A chill swept over him, and Chu Zheng slowly opened his eyes, feeling only the stiffness in his limbs and a burning sensation in his belly.
After settling his mind and looking around, his expression gradually became strange.
Instead of the familiar bedroom, he found himself in a dilapidated blue brick tile house, where the windows rattled loudly. Without stepping outside, he could still feel the piercing coldness of the snow and wind.
This...
A flood of memories suddenly crashed into his mind, and after a moment, Chu Zheng gradually regained his composure, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
Without a doubt, he had traveled through time. His current location was in the Great Zhou Dynasty, Wuyang County, Luofeng City, at the Song Residence.
His predecessor was also called Chu Zheng, a local from Luofeng City, orphaned, and sold into servitude at the Song Residence at the age of seven. He had been there for nine years, and because he had accidentally broken a jade cup beloved by Miss Xie the day before, he was punished with four days without food or water.
However, to Chu Zheng, these were not the key points. What surprised him most was that in this world, immortals truly existed.
They were not fortune-telling charlatans but beings who consumed dew and dined on clouds, possessed longevity, and roamed from the North Sea to Cangwu in the evening—a class of powerful entities.
Song Lingqing, the second young mistress of the Song Family, had been chosen by an immortal a few years ago and had gone to the Hidden Immortal Sect.
Because of this, in recent years, the status of the Song Family had risen significantly, standing out above the rest throughout Wuyang County.
As Chu Zheng pondered, a light screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Chu Zheng]
[Cultivation: Zeroth Order]
[Cultivation Technique: Integrated Fist (Zeroth Order/Incomplete), Chasing Wind Sword Technique (Zeroth Order)]
[Repair Master: Zeroth Order (0/1000)]
[Remaining Repairs for Today: 5]
[Currently Repairable: Integrated Fist (0/10)]
The Song Family, being a martial family, would teach some martial arts even to their servants, though always withholding something.
Looking at the sudden emergence of the panel, a light flickered in Chu Zheng's eyes.
Repairing was an exceedingly difficult skill; mending the broken was akin to reversing time, seizing the creator's prerogatives. Every bit of progress was an uphill struggle.
Before traveling through time, he was a Cultural Relic Restorer, deeply interested in the past buried in the torrents of time.
Upon crossing over, his first sensation was the excitement of facing an entire unknown world.
This panel, capable of mending and perfecting cultivation techniques, would undoubtedly help him save a huge amount of energy and time in uncovering the secrets of this world.
Whoosh—
Before Chu Zheng could recover from his elation, the door was suddenly pushed open.
The cold wind, carrying snow, howled inside, causing Chu Zheng to shiver involuntarily.
A figure stepped inside, dressed in the attire of a servant and wearing a small cap, looking rather ordinary and about twenty-something years old.
Chu Zheng, somewhat struggling, sat up, leaned against the back wall, and sized up the newcomer. His mind quickly filled with fragmented memories.
Song Yun, a born servant of the Song Family, possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts. He had grown up alongside Miss Xie and, despite being a servant, had an unusual status within the residence and was highly regarded.
"A servant should know a servant's place,"
Looking at the somewhat disheveled Chu Zheng, Song Yun's lips curled slightly as he spoke nonchalantly,
"Miss values you and wants you by her side, yet you have declined repeatedly, exhausting her patience. Having good looks isn't a capital you can act capriciously with."
As he mentioned good looks, Song Yun's voice paused, a flicker of hidden pain crossing his eyes—he had excelled in everything except for appearance.
Chu Zheng leaned against the corner, his hair disheveled, his face etched with fatigue, yet he couldn't hide the rugged handsomeness shining through.
Seeing Chu Zheng after several days, Song Yun felt he had changed again, his gaze deeper, and his demeanor more composed and resolute, drawing even more attention.
Even as a man, Song Yun could not deny Chu Zheng's striking appearance; in the outside world, no one would associate him with the word "servant."
"Miss has spoken. After your fasting is over, you are to work in the Filth Room,"
Song Yun shifted his gaze away from Chu Zheng, visibly irritated.
The Filth Room was essentially a trash room, filled with the residence's discarded items.
Broken tables, shattered pots... and so forth.
Located in the most secluded corner of the Song Residence, it was a place no one typically went. Going there meant becoming a complete outcast.
For a servant, it was like being deprived of sunlight, a complete end to any future prospects.
Song Yun had thought Chu Zheng would react to this news, but to his disappointment, Chu Zheng remained untroubled, simply saying lightly,
"Miss Xie's grace."
With such calm demeanor, Song Yun felt as though he had punched cotton, and without realizing it, his palm tightened into a fist. He couldn't help but step forward, whispering,
"Celestials are different from mortals. The second young miss has been gone for over three years without a single letter home. Do you think she would remember you, a mere servant?"
Chu Zheng's expression remained utterly untroubled, merely sitting there as if lost in thought.
Not receiving the reaction he had anticipated, Song Yun found it exceedingly dull:
"Just rot here then, without any aspiration, wasting your good looks."
Bang——
The door slammed shut heavily; the iron chain fell into the lock, clinking loudly.
Chu Zheng hadn't paid much attention to Song Yun's words, as he was contemplating his next move.
Originally, his top priority was to buy his freedom.
Having traversed into another world, Chu Zheng naturally was unwilling to sit idly in one place, only to look up at a sliver of sky.
Serving as a slave in the Song Residence severely limited his freedom and even his life was not his own, living each day as if it were his last.
But the information Song Yun had delivered made him reconsider.
The Filth Room was quiet, unlikely to be disturbed, and in the short term, it might serve as a suitable refuge for him.
...
...
As dusk fell, the sound of the wind and snow grew louder.
Clatter——
A noise from the door woke Chu Zheng, who had curled up feigning sleep.
"Chu Zheng... Chu Zheng?"
The door was pushed ajar, and two soft calls came through.
Chu Zheng didn't stir. Having had neither food nor water for three days, he was utterly spent. If it weren't for his good foundation in martial arts, he probably wouldn't even have the strength to speak.
He had ignored Song Yun just before because he truly found it difficult to respond.
A small hand reached through the crack, clutching a steamed bun, "I kept it close to my body; it's still warm. Eat it while it's hot."
"Xiao Cai?"
Chu Zheng recognized the voice; it was the former personal maid of the second young miss, about the same age as his original self, and now serving the eldest young miss.
"It's me. The eldest miss has been watching too closely these past few days. Thankfully, she retired early today; otherwise, I wouldn't have had the chance to see you."
Relieved by Chu Zheng's response, Xiao Cai outside exhaled, "You will be able to get out tomorrow, just endure a little longer."
Chu Zheng furrowed his brow slightly, and after a brief contemplation, murmured softly,
"Take this back with you. I have another favor to ask."
Being the personal maid of the eldest young miss, Xiao Cai's every move was watched by others.
Since he would be free tomorrow, it was best not to eat the steamed bun, to avoid complications.
"What is it? Speak quickly, I only have a short while."
Xiao Cai didn't ask further, retracting her hand with urgency.
"Where are the fragments of the Jade Cup I broke the other day?"
...
...
In the courtyard, the snow fell thickly.
Two figures stood in a corner of the courtyard, quietly observing the woodshed, every move of Xiao Cai under their scrutiny.
"Miss, let's go back and rest." Song Yun stood holding an umbrella, looking at the thin dress on the girl with some concern.
"What did he say when you went this afternoon?"
"He said he was thankful for your grace."
"Grace? That makes him a good dog."
The woman scoffed coldly, her hands tightening inside her sleeves as she turned and left.