Chapter 3 …
As Yue Ling walked closer to the bamboo house, she realized it had been built from thick bamboo stalks as wide as rice bowls. Both the inside and outside of the house were astonishingly clean—so immaculate that not even a tiny scratch could be seen.
“This doesn’t even look like bamboo… it looks like it was built from jade.”
If a house like this stood outside the space, dust would have gathered within a month, let alone half a year. The structure resembled the homes of the Yao people—wooden two-story houses built on mountain slopes, with storage on the first floor and living quarters on the second.
Yue Ling climbed the stairs and pushed the bamboo door. It creaked as it opened. Despite the flawless exterior, it seemed the maintenance had been somewhat neglected.
She poked her head through the doorway and looked inside. The walls of a small living room directly ahead were lined with bookshelves packed tightly with books.
“A library?”
She reached out, picked up a book, and flipped through a few pages, but she couldn’t read a single word. The characters weren’t Chinese, nor were they ancient seal script. Instead, twisting symbols filled the pages, looking almost like an alien language. She was certain she had never seen writing like this in her life.
Disappointed, Yue Ling returned the book and looked around the room. In the center stood a bamboo desk, with two cushions placed on either side. On the desk lay a half-opened book, held down by an inkstone as if someone had been reading it just moments ago.
She sat on the cushion beside the desk and picked up the book. She assumed it would be unreadable too—but what caught her eye were Chinese characters.
Her eyes widened instantly.
The first words she saw read: “Interpretations and Insights on the Poison Classic.”
The moment she saw characters she could understand, Yue Ling’s interest surged.
In her previous life, she had become the greatest assassin of the 23rd century not only because of her martial skills but also because of her mastery of medicine and poisons. Poison techniques had been her secret weapon. To unexpectedly discover a secret manual like this in such a place—
Yue Ling couldn’t help but sigh in admiration, revising her judgment of the space.
“Maybe this space isn’t completely useless after all.”
But as she buried her nose in the book and continued reading carefully, her expression gradually darkened.
“I’ve been tricked!”
Moving with the quick reflexes of the 23rd century’s top assassin, Yue Ling hurriedly tore the amber necklace from around her neck and held it up to the light. Inside the golden amber, the white feather of a phoenix wing had turned faintly red.
Afraid the amber might somehow escape, she clenched it tightly in her hand and reopened the book.
To tame the Golden Amber, the owner must feed it their blood and form a master-servant contract. Only one owner may tame it. Once ownership is established, if another person attempts to possess it, or if the owner fails to provide blood on time, the Golden Amber will attack and suck the owner’s blood until death.
“If you don’t feed it blood, it kills you?”
Feed it the owner’s blood?
Tame it—and even raise a mineral like the Golden Amber?
She might as well grab a rock and start rapping to it!
It sounded completely absurd.
Yet the very fact that she had arrived in this place was already absurd. And her heart had already been drawn in.
This strange object only consumes poison broth brewed from poisonous herbs mixed with the owner’s blood.
“What kind of parasite is this?! It only eats my blood? And it’s picky too?”
She was speechless. Even if she wanted to renounce ownership now, it was impossible—she had already fed it blood earlier that day.
The poisonous herbs to be mixed with the owner’s blood are as follows…
After that, the book kindly listed detailed cultivation methods for numerous poisonous herbs.
“I thought it was a blessing falling from heaven, but this is a vampire’s summons! You call this a gem? Why is it acting like a blood-sucking monster?!”
Yue Ling shouted loudly. The book also described the secrets of this mysterious space in detail.
The flowing water within this space carries a special energy. It can detoxify all poisons, restore health, nourish the skin, and enhance beauty.
The soil of this space is entirely different from the outside world. Its fertile energy makes it ideal for cultivating medicinal herbs…
Yue Ling’s eyes widened as she read.
Time within this space flows differently from the outside. Ten hours inside equals one hour outside.
“Well… for someone destined to be vampire food, there are some benefits.”
Calming herself, she read the book to the end. It also explained that the other books in this room were written in ancient script, and that she would first need to learn that script to read them.
Fortunately, there was also a book explaining how to learn the ancient writing. However, it emphasized that the speed of learning depended entirely on the individual’s comprehension.
“So let me get this straight. I have to draw my own blood, feed it to that rock, raise it carefully, learn a language I’ve never seen before—and after learning it, study even more books? Ha!”
Yue Ling tossed the book onto the table.
By sheer chance she had obtained a secret space, yet aside from recovering her health it didn’t seem to offer much benefit. Worse, even if she regained her health, she would have to keep feeding blood to that Golden Amber.
Who exactly was this health recovery for?
