Year 1035 of the Zhang Dynasty - Secondary Sects section of Heavenly Phoenix City - Mo family detached mansion

(Mo Yue POV)

All my 17 years of life I have been confined in this prison. Being the fourth daughter of the Mo family head and being unable to cultivate my value is close to null.

“Fourth miss Yue, it is already time for your bath“ middle aged woman

Mo Cheng is the teacher assigned at me, she is the only servant in this mansion. But that doesn't mean she works for me.

“Are you deaf too, you waste“ Mo Cheng

Every day I follow my strict schedule of bathing in the morning, breakfast, practicing calligraphy, painting, bathing, applying makeup, singing, dancing, bathing, performing with a lute, dinner, reading, bathing and finally sleeping.

With the hope that someone will put his eyes on me, the family forces me to live going forward and back from the water well in the garden to the bath while holding a sun umbrella to don't damage my jade like skin.

“Yes, I am going“

My existence is a humiliation to the family and because of that I am prohibited of leaving this mansion. My world is only made of words in scrolls and of what I can see when walking to the well.

...

Another day has passed as the morning sun reaches me in my bed.

“Hahh“

Sometimes I ask myself if this has any meaning. Even if I shine like jade, who will see me inside these walls?. Every year that passes by my worth to them drops even more and more.

“Fourth miss Yue, it is time for your bath“ Mo Cheng

...this cant go any longer, I need to escape.

The walls bordering the mansion are about four meters of height, the keys of the front door is in the pocket of the Silver Rank grade 2 Mo Cheng , in the night I am trapped in my bedroom and there is no tool to dig underground...

How should I do it...

Morning again, but today will be different.

Yesterday all day I planned my escape. The plan was to pretend to take a bath in the midday and when Mo Cheng went to eat outside, then I will have thirty minutes to...

“Hup“

I made a sound while climbing a stone lamp in the garden close to the wall.

“I can do it“

Now is the time to see if those dancing classes worked out.

“Gyaaa“

My feet make a jump without momentum and I grab the upper border of wall.

“Great, now...“

Using the strength of my lower body, I do a handstand over the wall and then fly off to the other side. I can only hope that my legs can resist the landing impact.

(Mo Tang POV)

My name is Mo Tang, a guard, and something is about to crash on me.

My life as a guard was hard. Day after day I saw people die being accused of disrespectful, of slandering certain family, or of courting death and so on. After being assigned to a mansion on the northeast border with the training grounds I thought that my daily life will finally calm down but on my first day this happens.

“Gahhh!“ Mo Tang

“Kyaa!“ Mo Yue

It didn't hurt, but it surprised me.

“Owowow“ Mo Yue

“A woman???“ Mo Tang

A woman of my age dropped from the mansion.

“Ah“

After seeing me she froze.

“I am just a passerby, don't mind me“ Mo Yue

...nobody would believe that.

“You are the fourth miss, aren't you“ Mo Tang

My orders include to don't let her abandon the perimeter.

“...“ Mo Yue

“...“ Mo Tang

“Please don't, don't put me in there again“

After realizing her situation she spoke in a weak voice.

“It is my job“ Mo Tang

I was about to grab her when...

“Hic, please“ Mo Yue

She started to cry.

“Whaaahhhh“ Mo Yue

“Eh, ah, uh“ Mo Tang

I am not good with crying women, between cultivators killing each other or this my choice would be the former.

“Why...why I have to live like this?“ Mo Yue

Look like the live in this mansion isn't that good for her.

“Everyday I...“ Mo Yue

While still crying, she told me her history.

“Hah...hah...“ Mo Yue

“Are you better?“ Mo Tang

“Yes, I needed to say it“ Mo Yue

I thought my life was hard but to think that there are people that cant even walk out of their houses.

“I suppose you have to put me in again, don't you?“ Mo Yue

“Yes, I have to“ Mo Tang

In her eyes I could see her sadness and resignation, and I couldn't stop myself.

“But, if you want we could talk another day at this hour“ Mo Tang

Her eyes lit up as if she saw the moon for the first time.

“Really!?“ Mo Yue

“Yes, I will be waiting“ Mo Tang

After saying that I grabbed her by her waist and jumped over the wall. For a Peak Bronze Rank cultivator this was nothing.

“See you tomorrow“ Mo Tang

“Yes!“ Mo Yue

I jumped back to my guard position. This is all I can do, if I were to leave her escape it could cost me my life and she wouldn't go far before someone else saw her.

(Mo Yue POV)

It wasn't what I expected, but this can work on its own way. Now I only need to convince him to let me pass and I will be free.

...

After our first encounter, I keep jumping the wall every midday. One bath less didn't make any difference, therefore Mo Cheng didn't discovered me.

At first all I wanted was to escape but before I know it, the talks with him become the only thing to look forward in my life.

“See you tomorrow, fourth miss Mo Yue“ Mo Tang

“I told you to call me Yue, Tang“ Mo Yue

Sometimes I would talk about my readings or dance with him or only complain about my life and other times he would talk me about his day or the guard job or his complains, but regardless of the talk I was happy.

...

And like that five months passed by, the happiest months of my life.

“By the family head decree, you will be transported to the alchemy institute tomorrow“ Mo Cheng

One morning with the arrival of that decree, the end of these months was imminent. I turned 18 years old and with it the hope of being married disappeared. I was about to be sold as experimentation material, there was no time left.

This midday will be my last chance.

...

“I heard that you...“ Mo Tang

“Tang, today my life or death will depend on your answer“

On the other side of the wall I confronted Tang as he looked at my eyes with a worried expression.

“Will you let me escape?“ Mo Yue

“...“ Mo Tang

Tang grabbed my waist as always but this time his face showed full determination.

“Hold on to my neck“ Mo Tang

To his neck? it was a weird request, but I did it anyways.

“Wahh“ Mo Yue

Tang lifted me off the ground holding me by my legs and my back and then he ran to the opposite side of the wall.

“How much time we have?“ Mo Tang

They will come looking for me tomorrow morning so...

“At most one day, where are we going?“

“I heard from other guards that the spiritual creatures in The Northern Forest are disappearing“ Mo Tang

“Are you suggesting to go there?“

“The Mo family has eyes everywhere in the Heavenly Phoenix City, it is our only hope“

“Any place is good, as long as it's far from that mansion“

I look back at my prison and smile. I did it.