Backstory

I felt as if an eternity had passed in those warm hands. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself cradled in a different pair of hands. This woman was slightly older than the one who had initially picked me up, but her gaze was just as gentle.

She brought me close, placing my mouth against her nipple. A sweet liquid began to flow into my mouth, warm and comforting. I drank eagerly, savoring the sensation.

Nearby, I could hear the voice of the first woman speaking, though her words were incomprehensible to me. Despite that, I strained to listen while immersing myself in drinking the milk. Happiness filled me, but then a voice I had heard before echoed in my mind:

[Congratulations, Host, for tasting milk for the first time. You have received a Bronze-Level Lottery Coupon. Additionally, you have acquired {Language Basic} and 1,000 system points.]

I blinked in confusion as faint words and images flashed before my eyes, only to disappear the next moment. Unable to understand what had just happened, I returned my focus to drinking the milk. Gradually, I began to comprehend fragments of the conversation between the two women.

"My Lord, I would be happy to care for her. She's absolutely adorable," one of them said.

"That's fine. The cost is ten gold coins per day. I can make an exception for you to visit every day," the other replied.

Their words held little meaning for me. All I cared about was quenching my hunger, but my satisfaction was short-lived.

"You can't overfeed yourself. Everything must be in moderation," the woman who had picked me up earlier said sternly, lifting me from the other's arms. Her expression was both strict and instructional, though I didn't care. I was still hungry and wanted more.

Frustrated, I began to cry. 'This isn't fair!' I thought indignantly.

The second woman hesitated before speaking, her voice uncertain. "Madam, I think most children would be full by now. But the young miss still seems hungry."

"Let's try again. If she drinks more, then so be it. "

Once again, I was handed back to the older woman, and I resumed drinking. But this time, I only managed a little more before an overwhelming drowsiness took hold. Slowly, I drifted into a peaceful sleep.

---

Ye Xishui cradled the small infant, Ye Xue, in her arms as Shu Qiu stood nearby, her gaze soft.

"She seems like a newborn, yet she drinks far more than normal. It's unusual, but I've encountered children like this before," Shu Qiu said reassuringly, bowing as she adjusted her dress.

Ye Xishui's expression was complicated, torn between worry and happiness. "You can stay here tonight. If she needs milk during the night, it will be troublesome to manage otherwise. There are extra rooms, but remember this—no improper behavior," she said firmly, her final words laced with a coldness that sent a shiver through Shu Qiu.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Shu Qiu immediately knelt. "Thank you, Madam, for your generosity."

Ye Xishui nodded and guided her to a modest servant's room, knowing there was no one else she could rely on for help. Once everything was settled, Ye Xishui returned to her own chambers, her thoughts conflicted.

"Will I really be able to care for this child?" Ye Xishui's mind was a whirlwind of uncertainty as she lay Ye Xue gently on the bed. Though the child's presence suppressed the storm of hatred and resentment within her, she couldn't help but wonder, "Will these emotions stay subdued? What if one day, she asks me to change? What will I do then?"

Her thoughts lingered as she settled beside the sleeping infant. Ye Xue rested soundly, her peaceful expression tugging at Ye Xishui's complicated emotions. Gently, she leaned over, pressing a soft kiss on the child's forehead before attempting to sleep herself.

But as her body rested, her mind drifted to memories of her past—when she was still a carefree teenage girl. Back then, she had a bright life, admired by her friends and peers. She had once been a star, full of hope and promise.

That all changed during the finals of the Continental Soul Master Competition, where she faced the Shrek team. In a pivotal moment, she managed to defeat the Twin Holy Dragons of Shrek, earning their admiration as well as her own good opinion of them.

But then, he appeared. The Shrek team's main controller—a man whose abilities were as cruel as they were ingenious. Using some insidious skill, he corrupted her Shadow Demon Puppet martial spirit, transforming it into the Bloody Demon Puppet. The transformation overwhelmed her, muddling her emotions and sending her into a berserk rage.

The aftermath was devastating. The spectators and even her peers began to chant, "Evil Soul Master." The label clung to her like a curse. The Twin Holy Dragons, who once held her in esteem, turned their backs on her. That man didn't stop there—he produced falsified evidence branding her as an Evil Soul Master beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Though someone eventually saved her from the mob, her savior turned out to be an even greater monster—a leader of an evil soul master faction. He enslaved her, marking her with a cruel slave seal, and forced her into his schemes. His ultimate goal was to use her as bait to lure the Shrek's Twin Holy Dragons and Controller of Stars, into a trap, turning her into a tool for his revenge.

But she failed. Every time she tried, her mind would be consumed with bitter memories of the man who had turned her into what she was.

To deepen her resentment, her so-called teacher subjected her to unspeakable horrors. After she gave birth to Zhongli Wu, the darkness within her only grew. Unable to escape her torment, she began venting her fury on others, killing indiscriminately and absorbing their souls. Slowly, she became the very thing everyone accused her of—a full-fledged Evil Soul Master.

But no matter how many lives she took, no matter how many souls she absorbed, her hatred and resentment only grew stronger.

One day, she killed her so-called teacher. It was a brutal act of vengeance, and though he deserved his death, Ye Xishui knew she had fallen too far to be redeemed. She accepted that she deserved to die but swore she wouldn't succumb until she exacted her revenge on that person who had ruined her.

Lost in the labyrinth of her past, a small, warm hand touched hers, pulling her back to the present.

Ye Xishui looked down at the tiny hand reaching for her, and a faint smile broke through her otherwise cold expression. She placed her hand gently over the child's and closed her eyes. For the first time in a long while, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.