The Legend of Chu Qiao - V1C4

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Prologue 1- Major Chu Qiao Prologue 2- Time's up! Prologue 3- The red dot on the GPS vanished 1- Royal Hunting 2- Zhuge, Wei, Mu, Jue, Che, Yan. 3- Fifth Brother 4- Without a Tinge of Regret 5- Bloody Heart 6- Bastards 7- Snakes 8- We Should All Know Our Place 9- Do You Know Who I Am? 10- Thank You, Sisters! 11- My name is 'None' 12- The Lantern Festival 13- Liar! 14- Everything Happens for a Reason 15- To escape, or not to escape?

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Chapter 4

Without a Tinge of Regret

In the middle of their conversation, a piercing scream was heard outside, followed by a high-pitched voice that roared, "Good job, you pathetic slaves. How dare you steal? Don't you want to live?"

Lin Xi frowned and took a step towards the door. Zhi Xiang pulled her back and whispered, "Leave from the back door, quick! No one can see you here. Fourth Young Master will kill you."

"I…"

"Leave, quick!"

No one could believe such a rundown hut would have a back door. When Lin Xi pushed it open, Zhi Xiang grabbed her arm and said very seriously, "No matter what happens, don't come back." Then she hurried out the door.

Cries of pain and the cracking of the whip sounded together. A woman with a large belly swung her arms and roared fiercely, "Weren't these the daughters of the wealthy Jing family back in the day? Who could have imagined they would fall so far today? Your sisters are prostitutes on Shi Hua Lane, and here you are being thieves. What a family of vile scoundrels."

"Lady Song, we know that we were wrong. We won't dare do it again." Zhi Xiang put herself between the woman and the children, enduring lash after lash to her face, with wounds and blood covering her. She kneeled and pulled at the edge of the woman's skirt, crying for forgiveness. "We won't dare do it again."

"You finally realized your mistake? You guys seem to have a better memory after being whipped."

The lash of the whip mercilessly struck the children’s bodies. Xiao Qi, whose hair was tied into two pigtails, was already hurt and could no longer bear the pain. After a few lashes, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted. The other children immediately started crying, but the woman seemed to enjoy herself, striking even harder with each hit. With a cry, she raised her whip again.

There was a swoosh, but no cries were heard. Lady Song looked down to see a little girl in front of her, wearing tattered clothes. Although she was skinny, her gaze was cold and stern. Her blackened hands gripped the other end of the whip tightly. She said with a deadly tone, "Enough."

Lady Song raged and howled, "Hey girl, are you looking for trouble?"

"Yue Er, Yue Er, let go of her!" Zhi Xiang crawled over, grabbing Chu Qiao's clothes. She cried, "Quickly, beg Lady Song for forgiveness!"

Chu Qiao stayed firm, glaring at the woman. In a icy tone, she replied, "Try hitting them one more time."

Lady Song raised her eyebrows and shouted, "I won't hit them; I'll hit you!" Then she swung her whip with all her strength. Chu Qiao laughed mockingly, grabbed the woman’s belt, and tripped her, causing her to land hard on the ground.

The children cheered as Chu Qiao walked over to Lady Song. She bent down and smirked, "Not coming back to complain?"

Lady Song quickly got to her feet and shouted, "Just wait!" Then, she dashed out of the yard.

Zhi Xiang hurried ahead, concern visible on her face, tears forming in her eyes. "Yue Er, you've caused a big problem. What do we do now?"

"Look after them," she instructed and ran after the woman.

She had already memorized the route when she was brought to the hut. After turning two corners, she saw the woman hurriedly crossing the stone bridge. Because of her enormous size, she started to pant after just a short distance.

Chu Qiao crouched down in the bushes. She carefully surveyed her surroundings, making sure the coast was clear. She picked up a stone, squinted, and aimed it directly at the woman before throwing it with all her might.

The stone hit Lady Song's ankle with a thud. Startled, she slipped and fell off the bridge.

It was already midwinter, and the lake's surface was coated with thick ice. Her fall didn't break it, leaving her sprawled on top where she moaned in pain.

Chu Qiao stepped out from the bushes and walked toward the bridge, glancing down at the woman on the ground. She yelled, "Hey, do you need me to get help?"

The woman turned, and her tone instantly shifted. In a friendly voice, she said, "Good girl. Would you quickly get help for me? This hurts so badly."

Chu Qiao chuckled. With a cheerful smile, she bent down and grabbed a heavy rock, hoisting it above her head with all her strength.

