Brother Hua
'This place is disgusting already.' Wuxie scowled as she put her things down. 'Bailian.' little lotus came out for her. 'Turn into your flower form. This room stinks so bad.'
'Stinks? In what way, Master?' Bailian asked, turning into a flower for his fragrance to fill the room.
'Well, my misfortune was I was chosen for that death peak I was warned out of.' said Wuxie glumly. 'My job just got tougher. Hell, this room smells of blood even if it was cleaned. My nose knows. Its previous occupant dead and who knows what happened to their belongings too.' she grunted. 'Ye Mei will take good care of me here so until then, we're on our own unless things get too dicey.'
'Eep...'
When night approached, several Hidden Cloud Peak disciples were returning to the quarters. The newcomers had grown hungry and they watched as their senior fellows passed them. One of them gathered his courage and approached the seniors to ask for food, but were sent crawling back with cold stares. Wuxie predicted something nasty is up and she was glad she has Ye Mei help her with food and water. She has a jug enough for a day, and he sneaks her roasted meat for lunch, and she has an early dinner too.
Only when night had fully fallen, and the youths were ravenously hungry, the disciple who had led them to the quarters earlier in the day ambled in slowly and shouted for all the new recruits to gather.
Wuxie and Qiao Chu stepped out of their rooms and exchanged a glance, and they did not see a sign of hunger on each other.
'Senior, it's...already so late into the night...when can we eat?' The ravenous youths held their bellies as they looked at the disciple.
The disciple cast them a glance and replied maliciously: 'You want to eat?'
The youths nodded eagerly.
The disciple raised his hand and pointed outside, and said: 'Look, there are a hundred large urns outside. Five miles to the east, lies a mountain spring. Everyone of you will have to fill up three large urns with water. If you do not complete it, don't even think about dinner tonight, or even tomorrow's breakfast.'
'What!?' The youths were utterly shocked. They had seen the huge urns earlier today when they had come in. They were larger in width than any of them with their hands stretched out and were as tall as they were. The distance of five miles was not too far away but a round trip would make it ten. They had starved for a whole day and had not even a drop of water and it was already so late at night, they did not have the energy to carry water treading through the mountains. Such huge urns to fill, and to fill up three at that, would require tens and tens of trips for them.
The uneven mountain paths did not make it easier, but even if the path was flat and even, none of them would be able to complete it.
'So, what is this? You guys are complaining? Let me tell you, the water in those urns will be used to water the herb beds tomorrow. If you cannot do it, then get out of here quick. The Hidden Cloud Peak has no use for useless wimps like that!' The disciple sneered and gave them a good tongue lashing.
The youths had been happily languishing around all day thinking that their dreams had finally come true, but they all huddled in fear together now, when they found out that their nightmare had actually just begun.
A dream of fantasy that suddenly fell straight into their hands, was actually a nightmare that could claim all their lives!
They stubbornly refused to give up this rare opportunity to have been finally accepted into the Hidden Cloud Peak, and pushed themselves to hang on. Even when the task given was impossible, they dragged themselves up and moved to carry it out.
Dragging their tired bodies, the youths went out and picked up the buckets to go on their way to retrieve water from the spring.
Two lazy bodies trailed at the back of the group and watched the others drag their wretched bodies hobbling unsteadily to fetch water.
'Hungry?' Qiao Chu asked after everyone else had left and the two of them were alone outside the quarters.
Wuxie shook her head. 'I'm alright. I expected something like this, so I prepared beforehand.'
'No kidding, I prepared too. Guess these guys didn't.' Qiao Chu snorted. 'At least we're OK.'
Wuxie looked at Qiao Chu. He had chattered endlessly all this while, but his actions at times had revealed clues contrary to the mindless personality he projected. Qiao Chu's initial aim had been to get admitted into the Hidden Cloud Peak, and his actions after had shown him to be familiar with the internal workings here. Dried meat were small and inconspicuous, they were most ideal as rations. People rarely kept any on themselves but for the well traveled, and Qiao Chu seemed to have prepared for the unexpected circumstances rather well.
