"Madam is in labour!" Chunqi,Qu Yao's maid screamed,her panicked voice echoing throughout the mansion. The sudden announcement caused a reaction immediately. Servants rushed around to summon the midwife while others rushed to the chief's office to announce the news to the master of the house.
Qu Yao's husband Zhuge Tianyou was the village's Chief. His office was stationed at the market center,a few Li away from his residence. When he received the news of his wife,he immediately left the office under the supervision of his subordinate and rushed home.
Qu Yao's bedroom chambers were filled the sounds of grunts and screams as the midwife guided her through the delivery process. Her maids stood beside her , wiping sweat off her face.
"The head is out.We're almost there," the midwife encouraged.
Qu Yao now filled with determination gave a few consecutive pushes and the baby was out, looking soft and pink.
"It's a girl," the midwife announced.
Maids rushed forward with pieces of cloths and wrapped them around the infant.
"Madam,the second one is almost out," the midwife said.
Qu Yao groaned in exhaustion. She bit her lower lip harshly and whimpered as she pushed out the second baby who turned out to be a girl too. Maids wrapped the second infant carefully while the midwife took charge of the post delivery care.The room was now filled with the sounds of the infants wailing. After Qu Yao got cleaned up,the maids handed over the babies to her.
"They look identical," Qu Yao remarked letting out a weak but proud smile, looking at the twins with affection.
Shortly after Zhuge Tianyou rushed inside an anxious look on his face.
" My Lord look at our daughters,"Qu Yao said softly looking at her husband.
"Daughters?" He squealed and shifted closer looking at them with awe,"They look like angels," he remarked with a proud smile,"My dear what are we going to name them?" He asked endearingly.
Qu Yao smiled slightly before replying,"This is Yaqin," she said referring to the elder twin,"and Qingyan for her younger sister."
After that the Zhuge mansion was always filled with joy. Despite being busy with official matters, Zhuge Tianyou always created time to spend with his family especially his two daughters who had now grown into toddlers. He always chased them around calling them wrong names because he couldn't differentiate between them- they were purely identical. Only their mother and her personal maid were able to distinguish between the two girls.
They weren't no real princesses but their father treated them like princesses showering them with love,praises and meaningful gifts. Everything was fine until Zhuge Tianyou summoned the diviner to cast a divination on his daughters. It was like a special tradition in their village for parents to have the fortunes of their children read while young.
While Qingyan's fortune turned out to be good, filled with luck and blessings Yaqin's was quite the opposite. The diviner called her a dark star; a harbinger of doom. She would bring misfortune to her family and the whole village.Her whole family would die if she continued staying there.
Since the villagers were superstitious they believed his prediction and also the fact that he was a well known diviner. Since that day, everything changed, Yaqin was never treated the same as before— instead,she was sidelined and treated like a pariah even by her own parents. Maids looked down on her and cursed her. She was like a deposed princess. Kids refused to play with her. Even her own sister bullied her.
Word spread throughout the village about the divination and the villagers pressured the Chief to get rid of his eldest daughter to avoid the predicted misfortune. They even volunteered to kill the child on his behalf. Zhuge Tianyou couldn't bear to kill her but he was helpless against the villagers. They ganged up on him making direct demands to make a decision sooner. The diviner had also insisted that if they were to get rid of the bad luck, only by burning her to ashes would their appeasement work. Left with no choice,Zhuge Tianyou gave it up to the council of elders to make a decision. After a while of discussion,the day to incinerate the young girl was decided. She'd be burned in public like a sinner.
The day arrived sooner than expected. That night,the villagers gathered at Zhuge mansion backyard. The girl was tied up against two posts forming a cross,a bundle of firewood was arranged surrounding her.Villagers assembled with burning logs ready to set her on fire .The little girl sobbed hard, desperately begging her parents to save her, pleading the villagers to spare her. Her innocent eyes were filled with fear but no one budged; not even her own mother.
