Chapter 2
Located in the southern regions of the mainland were the Giao mountains, It was a bountiful land filled with greenery and wildlife that acted as the primary source of income and stability for the nearby provincial city that was built under the same name
Needless to say, the people of that city were extremely grateful for the blessings of the mountain, with some even going so far as to worship it. But with how massive the mountains are, many of the areas were usually still left unexplored
With exploration comes the discovery of the unknown...and with the discovery of the unknown, comes fear...
And fear is an excellent base for a scary story, And so the recent tale of the 'Haunted mansion of the Giao mountains' was born
The story goes that a few months ago, a couple of rowdy drunks were out and about in the mountains when they suddenly discovered a fancy-looking house that was located in a desolated area
They were very confused, because this was the spot where they'd usually hang around when they all hang out, and this wasn't here a few weeks ago...
Curious, the drunks decided to check it out. But all they found out was a lifeless husk of a home....and the sight of a child in white, staring at them from afar...silent, and unwavering...
Frightened, they scurried back and reported this to the head of the city who said they'd investigate it...
But after a few days later, the leader announced to every citizen in the city, with a frightened expression to; 'Never go there ever again
The pathway to the entrance was then heavily fortified with the elite forces of the mainland army. And anyone who was foolish enough to act cool or brave and tries to enter its vicinity was sentenced to be beheaded on the spot
The citizens were all left bewildered. Was the thing that the mainland army was so desperate to protect? Who was the ghost that the drunks saw that night? Was she of the divine? Or a demon?
Such questions began to plague the minds of the people, and many began to take it upon themselves to investigate for the truth...
But the truth...is often boring and simple...It's usually less exciting than we make it out to be...
For the one in that house was neither the devil nor a god nor a ghost...but a singular, lonely child...
*
"I'm back..."
Jing fei muttered in the most tired tone as she opened the door, knowing that there would be no one around to return the greeting. She glanced around her surroundings hoping that there would be something different this time around, but it was the same old sight that she was always greeted with...
The sight of emptiness...
Most of the people from her country would probably be extremely happy at the thought of living in a house as big as the one she has...and the fact that it was located near the peak of the mountains, where you could see the beautiful sight of the city from below, it wasn't a surprise to her that people would think that
But she never really felt any semblance of happiness as she spent her days here...not even once
Despite being blessed with a massive home to protect her from the rain, she always felt so cold. The meals that were being served to her looked delicious, but she'd usually felt empty. And despite the sight of the city being relaxing to the others, Jing fei would always look at it with envy...
She would usually reach her hands out to it with a hint of desire in her eyes as if she was yearning to touch the stars themselves
And just as how the stars are yet to be reached, so too is her desire to live a normal life
A life where she could roam around freely, without the constant annoyance from the servants of the mainland government. A life where she could run around and be free, instead of being confined in the mountains...
And she knew that this was too much to ask...but she yearned for a family once again...
"My lady, It's your humble servant here. May I enter?"
Her wandering thoughts were snapped back upon the silhouette of someone at the door. She felt a bit confused since this was a voice she didn't recognize, but her mind luckily pieced together the puzzle quickly...
"...You may..."
The sliding doors slowly opened, and a female servant and two soldiers from the mainland stood behind her like statues. They each carried a large pot. A pot that Jing fei knew all too well, which made her disappointed as usual
"You're a new face. What happened to Meili? She got fired?" Despite knowing the answer already, she still chose to ask
"Meili was transferred to work at the capital under direct orders of the Emperor, my lady. I shall fulfill the role of your caretaker from now on, I am-"
Jing fei didn't even bother to listen any further, for it was always like this. She was always under the pressure of the tight leash that was placed on her by the Emperor, her actions were always closely monitored, and even the servants who take care of her are usually switched every month to prevent any of them from forming a meaningful bond with Jing fei
She would always feel sad when this first happened, but now she doesn't even feel a thing...In fact, Jing fei doesn't even bother remembering their faces anymore...for they'll just be a thorn in her memory anyway...
