An Bing Qing didn't go back home and first went to buy some simple loose black male robes and a silver mask with an incomplete black lotus flower carved on its upper left side. She just paid some silver coins as the stores she picked were small.
On her way back she bought candies from the street stalls.
The sky was darkening when she reached the An state's formation. She went back to be an ugly maid and unhindered entered her courtyard in the main residence. She already had her beautiful looks and unbound hair as she crossed her courtyard's doorway.
Hurried footsteps were heard coming from her bedroom. "Master, master, you are finally back. This little servant was worried to death".
She sized Bing Nan up and noted that aside of her worry there was also some dizziness, she must have just awoken; it was a funny sight. Still, she frowned and chided, "I didn't know a little servant deserved to be worried about me".
Bing Nan froze in place, "This... Cough, Is Master all right? Did something happen? Did Master already eat?"
She chuckled. "Everything is all right. Nothing happened and no, I still haven't eaten".
"Then, this... I will bring dinner right away", Bing Nan awkwardly said.
She looked at the beautiful maid striding away, she shook her head with a smile and went to bed to take a nap; she was tired.
Half an hour later she snapped out from her dreams at the slight movement in the antechamber. Her sleep had become light; if it were her past young self, she would be sleeping like a dead pig. She changed the maids' clothing to her white robe before eating dinner.
As she was finishing, she asked, "Right, the skills that I passed to you… don't use them if there's no need. I will give you other ones later so…"
When Bing Nan heard it, she knelt down and said, "I understand. I thank Master's grace". She wanted to thank earlier but didn't know how to open.
"There is no need of such ceremony; quickly up". She had transmitted a Knight level martial cultivation technique, this had been given to her by her husband in her previous life; and a Martial Grand Master martial cultivation technique was given to Bing Nan in the past instead, which was a level lower. In this life, she let her cultivate the same as she but she had given her the same set of skills which were the ones the female shadow guards of her husband's family practiced; thus, Bing Nan must be discreet when using them.
Bing Nan quickly stood up at her call. Even if it wasn't a command, now, every word from An Bing Qing had more weight in her heart; whatever the Master says, will be a decree that can't be violated.
An Bing Qing noted that Bing Nan became more respectful though she was speaking casually; this wasn't what she wanted but she didn't know how to change this. She unconsciously tapped the table's surface, "I want you to focus on training. Tomorrow night, I will seclude myself as well. I don't know when I will exit so I will inform my father. Wake me up early, I want to make something delicious to father and grandfather. You can go to rest".
When Bing Nan heard training, she was surprised in her heart, 'Hadn't Master giving up on cultivation three years ago?' but she didn't ask and replied, "Yes. I will have fresh ingredients ready".
"Ah". She nodded and added, "Oh! Wait! I almost forgot. Here, I got this blue orchid jade carving for you".
Bing Nan reached her hands to take it, she gave her thanks.
"Don't do this every time I gave you something. This carving is scented and wafts a soothing smell; you can make it hang of your sash".
"Yes, I will do it".
An Bing Qing followed her retiring figure and smiled helplessly. She shook her head and went to bed but she didn't sleep and took out the oddly glass sphere.
There was nothing special, its colour was translucent black like glass but was heavy like iron. She threw it against the stone floor. "Thud", a loud sound was heard but the sphere didn't break; the floor was smashed instead.
Not long before quick footsteps were heard and she hastily drew the sphere inside her wide sleeves.
"Master, are you all right? What was that heavy sound?" Bing Nan asked. A row of servants had followed her but only some servant girls entered with four people covered all in black while the guards waited outside.
She sniggered, "I was practicing dancing with a sword and I suddenly remembered something and lashed out".
"Oh". Bing Nan nodded and didn't ask more, the servants behind didn't find it wrong. It was hard for their miss to get angry but once angered even the eldest young master will suffer a heavy lose if their miss didn't recovered reason by herself in time.
Seeing the people dazed, she commanded, "You all are dismissed".
"Aye". They didn't dare to delay and hastily departed. Only Bing Nan sized her up again and said, "It's late already; I will make someone repair the floor when Master eat with the Patriarch and Old Patriarch tomorrow".
"Cough… Yes. I leave those arrangements to you".
Bing Nan gave her courtesy and left.
Her chamber became quiet again and she knelt before the hole in her floor. She took out the black sphere and measured, "The hole is half deep the sphere's length and its diameter is about eight centimetres; only a centimetre bigger than this little ball. But the broken floor debris by the side are quite something, how can it be so hard?"
The sphere surface didn't have a graze; even the finely carved beasts and exquisite herbs on the smooth surface remained unchanged. The feeling was as pleasant as ever. 'What a weird thing', she leaned on the ground as she closely inspected the sphere. At long last, she exclaimed, 'Could this be a treasure?!' She then shook her head heavily, 'That can't be! My luck sucks!' It was so, as if heavens wanted to punish her! Still, her eyes flickered and she cut her forefinger, letting a blood drop fell towards the black ball.
'I knew it! Things can't be that clever'. She cleaned the sphere as she sighed disheartened.
After a long time, she sprang up and disrobed as she played with the sphere. She will throw the ball to the air and she will catch it using her agility skill. She stopped when she felt sleepy and went to bed, but she wasn't willing to give up and she held tightly the sphere with both hands.
She was pondering in her drowsiness and a heavy hand fell onto her forehead, 'Am I an idiot? It seems that my past life wasn't enough to wash away my silliness!' She mobilized her earthly energy and imbued the sphere with it but nothing happened. She changed to mysterious energy which was the one used to cultivate martial arts but the ball was still motionless. She flipped her body to lie on her belly; her eyes were angry and didn't leave the sphere figure.
"Soul sense, that's right! There is also that!" Just as she was about to try, her exquisite face reddened, 'Ah! Thank goodness Shu isn't here. I'm not even just naïve as he had said. How can I be so stupid?! That only can be used by a Soul Seed immortal cultivator and someone who had a powerful soul like an Alchemist. I was one in the past but it was thanks to the Inverse Soul Buddha Flower and the Wood Essence he gave me to make my absurd wish become true'. Her flustered self subsided and her exquisite face became weird, followed by a puzzled expression. She sat up on the bed; she closed her eyes and opened them wide a couple of minutes later. Her soul changed, no! To put it strictly, her soul size changed and was now the same as her grown up self from the past, she also felt the wood element inside her. She can be an Alchemist in this life as well; she won't need to bother anyone this time and because it was many years earlier, she could attempt to reach higher levels. Her things from the past had come with her! She didn't know how and didn't bother thinking about it.
In her excitement, her soul force fluctuated out of her body and touched the black sphere that had been abandoned on the bed. It shinned cold black light and glittered like snowflakes; it disappeared in her body, bringing her along.