Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

True Person Baihe disdainfully glanced at Yi Chen, who was indulging in gluttony and heavy drinking, out of the corner of his eye.

"Youngsters are still too naive. This Wang family is wealthy, but you don't leave a good impression on your host; all you know is to indulge in food and drink. If you offend the host here, will your red envelope still be as generous afterwards?"

"Dinner could completely be eaten later, and this little lamb chop isn't going to run away; one must maintain a sense of style."

True Person Baihe looked at the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside little lamb chop in front of him, licked his lips, and resisted.

He could eat them as takeout later in the evening, just the same.

Then, while he was focused on putting on airs, True Person Baihe suddenly felt the light dim around him, and a large face loomed close to him.

"Daoist Baihe, do you not fancy these little lamb chops?"

"It's quite a pity~"

"Er... I, the poor Daoist, do not fancy the greasy and rich."

"I love them. Since you're not eating them, Daoist Baihe, why not give them to me?"

Without waiting for Daoist Baihe to respond, Yi Chen directly took all the little lamb chops in front of Daoist Baihe, and that scoundrel even swiped a peach from in front of him.

Daoist Baihe's mouth twitched, his chest heaved violently, and he couldn't speak for a long time. He knew that his late-night snack was gone.

At this moment, sitting at the main seat, the Family Head of the Wang family and his wife had little appetite for the exquisite food before them. After nibbling on some food, they excused themselves and left.

Because they needed to attend to the elderly grandmother and fulfill their filial duty.

However, keen-eyed Yi Chen still noticed a flush of red, not quite normal, on the face of the wife of the family head.

Although she had applied powder to her face, the unusual flush was still captured by Yi Chen.

The lingering afterglow of their intimate relations...

Drawing on his past life's experience of tea-drinking, Yi Chen was certain he hadn't been mistaken.

Hiss~

The old grandmother was still around. Did this couple still find the leisure for their bridal chamber?

Or... was it out in the wide open fields?

City folks really know how to enjoy themselves.

Yi Chen's love for gossip burned fiercely within him, yet outwardly he remained stoic. He broke off a rib for Little Miao, then quickly devoured the rest of the little lamb chops.

Patting his belly, he was led back to the guest room by a maid.

The heavy rain had already stopped by the time Yi Chen had arrived at Ping'an County; tonight, the moon shone brightly, and the stars were sparse.

Yi Chen opened the window to let the evening breeze fill the room. He picked up a cup of freshly brewed tea from the table and took shallow sips, but nobody knew what he was thinking.

Little Miao, on the other hand, was on the floor of the room, hooking the crossbeam under the table with her hind legs, doing sit-ups over and over again.

Everything was so harmonious.

...

...

Tonight, the moon shone brightly, and the stars were sparse.

Ping'an County, the Wang family's mansion, the back courtyard.

Xiu'er was the personal maid to the wife of the family head, favored by her, but about five or six days ago, she, uncharacteristically, asked her to move to the back courtyard to live with other maids.

She was very unhappy and did not know what she had done wrong.

The events of these past five or six days were enough for her to remember for the rest of her life, who had just turned eighteen.

Before, she was the favored headmaid of the lady of the house. The house servants adored her, the older women held her in high esteem, and the younger maids envied her.

Everything had been so wonderful.

But all that had shattered like bubbles just five or six days ago, completely breaking apart.

The colorful world suddenly turned to shades of gray.

The world changed in an instant.

The elder women who used to flatter her, now suppressed her.

The house guards who had eagerly courted her cursed her out once she refused their advances again in private, scolding her for still thinking she was the head maid, telling her to stop putting on airs, that a phoenix bereft of its feathers is inferior to a chicken, let alone a head maid like her.

As for the other maids who used to sweetly call her "sister," their attitudes had now turned to cold disdain, and they were isolating her publicly and privately.

The harsh reality of society's lifting up and putting down was vividly displayed before her.

Tears brimmed in Xiu'er's beautiful eyes.

As a child, she heard a storyteller relay a tale, the specifics of which she had mostly forgotten; she only remembered the storyteller, looking moved, saying these words at the end.

"Life is like a monkey climbing a tree, the higher you look, only butts are to be seen; looking down, however, you see smiling faces."

As a child, she didn't understand what this meant; she only remembered it because the storyteller was handsome, which made an impression on her.