Still, she desperately wanted to hold onto this second chance at life. Death meant being unable to do anything at all.
Fine. So it drinks some blood—what of it? I just need to survive. If I want revenge… or anything else… I must stay alive first.
Resolving herself, she continued reading until another sentence caught her eye.
The day the Golden Amber consumes enough of the owner’s blood to become the Blood Amber, the stars will reverse their course. At that moment, its owner will gain the power to turn back time.
Her eyes shot open.
But beneath it was a small line of text.
However, no one has ever witnessed the power of the Blood Amber, and whether this is truth or myth remains unknown.
Still… if it were true?
Wouldn’t that mean she could return to the 23rd century, the world she originally came from?
If no one had ever achieved it, then she would be the first.
Hope ignited inside her again.
Even if the chance was only one percent, she would never give up. She had no intention of ending her life in this strange world.
But the thought of how many poisons she would have to brew for the Golden Amber—and how much blood she would need to feed it—made her head spin.
Feeling suffocated, Yue Ling walked outside the house and scooped up a handful of soil from the hill, examining it closely. She had assumed it was ordinary black soil, but the soil here was purple mixed with golden specks—an unfamiliar and mysterious color.
Everything in this place was strange.
Still… at least the poison in my body has been detoxified. Maybe this battered body will improve a little. And they say this water makes you healthy and beautiful…
Yue Ling activated what she called her “extreme optimism circuit.”
“Let’s see… what should I do first? Herbs? I should find some herb seeds. But would there even be seeds inside this space?”
She decided the first thing she needed to plant was poisonous herbs for the Golden Amber.
But she refused to simply let it drink her blood without getting anything in return.
“Calling it a gem is generous. In the end it’s just a rock… yet it acts like a master.”
Grumbling, she stepped out of the space. Dawn had already broken, and people were moving around in the courtyard.
Looking at the real world again, everything felt unfamiliar.
Searching through Yue Ling’s memories, she realized this place was a country that had never existed in history—Daye.
Daye was remarkably open-minded. Women were not restricted in social activities. The atmosphere resembled that of the Tang Dynasty: women could travel freely, and female officials even existed.
“Miss, you’re awake?”
The nanny lifted the bed curtain and greeted Yue Ling with a bright smile. She crouched down and helped slip shoes onto Yue Ling’s small white feet.
“Madam just sent word. She said the Prince of Zhongxin will be coming to see you today, so you must prepare.”
The Prince of Zhongxin?
Ah—Yue Ling’s fiancé. He had never even bothered to visit before, so why now?
Recalling her memories, Shen Yunjin—the original owner of this body—had adored him deeply.
Thinking of that, Yue Ling smiled faintly.
Moreover, he was said to be the most handsome man in Daye. She was somewhat curious to see him in person.
Could it be… he had come to break off the engagement?
If that were the case…
That would make things far more interesting.
The Zhongxin Prince’s Manor was among the most prestigious royal estates in Daye, renowned for its long history and tradition.
Throughout generations, the Princes of Zhongxin had controlled the military and wielded immense power. Yet they had always remained completely loyal to the emperor and never interfered with court politics, earning the emperor’s deep trust.
The current Prince of Zhongxin, Gao Gengchang, had been famous since childhood. Though he held military authority and immense influence, he remained unwaveringly loyal to the emperor.
However, people called him “The Soul-Reaping Hand.”
At a young age he had already seized control of powerful secret forces and risen to become one of the empire’s most powerful figures. Rumors described him as capricious, cruel, and arrogant.
He was a cold-blooded man who acted as he pleased without showing emotion.
Yet what made him even more famous among the people was another title:
“The Most Handsome Man Under Heaven.”
One afternoon, sunlight filtered through the branches, scattering golden fragments of light across the courtyard.
Yue Ling lay on a couch in the inner courtyard, basking in the warm sun.
She wore a long white dress like moonlight, her hair loosely pinned up. The image was delicate and elegant.
Thanks to drinking and bathing in the water from the secret space’s pond, her complexion had become radiant and her skin smooth and luminous.
Her glossy black hair also looked healthier, as if her body had recovered considerably.
Still, years of slow poisoning and prolonged malnutrition had left her figure frail and slender.
Now she reclined gracefully against the couch, holding a book as if reading poetry.
But in truth…
It was all perfect acting.
Because at that very moment, a man had just entered the gate of her residence, Tianran Pavilion, and was silently watching her.
The man carried a chilling aura, like the sharp brightness of dawn on an untouched snowfield.
Wearing a long white silk robe with his hands clasped behind his back, his features were so exquisitely sculpted that it seemed as if the greatest artist in the world had carved them with meticulous care.