Qiao Chu had hinted from the beginning that he would protect her in the Hidden Cloud Peak, so it seemed he knew a few things about things happening here. The dried meat was also prepared beforehand against tonight's expected torment.
What was Qiao Chu's objective here with the Qingyun Sect?
'Let's not carry water, the task is impossible to complete. Why don't you just hang around out here? If you go back now, you would only get nagged at by the seniors.'
Qiao Chu was also obviously not going to become the Hidden Cloud Peak's laborer.
'Where are you going?' Wuxie asked suddenly.
Qiao Chu hesitated, and thought what Wuxie was going to do left alone.
'You want me to stay out here, what about you?' Wuxie pointed out the absence with no mention of himself.
Qiao Chu slapped his forehead in frustration and said: 'I was rather obvious, wasn't I? Brother Hua had always scolded me for that.' He looked around to make sure there was no one around before he said in a low voice: 'I am going to find someone. The Hidden Cloud Peak is extremely dangerous, so do not stray too far from here. After I am done talking with that person, I will come back here for you.'
In Qiao Chu's eyes, Wuxie's petite little frame and skinny limbs would be very dangerous to stay within the Hidden Cloud Peak. He thought if he was not around to keep his eyes on Wuxie, the other youths might prey on him and carry him off with them.
'I'll go with you.' Wuxie said to Qiao Chu. 'Safety in numbers.'
Qiao Chu was taken aback.
'You want to come with me?'
Wuxie nodded.
Qiao Chu was more familiar with the Hidden Cloud Peak than she was. No matter who Qiao Chu was, he was obviously not friendly to the Qingyun Sect. If there were no conflicts in their objective, she was willing to familiarize herself a little through Qiao Chu.
Qiao Chu was looking troubled, he looked at Wuxie and paused a long moment before saying: 'Alright, but you must promise me. No matter what you see, you must not make a single noise.'
It might be better to bring Wuxie along, leaving him here alone in the lion's den did not sit that comfortably with Qiao Chu either.
It was obvious, Qiao Chu had an initial wrong perception of Wuxie. He saw Wuxie as a defenseless little youth, until she bashed those bullies herself and clearly sharp-tongued...and capable of refining pills with just her ki, no need for firewood.
Jun Wu Xie who had been mistakenly taken to be a harmless little bunny, was hence led by Qiao Chu deep into the inner parts of the Hidden Cloud Peak.
Qiao Chu proceeded unerringly, and stuck to dark and dim paths, totally avoiding the patrolling disciples within the peak.
Seeing Qiao Chu's familiarity with the route to take, Wuxie grew more certain with her earlier guess.
Qiao Chu's knowledge of the Hidden Cloud Peak, was better than what they've got!
She followed Qiao Chu through many of Hidden Cloud Peak's architecture. Wuxie's sharp nose told her, the deeper they went into the Hidden Cloud Peak, the stronger the scent of herbs and medicine was permeated in the air. The smell was not exactly the fragrance that herbs originally gave out when processed, but was the scent of a multitude variety of herbs mixed together. The stench was rather pungent, and did not smell like anything like nourishing or healing medicine.
Finally, Qiao Chu stopped before an unremarkable building. Outside the building, two Hidden Cloud Peak disciples stood guard. It was late into the night and the two guards looked to be rather tired as they leaned on the doors, eyes half closed, almost drifting off to sleep.
In the next moment, Qiao Chu streaked like a bolt of lightning past the two sleepy guards, and raised both his hands and quickly knocked the lights out of both of them before they even realized anything was amiss.
With the guards taken out, Qiao Chu waved to Wuxie who had stayed hidden in the dark, and proceeded to push the doors open to enter inside.
Wuxie followed closely behind. Upon setting foot inside the building, an overwhelming stench of blood swept over them, nearly gagging Wuxie.
The interior was lit dimly, and the faint light shone upon the furnishings within. The walls were filled with shelves of herbs and nothing looked out of place. But the thick stink of blood that went into their lungs made Wuxie realize that everything before their eyes here, was just a false front put up, to fool the unsuspecting.
