Unfortunately, after that day's test, the Original Owner had determined she was trash, not even possessing a single Spirit Meridian.
Yun Pianpian stared at the dry, cracked Spirit Sea before her, her mouth twitching: "So what am I supposed to do now? Dig out the silt with my bare hands? That would take until the year of the monkey!"
She took a deep breath and suddenly shouted toward the sky: "Is anyone there! HELP! If I get beaten to death—"
Before the words were even finished, her fingertips spontaneously formed seals, her ten fingers fluttering like butterflies, executing complex magical formulas as smoothly as flowing water—
Yun Pianpian froze.
It turned out... the Original Owner, who seemed weak and incompetent in her dreams, had tried countless days and nights to clear her Meridians when everyone else had given up on her. She had never truly given up.
She closed her eyes, concentrating, beginning to sense the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth. Although the Spirit Sea was blocked, under the nourishment of the Spiritual Qi, the thick silt actually began to loosen.
Time passed, and Yun Pianpian was already utterly exhausted, her clothes soaked with sweat, her fingertips trembling from overuse. But thinking of Liu Yun and Liu Ying waiting outside the door, thinking of Grandfather's cloudy yet warm eyes, and Xiao Wu's anticipation—
She gritted her teeth and continued; she would absolutely not give up!
After an unknown amount of time, just as she was about to collapse from exhaustion, her peripheral vision suddenly caught a flash of blue.
—Deep within the silt, a thread of azure Spirit Sea water was seeping out.
That trace of blue was like a firefly in the dark night, faint yet resolute.
She finally saw hope.
The last bit of strength poured into the Spirit Sea, and a vast blue tide violently broke through the constraints!
Her vision went black, and Yun Pianpian was choked by the foul stench in reality, nearly suffocating—the water in the tub had long since turned into a pool of thick ink, the viscous black sludge clinging to her body like a layer of moldy frosting. She tremblingly raised her arm, watching the grime slowly slide off, unable for a moment to distinguish whether this was the impurity expelled during marrow cleansing or the aged mud accumulated by the Original Owner over half a year.
"Liu Yun! Help!!"
Liu Ying rushed in upon hearing the cry, but was hit by the overwhelming stench as soon as she crossed the threshold. She staggered back three steps while covering her nose: "M-Miss... did you fall into the slop bucket?!"
"Stop the nonsense! Hurry and help me!" Yun Pianpian frantically slapped the water surface, the black water splashing out causing Liu Ying to cry out again in alarm.
It was Liu Yun who reacted faster; pinching her nose, she rushed in to direct: "Don't just stand there! Go fetch water!"
One bucket, two buckets, three buckets...
Only after the third bucket of clean water was poured did the water finally become clear again. Yun Pianpian let out a long sigh, looking up at the filth washing off her body—it turned out the heavens and earth were not merciless; it was that this body's Meridians had long been like rusted copper locks, isolating the Spiritual Qi for many years.
When the last speck of grime washed away with the water, the bright moonlight streamed across her skin, which was as fair as snow, through the gauze window. She gently raised her hand, grasping a wisp of night wind blowing through the room—the Spiritual Qi dancing upon it was now as clear as the lines on her palm.
So, this was Spiritual Qi.
The experience tonight made Yun Pianpian feel an unprecedented novelty, especially the miraculous sights that would be impossible to see in the modern era. Just now, a torrential downpour raged outside, and Lightning Light tore through the night sky; her first reaction was: "This couldn't possibly be some powerful cultivator undergoing tribulation, could it?"
As soon as the thought arose, she burst out laughing herself.
"Truly interesting," she murmured to herself, fiddling with her damp hair ends with her fingertips. Water droplets slid down her neck, glistening like pearls in the candlelight. After changing into a plain white nightgown, she sat cross-legged on the carved wooden bed, attempting to feel the flow of Spiritual Qi in this world.
As her breathing gradually slowed, the names of her enemies surfaced one by one in her mind—
Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Second Prince, Yun Sheng, Yun Yan...
A cold smile curved the corner of her lips, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the bedding: "What you owe me, I, Yun Pianpian, will certainly reclaim, one by one."
Gradually, a faint trace of Spiritual Qi rose from her Dantian, meandering through her Meridians like a trickling stream. This marvelous sensation temporarily made her forget her worries, and her entire being sank into a profound state of meditation.
—Until a furry sensation touched her cheek.
"Mmm..."
She groggily opened her eyes, meeting a pair of round, Amber cat eyes. A chubby calico cat was squatting by her pillow, its black and white fur fluffy like clouds in the morning light. Its Paw Pad pressed against her face, and upon seeing her awake, it tilted its head and meowed.
"Hey, do you think Master is dead?" a childish voice suddenly rang out.
A sharp sensation suddenly poked her arm, and Yun Pianpian sharply turned her head—but saw nothing.
"A dog's mouth never spits out ivory."
A cool, young voice came from the right, "How could someone who can enter the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda die so easily?" The tone paused slightly, then added with disdain, "Ptooey, ptooey, I mean, they were just sleeping."
Yun Pianpian followed the sound and looked over. A sleek, glossy Calico Cat was sitting elegantly in the morning light, the tip of its tail flicking impatiently. Its Amber vertical pupils glanced down at her condescendingly, looking exactly like a noble little Princess.
"Who? Who's talking?!" Yun Pianpian instantly straightened her back, looking around vigilantly, "Get out here right now! Or don't blame me for being impolite!"
No one would ever expect cats to talk—and Yun Pianpian was certainly no exception.
"Master, I'm down by your feet."
She looked down to see two fluffy little creatures surrounding her without her noticing. One calico cat was rubbing its head against her ankle, while the other Calico Cat remained sitting aloofly.
"I must still be dreaming..." Yun Pianpian muttered to herself, suddenly closing her eyes and turning to run!
She ran blindly, crashing wildly through the space with her eyes shut. The two cats chased closely behind, the Calico Cat cursing in frustration: "Idiot Master! Watch where you're going—"
Before the words were finished, Yun Pianpian felt her face violently collide with something hard, the pain almost bringing tears to her eyes. Fumbling, she reached out to brace herself—
"Beep, beep."
A strange mechanical sound suddenly rang out. The next second—
"Whoosh—"
She was violently thrown backward, tracing an arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the grass more than ten meters away.
The two little cats rushed over. The calico cat placed its Paw Pad on her face, sniffed closely, and then suddenly started giggling foolishly: "Hehe, not dead."
"Slap!"
The Calico Cat smacked it on the forehead: "Idiot! Is this the time to be laughing?!"
Yun Pianpian's slender Eyelashes fluttered lightly, slowly opening like butterfly wings. The calico cat was lying on her chest, its heavy weight making her breath catch slightly. The other, gorgeously furred Calico Cat sat poised by her ear, its tail elegantly curled around its front paws.
She pushed herself up to a sitting position with her arms, and the crystal-like grass blades shattered crisply beneath her.
Memories flooded back—she distinctly remembered hearing voices just now, and if she recalled correctly, it was the cats speaking. Plus that blinding white light that had sent her flying. She instinctively touched her cheek; thankfully, there were no injuries.