Wang Erya was an eighteen-year-old girl from a small mountain village thirty miles outside of Jinzhou City.
She couldn’t go on any longer. She might as well die and be done with it.
She hadn’t eaten in two days. With an empty stomach, she walked out of the village, looking for a place to end her life.
As she walked, she recalled the past eighteen years of her life.
She had always been tall and strong, with great strength, and had trained in martial arts with her father and elder brother since childhood.
Back then, her father and brother were still alive. The family lived well and had even built a large house with five rooms, made of green bricks and black tiles.
This was a rare achievement in their village.
Later, her father joined the army, went to war, and never returned. Her brother followed in his footsteps, enlisted, fought, and also never came back.
Her mother fell ill, and the family’s savings drained away like water. When money ran out, they sold land and borrowed from her uncle and aunt.
At the time, her uncle and aunt were kind and readily lent them money for medicine. But her mother still couldn’t be saved. Last winter, she left Wang Erya alone in this world.
After that, her uncle and aunt seemed to become completely different people, viciously demanding repayment.
Wang Erya had no money to pay back the debt. She begged and pleaded, and finally, they agreed to wait until the autumn harvest. They made her write an IOU and even charged interest.
From then on, she worked from dawn to dusk—tending the fields, taking odd jobs in town—just to repay the debt.
But when autumn came and the repayment was due, the fifty taels of debt had mysteriously doubled to a hundred taels.
Her harvested grain was taken away, her wages from odd jobs were seized, and even her last remaining piece of land was confiscated—yet it still wasn’t enough.
Finally, her uncle and aunt set their sights on her house.
She refused to give it up, but how could she fight back against them?
The village elders and senior members of the clan all sided with her uncle and aunt.
“Debts must be repaid. That’s only right and fair.”
Wang Erya was left with no options.
She still remembered the villagers’ words:
“Erya, you’re already so old and still unmarried—what will become of you? Won’t you have to rely on your uncle and aunt in the end?”
“Look at how tall and strong you are! You eat so much—what man would ever want you?”
“You eat so much but can’t get married. You might as well die. At least that would save some food.”
“If you stay here unmarried, you’ll bring shame to the Wang family! No one will want to marry a girl from our village just because of you!”
“We should just find an old bachelor and marry her off.”
“Right, right. There’s an old bachelor in the next village. I’ll go ask tomorrow.”
“Look at yourself! You should take a good look in the mirror. An old maid like you, refusing to marry and not even paying your debts—who do you think you are? If it weren’t for your uncle and aunt taking care of you, do you think you’d still be alive after your father and brother died?”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll hand over the house.”
“Get out!”
“Get out of Wang Village!”
And so, Wang Erya was driven out of her home and out of the village.
She had thought of resisting. She had asked countless times, “Why?”
But faced with the hateful stares of the entire village, she gave up.
She no longer knew what she had done wrong. Why did everyone hate her?
Maybe she should never have been born. Maybe she shouldn’t have grown up.
Her life had no meaning. No one wanted to marry her.
She might as well just die.
Consumed by thoughts of death, Wang Erya walked dazedly along the official road.
A slow-moving ox cart passed her by.
“Guniang, look at that person! She’s wearing a woman’s dress, but she’s so tall and big—she looks like a man. She’s kind of scary.”
Were they talking about her?
Wang Erya didn’t care.
Her goal was the ruined temple on the mountain. That would be her final resting place.
Inside the ox cart, Gu Jiu lifted the curtain and glanced at Wang Erya.
Indeed, she was tall—at least 1.7 meters.
In this era, a woman reaching such a height was incredibly rare. Not only was she tall, but she was also strong, with broad shoulders and a powerful build.
Something seemed off. She looked lost, absentminded. Had something happened to her?
Wait—she was heading up the mountain.
Gu Jiu knocked on the side of the cart and asked Da Zhuang, “Da Zhuang, do you know what’s on that mountain?”
Da Zhuang stopped the ox cart and turned to reply, “Guniang, there’s only an old ruined temple up there. A few beggars live there sometimes.”
Gu Jiu became curious. Why was that tall, strong woman heading to a ruined temple?
Da Zhuang asked, “Guniang, should I go see what’s going on?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Go check on her. Make sure she’s not trying to take her own life.”
She had spoken casually, but it turned out to be true.
Da Zhuang caught up to her just in time to see Wang Erya standing at the edge of a cliff behind the ruined temple, preparing to jump.
“Hey! Stop!” Da Zhuang shouted, stopping her.
Wang Erya suddenly burst into tears.
This tall, strong woman sobbed like a helpless child.
“What are you stopping her for? Let her die,” the man sneered. “This world is full of suffering. Death would be a relief.”
A dishevelled man in ragged scholar’s robes walked out of the ruined temple. His hair was a tangled mess, making it hard to tell whether he was a young man or middle-aged.
Da Zhuang was speechless. He wasn’t good at arguing, and this man’s words came like a torrential flood.
“What is your honoured surname?”
Gu Jiu arrived, stepping in to help Da Zhuang. She scrutinised the ragged scholar.
