Yulong, Silver and Chains

SIX

    The rest of the trip went more noisily than the first time around. Zengguang would constantly lash out and scream, he would vomit when given too much food, and he didn't speak a word. He was unresponsive when Manchu tried speaking to him. It was like handling a child throwing a tantrum; logic didn't work on him and he didn't seem to hear anything that everyone was saying to him. Meifen could calm him down half the time but the other half of the time he rampaged wildly, thrashing and hitting anyone that was too close to him. She had gotten one too many bruises in the past week and, unfortunately, it was driving her to madness. She didn't fault him for any of it, but instead Manchu. The bruises around her neck were still a purplish-blue color and the rest of her body was the same.

    "What will happen to him?" Kong asked on their last day of traveling. They would be arriving at Spring Lotus shortly and then Meifen would finally be free of Manchu. Zengguang was curled up in a ball in the wagon, his dark eyes glazed over as he stared at the spot in front of him. He was as unresponsive as usual. He was still trembling. That was the one thing that never changed about him; he couldn't stop shaking.

    Manchu sighed and rubbed his face. "Zengguang will be given to General Hung and then he'll decide for himself. What I've learned in this week, however, is that Zengguang is no longer the boy—man—he used to be. He used to be a very bright, albeit a bit shy, boy. He was very observant, he had a kind voice, and he was always looking out for the people around him. He's barely a shadow of his former self. Now, he doesn't even know what's happening around him. Not just his mind, but I reckon his memory is nothing like before. He used to be able to memorize anything he saw. There were times when all it took was a glance at a paper and he could recite the entire thing flawlessly. He is no longer the same as he was before. Most likely, he'll be sent to the streets."

    Meifen watched the young man sadly. How harsh life was. When they needed him, they were willing to go above and beyond for that brain of his. When he was deemed worthless, he was thrown away like trash. They didn't care that he fought for Huo and did so much for them; to them, he would be useless and thus discarded. It reminded her of her own situation. He too would become one of the forgotten like her.

    "It's a shame we went through so much to retrieve him and he's not even—" Kong shook his head as he glanced over at him. "Anyway, it was very nice to work with you all. Meifen," he turned to her and smiled. "I hope to see more of you. You work at Spring Lotus, yes? Maybe I'll come and visit."

    She smiled. What he didn't know was that she wasn't a prostitute, so even if he went to Spring Lotus, he wouldn't be able to call for her. "I'm just glad to be finally done," she said with an airy laugh. She smiled widely. "I can finally rest in bed and be done with the sweat and grime that comes with travelling with men."

    "Your brothel is coming up, isn't it?" Kong asked as he peered out at the wagon.

    "Yes. I think I'll be gone for a month," she said. "I need a long vacation after that life and death situation." She shot a glare at Manchu before beaming at Kong once more. "I'll have racked in enough money from this mission to take Lord Hongqi off my back for at least two weeks."

    He bobbed his head. "Ah, that sounds like fun."

    "This is times of war," Manchu said, his lips twisting down in disdain as he glowered at her. "Must be easy for whores to take vacation when there's men dying left and right in battle. We're out here dying and fighting for Huo while you decide to go on a vacation?"

    She narrowed her eyes at him. "I can do whatever I want during my free time. The only thing you've done this entire journey is belittle me, dehumanize me, and disrespect me because of my profession. You didn't even try to understand who I am. Besides, I don't need validation from you to live my life. So, I am more than happy to finally be rid of you."