Chapter 5: The Mirror of the Nine Heavens' Mystic Lady

Nangong Bie frowned when he noticed the anger on his daughter's face.

'Yan is young, but she is a child who can distinguish right from wrong better than adults. What could have happened?'

His daughter, who lived in seclusion from the outside world, was more intelligent than anyone else. Yet, she was trembling with rage that she could not contain.

Nangong Bie glanced at Yan Jie.

The child was at a loss, looking pitiful.

Bai Mijiu, who had been watching Zhang Haen, interjected with a gentle voice.

"Uncle, since she is still young and did it unknowingly, perhaps you should forgive her."

"Brother, you're right. They are no longer six and eight years old."

With his wife also speaking up, Nangong Bie sighed and said,

"Ha! Yan, Jieha is still young and doesn't understand how dangerous the world is. But you are different. Do you know why I am going to Wudang Mountain? From now on, be especially careful to avoid such incidents. Do you understand?"

"..."

Nangong Yan did not answer but glared fiercely at Nangong Bie and Lian Wulong.

Watching Nangong Yan, Bai Mijiu cautiously asked Zhang Haen,

"Brother, does Yan usually... speak..."

She couldn't bring herself to ask, "Can't she speak?" in front of the parties involved.

"No, that's not it. The doctor said she is too sensitive and has closed her heart to protect herself from getting hurt."

"Oh! How sensitive she must be..."

Bai Mijiu's words made Nangong Yan's face twist with a cold smile.

Seeing Nangong Yan's sudden hostility, Bai Mijiu was at a loss.

Shaking his head, Zhang Haen took his daughter and went into the room before the situation escalated.

Thus, the commotion came to an end.

The next day, the people of the Nangong family left Walong Manor.

Lian Wubai, the eldest son of Walong Manor, also accompanied them.

The Lian clan, who lived in Walong Manor, did not understand why Lian Wulong let his eldest son leave so easily, but no one opposed it. Some even said it was fortunate to have this opportunity to become closer to the Nangong family.

***

That July.

Lian Wulong, the renowned swordsmen, passed away in his sleep at the young age of 40.

Shocked by Lian Wulong's sudden death, the Lian clan summoned famous doctors from Luoyang to investigate the cause of his death.

The investigation was completed in just one day.

A fist-sized tumor was found in Lian Wulong's head.

After Lian Wulong's death, Bai Mijiu called over twenty warriors from her own family, the Bai family, to Walong Manor, citing the need to protect it since the master was dead.

She named these warriors the "Baihu Corps" and appointed them as the military force of Walong Manor.

Naturally, the influence of the Lian clan in Walong Manor weakened.

Before long, Bai Mijiu became the undisputed mistress of Walong Manor.

In fact, the Lian clan's indifference played a significant role in Bai Mijiu's rise to power.

They believed that Lian Wubai, who was training at the Nangong family, would eventually return and become the master of Walong Manor. Since Bai Mijiu was the mother of the three children (Lian Wubai, Lian Shengbai, and Lian Shuju), they thought there would be no conflict.

Furthermore, the Lian clan knew that Bai Mijiu intended to turn Walong Manor into a martial arts family, which was also their desire.

Thus, the Lian clan, both inside and outside Walong Manor, tacitly accepted Bai Mijiu's control. Otherwise, the Bai family would not have been able to reside in Walong Manor.

By August, the scorching heat had set in.

One day, Bai Mijiu called the chief steward, Lian Mudu, to the main house.

"Brother, in Walong Manor, you are the only one I can rely on."

Lian Mudu smiled at Bai Mijiu. For a few days, she had been calling him "brother."

If her cousin, Lian Wulong, were still alive, this would have been impossible. But the world belongs to the living. Lian Mudu, swayed by Bai Mijiu's continued charm, naturally decided to become her "brother."

"Sure, what is it?"

Bai Mijiu looked at Lian Mudu with a cold gaze.

"As you know, my husband was taken away by the servant girl I brought."

"Yes, I also think you were a bit too harsh."

"Whenever I see Jieha these days... I am reminded of my dead husband and the servant girl, which makes me suffer. Can you make it so I don't have to see her?"

"Surely, you're not asking me to kill your niece?"

Lian Mudu's face showed discomfort.

No matter how deep Bai Mijiu's grudge, it was not something that should be done in a martial arts family like Walong Manor.

"I'm not that cruel. I just want her out of my sight."

"Out of your sight?"

"Besides, she's not even normal. It's not good for her to be seen by others."

"That's true, but..."

Lian Mudu nodded.

