More than a decade later. Cao Dynasty.
Li Mei ran forward on the street with a frightened expression on her face. Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat as she gasped, completely exhausted.
"Catch her!"
"When she's caught, she's mine!"
"No, let me have her first!"
Li Mei gritted her teeth hatefully. Was she a thing anyone else could have?!
She clutched her bag firmly in her hand as she ran through the crowd, wishing for someone to help her, but who in this entire world will give her a trace of solace? She was nothing but a mere pauper, having to resort to stealing food and drawing yellow books for money.
But today was her most unlucky day of all!
She had to steal food once again because her books didn't sell out in the market. Since she hadn't had enough food to eat for the past two days, she only had to resort to stealing stuff from the supermarket.
Who knew when she was busy feeding her mouth, the shopkeeper would notice her at a single glance?
What was even worse: the man's wig that she had worn to crossdress fell to the ground in a hurry, revealing her identity as a woman.
A woman running around in a servant's robes, patched at multiple places, was stealing. No matter how you look at it, this aspect was extremely weird.
Women of this world were elegant and beautiful, all belonging to a rich class of family. But if they were fallen demon, they would be sold to brothels, whether the demons were forced into it or whether they choose that kind of life, it didn't matter. It wasn't like the demons were given any kind of freedom of choice.
Of course, some people even sell these demons as slaves and servants to rich masters, and their fate would be worse than the prostitutes. Some of them even died at the hands of their masters, terribly at that.
Li Mei didn't want to end up as either of them. But what else could she do?
She was already kicked out of her own house and sold to a brothel as a teenager because of her mother's background. But how could she resort to such a lifestyle?
Thus, she ran away the moment she found some way.
This was how she ended up cross-dressing and stealing from the supermarkets. She was an odd man out, but was it her fault?
Li Mei gasped heavily as she rushed into a dark alley to save herself, but to her dismay, she only ended up being cornered.
She backed up against the wall as she looked at them all with a pale face.
Three people.
Doesn't look like they were fighters. Rather, they were ordinary shopkeepers with a fat belly.
She took a deep breath to calm her breath and swallowed. Her heart was still trembling in fear, but she had to do something to save her life.
"Do you really think I'm a girl?" Li Mei deliberately made a manly voice, making herself sound like a teenager out on the run.
The three of them looked at one another, exchanging a glance. The one with the fatter belly standing in the middle sneered.
"Don't fool us, lady!" The man glared at her and caught her wrist, saying, "What man would be so fair as you?! Only demons like you have such a complexion, and among demons, only demons having a rare demonic royal bloodline have a complexion like molten gold! And you dare to fool us?!"
Li Mei's misfortune was that her late mother had a royal bloodline in her veins. That's why her complexion was certainly different from others.
"I'm really not a woman." Li Mei gritted her teeth and said, "Or do you want me to prove it to you? Even commoners and beggars raped by the demons have such complexion. Why are you guys so hell-bent on me?!"
It was said that there was one demonic sect, Sheng Di, that fell a long time ago. The descendants of the sect had molten gold and an extremely fair complexion, looking exactly like walking cupids. They were the most attractive creatures in the entire world.
Even male demons wouldn't be let off after the sect fell. All of them belonging to the sect ended up either as prostitutes, slaves, or servants. Whatever the situation, every single demon had to face a terrible fate.
Ordinary people did look fair but not as attractive as those from the demon sect despite being a servant and wearing patched and old clothes. The only reason for their alluring appearance was their demonic bloodline that came directly from the demonic realm.
Thus, no matter what, despite hiding well, these demons would be easily identified thanks to their glowing selves and raped in the dark alleys.
Thus, the fatty man was sure that the 'man' in front of him was a demonic woman, a royal one at that.
"Then why did you steal?!" The man looked at the lady's outfit from head to toe and said, "If you want to prove it to us, then strip!"
After hearing those words, Li Mei let out a smirk and looked up at them, saying, "Are you sure you want to see my thingy?"
Then she lifted her upper robe and touched a 'crotch' hidden beneath her loose, old pants. "See, if you're gay, I won't mind having three of you at the same time."
The middle fatty finally hesitated as his nose wrinkled. He instantly let go of Li Mei in disgust as he said, "Get away from me, you f*ggot!"
After saying those words, he lifted his leg and kicked right into the lady's stomach as they ran away, earning a groan from her mouth. A stream of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth as she bent over and swallowed the traces of pain she felt in her stomach.
She took deep breaths.
It's okay.
Everything is fine.
You're fine.
At least they won't kill you now.
But even after consoling herself like this, tears burned in her eyes.
Why her?
Why was her life so hellish?!
Why did she have to be born as a member of Sheng Di, the sect famous for killing thousands of innocent righteous cultivators and even commoners thousands of years ago?!
She hated her life, but what else could she do? She wanted someone to help her desperately. In her heart, she almost felt like if asked, she would certainly receive help, but how? When? From whom?!
No, she was a mature woman now. Rather than believing in such notions, it was better to get the f*ck up and save herself. There wasn't a knight in shining armor ready to save her a**!
Thus, even though her legs trembled, she pushed herself off the ground and walked out of the alley.
But before she could mingle into the crowd once again and return to the old and broken little place she called home, another trouble stopped right in front of her, blocking her path.
"Hah! Finally found you after so many months!"
Li Mei's expression changed as a trace of horror appeared on her face. The middle-aged woman from the brothel, who liked wearing too much makeup on her face, found her after so many months!
Sh*t! Ah, she didn't want to go back to that damned place and be sold to a fatty rich man!