11
www.xinyin.mewww.yishuang.me“Stealing! Penalty: death!”
Sergeant Qiang’s voice rang over the parade ground in the center of the encant. Morning had e far too quickly for Mulan’s liking. She had been awakened by the sergeant’s loud voice billowing through the tent, ordering everyone outside for the rning announcents. Luckily, in the rush that had followed, Mulan had been able to slink into the shadows of the tent and dress. Now she stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other conscripts and seasoned soldiers as the sergeant barked a list of rules and the punishnts for breaking the Beside hi Coander Tung stood, his eyes ving over the n gathered in front of hi
“Desertion!” Sergeant Qiang went on. “Penalty: death!”
The n listened, their faces soer. Even Yao knew not to joke.
“Bringing won into ca or consorting with won in any way,” the sergeant continued. “Penalty: death!”
Mulan struggled to keep the panic and fear fronbsp; her face. She felt as though everyone was looking at her, though she knew that was not the case. Still, hearing Sergeant Qiang’s words de her fears feel that ch re real. She had known there was a penalty for won in the ar, but death? That seed a bit??.??.??. aggressive.
As if reading her thoughts, Sergeant Qiang finished his speech. “Dishonesty? Penalty??.??.??.” He paused, letting the word hang in the air for a nt before finishing. “Expulsion! Disgrace.”
The conscripts gasped.
Sergeant Qiang nodded. “Disgrace for you, disgrace for your faly, disgrace for your village??.??.??. disgrace for your country.”
Fronbsp; the looks on the faces of the n around her, and fronbsp; the way they all shifted unfortably on their feet, Mulan knew they were thinking the sa thing she was thinking. Disgrace was a far worse punishnt than death.
Mulan could have sworn Sergeant Qiang looked happier to have de all the soldiers nervous. Marching in front of the he stopped, slaing his finger into the chest of the nearest conscript. “We’re going to ke n out of every single one of you!”
As the parade ground erupted with cheers, Mulan half-heartedly lifted her own hand and voice. But on the inside, she shrank. How could they ke a n out of her when she wasn’t a n to begin with? And worse still, what would her future look like if anyone ever found out the truth?
Mulan was exhausted. After their rning “talking to,” they had been sent out into the ddle of the parade grounds to begin their basic training. For hours, she and the other “n” had been practicin
Sergeant Qiang’s voice rang over the parade ground in the center of the encant. Morning had e far too quickly for Mulan’s liking. She had been awakened by the sergeant’s loud voice billowing through the tent, ordering everyone outside for the rning announcents. Luckily, in the rush that had followed, Mulan had been able to slink into the shadows of the tent and dress. Now she stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other conscripts and seasoned soldiers as the sergeant barked a list of rules and the punishnts for breaking the Beside hi Coander Tung stood, his eyes ving over the n gathered in front of hi
“Desertion!” Sergeant Qiang went on. “Penalty: death!”
The n listened, their faces soer. Even Yao knew not to joke.
“Bringing won into ca or consorting with won in any way,” the sergeant continued. “Penalty: death!”
Mulan struggled to keep the panic and fear fronbsp; her face. She felt as though everyone was looking at her, though she knew that was not the case. Still, hearing Sergeant Qiang’s words de her fears feel that ch re real. She had known there was a penalty for won in the ar, but death? That seed a bit??.??.??. aggressive.
As if reading her thoughts, Sergeant Qiang finished his speech. “Dishonesty? Penalty??.??.??.” He paused, letting the word hang in the air for a nt before finishing. “Expulsion! Disgrace.”
The conscripts gasped.
Sergeant Qiang nodded. “Disgrace for you, disgrace for your faly, disgrace for your village??.??.??. disgrace for your country.”
Fronbsp; the looks on the faces of the n around her, and fronbsp; the way they all shifted unfortably on their feet, Mulan knew they were thinking the sa thing she was thinking. Disgrace was a far worse punishnt than death.
Mulan could have sworn Sergeant Qiang looked happier to have de all the soldiers nervous. Marching in front of the he stopped, slaing his finger into the chest of the nearest conscript. “We’re going to ke n out of every single one of you!”
As the parade ground erupted with cheers, Mulan half-heartedly lifted her own hand and voice. But on the inside, she shrank. How could they ke a n out of her when she wasn’t a n to begin with? And worse still, what would her future look like if anyone ever found out the truth?
Mulan was exhausted. After their rning “talking to,” they had been sent out into the ddle of the parade grounds to begin their basic training. For hours, she and the other “n” had been practicin