MEET ME ON THE BATTLEFIELD

CHAPTER 14 - BEAT TAMERS

  After that night, things went back to normal.

  The camp was fully functional, even more, alive with life, perhaps because of the four courtesans who brought with them a touch of feminity. Soldiers all pined one after another for the courtesans.

  Just after a week, they were known as the armies beauties. Lan, the bashful beauty with a fan. Fei, the elegant beauty with a celestial's voice. Cui, a curious beauty whose playfulness tickled one's heart. And Mei, the leading courtesan with a fierce soul matching her beauty.

  The whole army was at their beck and call.

  Meanwhile, YuLin was dragged around everywhere with the general, so much that he knew about the general's habit of organizing his food before eating, fingers twitching when he was impatient and so on. YuLincould not find a way to escape at all.

  His treatment by the soldiers also changed. Many looked at him in fear, some in disdain. He sometimes heard them gossiping about his mixed lineage. But YuLin paid no heed, though his eyes were shadowed by loneliness, his lips which were always in view would reveal a smile without fail when people were around.

  His beasts, however, were not so patiently waiting in the forest. XiaoQi was often seen prowling around the camp, XiaoQin flying around tents, and when you heard a scream in the dead of midnight, you'd know that XiaoTian has slithered into someone's quilts, looking for YuLin.

  The city has been recovering and was on the verge of thanking the general and his army when the announcement of recruitment was made. The soldiers tensed up as they knew what was to come. Cries of sorrow and hatred.

  LiZhao sat in a restaurant that had survived the demon's attack. He sat on the first floor next to a window that gave him a clear view of the crowd below. His eyes frosty as he took in the sight of civilians curse his name and throw rotten foods at his soldiers.

  YuLin stood to the side as he watched the general.

  "Do your job properly," LiZhao commanded in a lowered voice.

  "Ah? Oh yes. Tea. Tea or wine?"

  LiZhao didn't answer so YuLin randomly selected a jar of wine from the shelf.

  After pouring, YuLin bravely sat down in the seat opposite the general and stared at him before stating in an even voice. "General, you don't like doing this, do you?"

  LiZhao merely lifted an eyebrow as if asking, what makes you say that.

  YuLin continued, "You have no need to be here knowing that your soldiers can do the recruitment just fine. Yet you've come here for the past three days of recruitment always at this window within hearing range of the crowd. If I didn't know better, I'd say you listen to their curses because you feel that you deserve it. For taking their children away. Am I right?" YuLin asked that last question whilst propping his head on one hand.

  LiZhao turned his head and looked at YuLin. He figured that YuLin was observant, but to state his state of mind so easily was alarming. LiZhao remained silent and picked up his cup, downing the contents in one go.

  "Tell me about beast tamers," LiZhao said, as his gaze returned to the crowd outside.

  YuLin was caught off guard by this question but answered after a minute of thought. "As you know... beat tamers are a half human half demon. In my case, my mother was a demon, my father human."

  "Was?" 

  "You know of the emperor's decree ten years ago I presume. All human's with any demon blood to be killed. The beast tamers especially, since we could harness the powers of incredible beasts." YuLin by now had also turned his head towards the window, watching as one young man pried himself from the arms of a sobbing woman.