Lixin steps to the stairs of the palace, every heavy step becoming a bit louder to his ears. Grinding his eyes, and his black sacks below.
He goes inside the palace and a preatorian accompanies him to the emperor's doors. The pretorian asks "general Lixin, did the varina send you the message?"
"Yes. along with the change of the codename on the end of the month"
The preatorian says bluntly "Excellent "
He opens the doors and swiftly stroll forward with Lixin, and both bow "my emperor. We are here as you asked"
"Excellent. Now general Lixin tell me again about the progress the army made on trailing the perpetrators"
"We found one warehouse at the east and two at the north. The only connection being that they bribed them to hide their recourses. Beyond this the progress is stalled"
The emperor says with a tone of anger "That's why I order you general to go to the islands. Find if anyone, and especially the half blooded have escaped to the ranks, poisoning our nation and cleanse the ranks and force them to speak"
Lixin bows lower "yes, my emperor"
The emperor holds his hands together, saying with amazement "you have dedication and skills general Lixin. Continue like this and one day you will become one of my preatorians"
Lixin bow lower. His head almost reaching the ground "thank you, my emperor"
"Now go to the harbor. The soldiers will wait for you"
Lixin gets up and leaves, with the preatorian shutting the doors.
He goes to the harbor and sees the soldiers standing in a straight line, looking forward.
He goes in front of them, hearing the susurrations of the people "did they find the ones who blew the ships?" Or
"The emperor will bring justice to the killers"
Lixin move his hand forward, and board a large ship ong with the twenty other soldiers, with a wooden dragon extending in front of the ship. It's head point and shard. He look most at young faces. Spending most of his time thinking alone in the dark cabinet below the deck.
After two weeks they reach the shore. The young soldiers lay their hands on the front of the ship. looking with their mouth open at the island's volcano, and to the other scattered islands seeing only their shadows and to the close ones seeing the short white buildings with ceramic rooftops and even the crowds of people with women wearing long robes with strong colors, and men broad clothes with the sleeves gaping largely.
Lixin shout "soldiers, on the line"
The soldiers make two lines with Lixin besides them and depart the ship.
An old soldier with grey long hair tied in a ponytail comes as soon as Lixin place his feet on the ground, and gives his hand "you must be general Lixin. It's an honor to meet you"
Lixin says on top of the last words of the soldier "tell me about the trade. Do the soldiers inspect the ships?"
The soldier takes a moment to answer "As far as we know everything is proceeding with care"
"I want to see this with my eyes later" he look around the town
"Tell me, where do you keep the half blooded?"
The man points his hand "right behind the volcano. I will accompany you with some soldiers there"
Lixin nods his head and they start walking
"I'm sorry that I couldn't lay to you some horses, but the Islands need them on the fields after the war"
Lixin continues to look forward, ignoring the voice of the man.
At noon they go to the other side of the volcano.
Lixind orders the soldiers to make a vertical line, and move at the thick vegetation. Stepping over the veins and twigs, looking over at the gaps in front of them.
After tens of minutes They go out, and reach the impoverished village, looking at the wooden structures, with veins sitting on many rooftops, and even trees adapting and going inside them and coming out. Planks hold by large vines, and walls with no windows and small holes in the woods.
Lixin look to his right "those who are on my right side, gather everyone you find here"
The soldiers scatter and rush to the building. Soon screams are heard and the soldiers and Lizin stand unfazed.
The soldiers place them on a line. The feeble old men either standing with their knees shaking or laying in the dirt, with the women helping them or hugging their children tight, and forcefully closing their eyes.