'The stench of blood and death...it's so thick here!' Wuxie whispered to Qiao Chu. 'If I didn't tinker with my nose, I wouldn't realize this!'
The grim-looking Qiao Chu turned a corner from the room and squatted down to pull at a part of the floor. A gaping dark tunnel appeared before them, so dark that the bottom could not be seen. The intense stench of blood had rushed out from the darkness when the trapdoor was opened, and the stink continued to surge forth, almost as if alive.
'Follow me.' Qiao Chu said quietly to Wuxie and took out a small light, a small glowing amber, and stepped down onto the dark staircase leading down.
Wuxie followed behind Qiao Chu in the seemingly endless darkness. It was deathly quiet, and the unnerving silence pounded at their souls like a soundless knell.
And soon, the stairs brought them to a scene straight from hell.
The underground chamber was filled with large urns scattered all over, and a liquid bubbled within them as they emitted a dark green gas. More shockingly, was that every large urn contained a live human soaked within the liquid!
Or rather, those people looked more dead than alive…..
The humans immersed within the urns were stark naked and their skin were festered with sores from being soaked in poisonous liquids. Their eyes had been gouged out and left with two dark gaping holes, and their mouths were gagged and tied with black ropes. Dried blood smeared around their mouths in dark brown streaks as they sat unmoving within the urns. Their lolled heads did not show any signs of movement, but only the slight rise and fall in their chests showed anything otherwise to Jun Wu Xie.
They were still alive!
Tens of urns stood with incapacitated humans immersed within. Above the urns, there were several wooden racks. Several more youths were chained to the racks and stripped off their clothes. They were covered in many festering wounds and the pus emitted a pungent stink. Another young youth hung from the rack, skinned alive!
Qiao Chu noticed Wuxie's sudden pale face and he looked guiltily at Wuxie.
'This is...hell...' she squeaked with a gulp. 'They're kept alive or poison research. A fate worse than death as test dummies!'
'I had not wanted you to see all these...' He had obviously known of this repulsive place hidden within the Hidden Cloud Peak.
'I'm alright.' Wuxie snapped back to her senses to keep her composure though she was shaking. 'I can calm myself.'
Qiao Chu did not know how to console Wuxie and could only scratch his head furiously in frustration as he led them deeper into the underground chamber.
The further in they went, the sights grew more grisly. The gory hell hidden deep within the Hidden Cloud Peak, was a nightmare brought to life!
At last, Qiao Chu stopped to stand before a wall. Upon the wall, a tall youth had two hooks pierced through his pelvic bones, and nine other stakes were driven through his body. His two hands were secured by chains that hung suspended from the ceiling. Fresh red blood ran from his wounds and flowed down his body, finally dripping from his toes. A pool of blood had formed on the floor below him.
'Eep...' Wuxie squeaked.
His head was lowered and he was silent, as if dead.
'You're finally here?' A gentle but cold voice sounded suddenly, and the youth who hung from the wall suddenly came alive as he raised his head.
He had rather feminine features and looked pretty enough to make a person not want to destroy that beauty. The eyes slightly inclined at the outers corners had a small mole dotted just below one, which lent a bewitching essence to the youth's beautiful features.
'Bro...Brother Hua...' Qiao Chu stared at the horribly ravaged but still pretty looking youth above.
Wuxie narrowed her eyes and looked at the figure upon the wall. She measured the wounds suffered by the youth and was surprised that anyone could still remain conscious under those conditions. That guy had a very strong will.
The pretty youth frowned as his eyes set on Wuxie standing behind Qiao Chu.
'Who is that?'
Qiao Chu gulped and said: 'This is the boy I befriended here. His ability to refine pills with just her ki made the elders fight over him but as usual, that old geezer snaps up the best ones.'
The youth who was Brother Hua narrowed his eyes further and a astonishing sight played out right before Wuxie's eyes!
The youth who had been imprisoned by the hooks and stakes suddenly started to move. His hands that had been tied with chains seemed to slip out from them and hung limply as if his bones had been sucked out of him. While he freed himself from his shackles, he set a foot against the wall behind him and pushed himself free from the hooks on his pelvic bones. His tall slender frame drew a graceful arc in the air as he landed firmly before Wuxie and Qiao Chu, his bare feet in the puddle of his own blood.
