Qin Lie fled almost as if escaping disaster.
By the time he rushed into the training grounds, still carrying a chill from the morning air, the sky had only just begun to lighten.
The early morning on the island was cool, the air tinged with the salty, damp scent of the sea.
“Assemble, everyone!”
Qin Lie’s roar echoed loudly, startling the soldiers who had risen early on the training field.
Everyone quickly fell into formation.
Seeing their regimental commander’s face as dark as a pot bottom and the faint shadows under his eyes, their hearts drummed nervously.
Who had angered the commander?
Why such a foul mood so early in the morning?
“Today, everyone will run a ten-kilometer cross-country with full gear! One set of five hundred push-ups! One set of two hundred pull-ups! Those who don’t finish aren’t allowed to eat!”
Qin Lie issued the devilish training tasks with a cold face.
The soldiers groaned inwardly but dared not voice any complaints, only starting their day’s “torture” with pained expressions.
Qin Lie didn’t idle either.
He took off his jacket and led the pack, running at the front of the formation.
He needed to exhaust every bit of his physical energy this way.
He ran swiftly, like an untiring leopard.
Sweat streamed down his sharply defined cheeks, soaking his undershirt and outlining his firm, well-defined muscles.
His mind was a chaotic mess.
Full of Jiang Wu’s shadow.
The soft feel of her body when she clung to him.
The sweet, soft murmur of her voice.
And the fragrance on her that left him confused and enchanted…
“Ah!”
Qin Lie roared, speeding up in an attempt to shake these messy thoughts from his mind.
Meanwhile, the “culprit” who had stirred up his inner turmoil was sleeping soundly.
It wasn’t until the sun rose high, its warm rays streaming through the window onto her face, that Jiang Wu lazily opened her eyes.
She stretched luxuriously, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
Last night, sleeping while clinging to that “human-shaped furnace,” she felt the spiritual energy within her grow noticeably more active.
Truly, a top-tier furnace cauldron—the effects were different indeed.
She sat up and glanced at the empty space beside her.
The bedding was slightly rumpled, still carrying the pleasant, masculine scent of him.
Jiang Wu took a satisfied breath, a triumphant smile appearing on her face.
It seemed last night’s “unconscious” embrace had been quite effective.
That man, for all his protests, had been as stiff as a board and didn’t even dare push her away.
Such an innocent little cutie.
In high spirits, Jiang Wu got out of bed.
She stretched her body, then habitually focused a wisp of her spiritual sense inward to examine the condition of her new body.
This examination brought an unexpected discovery.
Deep within her dried-up sea of consciousness, there was a tiny, faintly glowing speck of light.
What was this…?
Intrigued, Jiang Wu concentrated and probed toward it with her spiritual sense.
When her sense touched the speck of light, a storage space roughly one cubic meter in size appeared in her perception.
This storage space belonged to her previous life’s bonded magical artifact, the “Heart-Linked Pendant.”
She had thought the artifact, like her physical body, had been destroyed in the heavenly lightning strike.
Yet it had actually followed her soul through the transmigration!
Although greatly diminished in size due to depleted energy, and most of its contents damaged in the tribulation, when Jiang Wu clearly saw the few remaining items inside, her eyes instantly lit up.
In one corner of the space, several small white jade bottles were neatly arranged.
On the bottles, delicate characters were written in cinnabar.
“Union of Joy Pill,” “Beauty Preservation Pill,” “Clarity of Mind Pill”…
These were some basic pills she had refined back in her Union of Joy Sect days.
Though not high-grade, for her current state of depleted spiritual energy, they were undoubtedly timely aid!
Especially that “Union of Joy Pill”!
This was essential medicine for dual cultivation in their sect!
It could strengthen the foundation, nourish yin and yang, and even enhance the mood…
The corners of Jiang Wu’s mouth lifted uncontrollably.
With this, was she still afraid she couldn’t win over that blockhead Qin Lie?
Heaven was truly helping her!
Aside from the pills, a few articles of clothing were folded in another corner of the space.
They were a few of her favorite “Cloud-Weave Enchanted Robes” from before.
These enchanted robes were woven from Tianshan snow-silk, supplemented with mica essence.
They were impervious to fire and water, warm in winter and cool in summer, and could even change style and color according to the wearer’s will.
Most importantly, they maximized the wearer’s physical advantages.
They were the “battle attire” for every female disciple of the Union of Joy Sect.
Unfortunately, most of the robes had been destroyed in the tribulation, leaving only three.
One was an elegant moon-white long gown, another a charming pale yellow short tunic, and the last—her favorite—a fiery, bright red strapless dress.
Jiang Wu focused her mind and retrieved the red enchanted robe from the space.
The robe felt cool and silky in her hand, like a handful of moonlight.
She held it up against herself, and instantly, the person in the mirror transformed.
The previous Jiang Wu had been beautiful, but in a somewhat plain way, with an inescapable air of provinciality.
But once this red robe touched her skin, her entire aura changed.
The red wasn’t a gaudy scarlet but a flowing, fiery crimson that shimmered like burning flames.
It made her skin appear even more snow-white, as if glowing.
The robe’s cut was exquisite, fitting her body’s curves perfectly, accentuating her slender waist, full bosom, and shapely hips with breathtaking precision.
She looked like the most enchanting red rose suddenly blooming in the darkness.
Stunningly beautiful, filled with a fatal allure.
Jiang Wu looked at her reflection with satisfaction.
This was how an enchantress of the Union of Joy Sect should look!
But…
She glanced at the robe’s bold strapless design and the high slit that nearly reached her thigh, then frowned slightly.
This era seemed rather conservative.
If she went out dressed like this, she might be taken for a madwoman.
It needed adjustments.
Focusing her mind, Jiang Wu willed the red robe to change.
The strapless design extended upward into two thin straps, tied into cute bows on her fair shoulders.
The high slit also became much more modest, reaching just below the knees.
Yet the robe’s form-fitting design and fiery color remained unchanged.
It retained its inherent sensuality while conforming to the era’s aesthetics.
Perfect!
Jiang Wu stored the modified dress back into the space.
Now wasn’t the right time to wear it.
She needed the right opportunity.
One that would shock Qin Lie and everyone who looked down on her.
After finishing, Jiang Wu’s stomach let out a low growl.
After all that, she was hungry.
She walked out of the room, heading to the kitchen to find something to eat.
The moment she stepped out, she ran into Mrs. Zhang from next door again.
Mrs. Zhang was holding an empty basin, seemingly just returning from the washroom.
The moment she saw Jiang Wu, her small eyes roved over her figure.
“Well, if it isn’t Jiang Wu. Up so early today?”
Her tone carried an undisguised curiosity.
Still smarting from yesterday’s rebuttal, she couldn’t help but approach Jiang Wu for a few probing questions.
“Morning, Mrs. Zhang.”
Jiang Wu nodded politely, not wanting to engage further.
But Mrs. Zhang persisted, leaning in and lowering her voice mysteriously.
“Hey, I saw your Regimental Commander Qin this morning.”
“He went to the training grounds before dawn, looking as dark as a pot.”
“He even punished the whole squad with a ten-kilometer run!”
“What happened? Did you two… fight again?”
Her expression was that of a gossipmonger pretending to care.
Jiang Wu glanced at her, seeing through her clearly.
This Mrs. Zhang was the epitome of a busybody—stirring up trouble wherever she could.
“No, we didn’t fight.”
Jiang Wu spoke calmly.
“We’re very happy as a couple.”
“Really?” Mrs. Zhang looked skeptical. “Then why did Regimental Commander Qin act like he’d swallowed gunpowder?”