Chapter 354: The Death of Benjamin

After they walked for a while, the mountain opened into a vast chamber carved deep into the rock. An old man sat cross-legged atop a jade bed. Beside him lay twelve girls, none older than thirteen, all unconscious. Each girl's brow had been sliced open. Small bowls sat nearby to catch the blood that seeped from the wounds. Two middle-aged women worked with practiced hands, cutting the brows again and again. The blood clotted quickly, so every so often they had to reopen the cuts. A faint red glow...