A Painful End
Liam Him Kit Fung, Group 2: Fiction, Chinese International School
he sun had never been as cruel and scorching as it had been on that particular day. This
incident took place during the period of the Great Ming Dynasty of China. Beads of sweat
trickled down Peng Tian’s face as he labored endlessly, hauling massive heavy clay bricks as
he trudged across the craggy mountains. The young man looked into the distance and could
see the patchwork of greens and browns stretching as far as the eye could see. He could see
mountain gorges etched into the ground, like the great rivers meandering across China. In his
heart, he knew that he was far from his beloved home. All the events that happened on that fateful day,
seemed to flood his mind with vivid images and thoughts.
T
Peng Tian was in a trance as he recalled the day over and over again in his head. He had begun
work at midnight, as he always had, for he slept during day and early evening. Well, you couldn’t say
worked, for he was more like a thief of the night who stole what was not his. He had raised himself
from the floor matting, grabbed his knife, and left the old building. His target was to steal the soldiers’
supplies from the nearest fort on the Ming Great Wall, as well as steal from unaware soldiers guarding
the path along the wall. Peng Tian lightly jumped across the roofs of the houses, each leap bringing
him closer to his destination. He seemed to float in midair as he soared over the houses, performing
dangerous Parkours. Of course, he had to be extremely careful of the Imperial Soldiers. They would
definitely foil his plan if they knew his intentions and possibly slay him. The young man crouched and
looked around. There were no more houses. Now he would have to hide in tall grass, crouching low if
he wanted to accomplish the grueling task. Finally, he clambered towards the Imperial Soldiers. These
men always held a lot of money and definitely a lot of food. All was going according to plan.
Peng Tian’s strong hands closed tightly around the soldier’s throat, cutting his airway off until he
became unconscious. He reached into the soldier’s pocket, making contact with an apple core. He
groaned, another bad day. Suddenly, a loud voice pierced the dark silence.
“
Hold it right there! We have you surrounded! Don’t fight back or you will be harmed without
hesitation!”
A fire torch lit up the darkness. Over a hundred soldiers holding bows and swords surrounded
Peng Tian. He immediately dropped his small weapon. There was no point in fighting back. A true man
knew when he was outnumbered and weak.
The next morning, he was immediately sent to meet the Imperial Judge and the Great High
Supreme Lord of all Life, Emperor Qi Jiguang. As a compromised man he was brought to court
alongside more than a hundred criminals. As soon as they entered the Judge’s realm, the Judge rubbed
his hands together with pleasure and smiled. He turned and looked at the prisoners.
“
I see that you are all ‘sinners’, am I right?” The Emperor who was seated above nodded and he
then continued in a high piercing voice.
“
You are all fortunate that we are building the Great Wall, our protector from the Xiongnus, the
Hungs. You have the choice to be sent there for your punishment instead of the chopping block. Be
thankful that I am such a merciful Emperor.”
The Judge laughed at this statement. Instantly, muttering occured between the criminals.
“
Well?” The Emperor demanded.
All the criminals fell silent immediately.
“
I’m asking you for an answer!” The Emperor screeched.
The criminals fearfully began to respond in soft unison.
“
Sire, we would like to work on the Great Wall.” The Emperor smiled mockingly as he pointed
towards the Imperial Soldiers. His eyes shone with the cunningness of a fox.
“
Escort every single one of them to the Great Wall, before I change my mind!”
For Peng Tian, reality had struck. His old life was now gone, and now he feared his future. As he
moved slowly a soldier idly cracked his whip in a bid to threaten the laborers.
“
No idlers here, get back to work this instant!”
Peng Tian immediately went back to his arduous job. The cycle was relentless. There was hardly
time to rest or even to sit down. His feet were cracked and dry, and as usual, the rest of his body was
racked in pain and continued to deteriorate. He reached the peak of the Great Wall, put down the
cleanly cut stone, and stretched his arms out wide. The feeling was amazing, to feel like you were the
tallest thing in the world while being short and frail. His heart seemed to just lurch over the edge of the
canyon before him, seeming like it was going to suddenly fall from his body. The sun pierced the
atmosphere and scorched his living flesh, not just burning the skin of the man, but reaching his soul.