Seeing that, the woman's face paled. She stuttered, "You… what are you doing?"

Preventing the woman from crying for help, she let go of her hands, and the huge rock crushed the ice layer, cracking it instantly. With a cry of shock, the woman was swept into the icy water, sinking to the bottom of the lake, leaving only a few bubbles on the surface.

Chu Qiao stood on the bridge, looking calm and composed with a steady expression.

This was a brutal world. A person had to take out their predators all at once to survive.

Without a hint of regret, she turned and retraced her steps. As she entered the yard, the children hurried toward her, all hurt and tearful. Chu Qiao hugged Xiao Qi, who had just regained consciousness and was right in front of her. Firmly, she whispered, "Don't be afraid; everything is fine now."

In this slave yard, which held the lowest class of slaves for the Zhuge household, the young female slaves lived like animals. They couldn't hold back their tears anymore, crying out their sorrow.

When dinnertime arrived, the granny responsible for the Jing family's children ordered them to work. Even the injured children like Xiao Qi and Zhi Xiang had to comply. Only Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba, who had hurt his waist and was fast asleep, stayed in the hut. It was around midnight when the other children came back exhausted from work. After finishing their dinner, the children quietly climbed into bed. Zhi Xiang crouched beside the bed-stove, adding firewood to keep the fire going. The scars on her face were red and swollen, resembling tiny snakes.

There was pin-drop silence inside the hut, and soon, the slow breaths of children in deep sleep filled the room. Dressed in the clothes that Zhi Xiang had just given her, she sat up and whisper, "If you do not treat the wounds on your face, there will be scars."

The flames within the bed stove flickered, lighting up her face. She was so thin that her eyes looked more prominent and darker. She lifted her head and said, "Yue Er, slaves aren't supposed to use medicine. The last time Xiao Qi secretly took the medicine Lin Xi brought; we didn't realize the risk we were taking. If it had been discovered, everyone could have lost their lives. We can't mess around with the wounds on my face."

While saying that, a sound was heard from above the stove. They both turned their heads and realized that Xiao Qi had removed her blanket in her sleep. Zhi Xiang hurried forward and covered Xiao Qi with her blanket. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she went back to tend the fire.

Chu Qiao looked at Zhi Xiang, her lips trembling, but she said nothing. This child was barely ten but already had to bear such heavy responsibilities. All the children in this hut ranged from five to ten years old. Why would the wealthy Zhuge family need so many children this age?

"Sister Zhi Xiang," Chu Qiao whispered as she got out of the bed-stove. Sitting next to Zhi Xiang, she asked, "Have you been to Jiang Nan?"

"Jiang Nan?" Zhi Xiang's brows furrowed. "Where is Jiang Nan?"

"Do you know where the Yellow Mountain is? Or the Yangtze River?"

Zhi Xiang shook her head and replied, "I know that the Hong Mountain is on the west bank of the Hong River, and below it is the Cang Li River. Yue Er, why do you ask?"

Chu Qiao appeared to be in a daze, lost in thought. She shook her head and said, "It's nothing; I just wanted to ask. Oh, by the way, Sister Zhi Xiang, do you know who the current emperor is?"

"The emperor is the emperor. How could we call the emperor by his name? But I know that the Royal Highness, who is always dressed in black and frequents the Zhuge household, is the emperor's seventh son, Zhao Che. He is the youngest prince in the Xia Empire to be named king."

That cold, emotionless look with a scornful expression flashed through her mind. Her eyes narrowed, and she repeated, "Zhao Che?"

Yue Er, what happened to you? You’ve seemed off since you got back. What did you say to Lady Song? How could she let us go just like that?

Chu Qiao turned and grinned. She said, "I'm fine, don't worry. Lady Song didn't let us go but fell into the icy lake and drowned. I saw her drown with my own eyes. Regarding Lady Song coming here, do not mention it to anyone."

"She died?" Zhi Xiang gasped as her face paled.

Chu Qiao quickly covered her mouth and looked around. Seeing that none of the children had woken up, she said thoughtfully, "No one knows about this except for you and me. Don't tell anyone else. She has an evil heart and many reasons to die. But she is already dead, and you need not worry anymore."

"Yue… Yue Er," Zhi Xiang stuttered. "You… you did not kill her. She fell into the lake by herself, right? Her son is the court's consular guard. We cannot afford to offend him."

Chu Qiao laughed and pointed to herself. "Do you think I would be capable of killing her? Okay, you must stop thinking so much. She committed so many bad deeds that even if no one killed her, God would have taken it into His own hands. You've had a tiring day. You should rest."

