The night, like a wild beast lurking on the horizon, howled in the boundless wilderness.
The wind roared. Perhaps it intended to sweep across every corner of the vast land and the eight deserts of the world, or maybe it was just because someone was there.
The tearing wind seemed to rip the night apart.
On the other side, there might be something unknown to others.
Zhao Shuning looked at the star - filled night sky. The scene from that year seemed to appear before her eyes again.
She divided her abilities and the cultivation techniques she had mastered into four types and passed them on to the leaders of the four great families respectively.
They said that Ye Ling was the only empress they recognized in their lifetime.
They also said that Ye Ling had shown them great kindness. No matter when danger came, they would surely step forward and stand in front of Ye Ling.
Ye Ling had feelings for those people from the four great families.
Ye Ling thought that they were like - minded people, all frustrated and eager to make the Eastern Ze Wilderness prosperous and eliminate bullying once and for all.
However, the human heart could never be tamed.
Those old foxes had impure motives from the very beginning. How could they listen to Ye Ling?
They were overly ambitious, while Ye Ling was simple - minded. Thinking back now, Zhao Shuning only felt that she was stupid back then, stupid enough to trust so many irrelevant people.
Fortunately, the children she had raised later should be grown up by now. She remembered that when she met them, they were only seven or eight years old. She had previously heard from that alchemist that Ji Qinglin had already become an eighth - grade alchemist.
This kid's achievements were inseparable from his talent.
She wondered how the seven or eight children who had grown up together were faring now.
Zhao Shuning took a deep breath and slowly closed the window.
"Senior, we've come to attend to your toiletries."
Zhao Shuning turned around and was startled by the enthusiasm of the maids behind her.
To be honest, after all these years, she was used to fighting alone in various unknown formations. She hadn't had maids or servants for a long time.
"You don't have to be so polite. Just leave them. I'll do it myself."
"Forgive us, senior."
Unexpectedly, Zhao Shuning's casual words made the maids kneel on the ground in unison, and some of the water in the basin spilled out.
Zhao Shuning frowned. She didn't think she had done anything to make them so panicked.
"What are you doing?"
"Senior, if we've done something wrong, please tell us. We'll take whatever punishment you give, but please don't drive us away. If the master knows that we've served you poorly, he'll surely deduct our monthly pay. Senior, please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart."
Zhao Shuning was speechless. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond to these maids.
Could they just make up unfounded charges out of thin air?
"Senior, let us attend to your toiletries, okay?"
"Really, it's not necessary."
Hearing this, the maids lowered their heads closer to the ground.
Looking at these girls, Zhao Shuning said helplessly, "Then get up."
"Thank you, senior!"
"However - I have three requirements. If you can't meet them, I'll still drive you out."
"Please tell us, senior. We'll follow them."
Zhao Shuning smiled. "First, don't call me senior. I'm just an elixir master, no different from others. You can call me by my name or just Miss Zhao."
The maids looked at each other and then replied in unison, "Yes, miss. Let us serve you to rest."
Zhao Shuning waved her hands quickly.
"The second condition is that you're not allowed to get close to me without my permission. I have my own hands and feet. I'm used to doing my own washing and grooming. I'll feel uncomfortable with your excessive attentiveness."
"This, this - Miss, you know that we're born of low status. Our job is to serve others. We can't do anything else. And the master sent us here to take care of you."
Zhao Shuning added, "There's no such thing as being born to do something in this world. You receive your monthly pay from the master of the Xie family, so you should do these things, but it has nothing to do with your status. Don't belittle yourselves. I just don't like it."
The maids looked puzzled. Obviously, it was impossible to change their deeply - rooted ideas all at once.
Zhao Shuning just hoped that her words would have some impact on them.
"Thank you, miss. Although we don't quite understand your words, we know that you're doing this for our own good. Since you don't like our service, we'll stay outside and wait for your orders at any time."
Zhao Shuning nodded in agreement.
"Miss, what's the third condition? Please tell us, and we'll do it."
"You should be quiet. Sleep in the outer room and don't disturb me."
"Miss, this won't do. How can we servants sleep before the master? If we do so, we'll be derelict in our duty. Miss, you - "
Zhao Shuning made a gesture to shush them.
The maids stopped talking.
"I just said to be quiet, and you can't even do that. If you really can't follow my rules, just leave. I won't care about the master's punishment."
Silence. No one dared to speak.
"What? Aren't you leaving yet?"
"Yes, miss, we - "
Zhao Shuning raised her eyes and looked at the leading girl among the maids. They had no choice but to shut up and slowly backed out.
Finally, they were gone. Zhao Shuning let out a sigh of relief.
Hearing the door close slowly and the footsteps of the maids fading away.
Zhao Shuning softly said, "Come out. Aren't you bored like this?"
As soon as she finished speaking, an unruly young man jumped down from the beam.
The young man was good - looking, but his eyes were extremely amorous. Every time Zhao Shuning saw Xie Yu's eyes, she felt that his good looks were somewhat ruined by them.
"Boss, let me tell you, my old man was disrespectful to you tonight. Please bear with it."
Zhao Shuning turned around and didn't want to look at Xie Yu.
Xie Yu continued, "Boss, you can't be angry. Look, when I was beaten so badly before, you didn't even step in, and I didn't blame you, right?"
"You deserved it."
"Boss - "
"Get to the point. Why did you come to me?"