Chapter 3: Space Merging, Marrow Cleansing

Yun Yi returned to the small courtyard and walked toward the newly appeared three-story building. Upon entering the first floor, she saw a portrait hanging on the opposite wall. The figure in the portrait possessed an ethereal, immortal aura. Thinking of the fortuitous encounter she had received, Yun Yi could not help but feel a sense of gratitude.

Seeing a meditation cushion placed on the floor in front, she knelt and bowed sincerely. Suddenly, a streak of white light shot from the portrait into Yun Yi’s forehead. Once she had digested the information, she smiled.

That streak of white light was a welcoming gift from the Immortal: a mental cultivation technique. This was a weapon that could kill without leaving a trace. In this ancient era, where women were such pathetic existences, having this added layer of protection in this strange world made her feel much more at ease.

She stood up and noticed a letter on the large Eight Immortals table beneath the portrait, addressed to "The Fated One." It turned out that this space had been refined by an Immortal, and it was only now in its original form.

During the Great War of Immortals and Demons, the Immortal had forcibly split the space into two independent smaller spaces and placed restrictions on them to leave a way out for her two daughters, who lacked the aptitude for immortality.

For some reason, the two entities carrying the spaces had arrived in different worlds. It seemed that there was a divine will at work in the shadows. Yun Yi immediately knelt before the portrait again, thanking the Immortal and the heavens for this opportunity; she would cherish it.

Yun Yi also learned that now that the space was restored to its complete state, the concentration of spiritual energy within it would rise. The water in the courtyard well would upgrade into spiritual spring water, which could cleanse the marrow and cut the meridians for the owner of the space.

People outside the space could not drink it directly; their bodies and meridians would not be able to withstand it, and they would explode and die. Roughly 500ml mixed with a single drop of spiritual spring water, taken as a small cup daily, would allow those suffering from long-term illnesses to slowly recover.

Adding five drops to the same amount would allow those with severe injuries to escape danger and recover. This was too explosive; her little heart could hardly take it.

The second floor was a study and bedroom, and the third floor was an alchemy room. The newly appeared hot springs by the small hill had different properties: the white one could beautify the skin, while the green one could remove fatigue and replenish vitality. This was absolutely essential for ancient life—a perfect setup for living like a pampered parasite.

Returning to the first floor, she discovered a box under the Eight Immortals table that she hadn't noticed before. She walked over and opened it. Inside was a small, bowl-like object, but it was thickened.

It looked as if a piece had been chiseled out of the center of a jade stone, yet it was seamless and exceptionally smooth. It had a base, and there were some characters on it that Yun Yi did not recognize.

She casually placed it on the Eight Immortals table and pushed the box back under the table, intending to figure out what this object was later.

Suddenly, Yun Yi heard movement outside. Fearing that the maids on night watch had come to check on her, she hurried out of the space and pretended to be asleep. A young maid came in, tucked her in, sighed lightly, and left. It seemed there were things happening in this manor that the original Yun Yi did not know about.

Seeing that it was still early, Yun Yi returned to the space. She drew half a bucket of spiritual spring water. The well wasn't large, and the bucket was specially crafted; a full bucket was only about 500ml.

Afraid of complications if she drank it all, she poured out only a small mouthful. She took it to the hot spring across the small stream, removed her clothes, and stepped into the green spring before drinking the water.

She didn't dare drink more, fearing that if her body couldn't handle it, she would kick the bucket.

Time passed bit by bit. Just as Yun Yi thought there would be no reaction, her body suddenly began to ache. It was a feeling worse than death, and she could hear her bones creaking.

Her consciousness began to slip out of control. Yun Yi told herself she must persevere, or she would lose this opportunity for nothing!

Thinking of this, Yun Yi bit her lip hard until it bled, just to keep herself awake and push through.

She hadn't even seen this ancient, otherworldly era yet. About half an hour later, the pain in her body gradually faded. Yun Yi saw that a lot of black, grimy substances had appeared on the skin of her body that was exposed above the water.

The skin submerged in the water, however, was clean. Looking into the water, she saw residue floating that hadn't yet been broken down. It was clear: this hot spring could automatically decompose and clean out impurities. What a pleasant surprise!

After understanding this, Yun Yi looked at the impurities excreted on her skin and dove into the water like a carp, submerging her entire body, including her hair.

She wanted to decompose and wash away all the impurities expelled from her body. In the modern world, she had been a bit of a neat freak, and seeing that black-gray grime was truly unbearable.

After cleaning her body and washing her hair, her skin could truly be described as "ice-muscle and snow-skin." Stepping out of the spring, she looked at the smoothness of her skin.

She didn't dare soak in the white spring; the change was too drastic, and she feared causing unnecessary trouble. It was better to figure out the situation in the manor first.

Yun Yi also discovered that her strength had increased significantly—another unexpected surprise.

After her excitement in the space subsided, she tidied herself up, put on her clothes, left the space, and went to sleep, filled with anticipation for the future.

The next morning, when the maids came in to serve her, they saw that their young mistress looked much more spirited and finally felt relieved. Thank heavens she had pulled through; they had been terrified that she wouldn't make it and would follow her mother to the grave. Since receiving the inheritance in the space, Yun Yi felt that not only could her mental power detect things within a hundred-meter radius, but she could also discern whether the maids serving her were sincere or fake. This was truly infinitely beneficial.

