In the distance, the sound of an engine echoed, its noisy and annoying hum aimlessly wandering in the darkness until a bright light suddenly flashed.
Long, curled eyelashes trembled, and a pair of eyelids opened, unveiling bright emerald eyes.
Su Hua blinked a few times, her gaze fixed on the weathered ceiling of the train. She remained in a daze, trying to make sense of her current situation.
Wasn't she just soaking in her spiritual spring? Where was she now?
As she attempted to look around, a sharp pain shot through her head, and the memories and life of the original owner flooded back like a tidal wave.
The original owner, Su Hua, hailed from S City and was currently 18 years old. Her family consisted of five members, including her parents, eldest brother, eldest sister, and herself.
In this era, males were evidently favored, and thus her eldest brother received preferential treatment. However, her eldest sister held a certain favor due to her marriage to a factory manager. Su Hua, being the youngest and seemingly unremarkable, found herself as the 'extra' child in the family—a position they couldn't wait to rid themselves of.
A month ago, a letter arrived at their doorstep revealing the promise between the Su and Han families. It recounted how Grandfather Han had saved Grandfather Su's life during the war, leading to an agreement that should the Han family ever find themselves in need, they could seek support from the Su family. Grandfather Su even formalized it in a signed contract. Years later, the eldest grandson of Grandfather Han returned from war with a broken right leg and an internal injury that left him bedridden. Not only that, before becoming a soldier, he was married and had twin, a girl and boy both aged 5, and before leaving, his wife was pregnant and gave birth to his younger child, merely 8 months old. However, his wife, upon seeing his condition and anticipating his inability to resume his duties as a soldier and provide for the family, sought a divorce. With three months having passed, the eldest grandson found himself wrestling with his illness while caring for his motherless children. In this challenging predicament, his parents turned to the Su family, seeking assistance or a form of support known as "misfortune swepper," as a means to fulfill the ancestral debt owed by the Su family to the Han family.
The misfortune sweeper is a feudal practice where the belief persists that marrying a healthy wife to an individual can ward off their perceived misfortune and negativity.
The Su family, taken aback by the contents of the letter, were further astounded to find a stack of money and several coupons enclosed in the envelope, accompanied by another letter.
Eager to comply and even willing to contribute more, they chose their youngest and extra daughter, Su Hua. Their decision was not only based on pure supernatural belief but also on their belief in astrological compatibility. They held the conviction that if birthdays and astrological signs aligned, it signified a cosmic bond between two individuals. Su Hua's birthday matched that of the eldest grandson, cementing their belief that they were soulmates.
With money on the line, the Su family promptly responded, demanding an additional sum before sending their unwilling daughter, Su Hua, to Xinxi Village.
Su Hua glanced down at her slender arms and shabby attire, feeling out of place and uncomfortable.
Surveying her surroundings, she found herself in a compartment with beds, sharing the space with an elderly couple. The man lay asleep on the upper bunk while the elderly woman sat on the lower bunk, gently massaging her legs with an empty bottle of oil placed.
Upon boarding the train with only a single piece of luggage containing few belongings, the original owner tragically ended her life by ingesting a bottle of muriatic acid in her sleep that she bought with the money her family gave her and died asleep.
Su Hua sighed, feeling a deep sense of sympathy for the original owner. Through the memories she had inherited, Su Hua realized that the original owner never experienced a happy childhood. Despite having the basic necessities like shelter, food, and worn-out clothes, she endured neglect and emotional abuse.
But the puzzling question that persisted in Su Hua's mind was: why had a cultivator from a different world suddenly transmigrated?
Despite sensing the weight and weakness of her body, Su Hua sat up, using the wall for support. Determined, she attempted an examination. Closing her eyes, she focused on meditating and connecting with the surrounding qi. However, the expected result came to pass—the aura and qi were faint and almost non-existent. Just as she was about to lament her misfortune, a sudden tug of spiritual power jolted her senses and with this pull, she found herself to her spiritual space.
In the realm of cultivators, each possesses a magical space that can be either purchased and expanded or naturally inherited. Su Hua belonged to the latter category, born with an expansive magical space capable of housing even mountains or an entire world.
Within her magical space lay a spiritual spring, seamlessly connected to a flowing river that culminated in a majestic waterfall. This spring emanated an essence of pure energy, imbued with rejuvenating and healing properties. Anyone who immersed themselves in its waters or even drank from the spring would feel revitalized, their bodies shedding old skin as if experiencing a rebirth.
Nestled within Su Hua's magical space, apart from the spiritual spring, lay a palace encircled by towering, impenetrable walls housing numerous houses and palatial structures. The palace boasted a staggering 1000 doors, each leading to rooms known solely to Su Hua.
Adjacent to this grandeur, a modest cabin stood, complemented by ten thousand acres of land, all meticulously cultivated. The land served as a sanctuary for plants collected by Su Hua over millennia—species either extinct or exceedingly rare. As a medical cultivator, this botanical haven held a significance to help, akin to a sword for a swordsman.
Adjacent to the palace, spring, and farm, lay a spiritual door leading to another dimension within. This dimension served as storage for items she didn't frequently use or those occupying excessive space—like a box within a box.
Cultivators held a penchant for artifacts imbued with power or possessing spirits. Spiritual stones constituted their preferred currency, capable of transforming a poor mortal individual into a millionaire overnight with just one of these stones. However, mortal items such as jewelry or gold, often treasured by ordinary people, held little value for cultivators, who discard such earthly possessions.
Contrary to the norm among cultivators, Su Hua had a tendency to hoard. Regardless of an item's utility, she kept it, whether merely set aside or strewn about in her spiritual space—it didn't matter to her as long as she possessed it.
