Chapter 2: Philosopher’s Stone
"Mengxue is as unreasonable as before! I thought that she had finally changed for the better!"
"God... some people truly know how to put on an act, don’t they? We should report her! A vicious woman like her shouldn’t be allowed to live!"
"Exactly! Now there are zombies outside, and men are fighting to protect this base! If a woman like her continues to abuse her husband, won’t that create a negative image of us women?"
Ni Mengxue ignored the barking dogs and tried to pick Lu Yucai up. However, her current body strength wasn’t enough.
Ruo Chiwu quickly asked her husbands to pick Lu Yucai up. Ni Mengxue gave the older woman a look of gratitude.
Feng Lian quickly followed after her and shouted, "Sister Xue, please, I..."
"Zombies! Zombies have attacked the base again! Run!" A shout echoed, and the crowd, who were chatting till now, fled in fear. Some even forgot to take their children along with them.
Feng Lian was scared and quickly fled in the direction of her own home. She wished desperately that Ni Mengxue would die during the stampede, and then the truth wouldn’t be out at all!
However, she was destined to be disappointed. Ni Mengxue quickly arrived at the shanty house, and Ruo Chiwu’s husbands, after dropping Lu Yucai on the bed, quickly escorted Ruo Chiwu away.
Before leaving, Ruo Chiwu handed a bottle to Ni Mengxue and said quickly, "There is medicine inside; just feed it to your husband, and he will heal!"
Ni Mengxue felt warmth from the bottom of her heart and nodded. After feeding the medicine to unconscious Lu Yucai, she recalled the plot of the novel.
According to the plot, Lu Yucai was supposed to be heavily injured after this incident, and there was no mention of him until 10 Chapters later, when it was declared that he had died.
Ni Mengxue had read this novel to move on from her heartbreak.
She belonged to the interstellar era, where both women and men had multiple partners. However, she, the royal advisor, died as a virgin!
Reason? She had vowed to marry only those men whom she loved from the bottom of her heart! As a result, all the men whom she loved died in one way or another.
Thank god she killed Gu Tianyao; otherwise, even in her death, she wouldn’t have peace.
However... Ni Mengxue looked at Lu Yucai, her eyes softening. The book only mentioned a few details about Lu Yucai.
He was a mere soldier kicked out of the military after he refused to listen to his superiors. For some mysterious reason, he ended up marrying Ni Mengxue.
Since he was crippled, the original Ni Mengxue didn’t like him and constantly insulted him.
But Ni Mengxue of Interstellar Era... loved him to the point that she took care of his sister even after his death. Irony was... she never had the chance to confess her feelings to him.
"Yucai... we have met again." She murmured softly.
Seeing his dirtied face, she tried to find water, only to be disappointed.
The shanty house was empty! Even the containers were filled with mud, leaves, and bark! The bed was only made of straw that was emitting a foul smell.
Clenching her fist, Ni Mengxue was about to go out when she noticed a familiar stone lying near her.
"Philosopher’s stone?" She murmured in disbelief.
The Philosopher’s Stone was a royal treasure under Ni Mengxue’s protection.
The Ni family was entrusted with the responsibility of protecting it and handing it to the next crowned king or queen. It was also said that as long as one has the philosopher’s stone, one can become the next ruler.
This stone was the exact reason why she had lost her love repeatedly.
However... for it to appear now... could it be?
Ni Mengxue picked up the stone and bit her index finger till blood seeped out.
Once the crimson blood touched the surface of the ordinary black stone, intricate carvings, hidden due to its color, shone with blue light.
It was as if a storm was unleashed; the next second, air wrapped the entire scene. If Lu Yucai weren’t unconscious, he might have woken up to the noise.
By the time it ended, Ni Mengxue felt dizzy and collapsed on the ground.
..........
A mechanical voice roared in Ni Mengxue’s ears.
[Testing blood compatibility... 99% compatability detected!]
[The Heavenly stone recognizes it, master! Would you like to bind with it?]
"Bind..." Ni Mengxue mumbled.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for binding with the Sanctuary Evolution System!]
[Ding! For binding, the host is rewarded with a newbie gift package!]
[Ding! You broke the record of highest compatibility; the host will be awarded with 10,000 points and a legendary gift package!]
Ni Mengxue didn’t hear the rest. Her body, weakened from malnutrition and overworking, collapsed.
...........
Knock! Knock!
"Mengxue? Are you inside? Are you okay? Why aren’t you opening the door?" Ruo Chiwu’s voice echoed in Ni Mengxue’s ears.
As she opened her eyes, a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes before she remembered everything.
Though curious about the system, she stood up with difficulty and opened the door.
"Aunt Ruo, I am okay." She murmured.
"Oh, dear! Look at you! You are swaying left and right, and yet you say you are okay! Mengxue, grow up, otherwise I will worry about you even after death!" Ruo Chiwu fussed as she entered the room and placed the pot on the table.
It was only then that Ni Mengxue realized that Ruo Chiwu had brought her food. Her heart warmed, and she gave a small smile.
"Thank you, Aunt Ruo. I will repay you soon." She just needed a bit of time to figure out the situation.
Ruo Chiwu grinned, her eyes flashing with motherly love. "Alright! Alright! You should eat and rest. If you lack anything, just call me out; I live across the street."
Ni Mengxue nodded, and once Ruo Chiwu left, she suddenly frowned. "Hm? Hasn’t she been living with the original owner for a long time? Why did she mention her house address?"