Shang Yu arrived at mao hour to attend to her young mistress.
The original host suffered from severe insomnia—or perhaps it was simply that when one’s body was constantly feverish and restless, sleep became elusive even at night. Winters were somewhat better, but summers were unbearable. Even lying on a bed carved from thousand-year-old cold jade, with the surrounding curtains removed and several layers of bedding beneath her, Xiaobai still felt unbearably agitated.
Incense to repel mosquitoes burned steadily, enveloping her in a scent that was neither unpleasant nor particularly pleasant. She drifted in and out of a hazy sleep. Whenever the ice-silk quilt warmed against her skin, she would impatiently kick it off. Immediately, a hidden guard would replace it with another chilled ice-silk quilt. This cycle repeated throughout the night, with the ice buckets in the corners being replaced twice to maintain the coolness of the room.
Yet such peaceful sleep was fleeting. Before dawn broke, she was already awake.
Lack of sleep made her temper even more explosive.
She opened her mouth to speak but was promptly assisted into a sitting position by a hidden guard. Shang Yu, familiar with her routine, had been waiting outside the door since the beginning of mao hour. When she heard movement inside at the third quarter of mao hour, she led a procession of young maidservants into the room.
By then, Xiaobai was already being helped by a hidden guard to drink water. To be honest, she hadn’t been accustomed to being watched around the clock at first. However, after just a few days of being meticulously cared for, Xiaobai quickly settled into a life of luxury—clothes handed to her, meals served to her mouth—a lifestyle she could never have imagined before. Even martial arts families couldn’t provide such a degree of comfort.
It was Shang Yu who stepped forward to adjust her dress, a task originally assigned to Yinyuan. Even though the young mistress of the Shang family was only an eight-year-old girl, tradition dictated that boys and girls should not share the same space after the age of seven, making it inappropriate for a young male servant to perform such duties. Although the Shang household had plenty of maidservants, only Yinyuan had been able to remain steady in Xiaobai’s presence without trembling. Now, even Yinyuan couldn’t withstand the pressure of serving a young mistress who might erupt in anger and maim someone at any moment. Thus, Shang Yu became the only one left who could attend to her.
The young boy before her had lips as red as cherries and teeth as white as jade, with lively eyes and delicate, handsome features. As he grew older, he would undoubtedly become a handsome young man. Unfortunately, he was merely a household servant, and unlike Yinyuan, Shang Yu was born into servitude.
His father was a steward of the Shang residence, and his mother was the young mistress’s wet nurse. From a young age, he was taught obedience—even if beaten to death by the young mistress, he must not resist. The only thing he could do was willingly offer the whip, hoping to please her as she struck.
Xiaobai cooperatively extended her arms, allowing Shang Yu to adjust her dress. Due to the original host’s explosive temper, her accessories and clothing had been simplified as much as possible. However, as a member of a wealthy family, and with girls’ dresses inherently complex, she chose not to struggle. The last thing she wanted was to spend half the day failing to put on her clothes properly, only to lose her temper and smash another cabinet in frustration.
The only thing she could do was select a slightly more subdued dress from the chest filled with vibrant and ornate garments. Little did anyone know how difficult this was, for after awakening, the original host’s preferences and interests also influenced her, making her obsessed with bright colors. After all—her former self, a steadfast and upright man, would never have been fond of red.
Using the trembling maid’s proffered washing set, she impatiently picked up the soft small brush already coated with mint-green fragrant paste and began brushing her teeth. When roaming the jianghu, how could there be such good conditions? Chivalrous folk would carry a tooth-cleaning stick with fixed medicinal herbs and spices that could last a long time. Squatting casually by a river to clean up was considered decent enough.
Sometimes, when truly short on funds, breaking off a willow twig and rubbing some coarse salt on it could also maintain one’s image.
After tying a reward pouch filled with gold leaves onto Xiaobai, Shang Yu dismissed the maids for fear they might pull the young lady’s hair due to their trembling hands. He personally combed her hair, his movements skilled and gentle. Taking half of Xiaobai’s hair, he styled it into two small lamb-horn buns and specially adorned the young lady with her favorite jade-and-ruby mandarin duck rings.
He somewhat hoped she would go easier today.
Xiaobai had to admit that Shang Yu was truly useful. He always managed to serve her comfortably, understanding what she wanted without even needing a glance. Efficient and meticulous in his work, he was indeed a versatile attendant combining the roles of study companion, page, apprentice steward, and personal guard.
Yet what needed to be done still had to be done.
Having spent several days mastering the surrounding information and familiarizing herself with the body—ensuring she could kick someone just enough to send them rolling a few meters away without crippling them outright—Xiaobai had truly put in great effort.
