Chapter 4 - Painful Screams
As they witnessed the brutal execution of their village head, the crowd panicked, stumbling and dispersing in all directions as they tried to flee with their families and loved ones. But unfortunately, the village was encircled from all sides, and there was no way for anyone to get in or out.
Shortly after, a massacre began. The soldiers hacked and slashed their way through the panicked villagers, their swords and spears dripping with blood as they slaughtered their helpless victims. Screams of terror and agony filled the air, mixing with the sounds of clashing metal and the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground. Ximen Wei could feel his heart pounding with fear as he watched the chaos unfold, knowing that he and his family were in grave danger.
The soldiers descended on the village like a horde of ravenous wolves, their weapons raised and their eyes blazing with a cruel, malicious intent. Their swords slashed through the air, leaving a trail of destruction and carnage in their wake. Every step they took was marked by the sickening thud of metal against flesh, and the screams of the innocent villagers rang out through the air, accompanied by the sickening sound of blood splattering against the ground.
The once peaceful village was now a scene of unimaginable horror as the soldiers plunged their spears into the helpless villagers' chests, hacking their heads off and tearing their limbs from their bodies. The ground was soaked in a sea of blood, brain matter, hair and feces, with torn limbs and organs strewn across the village.
The soldiers took pleasure in their acts of violence, taking liberty with young girls and women as they vented their frustration and desires. The searing screams of the innocent echoed through the air, the children's cries and the women's wailing adding to the dreadful atmosphere. The appalling brutality of the soldiers left the village in ruins, and its inhabitants in agony, their lives forever changed by the horrific acts of violence inflicted upon them.
Inside Ximen Fei's house, Ximen Wei and his mother, Qin Liqiu, were hiding inside the closet. Qin Liqiu was shaking uncontrollably, her arms wrapped tightly around Ximen Wei as she dared not speak a word, hoping that the soldiers wouldn't search the house and find them. Ximen Wei, on the other hand, was in a daze, his eyes dull and lifeless as he struggled to process the events unfolding around him.
He knew better than anyone else what would happen to him if he was caught, and the thought of being turned into a toy for the nobles to torture and experiment on filled him with fear and dread. He had heard of such things happening in Earth's medieval ages, and he knew that in this primitive world, such atrocities were not uncommon. The screams and cries of pain and agony outside only served to make everything feel like a dream to Ximen Wei, and he desperately wanted to believe that this was all just a nightmare, that he would wake up and find himself back in his own home, surrounded by his family, friends, and her....
Bam! The door to the house was violently thrown open as two soldiers stormed in, their footsteps heavy and menacing. Within seconds, the interior of the house was turned upside down as the soldiers searched for any hidden villagers. Eventually, they arrived at the closet where Ximen Wei and Qin Liqiu were hiding, and the faint glimmer of hope that had been shining in Qin Liqiu's eyes disappeared as the reality of their situation hit her. Ximen Wei, meanwhile, remained in his dazed state, his mind numb and unresponsive as he waited for the soldiers to discover them. The sound of their footsteps approaching was like a death knell, and both Ximen Wei and Qin Liqiu knew that their time was running out.
Creaaaaak. The door to the closet slowly swung open, revealing the two soldiers standing on the other side. "Hoho, look what we found here," one of them chuckled, his gaze wandering over Qin Liqiu's trembling form. "AHHHH!! LET OFF!!" she cried out as the soldiers reached for her, but her resistance was futile as she was swiftly rendered unconscious with a hard smack to the head.
One of the soldiers looked at Qin Liqiu with a perverted gaze, licking his lips as he chuckled. "Hehe, looks like the search was fruitful. She looks pretty cute." "Sigh, at least don't get her pregnant like what happened last time at Boshe Village," the other soldier replied, shaking his head. "Don't worry Old Fang, I will definitely-- sniff, she smells good! If you want, I will lend her to you after I'm done with her," the first soldier said with a lecherous grin. "You really haven't changed… Well, what do we do with this kid?" Old Fang asked, gesturing towards Ximen Wei. "Throw him with the rest!" the other soldier replied with a shrug, grabbing Ximen Wei by the arm and pulling him out of the closet.
The air was thick with a putrid stench of death and destruction as the troops leader surveyed the ruin of the village. The charred remains of homes, once filled with laughter and joy, stood as a stark reminder of the horrors that had unfolded. Corpses of adults and elders lay scattered across the ground, their lifeless eyes staring back in shock and terror. Women and children were chained together and loaded onto a horse-drawn carriage, soon to be sold as slaves in the black market.
The troops leader gave a command to his men to plunder the food warehouse before setting it ablaze. The sound of steel clashing against steel as swords were drawn filled the air. Men rushed to the food warehouse, their arms filled with whatever loot they could manage. Soon, the sky was lit up with a fiery orange glow as the flames of the warehouse engulfed the village. As the village was reduced to ashes, only the screams of the enslaved women and children remained, echoing through the night.