Chapter 269 - 112: From the Kunlun Immortal Ruins: A Setup and a Blatant Threat

Chou’Er hung her head, tangled locks of hair falling to completely cover her face.

Her hand, covered in scars and caked with blood, clutched tightly at her sleeve. After speaking, she didn’t even dare to look up.

In her current state, if she were to appear anywhere on the street, even beggars would keep their distance in disgust.

To say nothing of the filth and caked blood covering her body, the nauseating stench alone would make everyone steer clear.

"You’re not dirty. You just need to wash your face."

Jiang Lan knew of her experiences and understood her past, so he felt no disgust.

If not for her circumstances, who wouldn’t want to be clean and beautiful? Especially a young woman like her.

So his voice was casual, not feigning tenderness. He simply walked over and crouched down slightly so he could see the eyes hidden behind her tangled hair. Her eyelashes were long, fluttering softly.

As he approached, Chou’Er cowered and shrank away like a little quail pulling in its head, looking extremely nervous and insecure.

She pressed her lips together tightly, clearly feeling Jiang Lan’s gaze upon her. Her eyes lowered even further as she stared down at her own tattered straw sandals.

Her filthy feet were covered in mud and bloodstains, making her instinctively pull them back as if trying to hide them inside her wide, tattered robe.

"Heh," Jiang Lan chuckled. "Your features are actually quite delicate and well-proportioned. Once you’re all cleaned up, you should be a pretty little beauty."

Jiang Lan smiled and suddenly reached out, tucking her messy hair behind her ear. This fully revealed her face, which was covered in caked blood and scars.

Besides the wounds from blades, one could also see marks that looked like newly grown flesh, patching together in a way that was not only grotesque but also rather frightening.

Chou’Er was completely caught off guard by his sudden action.

She seemed to freeze completely.

She had never heard anyone praise her features as "delicate and well-proportioned."

Everyone who saw her was filled with disgust and disdain. The word "beautiful" had nothing to do with her.

Chou’Er could only stare blankly at Jiang Lan’s face, so close to her own—a face fairer and more perfect than that of most women.

When she came to her senses, her heart filled with panic and shame, and she instinctively tried to pull away.

But her chin was suddenly gripped with force. Then, she felt an unusually fragrant Elixir Pill being shoved into her mouth. It immediately dissolved into a warm, comfortable current that surged through her limbs and torso.

In just an instant, the pain racking her body subsided.

Her arm, which had been hanging limply, seemed to regain some strength, and the pain lessened.

"What are you flinching for?"

"It’s just an Elixir Pill, it’s not going to kill you. Why are you so resistant?"

Jiang Lan gently shook his head and pulled his hand back.

Just from that brief touch, his hand was stained with a black mark. ’It’s time to get her properly cleaned up,’ he thought.

His usual mysophobia didn’t affect him much, but looking at her... it was hard to find the words.

Chou’Er didn’t dare to look up at him. Her eyes remained downcast, long eyelashes fluttering. A pleasant scent lingered around her, like some precious incense or the rich, clean aroma of agarwood.

In her hazy memory, the sachet her father used to carry—before he left her and her mother—seemed to have a similar scent.

"Take her for a bath. Make sure she is washed clean from head to toe."

"Then, pick out a few sets of clean, suitable dresses for her to change into."

Jiang Lan ordered casually.

"Yes, Young Master."

Several maids waiting outside immediately entered and respectfully led Chou’Er away. They no longer dared to cover their noses as they had before.

’Since the Young Master has given such an order, he must truly value this girl. If she ends up serving him, she’ll be one of his subordinates—someone they, as mere maids, could never afford to neglect or offend.’

Hiding the envy in their eyes, the maids quickly led Chou’Er out of the private room.

Jiang Lan casually cast a Cleaning Technique on himself, wiped his hands with a silk handkerchief, and only then began to consider his next steps.

Getting Chou’Er to serve him with unwavering loyalty would not be difficult.

Chou’Er’s background was actually quite simple, if a bit melodramatic.

In the original story, before Chou’Er was abandoned by her mother and sold to the Business Alliance, her face had already been ruined. Her own mother had poured scalding water over her, destroying her features.

Her mother was originally the young lady of a wealthy family. Dissatisfied with an arranged marriage, she ran away before her engagement.

On the road, she was ambushed by bandits. Just before she was to be assaulted, she was rescued by Chou’Er’s father, who happened to be passing by. The two naturally fell in love and became husband and wife, and she gave birth to Chou’Er a year later.

However, Chou’Er’s father was a member of the Ghost Race. Burdened by feuds, obligations, and various other reasons, and not wanting to drag the mother and daughter into his troubles, he chose to leave without a word one night. He planned to return for them after settling his affairs, but he left no explanation behind...

Chou’Er’s mother, believing he had seduced and abandoned her, suffered a mental breakdown after several months of waiting in vain.

Having been pampered and lived a life of luxury since childhood, she had no ability to take care of herself, let alone raise Chou’Er.

She decided to return to her family and ask her parents for help. However, she discovered that her clan had long since disowned her. They felt she had disgraced the family name by having a child out of wedlock and intended to have her flogged outside their gates to restore their honor. It was only because her own mother couldn’t bear to see it and pleaded desperately that she was ultimately allowed to leave with her life.