Damn it, turned into a drowned rat, she cursed under her breath, fed the lotus seed into her mouth, chewed it twice, and then swallowed it directly into her stomach.
It was mild, and she couldn't tell what it was—aside from a faint lotus fragrance, she didn't feel much of anything. Stepping out from the supernatural space, drenched, Shangguan You directly summoned Spring Water and filled the bathtub with it. Damn it, dare to drench me? From now on, I'll bathe with this water every day!
She stripped off her wet clothes and looked at her frail body in the mirror. No breasts, no waist, no figure, skin not pale enough, lacking luster, hair smooth but without shine, and on top of that, glasses so dowdy they could crumble to dust—it's no wonder Han Yachu despised me.
Sighing deeply, she submerged her entire body into the bath.
The Medicine King Tower, emitting a purple glow, suddenly appeared before her eyes. She hadn't yet opened the tower door. Who knows what treasures lie inside?
Reaching into the space again, she faced the purple-glowing Medicine King Tower. Placing both hands on the door, she took a deep breath, then pushed open the tower door with force.
A grand hall appeared before her. Her eyes swept across its vast, empty interior. Just as disappointment began to set in, a dusty, bare furnace in the corner of the hall caught Shangguan You's attention.
Her deep, dark eyes scanned the hall. Alas, no gold or silver treasures as I imagined, no precious herbs, no secret martial arts manuals, and certainly no immortal cultivation techniques—nothing but a rusty, pitch-black furnace! Disappointment flickered through her. Shangguan You felt like crying. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Taking a deep breath, she blew the dust off the barren furnace. Shangguan You couldn't help but lift the lid. There's nothing... but perhaps there's an elixir inside the furnace! Maybe, just maybe, I can achieve eternal life! she mused happily.
Unfortunately, imagination is beautiful, but reality is cruel.
As soon as her hands touched the lid, a searing heat surged through them. "AH!" she cried out, her face paling as the intense heat engulfed her.
Pain continuously streamed from her hands straight into her mind, and inexplicably, knowledge flooded her consciousness. After a while, she could no longer bear the scalding heat and fainted.
When she woke up again, she was lying on the ground, drenched, sticky, and very uncomfortable. Her hands were resting against the rusty furnace. The burning sensation in her hands had vanished, but her mind was suddenly filled with new information.
Medicine King Scroll Sixfold? Medicine King Cauldron?
These names inexplicably appeared in her mind. So the purple tower is called the Medicine King Tower, and it has six levels. I'm on the first level right now. Only by breaking through to the second layer of the Medicine King Scroll can I open the door to the second level of the tower. That rusty furnace is called the Medicine King Cauldron... it's used for concocting elixirs.
With a thought, the content of the first volume of the Medicine King Scroll surged into her mind like spring water. Once all the knowledge was digested, Shangguan You cast away her recent disappointment and suddenly burst with excitement.
The first layer of the Medicine King Scroll described various herbs and contained basic formulas to refine various fine elixirs. Bone-Strengthening Pills, Everlasting Youth Pills, Longevity Pills, Beauty Pills—all sorts of elixir formulas are appearing in my mind, along with the appearance and functions of various herbs! And with the elixirs, there's also a set of the Medicine King Canon, some odd chants, similar to internal energy exercises!
The higher one's Inner Strength in the Medicine King Canon, the more types of elixirs one could concoct; the Medicine King Canon and elixirs were complementary. The higher the Inner Strength, the more varieties of elixirs one could produce. If I master the Medicine King Canon, I can become a martial arts master, tread the air, walk on waves! And with the elixirs, I might very well achieve immortality!
Besides some unknown fruit trees, this space also has various planted herbs! I can be completely self-sufficient in concocting my elixirs, with more than enough!
After a while, Shangguan You realized she had been in the space for a long time. Stepping out, she checked the time. It's already one o'clock in the morning! I was inside the space for an hour!
She drew more Spring Water from the space and lazed in the bathtub, bathing comfortably.
A gleam flashed in Shangguan You's eyes. Just one bath with the Spring Water from the space, and my skin has changed! Her reflection in the mirror showed skin as soft as a baby's, dotted with delicate water droplets, her entire body emanating a faint luster. Her dark, glossy eyes sparkled with moisture, cool and deep. Her jet-black hair, previously up, now hung loose, dripping wet. Her features were the same, yet seemed more refined. A faint lotus fragrance lingered subtly in the air.
I seem... different. An overwhelming Spiritual Energy fills my being.
Although my chest is still as flat as little steamed buns and my waist isn't slim enough, it doesn't matter. I'm still young; I can change slowly. Stepping out of the bathtub, she looked at the murky water filled with impurities and couldn't help but grimace.
In my memory, the original Shangguan You was dull, but she was very clean. How could I wash away so much dirt? Could it be related to what just happened?
After putting on her pajamas, she lay down leisurely, relaxed on the sumptuous bed, slowly processing the day's events.
I, Wanyou, have become Shangguan You. And I now own a space that would make the world envious, filled with the Medicine King Canon and countless herbs! These are my secret weapons, and I intend to make good use of them. Hmph! Shen Cheng, Wanqian, Shangguan Hao—my 'father'—Li Wanying—my 'stepmother'—Shangguan Rou—my 'half-sister'—what are you in comparison? Just you wait! The day I return to Beijing, I'll reclaim everything I lost, piece by piece!
From this life forward, I will be a person above all others!
With those thoughts, she eventually couldn't stay awake any longer and slowly drifted to sleep. In her dreams, she was shrouded in a dark mist.
「In a desolate basement, the air was filled with a rotten stench that assaulted the senses. Three girls, around fourteen or fifteen years old, were bound at the hands, blindfolded, and thrown into a corner. The girls shivered, huddling close together.」