Abhay was sleeping peacefully on a simple wooden bed, even as the bright sunlight fell directly on his face. He pulled the blanket over his head to block out the sunlight coming through the window, so his sleep wouldn't be disturbed.
Tossing and turning, he hugged his pillow tightly and continued to sleep comfortably under his blanket. Just then, Chhaya entered the room and tried to wake him up. Calling him by his name, she said, "Come on Abhay, wake up, it's already morning."
But Abhay, ignoring her words, mumbled in his sleep, "Just let me sleep for a little while longer..."
Hearing this, Chhaya stood there for a moment, looking at him, and then left the room. A short while later, she returned carrying a bucket full of water and dumped it right over Abhay. The moment the water hit him, Abhay jolted awake, suddenly panicking. He yelled, "Who... who is it?"
Chhaya glared at him and said, "Are you going to get up... or should I show you some more hospitality?"
Seeing Chhaya threatening him in such a terrifying manner, Abhay got scared and quickly replied, "Yes... yes, I am getting up..."
Abhay then got out of his soaking wet bed and stood in front of Chhaya in his drenched clothes. Chhaya said, "There is a wooden table next to your bed where I have placed your servant clothes. Put them on."
Abhay walked over to the table beside his bed and looked at the clothes. Picking one up, he held it up in the air with both hands, realizing they were just ordinary garments.
Placing the servant clothes back on the table, Abhay looked around the room where he had spent the night. It was a small but clean room, equipped with the basic necessities for living: a wardrobe, a few decorative items, and two wooden tables—one near the window and the other near his soft bed.
After a while, Abhay thought about last night. After such a long journey, he had slept so comfortably. It was certainly much better than sleeping outside in a tent, where his life was in constant danger every time.
Dressed in his servant clothes, Abhay stepped out of his room and reached the large hall downstairs, where the three maids were standing, waiting for him. As soon as Abhay reached the hall, he tried to strike up a conversation with them. Smiling, he said, "Good morning, misses! So, what new task do you have for me today?"
Among the three, Tamash spoke up, "What took you so long to come down?"
Abhay replied, "Uh... yeah, sorry, I was late waking up."
Tamash said, "Alright, fine... Since today is your first day, I will forgive you this time."
Clapping her hands twice to get everyone's attention, Tamash announced, "Alright, everyone, pay attention. Today, a new worker has joined us who, just like us, will serve Master Yamini."
Taking a couple of deep breaths, Tamash continued, "So, today I want to say that we will divide our tasks among ourselves and complete everything accurately and quickly so that we can properly serve Master Yamini."
Tamash then turned to Chhaya and said, "Chhaya, today you will clean this master's house with Abhay."
Then, Tamash turned to Mridula and said, "Today, you will take care of Master Yamini's garden along with Abhay, and also clean the garden area."
Finally, she looked at Abhay and said, "Today, your only job is to lend a hand and help these two with their tasks."
Hearing this, Abhay said, "Is that it? I thought I would have a mountain of chores today."
Tamash replied, "Look, since you are new today, I took pity on you and only gave you the task of assisting these maids. If I had given you a bigger task, you wouldn't have been able to complete it anyway."
Abhay replied, "Yes... yes, alright. I will help both of them."
Then, Abhay asked Tamash, "And what will you be doing now? Will you also be helping out like me?"
Tamash replied, "No, I have a task that requires me to go outside."
Hearing this, Abhay asked, "And what task could that be?"
Tamash explained, "I need to go to the market to buy some vegetables, spices, and a few essential supplies."
Abhay nodded and said, "Ah, the market. Alright, have a safe trip."
Tamash then addressed everyone, "By the time I return with the supplies, all the work should be done. Understood?"
Hearing this, everyone nodded and replied, "Yes, we will get it done."
Everyone then started going about their respective tasks. Abhay thought to himself, "Oh man, what kind of mess have I gotten myself into?"
Mridula headed to the backyard of the house and started cleaning, while Chhaya called Abhay and began preparing to clean the house.
Meanwhile, miles away, a royal court within a sect was shown. The court was illuminated by the fire of torches. A man sat on a throne, looking out at the crowded court before him, where many powerful figures were seated, warming their chairs. A man walked into the court to meet the person sitting on the throne. The man who had come to meet the Sect Leader was named Setu. He knelt on one knee, bowed before the Sect Leader, and said, "Sect Leader Varna, you summoned me."
From his throne, Varna asked Setu, "Is your squad ready for the attack?"
Setu replied, "Yes, Sect Leader. Our men are ready to attack at any moment. I am just waiting for your command."
Varna said, "Excellent. Now tell me, what news do we have from our spies?"
Setu informed Varna, "As you commanded, we sent our spies into the Demon Sect. Through them, we received information that the Sect Leader of the Demon Sect has gone on an expedition towards the Kavla Forest with her two close companions."
Hearing this, Varna was delighted and said, "Brilliant, Setu! I now order you to immediately launch an attack with your squad of assassins. Do whatever it takes to cripple her cultivation so that she no longer remains an obstacle in my path."
Setu then stood up and said, "As you command, Sect Leader."
Varna started laughing loudly right there, his excitement evident as he spoke about the Demon Sect's leader, "Now just watch, Maya, how I erase you with my own hands. Just you wait and watch. Heheheheheh..."
On the other side, inside the Kavla Forest, Maya and her two companions, who were elders of the Demon Sect, had ventured deep into the dense woods. Many dangerous beasts roamed this forest, and they were not ordinary creatures. These beasts possessed their own cultivation stages, making them many times more dangerous than normal animals. Even for powerful cultivators, escaping them was nearly impossible.