CHAPTER 548
The Lost Memory Fragments—Aston Gu Ai (VI)
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What Xiao Ai hadn't anticipated was that when the appointed day drew near, it wasn't a prison van that came for her, but a carriage.
Xiao Ai said nothing, silently climbing aboard. Whatever the outcome, if she got the chance, she wouldn't mind taking a few more scumbags with her.
Ye Qinghan and Li Shiyao still clung to the fantasy that perhaps Master had come to retrieve Xiao Ai, knowing full well that in the future, Xiao Ai would become the esteemed Gu Ai.
Yet the nine-year-old Xiao Ai understood far better than either of them that those were nothing more than a little girl's dreams.
The destination was a theater. Xiao Ai had long guessed the truth: she had become a commodity, one marked with an astronomical price tag.
For she was a true princess, accomplished in all arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing. To witness such a girl now groveling was an opportunity these beasts could only dream of.
It was also here that Xiao Ai learned about slavery.
She had believed that beauty alone would command a high price, but this notion proved utterly mistaken.
The girl in the cage opposite, nearly naked, possessed a face of unparalleled beauty, yet no one was willing to buy her. Even as she stripped before the crowd, flaunting herself and writhing her hips desperately, all she earned in the end were lashes and beatings.
Those who were bought were often ordinary-looking girls who possessed some skill.
For instance, a girl skilled in swordsmanship might be bought to guard a household, or one who could dance might be purchased as a courtesan.
For a princess like her, commanding an astronomical price was only natural. She had been raised to the standards of a queen. The skills those other girls possessed were merely the entry requirements for a queen. Beyond that, she was well-versed in etiquette, swordsmanship, domestic governance, military affairs, and even had some understanding of commerce.
Compared to these uneducated bumpkins, her speech was more logical and her actions more measured—they were worlds apart.
Her father hadn't been particularly kind to her, but given the need for a political marriage, his demands on her education were undeniably strict.
Whether this was a blessing or a curse, Xiao Ai couldn't say.
Whippings and beatings had become Xiaoa's daily routine. She rarely cried out loudly, only when she truly couldn't bear it anymore.
But to fetch a good price, Xiao Ai had to remain pure. After all, who could say whether the buyer might not fancy this petite princess?
And today, after a series of lessons, Xiao Ai was about to step onto the theater stage.
Before that, Xiao Ai was stripped naked and given a bath with ice water.
Xiao Ai found the ice water rather pleasant; it dulled the pain of her wounds, which had long since gone numb.
The bath felt somewhat redundant though. Her entire body was covered in wounds. What should have been a flawlessly white back was now a shocking patchwork of fresh and old injuries.
But these beasts always had their ways. To sell her off, they even spent money to buy her a new dress.
The dress might conceal her wounds, but it couldn't hide those icy eyes.
Xiao Ai, barefoot, stepped onto the stage under the stares of Ye Qinghan, Li Shiyao, and the crowd of beasts.
The real princess! This was your chance to own the princess! The screams erupted like a concert, the beasts acting like crazed fans, instantly setting the venue ablaze!
Before the familiar host could speak, Xiao Ai took the initiative.
"Good evening, scum~"
Xiao Ai curtsied gracefully, radiating aristocratic poise and decorum—qualities ingrained in her very bones. Even under merciless lashes, her spine remained rigid, standing perfectly straight.
"Those fools actually expect me to introduce myself? Is there anyone here who doesn't know this lady?"
Xiao Ai was a princess. By protocol, these beasts weren't even worthy of her presence.
Yet her insolence only fueled the crowd's fervor. Far from angered, they cheered wildly, convinced this was precisely the spirit befitting a princess!
They believed the princess's screams, or the sight of her submitting beneath them, would bring them even greater satisfaction.
The so-called glory had never truly existed. She, too, had once been an executioner. Xiao Ai knew her fate, yet she still wanted to give it her all, to offer this final dance.
This was the dance Xiao Ai had originally intended to perform for her father at the banquet. Though she disliked it, she had diligently practiced nonetheless.
The filthy stage was vast, devoid of music, yet it belonged solely to her.
This was not compromise, but her final dance dedicated to Aston Gu'ai.
The surname held no glory, only shameful and revolting memories. After this dance, she would shed that name. Even among the Valkyries, only three knew Xiao Ai's past.
This dance ignited the entire venue. Before Xiao Ai had even finished, the auction price had skyrocketed to astronomical heights.
The sum was enough to wage a war—even Xiao Ai had only ever seen such vast sums allocated for military expenditures.
Truthfully, Xiao Ai never imagined she was worth so much.
But it was obvious that most of this money had been built on blood and flesh, undoubtedly reeking of bloodshed.
The dance ended swiftly. Countless beasts clapped in shameful support of Xiao Ai, their applause thunderous and prolonged. Yet Xiao Ai had already bid farewell to the princess she'd danced with moments before. The princess's applause held no meaning for her.
Besides, no one would rejoice at applause from such beasts.
"If I had a sword, I would slaughter every last one of you beasts without hesitation."
"Buy me, and you'd better sleep with one eye open. Otherwise, I might just bite through your throat one day."
As Xiao Ai's words grew increasingly brazen—clearly not part of any improvised performance—she was kicked hard and sent sprawling to the ground.
But now, whether lashed by whips or beaten while her hair was torn, Xiao Ai laughed maniacally.
No one could defeat Xiao Ai. Ye Qinghan knew this well. What he hadn't anticipated was that Xiao Ai was only nine years old when she endured all this.
If death itself couldn't defeat her, what possible means could you have to defeat her?
Xiao Ai's savior had arrived. Her name was Xun Ye.
The door flew out like a dagger, embedding itself deep into the wall behind Xiao Ai with a thunderous crash.
For the first time, Xiao Ai understood what true power truly meant. When the authority to execute descended, all these beasts could do was submit to slaughter.
Xun Ye had short, golden hair, giving her an air of sharp competence.
She wore black combat armor, identical to what she had worn the last time Xiao Ai saw her, as if she never changed her clothes.
Xun Ye spoke little, uttering only one sentence after entering.
"Prove yourself."
As the words fell, a silver-white longsword descended from above Xiao Ai's head. In an instant, the blade severed the chains binding her feet, plunging deep into the wooden stage. It stood upright in the center of the stage, directly before Xiao Ai.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Ai drew the sword and stared at Lord Xunye, who remained standing in the doorway.
The light outside the door was blinding, merely outlining Lord Xunye's silhouette.
Yet even so, in Xiao Ai's eyes, he remained as divine as ever!
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