Her youthfully curious self once asked that storyteller for his name.

He didn't reveal his name, only stating that he was styled Yun Long and that he told stories of olden days, smilingly.

He said he wasn't from Ping'an County.

He claimed to be a famously handsome young fellow in his hometown, also skilled in the craftsmen's arts.

He spoke of a past lover, whose name was the same as hers, also called Xiu'er.

But she was not her.

Afterwards, the storyteller despondently left the town of Ping'an, carrying his bookcase on his back.

Back then, Xiu'er did not grasp the meaning behind the storyteller's words, did not understand why he compared life to a monkey climbing a tree; now, she understood.

These recent days, she had seen far too many "butts."

Unable to find peace on either side, Xiu'er frowned and lay alone in the cramped quarters for maids, reminiscing about the day five or six days ago when the lady of the house had cast her out.

She found it very strange.

Lately, she had been feeling that the entire Wang family estate was somewhat chilly.

The lady's expression was also very strange; she hadn't done anything, yet one day, the lady suddenly sent her away, not allowing her to continue serving by her side.

For many years, she had served the lady every night without fail.

Right, there was also that night a few days ago when she couldn't stand it any longer and sneaked to the lady's room, wanting to plead with her for a chance to return.

However, outside the door, she heard the lady's whimpers and the sound of spanking.

This frightened her so much that she ran away.

Since the old lady fell seriously ill, the lady had been sleeping in separate rooms from the Family Head, spending her days praying to the gods and worshipping Buddha, hoping for blessings and abstaining for the elderly woman's sake.

What could be the strange noises coming from her room?

Night fell deeper.

The moon was obscured by the clouds.

At this moment, a sudden urge to urinate surged in Xiu'er's heart.

She couldn't hold it any longer and wanted to go to the toilet.

She had to go alone, as the other maids in the same side wing no longer favored her, stepping on her ruthlessly, seemingly wanting to take back all their previous attentiveness with interest.

She walked out of the room at a slow pace.

The night was deathly silent.

So quiet that even the sounds of insects had vanished.

The path to the toilet passed through a circular arch, dark and menacing, like a giant maw within the darkness eager to devour someone.

She always felt as if something was hiding in the dark.

Even during the days when she bathed with the other maids, she always felt as if someone was spying on her, but when she turned around, she could find no one.

Oh.

She couldn't hold it any longer.

Ultimately, shame overcame fear, and Xiu'er bravely ran toward the direction of the circular arch.

Running faster made her feel less afraid.

This is what her late mother had told her when she was a child.

Oh, that's right.

Her mother was also a maid.

However, the method that had always worked before failed miserably today.

Xiu'er ran halfway and was about to reach a brighter place when,

Suddenly.

Her legs became as though stuck in a swamp, unable to move at all.

The hairs on her body all stood up instantly.

Her heart was filled with immense fear, as if a profound and deep shadow had enveloped her.

She, couldn't move.

Suddenly.

It was as though a greasy, cold tongue-like thing abruptly appeared on her face.

Damp and sticky.

Extremely disgusting.

Shadows seemed to stretch out from the darkness.

And began slowly untying her sash.

Her name was Xiu'er, and she was very pretty.

Was she going to die today?

She was so scared.

Just at that moment, when Xiu'er thought she was going to be dragged into the abyss by the monster within the shadows,

A tall figure suddenly appeared in the light ahead.

He was well-built, his strong pectorals lifting the Daoist robe high.

He carried a large precious sword on his back.

His arms were much thicker than her waist.

The moment this strong Daoist figure appeared, Xiu'er suddenly felt the swamp beneath her feet vanish, and she could move again.

She quickly ran to the light, her hands propped against her knees as she gasped for air, like a fish out of water.

At this moment, Xiu'er, who was still panting heavily, suddenly heard the puzzled voice of the tall Daoist beside her.

"Gan Ni Nian, why did I feel the presence of an evil ghost just now, and then it disappeared so suddenly?"

Yi Chen turned his head, looking at the small girl in front of him, who wore space buns and was young, appearing to be quite pretty.

"Little girl, what is your name?"

"I have something I want to ask you."

"Don't worry, I'm not a bad person," Yi Chen said gently to Xiu'er.

"Taoist, my name is Xiu'er~"

.....