Outside the door was Xiao Cai, who looked slightly panicked and kept looking around.
Seeing Chu Zheng open the door, she quickly handed over the cloth bag:
"All the fragments are in here. I collected them all that day, thinking about whether they could be repaired to ease Miss's anger."
Chu Zheng sighed in relief and reached out to take the bundle, "Thank you, I'll repay this kindness later."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Cai's expression hesitated, and she sighed:
"The second young miss might not come back, Miss Song... actually has a good disposition. Serving by her side, there are no difficulties. You should think about your own future."
After advising, Xiao Cai looked around and, not daring to stay long, quickly left.
The Song Residence, a centennial family, places great emphasis on reputation. Maids and servants meeting late at night, if seen, would undoubtedly lead to some criticism.
Chu Zheng closed the room door, opened the cloth bag, and revealed five intact fragments, perfectly fitting together.
[Spirit Jade Lamp (Zeroth Order): Once a finely crafted jade vessel, its special material could, with years of nurturing, perhaps achieve spiritual awakening. You smashed it by hand, but luckily the fragments are complete, making it not difficult to repair for you.]
Chu Zheng ignored the information flooding his mind; he had not planned to repair the jade lamp through the panel.
The fragments of this jade lamp, who knows, one day Miss Song might remember, and tracing it back to him would be easy.
This jade lamp was the most precious artifact he could access given his current status; he wanted to use it to verify some of his speculations.
About the panel, he still had many unresolved questions and needed to conduct some experiments.
......
......
In the front courtyard of the Song Residence, within a courtyard.
The snow that had fallen the previous night had been cleared away, and the moist green stone slabs, like a treasured mirror, reflected the starry sky.
A figure in the courtyard practiced swordplay, graceful as a roaming dragon. Under the moonlight, her resolute expression seemed painted.
The green-edged sword emitted three inches of sword qi, sharp and clear, with its piercing whistling sound incessant. The sword movements were ever-changing, sometimes like a ferocious storm, majestic, and sometimes like a lotus in water, gentle and restrained.
Song Yun stood to the side, holding the sword sheath, his admiration evident in his eyes.
Whizz—
Suddenly, the woman's long sword soared high, flying straight toward Song Yun.
Zing—
In the blink of an eye, the long sword sheathed itself through the air, sparking a burst of bright sparks.
"Miss's inner strength has improved again."
Song Yun expressed his admiration with a full face, "In no more than five years, you will surely step into the realm of Grandmaster. A Grandmaster in her early twenties, there are few such in all of Great Zhou. Our Song Family may well have a Great Grandmaster soon."
A family with twin jades, an Immortal Seedling, a prodigy on the Martial Path, the Song Family's fame was widely known throughout Great Zhou and even neighboring countries.
"What of becoming a Great Grandmaster if not entering the Immortal Sect? A century later, it is just a handful of dirt," Song Lingxue shook her head slightly, slowly finishing her practice, exhaling a breath of turbid qi. The warm mist that came out of her throat condensed into an arrow, flew nearly ten feet before it slowly faded away.
Threads of warm mist rose from the top of her head, and her sweat-soaked clothes were quickly dried by the surging blood qi.
Xiao Cai approached with a brocade box in hand.
Song Lingxue opened the box lid, took out a steaming towel from inside, and wiped her hands. She glanced at Song Yun and casually asked:
"Was the Essence Yuan Pill sent?"
"It was sent," Song Yun held the sword with both hands, bowing respectfully in acknowledgment.
"What did he say?"
"He said, 'Miss Xie.'"
"Nothing else?"
Seeing Song Yun nod again, Song Lingxue slightly furrowed her brows, "Did you say it was specifically instructed by me?"
"I did," Song Yun lowered his head, concealing the slight dimness in his eyes.
"Never mind."
Song Lingxue tugged at the corner of her mouth: "But you are becoming more and more understanding of courtesies, finally gaining some memory."
Song Yun remained silent, sensing that Chu Zheng had indeed changed significantly—the restlessness that once characterized him had almost entirely vanished, replaced by a calm and restrained demeanor.
