Chapter 260: Master-servant Blood Contract ( 3 )
Yao Zhi opened the jade bottle, poured a pill out, and said, "Today, I called everyone here to tell you something. But before that, each of you will have to eat this pill."
The female servants stared at the pill in fear. The pill was crimson and had a faint scent of rust, similar to blood. Just from the look of it, they could guess that this pill was not an ordinary pill. It might even be poisonous.
While they were hesitating, Ling Yi only hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "Master, Iām willing to take the pill."
Hearing this, Yao Zhi nodded and handed him a pill. He accepted it with both hands and put it into his mouth without hesitation. The moment the pill touched his tongue, it melted and turned into a warm liquid that washed down his throat.
The moment he ate the pill, a blue screen appeared in front of Yao Zhi.
"Master-servant blood contract had been established. With the contract, the servant will perish the moment the master dies. If the servant dies, the master wonāt suffer any consequences. If the servant had the intention to harm the master, the servant would suffer pain equal to 10 lashes of a lightning whip as punishment."
"The only way to remove the contract was by drinking the masterās heartās blood. The heart blood must be given by the master willingly."
Surprise flashed in Yao Zhiās eyes when she read the information, but she said nothing.
After Ling Yi took the pill, he stepped aside, and Ling Er came forward. They took the pills one after another, and everything was finished in less than five minutes.
When it was the Xi teamās turn, Yao Zhi looked at them and said, "If you donāt want to take the pill, I wonāt force you."
After saying this, she said nothing more and waited. A few minutes later, Xi Yi stepped forward and knelt in front of her. She kowtowed and said, "Master, Iām willing to take the pill."
Meeting her gaze, Yao Zhi understood that Xi Yi agreed because her son was currently in her hands. No matter the reason, as long as she took the pill, she would become one of her trusted aides.
She nodded and handed her a pill.
Holding the pill between her fingers, Xi Yi took a deep breath and swallowed it with her eyes closed. After taking it, her eyes snapped open and met her Masterās smile. She clenched her fists, knowing that she had made the right decision.
"Whoās next?" Yao Zhi asked.
Since her mother had taken the pill, Xi Si also made up her mind. Whether she was willing or not, she had to take this step to ensure her brotherās safety.
She knelt in front of Yao Zhi and said, "Master, Iām willing."
Yao Zhi glanced at the girl and gave her a pill. Unlike her mother, she swallowed it without hesitation. When she was done, she stood beside her mother.
As for the rest, Xi Er and Xi San were both Marquis Yongningās younger sisters. They were used to being served by maids and were unwilling to become other peopleās slaves.
Since their Master didnāt force them to take the pill, they chose not to eat it. Who knew whether the pill was poisoned or not?
They had finally managed to save their lives. They didnāt want to risk it again.
After a long silence, Xi Er and Xi San finally knelt down and said in unison, "Master, we are unwilling to take the pill. Please spare our lives."
Hearing this, Yao Zhi was disappointed by their choices. She let out a sigh and said, "Then so be it. Both of you, stand up."
"Thank you, Master."
Seeing that their aunts were spared from taking the pill, Xi Wu pulled her sister to kneel down and said, "Master, we also donāt want to take the pill."
Yao Zhi didnāt have any expectations for these girls. Both of them grew up under their motherās bad influence. No matter how good their environment was, their motherās nature would influence them more or less.
"Get up," she said calmly. After a moment of pause, she added, "The four of you, go back to your room. The rest, stay."
"Understood."
Yao Zhi glanced at the Ling squad, Xi Yi, and Xi Si. Meeting their gaze, she noticed the changes and said, "Now that all of you have proven your loyalty, I will tell you my secret."
After saying this, she touched the area near her collarbone and took off the mask. When everyone saw this, their eyes widened in shock.
With their background, except for Xi Si, everyone knew about human skin masks. Some of them had even seen and used such masks before. But this was the first time they had seen one like this.
The mask was not only exquisitely made, but it also covered the entire head and included the hair. They had suspected that their Master was in disguise, but they never expected her to be a young woman.
Seeing their surprise, Yao Zhi smiled and said, "Iām a woman, and Lei Feng is my other persona. My name is Yao Zhi, and Iām just an ordinary villager."
Hearing this, Ling Yi couldnāt help but ask, "M-Master, if you are a woman, then how do you have a throat knot?"
Yao Zhi touched the fake Adamās apple and chuckled. "This is fake. Iām wearing a full-body mask. It hides my figure. This mask even gives me abs," she said as she rubbed her firm, fake eight-pack abs.
Although she said it casually, everyone knew that this mask must cost a fortune. They could imagine how terrifying it would be if this item were used by spies to infiltrate other countries.
Not knowing their thoughts, Yao Zhi continued, "Living as a war captive or state slave must be terrible. I can give you new identities and let you live as good citizens."
The moment they heard this, everyone was stunned. It took them a while to regain their senses.