C1 Meeting the Employer

PROLOGUE

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a cold bleak morning on the island of Shang-Yi when the king of the island, Du Hui, summoned Yuxi to his presence.

Shang-Yi, unlike the other islands on the map, was off a wayfarer’s charts – it was even said that if a person’s heart was sincere enough, his prayers alone would take him to the island. However, half a century ago, a curse befell the island. It was said to be the result of a controversy between the late king, Du Hui’s grandfather, and his concubine Xima, who turned out to be a witch.

With her dark powers, Xima cursed Shang-Yi, vowing that as long as she lived, the island and its citizens would suffer. Her minions were a pestilence, aggravating and instilling fear to travellers if they passed the darkest spots of Shang-Yi, Xima's territories.

Eighteen-year-old Du Hui rose to the throne after his father abdicated. He swore to his citizens to restore peace to the island and eradicate evil. Two years have passed since Du Hui has been assembling his forces, waiting for the right time to strike.

Qian Yuxi was the youngest daughter of the Imperial Advisor, Qian Muyi. The position of advisor was passed down from generation to generation, until it reached her father who had no male successor. Qian Yuxi one day, like her father and grandfather, would inherit the position and serve King Du Hui.

Word also had it that a strange phenomenon had happened when Yuxi was only ten years old. She had fallen into the river and almost drowned. But following her near-death experience, she had transformed into a completely different person. The shy and introverted Yuxi had turned into the bold and optimistic Yuxi overnight, insisting she went by another name, Qian Xin.

Since young, Yuxi accompanied the young Du Hui in becoming his study companion. She lacked an interest in martial arts and preferred isolating herself from others as she took an interest in embroidery. But after her transformation, she suddenly insisted on taking on martial arts. She even impressed the young Du Hui, who was initially dismayed about her loss of memory of the past.

Now at nineteen, she stood with her shoulders arched up as she took large, confident strides while entering the king's court. Her long dark hair, with a tinge of red marked her uniqueness. As she passed the other officials in the court, a few junior officials let out a gasp upon noticing her unsurpassed beauty.

Yuxi possessed large round eyes, resembling that of her late mother. While they added to her attractive features, they lacked emotion. Yuxi never knew what love was, not that she needed it.

A smile spread across her face as Du Hui allowed her to take the seat next to him, shocking all those present as Du Hui had yet to trust anyone else in that way. Yuxi allegedly left for the mountains to practice martial arts under a master with profound insight. Two years had passed since, and the instant she returned, Du Hui had summoned her.

She knelt on one knee, her long eyelashes coming into sight as she blinked.

"Citizen Qian Yuxi, pays her respects to the King."

"Get up," the king instantly replied. Yuxi stood up and curtsied.

She had a slim waist and long legs, and would have made a great dancer. In her free time, she loved to dance, merging her martial art stances in her dance moves.

Du Hui firmly addressed her as the youngest member of the Qian household. Yuxi learned that until she came of age, which was two years later, she wouldn't be able to take on the post of Advisor. In the meantime, Du Hui appointed her as the Imperial Guard, which was a role similar to the constables of the island. She accepted the appointment with glee, trying to hold off her excitement and act as solemn as possible in court.

With that, Du Hui dismissed the court. Yuxi stretched her arms, hearing idle chatter among the officials after the king departed. She had expected it all, since she was the only woman who Du Hui had allowed in court. Rumours would spread quickly, but she had no time for such. What the others didn't know was that Du Hui had entrusted her with a mission.

There were fifteen evils, not including the old witch Xima, spread all over the island, and her duty was to uncover and put an end to their torment. A normal person wouldn't be able to subdue them easily, but what the officials didn't know was that she was born on the fifteenth of the ghost month, and she had a very resilient horoscope.

Other than being a descendant of the sword-wielding Qian family, she was also the daughter of Su Ying, a psychic gypsy who caught Qian Muyi's attention and immediately became his wife. Her abilities weren't limited to just seeing visions, but her resilience gave her an edge on fighting the evils. Being the unordinary person she was, she knew it was just a matter of time before she set on her tasks, ready or not.

The shaman's voice rang in her ears, "Xiao Xi, you know what you are born for. But for you to unlock your power at full potential, you need to undergo a number of tests. And the first of the tests is the test of love. Until you learn how to love, you cannot ascend to your next level."

That wasn't all. Not only did she need to know how to love, she needed a partner of the opposite sex. This man was the key to her unlocking her powers, so he had to be someone like her. Someone who was born with an unordinary fate and horoscope. She had to work with this person. In return, both of them would have their powers enhanced to a higher ability, merging with each other.

The shaman also told her that the prophecy had said that a woman and two men would come to save the island, but was she the woman in the prophecy?

Her journey had just begun.

CHAPTER 1 MEETING THE EMPLOYER

Zhan Peng walked slowly, holding the scroll in his hand, towards the venue mentioned in the scroll. Without realising, it had been one year since their stay at the island. He remembered vividly how he and the young man, his sworn brother Yang Tian, had found their ways to each other.