The general shouts "from the first time we retook our islands we always had problems with you. Scavenging and stealing. now maybe even crawling to our ranks"
A woman shouts "we are not half blooded. The people here just condemned us because they hate us and wanted to take our properties"
Lixin eyes open wide. The woman turn her head on the other side. Lixin goes forward and grabs her black hair
"This does not mean anything, your eyes or the way you are talking. You are just an offspring of a slut and of the enemy"
Lixin orders the soldiers to raise their weapons. The children start crying. The women close their eyes and whisper to their children. Lixin pull the woman from her hair. Her child crying and extending her arms as it follows behind her. The woman scream with tears. Her face puckered "plase, I beg you leave me and my children alone"
Lixin hit the woman in her stomach, and she kneel. He pull her hair upwards and said "tell me the names and places of the half bloodied that escaped"
The woman grab Lixins arm trying to pull his fingers. The children and women continue to cry as the point of the spears stand centimeters away.
Lixin shouts "I heard you half blooded have empathy for one another, so I will give you a chance. Write the names of the half blooded who escaped, and describe them or your stubbornness will kill everyone here"
The woman cries and nods her head.
Lixin whispers to her ear "and it better be right, or else we will come back"
The woman nods her head as she writes the names.
A soldier comes holding pen and cloth
Drawing the persons the woman describes.
Lixin takes the drawing and put it in front of the woman
"Are all of these still on the island?"
The woman stammering points her finger "only this one is still here as I know"
Lixin look at the drawing. A young man with short hair, black eyes, and a wide nose, and underneath saying "Wu"
Lixin push the woman. crawling back to her child and bringing it to her hug, with many of her people looking at her with rage.
Most of the soldiers come beside him. The younger ones looking with their fingers moving or clutching their arms or looking plaintive.
They start leaving and Lixin whispers to the old man with the grey hair "place guards around the settlement when their men return from labor"
"But most of them protect the towns here, we don't have the numbers to send more here"
"You must do it or they will revolt. Besides they return in one week. You can muster men until then"
Lixin walk in front of him.
They go outside the small town. People passing by whispering "are they here because of the explosion in the capital, do we have to be worried?"
"Do not be stupid, the army is sent by the emperor here to protect us"
They continue hearing more Susurrations. Most about the explosion at the harbour but their worries are put down by the mention of the emperor.
They go inside the barrack. A square building made of stone. Having 25 beds and a chest beneath each of it.
Soldiers start deciding which bed they will take.
As they decide Lixin says" I will be outside. Do not bother me if its not something of great importance"
The soldiers make a sound inside their mouth
And Lixin walks away. Sitting on the edge of a boulder, feeling the chill air on his neck, Thoughtfully looking at the paper's names. Holding it intensely, and crinkling it. His pupil moves down and he let the paper down, placing a small rock on them, and does not takes his eyes away. Holding a small rock tight with his veins coming out.
Lixin wakes up as the first rays of sun hit him. He takes the paper in his hand and goes to the barrack, striking his spear at the wooden collum, and the soldiers rise. Dress. Drink and eat and in an hour they march.
They go to the small city. Showing the drawings to anyone they see.
A soldier shouts "general come here"
Lixin stroll towards him and an old man holding the drawing with his veins on his hands popping. Lixin stands beside the soldier, and says with his eyes focused on the man "did you find anything?"
"Mister here said that he has seen the man on the drawing"
Lixin moves his feet towards the man. Tension building on his face. The man leans his body back and says swiftly "I've seen this man three days ago, going to the other side of the volcano and coming back and taking the ship and leaving"
"Have you seen where the ship was headed?"
"I heard it was going at dao tie, but I don't know more"
Lixin let the tension off his face "very well. Thank you for your service. We shall go now"
Lixin and the soldier turn. The old man says "oh and something else. The man went yesterday to a house not away from here. Turn right and go to the end of the city there you will see two houses, the house behind the other is the one"
Lixin thank him and toss him two gold coins.
The man bows and Lixin pointing his finger at the soldier "you will come with me"
The young man smirk and walks beside him
They walk among the people. Many bowing, and giving them fruits.
The two continue with the soldier showing an effervescent smile Every time someone bows or talk to him.
Soon they are left alone on the street. The soldier rotates the yellow round fruit. He says with a weak tone "general if I may ask. Was this violence necessary yesterday?"
