Live as a Human or Slave

During the night a figure crept into the research room, the figure saw the rows of bottled wine and quietly took one before leaving.

The figure returned to their study and quickly poured some into a glass before trying it.

After swallowing the wine the figure began to become like another person and was greatly stimulated, their blood began raging with their body like he was experiencing a long heated battle amidst a bloody war zone.

Under the influence of the wines effects they let out a loud yell almost like a battle cry. "HAHAHAHA GOOD WINE!!!"

A rustling sound of rushed footsteps sounded outside the door revealing Elizabeth, seeing the bottle of wine and her husbands face flushed red she grew angered. "You stupid fool, do you have to be so loud. It's lucky the kids and mom are on the other part of the mansion. Put that away, I know you must of taken it… Ki will be upset if you just take things without asking."

Adams face flushed a little more and his eyes showed a guilty look. "Wife I didn't really."

'Tsk if it wasn't for the wine making me this way then nobody would have noticed one missing wine bottle. Now I have been exposed. Time for plan b.' Adam smiled to his wife and spoke in a seductive voice. "Well what's done is done, now that you are up why don't you join me."

'So he is making me his accomplice.' Elizabeth sighed. "Fine then, just this once so don't do it again."

The night swiftly ended with the husband and wife's roars and fighting noises, much to their luck nobody else lived within that part of the mansion so nobody was disturbed by them. [1]

A while later the mansion was restored to its previous quiet state as everyone fell asleep.

Ki had already reached a high level of aesthetic conception with her skill in wine and tea making, using her ingredients she was able to create different images, moods and feelings within her creations and allow others to experience them after drinking them. [2]

What Adam had stolen was one of her higher quality wines which she named 'Battle Cry' because of its effects that lets the drinker experience the feeling of a hotblooded warrior charging into the battlefield as he lets out a roar.

Only those who have great insight and experience in their own artistic profession could have reached a stage of making others experience the images, moods or feelings within their completed work.

An example is of a poet who is able to write a masterpiece which could make the reader or listener have intense feelings of sorrow or happiness or of a blacksmith who is able to produce higher grades of swords with lesser quality materials because they have reached a point of bringing out all of its potential possible to even create a treasured blade.

The skills, experience, dedication and the creators artistic conception are put towards creating something and slowly bringing it to piece of artwork or product to life.

After enjoying a long and peaceful sleep Ki began her day according to her usual schedule.

Ki quickly noticed an intruder has come into her research room. "I will have to ask grandmother to look into getting a lock for my research room. It is lucky that I had not made more intense or poisonous wines…"

She walked towards the back of the mansion and entered into a more shaded and hidden part of the mansion where some small wooden shacks were. "Everyone come out."

Some people were already outside of their homes while some quickly came outside. "As you all are aware and from everything you have experienced since the day my family purchased you, you owe my family for saving your lives. I'm not asking you all to risk your lives for the family but I require your undying loyalty. I need people who can fulfil different roles whether it be a guard or the families private martial artists, a spy or simply a worker who will be educated then sent to a different location. Since the day you were sold as slaves your old lives no longer exist, you have been stripped of your identity and what I now need are people who fit that description."

A woman looked unwilling and grit her teeth. "Why do we have to be treated like this?! Why?!"

The other men, women, teenage boys and girls mostly still had a dead look in their eyes even after being able to live a normal life after being bought by the Bombyx family.

"You were stripped of your rights and your old selves because you were too weak or unable to protect what you had, you were beaten into submission and even some people that you once knew have already died. My family bought you and have not mistreated you, you will have a chance to gain a new identity, learn new skills, eat normal food and live properly without the need to beg at the feet of someone ever again. However in order to live such a life you need to pay off the debt you owe my family for raising and saving you and if you try to run away, betray me, cause harm to my family or commit any crimes you will be punished accordingly so do remember that." Ki took out a piece of paper attached to another piece of paper behind it, marked with boxes with writing above them. "After someone who can read takes this, read it to everyone. There are several jobs depending on difficulty, from the lowest manual labour jobs which are farming and harvesting crops and herbs, rearing livestock and cleaning the stables, a maid position, cooking or cleaning work. Others who have better acting skills can take a job as a spy to collect information in their designated role. The more skilled roles require more hard effort, dedication and further loyalty to the point of not leaking out secrets and information. Martial artists can train to become guards or part of an elite team while others can take up different smaller tasks like wine making or cooking, embroidery, bookkeeping or assisting in others with their job roles for example. So just leave your names in the box designated for each role needed, I will come back in a few days so try to decide what you wish to do."

