Chapter 3 III. Her Decision

Hu Jia suddenly felt like she was being watched, so she grabbed a hairpin from her hair and threw it fiercely in the direction of the stalker. The shadow quickly dodged making Hu Jia growl in frustration. "Coward!" She taunted, "Come and face me you stalker!"

A deep voice chuckled and the shadow disappeared completely which forced Hu Jia to use her resources... her resources being her identity as the valuable young miss of Hong Manor.

She screamed until a bunch of people slammed the door open with worry clouding their eyes, "Xing'er, are you okay?" Hu Jia took a deep breath and began sobbing, "Assassin! T-There w-was an assassin!" She snuggled in her mother's chest and surprisingly, she wasn't disgusted by the unfamiliar touch. Even though she hated other people touching her, she felt very warm in the embrace of this strange woman who was this body's mother. Hu Jia chuckled darkly and brushed off her sudden surge of emotions as not having a mother of her own and this body's natural reaction.

Wen Bingbing's eyes widened and pulled her daughter closer, almost to comfort her a bit more. She quickly gave out orders to the other people to send out guards to see and search for the assassin.

Langzhi, can you scan the area and tell me who that person was?

The spider coughed in his mistress' mind and sighed dejectedly, a powerful force... so powerful that even I couldn't decipher who he or she was.

You useless pet! You're grounded to stay in my space for a few days!

Big drops of tears started dripping down from Langzhi's multiple eyes as it started to wail in a childlike manner as he mumbled, Mistress is a bully! A big bully! Langzhi demands fairness!

Hu Jia blocked out her pet's sobbing and focused on her surroundings. Her mother worriedly asked her, "Xing'er, do you need extra guards stationed at your pavilion?" Hu Jia quickly shook her head to decline, "No way, mother! It would not only sully Tingxing's reputation, but it wouldn't help Tingxing cultivate at all!" And it would hinder my plans if I had annoying pests following me around or keeping an eye on me at all times... I already have one leech, don't need another!

Langzhi began to cry even harder once he heard what his mistress was thinking... to be classified as a leech greatly damaged his pride, but he didn't want to make his mistress even angrier, so he kept quiet and sulked without words.

"Cultivate?" Wen Bingbing was shocked when she heard her only daughter confess such words. Since when did she want to cultivate? Didn't she decide to abstain from such activities and be raised as a good, noble young miss that would get married in the future? And besides, her daughter clearly didn't demonstrate any abilities when she placed her hands on the clear crystal that showed one's affiliation with any element.

"Yes mother, " Hu Jia nodded, "Tingxing wishes to begin cultivating immediately. This assassination event actually fueled Tingxing's desire for self-protection." And revenge.

Wen Bingbing sighed and agreed, "I guess it is necessary. Even though girls whom are excellent cultivators tend to attract more prosperous marriage proposals, Xing'er, the path of cultivation for a female is very tough as our bodies are not as suitable as men." Hu Jia knew the woman in front of her didn't mean to be negative, just worried about Hong Tingxing, which only saddened Hu Jia even more. Such a young life lost so many people that cared about her... revenge was definitely necessary.

Hu Jia smiled widely and shrugged innocently, her aura like the typical thirteen-year-old who didn't know much, "At least father with be happy that Tingxing is going to be learning martial arts alongside Tingxing's older brother!" Mistress, please make sure to treat your opponents lightly as your 'learning' may cause them to break a few things... and by a few things, I mean they'll probably be scarred for life, Langzhi innocently added in Hu Jia's head.

Wen Bingbing affectionately patted her daughter's head but frowned when she realized something, "But your last test results were negative as the clear crystal didn't seem to show any element in your body..."

Hu Jia shook her head, her eyes firm with determination, "Niang, Tingxing has a feeling that this time she'll be able to pair with an element! If not a few..."

When Wen Bingbing heard her daughter's last sentence, she smiled at her daughter's childlike manner and began to explain patiently, "Xing'er, it's very hard to do another test, but I think your father will manage to pull a few strings as the empire's General. And Xing'er, I don't mean to be negative, but to be paired with more than one element is a one-in-a-thousand chance. Please prepare yourself."

Hu Jia nodded as she mentally asked Langzhi, do you know what element we may possess?

Langzhi shook his tiny head, sorry, mistress. But depending on the time and position and emotions surging through one's body, it's impossible to predict and determine.

Hu Jia sighed, "I guess we'll have to wait and see." She said to both her mother and Langzhi.

Wen Bingbing nodded, "I'll speak with your father when he gets home. We'll probably manage to get you an appointment with the clear crystal later in the week."

