Nighttime, Zhang Residence, Second Young Master’s Room.
Zhang Qingyao groggily opened her eyes, struggling to sit up.
The pain and numbness in her body had not fully faded yet, a clear sign of how strong the curse marks were.
“Yo, awake already?”
That familiar, irritating voice sounded by her ear.
Zhang Qingyao was about to snap back but thought better of it—retaliating would only bring her more suffering.
At the same time, she noticed that her tattered clothes had been replaced with new ones.
Having been the young master for so many years, Zhang Qingyao naturally recognized these as the attire of the household’s servant girls.
Seeing the confusion on the girl’s face, Zhang Yuge proudly said,
“From today onward, you’re a maid of the Zhang Residence, my personal maid, the chamber maid—Zhang Qingyao, understood?”
Just as the girl was calming down, hearing Zhang Yuge call himself “Young Master” instantly made her furious again.
“Who the hell do you think you are, calling yourself Young Master? I’m the real Young Master here!”
Before Zhang Qingyao could finish, Zhang Yuge grabbed her chin with one hand, squeezing her jaw hard.
The girl was left speechless, only able to emit unintelligible murmurs.
“Watch your words. If I wanted to, I could electroshock you into complete helplessness right now. Recognize your current situation. Do you really think you’re still the arrogant, lawless young master of the Zhang family?”
Zhang Yuge leaned close to the girl’s face, the unprecedented pressure nearly suffocating her.
Zhang Qingyao was terrified—was the person before her really the same lowly house slave she once knew?
“I am the current young master of the Zhang family. Look, even your own mother hasn’t uncovered my true identity. Do you think anyone else in the Zhang Residence could see through me? Hahahahaha…”
His evil, cunning laughter filled the room.
Zhang Qingyao’s face went pale, a deep sense of helplessness weighing on her heart.
“All right, it’s getting late. My dear maid, it’s time to serve your young master to bed.”
Zhang Yuge reached out to start removing the clothes from Zhang Qingyao’s body.
“Don’t even think about it…”
The terrified girl struggled desperately, twisting her frail body wildly to break free from Zhang Yuge’s grasp.
“You’ve already replaced me, so why won’t you just let me go?”
The things Zhang Yuge might do to her were absolutely unacceptable.
Everything from the previous night was still vivid in her mind.
“Zhang Yuge, please let me go… I promise, as long as you release me, I will disappear from your sight and never return to Ningzhou. Then you’ll truly be the young master of the Zhang family. If that’s not enough, I can leave Da Zhou entirely and never set foot inside its borders again. Just please let me go. I admit I was wrong before—I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you or let the servants beat you up. Now that I’m like this, Zhang Yuge, please have mercy and spare me.”
Desperate and out of options, Zhang Qingyao begged Zhang Yuge continuously, hoping he would show mercy.
But Zhang Yuge only shook his head.
“Even if I let you leave, I guarantee the Zhang family will kill you before you even leave Ningzhou. You’re currently wearing the skin of the eldest daughter of the Zhong family, Zhong Bailing. Do you want me to remind you what the Zhong family did to the Zhang family? You yourself were killed by Zhong Bailing. Without me, you would never have been reborn. What right do you have to bargain with me? If I hadn’t vouched for you in front of the elders, you’d already be a corpse by now—on your way back to the Zhong family.”
“W-What… how could this be…”
Like a thunderclap out of a clear sky, the girl stopped struggling.
“I begged the Zhang family elders and your mother to let me take you as my personal maid, and that’s how I saved your life. Those old fools were initially against it, but your mother kept speaking up for me, and they finally agreed. I have to say, your mother really dotes on you—but unfortunately, it spoiled you rotten. As the saying goes, ‘Too much love spoils the child.’”
Zhang Yuge released her wrist, and Zhang Qingyao instantly felt drained of all strength, collapsing to her knees.
“…”
“No, no, no. Watch your words. You should be calling her ‘Madam.’ The one who calls her ‘Mother’ should be me, not you.”
