Shen Qinghuan smiled as he picked up Yuanbao. The little creature was warm and soft in his arms, excitedly waving its short paws and pointing toward the depths of the space. “Master, the space has upgraded! It’s much, much bigger than before, and it even has new functions! Look over there!”
Shen Qinghuan followed the direction Yuanbao indicated, and his eyes brightened.
The space, which had originally been only around a hundred acres, had now expanded several times over. The farmland stretched into the distance, connecting to a newly appeared bamboo grove. Beside the grove stood an Alchemy Room, with a small creek flowing in front of the house, fed directly from the spirit spring.
The spiritual energy in the air was much denser than before. Breathing it in filled Shen Qinghuan with a refreshing sensation, dissipating most of the fatigue from the past several days.
“Really upgraded?” he asked.
Cradling Yuanbao, Shen Qinghuan hurried toward the wooden house. Along the way, he saw newly cultivated medicinal fields filled with rare herbs he had never seen before—clearly generated automatically after the space had upgraded.
He felt joy in his heart and gently stroked Yuanbao’s head. “Good work, Yuanbao. This is all thanks to you.”
“No hard work at all!” Yuanbao shook its head, its little face full of pride. “Master, the new functions after the upgrade are amazing! One is spatial teleportation, and the other is a lucky draw!”
It jumped down from Shen Qinghuan’s arms and ran to a flat stone in front of the wooden house. Tapping lightly with its paw, two lines of golden text immediately appeared on the stone: Spatial Teleportation, Lucky Draw.
“What’s spatial teleportation?” Shen Qinghuan asked curiously. He stepped forward and touched the golden text with his fingers. Instantly, a surge of information flooded his mind.
“It means wherever Master wants to go, as long as you think of the place, you can teleport there instantly through the space!” Yuanbao explained, hopping excitedly, its small eyes sparkling. “No matter how far, and no one will notice. Super convenient! Master won’t even need to ride a carriage anymore!”
Shen Qinghuan’s mind stirred. This function was clearly tailored for tonight’s mission! With spatial teleportation, he could sneak into Cai Huaian’s storeroom or bedroom unseen, loot valuables, punish evildoers, and never worry about being discovered.
He nodded. “It is indeed a good function.”
Yuanbao waved its paw, and the golden text on the stone shifted to form a virtual wheel. “Master can first choose the category of prizes. The wheel will generate corresponding options. After drawing, you get it instantly! Want to try now? Maybe you’ll get something useful for dealing with Cai Huaian!”
Shen Qinghuan thought briefly. What he needed now were items that could enhance his strength and handle emergencies—detoxification, healing, cultivation enhancement, or martial arts techniques.
He said, “Set the prizes as: Detox Pills, Resurrection Pills, Bone-Washing Pills, Martial Arts Manuals, Alchemy Manuals.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the wheel on the stone immediately displayed these five options, each occupying an equal segment. The pointer in the center rotated slightly, emitting faint golden light.
Yuanbao shouted excitedly, “Master, start! Hopefully we get the Alchemy Manual. Then you can make powerful pills and teach Cai Huaian that villain a lesson!”
“Start,” Shen Qinghuan said.
At once, the pointer spun rapidly, golden light flowing across the wheel, dazzling the eyes.
Yuanbao tiptoed, clutching its paws tightly, chanting, “Alchemy Manual! Alchemy Manual!”
Shen Qinghuan watched the spinning pointer with growing anticipation. Detox Pills could remove toxins, Resurrection Pills could restore life, Bone-Washing Pills could improve constitution, Martial Arts Manuals could enhance strength—but an Alchemy Manual would allow him to be self-sufficient, producing pills for healing or aiding others. With the herbs and spiritual fields in the space, it could be put to full use.
Moreover, tonight, these pills might be useful against Cai Huaian and his concubine.
After a moment, the pointer gradually slowed, passing Detox Pills, Resurrection Pills, Bone-Washing Pills, Martial Arts Manuals, and finally settled firmly on Alchemy Manual.
“Got it! Alchemy Manual!” Yuanbao cheered, rubbing against Shen Qinghuan’s legs. “Master is amazing! With the Alchemy Manual, we can make powerful pills and make Cai Huaian and Li Bao suffer!”
Shen Qinghuan smiled with satisfaction. Golden light shone from the wheel, and a simple thread-bound book slowly floated into his hands.
The cover bore no title, only a blooming lotus embroidered in delicate thread. It felt smooth to the touch and carried a faint scent of ink.
He opened the pages, which contained formulas, preparation methods, and timing control for all kinds of pills, as well as techniques for identifying herbs and refining spiritual liquids. From basic Meditation Pills to advanced Life-Extending Pills, everything was included. The text was simple to understand, and the illustrations were vivid.
Even more miraculous, as he flipped through the pages, the content seemed to come alive, flowing into his mind like a warm current. Every formula, every note about preparation, was clear, as if he had studied it for decades.
In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Shen Qinghuan had finished the entire book. Closing it, he fully understood alchemy and could recall the preparation details of every pill clearly.
“What an incredible manual,” he marveled, storing the book carefully. An idea immediately formed in his mind.
He could use the herbs in the space to make a pill that would make someone mad and speak the truth—a perfect plan against Cai Huaian and his concubine, exposing their shame before everyone.
Yuanbao proudly lifted its little head. “Of course! The prizes in the space are always the best! Master, shall we try the teleportation function to raid Cai Huaian’s storeroom?”
“Exactly my intention,” Shen Qinghuan said, a gleam of determination in his eyes. “We’ll go now, start with his storeroom, take all the ill-gotten wealth, and then teach him a lesson!”
He circled around the space with Yuanbao, gathering several herbs needed to make the “Madness Pill,” and filled several jade bottles with water from the spirit spring before reluctantly leaving the space.
The government office courtyard was silent, with only a few lanterns hanging under the eaves, casting faint light and long shadows.
Focusing his mind, Shen Qinghuan visualized the storage room in the Jinzhou prefect’s residence. During the day, he had noted its location: in the western backyard of the office, a tall blue-brick building with strict guards.
The next second, a flash of light surrounded him. The air shifted instantly, and he found himself standing at the door of the storeroom.
Two government constables were leaning against the wall, dozing off, snoring loudly, completely unaware of the intruder.