The diviner stepped forward to chant a spell and that was when it happened— a cloud of mist invaded the clear atmosphere and thickened with time trapping the villagers in a poisonous miasma that led to temporary blindness and throbbing headaches.One by one they collapsed on the ground clutching their heads tight. By the time the miasma dissipated completely,an hour had passed and they slowly regained their consciousness only to gasp in shock when they found out Yaqin was missing.
★★★★★
Tu Xiaomo was once a prosperous disciple of the invincible Tianfeng Sect. For years he followed his predecessors' footsteps and joined the sect to continue the legacy of his clan. However he found out later he was more interested in the art of making poisons and detoxification so he left the sect to pursue his interest and later became the number one poison master earning the title 'Poison King' or 'Poison Hero '— like he preferred to call himself.
"Old man, I'm going out," a bubbly female voice said.
"Are you going to capture that sister of yours?" He asked knowingly.
"Yes. I heard the junior disciples have been given permission to come down the mountain. They'll stay for a week to gain insight by touring around ," Yaqin explained.
Ever since he rescued her eight years ago,he had kept her by his side and trained her both in cultivation and medicine and given how talented she was she had become a little master at only twelve years old.
He was well aware of the grudge she held against her family. Like master like disciple. Tu Xiaomo was a vengeful person and he was the one who devised most of her schemes.Even at the small town where they lived,no one dared to cross them.
★★★★★
After joining Tianfeng Sect,her dream sect,a year ago, Zhuge Qingyan was coming down the mountain for the first time. The disciples split in groups and explored the town together. The twelve year old,walked in to the premium room of the innhouse with her sword and a bundle of clothes. Her fellow disciples had ditched her because of her foul temper. She despised them because most of them were from humble families while she was the cherished governor's daughter. Yes,her father had risen through the ranks over the years and became a governor.
Zhuge Qingyan had fallen sound asleep shortly after she entered the room. A knock at the door roused her from her deep slumber. At first she ignored it but when the knocks became persistent she changed her mind. Reluctantly,she peeled the quilt off her body and stepped down picking up her sword and trudged towards the door opening it.
"Who are you?" She asked unsheathing her sword.
The mysteriously dressed figure stepped inside ignoring her threats.
"Who the hell are you?" Zhuge Qingyan asked in a menacing voice.
The figure took off the black linen mask revealing her face. Zhuge Qingyan stumbled back in shock, eyes wide as saucers as she stared at her reflection on the other person.
"Little sister,long time no see," Zhuge Yaqin smirked.
"You're... Yaqin? What...are...you ...doing here?" She stuttered nervously.
The elder flashed a deceptively sweet smile,"To see you of course. It's been long since we last saw each other. I miss you. I think about you,father and mother every night . Little sister,you don't miss me at all?" she whined pouting her lips.
" You're supposed to be dead! The diviner said you should die so our family can live in peace,"the younger snarled.
Zhuge Yaqin laughed bitterly, walking towards the other with a leering gaze,"Isn't your family in peace with me alive and kicking?" She asked,her voice dropping.
"Don't come closer! I'll kill you!"Qingyan warned feigning confidence, though the frightened look on her face betrayed her.
" Kill me with your lousy skills?,"she scoffed You can't even wield a sword properly. Is this how Master Bu has been teaching you?" She mocked.
" Don't insult my Shifu,"the younger sister said defensively.
"You're the one insulting him with your mediocre cultivation skills. You clearly have no talent for cultivation," she paused and sighed,"Father must have spent a fortune to get you in there," she added sarcastically.
★★★★★
Zhuge Qingyan was merely a worthy opponent. Yaqin didn't even waste much time taking her down. When she lost consciousness,Yaqin sucked her into her Qingkun pouch and took her away. Now out of the pouch,the younger girl lay unconscious on the bed with Yaqin beside her. Tu Xiaomo stood beside her with crossed arms and furrowed eyebrows.
"What are you going to do with her?" He asked curiously.
" Feed her that Coma Mist toxin,"she said gritting her teeth.
" It will take nearly a decade for her to wake up."
" I don't care,"she said coldly.
" What if the sect comes looking for her?"
"They won't," she said with a determined look,"From today on I'll be Zhuge Qingyan," she declared.