Chapter 8 …
Killing Two Birds with One Stone
Sitting by the upper stream of the pond, she scooped up some water and drank. It cleared her mind a little. Since time flowed differently inside the space, Yue Ling was in no hurry. She decided to first look around the other rooms of the bamboo house. Last time, she had only seen the main hall and hadn’t had the chance to check the rooms in the back.
“Hm? What’s this?”
Each room was stacked high with sacks. She picked one up and examined it, but strange characters were written on it—ones she couldn’t recognize. Only after opening it did she understand what was inside.
“These are… seeds?”
But since she couldn’t read the writing on the outside, she had no idea what kind of seeds they were. Even in the 23rd century, when Feng Ling had lived, she had never seen anything like them. Still, instinctively, she knew these seeds were meant to be planted in fields.
“So if I want items, I have to plant and grow them? What is this, some kind of game… how troublesome.”
Yue Ling grabbed a handful of seeds from the sack and let them slip through her fingers.
“The condition is excellent… not a single one is damaged or eaten by insects. Is there some kind of preservation function here?”
A thought flashed through her mind. She immediately returned to the main hall and opened a book that could help her learn the unfamiliar script.
In the 23rd century, Feng Ling—ranked number one among bounty hunters—had excelled in firearms, swordsmanship, and martial arts. But her true specialty was undoubtedly poison.
Because she was physically weaker than most, she had learned poison techniques to compensate. Over time, it not only became her strength but also something she deeply enjoyed, allowing her skill to grow rapidly.
Encountering unknown poisonous herbs and medicinal plants was something that made her heart race—she had always been deeply absorbed in medicine and toxicology.
“Let’s see… what can these new little ones do?”
Even though she was trapped in Yue Ling’s body, the sight of these unfamiliar seeds filled Feng Ling with excitement.
If I can successfully cultivate these, I can create powerful medicines!
Having found what could become her primary weapon in this world—where Yue Ling was weak—Feng Ling felt reassured.
With this, not only her stamina but also her combat strength could recover. For now, she would need to remain inside this space. Fortunately, time flowed differently here, so there was nothing to worry about. Learning the books quickly was her top priority.
“Miss! Miss!”
After an unknown amount of time, Bi Luo’s urgent voice sounded from outside the space.
“Ah!”
Yue Ling snapped back to her senses and hurriedly exited the space.
Returning to reality, she raised her head as if just waking up. It was already dusk.
It seemed that more than six hours had passed. It was no wonder Bi Luo had come to wake her.
But calculating by the time inside the space, she had spent thirty hours—two and a half days.
No wonder it felt like so much time had passed…
“What is it?”
Yue Ling asked as she lifted the bed curtains. Bi Luo rushed forward, bowed her head, and spoke anxiously.
“It’s the Second Miss! She insisted on seeing you and tried to force her way in—I couldn’t stop her!”
Bi Luo looked on the verge of tears, clutching her apron helplessly.
Yue Ling sighed inwardly. Bi Luo and the nursemaid were loyal, but unfortunately not very capable. She would need to find more reliable allies in the future. Still, for now, their loyalty was her most valuable asset.
“Let her in.”
Yue Ling said calmly. Although Tianran Residence was her quarters, most of the people here belonged to Su Mingxue. Bi Luo alone could not hold them back.
Before long, Bi Luo was pushed aside as Yun Jin stormed into the room. The moment she saw Yue Ling leaning against the head of the bed, her anger flared even more.
“You! What did you say to Jin Yiniang?!”
Oh… Jin Yiniang moved this quickly? Faster than I expected.
While Yue Ling was assessing the situation, Yun Jin rushed forward and swung her hand to slap her.
In an instant, Yue Ling twisted her body and dodged. After days inside the space drinking from the clear pond, her movements had regained the sharpness of an assassin.
She looked at Yun Jin coldly.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“It’s all your fault! You must have colluded with Jin Yiniang! Otherwise, why would Father argue with Mother? You’re trying to hand my marriage over to that lowly Shen Shuyi, aren’t you?!”
Yun Jin looked ready to lunge again. At that moment, Bi Luo regained her senses and rushed forward, grabbing her arm.
“Second Miss! Our lady is still unwell—you mustn’t do this!”
