Chapter 2

Standing on his two feet, having tied the clothes he found on his body to the best of his knowledge, he made his way out of the strange hall, holding back his disgust at the fresh stains of blood he noticed on the ground as he made his way to the door.

Around him on other stone slabs were other young men like him, with their lower half covered with slightly bloodied clothes that showed that they had indeed gone through the process and we're currently unconscious.

'Please…to anyone listening in the heavens…' Zhang De begged as he stood in front of the door, and slowly pulled it open.

If I meet the grave diggers or any physician I might as well be dead, he thought feeling tears well up in his eyes at the thought of having to go through such a harrowing experience.

"If I don't meet anyone I'm not supposed to and my escape is easy, I swear to do better in this life. I will chase purity and love and put aside all impure sexual thoughts," he promised even as he made his way out, without shutting the door behind him.

He hoped to create the illusion that another group of people had been there and taken away his body.

"Walk forward…Find the fastest exit…run as fast as you can…" He mumbled one after the other, looking around to see that he was indeed in what appeared to be a palace in ancient times.

If I make it into the main city, I'll never have to worry about being cut ever again.

I'll work hard…find a good woman and live happily ever…

These thoughts slowly went through his mind until he stepped out of the building hall he had been in and looked around to see people wearing the exact colour of blue and gray uniform he wore, hurrying along.

Quickly, he lowered his shoulders slightly as he saw them do, and picked a direction while trying to figure out how to ask for directions without drawing attention to himself.

The more distance he put between himself and that hall the safer he would feel.

As he walked, he unconsciously began to mutter to himself.

"Unlike the stories I'av read where the protagonist gets memories of the body he finds himself in…where are the memories I need. Both I and this body are simply too unlucky…"

He moved quickly with a heavy frown on his face, following the long old rule of "the faster you walk the more it seems like you have somewhere to go".

But after passing a lot of men and women variations of the light blue robe he wore, he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that he might really have to stop and ask for directions with how huge the entire area looked when he suddenly heard his name being called.

"Zhang De…did you not see me?"

"What are you doing here? You should be in the surgery hall or medical hall resting or havn't you gone through…

"OF COURSE I HAVE! " he hurriedly responded in a louder pitch than he would have liked, with tears welling up in his eyes right before it slowly began sliding down his cheeks.

The fear of being caught and having to undergo the real process was enough for him to generate a bucket of tears for the person in front of him.

He wore the same uniform as him and spoke like he knew him which meant that he did even though Zhang De didn't.

"It hurts…hic…it hurts so much that moving my legs is like walking on nails…"

Instantly his knees buckled and he could feel how pale his face must be as sweat began to soak his forehead.

'If they find out…', he cried in his heart. 'They can't find out,"

"Oh the pain..the pain…" Zhang De cried coming to a stop and looking directly at the face of the person he held on to.

"Who are you and what's your name?" he asked with misery and despair openly displayed on his face.

"You don't remember…we met today. When you were dropped off. My name is Lài Jin. You were assigned to my partition," Lài Jin explained with a worried look on his face, making sure to reduce his pace as he continued walking on, knowing that getting him to where he can rest was the best thing for him.

"I know how heartbroken you are but there's nothing you can do about it. Even if you want to die like you said you would…do it after you're fully healed," he continued speaking in a solemn tone with his arms wrapped around Zhang De's waist.

Making sure to fully lean on him, he allowed himself to be dragged in the opposite direction he came from with no other choice but to go with the new flow of things

"Where…where are we going?" he asked with tears in his eyes knowing now that with the person beside him and everyone else he would meet he needed to keep up the ruse of being cut.

"The Recovery room in the medical hall. You need to…"

"Can't I just recover in my room or I don't have one?" he cried lowering his head and raising his sleeves up to hide his tear covered face.

It was already bad enough that he was had to genuinely cry like a baby, he still had to do it in public.

"Like I said we share the same partition so of course you can but it might not be as comfortable when we get more people assigned to our room,"

"It's fine. It's much better than the medical hall that smells of herbs and stuff.." Zhang De responded while thinking of how the physicians there would have to disrobe him all in the name of ensuring that his wound is uninfected.

"Okay…but the moment you get sick, I'm taking you there. Life might look gloomy now but trust me it gets better…"

"Really? How long ago was your own process and was it also the full one?" He asked curious to know how the person beside him fully felt about such a barbaric thing being done to him.

"About five years ago when I was twelve, but it was simply a partial process unlike your own. Still it doesn't make much of a difference,"

Hyprocrite! Zhang De couldn't help but curse him in his heart. The fact that his was a partial process at least meant that he could still gain pleasure by himself if he wanted to compared to Zhang De who would have lost every thing.

"A Eunuch is called to serve the palace and it's occupants and we do it with both our bodies and souls," Lài Jin continued speaking and although Zhang De nodded in agreement in his heart he labelled him as nothing more than a brainwashed person who didn't know better.

Still, he was thankful that he was also a caring person since without him he would still be aimlessly roaming around.

"Hah…Do eunuchs get to leave the palace?" Zhang De suddenly asked the moment he remembered his true aim while making sure to show enormous signs of discomfort once in a while to ensure that he kept up with the ruse.

"Of course not. Well, unless you're assigned to the kitchen but even if you are, you're accompanied by so many soldiers that there's no space to breath,"

"I know what you're thinking but you're a eunuch now. Your life is in the palace and your death too. Of course if your ranking goes up, you might become favored and get a chance to step out with one of the members of the royal family," Lài Jin sighed with a wishful look in his eye that showed how much he yearned for a role.

"So the gates…"

"The soldiers at the gates will never let a eunuch out without the royal seal. If you go near it, it's almost like you're begging to be hanged or whipped to death." Lài Jin went ahead to warn in a severe tone, one that had Zhang De gulping down in fear at the realization that he was indeed in ancient times and there were still other barbaric acts being done.

"Still there's nothing to be worried about as a eunuch. The only time we'll ever such life threatening punishments is if we blatantly disobey higher orders…become a spy…commit treason…caught with one of the concubines in the harem…" Lài Jin said pausing a little at the end to send a look at Zhang De to show that he didn't have to worry about that one.

"...diobey or offend direct members of the royal family. They have moods so we always have to tread carefully and that's about it," Lài Jin finished counting it out with a smile on his face only to suddenly speak again.

"Oh I almost forgot but there's also being found to be uncut… Of course that is a crime punishable by death to the fifth generation of one's family but that's not something we both have to worry about,"