Divine Emperor of Death

Chapter 5117 Unfamiliar Ties

After some time, they were taken to rest, and Jillian Hayden met with her mother, who was also a peerless beauty like her.

She sobbed in her mother's arms for a while before they asked her what had happened.

"Ma, it wasn't the City Lord who kidnapped me. I was thrown into an underground auction after being stripped of my treasures except the family heirloom jade hairpin, which became evidence that I was the Hayden Family's Young Mistress, so it was left like that. I was then bought by the City Lord and kept in a dungeon until I agreed to be his mistress. I am still pure."

She said, wanting to put their hearts and minds at ease while stomaching the suffering she had gone through.

Treated her well? She was treated like a prison inmate with no heaven and earth energy to absorb, and her cultivation was sealed, making her extremely hungry most of the time.

They were trying to make her cave in.

"So that's what happened. Even if I was ungrateful, it's a good thing I snapped at our benefactor then. Otherwise, we would've greatly offended the City Lord."

Jillian Hayden's father sighed, thinking he was somewhat right to have spoken against that female Heaven's Warrior.

If the City Lord bought her from an underground auction, then it wouldn't be the City Lord's fault because they had also bought a lot of slaves from underground auctions held here.

They had an entire family to take care of, after all.

They could not hold this against the City Lord.

"Father, how could you say that?" Jillian Hayden said aggrievedly, "Although the City Lord treated me well, he also tried to violate me like this while threatening that he would harm my family and brother if I didn't agree to be his mistress. How could I stand for it? How could you excuse this? If benefactor didn't save me, I wouldn't even be…"

She bit her lips, trembling as she recalled the moment she decided to commit suicide, but was stopped so easily.

It was terrifying.

"Jill…"

Her father's expression churned before he sighed heavily, "Your father is useless. Even if we wanted revenge, our forces don't match the City Lord's. We will be crushed before we can even understand what happened. Right now, even in this late night, news is spreading that the Saint has agreed to settle down in this city. Everyone is paying attention. Perhaps if we could ally with him, that'd be great. We would've found ourselves an excellent backer and could have grown along with his rise."

"But it's a pity. We have already sent the Saint invitations, but him responding to ours among the many letters, and his deadline to stay in the city is-"

"Old Master, old master!" Suddenly, a servant came running down the hallway before he shouted behind the door, "The Saint is here!"

"Hmm?" Jillian Hayden's father raised his voice, "What do you mean the Saint is here? It's beyond midnight."

"It's Saint- Saint Riyal Mendez! He's actually here at our estate's doorstep!"

"What!?"

Jillian Hayden's father and the others in the room were stunned before they rushed out, leaving Jillian Hayden momentarily speechless.

She was also stunned that a big figure like Saint Riyal Mendez could be here. She also knew he was from the incessant ramblings of Steward Belmont, who helped sneak the jade hairpin into the City Lord's master room, telling her that he cared for her and that she should use it to preserve her dignity.

However, didn't she just come back from experiencing a frightening month?

She immediately understood that her value had firmly dropped in her family.

She should've known, considering her reputation was completely tarnished, and the next heir might've already been chosen.

In fact, she doubted people would believe that she was still pure until they conducted the virginity tests and announced the results publicly. But she was sure her parents wouldn't agree to this as it was humiliation on its own.

She wouldn't agree to it either.

As she sat on the bed, silently ruminating on her future- whether she would still be hounded by the City Lord or have a chance to continue with her cultivation journey. She didn't notice the time passing.

When she came back to herself, she noticed some people had barged into the room along with her mother.

"Ma? What are these peop-"

Abruptly, these ladies came into her personal space and shoved her down, quickly spreading her legs and checking her.

"What!?"

Jillian Hayden was furious, but her cultivation was still sealed. She was easily handled by them.

"Jillian, don't be mad. This is all for your sake."

Her mother quickly tried to comfort her, but she was beyond furious.

But whatever they were doing was quickly over, and she was let go.

One of the ladies stood up and said smilingly, "Her primal yin is still intact."

"Ma! What's going on!?"

Jillian Hayden closed her legs and started at them furiously, her body shuddering without a stop.

Her mother quickly came to hug her with a smiling face, "Don't be mad, Jillian. The Saint has suddenly said he is going to take personal maids for the time being since he couldn't stand men all day long in this journey constantly flattering him. Your father quickly acted on it and recommended you. The family members were afraid you were done for, with your reputation tarnished, but with your purity still intact, what place could it be better used for other than serving the Saint?"

"…" Jillian Hayden froze, realizing her mother's meaning.

"Rejoice, the Saint even said that he doesn't mind your past. In fact, after he heard about this matter, he became more sympathetic to our plight and promised to help us grow and even seek justice against whoever is responsible for your kidnapping. If you can serve him well, then our Hayden Family will also rise with you. You will be our greatest source of pride and joy. And if you can earn the Saint's favor and become his wife eventually, I don't even need to say how we won't be suppressed anymore by these major powers around us, right?"

"…"

Jillian Hayden looked at the strange glint in her mother's eyes, especially her desperate smile.

As angry as she was, she was incredibly calm at this moment as she felt this couldn't get more ridiculous.

She could tell that they were genuinely thinking this was a good thing for her.

What had happened while she was missing?

This wasn't the Hayden Family she remembered. They were at the top of their own mini-realm, with everything handed to her on a silver plate because she was the true heir. They ruled the masses. Treated them well and were pious to their founder's teachings to not misuse poison.

They were unafraid of anyone, but here, it seems like…

Before she could reply, some men entered the room.

Standing at the forefront was the Hayden Family's Patriarch, his soul body to be exact. His expression was stern and indifferent.

"It is time for you to repay all the resources we as a family poured into your cultivation and occupation."

He only said one sentence, but it managed to shatter all the resistance she had in her heart to muster.

The world went white.

Before she realized it, she was seated in the hall beside her father, introduced to the Saint. The sounds around her were muffled as though she wasn't here but in a distant space. Her heart was heavy, and her breathing was slow.

She suddenly couldn't make heads or tails of the world she lived in.

It was not until she was nudged heavily and asked if she was willing to be his proud servant that she woke up out of her reverie and looked at the people around her before her gaze fell on the Saint.

He was a handsome man indeed.

But her lips moved firmly, "I refuse."

The family hall instantly went silent.

Jillian Hayden stood up from her seat and walked forward, but she turned around and faced her own family, her expression livid and her gaze furious.

"I am the Young Mistress of the Hayden Family! What audacity- what right do you all have to make me fall into the position of a mere maid!?"

She pointed her finger at them as she waved her hand.