"Save my father's life, Miss."
The kneeling woman abruptly kowtowed, her voice like the rapid drumming of a small hammer, a rhythmic thud.
Mei Xin furrowed her delicate brows, her heart aching. Was this girl's head made of stone, to kowtow with such force?
If there were truly difficulties, their young lady would certainly not stand by idly. Although she appeared cold, her heart was kind, otherwise, she wouldn't have saved her that day.
"Alright, tell me about the situation."
Mu Qingyao spoke to stop her. The girl finally ceased her movements and looked up. Silk blood now trickled from her forehead, like a stroke of dark red ink on her brow and eyes, her last vestige of pride completely gone, leaving only endless heartache and grievance.
"Our family used to run a镖局 (bodyguard agency), and business was always good.
"One time, Father took on a escort mission with a large sum of valuables. If it went smoothly, our agency would reach a new level, and Father was very happy.
"Who knew that as the escort passed Feng Mang Mountain, they were ambushed by a group of bandits, and the agency was completely ruined.
"At that time, Mother had just given birth to my sister, and her health was already poor. To be driven out of our home afterwards was a great blow. She fell gravely ill and soon passed away.
"After Mother died, Father blamed himself endlessly. But my younger siblings were still small, so he forced himself to care for everyone. This dragged on for several years until he could no longer bear it. He fell ill, but our family had nothing left."
As the young girl spoke, tears welled in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back, refusing to let them fall.
Mu Qingyao's pupils deepened. She hadn't expected this girl to have endured so much hardship. But since she possessed martial arts skills, why didn't she take matters into her own hands? Most people, when driven to desperation, would do so. Yet, she had managed to remain virtuous.
"I can tell you possess martial arts. Why didn't you find a solution yourself? I imagine that would have been much easier, why beg for help?"
"Me?"
The young girl paused. A flicker of fierce hostility flashed in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant, quickly replaced by clarity. She spoke calmly:
"Father made us siblings swear a solemn oath, forbidding anyone from doing anything out of line. If he were to find out, he would jump into the Liu Jiang."
Upon hearing this, Qingyao felt a degree of admiration for the unseen person. He was a man of mettle. However, she did not engage in idle pursuits. She raised her gaze to the girl still kneeling below. "What is your name?"
"Zhao Xiaodai."
Xiaodai lowered her brows and spoke in a deep voice.
Despite her poverty, there was no trace of inferiority. Even in her plea, she was composed, kneeling upright with her back straight.
Mu Qingyao looked at her, a thought forming. She was soon to enter the palace, and Zhao Xiaodai was indeed a talent. She could not be without her own people by her side.
While Mei Xin and Lü Er were loyal, compared to Zhao Xiaodai, they were still somewhat lacking. These few lacked the ability to even protect themselves, whereas Zhao Xiaodai possessed martial arts. Most importantly, she had that spirit of repaying kindness that radiated from her very bones.
"Xiaodai, I do not help others lightly. The last time was an accident. This time, if you wish for my help, you must rely on yourself."
"Rely on myself?"
Zhao Xiaodai's eyes dimmed as she heard Mu Qingyao's refusal. If Miss Mu the Third did not help her, what other recourse would she have?
She couldn't possibly sell herself to a brothel. And given her looks, she wouldn't fetch a high price.
Mei Xin, hearing her young lady refuse Xiaodai, her expression flickered. She couldn't bear it and called out, "Miss?"
Mu Qingyao raised a hand to stop Mei Xin's words, her expression turning cold. Mei Xin dared not say another word, only looking at Zhao Xiaodai with pity.
"How about this: I will offer you a path. You can sell yourself to me, but the prerequisite is that you must defeat me. If you can defeat me, I will keep you. You can name your price, but from then on, you will no longer be surnamed Zhao. You will be my person. If I say live, you live; if I say die, you die."
Mu Qingyao's gaze was icy, her tone stern, leaving no room for doubt about her intentions.
Mei Xin trembled slightly and turned to look at Zhao Xiaodai, wondering what choice she would make.
Although the conditions were harsh, for Zhao Xiaodai, it was a stroke of immense fortune.
She had already intended to work like an ox or a horse to repay Miss Mu the Third. What difference was there in selling herself to her now?
If she could voluntarily name a price, she would be able to properly settle her father and younger siblings. Sacrificing herself for the happiness of her entire family was a dream she had often envisioned.
"Good, I sell."
Zhao Xiaodai responded with clear resolve, her gaze meeting Mu Qingyao's directly. After nineteen years of practicing martial arts, it finally had a purpose.
She was happy, her previous despair and ruin completely swept away. A person in darkness, seeing a ray of light, would rush towards it without hesitation.
"Then let me see how much you are worth?"
As Mu Qingyao spoke, she moved swiftly away.
Xiaodai refused to fall behind. In that very instant, she had perceived that Miss Mu the Third's martial arts foundation was not weak. She had to give her all to defeat Miss Mu the Third, so that she would buy her.
Two figures burst out of the room and sped towards the courtyard outside.
Mei Xin was startled and quickly followed.
At the entrance, she encountered the maids Lü Er and Xiao Lian, who asked in a flustered manner, "Sister Mei Xin, what happened? Why did Miss start fighting with that girl?"
"It's nothing, Miss is sparring with her. Let's hurry and watch."
Behind Qing Yuan, there was an open space. Lush grass grew verdant, and flowers bloomed profusely. In the corners, green bamboo provided decoration. As a light breeze blew, the scent of flowers filled the air.
At this moment, within that expanse of green, two figures, one in red and one in yellow, were locked in combat. At times they clashed fiercely, at times they moved like phantoms, their movements shimmering, making it impossible to look away.
Mei Xin, Lü Er, and the others did not understand martial arts. They only saw two shadows entangled, unable to discern who was winning or losing.
They only knew that the one in yellow was their young lady, and the one in red was Xiaodai. Miss used a long Ling, while Xiaodai held a soft sword.
When the soft sword was flexible, it was like a ribbon. When Ling Han stiffened, it became a sharp long sword. Countless sword flowers bloomed as it thrust towards Miss's body.
The sword was fast, and the person even faster. Missing its mark, she turned and drifted away, as light as a branchless willow, swaying freely in the wind, boneless and soft.
The three young maids watched, stunned, not daring to breathe, fearing they might startle their young lady and cause her to lose focus.
However, in the next second, Miss's long Ling suddenly transformed into countless fragments, scattering in the gentle breeze, like a shower of flowers falling through the air.
The two figures slowly descended from mid-air. Mu Qingyao's lips curved into a smile, and she slowly said, "Not bad. Name your price."