Indeed, after Lian Wulong's death, Jieha had become very strange. She couldn't make eye contact with people and often fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

"She's more like an animal than a human. I can't keep an animal around."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Bai Mijiu moved closer to Lian Mudu, placing her hand on his. She breathed hotly into his ear.

"There's a storage room behind the annex."

"That storage room..."

It was originally a wine cellar.

Lian Wulong had converted it into a storage room and moved all sorts of miscellaneous items passed down through the Lian clan. It was so dark that he used to joke that it could be used to imprison criminals.

Lian Mudu looked at Bai Mijiu with a complicated expression.

Their faces were almost touching.

Bai Mijiu said with a pout,

"She is a disgrace to our Walong Manor. I think the storage room is the best place for her."

"Ugh..."

A groan escaped Lian Mudu's lips.

It wasn't out of guilt.

The fate of his niece in the storage room was no longer his concern.

Intoxicated by Bai Mijiu's sweet breath, Lian Mudu grabbed her shoulder and mounted her like a rabid dog.

That afternoon, Lian Mudu called a carpenter to install a small door, about the size of a head, next to the storage room door, for food and waste.

By evening, he took the six-year-old Jieha to the storage room.

"You know you have many problems. You are a headache for the Lian family. From now on, you must stay here out of sight. Do you understand?"

"..."

Jieha, not understanding her uncle's words, could only say, "Yes."

Lian Mudu locked the young niece in the storage room and sealed the entrance. To him, the future he would build with Bai Mijiu was more important than Jieha.

'She won't last long...'

If she survived for a while, it would be by luck.

But in such a dark place, she would eventually fall ill and die. Bai Mijiu wouldn't call a doctor for her.

Lian Mudu blamed everything on Bai Mijiu, saying, "I am just the chief steward, and I am following the mistress's orders."

***

If Lian Mudu had known Jieha's true thoughts, he might not have blamed himself so much.

In the dark storage room, Jieha felt a sense of peace.

Being free from her aunt's relentless torment was enough to satisfy her. Honestly, she preferred the storage room to Walong Manor.

At first, it was like that.

But soon, Jieha was consumed by the fear of the enclosed space.

"Aaaaah!"

"Kiaaaaah!"

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

The fear intensified at night.

Jieha screamed and pounded on the walls and doors, trying to escape the darkness, but it was futile. The cries and the sounds made by a six-year-old were too insignificant.

Even if the sounds had escaped the room, it wouldn't have mattered. No one in Walong Manor would defy the mistress, Bai Mijiu.

Unaware of this, Jieha screamed every night.

The closest place to the storage room was the annex.

But the people in the annex were the Baihu Corps, Bai Mijiu's personal guards. They heard Jieha's screams but ignored them.

They knew what humiliation Bai Mijiu had endured from Lian Wulong. To them, Jieha was just the offspring of a servant girl from the Bai family. When they heard her screams, they exchanged the phrase "karma" and thoroughly ignored her. Some even mocked and laughed.

***

About ten days passed.

Jieha became accustomed to the enclosed storage room. Perhaps the torment from her aunt had strengthened her spirit. Without any particular reason, she no longer feared the small, dark storage room.

One day, she noticed a fresh breeze flowing in through a small window on the wall.

She also realized that she could see a few trees through the small gap under the auxiliary door when she lay on the ground.

Just this was enough to free her from anxiety and fear. She no longer screamed or pounded on the walls.

***

Jieha's daily routine was monotonous.

She woke up, ate, used the toilet, looked at the items in the storage room, ate again, used the toilet, and went to sleep.

Sometimes, out of boredom, she searched the storage room.

At six years old, Jieha's activities were extremely limited.

She could only move the miscellaneous items from one side to the other. Even this required careful attention to avoid reducing the space to move around.

Jieha discovered "it" when the breeze in the storage room became slightly cooler.

At the bottom of the pile of miscellaneous items was a large object made of bronze.

Jieha grunted as she pulled it out.

It was a mirror, covered with rust and grime.

Upon closer inspection, the words "Nine Heavens' Mystic Lady Mirror" were engraved on the back.

Without much thought, Jieha began to clean it with a cloth.

It was difficult to clean, as it had been neglected for a long time.

But Jieha was not in a hurry. She had plenty of time.

Cleaning the mirror was a challenging task, making her sweat profusely. Still, she continued, as if entranced.

Winter passed, and spring came again.

Only then did Jieha manage to remove the grime from the mirror.

When the surface of the mirror was polished to a shine, a small, frail child appeared.

Now seven years old, Jieha waved at the mirror with an innocent face.

"Hello?"

The child in the mirror also waved back.

Jieha carefully examined her reflection in the mirror.

The bronze mirror was surprisingly clear, showing even the details in her eyes.

After blinking a few times, Jieha sighed.