She's destined to seal the Tarot.
After a violent childhood outburst leads to the disfigurement of her bully's face, Mingxia is labeled as Shangzihua's village yaoguai. The humans fear her destructive power, leading to years of hostility, distrust...
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PART I: The Hooded Woman, the Empress, and the Last Celestial
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MINGXIA POV
"Tell me, you stupid cripple! Why do you have my mother's picture?" Zi Xieren hollered. She shoved the picture into my face, forcing me to look at it. "You know photographs are expensive. Were you hoping to sell it?"
Tao Li giggled in response. The mischievous glint in her eyes told me she was the person who tucked Xieren's family photo in one of my herbal medicine books when I wasn't looking. After planting the evidence, all she needed to do was alert Xieren to deliver the killing blow.
"I didn't take it, Xieren," I said, growing annoyed. It was always the same cycle—find an excuse to torment me or hold me accountable for something I didn't do.
"If you didn't take it, then why is it in your book? Were you planning to buy beauty products with the money? No amount of make-up would do anything to improve your filthy face." The picture fell to the ground, and dust settled on its surface. She grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me roughly. "Admit you stole it, and I won't have my father throw you in prison with the village criminals!"
"I didn't take it," I repeated.
"Stop it, Mingxia. Just admit you took Xieren's picture and this will be over quickly," Mao My tried to persuade me.
She avoided my gaze like she was guilty of something. My gaze shifted between Mao My and Tao Li, and that's when I realized. Mao My knew Tao Li planted the image, but didn't want to say. Tao Li took advantage of this, wanting to see if Mao My would have the backbone to reveal the truth. Just like Xieren, she had a heart of evil and she didn't care who she hurt.
"Yeah, Mingxia. Just tell Xieren the truth," Tao Li said with a smirk.
"I have no reason to steal a photograph of your mother, Xieren. You know I want to become a healer in this village. Why would I ruin my chances by stealing something?" A splash of red infiltrated my vision, threatening to turn the world a bright scarlet. The strange presence in my mind beckoned me to accept its help, and I could feel my consciousness slipping away. 'No, please,' I pleaded to the beast in the shadows of my mind, its vermilion eyes visible to my mind's eye.
My heart rate raced, my desperation to keep the beast at bay fueled my growing anxiety. In the past, I succeeded at keeping it dormant, but my recent interactions with Xieren awakened it. I could feel its gnawing hunger. It sought vengeance and retribution, and it would not dissipate until Xieren was neutralized, or worse, dead.
"You're an embarrassment to Shangzihua, Mingxia. You always will be. Once I've married the Crown Prince and Tao Li and Mao My have married respectable nobles, you'll be the only girl left in this disgusting village," she sneered.
