The Cursed Bride

Chapter 1

"Oh man."

"What are you complaining about you useless grandchild?!"

"But grandpa! I am tired! They said slaves was abolished but we are working like a slave for the king! Ah, what kind of king is that?!"

"You!" The grand-father got up to hit his grandchild. He was afraid of the consequence. Why did he have such a stupid grandchild?!

"Ouch! What did I say wrong?"

"Do you want to get killed?"

"That not it! But since The Great Emperor die...everything...."

"I know, but what can we do? They are the ruler of theses kingdom and the emperor is the ruler of this empire."

"Not like the current emperor is any better." He murmured to himself.

"What did you say ?"

"Nothing, nothing. I get it, I was wrong, let me alone now. I am going to work hard alone on these vegetable."

"Ah." He signed as he looked at his grandchild. If only they were rich, if only they could do something. But what can they do? The imperial and royal family are the chosen one. God choose them. What could they do? Maybe God did this for a very good reason. He just hoped that life will be better for his grandchild. As for him, he couldn't care less. He had living under the Great Emperor, so his life was very good. But he couldn't say the same thing for their current ruler.

"Elder Mu."

"Oh, if it isn't Xiao Tan." He said in a surprising voice. He wasn't expected to see her today.

[In Chinese, people use the word "xiao" before the name to address someone usually younger than them. They call them in an informal and friendly way. But Xiao can also be a family name.]

"Elder Mu, ni hao." The girl saluted him as she bowed, She was doing the first and palm salute.

"What is bringing you here ?"

"All the elders are requested to go to the meeting. I am here to escort you Elder Mu."

"I see. I see. My useless child don't do anything bad while I am not looking !"

"I know I know just go away quickly !"

"Please lead the way Xiao Tan."

"Please let me help you."

"Ahaha, no. I am not this old. I can walk by myself." Elder Mu joked as he walked with the girl to the meeting room. For them to have a meeting, it must be an urgency.

"Elder Mu, thanks for coming." Another elder said to him. He rose his tea cup as a sign to show that he was welcomed.

"Hello, Elder Hui." Elder Mu sat down as he saluted everyone in the room. With him, they were a total of eight person. They were just a small countryside village.

"The situation is serious."

"What about it?"

"There was no rain since the fall of the Great Emperor. All of crops are decreasing at breakneck speed. Soon, we won't have anything to eat."

"And we didn't even mention the taxes that we have to pay to the king. If we don't have any crops left, how could we make a living?" Another elder added in a desperate voice.

"Then what are you thinking about?"

"Maybe we should go to see the king and explain to him our situation?"

"Are you out of your mind? Don't you know the situation we are in?"

"We won't know unless we try!"

"Do you think the people in the palace will ever let us in?"

"I think we should believe in our god. If he has made them our ruler, it must have a purpose. So I think we should go to the sacred temple on the mountain and pray. We also have to offers to the god so he will protect us."

"You know, now that you mention it, I just remember something."

"What is it Elder Hang?"

"I think that the ancients used to say that in the past people used to offer young maidens."

"Young maidens?"

"Because we only offers things like money and food, the gods have more than enough."

"What you mean...is to send a young maiden as a bride?" Elder Mu frowned as he thought about the idea. It just wasn't right to send a young girl who haven't plenty lived for the sake of older people like him who have plenty lived their life. And to him, it was more like to satisfy someone's hunger than anything. Sounding like this, God wasn't better than a crook who was tormenting a weak village and was asking a young maiden as a sacrifice so she could bear his kids. In others words, the one who will be chosen will face her end.

"I am not saying that ! She should be honoured to be chosen !"

As if ! But elder Mu was relieved. At least his family wasn't concerned since he only had a grandson. "If what you are saying is true then who? Who will be the sacrifice?"

Everyone looked at each other worriedly. Except for Elder Mu, all of them had granddaughters. And none wanted to send their own flesh to the death.

"What about you elder Xan since you had proposed this idea."

"Hahahaha." Elder Xan tried to camouflage his uneasiness by laughing. But he didn't convinced anyone. "My granddaughter is still young, she is just fourteen."

"Fourteen is a great number! Some quit the house at twelves!"

"Then what about you?" The old man retorted. "Isn't your grandchild fifteen?" Thus a big debate started in the room.

Xiao Tan tried to stop everyone from raising their voices, but she couldn't get through their heads. Then some minutes later a young beautiful girl entered and announced something that put everyone in disbelief.

"Could you repeat please?" Elder Mu asked as he was trying to assimilate the information.

"Y-yes please s-say it again."

"I said that I am willing to be the sacrifice. You said that no one come back alive, didn't you? I am willing to take the risk." She wanted to see it, who was stronger? Her or the death?

"But." Elder Mu frowned again. He knew what kind of human she is, he knew who were her family so there was no way that she would do this for free.

"Name the price!" Another shouted. Even though they didn't have a lot of money left, he didn't mind giving it to this girl if that would mean his granddaughter being alive.

"Hahaha." She chuckled in a mocking way.

Elder Mu took a step and stood in front of her. "I know for sure that you wouldn't do something for free. Just tell us the conditions that we have to respect." She was from a rich family, why would she need their money?

"What a wise answer." She smiled as she put her hairs behind her ear/

"Yun Ah Zi. No matter what, we will respect the conditions."

"Of course you are going." She smirked at the statement.

You will be the loss to those who will stretch theirs hands out to you.

And those to who you will stretch out your hand will be your loss.

Now, let's test this statements.