Brother Hua who was standing on the firm ground had restored his hands, the distinct joints in his fingers and hands pulling out the stakes lodged into his body one by one.
The stakes removed had flesh stuck to them but he did not even flinch, and only continued to stare at Wuxie through narrowed eyes.
His escape from his imprisonment had been so graceful and easy for him that it left anyone watching stupefied.
'Why did you bring him here?' Brother Hua turned and his cold eyes bore into Qiao Chu. The pretty youth's angry stare did not pose any real threat to Qiao Chu, but had instead been charming and gentle.
Qiao Chu cleared his throat nervously and said: 'Brother Hua, you should have a little more faith in me. I just happened to meet Huang Huiwen here in the Qing Yun Clan's Cloudy Peaks. We were both candidates applying to be admitted into the Qing Yun Clan as disciples. You know very well how dangerous it is late at night within the Hidden Cloud Peak, if I had left him alone out there, he would have been in grave danger.'
The pretty youth's frown eased and he turned to Wuxie and said: 'My name is Hua Yao. This is not exactly the right place nor the right time for a first meeting, or I would have much more I would like to say to you.'
Hua Yao had a pleasant voice, and his tone was neither hurried nor slow, pulling at the heartstrings of people, but his bewitchingly pretty face was startlingly cold.
'The Hidden Cloud Peak is not a safe place, no matter what your motives are, just remember this. Stay away from Ke Cangju. Do not pay heed to any of the seniors' suggestions to meet up alone, and do not take any medicine or elixirs of unknown origins. If you can, do not even eat or drink anything from them.' The brow that had just eased suddenly creased back into a frown.
When Qiao Chu had first mentioned his meeting with the mysterious masked kid in the Ghost City, they had hoped to find him again, to see if he could help them with producing the elixir that they needed.
They had another task at hand, and they could only try their best not put expose Wuxie to any danger before their mission was completed.
'Those people out there, the disciples the Hidden Cloud Peak newly brought in, did not have their names recorded in their list of disciples. Even if they were to die, no one would be able to find out they were associated with the Hidden Cloud Peak. All the disciples secretly brought in by Ke Cangju, would end up dying here in this underground chamber, as his live subjects in his research of poisons. If I remember it correctly, he will torture the batch of new recruits the first night they enter the Hidden Cloud Peak.' Hua Yao continued.
'You should have seen them, Brother Hua! That hideous beast actually made everyone go hungry and made them go fetch water.' Qiao Chu nodded as he said, revealing that his well prepared self must have been through the information given by Hua Yao.
Hua Yao's lips curled slightly, forming into a devilish cold smile.
'Vigorous activities on an empty stomach will burn out those bodies thoroughly, and it will not be a surprise if a few of them were to fall ill. And Ke Cangju just needs to introduce an excuse or two when he needs to, and to keep the rest in the dark about his shady actions, he proclaims to bring back and 'heal' those that had fallen sick. Am I right?' Wuxie asked, her eyes narrowed as she shared her analysis at this...atrocities committed. 'In order to not alert the rest of the herd of sacrificial sheep, Ke Cangju used harsh treatments to tire them out, and those disciples who injured themselves or needed other treatments would be brought to the Elder, and nothing would seem out of place. And as for those who were brought away, the rest would be too tired to bother whether they were dead or alive.'
A whole batch of new and naive recruits brought into the Hidden Cloud Peak, would only end up dying one after another. And by the time any of them felt anything amiss, it would have been too late.
'Young master.' a soft voice spoke, alarming Hua Yao and Qiao Chu. 'Now that we found this out, my lord's gonna get angry I didn't give complete information your safety is compromised...' he sounded rather scared.
Huang Huiwen was of a personage that was granted bodyguarding by a high-profile person?
'Nah, don't tell him yet.' Wuxie reassured him. 'We'll work together to get to the bottom of this. Besides, we won't leave our targets alive as planned, right? What he doesn't know won't hurt. I don't want to see him angry at you for things not your fault.' she said reassuringly. 'For now make sure nobody comes here, but if that old imp is on his way, warn us and we'll run.'
