The Five Masters

Fu Xiao looked as if she was struggling to decide whether she should answer or not, and this scared Xiang Ling even more. The latter was afraid that what she had learned about the original owner of the body so far was just the tip of the iceberg.

Taking in a deep breath, she spoke to Fu Xiao. "Don't hesitate. Just answer my question." Even though she wasn't prepared, she needed to know everything about the original owner of the body, especially about her five husbands.

Fu Xiao nodded her head before she began - "Your second husband, Master Ming, he's in the Shengdu Village. You punished him two months ago and sent him to the countryside."

"Why did I punish him?" Xiang Ling asked, curious to know what stupid reason would have made the previous owner of the body punish another one of her husbands.

"Well... it was..." Fu Xiao tried to answer but her fear was making it impossible for her to speak about that incident. "My Lady, it was because..."

"Fu Xiao!" Xiang Ling spoke in a slightly stern tone, almost making the girl jump in fright. "Stop making me wonder about the possibilities of what would have happened. Just tell me. No matter what you say, you will not be punished. Alright?"

Fu Xiao looked at Xiang Ling to confirm whether the latter was serious about the 'no punishment' part. Once she was assured that her lady was serious, she decided to reveal. "Two months ago, when you married Fifth Master, you..." she quickly took a glance at Xiang Ling's face before lowering her head and focusing her gaze on the floor. "... you wanted Second Master to accompany you during your wedding night with Fifth Master. He refused and then you... got angry."

Xiang Ling took in a deep breath as she tried to stay calm. At this point, she just wanted to bury herself in the ground and disappear. "What about Fourth Master and Fifth Master?" She asked. She wanted to hear the rest of the tragedy and be done with the stupid backstory of the previous owner of the body.

"Fourth Master, he must have again escaped to the... brothel. He's the one who continuously goes against you and makes you furious all the time. And Fifth Master... he must be in his courtyard." Fu Xiao answered.

Xiang Ling nodded her head in understanding. She finally had some information about the previous owner of the body but not a single thing about her was good. She seemed like the worst kind of human anyone could ever imagine.

"How long have I been married?" She suddenly asked.

This time, Fu Xiao had a concerned look on her face. "My Lady, how much have you forgotten? Do you need me to call a physician?"

Xiang Ling quickly shook her head and tried to dispel the young girl's worries. "I don't think it's too serious. I remember almost everything but... the memories related to my husbands... they are so jumbled up in my brain." She made such a painful face that even the devil himself would have felt pity for her, let alone Fu Xiao.

"It's alright, My Lady. I will answer all your questions. Maybe you will recall everything clearly in a few days after resting." Despite her fear and irritation toward the original owner of the body, Fu Xiao seemed to actually care about her lady.

Xiang Ling nodded her head and waited for Fu Xiao to answer her question about how long she had been married to her husbands.

"You married First Master over a year ago. We went to the mountains to catch a spirit beast for you when we found him injured. You saved him and brought him home. Once he woke up and wanted to repay you for your kindness, you married him since you... were infatuated with his looks."

Xiang Ling bit on her lower lip while she tried to calmly listen to the rest of the story about how the previous owner of the body coveted not only one but five innocent men.

"You and the Second Master got married two months after your marriage with the First Master. You saw him during the lantern festival and... fell for him. So you bought him from his poor family in hundred silver taels and married him despite Master and Madam's objection."

"You married Third and Fourth Master about six months ago. You just arrived home after disappearing for two days along with those two and announced that they were your new husbands. None of us know anything about how you met them and got married. You never mentioned anything."

"And you married Fifth Master two months ago. You must remember that he's the only son of your father's close friend who died a few years ago. Fifth Master and you have been engaged since birth. So when you found out that Master was planning to break off the engagement and marry Fifth Master to someone else, you... you drugged him and married him."

Fu Xiao didn't even spare a single glance at Xiang Ling and as soon as she finished, she ran out of the kitchen as if she was being chased by the death itself.

As for Xiang Ling, she finally had enough. A single tear rolled down her cheek before another one followed suit. She lifted her face and stared at the ceiling of the kitchen. She really wanted to complain to the Heavens. Even if she mistakenly disturbed the Nirvana of the Heavenly Crown Prince, she didn't deserve such a horrible punishment.

The crimes that the original owner of her body had committed were nothing but sins, and Xiang Ling could already imagine how much each of her husbands must hate her.

Little did she know that it was just the mere beginning. There was still a lot left that she hadn't found out about the previous owner of her body, and each new revelation would only increase her misery.