Chapter 646: Bow Flute

The Soldier preparing to carry out the punishment stared at the few newly arrived Slaves and said, "Oh, them? As soon as they arrived, they started grabbing food, stealing food, and even got into a fight. Look at this, they're causing quite a scene. I think if they get a good thrashing, they might be a bit more obedient."

The Soldier leading the way looked at his companion's expression and knew what he meant, so he also gave a faint laugh and said, "Oh, is that so? Then go ahead and beat them. I'll take them to watch so they can learn a thing or two."

Afterward, he turned his head to the three people behind him and said, "Watch closely, so you'll know what the consequences are for stealing food and fighting to cause trouble. Although common problems won't cost you your life, you definitely won't have an easy time of it."

The few newly arrived Slaves nodded repeatedly, somewhat panicked. They hadn't even felt a single bit of excitement yet, and now they had to witness this scene; to tell the truth, they were still somewhat terrified.

By the time they finished chatting, the few people waiting to be beaten were already scared out of their wits. They hoped it would be over quickly; the longer this dragged on, the more afraid they became. At this moment, it felt as if their hearts were about to fly out of their throats.

Those few Soldiers were also ready, but before taking action, they checked their faces to make sure it wasn't the Dormitory Chief, then spat on their hands, gripped their whips firmly, and said, "Your punishment is two lashes. Count them yourself, and don't get the count wrong."

The person about to be beaten was already on the verge of tears. He didn't know where he was going to be hit, so his legs were shrinking inward with all his might, and his whole body was curling up together.

The Soldier said, "Alright, relax..." But before he could finish speaking, a whip landed solidly on the Slave's buttocks. In an instant, a heart-rending roar echoed across the entire Battalion grounds.

The Soldiers did not make them shut up; instead, they let the screaming continue for a while. After all, only in this way could everyone hear it and achieve the goal of intimidation.

Then, the few Soldiers carrying out the punishment, without saying they were about to start the second lash, struck again directly, and the screams rang out once more.

The punishment for the four people ended, and then they let the people holding them go. The few Slaves just lay paralyzed on the ground, wailing. The men were hit harder, and the women relatively lighter, mainly because their bodies were all too weak. If it were according to the merciless execution standards of those people in the Ministry of Justice, these two lashes might even have cost them their lives, or at the very least, left them unable to move for a long time. However, in order for the Slaves to be able to accept the subsequent training, they only maximized the pain and minimized the damage.

After finishing one batch, they rotated. The second group to come up could no longer stand straight. After all, with the previous examples right there, they now regretted what they had done before beyond measure, but there was no turning back, so they had to endure it.

Just like that, after beating a few people, the Dormitory Chief had to take three lashes, the most miserable of all. As for the last person to be beaten, there was no one left to support them, so they had to try to stand straight on their own. One lash went down, and they jumped straight up; another lash was struck, and they just lay down stiffly.

The punishment ended. The few new Slaves were already so scared they didn't even dare to look. Just the sound of those screams was enough to make their legs tremble.

The Soldier carrying out the punishment smiled at the Soldier leading the way and said, "Alright, it's finished here, and they've finished learning. Take them to collect their things."

The Soldier leading the way was also all smiles. After exchanging greetings, he took the people away. On the way, he said to the few Slaves who were so scared they couldn't even lift their heads, "You saw the punishment just now, so you must behave yourselves and keep your roommates in line. Otherwise, you'll have to be beaten like that. If you do well, not only will you be able to pass through the Winter smoothly, but when the weather warms up and it's time to arrange work for you, you'll be able to live a better life than others because of your good performance."

The work will be light, you'll eat more, and you'll even be able to wear clean clothes. Do you understand? This Winter is a chance for you to change your future life."

The few Slaves nodded repeatedly, then took the admonition to heart, not daring to forget it for a moment.

And the continuous, long-lasting screams from the camp just now were heard clearly by the registration office. The Slaves still waiting in line were now in a state of confusion, and the queue began to grow noisy for a time. They didn't know what had happened and were very panicked, but this also seemed very reasonable; after all, they were Slaves.

The Soldiers who had already finished the handover held their whips and directed the scene, quickly calming the queue down. However, the scene was also much more deathly silent, and the emotions of the Slaves had fallen to rock bottom.

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue looked as usual, pretending they hadn't heard anything, and continued their work in an orderly manner. They also hoped to find one or two Slaves with some special skills.

Soon, an official got his wish. He questioned a Slave who was carrying a rotten animal-skin bag. Their personal property had not yet been confiscated because the workload was too great; it would be checked and confiscated one by one later, and some things could be left with them.

This Slave had a name; he was called Xi. When asked what he could do, he said he was once a Shaman, though not a very important kind, because he could play the Flute, but he could not perform sacrifices.

The official suddenly became excited at this, so he put down his pen: "Flute? It's a musical instrument, right?"

Xi nodded in admission.

The official asked again: "Then your instrument, did you bring it? If not, can you make one? Answer truthfully; this is very important for you. If it is true, you will likely be able to get rid of your status as a Slave."

Xi had originally been in despair, but upon being asked this, he suddenly raised his head, his face full of surprise. Even the surrounding Slaves looked over one after another, their faces full of curiosity.

The other officials also hurriedly noted down the question they had just asked, then put down their pens, preparing to watch.

Xi anxiously tore open his animal-skin bag and took out a bright red, curved stick. The official looked at the holes on it and also believed that this was undoubtedly a musical instrument. The anticipation in his heart grew even stronger; the Huaxia were truly lacking people who could play musical instruments now.

The official registering Xi hurriedly said, "Come, play and let us see."

Xi excitedly picked up his Flute, his hands fumbling to find the correct holes. Then, after tentatively blowing a few breaths, he earnestly played a sacrificial melody often performed by his Jiangshui Tribe.

The melody was highly repetitive, but it did not seem to be imitating Nature. The officials of the Ministry of Revenue were also listening, mesmerized. Once Xi finished playing the piece, he waited anxiously for the result. The officials of the Ministry of Revenue applauded one after another, their smiles bright.

Xi did not understand why and was still very flustered, while the other Slaves, because they had heard a familiar melody from their hometown, and given their current situation of having wandered for a long time and now becoming Slaves, could not help but weep.