Seeing Zhang Qingyao so dispirited, a reluctant smile crept onto Zhang Yuge’s lips.
He crouched down and whispered into her ear.
“Honestly, besides your mother, no one in the Zhang family really cares about you, right?”
Seeing the change in the girl’s expression, Zhang Yuge knew his words had hit their mark.
“It’s easy to see from the attitude of the servants—there’s no respect for me, only fear and vigilance. When I go to the council chamber, hardly any of the elders show me respect. If your father weren’t the head of the family, your situation would probably be even worse. But that’s normal, since you’re nothing but a useless person stuck at Qi Refining Second Layer. No wonder Zhong Bailing looks down on you while being infatuated with your brother who’s already at Foundation Establishment. Honestly, even if she agreed to marry you, how can you be sure she won’t still flirt with your brother behind your back?”
“Don’t be so filthy in your thoughts! Shut up!”
Zhang Qingyao’s eyes were bloodshot, her cracked lips trembling.
Zhang Yuge ignored her resistance, forcibly grabbing her thin arms and making her look him in the eyes as he continued his heart-wrenching words.
“Just imagine—if they really got together, do you think you could stop them? One’s Foundation Establishment, the other Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Who do you think you could fight?”
“Go beg those Zhang family elders. Do you think they’d stand up for you? No, they’d only support your talented older brother Zhang Qinglin, while you’re nothing because you’re stuck at Qi Refining Second Layer, a complete waste.”
The only reply Zhang Yuge got was the girl’s hysterical scream, as she shook her head desperately, her voice hoarse and choked.
“No, no… please stop, don’t say anymore… sob…”
“Can’t take it, huh? At the root of it, you just can’t accept how useless you are—can’t accept that you’re a failure.”
“Ugh… then what about you? What are you? You’re just a mortal, so what right do you have to judge me?”
“Sorry, I’ve already reached Qi Refining First Layer, and that’s thanks to your help.”
“Then you’re still only at first layer. What’s there to be proud of?”
“Heh, wait a few more nights, and it’ll be a different story.”
With that, Zhang Yuge reached out to gently stroke the girl’s cheek, sending chills down Zhang Qingyao’s spine.
“As a cauldron, you must fulfill your duty as one. Your only value now is to assist me in cultivation. I’m giving you two choices: either obey me quietly, do whatever I want, and serve me obediently, or I’ll tell the Zhang family elders about your rare cauldron constitution. Then you’ll become a shared cauldron for all the Zhang family’s inner disciples. My patience is limited. You’d better choose quickly. Oh, and don’t even think about suicide—the curse marks make that impossible.”
The girl clenched her fists, wrestling with the agonizing decision inside, her face ashen.
“…”
Zhang Qingyao struggled to speak, as if each word required every ounce of her strength.
“I’ll listen to you…”
Zhang Yuge’s face lit up with a triumphant smile as he spread his arms wide and said,
“Remember, your name is Zhang Qingyao—Qing like clear water, Yao like distant. That’s your new name from now on. Zhang Qingyao, come here and serve your young master…”
“Zhang Qingyao acknowledges the order, Young Master.”
Zhang Qingyao slowly got up, step by step approaching Zhang Yuge, reaching out to help him change clothes.
“As expected of a young master who’s never touched water with his ten fingers—clumsy even with such a simple task.”
Zhang Qingyao silently endured Zhang Yuge’s mockery.
Her awkward movements quickly exhausted Zhang Yuge’s patience.
He grabbed a handful of her long hair and threw her onto the soft large bed.
“…”
Before Zhang Qingyao could react, Zhang Yuge began tearing at her clothes—the newly changed garments were mercilessly ruined.
“W-Wait, don’t!”
“Zhang Qingyao, did you forget your own words? Starting to resist again? Do you really want to become the Zhang family’s shared cauldron?”
Tears streamed down the girl’s cheeks, her face like delicate pear blossoms drenched in rain, evoking pity.
“Wuwu… Qingyao understands. Young Master, please don’t be angry.”
“Haha, good. Now, undress yourself.”
“Y-Yes… Young Master.”
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.