Shackles of Humanity

After Li Gui left, Luo Kai was a bundle of nerves and excitement. He picked up an iron poker from the ground, then thought better of it and put it down. All tools had to be handed in after their work was done. Losing one meant a guaranteed whipping, not to mention being thrown into solitary confinement.

Just as Luo Kai was trying to figure out what to use as a weapon, Shisan suddenly spoke up. ”Xiaokai, when you’re gathered with the other prisoners tomorrow, don’t get involved in anything. No matter what.”

”What’s wrong?” Luo Kai asked, confused.

Shisan’s expression was grim. ”All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. I can’t even guarantee I’ll make it out alive. You’re still young. You’ll have other chances in the future, so stay out of it.”

Luo Kai said urgently, ”But I’ve learned the Combat Skill you taught me! I don’t have any real fighting experience, but I should be able to protect myself...”

Shisan waved a hand, cutting Luo Kai off. He pointed to a nearby watchtower. ”Don’t underestimate these guards. If my guess is right, the prison authorities have known about this for a long time!”

Luo Kai was stunned. ”Then why haven’t they done anything?”

Shisan said coldly, ”Because they want to gain absolute control over the prisoners here, maybe even forge them into an elite fighting force! Did you really think that Tri-Eyed Race Prison Director came here for a paltry iron mine? Hmph. Nanya Island has nearly three thousand people, prisoners and guards combined. If you train them as soldiers and make a few modifications to the transport ships at the docks, you’ve got yourself a sizable fleet!”

”So, this Tri-Eyed Race Prison Director is planning a rebellion?” Luo Kai asked, completely in the dark about the politics of this world’s human kingdoms.

”A full-blown rebellion? He wouldn’t dare. As far as I know, the Xingma Kingdom’s Military Punishment Department is notoriously powerful. However, the various Lordship Kingdoms are in chaos right now. They face the external threat of Fierce Beasts, while internally, those Major Trading Groups and Farmers have all raised large private armies. They consistently defy the Great Lord’s authority and are locked in endless private wars.

”I’d say this Prison Director wants to raise his own army and become self-sufficient. Nanya Island’s back is to the sea, and the Broken Star Islands aren’t far off—that’s the main pirate stronghold. All he has to do is report a pirate threat to his superiors, and he can brazenly train his prisoner army. It’s a perfect position, flexible enough for both offense and defense.”

”How do you know all this?”

Shisan pointed to his ears. ”I’ve heard a few things, seen a few things. That last batch of ’war criminals’ weren’t prisoners at all. They were instructors, brought here to train the inmates! Tomorrow, they’ll probably use some excuse to wipe out all the existing ringleaders among the prisoners, forcing everyone else to submit.”

Luo Kai had never imagined things could be so complex. ”So, are you going to get involved tomorrow?”

”Li Gui was right. Tomorrow is the perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters. We’ll see what happens.”

Luo Kai frowned in thought for a moment. ”The prison authorities will want to control the situation with minimal losses,” he said. ”They probably won’t resort to a massacre.”

”Mm. Once that Tri-Eyed Race Prison Director has the situation under control, he’s sure to promote a new batch of prisoners and help them clear their criminal records. For us death row inmates, that might not be a bad thing. That’s why you absolutely must not get involved. Xiaokai, you’re a good person at heart. If you’re ever lucky enough to get out of here, just find a place to live a quiet life.”

Luo Kai scratched his head. Huoshui Su had told him the same thing. ”Since we can’t change anything,” he said softly, ”wouldn’t it be fine to be the Tri-Eyed Race Prison Director’s private soldiers? It’s better than being prisoners, anyway.”

A contemptuous smirk touched Shisan’s lips, his eyes radiating immense self-confidence. He sneered, ”I will not be anyone’s private soldier!”

...

That night, Luo Kai slipped quietly into the tunnel. He planned to finish digging through to the outside and scout the area. Tomorrow was too unpredictable; if a large-scale riot broke out, the prison authorities would surely resort to a bloody crackdown. If Shisan got involved, he would undoubtedly be in danger.

In the time they had spent together, Luo Kai had come to see Shisan as his first real friend in this world.

Sand trickled down as a sliver of moonlight shone through. Luo Kai carefully poked his head out. He found himself on a barren, sandy flat, with the massive prison wall behind him. In the distance, the light from the mine’s bonfires was a jarring sight in the darkness. A surge of excitement coursed through him. Seeing no immediate danger, he slowly climbed out of the hole and plunged into the endless night. For a moment, he completely forgot his objective, running instead toward the sound of the crashing waves.

Bathed in the liberating sea breeze, Luo Kai was so excited he wanted to scream, but he knew he couldn’t. He suddenly remembered what he was there for, quickly ducking low and beginning to crawl forward cautiously.

Despite his caution, Luo Kai still alerted the hounds that roamed free on the island. A dog with wrinkled skin had already spotted him. It didn’t bark, but instead began to stalk him silently, its eyes emitting an eerie green glow.

Luo Kai noticed the Shar-Pei behind him, and a knot of panic tightened in his stomach. He wasn’t afraid of the dog itself, but of it barking. He quickened his pace, glancing back over his shoulder every few moments.

As the saying goes, the dogs that bite don’t bark. And this one didn’t just want to bite him; it wanted to eat him. Prisoners died nearly every day at Nanya Island, and their bodies were fed to the hounds. The dogs had learned to distinguish the scent of inmates from that of the Prison Guards, and they would attack any prisoner on sight without hesitation.

A dark cloud drifted over the already dim moon, plunging the landscape into deeper shadow. The hound seemed to have lost his trail. But just as Luo Kai began to relax, a black shadow lunged at him from behind a nearby rock. It was the Shar-Pei.

Luo Kai instinctively threw himself to the side, powering a punch forward with his right arm. The Shar-Pei was incredibly agile; it twisted in midair, somehow dodging the blow.

The Shar-Pei backed up a few steps and crouched low, a continuous growl rumbling in its chest. Its bloodthirsty eyes now held a glimmer of caution.

In the moonlight, Luo Kai could see the dog was covered in ghastly scars, its fur nearly all gone. It was an outcast, a lone dog driven from its pack. No wonder it hadn’t barked; it wanted the prey all to itself.

In his past life, Luo Kai would have turned tail and run. But the man he was now felt not a shred of fear—only a thrill of excitement. He crouched slightly, bared his teeth at the Shar-Pei, and charged, throwing a punch. He had to end this fight fast, before the dog could raise an alarm.

The Shar-Pei let out a low growl and charged as well, completely ignoring the incoming fist. Its maw, full of sharp teeth, lunged straight for Luo Kai’s throat. It knew the weaknesses of humans and had great confidence in its thick, wrinkled hide.

THUD. Luo Kai’s fist landed first, squarely on the Shar-Pei’s head. The force was immense, sending the dog flying sideways. But unexpectedly, the Shar-Pei twisted its body again in midair, suddenly accelerating as its fang-filled maw appeared inches from Luo Kai’s face.

Luo Kai’s heart seized. Just as the fangs were about to connect, he thrust his right shoulder up to meet the dog’s gaping mouth.

The Shar-Pei clamped down on Luo Kai’s shoulder without hesitation. The bite force of a canine is among the strongest in the animal kingdom. Even though this dog was old and weak, its bite was still devastating. Luo Kai let out a muffled grunt, feeling as if his shoulder blade had been crushed.

’This Mighty Dragon Fist is such a scam! Using a shoulder to block a bare-handed opponent is one thing, but using it against an animal with sharp teeth and claws? Isn’t that just serving yourself up to be bitten?!’