Free Web NovelChapter 572: Chapter 570: The Time-Traveler Who Self-Destructed 18 Times (Part 1)
"Since you have been chosen as the Dragon King’s Consort, you must serve the Dragon King well in the future and ensure his favor, so that our Laining County can be spared from floods."
Ah Chen opened her eyes and saw the person speaking before her, dressed in a Mandarin Duck Patterned Blue Robe and wearing a black gauze cap, with a sympathetic demeanor. Just from the appearance, he seemed like a good official concerned about the people.
But someone who could say such words must not be a good person.
This person was named Zhu Wenjian, the County Magistrate of Laining County.
Today was the birthday of the Water Dragon King of Laining County.
Laining County suffered from frequent floods. For some unknown time, every year nearing summer, preparations would be made for the Water Dragon King’s birthday, offering not only gold and silver treasures but also a Dragon King’s Consort.
If there were no floods afterward, it would indicate that the Water Dragon King was satisfied with the Dragon King’s Consort they offered. The family offering the Dragon King’s Consort would be rewarded and given riches.
If floods still occurred, it meant the Water Dragon King was displeased, and the family of the Dragon King’s Consort would not receive any rewards. Though the County Magistrate would not blame them, the entire county’s populace would hold grudges against the family, making their future days difficult.
"Child, Mother is sorry, Mother couldn’t protect you." A woman came running from a distance, her hair disheveled and her face full of tears. Beside her was a middle-aged man, also with bloodshot eyes, his fists clenched.
These were the parents of the body she inhabited, Chu Shan and Liu Suyang.
The two were honest and dull by nature, always the ones at a disadvantage, never resisting favoritism, and not knowing how to fight back, causing the family to suffer countless losses.
The selection of the Dragon King’s Consort in Laining County had much manipulation space; as long as enough money was given, one would not be chosen. The Chu Family hadn’t divided its assets, and the couple was honest, unable to hide private funds; even if they could, they couldn’t hide much.
The Chu Family actually had two candidates this time, one being the Commissioner, in the identity now as Chu the Second’s only daughter, Chu Chen. The other was the Chu Family’s eldest son’s second daughter, Chu Yue.
The eldest house was most favored by the Chu Family elders, and Chu Yue was their most cherished granddaughter, so they were willing to spend money to keep Chu Yue from being chosen as the Dragon King’s Consort.
Chu Shan and his wife tried to fight for their daughter but were refused, the reason being there wasn’t enough money at home, claiming helplessness.
The usually honest Chu Shan couple didn’t agree this time and argued with the Chu Family elders, but to no avail, they were locked up by the elders for disrespecting their parents.
Until the selection of the Dragon King’s Consort was over, and the Commissioner was chosen, the situation was finalized, and they were released from the woodshed, then they ran to the seaside in agony. The couple looked at their daughter, bound tightly on the bamboo raft, with immense pain in their hearts, yet powerless.
They couldn’t forget resisting their parents; how could they resist the County Magistrate?
Ah Chen sat on the bamboo raft, her expression indifferent, yet to others, it appeared she had resigned to death and was numb.
Did no one really know that the selection of the Dragon King’s Consort was actually a farce, an excuse for the County Magistrate of Laining County to amass wealth? Naturally not.
Those who could curry favor were certainly complicit.
Those who disliked but couldn’t resist could only endure silently.
And most of the populace truly believed in the Water Dragon King legend, foolish people being manipulated earnestly.
The Commissioner this time was somewhat special, having not lived in this world for several days because she was a transmigrator from the twenty-first century, named Chu Xuefei. freёwebnoѵel.com
The owner of this body lost her life from a high fever; waking again, she became Chu Xuefei.
Afterward, Chu Xuefei discovered she also had a cheat ability, albeit facing despair in ancient life, with a cheat it might not be impossible to survive.
Her cheat was a planting space, originally a jade pendant worn since childhood, which turned into a red mole on her wrist after crossing over.
Later, while planting in the space and probing the surroundings, she learned of the Dragon King’s Consort selection in Laining County. As someone from the twenty-first century, she couldn’t possibly accept such absurd claims.
Her identity was but a small village girl, unable to change anything, forced to silence, choosing self-preservation.
But she hadn’t expected to be chosen herself. At this moment, she was still calm, for the space could take a person inside, and if she was chosen, she could hide inside, preferable to an actual young maiden being drowned.
When the time came, she could grow steadily inside, surviving in the wilderness wouldn’t be impossible; as for afterward, she’d take one step at a time.
Events proceeded as she anticipated; when the bamboo raft sank completely, she held her breath and, when no one watched, instantly entered the space, thus saving herself.
She escaped to a deserted island, relying on the food hidden in the space, wild fruits picked outside, homemade fishing tools, and traps for catching prey, resting at night in the house within the space, unharmed by beasts, barely self-sufficient.
The crops in the space had a short growth period; she even planted some wild fruits inside.
Later, seeing results far better than outside and emitting fragrance, upon maturity she eagerly tried to pick one to taste, only to find she couldn’t touch them.
She discovered she couldn’t touch anything planted in the space.
What kind of cheat ability was this?
After a few national curses, she chose to continue living; after all, she’d worked hard for so long, unable to pick the crops, but the space at least had a storage feature, still life-saving.
Until one day, a bloodied individual drifted to the deserted island.
Still alive, she initially thought to find herbs to treat him, but then the space revealed a Spiritual Spring, a voice in her mind telling her to feed him the Spiritual Spring Water.
Following it, she indeed saved the person.
Seizing the opportunity while he slept, she excitedly examined the Spiritual Spring Water, attempting to drink a bowl herself, but still couldn’t use it.
She tried offering a bowl to the revived man, and it worked.
The Commissioner was enraged by this result.
The jade pendant was hers, she was the one who transmigrated, and the cheat should be hers, so why could this man use it, and she couldn’t? It seemed that the man was truly the master of this space; realizing this left her irritated, completely disillusioned with the world, thinking the heavens were flawed.
After the man recovered, he said he’d take her along when his people arrived; she refused.
The last night he spent on the island, the Commissioner dreamed, dreaming he was her destined person, and the true master of the space; she was merely the key to unlocking the space.
If she were with him, she could also enjoy more privileges in the space, able to extract certain items.
The Commissioner laughed angrily; she bore no ill will towards this man, but had severe objections to this setup.
After waking in the middle of the night, she didn’t return to sleep, instead found some toxic grass to eat, ending her life. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Life in ancient times was inherently unsatisfactory; even being an ordinary citizen in the twenty-first century was more comfortable than living in antiquity. This transmigration was purely self-inflicted suffering. No matter how magical the space was, she preferred the comforts of modern life.
Moreover, she was wealthy in modern times, with a proud personality, unwilling to be a tool person upon learning her fate, she chose death.
Besides, dying might just enable her to transmigrate back; even if not, it would’ve been better than being a tool here.
