Desperate Measures

[A Few Months Later]

Liu let out a deep sigh as he opened his eyes in the same damp and disgustingly crowded room he had spent the past several months in. The air felt stale and suffocating, and the pungent odor that circulated the place was almost unbearable. Yet, he was pretty used to it by now.

As he rose to his feet, he glanced around the room. As always, he was the first to wake up before everyone else. There was a lot on his mind, and he found himself up much earlier than usual. It was still dark outside, but he had to think about his actions going forward.

"After pushing my luck for so long, I've finally run out of time," his thoughts trailed off. All the slaves from his batch had been sold off long ago, and even more had come and gone during the span of months that he had spent in this place. Yet, even with all the change and renewal, he remained here.

How was he able to manage such a feat? Well, it was a desperate call every time, but he always found a way to make himself defective. The first time was an infection he obtained by intentionally poisoning himself with the spoiled food he had kept for that exact moment. After that, he resorted to other measures such as infecting himself or intentionally dislocating bones within his body. Each time, he was deemed an unfit product and would ultimately be disqualified from being sold.

But now, he knew he couldn't afford to go through that again. He couldn't bear the thought of remaining in this godforsaken place any longer. He had to find a way out, and fast.

With a heavy heart, Liu sank back onto his thin and rickety bed. He knew that the road ahead of him would be long and treacherous, but he was determined to see it through.

The stories Liu had heard about the Sects filled him with dread. Most children who were sent there died due to the extreme training measures these organizations incorporated, and less than one percent were guaranteed to survive. It was no wonder that these sects often appeared to buy even more slaves mere weeks after packing so many children.

Liu was confident in his ability to survive, but he knew there was no way he could take such a steep chance. Unfortunately, he had reached a dead end. Recollecting the conversation he had with the head of the slave trade, Nuli Fanzi, the previous day made him feel sick to his stomach.

"You are a liability, you little parasite. I have fed and catered for you for how many months, yet you remain a leech that feeds off my goodwill. I don't care if it is bad luck or the will of the gods, but if you do not get sold off this time, then I'd rather kill you off myself."

Once he had heard those words, Liu knew he could no longer stall for time. The reason he had survived this long was that the business was a large-scale enterprise, and Nuli Fanzi was very intent on getting his money's worth from each slave he bought. However, now that it had come to this, Liu knew the man would rather lose one unprofitable expense than cater for it.

"I need to act fast or I'm as good as dead," Liu thought to himself, his mind racing. He looked around the room, taking in the rough faces and darkened eyes of the sleeping slaves around him. There seemed to be no other choice.

"I suppose there's no other choice, then," he muttered, gritting his teeth. It brought him no pleasure to undertake the task that was beginning to form in his mind, but he was currently left with no choice.

To fulfill his promise to his mother and carry on the burning emotion of hatred that stirred in his heart towards the killer of his parents, Liu knew he had to do it. "I have to use them," he thought, his mind made up.

With a heavy heart, Liu began to formulate a plan. It was risky, but it was his only chance of survival. He knew what he had to do, and he would stop at nothing to make it happen.

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"My name is Liu," he declared with a commanding presence, his voice cutting through the air like a knife. "You will follow me, and I promise you freedom. But make no mistake, those who disobey will face the ultimate consequence."

Liu surveyed the fresh faces before him, noting their disorientation and confusion. He knew that these new slaves were impressionable, and he intended to exploit their vulnerability to his advantage.

Yet, he also knew that some may resist his authority. As expected, one voice spoke up in defiance, wavering with fear. "Why should we listen to you?"

Liu's eyes locked onto the speaker, assessing their strength of will. He could sense the tension in the air, the collective uncertainty of those around him.

>POW!<

And so, he struck him.

"I have spent the most time here," Liu declared with a steely resolve, standing above the unconscious body of the boy who had dared to defy him. "I have more experience than all of you, and I am the strongest."

He had made sure not to leave any visible marks on the boy's body, careful not to draw the attention of the officers who patrolled the area. But the brutality with which he had crushed the little ember of rebellion had been enough to quash any thoughts of resistance among the rest.

Liu had no time to gain their trust, not with the next trade period looming just two weeks away. He had to mold these children into his ideal image, to prepare them for the ultimate riot that would grant them the freedom they deserved.

For that to work, he had to eliminate any doubts or uncertainties. Swiftly and efficiently, he sought to take over the fifty children in his group, bending them to his will. He knew that their confusion would be the key to releasing the other kids, causing chaos and distracting the officers.

But as he surveyed the cowering children before him, Liu couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Each child had a family, just like him, torn away from everything they knew and forced into slavery. And yet, here he was, using them to achieve his own goals, taking advantage of their vulnerability.

He was definitely scum.

Liu was well aware of that, yet he donned a bright smile in front of his trembling audience.

"I promise you all freedom. Follow me, and we will all be free!"

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[A/N]

In case you all missed the tag, Liu is an anti-hero.

He isn't a classic 'good guy', but I can't label him as a villain. This is the story about a morally grey person. Whether or not he ends up finding his humanity, or losing whatever remnant he has left… that is what this story chooses to explore.

I hope you enjoy it.