Thus, she now had the confidence to clean up the mess left by the original owner. For this purpose, she deliberately did not bring her whip. However, the moment she stepped out of the room, Shang Yu followed closely behind, respectfully presenting a terrifyingly designed soft whip.
Retracting her earlier words—this lad occasionally failed to read the room.
Dongfang Xiaobai knew that with her strength, if she were to strike in anger, not to mention Yinyuan, even her lover would meet his end. After all, he was just a poor scholar—where would he have extra funds to practice martial arts?
So, after some thought, she made a decision: “Where is that chivalrous hero who intervened that day?”
She asked as if it were a matter of course, because Dongfang Xiaobai knew all too well—given the Shang family’s indulgence toward the original owner, not only would that hero be detained for blocking her whip, even a passerby who merely caught her displeasing eye would be dragged away.
“You mean that ungrateful wretch who actually thought being a disciple of a renowned sect made him something special? This servant asked the covert guards that day, and they have already locked him up in the dungeon, awaiting the young lady’s disposal.” Shang Yu replied even more matter-of-factly, not finding anything amiss in his own words.
Xiaobai fell silent for two seconds, feeling that the Shang family’s style seemed rather off. However, if covert guards had been mobilized, that hero must have been exceptionally skilled—no surprise if he came from a renowned sect.
“Sent to the magistrate’s office?”
She instinctively assumed Shang Yu meant the magistrate’s prison.
“How could that be? Those dog servants wouldn’t dare take someone the Shang family wants. He’s locked up in the mansion’s dungeon.”
It seemed she had underestimated the Shang family. Xiaobai kept her expression steady, though inwardly she was startled.
Her last reincarnation had been unlucky. Originally planning to ride the Pearl Trading House’s momentum to transport a few shipments from the Western Regions back to the Central Plains to earn some silver for living expenses, she had instead been captured by the Demonic Cult and forced into labor. Nearly a decade passed without returning to the Central Plains. Later, after stumbling upon a secret and fleeing in disarray, she spent her time hiding and evading pursuit—where would she have had leisure to keep up with changes in the Central Plains? Thus, she actually hadn’t heard much about this Kaiyang Shang family.
But she knew exactly what Kaiyang Prefecture was. Located in the same Shouyang Circuit as Yueyang Prefecture, the capital of the Yue Dynasty, it had been elevated from Kaiyang County to Kaiyang Prefecture due to its proximity to the Thundering Rapids Grand Canal, which brought immense prosperity and bustling trade routes. What did this mean? It stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the capital—one of only two prefectural cities in the entire Shouyang Circuit.
The martial world of Shouyang Circuit was not particularly extensive, and the local authorities wielded near-absolute power. Yet, in Shang Yu’s words, they were nothing more than a pack of servile dogs.
And this Shang family even had its own private prison. They could drag people right back to their estate in full view of the authorities, who wouldn’t dare utter a single word of protest, let alone uphold justice. They cared nothing for the fate of the so-called “victims”… The Shang family wasn’t just a local bully in Kaiyang Prefecture—they were practically the undisputed rulers of this land.
Xiaobai’s heart suddenly raced so fast that she barely registered what Shang Yu was saying. She merely mumbled a few vague “mm-hm”s in response. Covering her nose, she tried to suppress the nosebleed threatening to spill over from her surging emotions and asked, “What kind of business does our Shang family run?”
Shang Yu quickly motioned for the attendant following them to bring over an ice chest. He took out a damp cloth wrapped around ice and pressed it against the back of her neck. “Don’t get worked up, young miss. Calm down. The most renowned under the Shang family’s banner is naturally the Pearl Trading House. Besides that, there are also martial factions like the Golden Lion Escort Agency, the Shark-Merfolk Gang, and the Cloud-Weaving Atelier…”
Happiness had come too suddenly, making Xiaobai feel as though she were dreaming. What did the Pearl Trading House represent? It accounted for eighty percent of the economic circulation in the entire Yue Dynasty. Apart from gambling dens and brothels, it had stakes in nearly every industry. As for the Golden Lion Escort Agency, it was the undisputed leader among escort agencies. Many prestigious sects even sent their disciples to train there, drawn by its generous wages and formidable reputation.
The Shark-Merfolk Gang, meanwhile, was a powerhouse in water transport. The Yue Dynasty was already crisscrossed with rivers, and beyond its borders lay the Pearl Star and Moon Gate routes, allowing the Shark-Merfolk Gang to thrive like fish in water. Shipments and cargo transport across the land all relied on their influence. As for the Cloud-Weaving Atelier, though its master was a woman, its fabrics and ready-made garments were coveted by everyone from nobles and royalty down to commoners…
And now Shang Yu was telling her that all of these were the Shang family’s enterprises. And she was the Shang family’s only young miss—or rather, their only child.
