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Edited By A member of the Asian Fantasy Community on Wattpad.

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It was late at night and even the chirping of the birds had gone silent and seemed to be asleep. Jiang was no different as his eyes were closed and he was drifting through dreamland, except he was suffering from a recurring nightmare that haunted him ever since his mother's death.

For years, once he closed his eyes, he would see the image of his mother passing away before his eyes and him, unable to do anything. It kept him very awake for the majority of the nights which led to constant sleepless nights and tiresome days.

This particular day, nothing was different, but Jiang was startled awake when he heard loud knocking—which was more like banging—on his door. He turned to look and saw two hefty-looking men walking toward him with scowls on their faces. Jiang's pitiful door, that barely held up, was now lying on the ground broken to pieces.

Jiang was certain that these men were Earth Elemental Martial Spritus. Cultivators in this world were referred to as Elemental Martial Spritus or Elemental for short. One that had an affinity with an element was titled based on that element and their abilities.

Earth Elemental Martial Spiritus were usually bulky, masculine, hefty-looking men or women. The Earth Element that was both considered a blessing and a curse for either gender. Men prided themselves in being Earth Elementals, but women didn't because it made them look like men and very masculine.

Jiang questioned them. He knew that the strange men weren't here to play but Jiang wasn't scared. In the face of such danger from such people, Jiang was never scared.

They didn't speak but grabbed Jiang by both his two arms. The strength of their arms wasn't scarce at all, in fact, Jiang felt like his bones were about to be crushed at any moment, especially if they kept squeezing. Their hold was very painful, but Jiang refused to cry out. To him, crying out doesn't do anyone any good, it just makes one's abusers pleased and inflicts more pain.

The men dragged Jiang all the way to the Lei Manor. His knees were scratched and bleeding, about to buckle, but Jiang still didn't cry or whimper.

By the time they stopped moving, Jiang was already in his father's study. "Master, we are back." One of the guards stated. Jiang never thought that he would step foot in this forbidden place again but here he was.

"Leave." General Lei strictly ordered, and the guards bowed before going out the door.

Jiang looked at the man who was supposed to be his father and realized that General Lei did not bother to lift his head to look at his supposed son even for a second.

General Lei didn't even bother to reprimand his servants for treating his own flesh and blood in such a harsh and animalistic way.

Jiang wondered if the man in front of him was truly his father, but he knew that the answer was yes. Jiang didn't know why, but he felt it. But didn't understand why the General treated him like so.

"You have a chance to redeem yourself... a chance to lift my Lei household of the curse you have placed on it. Are you willing to redeem yourself?" He asked sternly. There was no warmth in his words. Jiang bitterly noted that the General still treated him and thought that Jiang was a cursed existence.

Jiang agreed which sealed his fate. Even if he wasn't willing, Jiang would have still said yes because he knew that the only answer was yes. He didn't have the option to say no.

General Lei finally lifted his head to look at Jiang, his cold eyes stared at his forgotten son like he was a disgusting insect he wanted away from. "You will take your sister's place. You will pose as her and become the Emperor's Empress." Jiang felt like he was hearing things because he couldn't understand or believe what his father was saying.

"But father, I am disfigured," Jiang added quickly because he didn't want his father to think that he was refusing to follow his father's orders, but wanted his father to understand why he wasn't a good choice.

"No one has ever seen your sister's face because she always wears on a veil. As long as you do that while staying in the palace, there will be no problems." General Lei said strictly.

General Lei furiously banged his fists on his desk which split some ink on a few documents. Jiang guessed they were important because his father's eyes were even angrier as he bellowed, "See what you have done!? Whenever you are around, bad things happen... And stop calling me father, I am not your father... I will never be your father."

Jiang felt his heartbreak to pieces as he watched his father raise his right hand towards him in a dangerous motion. The sweat that had formed on Jiang's forehead gathered together mixing with the dried blood that was on his knees to create a rope-like liquid. Its color was scarlet red and with a grasping motion with his hands, General Lei used the liquid rope to wrap itself around Jiang's neck.

Jiang never expected for water or any type of liquid to be used in such a deadly manner. He couldn't breathe and Jiang felt dizzy. Despite his struggle to free himself, it was of no use as the liquid-rope was too strong and tight for him to conquer.

Jiang gathered that his father was probably a Water Elemental. General Lei raised his hands upwards, and Jiang was lifted from the floor simultaneously. General Lei moved his hand rapidly and furiously, which slammed Jiang to the wall slumped the teen to the ground, his back now a bloody mess. Jiang wondered how many bowls of medicine he'd have to drink to get well.

"You dare defy me!" General Lei slowly walked towards Jiang in a menacing manner and kicked his son on his stomach which slammed him into the wall once more.

"Fa-General Lei, I would never defy you, but my hair color is different from my sister." Jiang struggled to explain through clenched teeth.

"Oh, that's true. Your hair is white while hers is black. Hmm, we will have to do something about that before you depart for Yang Province." General Lei muttered as he walked back to his seat.

"Remember to never get caught by the Emperor or anyone else since our family is on the line, but if you are caught, you must take the blame alone. Blame it on your greed and hatred towards your sister. Say that is the reason that you chose to hide your sister and take her place. We, the General's manor, do not know anything about this, do you understand me?" He demanded to which Jiang nodded weakly.

General Lei didn't care that Jiang was almost bleeding to death, he didn't call for anyone to assist his son, "You may leave." He ordered.

Jiang struggled to get up and dragged his bloody self outside General Lei's study. Once outside, a servant immediately looked scornfully at Jiang. "Master has ordered me to take you to where you will be staying. We also need to get you to put on some fat. You should be grateful to Master for his consideration and benevolence." She announced to which Jiang just nodded in agreement with whatever she wanted. Jiang noticed that even the servants treated him like dirt.