'Very well.' and he was gone.
'That's Ye Mei, my bodyguard.' said Wuxie. 'We can count on him incase we're all in trouble.'
'I should hope so.' said Hua Yao. 'Within the Hidden Cloud Peak, only those disciples dressed in the Qingyun Clan's uniform are truly safe as they are wolves of the same pack, and know exactly how things work within the peak.' Hua Yao affirmed, impressed by Wuxie. She figured out how things work, is here to kill a bunch of people and has a bodyguard even. What his skill is is unknown but certainly reliable if his master was a high-profile person he was terrified of.
'You came in last month?' Wuxie looked at Hua Yao speculatingly, noticing the grave injuries on him, but compared to the others within this underground chamber, were far less serious, and at least he was conscious.
Hua Yao nodded, 'I am the last one to be brought here into this chamber from the previous batch, and I sent my contractual ring spirit bearing all these information to Qiao Chu before I came in.'
Wuxie observed Hua Yao and noticed the blood on his wounds had clotted. His body looked a mess, but he seemed to be in good spirits. If he had not been seen to have hung shackled and pierced with stakes to the wall just moments ago, nobody could have guessed at the travesty done upon him.
For a normal person, to have their pelvic bones pierced through and stakes driven through the body, even if they did not die, they would be on their last breaths. But Hua Yao seemed to still be rather spirited.
'Well, we're here to kill a few people who annoyed us, not sure about you guys.' said Wuxie. 'But since our goals will not conflict, why not cooperate together and get out of here alive after objectives are met?' she suggested. 'I kill you guys want something else...'
The boys exchanged looks.
'We can work together, and after we succeed, we have a question.'
'Go on...' Wuxie was not surprised in the least. Qiao Chu had been enthusiastic all this time, and she somehow drew Qiao Chu's need to protect her when last she checked, he doesn't know her 'face' as she was masked so he doesn't know 'the mask' and her are the same person...
'Qiao Chu mentioned that there's a masked youth that sells potent elixirs in Ghost City.' Hua Yao began. 'He eats up an old man's treasures and he comes when old man is around. That kid must have a friend who's skilled. We need a skilled pharmacist willing to help us out without charging an arm and a leg.' he explained. 'We have no hope in this Sect. We're here hence for other reasons.'
'I know that person.' Wuxie sweatdropped. 'Well, let's stay alive to meet that person, yeah?'
'Right.'
To have made Hua Yao and Qiao Chu request for it so solemnly, it would not be anything simple or easy. But when Hua Yao had been so upfront about it, she saw no reason to reject him of his request to meet 'him' and ask for her help in making an Elixir.
Besides, in terms of medicine and the skills involved in elixir production, Wuxie had utmost confidence in herself.
As long as anyone in this world had successfully produced the elixir before, she did not believe it would be beyond her!
Qiao Chu's face broke into a joyous smile, 'Wow! You knew that kid?! This is awesome, what a small world!'
'Er, let's survive first, OK?' Wuxie looked at Qiao Chu, it was just a fair deal between two parties, excessive emotions would only cloud the mind.
Hua Yao was used to Qiao Chu's exuberant personality and ignored his outburst, he then proceeded to tell Wuxie about the Hidden Cloud Peak in detail.
Having been in the Hidden Cloud Peak for a whole month, Hua Yao's understanding of the Hidden Cloud Peak completely overshadowed Ye Mei's. It was why Ye Mei was terrified should his lack of knowledge get out.
'Ke Cangju stayed within his own quarters every morning and never stepped out. He would only pass down instructions to the disciples of the Hidden Cloud Peak in the afternoon and only for a short while. He was alone most of the time and even the authentic disciples of the Hidden Cloud Peak did not have much interaction with him. After sundown, Ke Cangju would come to this underground chamber, and subject his new recruits to unspeakable torment.'
'For the youths imprisoned here in this chamber, Ke Cangju only saw them as test subjects for his various experiments and research, consisting mainly of feeding poisons and torturing. All kinds of experiments are carried out here daily.'
