「The General Mansion.」
The occasional screams from outside the window frightened Mrs. Liu so much that she wrapped herself in a blanket and huddled in a corner.
In the courtyard of Die Cui Pavilion, Xin Haiyun was tied to a post. Her hair was a mess, her face was covered in blood, and there wasn't a single patch of intact skin on her entire body.
A wizened, frail old woman with graying hair and a hunched back held a boning and skinning knife used by butchers.
An oiled paper cloth was spread on the ground, covered with bloody pieces of... something. One could faintly make out the texture of fine, fair skin...
The old woman tottered over, placed a freshly cut piece of skin on the cloth, then turned to sharpen her skinning knife before walking toward Xin Haiyun again.
"Help... help... I'm begging you, let me go..."
Xin Haiyun didn't even have the strength to cry anymore. She didn't dare to, because her tears would sting her wounds.
