Her hand trembled. She gripped the book tighter. Lin Xiuyao never believed in such things. She actually never believed in rebirth either, but here she was. Sitting in a hidden chamber with a book on cultivation.
The more she saw, the more she thought it was incredible. She also felt stupid for believing such a thing. Her fingers stroked the diagrams. She turned to look at the opening of the tunnel. She thought about what was outside.
Her family, who locked her in a cold building. They were hoping to teach her a lesson; she knew that. What if they saw her now? Holding this book in her hand. Would they believe it? Would they throw it away?
Her eyes found the jade bottle. She reached out, running a finger over the surface of the jade. They might sell this, she thought. Maybe I should sell it too?
She turned her attention back to the book. She recalled her grandfather's stories before he died.
He would tell her stories about immortals who could fly and destroy mountains with the wave of their hand. They had power far beyond anything people now could imagine. According to her grandfather, their ancestor came to the world by accident. He was injured. This world did not have the necessary things to heal him. So he could only stay.
He made a life for himself here, living the life of an ordinary person.
She remembered the stories. She reminisced about those stories many times after her grandfather passed away. She thought about it even more after falling from grace. She imagined using those powers to fight off Red Guards. Her resentment towards them used to be heavy.
She thought more than once that if they had not come to destroy her family, she would still be the little princess of the family. Now, however, her resentment has lessened. They had their own jobs to do. Though some did enjoy it, she couldn't say they all enjoyed the work they did.
Bringing her thoughts back to the things at hand, she thought about cultivation. If it were true, she could have a way to protect herself. She felt crazy, but in a good way. Thinking about it, she cackled.
She imagined killing Li Jun, and her heart picked up speed. Yes, she stared at the book. She could kill him. If it were true. She could kill him. She hugged the book tight.
Making up her mind, she decided to give it a try.
"If it doesn't work, I can pretend to be crazy. I'll kill him just the same," she said. Nodding to affirm the position of her thoughts.
She went through the contents of the book. At the back, she noticed a piece of loose paper. The script was the same as the book. It told her what the jade bottle was for. Rather, what the pill inside the bottle was for.
Marrow Cleansing Pill
The name was new to her. Everything about cultivation was new except the stories she had heard. The paper told her how to use it. She only needed to take the pill, and it would help her cleanse impurities from her body. It would help her awaken her ability to sense qi.
This was exactly the thing she needed now. Lin Xuiyao smiled widely. The light in her eyes was bright. She picked up the pill again. She thought of her family. Everything that she would need to face. She needed power. She needed strength. True or not, she would do it.
She opened the jade bottle, and a medicinal spell wafted out. Lin Xiuyao couldn't help closing her eyes. She had always loved medicine, but she never had a knack for it. She poured out a pill into her hand.
There were still two inside. She put down the bottle and turned the pill over in her hand. She placed the book beside the bottle. It did not look like it had been here for a long time. She held it up in the light, hoping to see something significant about it.
She did not see anything special. Only a stripe in the pill that appeared to have always been there. She assumed it was a marker for who made the pill. Just like artists like to sign their work.
No longer thinking about it. She took the pill. Her hand shook before it reached her mouth. Whether in excitement or fear, only she knew.
The pill melted as soon as it touched her tongue. A cool feeling ran down her throat. Her sore throat felt infinitely better. She hummed and smiled at the feeling. She waited for the pill to take effect.
The wait wasn't long. She felt her body start to tingle, and she smiled. That tingle evolved into the feeling of needles piercing her body. She winced. After that, it was no longer a gradual pain. It hit her all at once. She curled up on the floor, screaming.
Every inch of her body felt as if it were on fire. She could feel it in her legs and arms. She felt it inside. Every organ was protesting, attempting to work harder or stop working altogether. She bit her lip to stop screaming and almost bit it off. She released her lips when she realized.
She could only clench her teeth and endure. Her vision was blurring.
But she could not faint. The paper told her not to faint. If she did, it would interrupt the process. She might not be able to sense qi. She needed to do this. She needed this power.
This is what she kept telling herself as her consciousness blurred in and out. She had no idea how long she had been curled up on the floor. The passage of time meant nothing to her.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally felt the pain recede.
Opening her eyes, she noticed she felt better now than she had in years. She straightened her body. She flexed her fingers, moved her legs, and arched her back. A shocked laugh left her lips.
Before she could celebrate, her tongue touched her lips. She gagged. She used her hand to wipe her lips.
Did someone throw shit at me? No, that doesn't make sense.
She sat up abruptly. She was still in the chamber. She looked down at her hands. They were caked in dirt. Her clothes were caked in dirt. She took a deep breath, thinking she needed to wash herself. But when she inhaled, she stopped short.
I'm covered in shit. What the fuck is this?
She remembered the paper she had read. She doesn't remember seeing anything about this. She picked it up again, reading carefully, ignoring the stench. Then she saw it. Fine print she hadn't seen the first time around.
She chuckled sarcastically. It would seem her ancestor had a sense of humour.
You should have brought a change of clothes. You stink.
'So you expected someone to find it like this ancestor?'
The questions played in her mind. 'Can the ancestor see the future?'
She would not get an answer. And right now, she didn't need one. What she needed to do was get out of the chamber before someone came to find her.
Disregarding the fact that she was disgustingly dirty, she picked up the jade bottle and book. She placed them both into her clothes. They weren't dirty in a cave after years, why should her dirty clothes make them dirty?
She walked out of the chamber humming a tune. She felt amazing at the moment. The weight on her shoulders has fallen. If the pill is real, then the book must be real too.
Stepping out of the tunnel, she saw the beginnings of sunlight streaming through a crack in the roof. She nodded, knowing she was right to leave the chamber when she did. She glanced at the hole she came from, then at the bricks she dislodged.
Although there was nothing else in the chamber, she did not want it to be found yet. If there came a day when someone found it on their own, she would not say a word of what she found there. Let it be that no one had been in the chamber before.
Making sure everything was sealed, she stood up, cleaning dust off her hands. Not that it mattered. The stench on her body was still there. She once again paid it no mind. She had experienced worse in the hands of that bastard.
Pushing the door, it was still locked. Lin Xiuyao smirked. They really intended to have her die in here. How did they expect a sick person to survive in this kind of place?
She did not try to leave. She wanted to see how long it would take for them to come and look for her.
In the meantime, she found a corner to sit. She would study the book some more before trying.