Chapter 009: Space Two
Jiang Zhi steadied her emotions to calm herself down, allowing for clearer thinking. However, her hands still trembled uncontrollably. It seems that trembling all over, whether from fear or ecstasy, is a normal reaction for any person. Jiang Zhi rationalized her own timidity.
There seemed to be something on the table. Jiang Zhi walked over and discovered it was a jade slip. Jiang Zhi directly employed the method from the cultivation text, first gently touching it. Seeing no abnormalities, she picked it up and placed it on her forehead. Indeed, the experts did not deceive me; a celestial being truly appeared in my mind.
Jiang Zhinong drew some water, drank a bit herself; it was cool, with a slight sweetness, similar in taste to the water from Xianren Lake. There was no discomfort in the stomach as rumored, nor did any dark substances appear on the skin. Gradually, the coolness sliding down her throat transformed into a gentle warmth, making her feel completely at ease, and this sensation lingered for quite a while.
The immortal did not introduce himself, simply informing Jiang Zhi that he was a cultivator from ancient times, diligently pursuing the Dao. However, the endpoint of the Dao was not the carefree realm of the Nine Heavens or the beginning of immortality, but merely dust returning to dust, earth returning to earth. This jade orb was a treasure he forged from chaos stone in his early years, known as the Qiankun Pearl. When his time came, he cast this treasure into the void, and Jiang Zhi became its second master. Jiang Zhi repeatedly examined the information on it, which did not explain why she was the second master. Had this orb truly never been discovered by anyone throughout such a long time? Furthermore, what about the cultivation methods? Why were they different from what was described in novels? There were no cultivators left now, and Jiang Zhi could find no answers to her questions, so she could only let them go and focus on exploring the situation of the space and the usage of the *map* and calligraphy, which were the important matters.
In the distance, the shadow of a mountain can be faintly seen, yet it seems impossible to approach, as if a thin membrane is blocking the way. Could this be the legendary barrier? Is it possible for space to be upgraded? It seems that I must have done countless good deeds in my past life to encounter such fortune in this life!
However, it is essential to carefully consider whom to inform first. Aunt and mother are not discreet, and since there are no so-called mystical methods left in the space, it is not possible to impose any restrictions on them. Therefore, I cannot tell them that grandfather enjoys drinking; when he gets drunk, he tends to reveal truths. I also cannot consider this matter further. Grandmother is a good candidate; informing her will definitely maximize the potential of the space. As for whom else to tell, I will follow grandmother's instructions. Having lived for more than half a lifetime and experienced so much, her perspective on people and matters is undoubtedly more comprehensive than that of a naive youth like myself. Jiang Zhi firmly believes in this.
Jiang Zhi thought very seriously and decided that she must tell her family about the space. According to her grandmother's premonition, combined with the space she had obtained, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but associate it with the possibility of an impending apocalypse. If she did not inform her family, relying solely on her own abilities might not be enough to save them, and the space could potentially bring disaster to her family. If she did not use the space and the apocalypse truly came, she would regret it deeply at that moment.
However, this moment of revelation must be postponed; at least until I have a general understanding of the use of space, and whether there are any harms or dangers, before I can inform Grandma. Once Jiang Zhi has a plan, she feels more assured. Suppressing her inner excitement, she pretends to be nonchalant and finishes breakfast with everyone. Since they are going to harvest rice today, breakfast is served quite early. The ones staying at home are Jiang Zhi and Chang Jiejun, while Jiang Zhezhih, refusing to admit his age, also went out to work in the fields.
Having confirmed the absence of any spatial spirits, Jiang Zhi felt relieved. The thought of having someone enlightened watching her twenty-four hours a day was unsettling. Jiang Zhi studied the spring water for a while but could not discern anything significant. The water was clear and transparent, revealing a bottom that seemed to be made of a solid piece of jade, with no visible outlet and no idea of where the water was emerging from. The water flowed continuously, and the water level showed no signs of decreasing. She brought the water to her lips but ultimately decided against drinking it, as she was too afraid. It was better to be cautious; after all, one could win a grand prize only to perish from a sip of water. This space must be the legendary handiwork of an immortal. Immortals, without a doubt, are capricious beings. If there were a space left to torment people, it would be disastrous. Perhaps she could secretly let the chickens in the backyard drink some tomorrow; if the chickens were fine, then she could drink it too.
Chang Jiejun was watering and weeding the vegetable garden in the front yard. Normally, Jiang Zhi would have rushed to do it, but today there was an important matter, so she could only let her grandmother handle it alone. Jiang Zhi sneaked into the backyard to see if she could conjure something from the space with her thoughts. Watching the water appear out of nowhere in her hands, she realized that this method was correct, though the water column was too small; it took quite a while to fill a small bowl. Xiao Hei suddenly appeared from somewhere, wagging its tail and rubbing against Jiang Zhi's pants, as if asking her for the water in the bowl. Xiao Hei seemed a bit smarter now; it had been warm just the day before. Could it be because it had eaten river clam meat?
Jiang Zhi caught a little rooster and forcefully poured some water into it. The rooster seemed as if it had ingested some poison, staggering away in a panic. Jiang Zhi felt a bit worried; could the spring water truly be toxic? Was it perhaps due to its excessive spirit that the rooster could not withstand it? The rooster did not die immediately, and Jiang Zhi reassured herself that there might still be a chance, as mentioned on hetushucom.com
While helping her grandmother select vegetables, Jiang Zhixin was distracted and ended up throwing the muddy vegetable roots into the basin. Chang Jiejun endured it for a while but could no longer hold back and sent Jiang Zhi away, suggesting she should stay aside and not come over to cause more trouble.