Even when he attempted to provoke Chu Zheng with the matter concerning the second young lady, he did not receive the reaction he had expected.
The punishment had perhaps truly led to his growth.
"Song Yun, you're not getting any younger. Have you thought about settling down?"
Song Lingxue dropped the gradually cooling handkerchief in her hand and changed the subject, smiling as she spoke:
"Xiao Cai has also grown up under my watch—I know her through and through. If neither of you opposes the idea, I will make the decision for you: I will free her from servitude, and you can leave the residence to start a family."
"The young lady jests; how could a servant like me have such fortune?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Cai's cheeks turned slightly red, and she retreated to one side in a somewhat flustered manner.
Song Yun's martial skills were extraordinary, and he had been well versed in poetry and literature from a young age. Among the servants of the Song Residence, he was in a league of his own. Even if his appearance was ordinary, he was still one in a thousand in terms of a suitable match.
After all, one cannot subsist on looks alone. Just like Chu Zheng, who could not grasp his own status, his eventual fate was obvious.
"The young lady has yet to marry; how can I precede you?" Song Yun looked up with a smile, but his eyes were filled with bitterness.
Having grown up together from a young age, Song Lingxue had never truly regarded him as a man. This was something Song Yun had long since realized.
"Where does such a rule come from?"
Song Lingxue laughed and scolded him, then her mood turned slightly somber, followed by a soft sigh:
"Father has only my sister Lingqing and me. Now that she has joined the Immortal Sect and severed her worldly ties, the responsibility solely falls on me to continue the family lineage. I will eventually have to marry into the family, but I cannot trust outsiders. How can I establish a family then?"
Regarding her future husband, she had no special requirements; she simply hoped to find someone agreeable. Looking around at home, the only suitable candidate seemed to be Chu Zheng.
However, after several attempts at testing the waters, her patience was starting to wear thin.
Song Lingxue was not a shameless and despicable person; she had her limits. After three attempts, if Chu Zheng was unwilling, she would not press the matter too much.
......
......
The following morning.
At the break of dawn, Chu Zheng slowly opened his eyes, unfolded his crossed legs, and rubbed his numb waist and back, feeling somewhat resigned.
After trying for a long time, he still had not found the Qi Sensation. He had gone without sleep all night and was feeling somewhat out of sorts.
He rubbed his temples, got up, and walked out of the room.
The air outside, laden with the moisture from the melted snow, cut through him to the core.
Not far away, two meal boxes were placed on the ground, faintly steaming, having been delivered not long ago.
Inside the meal boxes there was a large bowl of clear porridge, six buns, and six steamed buns.
As a martial artist, he naturally had a large appetite, and the Song Family, being a Martial Arts Family, certainly did not skimp on food.
He quickly finished his breakfast and performed a set of Integrated Fist exercises to circulate his Blood Qi, warming his body, before he began cleaning the Filth Room.
His current status was still that of a servant; some tasks, once assigned, had to be done to avoid trouble.
By the time he had finished tidying up the Filth Room, it was midday.
His lunch was even more lavish: four pounds of boiled Essence Yuan meat sprinkled with salt, a bowl of big-bone soup garnished with green onions and covered in oil droplets, a few buns, and two small side dishes.
Even by his pre-modern standards, the quality of the food was somewhat too generous.
In this ancient dynasty with low productivity, it was extraordinary, even surpassing some middle-class standards.
After devouring his lunch, Chu Zheng left the residence from a side gate, intending to buy some materials needed for repairs.
To Chu Zheng, repairing was a serious matter.
In his previous life, every artifact restoration had to be handled with utmost care; a slight oversight could bury a piece of ancient history and cause many deviations.
Due to differences in the world and historical contexts, finding the right materials was not easy, and it took until the sun was low in the sky for Chu Zheng to barely gather some of the materials needed to repair the Jade Cup.
As night fell, Chu Zheng returned to the Song Residence.
Before he reached the Filth Room, he heard some exhilarating news from a passing servant.
The Song Family's second young lady, Song Lingqing, who had not been heard from for several years, had returned to the residence.