Lixin look at him with the edge of his eye "you are a soldier of the huagjin. You knew from the first day you joined violence would become a habitual part of your life"
"I know. But I thought of acting like this on the enemy"
Lixin says over the soldier's voice "so you mean they were not the enemy?"
The soldier's smile fades, and a lament expression comes to his face "they were defenseless women and children. Nothing more"
Lixin lean his head down towards the soldier "they were
Infiltrating our ranks, poisoning our lands. You will someday learn that to keep the emperor and the nation safe you will have to show cruelty to anyone who oppose him. Even the slightest "
The soldier look troubled at Lixin "so you were always alright doing this?"
Lixin let his lips open for a moment "from a very young age I was taught to be disciplined and prideful for the emperor and the nation"
They both stay silent for a moment
"What is your name?"
"Zhao"
"Zhao you will understand with time why you need to take such measures. I just hope it will be swift"
Zhang nods his head, looking plaintively.
They reach the house, and Lixin knock on the door. He makes a step forward and the soldier a step back.
The soldier look around the white painted stones of the house. The ceramic rooftop and the other houses. Trying to see if any difference.
Lixin says "Go see from the windows if there is anyone inside"
The soldier goes to the other side of the house. He peak at the window and sees clothes thrown around on the floor. A broken chair on the corner and a table with a half eaten Streak on, along with a wooden cup filled with wine.
The soldier lean his head more on the window. Seeing two feet laying on a bed inside a room meters away from the table.
He hears the door knocking louder and sees the man moving his feet, and he returns to Lixin.
"You woke him up"
Lixin turn his eyes at the door and knocks the door with fury.
The door slowly open, the man comes out topless.his body covered with body hair, his belly almost passing the door, and his eyes halfway closed with black sacks below
He says with a croaky sound "can I help you soldiers?"
Lixin holds the paper in front of his face "do you know about this man?"
The man examined the drawing thoughtfully "I have seen him. Strolling around the city from time to time"
"Have you seen him the last days?"
"No. The last time I saw him was a month ago. He is probably in the capital now from what I heard. Living his life"
Lixin raise his spear and points to the man "you speak lies. Tell us where he is, and I will let you live"
The man backs down, shouting "I really know nothing about him"
Zhao look confused as he takes stares between the man and Lixin.
Lixin goes forward and hits him on the head with the back of the spear, knocking the man down
"We spoke with a man and he said the perpetrator went here yesterday"
"he is my son. He is just a trader traveling around the islands"
Lixin hit him again. Making a loud knock on the floor, and painting it red
"Do you mean biological or adopted?"
"Biological"
Lixin hit him again.
Zhang look at the passengers staring at them
"General they are looking at us"
"They look at the punishment of this man"
"General he is already wounded, we shouldn't push it further"
Lixin stare at him with a frightened look and Zhang's heart skips a beat. The genera look back on the man "one last chance to live, tell me who the man is"
"He is my son"
"You have adoptive a half blooded, you know that?"
"Yes I adopted him, at the age of twelve, but he is not a half blooded neither a criminal. He never did any harm to anyone"
Lixin hit him one more time. The man's eyes rolling upward and fainting
"Call two soldiers to arrest him"
Zhao close his eye intensely. Rushing to the barracks.
Lixin wait with the people bowing at the general and giving him more fruits, and after some minutes two more soldiers come taking the man.
Lixin walks with them, and Zhao asks from behind
with hesitation "where are we going now?"
"To the north islands. After i send a message to the commander"
Lixin goes to the barracks. Finding the local varina messanger and ordering
"Tell the varina to send these words to the commander of dao tie" making a short pause
"In six days at midnight we will be there. Wait us at the port " the varina bow and
Zhao follows Lixin, looking at the ground pensively, And feeling his spine
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shivering from time to time.
They gathered at the port, and Lixin and the soldiers embark on the ship and sail to the north islands.
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