Zhi Xiang shook her head furiously. "No, I have to keep the fire going."

"I can do it. I'm injured and can laze around tomorrow. Go and rest."

Chu Qiao sat quietly on a small stool, occasionally adding firewood to the fire. The flames crackled as they burned, casting a bright red glow on her face. She looked up at the children in the hut, and her heart ached. Such a pity, but what could she do? She had mysteriously been transported to this era and was trapped in the tiny body of Jing Yue Er, losing all her martial arts skills and being of such a lowly class. She could barely take care of herself; how could she take care of others? Today, she returned the favor to Lin Xi, who had been bringing her food for the past three days. After this, she had to leave immediately.

Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes. She understood that no matter what she did, her abilities would always be limited. Still, she couldn't bear such a heavy burden at this moment.

The rooster crowed as dawn broke. The Jing family children woke up on time and put on their servants’ clothes, preparing for the rest of the day.

Although she had lost her highly trained skills, she remained clear-minded. Chu Qiao was no longer the super-agent from the 9th operational division but still had received professional military training. The Zhuge household was large, with many people living there, but for a tiny eight-year-old with exceptional logical reasoning and spatial awareness, it still felt like an unprotected playground.

Within half an hour, she slipped out of the slave yard and headed toward the front garden. Its defenses became more stringent, and guards armed with knives patrolled the area. The Zhuge family was not an ordinary household, as Zhuge Huai could call Zhao Jue, Zhao Che, and other members of the royal family his brothers.

Standing tall, her small body resembled a tiny tree. Chu Qiao straightened her clothes and stepped out confidently.

"Stop! Are you looking for trouble? Do you think this is a place where you can roam wherever you like?"

A tall soldier with a large build approached her, his face chubby and overweight. Chu Qiao froze in her steps and looked up at her fair, cute features and dark, watery eyes. She said in a sugary tone, "Oh, elder brother, I have orders from the old Master to go to his outer quarters. From what I heard, if I'm not there within the hour, they'll kill me."

The guard furrowed his brows and examined little Chu Qiao. Since when does the old Master prefer girls who are not fully grown? he thought. Confused, he asked, "Who asked you to go there? Do you know the location of the old Master's outer quarters?"

"I have the address." The child rummaged through her bag, pulled out a small piece of paper, and pointed to the directions. She mumbled, "Once you exit the house, turn left at the third junction. Fu Xiang Restaurant would be right in front…"

"Okay," the guard snapped in annoyance. "Who told you about it, and why isn't anyone bringing you there?"

The child honestly replied, "Lady Song told me all this. She was supposed to take me there, but when we crossed the stone bridge, she slipped and fell into the lake, breaking the ice. I saw her drowning. So, I guess she can no longer take me there."

"What?" the guard gasped, grabbing Chu Qiao by the shoulders. He shouted, "Who did you say fell off the stone bridge?"

Lady Song, the person in charge of the slaves in the backyard.

With a sharp slap, the guard's palms forcefully hit the child's face. He shouted, "You brat, why didn't you tell me earlier? Come on, guys, we must rescue her!"

Chu Qiao fell to the ground with the blow, her ears ringing. Looking at everyone rushing out frantically, her lips waned, and a heartless smirk emerged.

She would remember this slap.

Chu Qiao quickly rose to her feet. Holding her bag, she headed toward the main gate without looking back. The gates were massive and covered in gold. A pair of fierce stone lions stood on either side, with red-painted eyes, emanating a menacing presence. The name of the Zhuge household was carved on the door and gleamed in sparkling gold, dazzling in the sunlight.

Chu Qiao walked with short strides and struggled to climb over the sill. When she reached the middle of the door, the sunlight shone brightly on her, and even the air seemed much fresher. From that moment on, her life would begin anew. She would never forget the humiliation and pain she endured.

The child pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. Raising her leg, she began to step out of this rotten prison.

At this moment, a familiar piercing cry could be heard near the well to the right side of the front garden, followed by the horrendous wail of a child. The gates on the right side of the garden swung open wide, and the dull thuds of planks landing on a child's exposed bodies filled the household.

The servants who walked by sneaked glances at the scene, wondering who had the "honor" of earning that. Chu Qiao stood at the main gate and was very close to leaving this savage courtyard, but the constant screams kept ringing in her ears. Her brows tightly knit, she finally stopped shuffling forward. She turned and ran to her right. Fate always provides people with the chance to choose, and a single step can make a significant difference in the world.