When the guards saw such a beautiful girl crying, they immediately felt pity for her. Everyone watched as Bai Ling cried while awestruck. It wasn't until Bai Ling stopped crying to scream at the sudden appearance of four men did they sober up.
"State your reasons for being on General Zheng's property!" Hearing them speak, Bai Ling could not understand them.
The guards looked at the confused expression on her face and repeated.
"Are you deaf? Why are you here?" The guards realized she wasn't responding and wondered if Bai Ling was mute.
As they reasoned out loud, the once foreign language began to make sense. She did not know how she could understand them suddenly.
"Should we just bring her back to see what the General has to say?"
"The General has no time for a nobody like her, ask Chief maid Chen instead." After the guards came to a consensus, they grabbed Bai Ling and pulled her along. Bai Ling was too scared to do anything.
As the guards dragged her along the way, Bai Ling had time to observe the areas. There were women in weird clothing walking around with their heads bowed yet they did not steer off course of hit a wall. Men lined up the massive halls with a spear in hand and their figure straight.
Tall lanterns lit the way, and the beautiful pillars glowed under the light. Bai Ling stopped sightseeing when the guards stopped in front of the maid quarters.
"We are here to see Chief Maid Chen." Two females came out and greeted the guards before glancing at Bai Ling. They immediately envied her when they saw her face. Despite the dirty clothing, her face was still beautiful.
"She is up ahead, Sir." The maids moved to the side so the guards can step into the courtyard. Inside, Bai Ling saw many other young girls and older women. They all wore what now seemed to be a uniform of some sorts.
They all glanced at Bai Ling and wondered why she was brought here. Although they were curious, they still had their jobs to do so they ignored her and went back to their jobs.
The guards stopped dragging Bai Ling when they met Cheif Maid Chen. Even though she is a maid, Cheif Maid Chen lived a fairly lavish life. She had the biggest area to herself while some girls had to sleep with ten others. Regardless of the special treatment, she was not arrogant. Instead, it made her more careful not to lose her position.
"This is?" She moved her head in Bai Ling's position on the floor while looking at the guards.
"We found her east of the Manor in the forest. She was crying on the ground." Cheif Maid Chen looked at Bai Ling's puffy eyes and messy clothing. Her eyes narrowed at the blood on the front of her dress.
"Forgive my lack of cultivation, can you tell me what level she is?" The leader amongst the guards turned to Bai Ling then back to Maid Chen.
"She has no cultivation. She is an ordinary human being." Cheif Maid Chen tilted her head and fixed her gaze on Bai Ling.
"Little girl, why were you roaming in the forest?" Bai Ling has been anxious this whole time. She had no idea such a place existed in China.
"I don't know; I woke up in the forest." Bai Ling's words became quieter as she hears herself speak a strange language. 'Where did I learn this? Even earlier, how could I understand these people?'
Before she can voice her thoughts, Cheif Maid Chen speaks. "That is strange; how could one mysteriously wake up in the middle of nowhere?" Bai Ling raised her hand at the question, but the incredulous looks on everyone's faces made her ashamed. She calmly placed it back down, and Maid Chen continued.
"Would you believe me if I told you I mysteriously woke up in your courtyard, not knowing where I came from?" Bai Ling realized how ridiculous she sounded.
"I am telling the truth, I was in a well where a lot of bodies were. I climbed out and couldn't find my way home." A well of bodies? Everyone present stared harder at Bai Ling.
This meant someone wiped out a village. It was normal for a mayor of minor provinces to accuse lowly villagers of petty crimes and claim their lands. If Bai Ling was telling the truth, it seemed she was a victim of this vicious scheme.
They felt that Bai Ling's situation was miserable, especially for a beautiful girl as her. This misunderstanding ended up saving Bai Ling for exposing where she was from. If she did, certain death awaited her. Cheif Maid Chen bent down to Bai Ling's level and caressed her head.
"What is your name child?" Bai Ling was overwhelmed by the sudden affection but accepted it.
"Bai Ling."
"Bai Ling, a pure soul. Such a good name." Cheif Maid Chen stood up and offered her hand to Bai Ling.
"Since you are all alone now, why don't you come work under General Zheng's name?" Although Cheif Maid Chen was a maid, she still had the power to fire or hire maids. The only ones she could not touch were the ones favoured by the Old General.
Bai Ling took Maid Chen's hand and stood up. She assessed her situation and came to a decision. Since she did not know where she was, she should learn about it first before making a move.
"I want to work here!" With an overly determined voice, Bai Ling answered them. This made the lot smile at her.
Such a cute girl they thought.