Within this spiritual door were treasures and riches coveted by mortals. The sheer abundance of gold and treasures held within defied human comprehension, beyond the realm of even an emperor or a king's imagination. The estimated wealth within this space was so vast that one of Su Hua's friend said that it had the potential to incite conflict and spark a war if its existence were ever discovered.
While riches held little allure for cultivators or immortals, their aspirations leaned toward acquiring power and ascending to the echelons of godhood, merging with the heavens themselves and despite Su Hua possessing the requisite power and talent to attain such heights, she chose to decline the offer from the heavens, and instead remain as a dedicated cultivator.
Curiously, heaven favored her modesty and simple mindset, rewarding her with a cultivation prowess. Yet even with this bestowed divinity, Su Hua remained indifferent, devoting herself to her passions for medicine, alchemy, and finding a boyfriend.
Her medicinal concoctions commanded exorbitant prices, costing astronomical amounts of spiritual stones. Nevertheless, hundreds and thousands of cultivators clamored for access to her medicines. Among them was a renowned pill capable of enabling cultivators to leap across several levels, just one level below to become a full fledge god.
But Su Hua's preference lies in crafting medicines tailored for mortals. The satisfaction of witnessing an ailing or dying mortal gradually recuperate owing to her remedies inflates her ego. This feeling, this driving force, made her stay in the human realm. Su Hua harbored no biases or discrimination. Whether an individual was a criminal, a ruler, a commoner, an elder, or a child, if they sought her care, she would wholeheartedly commit herself to their recovery.
And regarding finding a boyfriend, despite being numerous people asking for her hand and is interested in starting a relationship with her, Su Hua remained blank and indifferent. For her, her partner must be chosen by her and it's because of this mindset she remained a virgin and single for a long time.
Surveying her space, Su Hua heaved a sigh of relief. Even if she's no longer in her original world and is in a mortal body—weak in comparison to her previous state—she found solace in the presence of her unique space. As an innate aspect of her being since birth, this special realm held a connection deeply intertwined with her soul.
"Hiss..."
As a soft hiss filled the air, Su Hua hurriedly emerged from her space. Her gaze fell upon the elderly woman clutching her leg, her features contorted in evident distress. Driven by her ingrained instincts as a medical cultivator, Su Hua always leapt into action at the first sign of someone in pain, ready to offer her assistance.
"Grandma, are you okay?"
The elderly woman glanced at Su Hua, taken aback by the sight of her bright green eyes. Throughout her life, she had never encountered such a unique eye color in person. She didn't even realize this since the moment she came in, this young girl was asleep and in bed.
"Oh, it's just a slight ache in my leg. I must have exerted too much pressure."
Su Hua knelt down and examined the old lady's right leg, carefully positioned at the edge of the bed. Methodically, she applied pressure in various spots. Observing Su Hua's practiced and familiar movements, the elderly woman, who had initially considered interrupting, refrained from speaking and simply observed the young girl.
"Are you a doctor?" The old lady asked.
Su Hua completed her leg check and was on the verge of responding but swiftly recalled her role. The original owner lacked any medical expertise or formal education in medicine. During this era, granting access to a girl's education was viewed as a "waste of money,".
And the original owner was merely an unpaid maid at home.
But! Su Hua wasn't the original owner. She was Cultivator Su, one of the renowned five cultivators of her world! Refusing or denying herself would undermine all her efforts and skills. Besides, she didn't voluntarily choose to be here, if offered the chance to return, she wouldn't hesitate to go back—oh wait, if she goes back, the heaven's poaching would annoy her again.
Observing the elderly woman, Su Hua nodded, "yes, I'm a doctor."
The old lady observed the young girl. Judging from her attire, frail demeanor, and greasy hair tied in a bun, she didn't resemble someone in a high-paying profession.
"Is that right?" the old lady smiled. Even if this young girl was making it up, she admired her prompt response, recognizing her caring and compassionate nature.
"Grandma, your leg seems to be just sore. No broken bones or damaged veins," Su Hua explained. "However, it's throbbing likely because something hard hit your leg."
"Oh! Yes, two days ago, a child threw a rock and hit my leg. It stung a bit but the pain faded quickly. It wasn't until yesterday that it started to ache and throb. How did you know?"
Su Hua felt a sense of pride, though it didn't reflect on her face. "An ointment should suffice," she assured.
The old lady sighed softly. "If only I could afford one. For now, this bottle of oil massage I found will have to do."
Su Hua picked up the bottle, scanning its description and the ingredients listed behind. However, being a cultivator from another world and the original owner's unfamiliarity with medicine, she struggled to identify the ingredients.
Realizing she needed more information to grasp the local medicine and ingredients, Su Hua considered buying a book or some resources to aid her understanding.
"I have an ointment," Su Hua offered.
The old lady hastily refused, who doesn't know the prices of medicines these days? Especially ointments. Observing the young girl's shabby attire, the old lady thought that this must be this girl's only supply.
Ignoring her refusal, Su Hua reached for her old-looking suitcase beneath the bed, pretending to search through it while actually reaching into her space.
Swiftly retrieving an ointment jar she offered it to the old lady. Su Hua conceals her identity as a cultivator when walking amongst the mortals, so she has a lot of high grade medicines inside normal looking containers that's commonly used.
"Oh, there's no need, my dear," the old lady protested.
"I insist,"
Moved by Su Hua's persistence, the old lady relented and accepted the ointment gratefully. "Thank you, dear. I'll pray for the heavens to bless you."
Su Hua couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. If only she can ask her to pray to the heavens to leave her alone.
"No problem."
Su Hua then went back to her bed and laid down. Tonight, she might have to plan a lot of things.