"No tongues!?" she whispered fiercely. "What happened to them?"

He moved an arm up, pillowing his head on the crook of his elbow, allowing her to see his face more clearly in the room's dimness.

"There were a lot of war crimes that happened after the war. People weren't kind to the 'losers' of the war."

Aghast at that, her mouth opened and closed a few times, struggling to find the words.

"You mean people did that to them after the war because they lost!?"

The smile he gave her was sad.

"It sounds trite to put in words. People are often terrible to one another. Hurt brings many to hateful deeds."

"How many people did that happen to?" she asked.

"A lot of survivors were treated as warnings. A lot of abuses have happened in this land, and those who did them had a vested interest in keeping their participation a secret."

She sat up, feeling restless from the information. The injustice made her stomach cramp. Curling her arms around her stomach, Pia took a deep breath.

"Did no one ever get retribution for them?"

Buzhi rolled onto his back, tucking both hands behind his head.

"No. The war only ended just shy of eighteen years ago. To the victor goes control," he said bitterly.

"I hate that," she said vehemently, curling her hands into tight fists. "Why has no one stood up for them? Aren't we supposed to be allies? Where's the virtue in being a martial artist if they allow that kind of savagery?"

In the blink of an eye, Buzhi sprang up, grabbed her by her robe, and slammed her into the ground. His eyes glowed a fierce yellow, and he bared very sharp teeth in her face. So surprised was she that Pia didn't even struggle. She could only lie there, heart skipping beats against her ribs, waiting.

"What'll you do to me?" he hissed menacingly.

From the corner of her eye, she saw his hand coming close to her face, nails long and pointed. She struggled, trying to escape his grip, but he was immovable. Buzhi pressed her harshly into the ground, and his hand descended towards her face. The tip of his clawed pointer finger hovered above her eye.

"Why don't you stop me?" he crooned mockingly, tracing his nail under her eye.

She blinked rapidly and tried to turn her head away. That clawed hand grabbed her face harshly, and the tips of his nails dug into her skin.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid?"

At that, her anger roared to life, and her heart seized that anger, slowing from its erratic pace. Her eyes glared at him, and she lunged forward as best as she could, gouging her own face on his claws, her mouth opening, then clamping down on his nose.

Snarling, her teeth sunk deep into the skin, wanting to do as much damage as possible. She ignored the hold Buzhi had on her face, the way his claws broke into her skin, or how the blood trickled down her skin, tickling her.

Buzhi laughed with delight, then squeezed her jaw hard, popping it open. Returning to his sleeping mat, he sat and rubbed his nose.

She wiped at the nicks on her face, scowling at him.

"What was that?" she snapped.

"Why don't you write a letter to Ruwe? Tell him I abused my authority."

She froze as understanding came over her, and her anger fizzled out. Just thinking of that put it into perspective. It'd be unthinkable to report something such as that to her Master. It'd be a massive blow to her pride to report her own weakness like that. How would they, who were in a much worse situation, have done differently? Especially with the threat of getting their tongues cut out.

Seeing the look of understanding on her face, he said, "Exactly. Think about the years the war dragged on, the historical dominance of the Guihai, the great pride of the Guihai people, and the high of victory by those from Liyang, Baisha, and Chean. Who would the people tell their sorrows to? Who would stand up for them and risk the peace that fell over the lands?"

"There is no virtue in that!" Pia said, her voice rising well past the whisper they'd started with. "That's—that's the complete opposite of everything cultivators preach."

Buzhi smirked. "You don't need to sell their hypocrisy to a demon, darling."

Their gazes met, and Buzhi's eyes…she looked away, deflating. His eyes held stories Pia didn't even know how to begin to fathom asking about.

"Did anything the Guihai or Guimu did justify such actions?" she asked, feeling foolish for how she worded it. No one deserved that.

Buzhi took her words as she meant, for which she was grateful.

"No one is ever innocent in war. Did they do terrible things? I recall quite a lot of brutality by the Guimu. They were quite fond of mounting enemy heads on pikes and leaving them on their border. Of course, they were being invaded, so there is that defense for them conducting a strong, visual deterrent."

Thinking back to the woman and man, Pia couldn't understand someone's justification for doing that to them. She wrapped her arms around her stomach again, feeling ill at the thought. Was that the kind of people who were martial artists?

Seeing the turmoil on her face, Buzhi spoke up again.

"I'll not condone it but know that war changes many people before you judge others. Good men turn to deeds that make them worse than any villain. Bad men discover they would rather throw themselves on their own sword than hurt an innocent."

"I never want to be that way," she said fiercely, throwing herself down on her mat and putting her back toward Buzhi. She ignored the prickling pain in her face and burrowed her head into her arms.

"I hope you won't be, darling, but time shows us all in the end," he said softly.

Her dreams that night were the worst they'd been. Figures gurgled screams at her, their mouths showing jagged stumps, blood pouring, bubbling, frothing from their lips.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, tears pouring down her face. "I'm sorry!"

Blood soaked her clothes as they flung their bodies at her, grabbing her and yanking her down. For once, she didn't try to stop them. Maybe she could bear their sorrows for them.