The servant was trying to explain her circumstances, trying to add a bit of jokes to cheer up Jing fei...but she clearly wasn't amused in the slightest
"Enough talking. Just do what you've been ordered to do"
The guards and the servant went silent. She wasn't really sure whether they were feeling guilt or indifference, but it was all the same for Jing fei. She doesn't want their pity. In fact, she despises receiving it from them...because it amounts to nothing anyway...
"...Understood. If you'll excuse me"
The servant and the guards went in, with a small knife in hand. After setting up the pots, the servant gently held Jing fei's arm up and gently ran the knife through her skin.
"...."
Silence dawned on the room as the sound of blood flowing through the pot was all they could hear. The servant glanced at Jing fei, who was taking this situation pretty calmly...She honestly expected her to squirm or resist a bit...
Instead, she was just sitting there silently, looking at her blood flowing out of her body with eyes that seemed to lose all their light...
After a while, the three pots that were brought earlier were filled to the brim, the servant began to bandage the wounds of Jing fei and the soldiers brought the pots out to the room...
The servant then carried a tray into the room containing food...
"Dinner is ready, my lady...Since your arm is still injured, would you prefer if I'm to be the one to put the food in your mouth?"
"No, I would be fine eating alone. Please leave"
The servant nodded and knelt before quietly closing the door. After confirming that she was far enough through her footsteps, Jing fei began to silently eat under the moonlight.The food presented to her was a delicious looking, well-cooked fish, with a dash of soup on the side
And on the other tray was a wide variety of cuisines that Jing fei didn't even know the name of...
She took her chopsticks with the hands that was cut up earlier, and took a little bite, afterwards she placed it back down
"...Still dull..."
Anyone else would normally be feeling a sense of euphoria overeating such a dish, and yet Jing fei felt nothing because she couldn't taste a thing. She wouldn't exactly call it a physical condition...but something that is born of the abhorrence of these dishes...
As far as she could remember, she would always be served the same set of meals that is specifically made for royalty, and made to balance her diet. And while it tasted good at first, somewhere down the line she just began to hate it...
But she couldn't complain. She was often thought to never waste any food, so with a sense of reluctance, she chowed down the meal before laying down on her bed...
As she stared at her wooden ceiling, she couldn't help but remember what her teacher just told her earlier. Jing fei could tell that she was a genuinely nice person that's looking out for her, but her situation wasn't something as simple as being a little shy
Jing fei wanted to make friends. But due to her circumstances, any kid who tried to get closer to her will have their background thoroughly checked, afterwards, the families of the kids would usually be bribed or threatened to stay away from her...
She was already lucky enough to even be studying in a normal school...Ordinarily, people like her would've been taught by a private tutor...But if she was always left alone like this, then It was basically a waste of time even going to school in the first place
"...I hate this..."
Standing up from her bed she grabbed a certain box that was hidden under the floorboards. Opening it, She was greeted with the sight of a few bones and five talismans, all having a dark color that was deep as the abyss itself
Its characters were written in blood, and it had a menacing feel to it that made even Jing fei, who barely showed a sliver of emotion, shiver in fear...
She of course knew what this was, It was a tool that's commonly used to summon the darkest of spirits from the pits of hell itself. A demon summoning talisman...
Possessing such a thing is usually punished by having the entire kin of the person slaughtered so they were scorned by the populace, but to Jing fei It was something extremely precious because it was the last gift that her father gave to her before he was sent to fulfill his so-called 'Destiny'
'My sweet Jing fei...When I am gone, and you find yourself in trouble, quickly perform a ritual and summon the beast by using that talisman...If it's him...If It's him then he'll surely solve all your problems...'
These were his last words...before she left Jing fei all alone...
Though she's far from in trouble right now, Jing fei was at her limits. She couldn't handle this treatment of her by the emperor all because of the wretched curse that happened to be in her bloodline...She wanted it all to stop...She wanted to be free...
What she was about to do was the highest form of taboo...But she didn't care...
"I'm sorry pa...But it seems like I'll be the first in our entire history to break our tradition.."
She silently muttered under her breath as she locked her door and began setting up a ritual...