The beggar puffed up his chest proudly. “My surname is Zhou.”
A small beggar beside him piped up, “He’s Sir Zhou.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “So, Sir Zhou, you’re an educated man?”
Sir Zhou snorted. “Of course.”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow. A scholar turned beggar—quite a story.
She said, “It seems like Sir Zhou has encountered something tragic. Sir Zhou should know the saying, ‘Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda.’ You don’t have to save her, but you shouldn’t stop others from doing so.”
Sir Zhou snapped, “Why save her? Do you know her? Do you know her suffering? Do you know why she wants to die? You know nothing. You’re just acting on a momentary impulse. Even if you save her today, her suffering won’t end. She will try again.”
Wang Erya sobbed on the ground, his words cutting deep.
Gu Jiu chuckled. This Sir Zhou had quite a twisted philosophy. What kind of misfortune had he suffered to make him so cynical?
“From Sir Zhou’s words and deeds, it seems like you have encountered some misfortune. You talk a lot about giving up,” Gu Jiu said. “But tell me, why are you still alive? You still cling to hope. So why tell others to give up?
“Shut up!” Sir Zhou trembled with rage. “You know nothing about me! You don’t know why I have reached this stat and you aren’t qualified to judge me.”
Gu Jiu smirked, looking him up and down. He had already become a beggar but he still wore the clothes he used to when he was studying; it seemed like he still harboured some illusions.
Gu Jiu shrugged. “I don’t need to. It’s always the same: wealth, love, or power. Judging by your appearance, you haven’t achieved official rank yet—so it’s probably love and money.
“Judging by your appearance, you probably haven’t passed the exam yet. So, it shouldn’t be about power. Could it be that both love and money have dealt you a heavy blow, causing you to fall into such a state?”
Sir Zhou’s eyes widened in shock. “You know nothing, shut up!”
Gu Jiu sneered. “A so-called scholar who collapses at the first setback—what a joke. Have all the years you spent studying the classics been fed to a dog? ‘To temper the will and toughen the bones’—do you not understand this saying?
“Being broke and getting dumped by a woman—what’s the big deal? Grit your teeth and fight on! Even if you have to copy books or set up a stall at the city gate to write letters for others, you can still earn a living.
“And one day, when you pass the imperial exam and become an official, you can slap those who look down on you in the face—won’t that be a hundred times, a thousand times better than your current state?
“But what you’re doing now is nothing more than cowardly behaviour, even worse than a woman’s—truly disgraceful. So, you have no right to stand here and point fingers. Get lost and go back to where you came from!”
Sir Zhou trembled violently.
His little beggar companion looked at him worriedly.
The beggar, Sir Zhou, pointed at Gu Jiu. “Who the hell are you?”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Does it matter?”
“Haha… HAHAHA!”
Beggar Sir Zhou burst into wild laughter. The little beggar looked anxious and uneasy.
“Hah! To think that I, Zhou Shian, who has studied the teachings of a hundred schools since childhood, am not as perceptive as a little girl. Haha… What a disgrace, what a disgrace!” Zhou Shian laughed madly as he descended the mountain, his voice echoing in the distance. “How could I, Zhou Shian, ever submit to another? One day, this world will bend to my will!”
What an arrogant claim.
The little beggar, however, looked awestruck, filled with admiration and reverence.
Suddenly, he shouted, “I will follow Sir Zhou! I will go to the capital and live a life of wealth and glory!”
With that, he dashed down the mountain.
Gu Jiu was utterly dumbfounded.
Are these two lunatics? In the blink of an eye, both of them were acting as if they had been injected with adrenaline, howling like madmen.
Gu Jiu had no idea that her words today would plant the seeds of an extraordinary fate.
Nor could she have imagined what Zhou Shian and the little beggar would one day become.
At this moment, however, Gu Jiu was more concerned about Wang Erya, who had attempted suicide.
Qing Mei stepped forward, took out a handkerchief, and wiped Wang Erya’s tears.
“What’s your name? Where do you live? Do you have any family?”
Wang Erya shook her head. “My name is Erya. I have no family left. I’m all alone.”
Qing Mei felt a pang of sorrow. For a young girl to be left without family, surviving alone in this world would be incredibly difficult.
She gently asked, “What troubles you? Tell us. There is no hardship in this world that cannot be overcome.”
Wang Erya sobbed. “I lost my parents, my elder brother, my home, and I can’t even get married. The entire village despises me. Living is just a waste of food—I might as well die.”
“You want to die just because others despise you?” Gu Jiu couldn’t understand this logic.
Wang Erya gazed at the cliff. “Death will set me free.”
Gu Jiu asked, “Are you sure death will bring relief? Who told you that? Do you know there are eighteen levels of hell? Those who take their own lives will be thrown into a boiling oil cauldron by Yan wang1.”
Wang Erya froze.
Gu Jiu continued, “Dying is not easier than living. After death, there are eighteen layers of torment. As the saying goes, ‘A bad life is better than a good death.’ Living must be easier than dying, don’t you think? Besides, you fear death so little, yet you’re afraid of being despised? That makes no sense!”