A horrendous thudding pain pulsed through her gut, bright and hot, yet dull as if far away. Looking down, Pia gasped. Blood spilled from her lips, dripping down onto her sword that protruded from her belly.

"Beware, beware, what's a hare to a snake? A morsel, a bite! Beware, beware, trust is a mistake!" They moaned the chant in her ears. "Beware, beware. What's a hare to a snake? A morsel, a bite! Beware, beware, the snake is coiled, its fangs awake!" She dropped to her knees, feeling numbed through, yet somehow burning with icy fire. Her trembling hands wrapped around the blade, tears pouring from her eyes. "Beware, beware! What's a hare to a snake! A morsel, a bite!" Their voices rose in shrieks that shredded her ears. "Beware, beware, what is real? What is fake? Beware. Beware!"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Gasping, choking for breath, Pia woke in terror. She sat up, hands immediately going to her belly. It ached with the phantom pain of her nightmare. When no wound was found, she collapsed back to her mat, quivering uncontrollably. In her ears, that terrifying chant seemed to echo. She remained there until morning, shaking, afraid to fall back asleep.

For a morning meal, the woman prepared them another bowl of soup, and Pia made sure to give her a warm smile despite the aching tiredness that dragged her spirit down. When they finished, she left two silvers on the table, bowed to the woman, and went out to check on Tudou. The silver could never mend what had been done to the woman, and Pia felt hollow for the measly offering.

Outside, the rain had slowed to a fine mist, and a heavy fog had settled over the town. It was a somber mood that did little to lift her spirits.

Pia saw the remains of carrot toppings left behind on the floor of Tudou's stall. Little footprints in the mud outside the lean-to had her certain it was the children. She took her time grooming Tudou, half hoping the children would come out. They did not, despite her feeling the prickling sensation of being watched. Buzhi joined her soon and began preparing Shuai for their ride.

Pia removed two more silvers and a small pouch of salves from her pack. It wasn't much, but Pia made her actions obvious as she placed them inside the wooden manger in the lean-to. She hoped it'd help them a little, at least. They mounted their horses and rode out of Guichen.

Exhaustion draped over her shoulders like a thick coat, weighing her down and making her feel sluggish and slow. The mist was an improvement over the rain, but she longed for the sun. As they rode, her hand continuously crept to her abdomen, still feeling the phantom pain of being stabbed.

Buzhi was quiet as they rode, and she was grateful for this, as even the energy for talking had left her.

They spent two days traveling along the road, and the further they moved east, the less it rained. The mist was constant, which Buzhi explained came from the Guiyan sea that split Guihai in half.

On the morning of the third day, Pia was shocked to see Guiyan in the distance—a massive blue line with no end, touching the horizon and disappearing.

Their road had no forward direction, curving tightly to the left or steeply downward on the right. The edge of the path fell into a rocky embankment, rising high above the ground below. A mixture of sandy dirt and rock filled the ground below.

Buzhi let her take her time, absorbing the sight of any sea for the first time.

"Will we ride near it?" she asked him, shifting in her saddle to peer over the side of the embankment, curious to see some of the scrub brush that grew there.

"No," he said. "This sea is temperamental at best. Besides, our path takes us to Xiewu next, which is further inland."

Sighing, she sat back in her saddle, disappointed with the news. What was a temperamental sea like? For that matter, what was a non-temperamental sea like?

Pia contemplated that as they continued. Sea creatures had always fascinated her. Massive fish with jagged teeth and strange markings. Long squiggly fish that wiggled their bodies to swim. Predators that lurked in the depths, waiting for someone to take their chances. Master Ruwe had told her, "Most things from the sea are delicious, but many are also deadly." Which wasn't entirely reassuring. The gist of the lesson was to kill and eat it before it kills and eats you.

Later in the day, when Pia drew water from the plants, she was shocked at the saltiness on her tongue.

"From the seawater," Buzhi explained, showing her how to purify the salt out using earth and metal yi. It still held a tinge of salt but was much more palatable.

The grass along the path was pale green and had a broad, coarse stem. The horses didn't seem to mind it, but Pia couldn't help but wonder if it, too, held a salty taste.

As they neared Xiewu, the landscape changed drastically. Long fields of bright green grass stretched to each side.

"Rice paddies," Buzhi explained. "Wait a little; you'll see something really unique."

She soon realized that what he spoke of was the odd square steps dug into the side of a high climbing hill. Each level was cut symmetrically and showed angled dirt walls topped with lush green tops.

"What is that exactly?" she asked.

"They're terraced rice paddies. This part of Guihai gets less heavy rain. Farmers utilize the incline to maximize the water runoff."

Impressed, Pia said, "It's beautiful."

He agreed with a hum of appreciation. She eyed the length of the hill and pursed her lips.

"It looks like it's a lot of work to harvest the crop."

Buzhi let out a dark laugh and shook his head.

"It is, but they have little choice in the matter."

The cryptic words were bait for her, but she quickly jumped on it.

"Little choice? What do you mean?"

