The Maid’s Gambit

“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!”

Ji Jie was severely punished, sent flying a considerable distance by Tou’s strike, ultimately crashing into the wall with a resounding thud.

Once the dust settled, Ji Jie lay sprawled on the ground, clutching her swollen backside, her eyes, venomous, fixed upon a triumphant Tou.

“Hmph! Now you understand my might, don’t you? If you ever dare to displease me again, I guarantee I’ll beat you until you can’t get out of bed!” Tou declared cheerfully, his lips curling into a smile, clearly deriving immense satisfaction from the display.

“Yes… Master, I would never dare again.”

For the sake of her future plans, Ji Jie gritted her teeth, crawling to Tou’s feet and speaking like a docile puppy.

Seeing her demeanor, Tou’s laughter grew louder. With a casual kick to her head, he ordered her to get to work, saying, “That’s more like it. Now, go find out the whereabouts of the Water Monkey!”

“Yes! I’ll go at once, Master!” Ji Jie responded emotionlessly, then quite literally rolled across the ground to the Village Chief’s side, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. As if nothing had transpired moments before, she smiled as she addressed the Village Chief.

“Grandpa, you’ve already told me the story between you and the Heart-Eating Demoness. So, tell me, is there any connection between the Golden Body realm Water Monkey we are about to vanquish and the Heart-Eating Demoness?”

“This…” The Village Chief had yet to recover his composure; the recent events had nearly made his jaw drop. To be beaten so savagely and still cheerfully carry out tasks for another—could this so-called maid before him truly be the servant of that twin-tailed little girl?

He observed Tou closely. He was fair-skinned and delicate, dressed like a young lady of means.

Moreover, to have a Heaven-Rank expert carry him on their back, it was clear at a glance that this young person was no ordinary individual.

“Grandpa?” Noticing the Village Chief’s delayed response, Ji Jie gently nudged his arm.

“Ah, you… you, a maid?” The Village Chief stared blankly, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Indeed! I am the Master’s sole maidservant, the one responsible for fulfilling all of the Master’s needs.” Ji Jie spoke deliberately louder, intending for Qiao Qiao’s father to overhear, thus concealing her true identity as Ji Jie.

“Big Sister, are you really her maidservant? Please don’t be her maidservant, okay? She hits you so much and makes you do things, while she herself is on another big sister’s back, thinking about what to eat tonight. The twin-tailed Big Sister is a bad person! Big Sister, leave her and stay to be my big sister; I’ll ask Mom to make you delicious food every day.”

Tou, having dismissed Ji Jie, approached little Qiao Qiao, intending to discuss what delicious food they would have for dinner. To his surprise, little Qiao Qiao recoiled from him as if he had seen a ghost, coming instead to Ji Jie’s side and speaking up, somewhat indignantly on Ji Jie’s behalf.

Tou, being labeled a bad person, was naturally displeased. He glared furiously at Ji Jie, convinced it was all Ji Jie’s fault that little Qiao Qiao saw him as a villain, that Ji Jie had simply failed to handle things properly, leading to this outcome!

Ji Jie also noticed Tou’s fierce gaze, and a surge of delight filled her heart. This Tou truly possessed the mind of a child, and, moreover, was a spoiled young master.

Whenever trouble arose, he never considered his own mistakes; instead, he habitually shifted all blame onto others.

Such a Tou would be all the easier to manage. As long as she always considered his interests, praised him indiscriminately, regardless of right or wrong, and frequently flattered him, she was bound to become Tou’s most favored follower.

Now that Tou was perceived as a villain, he might not get to enjoy a delicious meal tonight.

Even in this short span of time, she had personally witnessed Tou’s peculiar personality, one that valued food more than other people’s lives!

Now, if she could just help Tou resolve this ‘misunderstanding’, ensuring he could eat dinner and sleep soundly, her image as a maidservant in Tou’s eyes would surely sprout like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, rapidly climbing higher and higher.

Once she gained Tou’s trust, dealing with him would be effortlessly simple!

Having swiftly considered these points, she faced little Qiao Qiao’s worried gaze, placed a hand on her head, and smiled gently.

“Now, now, now! Little Qiao Qiao, thank you for worrying about me, but it seems you’ve misunderstood Master.”

“Misunderstanding?” Little Qiao Qiao couldn’t believe it. She had never seen someone hit another so brutally; it was truly vicious! Only the great villains in books would commit such wicked acts.

It wasn’t just little Qiao Qiao who disbelieved; Qiao Qiao’s father, Qiao Qiao’s mother, and even the Village Chief all cast puzzled glances at Ji Jie.

Yue Ye Si remained silent, but a flicker of complexity showed in her eyes as she looked at Ji Jie. She was a discerning person and knew that Ji Jie was merely using Tou to prevent others from discovering her true name.

She had learned from Green Dragon previously that Ji Jie was a jinx, one who brought misfortune to any teammates she joined. She hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but now, it seemed there was some truth to it.

However, she wasn’t particularly worried, for with her presence, Tou would not suffer any harm.

Meanwhile, Tou, on her back, felt a surge of joy, and a smile spread unabashedly across his face.

‘This maidservant had finally seen the light! As long as this matter was settled, he would get to enjoy a delicious feast tonight! How could he not be pleased?!’

Ji Jie observed Tou’s face, changing rapidly like a Sichuan opera mask, and her disdain deepened. Everything was unfolding precisely as she intended. Spreading her hands, she delivered the lines she had long prepared.

“Indeed, you have all misunderstood my Master. Everything my Master does is entirely for my benefit! My beloved Master, he constantly worries himself sick over my growth and development!

As a maidservant, mine is a perilous profession. If I don’t grow stronger and maintain absolute vigilance at all times, I could easily perish!

I wish to grow, to become more formidable. Yet I am clumsy and constantly bring trouble upon my Master. The fact that Master hasn’t cast me out already shows his immense kindness!

Though Master’s way of disciplining me may appear cruel, it is said that a beating is a sign of affection, and a scolding, a testament to love. If Master weren’t truly concerned for me, why would he expend such effort to discipline me? Master truly, truly, truly cares for my well-being!”

“But…” Little Qiao Qiao still couldn’t comprehend. It was just a mistake. When she made a mistake, her mother would, at most, make her skip a meal, and she would still get very angry, proclaiming that she hated her mother and would never speak to her again.

Yet Ji Jie was beaten and scolded like this, still smiling as she carried out tasks, and even defending her tormentor. How could her young mind possibly understand such a thing!

“Little Qiao Qiao, it’s alright if you’re too young to understand now. However, you seemed to have spoken quite disrespectfully to Master just now. I hope you can apologize to him. He also has good intentions; though he might appear indifferent on the surface, he must be deeply hurt inside! People like him truly long to be understood!”

“But I… I still don’t understand… Big Sister, it must have hurt a lot, right! Didn’t you feel angry at all?” Little Qiao Qiao shook her head. She still couldn’t believe it; she couldn’t bring herself to apologize to a bad person.

“Alright, alright! I won’t force you, little Qiao Qiao.” Ji Jie gently stroked her head, then turned and walked towards Tou, lying prostrate on the ground, raising her already swollen backside high.

“Big Sister, what are you doing!” Little Qiao Qiao panicked. Ji Jie was taking another punishment! If it was like last time, her backside would surely be beaten into a mess!

“Master! Little Qiao Qiao is still young and doesn’t understand anything. I shall bear the responsibility for her offense. Please grant me punishment, Master! Do not hold back, for the harsher you are with me, Master, the stronger I shall become.”