ruo Wen laughed again, saying, "Looks like the younger brother is winning again." He glanced back at Huang Bei Shuang, adding, "They’ll enjoy themselves in front of everyone here. Do you like to watch?"
The coldness in his words sent a chill through Huang Bei Shuang’s heart. The meat in her mouth dropped onto the ground as, almost immediately, she heard the piercing screams of Guo’er and Yan’er. Their screams were useless, no matter how heart-wrenching—they only served to fuel the madness of the men, who were already long lost to their insanity.
Huang Bei Shuang turned her head away, unwilling to witness the chaos and depravity. But the sounds of the crowd’s lewd cheers persisted. Another crazed man had stepped onto the platform, and another terrified woman was thrown down in front of him. The violence and shameless acts crashed against Huang Bei Shuang’s mind like a relentless tide. Her body shook violently, and she suddenly began to retch uncontrollably. She couldn’t take it anymore!
“So soon, you can’t handle it?” Ruo Wen chuckled, full of arrogance. “Now it’s my turn!” He tossed aside the meat in his hands, wiped his palms on his clothes, then hoisted Huang Bei Shuang onto his shoulder and carried her to his quarters.
0 Comments