The wind chimes gradually fell silent as Yu Huanhuan disappeared from the Space-Time Shop.
Shi Qing placed the packet of Spirit Plant Seeds on the shelf. Soon, dense lines of text appeared on the shelf’s surface.
【Rejuvenation Grass Seeds: Primary ingredient for refining Rejuvenation Pills. Can restore injuries. Eaten raw, effects are minimal.】
【Ghost Hand Vine Seeds: Ghost Hand Vine can capture and strangle Ghostly Creatures. Effectiveness increases with age.】
【Celestial Origin Fruit Tree Seed: Blooms after one thousand years, bears fruit after another thousand, ripens after yet another thousand. Eating one fruit raw extends lifespan by one hundred years.】
Three types of Spirit Plants in total. Shi Qing wondered if the shelf had a preference for plants, given how detailed each description was.
She was particularly captivated by the Celestial Origin Fruit. One fruit could extend her life by a hundred years—she could live so much longer! But it took three thousand years to mature. Not even ancient monsters lived that long. She wondered if planting it in the backyard would shorten its growth time.
Taking the seeds to the backyard, Shi Qing planted them in separate locations. The Celestial Origin Fruit Tree had only one seed, which she planted near the spring and watered with some spring water. She scattered the Rejuvenation Grass seeds along the small stream and planted the Ghost Hand Vine seeds near the shop’s wall.
After planting everything, Shi Qing scooped some Ancient Spirit Stones from the stream and piled them around the Celestial Origin Fruit seed, not neglecting the Ghost Hand Vine and Rejuvenation Grass either. Since they were Spirit Plants, having Ancient Spirit Stones nearby should be beneficial.
She had considered scooping some of the dark green stones from the spring, but those stones were visible yet impossible to retrieve, so she gave up.
Returning to the Space-Time Shop, Shi Qing stored the gold obtained from Yu Huanhuan and two of the Ghost Stones in the storage compartment under the counter. The remaining Ghost Stone and the Dual Cultivation Manual were placed on the shelf, which now held three items: the Dual Cultivation Manual, a Ghost Stone, and finally, an Ancient Spirit Stone.
Shi Qing kept the other two Ghost Stones on her person for emergencies, as the outside world wasn’t as peaceful as it appeared.
Just as she was about to leave, she noticed something new on the counter. Picking it up, she found it was another one-time Space-Time Token. Did receiving a guest always reward her with one? She wasn’t sure yet but placed the token on the shelf.
Now her shelf boasted four items—quite an improvement. Grinning, Shi Qing pushed the door open and reappeared in her bedroom.
Her phone, charging on the bedside table, was ringing incessantly. She picked it up and saw it was her father calling. Without a second thought, she hung up and blocked him in one swift motion.
He had been the most opposed to her return initially, believing that a mistake should remain a mistake. Even after witnessing her adoptive mother Xue Mei’s abuse, he had been reluctant to take her back. It was only her mother’s guilt that eventually brought her home.
Yes, no one had loved the original host—only her mother felt guilty. Guilt, not love. After all, they had cherished another family’s daughter like a precious jewel while their own biological daughter had to work in a black-market factory before even reaching adulthood.Before long, Shi Yi Yi also called. Shi Qing glanced at it and repeated the same actions as before—hanging up and blocking the number.
Unexpectedly, right after she blocked it, her mother’s call came through.
Shi Qing hesitated for a moment before answering the phone.
“Shi Qing! How dare you not answer your phone?! Mom has been hospitalized because of you, and you haven’t even bothered to check on her until now. Do you even have a heart? I’m telling you, you’d better come back right now!”
The voice on the other end was Shi Mo’s furious roar. Shi Qing rolled her eyes. “Shi Mo, did you lose your brain when you went to the toilet because of your stomach issues? With a mouth that runs nonstop, why don’t you go learn to quack like a duck? You’re so good at shifting blame—it’s a shame you aren’t a chef with skills like that! Ugh!”
After saying this, Shi Qing immediately hung up and blocked the number.
What an idiot. She had already left the Shi family for over a week. Now, they were claiming her mother’s hospitalization was because of her? How ridiculous. Why not say it was because of that Ghost?
Hmm…
She wondered about the origins of that Ghost in the Shi family. But in the original storyline, nothing happened to the Shi family members, so that Ghost probably didn’t harm people.
Whatever.
Shi Qing had no intention of having any further involvement with the Shi family. After closing her door, she decided to go to the supermarket to stock up on some supplies for the shelves.
Who knows, maybe someone from a famine-stricken era would cross over and need to buy food.
…
Looking at the flyer she had just been handed, Shi Qing didn’t hesitate and immediately turned her electric scooter around.
A new large supermarket had opened nearby with a grand opening promotion offering many discounts.
After parking her scooter, Shi Qing spotted two usherettes standing at one of the entrances from a distance. They wore bright smiles, held banners, and were handing out gift bags to each customer.
This supermarket seemed quite generous.
But as she got closer, Shi Qing began to feel something was off.
Why was no one taking the gifts? It was as if all the customers were completely ignoring the two usherettes.
Taking a few more steps, when she was about ten meters away, Shi Qing paused. The next moment, her scalp tingled with horror.
Those weren’t usherettes at all! Their bodies were covered in rotting flesh, their eyeballs dangling out of their sockets, swinging wildly as they scanned the passing customers.
Their mouths were split open to their ears, revealing bloody grins filled with sharp fangs…
The gifts in their hands had turned into wriggling maggots.
These were clearly two ferocious Ghosts.
Why was she running into Ghosts in broad daylight?!
Shi Qing decided not to go in. These things were similar to Weirdness, except her original world was filled with Weirdness, while this world probably had fewer Ghosts.
The only difference was that if Weirdness discovered you had noticed them, they would hunt you down to the ends of the earth—unless… you paid up!
Just as Shi Qing was about to turn and leave, the two Usher Ghosts suddenly turned their heads in unison, staring directly at her.
Shi Qing maintained her composure, picked up her phone, and answered a call.
“Hello, overtime? Are you insane…”
As she spoke, she smoothly turned around, but her phone rang at that exact moment.
Shi Qing: “…”
“Hello, who is this?”
While answering the call, Shi Qing walked toward her electric scooter, feeling two pairs of eyes burning into her back.Shi Qing chose to deceive herself, swiftly inserting the key to start the electric scooter and speeding away…
Fortunately, those piercing gazes finally vanished.
“Hey, Shi Qing, are you even listening to me?”
The woman on the other end of the line hadn’t hung up yet. Shi Qing glanced at the contact name.