Chapter 093
Chapter 93: The Second Task
Shi Zi Chu walked aimlessly along the mountain path, savoring her steamed bun with slow, deliberate bites. She was in a small village on the outskirts of the Zhou Kingdom now. Her identity was clear—she was a farm girl, soon to be sold to the county magistrate’s son as a concubine by her parents.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the forest not far off. Shi Zi Chu looked over, and the golden hook phoenix butterfly perched on her hair flapped its wings twice.
A moment later, a man, looking somewhat disheveled, stumbled out of the woods and onto the path.
Two pairs of sparkling, peach blossom eyes locked.
Silence. An eerie, deathly silence.
[Second Task! Become the Seventh Prince’s Consort!]
The voice of the artifact spirit suddenly rang in her mind, causing Shi Zi Chu to jump in shock.
“Shi Zi Chu?” A soft, hoarse voice called out, uncertain.
It wasn’t that Ye He Qi’s eyesight had failed him—rather, Shi Zi Chu appeared so young, frail, and gaunt, with sallow skin and wearing a plain pudding-colored skirt. She looked so different from before that one could only say there was no resemblance.
“Clan Chief Ye.” Shi Zi Chu flashed a bright smile, her peach blossom eyes sparkling. “You don’t look too well, Clan Chief Ye.”
Ye He Qi, in his fine, embroidered robes, clearly carried an air of nobility, though it was obvious from his condition that he was badly wounded.
“I was ambushed,” Ye He Qi said casually, then noticed the dried blood on Shi Zi Chu’s skirt. “Did you just kill someone?”
Shi Zi Chu nodded slightly. She approached and extended her hand. “There’s no village ahead and no inn behind. Perhaps you need a place to rest and tend to your wounds?”
Looking at her delicate wrist, Ye He Qi was worried he might accidentally break it.
“I can still walk,” Ye He Qi gently declined, “but I have a cut on my back. I’ll trouble you with that.”
Shi Zi Chu nodded.
An old temple.
Ye He Qi sat before the fire, resting with his eyes closed. After some time, Shi Zi Chu returned with herbs for stopping the bleeding and promoting healing.
As Ye He Qi opened his eyes, he saw her approach with the herbs in hand.
Shi Zi Chu raised the herbs and walked over, working on them as she asked, “Seventh Prince?”
The task had appeared in her mind as soon as Ye He Qi appeared, and with his fine clothes, it was impossible not to guess his identity.
Ye He Qi, watching the young woman squat down to handle the herbs, answered frankly, “Mhm.”
Then he asked, “Does your task have anything to do with me?”
Shi Zi Chu’s identity was supposed to be a farm girl, and they had only recently arrived here, so there was no reason for someone like her to know a prince unless she had guessed it from the task reminder.
Shi Zi Chu didn’t answer the question directly. After finishing with the herbs, she said, “Take off your clothes. I’ll apply the medicine.”
Ye He Qi didn’t hesitate. He undid his robe and bared his upper body.
The cool herbal paste made him tense as it touched his wound.
His smooth, well-defined muscles were now even more prominent, and his pale skin looked like fine white jade.
Shi Zi Chu glanced at him by the firelight.
Ye He Qi, usually a picture of slim elegance, had a much better physique than she had expected under his robes.
Shi Zi Chu’s admiring glance made Ye He Qi feel slightly awkward. It felt as though he were a piece of fish on the chopping board, simply there for her to observe.
“Done,” Shi Zi Chu said.
She sat down on the side, feeling sleepy.
By the time Ye He Qi had finished dressing, she was already dozing off, her chin resting in her hands, her small form resembling a stray cat.
Ye He Qi glanced at her, but as he was about to close his eyes, he heard Shi Zi Chu murmur, “My task is to become the Seventh Prince’s Consort.”
Ye He Qi froze.
No wonder the tasks in the Ten Thousand Visions Realm were so tricky. This was more than tricky!
“I’ll take a nap,” Shi Zi Chu muttered, moving a short distance away to lean against a pillar, curling up into a ball and falling asleep.
