From the nightmare vine, Tang Qing'er finally learned the necessary conditions for upgrading her space.
She needed to take the nightmare vine to the mountains and forests, allowing it to directly absorb pure wood-element energy deep in the mountains.
This would not only help the nightmare vine recover and upgrade the space, but Tang Qing'er herself could also level up by absorbing wood-element energy.
As for what the space would become after the upgrade, the nightmare vine said it didn't know either, which only made Tang Qing'er more excited.
In high spirits, she immediately agreed to the nightmare vine's request and took it out of the space.
As soon as it was free from the constraints of the space, the nightmare vine was like a bird breaking free from its shackles, its branches and leaves dancing wildly with excitement, the vines twisting joyfully in the air.
"Wow! The wood-element energy in this world is so rich!" it exclaimed in delight,
"It's much better than that lifeless, devastated Apocalypse you came from! There, it was hard to find even a trace of vitality."
Tang Qing'er ignored the nightmare vine's excitement and walked to the bed to look out the window at the darkening sky. She asked:
"I have two children now. I need to go out for a while. Can you keep them safe?"
Only then did the nightmare vine notice the two little ones, one big and one small, sleeping on the bed. Curious, it extended a vine, wanting to poke their soft little cheeks.
This nearly scared Tang Qing'er out of her wits. She shouted sharply:
"Stop! You're covered in poison. How can you touch the children?"
Startled by her sudden scolding, the nightmare vine quickly explained:
"You're talking about those ordinary nightmare vines without souls. My hallucinogens are precious and only come out when I want to release them."
Hearing its explanation, Tang Qing'er felt slightly relieved.
But then, she heard the nightmare vine say slowly:
"Although human cubs look soft, this vine doesn't want to babysit. I want to go with you.
Why don't you just put them in the space and take us all with you?"
Tang Qing'er widened her eyes in surprise again: "But my space can't hold living things, can it?"
The nightmare vine rolled its eyes humanly once more: "That was before!
Now that the space has me, its guardian spirit, don't worry. You can bring people in, and there's no time limit either."
Tang Qing'er was pleasantly surprised again and quietly told the nightmare vine her plan.
The nightmare vine blinked humanly, shook its vines, and two leaves shimmering with a faint purple light drifted down.
"Here, take these. You'll need them. Just throw them into the room."
Its voice carried a hint of pride.
Tang Qing'er was overjoyed, knowing these leaves were no ordinary items.
She quickly took out a few pieces of tissue paper, carefully wrapped the leaves, and stored them away.
After doing this, she safely placed her sleeping son and daughter, along with the nightmare vine, into the space.
She specifically went in to check that everything was fine, and the two children were sleeping soundly.
Only then did she come out again, walk to the window, lift a corner of the curtain to observe below, and confirm that no one was passing by downstairs.
Immediately, she agilely climbed out the window, using the cover of night to quickly leave the inn and exit Sifang Town.
By now, the sky was completely dark, but Tang Qing'er wasn't in a hurry.
She took a flashlight from her pocket, turned it on, and a bright beam of light instantly pierced through the darkness.
She gripped the flashlight, walking briskly along the country path.
An hour later, the night was at its darkest. Beneath the low courtyard wall of Liu Wangcai's home, a shadowy figure leaped over the wall as nimbly as a wildcat, landing without a sound.
The intruder was none other than Tang Qing'er. She first made her way to the Liu family's kitchen. As her fingertips brushed over the surfaces, everything vanished without a trace—the cold stove platform, pots, pans, bowls, dishes, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and even the half-string of dried chili peppers hanging on the wall.
Next, she silently approached the bedroom of Liu Wangcai and his wife.
Inside, thunderous snores echoed. She chuckled softly, whispering to herself, "Still sleeping, huh? Time to collect what's yours!"
Gently pushing open the slightly ajar door, she remembered a spot where she had once glimpsed Liu Lishi hiding silver.
She groped around the room, searching. Everything her hands touched—whether chairs, tables, benches, or the clutter piled in the corners—was instantly stored away in her space.
She didn't plan to leave even a single broken chair for this family.
Finally, under the bed plank, about a foot from the inner side of the bed leg against the wall, she felt a cloth bag secured with rope.
With a forceful tug, the hemp rope snapped.
She weighed it in her hand—it felt quite heavy. As for how much silver was inside, she had no time to count. She simply tossed it into her space.
Afterward, she ransacked everything: the old couple's clothes, shoes, the tattered sheet covering their bed, and the large wooden chest beside it.
Since it was summer, losing their coverings wouldn't leave them feeling cold.
Liu Wangcai and his wife continued to sleep soundly, completely unaware of the upheaval in their room.
Just as Tang Qing'er was about to head to the cellar to collect the grain, a sudden "creak" sounded from outside—the distinct noise of the old Liu family's dilapidated courtyard gate.
She immediately halted, quickly retreating back into the room and peering through the door crack.
By the faint moonlight, she could make out the newcomers: a man and a woman, behaving intimately and clingingly as they entered the courtyard.
"Da Ni, I already told you, I've divorced that sallow-faced woman. Why don't you believe me?" The man's voice carried a mix of pride and lewdness—it was Liu Jian.
"Now I've even dared to bring you back to my home. What more do you have to say? Just wait and see how I deal with you, you little minx!"
Then, a coquettish female voice chimed in, tinged with a hint of playful coyness: "Oh, stop it, Brother Jian." I just wanted to verify it myself because I want to marry you soon. I know I was wrong."
Listening to this nauseating conversation, Tang Qing'er felt her ears were being polluted.
Her eyes darted as a plan quickly formed in her mind. She waited until the two entered Liu Jian's room, followed by the glow of a candle.
Tang Qing'er tiptoed into the old couple's room and, before closing the door, thoughtfully tossed a leaf of nightmare vine inside.
Then, she hurried to the backyard cellar. Switching on her flashlight, she found several bags of grain and plenty of vegetables inside, all of which she unceremoniously accepted with a smile.
Inside the room, the two were eagerly locked in a passionate embrace. Liu Jian, panting heavily, tore at Liu Daya's clothes with force.
Before long, the two, now stripped bare, rolled together. Liu Jian labored vigorously.
Just as he was about to reach the critical moment, lost in ecstasy, a sudden "thud" sounded overhead.
A pale, twisted face with upturned eyes abruptly descended upside down, coming face-to-face with him in an intimate, zero-distance "deep gaze."
This was precisely Tang Qing'er's handiwork. She had retrieved a terrifying dummy used for Halloween pranks from her space,
and quietly lowered it from the rafters while the two were in the throes of passion.
Perhaps the sudden, shocking sight was too much to bear, as Liu Jian felt his vision go dark and instantly "lost his vigor."
With a loud "Aargh!" and a roll of his eyes, he stiffened and fainted on the spot.