Forget about whether they could survive upon reaching the Ghost City in the Northwest—just the once-in-a-century drought before their eyes was likely to be unbearable on the journey.
However, the emperor’s cruelty once again ignited the original host’s determination to die.
Xuan Zhan had left the prince’s estate in haste, carrying only a limited amount of water and food. Yet, the hundred personal guards also had to share these provisions, inevitably leading to the depletion of their supplies in less than three days of travel.
Along the way, rivers had dried up, the ground cracked with fissures, and even fresh grass was nowhere to be seen. Even with silver notes, they couldn’t buy a single grain of food in the towns they passed.
Fortunately, the three Ling brothers were there. Under the cover of night, they would evade the watchful eyes of the emperor’s personal guards and quietly venture into nearby mountains to search for water and food.
But during this lean season, it was impossible to eat well. Initially, the Ling brothers would return with some wild vegetables. However, the further they traveled toward the Northwest, the more severe the drought became, and wild vegetables became almost impossible to find.
As time passed, the group could only rely on grass roots and tree bark to stave off hunger. Such conditions were not far from starvation.
All of this left the original host utterly disheartened.
Thinking that even if they endured countless hardships to reach the Northwest, death would still be inevitable, she decided it would be better to end her own life and spare herself further suffering.
While the group rested in an abandoned temple, she seized the opportunity to hang herself.
Jian Junyao, who had struggled to survive for three years in the apocalypse, had fallen off a cliff and died while trying to seize a Space artifact, only to find herself transmigrated here.
Jian Junyao didn’t know whether to consider herself lucky or unlucky. As a food lover, she had barely survived for three years in the apocalypse by relying on mutated food. Her greatest wish now was to once again savor the delicious meals she had enjoyed in the past.
Yet, she had unexpectedly fallen off a cliff. Just when she thought she had been favored by the transmigration gods, she found herself in such a barren place…
Not only were there no tasty meals or fruits here, but she also had to gnaw on tree bark and grass roots all day long.
Just as she was inwardly complaining, a strange mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully binding to the Space.]
Space?
Jian Junyao was stunned for a moment before quickly recalling her memories.
She remembered that just before falling off the cliff, as her hand touched the so-called Space artifact, she felt an inexplicable force push her, and then she lost consciousness as she plummeted.
Could it be that the Space had followed her here?
With this thought, drawing on her experience from reading novels in her previous life, she tentatively used her consciousness to communicate with the mechanical voice.
Where is the Space?
As soon as she finished speaking, a lush green scene appeared before her eyes.
A plot of farmland, roughly one acre in size, was planted with rice that had already sprouted ears.
Beside the rice field, within an exquisite wooden fence, were five hens.
The azure sky had no sun, yet it emitted a dazzling light.
Hovering in mid-air was a massive smartphone.
However, apart from an unfamiliar app icon in the center of the screen, there was nothing else on the phone.
The icon was a soft yellow color, with a clear line of text beneath it—Space Administrator.
Upon tapping the icon, the Space usage instructions appeared before her eyes.
The Space is currently at Level 1, featuring one acre of fertile land planted with high-yield rice. The maturation time for high-yield rice is 24 hours.
There are five poultry, with an egg-laying interval of 24 hours.
Once enough experience points are accumulated, the Space can level up. After leveling up, more varieties of seeds and poultry can be unlocked.
The method to gain experience points is simple—just harvest crops.
Additionally, the Space also has a shopping function. Shopping requires Space Coins, which can be exchanged for gold, silver, or other valuable items.
Just as Jian Junyao was about to open the exchange panel to check, she suddenly heard a call.
“Princess Consort, this is the ginseng soup His Highness ordered this old servant to prepare for you. Please drink it while it’s hot!”
Jian Junyao quickly withdrew her consciousness and looked at the steaming bowl of ginseng soup in front of her. Her stomach cooperatively rumbled in response.
Nanny Song looked at Jian Junyao with pity, crouching down in front of her and offering the ginseng soup.
“Princess Consort, this ginseng soup was specially prepared for you on His Highness’s orders.”
Jian Junyao was currently weak and her stomach was completely empty. After thanking her, she took the ginseng soup and began drinking.
Watching Jian Junyao drink the ginseng soup, Nanny Song instinctively swallowed, her dry lips pressed tightly together.
“Princess Consort, His Highness truly cares for you in his heart. Even after suffering such a great misfortune himself, he still worries about your health and used his own life-sustaining century-old ginseng to nourish you.”
Jian Junyao slightly raised her eyelids, appearing to listen attentively to Nanny Song’s chatter while actually searching through the original host’s memories.
It had been half a month since she married Xuan Zhan. Although they were husband and wife in name, they had never consummated the marriage.
Leaving aside whether Xuan Zhan’s physical condition allowed it, the truth was he had never even looked at the original host properly.
Yet, it was also a fact that he had given her his only century-old ginseng to nourish her body today.
This could only mean that Xuan Zhan had no feelings for her whatsoever—only perhaps some guilt or a sense of responsibility.
However, since this man was willing to give up his only ginseng for her, it showed he was not a selfish person.
Thinking again of Xuan Zhan’s plight, Jian Junyao couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for him.
After drinking a bowl of warm ginseng soup, Jian Junyao seemed to regain some strength.
She handed the bowl back to Nanny Song: “The soup is good. You should also drink some to warm yourselves.”
Nanny Song’s lips twitched. In this severe drought, even drinking water was a luxury for them—how could they possibly have ginseng soup?
Before Nanny Song could speak, Ling Bei, who had just entered, spoke up with displeasure.
“Do you think the water used to cook this ginseng soup fell from the sky? You think we can just drink it whenever we want? Our Prince hasn’t had a drop of water all day. If it weren’t for Her Highness attempting suicide and needing nourishment, this water could have quenched the Prince’s thirst.”
She had no way to refute Ling Bei’s words.
During the apocalypse, Jian Junyao had understood the preciousness of drinking water, and it was the same here. At the moment, water seemed more valuable than gold, silver, or jewels.
Now that Xuan Zhan had ordered Nanny Song to use the last bit of water to cook ginseng soup for her, others truly had no water to drink.
Seeing Ling Bei bluntly speak such harsh words again, Nanny Song quickly pulled him aside.
Watching the two leave, Jian Junyao leaned against a pillar, her consciousness re-entering the Space. She opened the app, wondering if there was any way to obtain some water.
First, she entered the exchange system.
Inside were two equally sized boxes: one for item exchange and the other for gold and silver exchange.
Below the gold and silver exchange box, the exchange rate was clearly marked.
Ten copper coins can be exchanged for one Space Coin, one tael of silver for one hundred Space Coins, and one tael of gold for one thousand Space Coins. At the end, there was a note in parentheses stating that silver notes and gold notes could also be exchanged for Space Coins of equivalent value.
Continuing to browse the Space Coins purchase interface, this time there were quite a few icons.
Seed Mall, Livestock Mall, Food Mall, Daily Necessities Mall, Clothing and Footwear Mall, Digital Mall, Maternity and Baby Mall, Home Furnishings Mall, Beauty and Cosmetics Mall, Medicine and Healthcare Mall, Book Mall…
In short, everything one could need.
Countless icons came into view, but what shocked Jian Junyao the most was that there was even a Weapons Mall here.