Her shout echoed through the entire residence. Soon, the nursemaid hurried in as well. Seeing that Yue Ling was unharmed, she stood protectively in front of her, glaring at Yun Jin. Though her face was pale with fear, she did not back down.
Seeing this, Yue Ling felt a slight warmth in her chest. These two were the only people here who truly protected her.
She got off the bed, put on her outer robe, and stepped in front of Yun Jin. Then she firmly grabbed Yun Jin’s wrist. The grip was so strong that Yun Jin’s beautiful face twisted in pain.
“Y-you… what are you doing?!”
“I don’t know why you’re acting like a madwoman, but Jin Yiniang only came to check on me. Whatever she did has nothing to do with me. As for the marriage—I already told you to win it yourself. And now you come here causing trouble? Do this again, and I’ll take back everything I said. I’d rather ruin the marriage than let you have it.”
“…So it really wasn’t you?”
“Then tell me—what happened?”
“Jin Yiniang stopped Father on his way to rest and brought him to her residence! Then she claimed that I pushed Shen Shuyi into the pond! But I didn’t! She jumped in herself—what does that have to do with me?!”
What? What exactly is Jin Yiniang planning?
Yue Ling couldn’t make sense of it at first. She simply looked at Yun Jin, who was crying so hard she could barely breathe.
Such a foolish girl. Compared to her mother, Su Mingxue, she was far inferior.
Yue Ling helped her sit down and spoke gently.
“Calm down and tell me everything slowly.”
Could it be… Jin Yiniang is trying to kill two birds with one stone?
Encouraged by Yue Ling’s calm voice, Yun Jin wiped her tears and sat up properly.
She was the type who acted before thinking. Even when she tried to scheme, she was easily exposed. If she ever did something bad, it was either under her mother’s direction or just an impulsive act.
Yun Jin continued, still agitated.
“Mother said she was busy today and told me not to disturb her, so I went to the garden to feed the fish…”
Most likely, Su Mingxue had been busy dealing with yesterday’s matters and had no time for her.
“And then Shen Shuyi showed up not long after. You know I hate her—she looks just like Jin Yiniang! Always acting like I’m bullying her, with that pitiful face—it’s disgusting!”
Classic victim act, Yue Ling thought to herself, gaining a clearer understanding of Shen Shuyi.
“She came over and talked to me, but I was already in a bad mood, so I snapped at her. Then she suddenly started crying! I hate crying the most! So I just pushed her a little—I swear, it wasn’t enough to make her fall into the pond! She must have jumped in herself!”
Yun Jin clenched her teeth and glared at Yue Ling.
“And you met Jin Yiniang, didn’t you? Didn’t you say something to her? Otherwise, how could Shen Shuyi frame me like this?!”
Yue Ling spoke calmly, soothing her.
“I’m not as close to her as you think. Even when you tried to take my marriage today, I didn’t argue with you. Why would I set you up?”
The one I want to trap isn’t you… it’s your mother.
But of course, Yun Jin had no way of knowing that.
“Then it must be Jin Yiniang who ordered Shen Shuyi! She must have gone to Father to complain again!”
Yun Jin, unable to contain her anger, threw a teacup to the ground. It shattered into pieces.
At that moment, Yue Ling understood everything.
Jin Yiniang had wanted to meet Shen Wenshu, but Su Mingxue would never have allowed it easily. Without meeting him, she couldn’t lodge her complaint.
So she had Shen Shuyi fall into the pond and frame Yun Jin—creating an opportunity to see him.
A desperate ploy… sacrificing her own daughter.
What a ruthless woman.
Yue Ling grew even more wary of Jin Yiniang. Even if they were to cooperate in the future, she would have to proceed with extreme caution.
Looking at Yun Jin, who was still crying face-down, Yue Ling felt conflicted. They were enemies, yet the situation left an unpleasant feeling.
Yun Jin didn’t stop crying. Yue Ling said nothing—she simply handed her a handkerchief.
After a long while, Yun Jin finally stopped. Suddenly, she stood up, glared at Yue Ling, and snapped:
“You don’t even know how to comfort someone. Useless!”
With that, she stormed out.
“…Damn it. What a waste of sympathy.”
Yue Ling couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh. Judging by how things had unfolded, there would surely be a major commotion tonight.
But as for her…
