It was noon, and the sun blazed overhead in the mercenary base nestled deep within the mountains.
Su Shenyun, holding an umbrella, walked to the large iron cage in the middle of the clearing and calmly regarded Mandala, who was locked inside. Xu Wei had welded this cage in his spare time, specifically for catching crocodiles.
Three days had passed since their return to Xu Wei's mercenary base from Yelte Cathedral. For all three days, Mandala had been left in the cage, exposed to the wind, rain, and sun. Moreover, her arms and legs had been broken and her meridians destroyed, leaving her completely powerless to resist.
Although she was no longer young, she still retained some of her former beauty. Occasionally, Xu Wei's men would drag her out of the cage and take turns "cherishing" her in a nearby tarp-covered shed.
...
Weak and frail, Mandala sat in the cage looking out at Su Shenyun. She parted her cracked lips and smiled faintly. "You seem to be in much better spirits."