Wang Erya’s mind was in a whirl—Gu Jiu’s words had completely thrown her off balance.
Gu Jiu asked, “Do you know the Xiahegou Horse Ranch?”
Wang Erya nodded. “I know it. I even worked there before.”
“A girl who can work at a horse ranch must be quite capable. Why would you think of ending your life? How about this—you guide me there, and I’ll reward you afterwards.”
“No, no, I don’t need a reward. I’ll take you there right away.”
Still in a daze, Wang Erya stood up and led the way.
Upon arriving at the Xiahegou Horse Ranch, Gu Jiu did not meet with the owner.
Instead, she walked around, observing the horses, the grass, and the geographical features.
It met her requirements well.
Gu Jiu clapped her hands and said, “Let’s go.”
Da Zhuang went to fetch the ox cart.
Wang Erya stood blankly at the side, unsure of what to do next.
Gu Jiu turned to her. “Aren’t you going home?”
Wang Erya shook her head. “I have no home. My house, land, and food—all were sold to pay off debts.”
“Are the debts cleared?”
Wang Erya nodded.
Gu Jiu said, “Then you should be relieved. You’re free from debt, and you have strength—you can work. Believe me, your life will get better.”
Wang Erya shook her head. “I can’t find work. My reputation has spread to the city, and no one will hire me.”
Gu Jiu was intrigued. “What reputation?”
“I’m too old, I eat too much, and I have no husband.”
That’s it? Just this nonsense was enough to drive a young girl to despair?
Gu Jiu frowned slightly and asked, “What can you do?”
Wang Erya didn’t dare say anything.
Gu Jiu softened her voice. “Go on, speak freely. No one here will harm you.”
Finally, Wang Erya said, “I can farm, carry heavy loads, and fight. My father taught me martial arts since I was young. He always said I could take on at least ten men by myself. But I never tested that—I’ve only fought three men at most.”
“You know martial arts?”
Gu Jiu’s eyes lit up.
Wang Erya nodded and began demonstrating.
Every move and stance had structure and form. Even ordinary techniques, when performed by Wang Erya, carried a powerful presence.
Gu Jiu was delighted.
Just then, Da Zhuang arrived with the ox cart.
Gu Jiu turned to him. “Da Zhuang, spar with Erya and see how skilled she is.”
Da Zhuang obeyed.
He had once served in the Gu household and learned a few combat techniques. He cupped his hands. “I accept the challenge!”
Then, he launched his first attack. A flurry of blows ensued, and soon, it was clear—Da Zhuang was losing ground.
Finally, Wang Erya knocked him down with a single kick.
She immediately panicked. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”
Gu Jiu, however, laughed.
This girl had incredible strength, but she was too timid.
Qing Mei, understanding Gu Jiu’s thoughts, whispered, “Guniang, are you thinking of taking Wang Erya in?”
Gu Jiu nodded and murmured, “I have you for accounting, Qing Zhu for meals, Xiao Cui for gathering information, but I lack a personal bodyguard. What do you think of Erya?”
Qing Mei nodded. “She’s good. But we don’t know her background yet, so we can’t keep her too close right away.”
“I understand.”
Gu Jiu studied Wang Erya again.
Wang Erya was visibly nervous.
Gu Jiu asked, “I can offer you a job with food and shelter. Are you willing?”
Wang Erya was overjoyed and nodded eagerly. “Yes, I’m willing!”
Gu Jiu told Da Zhuang, “Take Erya with you today. Have Gui mama teach her properly. When the time is right, I’ll make further arrangements.”
“Xiaode obeys!”
And so, Wang Erya followed Gu Jiu into the city.
Qing Mei teased her. “Aren’t you even going to ask about my guniang’s identity? You don’t even know our last name. Aren’t you afraid we might be bad people and sell you off?”
Wang Erya replied, “I trust guniang. You all seem like good people.”
Qing Mei was speechless. In the end, she simply said, “You have a good eye.”
By the time they entered the city, it was already past noon.
Gu Jiu was worried about being discovered sneaking out and had to hurry back to the manor.
As they were about to part ways, Gu Jiu asked Wang Erya, “Besides shadowboxing, do you know how to use weapons?”
Wang Erya replied, “I can wield a staff. I’m really good at it—no one can get close to me. Even my father is no match for me.”
Impressive.
It seemed she needed to prepare a rolling pin for Wang Erya.
Why a rolling pin? Because it was convenient.
Gu Jiu instructed her, “When you meet Gui mama, follow her and learn proper etiquette. Also, don’t neglect your martial arts, especially your staff techniques.”
Wang Erya nodded repeatedly. “I will definitely listen to Gui mama and learn etiquette properly. I won’t neglect my staff skills either.”
Gu Jiu smiled, waved goodbye to Wang Erya and Dazhuang, and then left.
Er Zhuang drove the ox cart, taking Gu Jiu back to the governor’s residence.
But just as she arrived, she heard shocking news—Gu Ting had been injured.
- The king of hell, deity of death. ↩︎
Another subordinate unlocked.
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