30th Life

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.” Liang advised from the open window.

  Banbang’s blade stopped just above the girl’s breasts as she continued to sleep. His eyes looked over to Liang sitting on the window sill with a calm look on his face. It was Yingjie Kai’s personal bodyguard. What was he doing here instead of protecting Kai? Did this girl really hold that much value that he would send someone like Liang just to protect her even after she refused to become Kai’s servant?

“What would happen if I lower my blade some more?” Banbang asked while doing exactly what he was asking.

“Do you really not value your life? You’re courting death!” Liang glared.

  From his shout, Hazel’s eyes sprung open as her legs kicked out at Banbang’s figure. Being the 8th stage Qi Gatherer he was, it was more than simple for him to dodge a mortal’s kick. But, Liang was even stronger than he was. And from the qi he was releasing from his body right now, it would be a very bad idea for him to try to do anything to this mortal right now.

  Hazel tried to kick the freak away only to push herself out of the bed! She couldn’t move the weirdo’s body even with all of her strength! After falling to the ground, she got up and looked around the room for the nearest object she could use as a weapon. Which happened to be the uncomfortable pillow that fell out the bed with her.

“What the hell do you want?!” Hazel held the pillow in both of her hands like a weapon, looking at the still intruder.

“I just wanted your life but it looks like my Young Lady won’t be getting what she asked.” He sighed. “I’m leaving. Don’t kill me when my back is turned, please.” Banbang requested to Liang.

“Why did you want to kill me!? What did I even do!?” Hazel shouted, taking in the existence of Liang on the window.

“You were an eyesore to my lady. She isn’t the only one who thinks so either.” Then he left the room and walked down the hallway.

“I suppose it was a good idea of Young Master Kai to have me follow you in secret. Otherwise, you would’ve died in your sleep.” Liang muttered more to himself than the girl.

“Isn’t that right!” Kai suddenly appeared in the front door with a smug look on his face. “Are you ready to become my servant now? I just saved your life, you know? Again! I might add!” He straightened his back and rose his nose.

“Shut up! For just a second...” Hazel held the bridge in between her nose and forehead as she tried to take in everything that just happened.

“You...! You...! You ungrateful woman!” Kai pointed his finger as his face grew red.

  She was about to die. No, she was going to die if it wasn’t for Liang. Why was she going to die? Because Kai told everyone that she was his servant. Kai was really special to a number of women for some reason. Sure, he was a handsome kid but killing her just because she was said to be his servant? Something about this situation didn’t make any sense and that bothered her.

  Nothing about this seemed reasonable and logical. That only infuriated Hazel even more. She hated things that she couldn’t understand when they should be easily understood. A person should understand why someone is trying to kill them. Hazel has nothing to her name at all! There was no value in killing her that she could see. But apparently, there was value in being a woman and being close to Kai. With that value, it gave a number of people a reason to want to kill her.

“If I become your servant or whatever, will people stop trying to kill me?” Hazel asked.

  Kai turned his head as if he didn’t hear her say a thing. Hazel sighed and took a breath of air in an annoyed manner. Maybe if she thought of it as a babysitting job, dealing with him would be easier.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you. Thank you for saving my life once again.”

“That’s more like it...” A smile soon returned to his face. “And nope. People will only want to kill you even more as my personal servant.” He answered her.

“Why in the hell would I want to become your personal servant then?” She didn’t understand.

“Because Liang will personally teach you how to defend yourself.” He explained.

“Defend myself?”

“Martial arts.” Lightning generated around his fist with a crackle and pop.

“It's an opportunity few mortals ever get to have. It would be in your best interest to take it.” Liang added.

‘While learning supernatural martial arts sounds good and all, is it worth giving my life to some brat?’ Hazel tried to reason. “How often will I get paid?” She asked, this was the most important point for her.

“Paid?” Kai questioned.

“Money, cash, whatever is used to pay people here. I’m not going to work for you for free, even if you saved my life twice.” Hazel broke it down in simpler terms for him.

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“Do I have to pay her?” Kai asked Liang.

“It seems so if you truly wish for her to be your personal servant. If not, she will refuse and suffer multiple more attempts on her life.” Liang said.

“Why are you being so troublesome!? Don’t you understand that you will die if you don’t become my personal servant? You’re acting like a greedy merchant.” Kai huffed angrily.

“I only asked to be paid. I don’t see what you’re so angry about.” Hazel figured learning super martial arts would be better than not learning them even if she wasn’t getting paid.

  She just added the getting paid part to see if he really would. There’s no reason why she shouldn’t try to get benefits to herself when possible. It looks like it was going to work out well in her favor as well with how hard little Kai was thinking over there.

“Fine! I’ll pay you but you must listen to all of my commands like a servant should! And no calling me stupid either!”

“Most commands and a place of my own to cook, sleep, and store my belongings, and we have a deal.” Hazel added.

“No! No! No! You’re trying to take advantage of me!”

“How am I supposed to be a good servant for you if I can’t take care of my own health? Do you want your personal servant to be starving, sickly, weak, poor, and dirty? Imagine what everyone would say about me being your personal servant then.”

