After half a day of grueling physical training, Ye Xiaoxiao’s body ached so intensely she felt numb, thinking she had “died a death beyond death,” but finally, the spasms stopped.
This is it: what doesn’t kill me will make me stronger!
Feeling lofty and grand, Ye Xiaoxiao stood up and examined her body. A thick layer of black mud covered her from head to toe—it was the impurities expelled from her body.
She remembered experiencing something similar in her past life, though it hadn’t been this painful. Perhaps, as Dawei had said, when one is reborn with a great mission ahead, one must first suffer mentally, labor the muscles and bones, and “pain” the body.
Ye Xiaoxiao was convinced: that must be it! No doubt about it!
It stank—a terrible, overwhelming stench. The “great mission” bestowed upon her could not result in her being the first person in history to die of stink!
Pinching her nose, she began washing herself with one hand. After a few attempts, impatience took over, and she scrubbed with both hands. Better to finish early and be clean. She couldn’t disdain herself, after all!
Two bars of soap and half an hour later, her skin reddened from scrubbing, but all the stench was gone.
Looking in the mirror, she gasped. The more she looked, the more beautiful she appeared—she almost laughed at herself.
She laughed heartily. Her skin was no longer sallow; minor flaws had self-corrected, like some future-life Photoshop effect. Her complexion improved, her face shape perfect, paired with expressive eyes, radiating charm in every glance.
Perfect!
Ye Xiaoxiao was very pleased with the transformation.
The current location in the space had a time-flow ratio of 200:1 relative to the outside. Everywhere else was regulated by time-flow arrays, while human energy consumption matched the external world.
Thus, in the space, meals were taken at the same frequency as outside. Ye Xiaoxiao’s main goal now was to optimize her body’s agility.
In her past life, her permissions weren’t enough, and the space’s time flow wasn’t accessible to her. After rebirth and nirvana, all permissions were open. The time-flow arrays were incredibly useful—if she could see them, she would kiss them out of love!
After over 200 days of training in the time-flow array, Ye Xiaoxiao finally reached peak condition.
She told Dawei, Xiao Anguo, and Er Ya that she had to handle some business alone and left the space. Xiao Anguo and Er Ya understood it had to do with the Li family and felt a little anxious.
San Wa, carefree as always, had planted himself in the prepared-food warehouse and never left. Seeing him, Si Ya wanted to give him a good whack!
That night, Ye Xiaoxiao moved like a black cat through the darkness, silently infiltrating the Li household.
Li Father and Li Mother were her primary targets. She leapt through a window into their room, launching a mental attack on their minds, implanting subtle suggestions, and simultaneously using a needle—matching one she had used on Li Mother—on Li Father. He was one of the masterminds; he couldn’t be spared.
She repeated the method for other family members. For Li Second, Li Third, and Li Fourth, she applied a few needles that would disrupt intimacy with their wives—the timing opposite to their spouses’—you know, the “love-applause” needles. Imagine one partner full of energy, the other powerless—the scene would be unforgettable.
Unfortunately, Li Father and Li Mother’s little treasures, their two daughters, were still at school today. They wouldn’t return until Friday, so Ye Xiaoxiao had to wait a couple more days.
A minor regret, but the big fish had been caught. The smaller ones could flail a few more days. No problem—the initiative was in her hands, and she had time to wait.
She slowly made her way to a hidden spot at the foot of the mountain, feeling in excellent spirits. In the space, she waited for either the old secretary or the team leader to send people looking for them.
Dawei led Xiao Anguo and the others in a game of hide-and-seek. When Ye Xiaoxiao entered the space, it was Dawei’s turn to search. Dawei, honest as ever, searched blindly without using any special powers. Ye Xiaoxiao had thought he might cheat with his abilities, but he remained straightforward.
Surely, it was a way to pass the time. If they found her too quickly, what would be the point? Ye Xiaoxiao decided it must be so.
She didn’t disturb them, fearing that if she called out, they’d drag her into hide-and-seek too, so she quietly returned to the bamboo hut to rest.
The only military-officer daughter-in-law in the Li village, driven deep into the mountains to survive, became major news—not just in the small village, but in the town, county, and even province. Two days lost in the mountains? That was headline news!
The mountains held tigers, wolves, and black bears. No one would enter them unless driven to desperation—after all, in the current national situation, working guaranteed a meal.
The small village buzzed with rumors. The old secretary wished he could cover it up completely, but that was impossible. The only solution: find her, alive or dead, and give an explanation.
After finishing their work, the old secretary and team leader, ignoring the fact it was evening, gathered the village’s able-bodied men to plan a search for the next morning.
At dawn, the villagers reluctantly assembled at the team office. To maintain morale, the team leader and old secretary announced that anyone going up the mountain would receive ten work points. Spirits lifted immediately; those dozing sat up straight, ready to face tigers.
Ye Xiaoxiao, already waiting at the mountain base, monitored the village. When she saw the search party heading toward the mountains, she pulled the children—who had almost forgotten their own names while playing in the space—out one by one.
Today’s target was Li Father. She had to make sure the real decision-maker at home agreed to split the property in front of everyone. If Li Father agreed, the split would be final.
Li Mother? Too disgusting to be in charge. She was capricious—if told to divide property today, she could easily drag the family back together later, claiming she was just sulking.
Li Father, however, should be different. They say a man’s word is a stake in the ground. Once he agreed to split the property, there would be no turning back. Any attempt to retract would risk his reputation, which he valued more than life itself.
Among the approaching search party, a sharp-eyed young man spotted Ye Xiaoxiao and her group from the mountain base. Seeing them slowly heading toward the Li village, he concluded that Ye Xiaoxiao’s family was alive—and thriving.