'This wound is deep. Very likely you 'll end up with a scar, sir. '

Zuigetsu wasn 't shocked by the words. They just confirmed what he already knew. After all, he 'd been able to feel just how close Loulan had come to slicing all the way through his cheek. It had hurt, but to his surprise it hadn 't been nearly as painful as he would 've anticipated. The stitches that were currently being placed hurt more than the cut. Very strange.

Another strange thing? Just how quickly everything had happened. It was all over in barely half an hour. In the space of thirty minutes Zuigetsu had watched the deaths of Shishou, Shenmei, and Loulan. They were all traitors and their deaths had been merciful compared to what they would 've gone through had they been arrested and taken back to the palace.