Before Jiang Zhi appeared a vast space, with a milky-white, cloud-like fluff beneath her head, soaring high above. Below her feet lay a patch of black earth, not very large, approximately the size of 2 acres. Behind Jiang Zhi stood a small wooden cabin, its roof thatched with straw, revealing traces left by time. Jiang Zhi worried that the cabin might collapse as soon as she stepped inside. Beside the cabin was a spring, emanating a milky-white mist that occasionally transformed, sometimes into animals, other times into the silhouettes of flowing sleeves. Without much thought, it was clear this must be a spiritual spring. There were many springs atop the Three Mountains, but none possessed such magical mist. The water from the spiritual spring flowed gently into a small river that surrounded the cabin, which curved away in front of the spring and flowed into the distance.
Jiang Zhi hesitated for a while, but eventually slipped into the backyard. Without seeing the final outcome, how could her heart be at ease? What if one day there was a severe drought? This spring water would be a lifesaver. If it were undrinkable, and one day the water supply was cut off, it would truly be life-threatening. To look at a pool of water yet die of thirst is indeed a painful way to die
As soon as Jiang Zhi entered the backyard, she was stunned. The rooster was not dead; it was lively and was proudly competing with Xiao Hei for the water in a small bowl. In the back-and-forth, the bowl was knocked over by Xiao Hei's front paw, spilling all the water onto the ground. Seeing both creatures about to lick the water off the ground, Jiang Zhi chased them away. At this moment, Jiang Zhi finally felt relieved. Although she could not yet determine the miraculous uses of the spring water, at least it was non-toxic and drinkable, which was good news.
The palm of her right hand, which had held the bead, began to heat up, gradually emitting light, rendering the palm translucent. Within her palm, a bead could be faintly seen moving like flowing clouds and flowing water. In the next moment, Jiang Zhi felt a sensation of the world spinning around her, accompanied by a slight feeling of pressure. In the following moment, she found herself in a space. Do not ask Jiang Zhi how she was certain it was a space; after reading so many years of novels about space, it was not for nothing.
Jiang Zhi pushed against the wall of the wooden house with force, but it did not budge at all. It seemed that the house was quite sturdy, and there was no need to worry about it collapsing. The door of the wooden house was slightly ajar, and with a gentle push, it opened easily. Jiang Zhi cautiously pushed the door and stepped aside, only entering after confirming that no poisonous needles or ghostly mists rushed out. Inside the wooden house was a single room, empty and desolate. At the far end was a bed that appeared to be in the style of the Han Dynasty. Was it perhaps used for meditation?
The water bowl was placed on the ground, and the passing hen seemed too lazy to pay it any attention, preferring to drink from the trough instead of the bowl. However, Little Black kept rushing towards the place where the bowl was. Why was it only attractive to Little Black? Jiang Zhi opened the storage room in the backyard and threw Little Black inside, locking the door. Now Little Black couldn't escape, so as not to delay her important matters.
What appeared in Jiang Zhi's mind was a middle-aged man dressed in a moon-white wide-sleeved robe, his features indistinguishable. How could one describe his overall aura? He felt like the kind of figure one would envision as a true immortal. The immortal waved his sleeve at Jiang Zhi, and she fainted. How was this different from what was depicted in the plays? Why did he not take me as a disciple and impart his immortal techniques? These were the thoughts that crossed Jiang Zhi's mind as she lost consciousness
Once inside the space, there is no need to touch the palm anymore; one can simply concentrate to enter, and there is no sensation of spinning. Jiang Zhi repeatedly entered and exited, and as long as she placed her hand on something in the room and thought about entering, it would appear in the space. Jiang Zhi also sneaked down to the kitchen while Li Meihua was away and stole a cup of hot water to bring upstairs. It was confirmed that the space has a heat-retaining effect; after one hour, the water was still hot. This immortal's item is indeed extraordinary, truly a wonderful treasure
On the wall of the wooden house, there is a small window, and beneath it stands a square table, seemingly crafted directly from raw timber. The tabletop and legs bear no patterns, suggesting that the previous occupant of this space was either a man or a female ascetic focused solely on spiritual cultivation. The items in the room all follow a minimalist approach. Before entering this room, Jiang Zhi had hoped to see a beautifully carved bed with jade embellishments, but instead, she found only a rectangular bed.
Despite her exclamations, Jiang Zhi continued to explore the space, even shouting a few times, "Is anyone there?" "Are there any planting sprites?" "Is there any jade spirit?" Fortunately, there was no one else in the space; otherwise, they would have thought Jiang Zhi was insane
When Jiang Zhi woke up, it was already bright outside, and she was comfortably lying in her own bed. It felt as though she had slept for a very long time, and her sleep was exceptionally sweet. Upon waking, she felt refreshed, and her skin seemed to have become much more hydrated. Jiang Zhi spent half an hour sorting through the excess thoughts in her mind. The methods of the immortal are truly remarkable; with just a wave of a sleeve, so much information was transmitted.
"Xiao Hei, move further away, go over there. I will let you drink when everything is fine again," Jiang Zhi decisively rejected Xiao Hei. Xiao Hei ignored her and continued to circle around Jiang Zhi, wanting to drink. It seems that Xiao Hei is still the same as before, perhaps Jiang Zhi was overthinking it.