With his dark hair, slim and fair with a dignified appearance, who would have thought he was a prince from a faraway state? It was a long story. First, he was born of a mother of lowly status, stomaching a fate of being despised and ridiculed by his half-siblings. Second, was the overbearing rules of the palace. Of course, there were other reasons as well, but these two reasons dominated his decision. After the last straw, he finally succeeded in his many attempts to flee the palace.

He changed his name from Zhong Peng to Zhan Peng, taking with him his life savings and a boat he loved very much, the ‘Explorer’. Then, he had come across and rescued Yang Tian while the young man was floating in the water, severely injured and later, he secretly found him a physician renowned for his skills, taking great care to ensure that the spies from the palace would not find him.

Their brotherhood had begun in that way. They became each other’s companions and later took on an oath to become sworn brothers. Yang Tian had a total memory loss, which the physician suspected was the aftermath of an attack. All Yang Tian had in memory of who he was, was a letter addressed to him by his master, who he didn’t remember, and a memoir of his biological mother, a jade pendant with her name carved on it.

The parchment, with the words from his master, explained how he had come across the infant wrapped in a warm cloth, bearing the pendant and a letter. Yang Tian hadn’t remembered his own name, and it was Zhan Peng who had chosen his name. His master had also mentioned in the unaddressed letter that Yang Tian’s mother had said in her letter that she originated from Shang-Yi. The men determined that the best way was for them to venture to Shang-Yi themselves. There, they might find the answers that Yang Tian sought.

Together, with the small boat and the remaining taels of gold from Zhan Peng’s savings, they set out. They took the directions of travellers who had sailed towards Shang-Yi, but returned with failure, asking around to compile enough information on travelling to Shang-Yi, before embarking on the actual journey.

Zhan Peng knew clearly that they might not make it to Shang-Yi, or that they might not survive the trip, but for the sake of freedom and his sworn brother, he courageously plowed ahead. He hadn’t even expected for the expedition to be smooth.

But when they woke up the next morning after sailing off the continent to what they believed to be the ‘edge of the world’, unexpectedly, they ended up in a bizarre tunnel. The entire journey was so mystical that it was indescribable. All he could say was that somehow they ended up reaching a destination that nobody from where he came from had ever achieved.

And that paved their new beginnings in Shang-Yi. Without his status and ample money to survive, it reduced the runaway prince to a commoner. Soon, poverty compelled the two brothers to take on odd jobs for a living. Yang Tian turned out to be very capable of farm work, while the spoiled prince had to resort to working as an accountant in a local shop instead.

But his adventurous mind told him despite how their mediocre-paying jobs helped them make ends meet, this wasn’t the life he was after. He could tell that working at the farm every day, with no challenge to face, completely bored Yang Tian to death. That was when he browsed around in the capital, looking at the notice board for any work to do.

Then came the day he came across the recruitment scroll. An anonymous employer was hiring two mercenaries for a trip. Coincidentally, the shop was closed early today, so he headed over for a look. If everything seemed okay, he could get Yang Tian to go with him for the job.

The address wasn’t hard to find, as he was an expert with following instructions, being articulate in the language. He soon arrived, wearing his new brocade suit, a gift from his employer, the proprietor of the shop he worked at. He ensured his hair and attire were neat before he knocked appropriately on the door.

It was a small establishment that functioned as an office. Outside, two potted plants and a Kirin statue functioned as decorations, giving the structure a decent and humble vibe.

“Come in,” a perky female voice announced after five minutes of him waiting outside the door, filling Zhan Peng with awe.

So, this employer was a female? That intrigued him more. From the tone of her voice, she didn’t seem older than he was, and he was twenty-one. The lady must be someone prominent in the island city.

He cleared his throat and reminded himself that he had to sound more assertive to persuade the lady that he was interested in the job.

“Yes, madame,” he answered and opened the door.

Once inside the office, the curious prince ventured with his eyes from the entrance, proceeding towards the few rooms, barricaded by silk curtains. The interior design of the place was undoubtedly feminine, with floral patterns and pink-coloured tapestries hanging from the ceiling. A foreign touch indeed, but confirmed his suspicion that the owner of the voice, a lady, was his prospective employer.

“So, I presume you are here for the job?” The voice morphed into that of a domineering tone. He listened to the voice a bit more attentively. Something about the voice seemed to trigger a sense of familiarity about him.

With his eyes, Zhan Peng scouted past the wooden cabinets, storing what were apparent scrolls that were slightly visible through the narrow gaps. He moved gradually towards the direction of the lady’s voice.

A woman appeared, standing right by a curtained entrance to one room. Clad in a pink flowing dress, with fair skin and mildly flushed cheeks, she lived up to her name as the Cold Beauty of Shang-Yi, which Zhan Peng didn’t know. She was slender, with a slim waist and emotionless eyes that seemed to peer right through his soul.

But that was not what had baffled him. Reeling backwards in shock, Zhan Peng let out a sudden gasp.

“It’s you…”