The Last Victory

20. The Vengeance of the Oppressed Person

Her throat hurt. The rope that was supposed to keep her from running away wasn't exactly slack. She was alone. The room was empty and cold. Probably some kind of storeroom in one of the buildings near the palace. Yin-Yu crouched at a wooden beam to which she had been tied with strong ropes. Because of the extra rope around her neck, it was impossible for her to move her head.
Her gaze wandered up to the ceiling. Everything hurt her, inside or outside. She just felt miserable. It comforted her that he hadn't done anything to her yet, but she was afraid that he wouldn't wait long to do it.
At the next moment, she froze when she heard footsteps that were heard behind the door. The peahen held her breath when the door opened. Light fell into the dark room. Yin-Yu was tied up with his back to the door. Presumably he had purposely handcuffed her in this position so that she couldn't look him directly in the face. He knew her well enough that he could use it to scare her extremely well.
Everything remained quiet for a while. She saw the shadow that fell on the wall in front of her. She knew he was there.
Finally, he entered. Her posture cramped. Since their first meeting, he had made her understand that he hated her, or more he cursed her. His presence was always a shadow of disaster for her. No matter what time of day. He had always been cold on her. Even on the wedding night, he acted like it was just everyday routine. Unlike Shen, who had adored her dearly.
The steps fell silent. He was standing next to her now, but in such a way that she could only faintly see him out of the corner of her eye.
"It's been quite a while since we were alone together, isn't it?" He smiled mockingly. She heard how he put out his wing to her and lowered it on her shoulder. She shivered as he rubbed his finger feathers on her.
"One year is short, but too long for me," he continued in a monotonous voice. "But I suppose you had a good time during that time, hadn't you?"
He tightened his grip on her shoulder, which made her gasp.
"Please, let the children go!" she asked. "You can do whatever you want with me. But let them go!"
"Oh yeah." His tips of his wing dug into her. "I heard you had success in your orgy with him." He continued to massage his finger feathers into her shoulder. "It's a shame that it had to end so tragically."
Yin-Yu gasped with a low whimper. The wound of loss was still too fresh to talk about. But everything sounded like a death threat from Xiang's mouth.
To her relief, but also to her shock, he let go of her and stepped across from her. She had no choice but to look up at him, as she couldn't lower her head because of the rope around her neck.
Xiang folded his wings and looked at her with a neutral expression. "I guess that hurts, doesn't it?"
She swallowed hard. "Why are you talking about it?"
The blue peacock shrugged. "Oh, probably because I helped a little."
She looked at him startled. But Xiang just grinned. "I have caused to destroy your brood."
For a moment, Yin-Yu was numb. She was petrified. When it finally got through to her, she could only breath an incredulous "no". But Xiang just nodded and Yin-Yu couldn't help but cry. It was like having her heart cut in half. But the blue peacock showed no remorse.
"Now don't get so upset. They certainly didn't feel much. And maybe it was an effort for nothing. But I had to teach you a lesson."
But Yin-Yu stopped listening to him. Xiang didn't seem to care at the moment and didn't care about the lamentation of his ex-wife, who sat there tied up lost and no longer knew what to do with her grief.
"Believe me," he said in an indifferent voice. "I was also hurt by the humiliation you brought me."
He looked at her, but she had just closed her eyes and let her tears run free, but the peacock didn't care.
"Oh, how I cursed the day," he continued relentlessly. "And I can tell you it hasn't been a comfortable time since we split up. My feet still hurt from all that work in the labor camp. Work that was far below my dignity." He put the tips of his finger feathers together. "But I always imagined how I could punish you for it. And your offspring has been just right for me. Pain for pain. I've already inflicted the inner pain on you. Now you have to feel it superficial."
Yin-Yu had slowly recovered a little and managed to formulate a few words again. "Why? Why are you doing this? I never did anything to you!"
Xiang leaned down and clasped her face, looking at her with slight reproach. Then he let his wing slide behind her head and looked coldly into her eyes until a smile crossed his beak.
"You women act so harmless." Suddenly, his finger feathers pierced her head feathers. "But you are not!"
Before Yin-Yu could utter a sound, she cried a choked scream as he jerked his claw forward and squeezed her larynx. She panicked as he began to choke her a little. She was afraid he would suffocate her, but then he let go again, his wing still holding her head, but then his claws pierced her neck feathers instead.
"Stop it, stop it!" She pleaded.
She feared he might scratch her bloody, but he let go of her. "All right, you'll be punished enough later anyway."
With that, he pulled out a knife and cut her bonds. She sank to the floor crying. Then he circled her like a predator. Without consideration, he grabbed her neck and pulled her up. As he did so, he let the knife wander down her neck and to her clothes.
"Now look at me at last!" He snapped at her. "I'm still your ex-husband."
Furiously, he tore part of her clothing. Whimpering, she held her wings protectively in front of her. "No, you can't do that to me!"
"Oh, don't worry," Xiang calmed her in an ominous tone. "That's not what I have in mind. I have planned a completely different role for you."
He threw her away and she landed again roughly on the floor. Then he put one foot on her back and put all of his weight on her lung. She gasped for breath. She would have had enough strength to defend herself, but Xiang's psychological terror paralyzed her even more than his acts of violence. He looked down at her imperiously, making sure she was looking at him.
"You will not see the next morning anymore!" he threatened icily. "And he neither!"