34 Zhang Xiu's past

Zhang Xiu's eyes fluttered open. There was a soft feeling beneath her. It was a bed. A blanket covered her, keeping her warm. Her eyes wandered around. She found herself in a room with all the necessities. This place was like her dream home, ah. Her eyes stopped on the young man sitting beside her bed.

The sunlight coming in through the open window landed on his face, making his white face look even more bright. His features were already top-notch. It was mostly thanks to genetics. City Lord Xie Ying was too handsome, and his first wife, who birthed Xie Yang and his eldest son, was also the beauty of the empire. Zhang Xiu wasn't a face-con, but she still felt dazed and enchanted when she saw him.

"Where am I?" She asked in a gentle voice.

Xie Yang gave off a harmless feeling, making it easy for her not to feel wary of him. It was hard to tell that he had mercilessly killed many evil bandits just a day ago and soaked his hands in blood on many.

"Manor of the cloud city's lord." Xie Yang spat out lazily.

If she still didn't understand who the person in front of her was after hearing that, she was nothing more than a fool.

"May I ask where I am? What happened to the people kept by the bandits? And what about the bandits? Did you take care of them?" Zhang Xiu asked as many questions as somebody's dislikes.

"For a person who just woke up after sleeping like a pig for more than a day, you sure have a lot of questions." Xie Yang said jokingly, a teasing look on his face.

Zhang Xiu felt embarrassed. Xie Yang told her about what happened to the bandits and why she was here.

"So, do you have any place to return to, or should I help you settle in this city and find some work for you?" Xie Yang asked Zhang Xiu, who was still digesting the information he told her.

She shook her head, signifying that she had no home or family.

"I have nowhere to go. I only know how to clean and cook. But take a look at me. I have a destroyed face but a seducing body. Even if I go out to work, I'm afraid it won't work out. No restaurants would want me, and even if someone accepted me, I fear that others would harass me." Zhang Xiu sighed and, after a moment, stared at Xie Yang with an expectant look before saying, "I hope you can do me another favor and take me in."

Xie Yang looked at her face. It was ugly, true. Anyone looking at it would feel the need to puke. Even then, he didn't show a disgusted look on his face.

"It's not hard for me to do. However, how can I keep a stranger in my house and by my side without knowing anything about their background? Even my father's shadow guard can't find anything about you. You just appeared in the village next to the spiritual forest one day and started living there. There's no record about you. Does that make any sense? If that were all, I wouldn't have been so wary of you. But you also know how to use the curse of the eastern witches. You're too dangerous a person to be near my people."

Zhang Xiu's eyes widened like saucers, and her mouth opened so wide that a person could put three whole eggs inside it.

"Y-you, how did you know?" She asked in a voice full of shock.

Xie Yang lifted one corner of his lips, and a dimple appeared on that side of his face. He said, "I have read some ancient records. I know that knives and swords can not make the hideous mark on your face. The self-abomination curse can do that, and only it can so severely destroy a person's face. Why did you harm yourself? Why treat yourself so viciously? If you make things clear for me, I might just let you work for me."

After a period of silence, Zhang Xiu opened her mouth.

"Young noble, to be honest, my situation is quite complicated."

Xie Yang sat on the wooden seat with a relaxed look as if he had all the time in the world and didn't need to go anywhere else.

"I have time to listen to you, so say it."

Zhang Xiu was silent for a while before she opened her mouth and spoke in a voice full of emotions, "I was born in the Zhang family, which is a merchant family with many auction houses and shops under its name. My father and mother both were outstanding. I, who was born to them, was no less. At the age of ten, I have reached the peak of the first realm. At the age of thirteen, I stepped into the second realm. At the age of eighteen, I was already on the path of finding my spirit. At the age of twenty, I've become a spirit master. Sadly, my parents disappeared the day I ascended to that realm.

"They vanished into a secret realm that had opened close to the forbidden city. After that day, my family revealed their true face. The ones who coveted my body wanted me to warm their bed for a lifetime. There were so many, but each of them disgusted me. I refused all of them as there was only lust in their eyes, no love. My uncles wanted my parent's assets for themselves. I didn't let them take it. They wanted to make a move against me. However, I was talented and the apple of my grandfather's eyes, so they couldn't do a thing to me. But he died. His death was too sudden. He was healthy, so how could he die like that? I knew something was up. No one was willing to search for the truth. I investigated the matter on my own and found a needle wound in his body. After a thorough examination, I found traces of a potent poison in his body. Before I could do a thing, my uncle knocked me out cold.

"When I woke up, I found out that they also suppressed my cultivation to the first realm and were forcing me into the marriage with the Zhang's first elder. The first elder is an outsider who saved the life of my grandfather. He is my grandfather's age, yet he coveted my body and wanted me to become his concubine and give birth to twenty children for him! His friend's body was still warm, but he was already making a move on me, who was the age of his daughter. Naturally, I disagreed. Everyone had turned their backs on me. Since I had nothing, why would they help me out of my sticky situation?

"On the day of the marriage, I gave them all a surprise."

The surprise was her ruined face.

"You're too vicious."

Zhang Xiu smiled self-mockingly and continued, "They were all disgusted, and some even vomited. Out of anger, the first elder attacked me. He destroyed my spirit space, shattered my core, and broke my elixir field, crippling me to such a point that I became a sickly and frail mortal.

"The patriarch thought I was useless, so he disowned me in front of all the elders and the people who had come to attend the marriage and kicked me out of the family.

"I came to the village and started living there, but bad luck also followed me there, and you know the rest."

Xie Yang stared at them with a pondering look on his face before saying, "I need a maid to take care of my wife. So, can you keep her accompanied?"

"I am more than willing to do that." Zhang Xiu humbly said.

"You're hired. I won't mistreat you. If you keep my wife happy, this lord will give you ten gold taels a month."

After hearing what he said, Zhang Xiu's eyes lit up in happiness!

Ten gold taels were a lot, and she was getting all that in a single month!

It was far more than what she got by working back in the village.

There she only earned enough to feed herself, and she had to work 12 hours to make enough money to make ends meet.

But here, she doesn't need to do heavy labor, and she can earn gold taels by just keeping his lady happy.

This was the best deal she had come across in recent years.

"I see. You must love her. Your wife is lucky to have you."

"Mm-hmm."

"When do I start working for you?"

Xie Yang replied, "After I verify how much of what you said is true and how much of it is false. Until then, you can stay here."

"I will do you say, honorable one."