Ch. 24
Warning- in this chapter, Ling Yi gets what she deserves. It is not pretty. However, major plot points are explained here, so it'd be a bad idea to skip.
Disclaimer: Yet another one where I have nothing funny to say.
Ling Yi hid in the shadows with her face in her hands, trying not to hear what was happening to her master as she curled herself tightly into a guilt-ridden ball of shame. A steady mantra of "This is your fault" echoed over and over again in her mind, interrupting her normally straightforward thought process. She had thought she could lie to lord Sima Yi and get away with it. Even more laughable, she had actually thought he would fall for it. She had overestimated herself—she was smart, but lord Sima Yi was smarter. She realized he must have known from the very beginning that
this is your fault
her lord had never intended on questioning Gan Ning. Looking back, she saw that she had come up with a poor cover story; Lord Zhang He had never had the patience (or stomach) for interrogation. It must have been obvious from the start
this is your fault
what they were up to. Now her master was suffering for her failure, and she could do nothing to stop it. She wanted to run away, to escape the sights and sounds of that horrible black room, but she would not allow herself to leave; If her master could allow this horror to be performed on him,
this is your fault
then her punishment would be to witness it.
this is your fault
this is your fault
this is your fault
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It was hours before her lord was allowed to leave. Ling Yi stayed, as she knew she was expected to. Lord Sima Yi shrugged on a robe and made his way to Ling Yi's hiding place. He smiled indulgently down at her like one who has just bestowed some great favor upon an undeserving individual. "So, child, what did you think of the show? Surprised?" She looked up at him with flat, empty eyes. "You're a monster," She replied. Lord Sima Yi laughed, and slammed an open palm against the side of her head, the blow smashing her against the stone wall. Dazed, she sunk forward onto her hands and knees, blinking rapidly as a warm, steady, trickle of blood slowly dripped down her face and off the tip of her nose. She stared at the droplets gathering on the floor as lord Sima Yi talked.
"I'm disappointed, Ling Yi. A smart girl like you should know better than to speak disrespectfully to her superiors." She heard his footsteps as he made his way towards one of the tables covered with tools. "Being a smart girl, I bet you've figured things out by now." Ling Yi's skull and shoulder ached, and the dull, throbbing pain made it hard for her to think. She was not used to pain. She had inflicted much, but never really received, and it came as something of a shock. "You lied." She said. "You lied to them about each other. My lord had nothing to do with this. Why did you tell him the pirate tried to escape? Why would you say something to hurt him like that?" Her voice was dull and monotone. She raised her head, a questioning look in her otherwise listless eyes. Sima Yi shrugged his shoulders and thoughtfully picked up a vicious looking whip.
"Because it amused me to do so. If they ever meet again, they will hate each other, neither of them knowing that the other remained true. A perfectly good relationship utterly shattered. I find that rather entertaining." He turned to look at her. "I suppose you're also wondering how I'm going to take the pirate back to his people without that fool Cao Cao finding out that he's gone, or asking about what information we've gotten from him. Cao Cao never even knew he was here. You'll recall that I told you that I would report to him so your lovely master wouldn't have to. No doubt you thought it a stroke of luck at the time, though now I'm sure you think differently."
She blinked slowly. "You're actually sending the pirate back?" The strategist chuckled. "Don't discredit me so, girl. I'm a man of my word… when it occurs to me to be so. Occasionally, I have been known to forget." He took a few steps towards her, whip in hand. "You've never once been beaten in your life, have you? Zhang He doesn't seem like the type to discipline his servants, dear, sweet-natured thing that he is." He stood over her as she knelt, bleeding on the floor, and trailed the end of the whip lightly across her unmoving cheek. He lashed out unexpectedly with his foot, slamming it into her gut and throwing her back into the wall, knocking the breath out of her and nearly cracking her head open. "Your master belongs to me, now. And you belong to your master. By all rights, you belong to me, too." He smiled. "I think you will find that I am neither as gentle, nor forgiving, as General Zhang He. You called me a monster earlier, didn't you?"
She looked up, fearful for the first time. "You lied," She declared, as if to justify her insult. She struggled for air, and more blood leaked down the back of her neck. He smiled wider, and told her, "So did you, my dear."
He brought the whip down.
Again.
And again.
And again.
I had fun playing with my writing style in this chapter. I decided to make it all artsy, and really get into the psychological aspects of POV. It's either really good, or just really weird. Ah, oh well. Sorry once again for the lack of funny, the humor will return—albeit, gradually—with chapter 25. I can't wait to write the next chappie: Gan Ning, Lu Xun, Ling Tong, and Shang Xiang in one room always turns out interestingly.
