Chapter 1: No Hope of Survival

Chen Yunyou felt a bit weary in her body, but the sounds ringing in her ears were noisy.

She liked quiet; she disliked noise. But then she recalled the pain of poison tearing through her intestines.

She truly did not want to live anymore.

In truth, with her abilities, she could have easily lived out her life under an assumed name at the border. But with not a single relative left by her side, she had no hope for survival. Death would have been the end of it all.

Perhaps she never dreamed that she would be poisoned by a cup of tainted wine.

She should be on her way to see King Yama by now.

Her hands were stained with countless amounts of blood; she feared she would be sent to the eighteenth level of hell. Her father, her uncles, her grandfather—were they there too?

"Youyou, my child, what is wrong with you? Don't scare Mother like this. If you go, Mother will follow you. My child..."

The sound of weeping by her ears came in waves.

"Mother, Little Sister will surely be fine."

"That's right, Little Sister will be fine."

"Mother..."

But the woman seemed not to hear these words of comfort, continuing to wail, "My child, you must not leave Mother behind."

Is this a funeral dirge?

She should be in the eighteenth level of hell.

She had once been cursed as cruel and bloodthirsty, told that she would surely go to the eighteenth level of hell when she died!

How could she still hear these things?

The name "Youyou" seemed to be the childhood nickname her mother had given her, hoping she would live a life free of worries.

"Stop crying." The crying made her irritable. She hated hearing others cry most of all. Even if it were someone next door, she was still here; could they stop for a moment? They just kept crying.

As this shout rang out, the woman crying beside her, the several men surrounding her bed, and a middle-aged man with a weathered face all looked toward the person on the bed at the same time.

"Little Sister, you're awake."

"I knew Little Sister would be fine."

"It's good that you're awake."

"It's good that you're awake."

"Youyou, you scared Mother to death! How could you fall into the river? It’s fortunate you climbed out, and fortunate that someone saw you. Otherwise, how would Mother go on living?"

Chen Yunyou looked at these people, who were all talking at once, expressing their concern. How many years had it been since she heard such things?

It seemed that ever since her mother passed away, she had never again heard genuine concern. Too many people offered masked concern, only to turn around and be filled with contempt and disdain.

No, first she needed to know who these people were.

The room was crude, and these people were actually wearing clothes that barely covered their bodies.

Although she had seen many men dressed like this at the border, no—the hair was wrong. They had short hair, extremely short hair.

Was she saved by someone?

In a commoner's home?

Many questions swirled around Chen Yunyou.

"Little Sister, what's wrong?" Why was she just staring at them without speaking?

"Youyou, is something uncomfortable? Or are you hungry?"

"Little Sister, you've had a fever for a whole day. Father and Mother have been so worried they couldn't eat or sleep." As the eldest, the oldest Fang brother was more steady than his younger brothers. Seeing his little sister looking so dazed, he was quite worried.

"I..." Chen Yunyou wanted to say, "Don't crowd around me." But when her gaze fell upon her own body, she froze for a long while. If there was nothing wrong with her eyes, then why did she see not only a pair of chubby hands, but also chubby arms?

Because she had practiced martial arts for years, she could pat her chest and say that her figure was slender and sturdy, and her hands were covered in calluses—they would not be chubby hands and arms.

"Little Sister..."

Chen Yunyou scanned the few people surrounding her bed, looking at her with worry. "Who am I?"

"Your name is Fang Youyou."

"What's wrong with Little Sister?"

"Have you forgotten us?"

"We are your brothers!"

"This is Mother, and this is Father."