Jiang wanted to ask his father earlier for the reason his sister couldn't be the Emperor's Empress, but he knew he wouldn't get at the answer. The most he'd get would be another beating. It wasn't until later that he heard from the servants that Eldest Young Miss has eloped with her lover after receiving the royal decree.

Even after committing such an offense his father didn't seem angry at the Eldest Young Miss. After all, she was the most beloved, cherished and doted, yet she didn't mind selfishly sentencing nine generations of the General's manor because of her supposed elopement.

How his father wasn't angry baffled Jiang.

Jiang's hair was dyed black despite how difficult it was to change hair color. But sometimes, General Lei has managed and Jiang knew he wasn't privileged enough to know the details. Jiang was also forced to start bearing his sister's name—Lei Yue.

As time when on, Jiang noticed servants and guards that knew about him taking his sister's place disappeared into thin air. But the more Jiang thought about it, the more he realized that they were probably killed to keep his identity a secret. Even the servant that showed him to the courtyard he now resided in was no more.

After staying at the General's manor for some time, Jiang added a bit of weight. Now, he wasn't all skin and bones anymore, but his disfigured features were still there. The long gown hid black marks on his skin, but his face was the same. It was truly disfigured in every sense—his mouth bent sideways, his nose was extremely large and his eyes tiny... so tiny that he could barely see. Jiang was a beast, so he wasn't surprised that his father hated him. His father was an extremely handsome man and his mother was just as beautiful as an angel. Jiang admitted that he was abomination no matter how much he wanted to change such a fact...

***

The day to leave the General's manor had finally arrived for Jiang. No one from the General's manor came to see him off except the guards and servants that were assigned to him.

He wore a thick veil that was made especially for him. The veil was called the Ice Jewel, and it could be both thin and thick depending on Jiang's preference, but of course, he was only allowed to wear it thick. The General spent a lot to get this veil made because he didn't want anyone to see Jiang's hideous face. Jiang had to drip his blood and personalize it before he could use it.

In the Tang Qin Shang Dynasty, there are so many treasures, jewels, and weapons that need to be personalized to use. Such artifacts are really valuable and tend to cost a lot.

The Ice Jewel could not come off unless Jiang permitted it to. Although a very powerful Elemental could force it off, Jiang would have to make sure nobody have the chance to do so. Jiang didn't even know where he'd even have a chance to meet such a powerful person who would even force a lady's veil off. Such an idea and a person was ridiculous.

Later on, Jiang found out the only reason his father spent so much on the Ice Jewel was because he didn't want those guarding him to see Jiang's true face so that when he was killed and they were called as witness, they would be able to say that their mistress was killed by assassins without them knowing that wasn't even their real mistress. Even if a Seeker Elemental were to search through their memories, they won't find any fault in their story.

The hired assassins let the servants runoff because they were needed as witnesses, and they would be killed by the Emperor anyways for abandoning their Mistress.

Jiang remembered how his carriage turned over that silent night, how he was dragged out of the carriage and how the Earth Elemental stuck his foot to the ground with the aid of the earth so that Jiang couldn't move. The Earth Elemental looked at Jiang with disdain, and although the assassins were wearing a mask, they felt familiar.

Jiang was hit in the face by a Metal Elemental, his bare hands were like was as hard as iron but looked so fragile and soft. Jiang was beginning to lose his consciousness when he heard the Metal Elemental say, "This way, the General's manor would never be caught. The Empress-to-be was assassinated on her way to Yang Province by the Emperor's enemies because of her horrible luck,"

The Metal Elemental continued, "We are helping him anyways because with his current strength, there would be no way he would be able to hold the Empress' crown for long. He wouldn't be able to hide for long either and if caught, the consequences can't be imagined!"

The Earth Elemental agreed and added, "He would be killed the moment he had his first challenger anyways, so we just sniffed him out much earlier. He is privileged to have been chosen to save the General's manor from a tricky situation." The Metal Elemental laughed wickedly.

Jiang wondered why he sounded like his Eldest Brother, although he hadn't seen him for a while, but while Jiang stayed at the General's manor, he heard him speak to their father in the study at one point. He didn't bother to continue the thought since the Fire Elemental, without warning, raised his right hand toward Jiang's face. Jiang couldn't escape the blazing fire that burned his face to a crisp; the pain he felt unbearable and unimaginable. The Fire Elemental made sure to control his fire and caused only for Jiang's face to be burned. Jiang never wants to die like that a second time.

Jiang's father didn't care if his son was burned. That was what he wanted so that when Jiang's body was found, the Emperor's people wouldn't be able to see Jiang's hideous face and wouldn't know Jiang was not his sister. His body could still be identified since he had the General's blood, all they needed was to test Jiang's blood with the family seal that the General gave Jiang. On the seal, the name Lei Yue was visible, but it was given to Jiang since he was to take her place as the Emperor's Empress.

Jiang could also be identified by the seal mark that was on his left ankle, It was almost invisible, but it was still there.

The assassins knew Jiang was a he and not a she. They knew that Jiang wasn't the General's favorite daughter. From the very beginning, Jiang wasn't supposed to make it to Yang Province at all...

***

As Jiang ran through the night with his Air Magic, he felt that night really marked his end... It was the end of his past life and his past self. It was his end as well as his beginning because if he didn't die, then he couldn't have been reborn and he wouldn't have such powers.

Jiang was sad because he was killed by his family, but he was also glad that misfortune brought him his present fortune...