After sundown, the Hidden Cloud Peak turns into a nightmarish hell, it seems!
'And for those who die from his experiments, would be carted out in the dead of the night by the disciples of the Hidden Cloud Peak and be buried within the herb beds, to lend nourishment to the growing herbs as fertilizer.
After being admitted into the Hidden Cloud Peak, unless they become a genuine disciple under Ke Cangju himself, they would not ever leave the Hidden Cloud Peak, not even after they died.
Those people were fated to never leave here alive, the moment they stepped into the Hidden Cloud Peak.
Wuxie listened intently to Hua Yao, her cold eyes lowered, as she pondered a moment. She suddenly raised her head and looked at Hua Yao to ask: 'Hey hey, can you freely control your bones, can you change your body shape and looks?' she asked hopefully.
Hua Yao was shocked! And he seemed to realize instantly what Wuxie was asking, but did not seem sure before he nodded.
'Well, I'm gonna kill that old fart, and you take his place!'
Hua Yao and Qiao Chu felt the shock reverberate through their entire beings.
They never would have expected that Wuxie would even think about killing Ke Cangju the very first night she entered the Hidden Cloud Peak!
Wuxie might have stated her objective for coming to the Qingyun Sect was to 'kill a few people'. But how?!
'Can it be done?' Qiao Chu stared at Wuxie stunned, unable to accept such shocking ideas coming from the petite and refined looking youth before him.
Hua Yao replied instead: 'How do you intend to do it? I might be able to change my bones' structure, but I am unable to transform my skin. Even if I am to change my facial bone structure to be exactly like Ke Cangju, I won't be able to replicate that face.'
Wuxie just grinned.
'I have my ways. I created make-up pills and tonics just for stuff like this!' Wuxie looked at Hua Yao with an excited grin on her face, 'You can count on me that you can wear that ugly mug over your pretty face!' Hua Yao stared at Wuxie a moment, as if guessing at her intentions. He decided not say anything further, and gave his silent consent.
The three young youths made their first pact of agreement in the dark, dank, and wet underground chamber. Their cooperation this time, was the start to the tangles that was destined to bind their lives.
At the earliest break of dawn, Wuxie and Qiao Chu left the underground chamber. Before they left, Wuxie witnessed Hua Yao drive the stakes into his body and hung himself back onto the hooks and bound himself to the chains.
He looked just as he had before they found him.
After a night of torment, the newly recruited youths were tired beyond words. Before Wuxie and Qiao Chu reached their quarters, they saw over twenty of the battered and exhausted youths leaning beside the water urns. At that moment, they seemed to have lost their spirit and energy, lying around like limp rag dolls, listless and limpid. Many of them were soaking wet and the buckets used to carry the water laid beside them, and they had no strength left to go on. Having gone hungry a whole day and night, the stomachs were growling furiously, and the night's hard labor and resulting exhaustion wringed every ounce of energy out from their bodies, and many of them had fallen asleep where they sat.
Ye Mei had come, granting them a roast rabbit they secretly ate away from the tormenteds, and washed their faces and hands elsewhere.
Wuxie's and Qiao Chu's arrival had not been noticed by anyone else and they conveniently picked a spot to sit down. Without anyone seeing, Jun Wu Xie pushed an elixir into the hands of Qiao Chu.
'What is this?' Qiao Chu looked at the greyish elixir in his hand, and then looked in puzzlement at Wuxie.
'We play dead. Bottoms up.' and they both swallowed the pill.
'...' The extremely bitter elixir slipped down his throat and brought tears to Qiao Chu's eyes. He grimaced in agony as he stared at Wuxie who wasn't happy with the taste either.
Now what're they gonna play dead for, he wondered.
When the first rays of light spilled onto the lands, the exhausted youths were stirred back to consciousness by the blinding light. The figures picked themselves up wearily and wobbled unsteadily into their sleeping quarters.
They was nothing else they wanted more than to go back and sink into their beds, and drink a few mouthfuls of water to flush away the hunger pangs.