"Week? Tingxing thought it would take months!" Hu Jia blurted out. Wen Bingbing chuckled and muttered, "Never underestimate the power and status your father holds in this country."

Hu Jia nodded, still a bit dazed, until Wen Bingbing bid her daughter adieu and left Hu Jia alone in the room.

Once she shut the room's door, Hu Jia immediately snapped her fingers and appeared in her space. This was the space that she had acquired when she went on a solo-mission in her original body.

Before Fu Xueguang brutally stabbed her and confessed his lust for her, they used to consider each other as family. They would always go on missions together to gather and find rare items and spiritual energy to enhance their cultivation.

But on a particular day, Fu Xueguang had told Hu Jia that he needed to go somewhere and that he'd be back as soon as he could. Hu Jia nodded and decided to stay in their home until he got back. But out of curiosity, she walked around the Holy Forest and found herself in a mysterious cave. Once she entered, she could hear sobs echoing everywhere hence she decided to name it Sorrows Cave.

From that moment on, Hu Jia would go and train in the cave as it possessed an enormous amount of spiritual energy. By this point, two weeks have passed since she decided on this solo-mission inside the dangerous cave and Fu Xueguang had not yet returned. Hu Jia has casually walked inside the cave and found a color-changing gemstone lying on the ground. She touched it and was suddenly pulled inside of a greenhouse-like space with Greek columns, clouds, mountains, and a waterfall leading to a rotating view of what Hu Jia assumes to be Oblivion, the mysterious never-ending lacuna of the legends.

As Hu Jia took a sip of the water out of curiosity, she found out that her meridians purified and spiritual energy increased

As Hu Jia took a sip of the water out of curiosity, she found out that her meridians purified and spiritual energy increased. When she exited out the dimensional space, she picked up the gemstone and placed it in the space. Finally, as she left Sorrows Cave, she was shocked to find Fu Xueguang pacing back and forth with a frustrated look on his face.

"Dage?" Hu Jia called out cautiously, confused at his sudden return and unknown anger, "When did you get back?"

"Little Tiger, " Fu Xueguang banged his fists on the cave's entrance, "what are you doing here?" Hu Jia opened her mouth to explain her rendezvous but was interrupted by the frustrated growl of Fu Xueguang, "How did you find this cave? Tell me!"

Hu Jia whimpered and replied, "I was wondering around." Fu Xueguang widened his eyes in astonishment at her answer. The cave he painstakingly has been searching for had appeared for Hu Jia without any effort on her part. Was this her fate?

"Did you find a colorful stone? Gem? Anything?" Fu Xueguang asked with urgency, "It's very important!"

Hu Jia shivered at his dark eyes that swirled with bloodlust and greed. She subconsciously lied, "No. I didn't find anything."

Fu Xueguang sighed in frustration and grabbed her shoulders which forced her to look directly at him, "Xiao Hu, you better not be lying to me!" Once he noticed her terrified look, he paused and ran his hand through his hair, muttering an apology. Of course, at that point, Hu Jia has been blind to the signs that Fu Xueguang was dangerous, so she meekly accepted his apology and all was well.

Hu Jia later found out that Fu Xueguang was looking for the Everlasting Lacunae, which was the most powerful space ever to be created by an immortal named Xiang Ru. The space held Weeping Water, which enhanced one's abilities tenfold. Plus it held enough spiritual water to grow aged plants which benefited anyone on the alchemy and medicine. Even though the space was in Hu Jia's body, she still hadn't unlocked its full potential, even to this day.

But she still kept all the necessities in there like food, blankets, clothes, and she grew plants and fruits in there too. Along with some animals that never got along with Langzhi or the people in reality, hence they preferred to stay in the dimensional space. Hu Jia was very pleased when she realized that her space had transmigrated with her in this foreign world. She had a feeling it was the higher-ups working their magic, again.

For now, her goal was to train in the Everlasting Lacunae so that she was able to have enough spiritual energy for the clear crystal. Her goal was all of the elements just to piss off Fu Xueguang when she faces him in the future and because she demanded it from the higher-ups after being forced to begin training all the way from the beginning despite having enough powers already.

Mistress, you're still salty about that...

Shut up you dumb spider! She playfully said with made Langzhi roll his multiple eyes, mistress, please don't be such a crab.

Why a crab?

Langzhi giggled, because you're crabby and you're salty enough to live in the salty sea!

Hu Jia rolled her eyes and decided to sneak outside under a disguise. Langzhi urged her to not do anything that could get Hong Tingxing in trouble, but the little spider realized that his mistress never listened to him, so why should she start listening now?