“Hmm... That doesn’t sound good...” Kai tried picturing her next to him in the future in that state. Flies flying around her, her body being all skin and bones, and snot leaking down her face. He wouldn’t want her around him like that at all. So, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing to let her have some things to take care of herself.

“Fine but that’s it! You will become my personal servant who will be paid and given a proper house to clean yourself, cook for yourself, and rest. No more conditions!” Kai put his foot down.

“Deal.” Hazel nodded her head. ‘Maybe I could’ve gotten a servant of my own if I asked...’ This kid is kind of a pushover.

“Now follow me! Liang has a lot to teach you these next few months. The sooner you’re able to be useful to me, the better.” Kai led the way out of the inn for her and Liang.

“My name is Hazel.” She included.

“Yingjie Kai. Your new master.” He was extra happy to include that second part.

  Liang stayed out of the Young Master’s dealing with Hazel. While he was generally displeased with Hazel’s attitude towards the Young Master, he was wise enough to realize that her relationship with him will only help him grow. By working as his personal servant, she will from time to time advise him and help him learn more about the world. As she seems to understand it well enough. They might come at odds from time to time but Liang believed this was only going to be a good thing for the future. As long as the girl had some talent for cultivation. If not, then all of this was a complete waste of time.

  The next several months of Hazel’s life was spent learning about the world, learning martial arts, and being put through insane, illogical torture sessions that were considered training lessons. A normal person wouldn’t have been able to survive the 8 months of learning she spent with Liang. However, Hazel had literally no other choice but to get through it, or she would die. Die during the training or die outside of training. Many of the things she thought were normal or common were soon hidden or tossed away as this world was nothing like she felt it should’ve been. She had to learn how to be merciless. How to be ruthless. How to be a killer. Several things she never would’ve thought about before taken in as Kai’s servant.

“Is there a point to you taking a liking to that ridiculous sword over a regular one?” Kai asked.

“Yes.” Hazel answered without answering. Letting the silence hang for several seconds after replying to him.

“Well?! What is it!?”

“Does it really bother you to not know?” She asked.

“Yes. Now tell me.”

“If you must know, I just like it more than a normal sword.” Hazel cradled the freakishly tall sword in her arms.

  It was wrapped in a purple cloth and tied at the place where the handle would be. This sword was taller than any person and could barely fit inside most of the Yingjie Clan’s homes without being carried horizontally. Hazel was gifted this weapon after not finding any suitability with any of the other swords in the Yingjie Clan. None of the other clan members could use it long before being driven insane by its power and it took a lot of convincing by Kai to his parents, the leaders of the clan, to gift it to her, an outsider. Since that incident was a whole nother mess and then some, Hazel made sure she put the weapon to good use. And good use she has.

  Most of the Yingjie clan members that tried using the spirit weapon had very little luck in mastering it in combat. It was simply too long and was said to drive the wielder crazy! Finding the perfect distance to fight, knowing whether to slash and hack or use it like a spear because of its long length and just carrying it around! All of it played a part. Hazel refused to give up and continued to utilize this weapon to its highest potential. Many months went by of her sparring against Liang and constantly losing. She lost, and lost, and lost. There would be times where she felt like she should just give up and use a regular blade but she knew that’s exactly what everyone expected of her. Even Liang told her to give up and just use a normal sword.

  But she refused! Hazel had an innate dislike for regular swords that couldn’t be explained! So, she kept on because it was unique and she was stubborn. Every flaw in her swordsmanship that Liang mercilessly targeted with his sword was slowly corrected upon in each training session until those weaknesses were erased completely. Just getting her swordsmanship to an acceptable level took five months. Now came the part of improving it to the next level. Which she heard from Liang was a lifelong journey for a swordsman. Her current goal was to find a high-ranked sword martial skill for herself.

“I should’ve never given you that thing...” Kai regretted asking her in the first place now.

“I think it suits me quite well.” Hazel smiled, rubbing her sword against her cheek.

“Ugh. Whatever. I’m just happy you finished the training before the Nine Swords Sect recruitment test started. Now let’s go before we’re late.” Kai got up from his seat.

“We should stop by the Clan Head before we go. He might give us useful items that could help us during the test.” Hazel recommended.

“Tch, like I'd need help from that old man. I’m a genius, after all. I’ll pass easily.”

“Are you stupid, Master Kai?” Hazel asked simply.

“Excuse me?!”

“Do you really think the Nine Swords Sect is short on geniuses? What geniuses haven’t they seen before? It would be better to prepare for the unexpected than to expect things will turn out in our favor.” Hazel advised.

“Uuuugggghhhh! Okay! I’ll ask for a few things from my Old Man! Will that make you happy?!” He shouted.

“I’m only concerned about your safety, Master Kai.” Hazel said with a smile that the both of them knew was fake.

“So annoying...” Kai crossed his arms and made his way to his father and mother to tell them the news.

“As your personal servant, it's my duty to think about your wellbeing.”

“Shut up! I get it already!”