Not a single one of them was able to complete the task set to them, and according to what the Hidden Cloud Peak senior had said, they would not have any breakfast either.
A pity but the torment had not ended. Just when the new recruits were dragging themselves back into the quarters, they were stopped by the senior disciples of the Hidden Cloud Peak who had just awoken.
'Have all of you finished it?' The fully refreshed disciple asked as he looked upon the group of wretched and exhausted youth, as an evil smile appeared on his lips.
The youths lowered their heads, unable to make a sound.
'What a bunch of losers! Since you can't even complete such a simple task, you can forget about breakfast! Now, go and get the water from the urns and water the herb beds!' Without allowing the ravaged youths any chance to rest, more torment was being heaped upon them.
Howls of protests sounded from those youths then.
'Senior, we are dying from exhaustion, and did not sleep a wink last night...can we sleep just a little before we go?' A braver youth among them pleaded for them.
The next moment, as soon as those words had left his mouth, the Hidden Cloud Peak disciple rushed at him and kicked him hard in the stomach, making the weakened youth double over and fell onto the floor, howling in pain.
'What a lazy bunch! These rules in the Hidden Cloud Peak are meant to be followed once you are admitted! Anyone who refuses to follow them can pack up and leave!' The Hidden Cloud Peak disciple looked at every single one of them in disdain and gave a cold laugh, the cruel look in his eyes did not even see those new recruits as humans anymore.
Under threat and fear made these totally exhausted youths huddle together, unable to argue further. They dragged themselves to their feet and straggled outside.
The Hidden Cloud Peak did not allow any outsiders to enter, and hence, no one knew what went on behind their firmly closed doors.
There was no one to come save these sacrificial lambs about to be sent to slaughter.
'Say, if these guys knew they would be tortured to death by the Hidden Cloud Peak, would they still cling on so desperately to be admitted into the Hidden Cloud Peak?' Qiao Chu walked slowly out of the quarters and looked at the figures before him walking unsteadily, his eyes inquisitive. The drug has yet to work on them. Wuxie told him that it'll take a while, so...
Ke Cangju was a bad egg, but these scoundrels were no angels as well. When they had just come to the Hidden Cloud Peak, they had sneered and jeered at him and Jun Wuxie. He doubted they had the energy to do that anymore.
Wuxie did not say anything. She lowered her eyes and looked at the ground before her feet.
A place like this, totally disgusted her every moment she was here.
And since it disgusted her that much, she would totally wipe the place out!
Qiao Chu waited for Jun Wuxie to reply but she did not say a word. He then turned his head and suddenly saw that Jun Wuxie's pink cheeks had lost all color, and her lips were deathly white!
The drug! It's working on her now, soon he'll get conked too!
'Huang Huiwen! You...' Qiao Chu had just opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly felt the world spin around him. Before he could react, he involuntarily feel flat on his face onto the ground.
Two loud thuds alerted the youths who were walking before them. They turned their heads to see and found that the trailing pair of Qiao Chu and Jun Wuxie had fainted, as they lay flat on the ground. They had shown no prior signs of fatigue but their faces were now deathly pale and the dry cracked lips were white!
'H...help! Some people fainted!' Shouts erupted from the group of youths.
The Hidden Cloud Peak disciples were drawn to the noise and they immediately spotted Wuxie and Qiao Chu lying at the side of the path the moment they stepped out.
For just a brief moment, a flash of malicious glee flashed within the eyes of the disciples of the Hidden Cloud Peak, but it disappeared very soon after.
They put on an exasperated face thereafter and reprimanded with disdain at the group of youths: 'What a useless bunch this is! They are falling to pieces after just one night in the Hidden Cloud Peak! Get some people here and bring these two useless pieces of thrash back to Elder Ke. I can't believe they could be this hopeless! They are more trouble than they are worth and would only be a bother to the Elder!'
They bumbling group of youths looked with uncertainty at what was happening here. According to the senior Hidden Cloud Peak disciples, they would be sent to Elder Ke for treatment, and they were suddenly comforted by the fact that the Elder of the Hidden Cloud Peak took a personal interest in the well being of their disciples...
How wrong they are.