At the very least, she wouldn't have to worry about people playing tricks in front of her; she could distinguish good from evil at a glance. If her cultivation improved, would it develop into mind-reading? Hahahaha, she was delighted.

After getting up, washing, and grooming herself, she kept the maid Ling Xue. Ling Xue had grown up with the original owner and was one of the most loyal maids besides the wet nurse. Come to think of it, the original owner's mother was truly a good mother.

The four first-class maids by her side could all handle matters independently, and the four second-class maids had grown up with her. These four had been orphans rescued by Lady Zhan Lin during her outings, specifically raised to accompany and serve her daughter.

The four head maids had also been personally trained by Lady Zhan Lin. Therefore, in the original owner's courtyard, while she couldn't say all the cleaning maids were loyal, these eight were definitely trustworthy.

"Ling Xue, tell me about the people and events in the manor these days, in detail," Yun Yi said, leaning lazily on a soft couch, holding a cup of tea with a relaxed expression.

Ling Xue felt that her mistress was somehow different, but she still recounted everything that had happened in the manor in detail. It boiled down to a few things

First: The third young master of the manor, Zhan Chengfeng, a concubine's son, had finished his external assignment and returned to the capital with his family to report for duty. He had been promoted by one rank and was now a sixth-rank official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Second: The eldest daughter of the first branch was to be married in six months, according to the date set during the marriage negotiations.

Third: News had come from the main courtyard that the eldest aunt of the first branch and Concubine Jiang of the second branch intended for Yun Yi to go to a villa near Qingliang Mountain to recuperate.

The reason given was that the villa was quiet, so as not to let Yun Yi be reminded of sad things in the manor, which would be detrimental to her recovery. The rest were just trivial matters.

*Heh*, recuperating at a villa? Only a ghost would believe it was for her own good. There must be some unknown reason behind this. It seemed necessary to probe how deep the water in this manor ran. She wasn't the original Yun Yi, who had the heart but not the strength; she had to be well-informed to handle things.

Otherwise, given the original owner's current situation—her father didn't care, her mother had passed away, and her own younger brother was missing—in this manor, apart from her grandmother who might have a shred of sincerity, the others were likely just waiting to see a joke.

She looked up and said to Ling Xue, "Don't tell anyone about my current condition. If anyone asks, just say I'm the same as before. You may go; I want to rest a while longer. Don't disturb me unless it's something important."

After Ling Xue left, Yun Yi sat alone for a while. She stopped worrying; there would be a way when they reached the mountain. With her own abilities, surely she wouldn't be unable to handle these ancient domestic struggles.

She projected her mental power to check outside and found nothing unusual. She lowered the bed curtains and entered the space. After harvesting what needed to be harvested, planting what needed to be planted, and tidying up, she sat in the pavilion by the hot spring and began to meditate.

When the time was right, she finished her cultivation, washed up, and left the space. She called Ling Xue in and told her to fetch a meal. After eating and practicing calligraphy for a while, she walked around the room a few times.

Only then did she dismiss everyone early, telling them they didn't need to keep watch. She instructed the maids to keep their stories consistent if anyone came to inquire about the courtyard, saying that everyone had worked hard during her illness and they should rest early tonight.

Seeing the maids leave, Yun Yi thought about the information she had heard today, combined with the few remaining memories of the original owner, and pondered how to survive in this strange manor.

Though she had spent most of her time in the past studying, she had watched a few palace intrigue dramas. Thinking of the various schemes and traps in those shows, it really was hair-raising.

However, thinking that she had come from the 21st century and had a "golden finger" to boot, as long as she didn't court death, what was there to fear? If anyone made things difficult for her, she would make them pay double.

With her high IQ from the modern world, she couldn't disgrace the elite education she had received for so many years. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but think of people and things from the modern world.

She had left just like that; she wondered if anyone would shed a sincere tear for her passing. Probably not. Her grandfather's family was gone.

As for her father's side... *heh*, they were probably clapping and cheering right now, feeling satisfied.

*Sigh!* Why did she think of them again? Knowing she couldn't go back, her mood suddenly plummeted. She had only failed the expectations of her grandfather and her parents. Grandfather, Mom, Dad—I'm sorry.

Don't worry, I will live well in this strange, fictional world. I will live well carrying your share, and with your wishes, I will see the beautiful scenery of this world, so as not to have lived this life in vain.

Since the heavens had favored her with a chance at rebirth and she had taken over the original owner's body, she would face reality. She would fulfill the mother's dying wish and live hard on the original owner's behalf.

But right now, even a fool knew that since her mother had passed away and her father was drunk and dreaming all day, ignoring worldly affairs, apart from the people her mother had left for her, only her grandmother would occasionally send someone to show concern.

Since she had decided to live well in this world and wanted to roam freely to see the world's beauty, she had to know herself and her enemy to be invincible in a hundred battles.

It seemed that figuring out the current situation in the manor couldn't rely solely on the news brought back by the maids; she had to take action herself to be at ease.

She checked the time; it was almost the end of the You hour (7 PM). Thinking that there was no nightlife in ancient times and people rested early, Yun Yi stood up and poured herself a cup of tea.

She released her divine sense to check outside, found nothing unusual, and entered the space to prepare.

(End of chapter)