LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 257 Cruelties Suffered

The light in the cl.u.s.tered room started to decrease as evening approached and s.h.i.+hong poured oil in a lamp and lit it and Xing lost all interest for his story. Xing felt traumatised from the fire in the lamp as it reminded of her helpless state back in her courtyard where she was almost burned by s.h.i.+hong and Old Rong.

Her heart began to beat erratically and small sweat beads started to form on her forehead. Till now she had thought that she was over that day... That day she lost her everything... Her dowry, her dignity, her womb...

She stabbed Chenglie, She was sent to the gates of h.e.l.l, she wandered in the Netherworld for seemingly years...

That day... The day she suffered because of this person in front of her calmly lighting a lamp!

Is he doing this just to trigger me? Xing was fl.u.s.tered.

Shouldn't I just kill him and get in with it?

Xing gritted her teeth but she could sense some activity beneath the tunnels. There were a group of men who entered the tunnels and their demeanour seemed like they were trained soldiers.

So help arrived already? So should I be indulging s.h.i.+hong a bit more until all the children are rescued...?

"You think just tying my hand will keep me from attacking you?", Xing asked after taking a deep breath and composing herself. She is not alone like back then nor is she weak and she has a purpose now. Just by her mind, she could chop him into pieces and mince his meat if she wishes now.

"You want a drink?", s.h.i.+hong poured a cup of wine in a jar and offered Xing and Xing scoffed and turned her face.

Like she'd drink anything this monster offers!

"Come on, sweetie! I said I'm not planning to hurt you today.... Why won't you believe me... I'm hurt!", s.h.i.+hong grabbed her chin and made Xing look at him.

The fine wrinkles in the face of s.h.i.+hong that showed his fake hurt expressions as if he was teasing her and she wanted to spit on that smug face but she controlled herself lest he had plans for those who are around her. The prudent way now is to leave this place before provoking him or killing him which Xing very much liked to do but with the absence of Old Rong, she cannot! A fact she almost forgot!

Her end goal is Old Rong, not s.h.i.+hong. Since he is the only one who knows the hiding place of Old Rong, s.h.i.+hong must be handled after Old Rong.

"And honey, if you kill me now, you cannot find Old Rong, can you? Isn't killing that G.o.d your 'Heavenly Mandate'?", s.h.i.+hong continued.

Seeing her eyes glistening with the hate for him, he smiled and shrugged it off and went back to his chair.

"Now...now....let's not get distracted.... Ah... Where was I..? Um... Right... So when I was eight,my friend's father who was fairly rich, started to take good care of us and my mother was happy. She thought that he was interested in her but no... That was not the case... ", he paused and for the first time Xing saw the extreme fear and hatred in his eyes.

" He asked for my hand in marriage and my mother agreed thinking that he was asking me for his son, my friend... But... That rich old man wanted me for himself... ", s.h.i.+hong but his lips hard and Xing could sense this is where his life got derailed. Things like these are common among village folks like sending their children in marriage even though it is illegal, as they will have one less mouth to feed and they believed once a girl is married to a rich family, she'll be well off! Some even wish for their child to help in the betterment of their life.

Xing knew if someone offered such proposal, her mother would have thrown salt at them and driven away... It is highly illegal in the western province to solicit children. But hey! Not everyone gets good mothers!

In her case, Haru's father helped them from time to time but her mother didn't accept much and he kept a good distance and was really thankful for taking care of his son. But guess s.h.i.+hong... Or s.h.i.+ Hua's luck wasn't as good as hers and his mother felt his life would be better in a rich household and accepted the proposal.

s.h.i.+hong then took a gulp of wine and continued and Xing thought she saw him shudder for a moment but his eyes went back to that emotionless cold glance once more, he explained what happened that night she was married to that old guy.

His voice trembled noticeably when he talked about how his friend who tried to help him out of that place was almost beaten to death by his own father in front of his eyes and how cruel that old guy who said that ' Don't forget that You belong to me' treated her that night in front of his servants and s.h.i.+hong's friend who was beaten up by the servants.

s.h.i.+hong went to great details in explaining how much pain he felt that night and how he was humiliated and how he cried for the G.o.ds , his mother and others but was left with no help. How scared he was to see his body torn up and all his struggles ended up in vain against the one who was physically stronger than him. He also said how those who were watching felt no pity but were mocking him for going against their master who has a way to tame wild horses and how his screams and wails were veiled by their laughter.

Xing shuddered feeling the pain expressed by s.h.i.+hong, " Enough! ", she said. No child should go through this...

But soon her sympathy turned to anger, he experienced all this and still treat women the same way that 'Monster' treated him? He literally has a hundred kids the same age as him when he went through that agonising incident held captive underground. So what is the use of wasting her sympathy on him?

s.h.i.+hong looked at Xing intently with her expression turning from pity to despise and his lips curled to a dry smile.

Xing had no words to spare for s.h.i.+hong. That guy is a couple of years younger than her father and in those days, people must have been worse than the people now. And these 'customs' of child marriage were predominant in the west too but Xing knew it was the Heavenly Flowers Palace's interference that abolished these customs after Lady Shaoyao became the Madame of that inst.i.tution.

The government never cared what the commoners did except calling them savages and scholars made poems about it. That's how much the n.o.ble community contributed to it.... Nothing, just talking among themselves how much better they are than the commoners.

Judging by the children kept here now, the rules here must be lax still. This should be corrected.

Sensing Xing's cold att.i.tude at him, he still decided to continue.

"My friend then got me out with the help of some maids who felt pity towards me and me and my friend decided to cross the river to the Earth Kingdom to start a new life there... But his father's people got us before we crossed the river and in the scuffle that night, my friend died... When I went to mother and explained everything happened to me, she insisted on sending me back to that monster and that's when she revealed to me that I was supposed to be a Princess "

Xing saw s.h.i.+hong's face turn evil that moment and she really didn't want to hear the rest of his story. She is surrounded by bad all the same, right? From her lover who could kill mercilessly to the one who is protecting her who said he 'ma.s.sacred' his people... Everyone is a killer and has their own flaws. And what's with that everyone's story she is hearing is only having sad flashbacks..? Did no good happen to them? Uh! Why am I getting involved with broken people all the time?

"Shall we stop here? Can you tell me what you want of me?", Xing used all her energy to be polite with s.h.i.+hong so that she could have a chance to leave when his guard is down.

She feared of she heard any more of these Kind of stories, she'd turn to one of them too! It is possible to become the one you fear... She has ultimate powers and who could stop her if she loses her bearing?

Xing distracted her mind and she could sense the twenty elite soldiers who entered the tunnels are rescuing the children one by one and it is hard for them since those kids are getting scared of them and giving them a hard time rescuing them.

But those guys are doing a pretty good job. Are they Zhong elite soldiers?

Oh, what cruelties these children suffered for them to be this scared of men! Xing felt her heart clench in sorrow and wondered what she might do to help them.