In the end, Xiaobai couldn’t hold back the nosebleed. A flurry of attendants hurriedly helped her to a nearby pavilion to rest. In her dazed state, only one thought circled in her mind: Had she endured so much misfortune in the past that now, at last, her luck had turned and fortune was smiling upon her?
It was no wonder Xiaobai was so overwhelmed. Though she had lived many lives, experiencing nearly every trade and mingling with almost every sect through her repeated rebirths, her luck had always been abysmal. Not only were the bodies she inhabited of poor aptitude, but she also constantly encountered all sorts of mishaps. Her lives were never long—at most a dozen years, sometimes as short as two or three. She had once fallen into despair and despondency, nearly abandoning her dreams because of this perilous and unforgiving martial world. But eventually, she came to accept it: perhaps this was the price to pay for her endless rebirths. As long as she worked hard enough, one day—one day—
But… in the end, she was only a daughter.
Caught between overwhelming joy and crushing sorrow, Xiaobai spat blood and collapsed once more. What use were all these enterprises? None of it mattered to a daughter. At most, it would just mean a more lavish dowry in the future.
She was skillfully carried back to her room by the attendants—history always seemed to repeat itself. A crowd gathered around her, fussing over her well-being, and her cheap grandmother appeared once more. First, she hugged her and cried “my darling” for what felt like ages, then began scolding Shang Yu and the others, docking three months of their allowance.
But truthfully, no one was particularly worried. Despite the young lady’s tendency to vomit blood at the drop of a hat, it wasn’t due to frailty. On the contrary, it was because her constitution was too robust, her qi and blood overly abundant. So, they didn’t even bother calling a physician. After feeding her some cooling herbal soup and letting her rest for a while, the young lady would be back on her feet, lively and ready to hit people again.
As for the allowance, while the Shang family’s monthly stipend was generous, how could it compare to the golden leaves that slipped from the young lady’s hands? True, her temper was fiery, but her rewards were equally lavish. Once those golden leaves were in hand, even if they were beaten half to death and thrown out of the estate, they could return to their hometowns, buy houses and land, and live happily with beautiful wives and concubines. What could be more delightful?
Fortune favors the bold—these attendants were far braver than the maids. After all, maids faced restrictions everywhere once they left the estate, fearing their money would be stolen or their virtue tarnished by wicked men. They had many concerns. That Yinyuan must have been utterly bewitched to elope with that scholar. How could the outside world compare to the Shang estate? Even if the young lady’s temper was terrible… if they endured these few years until she married off, wouldn’t good days be just around the corner?
It was rather pitiful, really. The original host had been angered to death, yet no one noticed. In this vast Shang estate, how many truly cared about the little troublemaker?
But this had little to do with Dongfang Xiaobai. Later, she mused that perhaps it was because she was now in a woman’s body that her luck had turned so favorable. After adjusting her mood, she stubbornly climbed out of bed once more. However, when she pushed open the door this time, she was met with a row of towering, burly men from the Western Regions.
Author’s Note: The protagonist won’t keep vomiting blood forever—the real cheat is on its way!
Also, this is a lighthearted, comedic martial arts story, not a traditional historical romance. So, occasionally, some more modern terms might pop up. Don’t mind it, don’t mind it—it’s all for a more comfortable reading experience, hehehe.
(In this story’s setting, a golden leaf is roughly equivalent to 12,000–13,000 RMB. An ordinary civilian house in the capital costs about 400,000–500,000. Places like Shouyang Path and Moon Gate Path are essentially provinces, while Yueyang Prefecture and Kaiyang Prefecture are similar to directly administered municipalities like Beijing or Shanghai. Ordinary cities are referred to as “zhou.” No need to memorize this—it’ll become clearer as you read!)
[Mini Theater] The World Through Their Eyes
Dongfang Xiaobai: I am the little troublemaker, the ruler of this estate!
Shang Yu: I am the young lady’s most valued attendant, the future steward of the Shang estate!
Attendants: Wealth and glory are right before our eyes—what are a few lashes?
Let the storm rage even fiercer!
Young lady, kick harder, please! Let me roll a little farther!
Maids: How could a life of poverty outside compare to the fine clothes and sumptuous food in the estate? Once we outlast the young lady, won’t good days be just around the corner?
Thank you all so much for your support—I’ll keep doing my best!