"You'll see," he said.

"You can't bait me like that and then not tell me," complained Pia.

"Xiewu used to be called Guining. Many tribes of Guimu would ride here and leave some of their people to farm the land together. Wonderfully bright and colorful tents would line the road and hilltop. It was a peaceful community that shared the work and bounty. After growing season, they'd return to their tribes, meeting again the following year."

"When did it become Xiewu?"

"After the war, when many Guihai were sent here and forced to farm. As you might've noticed, the Guihai favored the 'Gui' name. Anything that lacks that was named after the war. Some places are known by locals as one name and…newcomers by a different."

"Newcomers?"

"That is the nicer term for those who invaded their land and never left."

It felt ridiculous to be so shocked, but Pia hadn't considered that. Had the abuse of the Guihai continued after the war? Is that what Buzhi was hinting at? She shivered and nudged Tudou closer to Shuai. Buzhi held out his hand, and she took the piece of meat he offered her, chewing it slowly.

Not long after their conversation, Pia saw Xiewu ahead. A massive stone wall that looked garishly out of place rose before them. Outside the wall, a group of soldiers stood at guard. They carried long spears decorated with black feathers. Confused, she looked at Buzhi. His lips were pressed thin in anger, surprising her.

"What's the matter?"

"It's a mockery of the Guimu who rode to battle with horsehair tied into their braids and onto their weapons."

Understanding his anger, Pia looked back at the guards, feeling an intense dislike for them already.

When they reached the gate, the soldiers gave them suspicious, unfriendly looks.

"What brings ya here?" the captain drawled, tipping his poorly fitted helmet up to see them better.

"We're traveling through on business," Buzhi told them, leaning on Shuai's withers and giving the captain a winsome smile.

Pia knew him well enough to see the frost in that smile.

One of the guards eyed their horses with covetous eyes.

"Mighty fine horses to just be traveling through," the guard said, approaching Pia's right stirrup.

The urge to side-pass Tudou away from him and closer to Shuai was tempting, but she held her ground, staring straight ahead.

"Need good stock to travel far!" Buzhi chirped, though Pia heard the anger hidden below his voice. He really didn't like these men.

"Where's yer papers?" the captain asked, crowding close to Buzhi's left side.

From his inner robe, Buzhi pulled out a token and flashed it to the captain. The captain frowned deeply, almost scowling, but begrudgingly bowed.

"We welcome General Liu," he said, sounding like his teeth were grinding together.

Though she was curious, Pia didn't let it show on her face; instead, she leaned forward as if bored with the whole thing.

The captain stepped back, tossing his head to signal the men to let them through. Buzhi tucked the token back inside his robes, and they rode past the men. Only once they were out of earshot did Pia ask, "General?"

"One of many titles one accrues," he said dismissively.

She frowned at the brushoff, but her attention was quickly diverted as they passed under the thick stone wall and into the town.

It was…both not and precisely what she'd expected. It was a peculiar blend of Caihe and Guichen. People milled around, and vendor wagons littered the streets. The wagons appeared as if they were ten seasons past their prime. The homes and shops were a little better off than Guichen, though they lacked any color and variety she'd seen in Caihe. Like Guichen, Xiewu was colorless and drab, as if life had been sucked from the town.

"We'll stay in a semi-friendly lodging house tonight," Buzhi told her after steering Shuai through a throng of people who took little care of the oncoming horse. "You'll have to keep an eye on your purse but won't have to worry about a knife in the back."

His words chilled her. The nightmare of being stabbed was still heavy on her mind. Thankfully, navigating through the streets filled his attention, and she was spared having to respond.

The lodging house he took her to differed from what she'd expected. They'd ridden to the far side of town, avoiding the hungry eyes that followed them, toward a wooden building against the stone wall. Expecting something more like what they'd stayed at in Guichen, the house was a pleasant surprise.

Something about it reminded Pia of Dedication, back in Dwelling, and it brought a pang of nostalgia to her.

A wooden fence enclosed the wooden house, though it leaned heavily and looked like a stout wind would blow it down. The main gate had a single sentry posted, arms crossed, and glaring at anyone who so much as took a second look at the home behind him.

As they approached, the man's eyes flicked to them, and Buzhi waved.

"Jiayi," Buzhi called out in greeting.

Jiayi grunted in answer, not bothering to return the greeting. His eyes moved from Buzhi to Pia, narrowing suspiciously at her.

"She's with me, you friendly little worm."

Jiayi reluctantly opened the gate, allowing them to ride through. When Pia passed by, he spit on the ground behind Tudou, giving her a dark look. She frowned, wondering what his problem was.

The yard was surprisingly tidy, especially in comparison to the central parts of the town. The house wasn't tall but was much wider than others in the town. A well sat to their left and a stable to their right.

Dismounting, they took their horses to the stable and took care of them first. Satisfied that their reliable mounts were cared for, Pia followed Buzhi to the main house. She could hear loud voices and crashing noises spilling out on the front steps. For some reason, that sound seemed to energize Buzhi, and he threw open the door excitedly, stepping into the utter chaos inside.