Awakening

I am miserable. This was my first thought, as I got up this morning. This is my first thought every morning, so no change there. I wash myself, grab a quick bite to eat, work out for about an hour, and rush off to work.

Today I have to work at Senior Song's courtyard. It's fairly easy work, and Senior Song is reasonable about his demands for his servants, so it is one of the easiest days. I'll probably have to prepare his bath water and change of clothes, prepare breakfast, then clean the whole courtyard. And there'll be at least three other servants too, so it's bound to be an easy day.

As if things could go that easy. I shiver at the thought. Anytime my life becomes somewhat more bearable, the heavens throw a punch at me and I end up even more miserable. First it was the inexplicable disappearance of my parents. Then I barely avoided being sold off as a slave. When I started my Foundation Establishment, I couldn't strengthen my heart at all, as if all the training I've done was completely ineffective. I barely even managed to put on a bit of muscle. Because of this, my peers started treating me like garbage.

Well, that's indeed what I am. The lowest tier outer disciple of the glorious True Fate Sect, who couldn't even complete the Heart Strengthening stage of Foundation Establishment by the age of 13. Never had a friend, girlfriend, or even a sympathetic senior. I spend my life, day to day, doing servants' work for various seniors, or even my peers who all became far stronger than me. It doesn't pay much, but at least I get enough to survive. But I'm basically a stain on the sect's reputation, and would've been long kicked out or sold off, if there wouldn't be a big enough demand for servants for the true cultivators.

As I ruminate over my pathetic existence, I reached Senior Song's courtyard. I put my distracting thoughts away, greet the fellow servants and busy myself with the senior's clothes, preparing a fresh batch in the bath house and taking yesterday's dirty ones to the washbasin behind the servants' quarters. As I wash the clothes, I hear the usual sounds of the servants greeting the senior, and trying to curry favor from him from left and right. As the senior enters the bath house, without paying heed to the servants, things quiet down again, and they disperse, to handle their various chores.

I finish with the washing and hang the clothes to dry, then enter the kitchen. As the others are also almost done with breakfast preparation, I pick up a broom and start cleaning the dining room. I carefully sweep the floor, not raising any dust. At least I'm not completely useless, if I can do this much. The servants bring in the food and prepare it on the table in the center of the room. As I glance over, my saliva starts running. I've never even tasted food like this in my life, and this scene always triggers my desires.

I start sweeping closer to the table, so I can at least get a sniff of the heavenly scents that I'll never be able to enjoy otherwise. As I near the table, and my drooling intensifies, I look over the dishes, and... My vision starts getting blurry. The last thing I see are the rich dishes, smacking right in my face, then darkness.

-Awakening complete. Removing Karmic Memory Seal.

I hear this strange, alluring female voice in my head, and then the pain hits me. More intense pain than anything I've ever experienced, inside my head. I feel like my mind is going to either explode, or collapse.