The slaves stood there in disbelief…

The woman spoke up again filled with despair. "Don't trust her… it's a trap… it's a vicious trap…"

"Sigh… we don't really have a choice. Didn't you hear her? We already owe them for buying us all. They have even fed, clothed, given us a place to live and now are giving us a chance to live our lives once more. Even if it's a trap I'm willing to take the risk." An old man spoke. "Don't forget what the slave traders did to us or the way your previous masters treated you. They wanted to dominate our souls and make us obey but that young lady came without any guards in order to ease our vigilance towards her. No noble lady I know would ever talk to us and explain everything so clearly and so long as we do not break her rules she has set then we can live our lives without the fear of being dominated once more. Don't you wish to regain your humanity back or do you want to remain a dog forever?"

The woman's legs weakened and she fell to the ground sobbing. "No.. no… I can't go back to that dark place…"

The old man sighed, returning to his home he placed his palm on the woman's shoulder gently as he passed her. "This old man is too frail to do anything big so just put my down for the spying position within the village. At least my hearing and sight still works well so it's something I can do in order to live out the rest of my days."

Another man stood up. "I used to be a waiter in a restaurant. Sign me up!"

A young boy with a bruised and scarred body from repeated beatings raised his fist. "I want to be a martial artist!"

"I was a musician back in the day but after being put into slavery they ruined my hands." A woman in her 30s spoke. "I think I could still teach music or do other small tasks."

"I…. I… I…" the young woman spoke again. "I don't want much but I don't want to feel like this anymore. I want to be stronger."

"Martial arts it is then." The man holding the paper began to talk, he quickly wrote down everyone's name in the designated boxes. "I think I will be better suited towards a management position or sorting out information gathered and compiling it into a report. So I will try my luck and sign up for a position within information gathering or contacting the spies."

Tiny sparks of life began to take form within many of the slaves eyes, some were not convinced but had no choice but to comply towards the demands since they were not mistreated during the time they had been brought to the land.

What they did not know was that the moment they dared to bear their teeth towards Ki then she would have been able to kill those with ill intent very quickly.

Although she came alone without a guard she wasn't so defenceless as to be beaten by a group of starved and injured slaves, she also brought some defensive measures just in case she was attacked.

Ki was never one to do things without ensuring her safety.

In the afternoon Ki left the mansion for the first time in months to enter the village, she admired the change.

There were some places where some families had been evicted by the family and other villagers who were diligently working on their farmland and raising their livestock.

Some expressed amazement upon seeing Ki, some spoke out in shock while others could not contain their greed and vicious thoughts.

"Is that her? The young miss of that family has finally come out, I wonder why the two brothers of their relatives family have not visited the village lately."

"Hmm.. I haven't seen the son of the family lately either."

"Nah, I believe they are living a rich life in the city. I doubt they will be returning much to this place but I am sure they will be back at some point because of the families business matters."

"Ah it's so good to have money, us people are working everyday doing heavy manual labour nearly breaking our backs just to make a living while others get to live in a fancy mansion and live a good life."

"Heh of course, it's what they were born into. How can we ever possibly be so lucky to have rich relatives or be born into a rich or influential family."

"Tch, I have a son the same age as the young miss. Maybe I can use this to form a marriage between my family and theirs."

"Keep dreaming… do you honestly believe she would even look twice at your son? His skin is tanned from being out in the sun too often so he looks dirty and he isn't exactly the most handsome or well mannered kid within the village. How is he ever going to charm a young lady whose skin is so pale and will clearly grow up to attract others within or above her own class or ranking. Us little people best just stop dreaming of the impossible and focus on living."

"You…"

"Sigh never mind you won't listen anyways."

Meanwhile Ki walked past them she quietly heading towards the forest area after taking a couple of detours before arriving where a small and secluded shack was located just outside of the village. 'What a bunch of idiots. It's no wonder they were so easily convinced by the blood sect martial artists to join them during my previous life. The very idea of gaining wealth, power and influence or the threat of death would make them set aside what morals they possess in order to gain what they dream of or to save themselves.'

Ki knocked on the door of the old wooden shack.

[1] cough cough you know what I mean right? >_>

[2] https://www.chinesethought.cn/EN/shuyu_show.aspx?shuyu_id=2318