Her body, both hungry and exhausted, had already pushed its limits by killing, setting fires, and traveling so far.
When she woke up, there were several guards in the temple, all dressed in military uniforms.
The fire in front of Ye He Qi had already gone out, and daylight had broken.
“Awake?” Ye He Qi’s soft and refined voice asked.
Shi Zi Chu nodded, slowly standing and walking over to take the flatbread Ye He Qi handed her. She took a bite.
The flatbread was warm, far better than the cold steamed bun she had eaten earlier!
The guards nearby looked at the thin, dirty girl. Despite her grimy appearance, her eyes were clear and bright, and there was something magnetic about her.
Ye He Qi stood up slowly. “I’m heading to the military camp. What are your plans?”
Shi Zi Chu could definitely not go to the military camp.
“No plans,” she replied, smiling gently under Ye He Qi’s gaze.
One task was to die peacefully, and the other was to become the Seventh Prince’s Consort. The Seventh Prince was Ye He Qi. This task was neither too difficult nor too simple. As for the other task, there was no need to rush.
With thoughts of her absurd task, Ye He Qi spoke, “We’ll meet in the capital.”
Shi Zi Chu waved her hand, taking a bite of the flatbread as she walked away.
After parting from Ye He Qi, she spent some time making her way to the town.
She stayed there for a day, gathering the necessary information, before setting off toward the capital.
The Capital
With no particular business, Shi Zi Chu strolled through the streets, taking in the sights. It had been two months since she entered the city.
The capital was bustling, as one would expect beneath the emperor’s rule.
“Have you heard? Princess Rou is throwing a ball to choose a husband!”
“Why is Princess Rou suddenly seeking a husband?”
“Who knows?”
“She’s the emperor’s most beloved princess. Is she really going to choose a husband like this?”
As soon as Shi Zi Chu entered the city, news of Princess Rou’s matchmaker ball filled her ears.
Without a doubt, the Princess Rou they were talking about was Chu Zhi Rou.
Shi Zi Chu felt no particular reaction or interest. She found an inn and rested.
Meanwhile, at the Princess’s residence…
[Heroine System Binding…System Binding Successful!]
The sudden mechanical voice startled Chu Zhi Rou. The glass lantern in her hand dropped to the floor, and the palace maid kneeling before her trembled in fear.
[Hello, heroine. I am your system003.]
After the simple introduction, a sharp pain pierced through Chu Zhi Rou’s head, and countless plots flooded her mind.
The palace maid, seeing Chu Zhi Rou clutching her head in pain, quickly rushed to summon the imperial physician. However, before the physician arrived, Chu Zhi Rou had recovered.
“System?” Chu Zhi Rou tried communicating with her spiritual sense.
Perhaps because of the plot, she felt no wariness towards this system named 003.
She thought of it as her fortune!
As if sensing her thoughts, system003 spoke, [The villainous supporting character, Shi Zi Chu, is stealing your fortune. I will help you reclaim it.]
Chu Zhi Rou recalled the information 003 had transmitted.
In the plot, she was beloved by all. After joining her master’s school, everything went smoothly, and she eventually became a revered figure, surrounded by numerous admirers.
With this in mind, Chu Zhi Rou’s breath quickened, her eyes shining with desire and longing for the future.
Then, her prideful gaze turned dark and malicious.
But everything had changed after the trial in the Green Mountain Secret Realm!
The subsequent events had deviated from the plot!
Shi Zi Chu!
That wicked wretch!
She had dared to steal her fortune!
003 spoke again, [The villainous supporting character has stolen your most important item—your spatial storage ring! You must retrieve it as soon as possible!]
Chu Zhi Rou bit her lip, using her spiritual sense to ask, “What should I do?”
The Ten Thousand Visions Realm had three thousand worlds. How would she know where Shi Zi Chu would be?
[Shi Zi Chu is in the capital. You’re a princess, and she’s a lowly commoner.] System003 provided the exact location.
A great opportunity had arrived!
Chu Zhi Rou’s eyes lit up. She knew exactly what to do without needing further guidance from the system.