Wonderous Palace.
In the midst of deep autumn, a chill lingered in the air.
Standing in the courtyard, Wen Zhixing's complexion was waxen yellow, his eyes sunken, his skin dry and wrinkled.
The wide sleeves of his robe could hardly conceal his thin frame, which fluttered feebly like the last flame in the wind.
The next moment, a transparent, colorless frame appeared before his eyes, containing a line of small characters.
[You have been ravaged for several days, your Pure Yang Body has been broken, your primordial yang depleted, urgently requiring kidney replenishment and consolidation of the primordial essence.]
This demoness of the Wonderous Palace... is too cruel, my body is practically ruined...
The thought of his recent ordeal made him feel disheartened.
He had died of sudden overwork during an all-nighter and ended up in this world, unlike his previous life.
In this world, demons ran amok, and lords dominated their territories. Sages founded sects to spread their teachings, with many powers competing against each other in chaotic times.
Wen Zhixing was originally a mere hunter, known in his locality for his youthful good looks. His build was robust, and he was hardworking. Those who sought to arrange marriage were in endless procession.
Just a few days ago, Wen Zhixing, out hunting, chanced upon a woman lying injured in the wilderness. Kind-hearted, he rescued her. Little did he expect that the person he saved was the infamous female cultivator of the Wonderous Palace.
The members of the Wonderous Palace practiced a cultivation skill called Wonderous Skill. Just by the name, one could tell it was not a proper cultivation skill. Wen Zhixing was just a mere mortal; how could he stand a chance against this female cultivator? He was immediately subdued and defiled. And thus, he was swept away into the bounds of the Wonderous Palace.
"...COUGH... COUGH COUGH..."
Wen Zhixing coughed lightly a few more times.
The cold wind was biting, lifting the silver strands of hair by his temples and gently brushing his slightly irritated, worn face.
He now knew that the demoness he had encountered was actually the palace master of the Wonderous Palace. Such was his luck.
The current situation was that he was alive and had even become a disciple of the Wonderous Palace, allocated a separate little courtyard for rest.
Disciple my ass!
Wen Zhixing's expression was gloomy. He was well aware of his current predicament. If it weren't for his unique constitution, he would be dead or discarded in the wilderness by now.
I need to recover quickly and sneak away.
Wen Zhixing wasn't considering revenge at the moment. All he wanted to do was escape; other concerns could wait until later. But currently, his body was too weak; even walking a few steps was a struggle.
Luckily, after crossing over into this world, Wen Zhixing triggered his own 'golden finger,' which gave him some confidence.
——
[Name: Wen Zhixing.]
[Life-span: 17/20.]
[Fortune: None.]
——
This was a simple attribute panel that occasionally provided prompts. As for the rest, Wen Zhixing had yet to understand it thoroughly.
"Only three years of life-span remaining..." Wen Zhixing murmured softly to himself.
It was normal for his life to be reduced to so little after being tormented like that.
"Wen, junior brother."
Suddenly, a crisp call came from outside the courtyard.
Wen Zhixing quickly collected his thoughts and turned to look.
He saw a young girl dressed in a green dress hurry into the courtyard. The girl had a round, egg-shaped face and seemed petite, but as she walked, the pure white lining of her chest revealed bulging curves with each bounce. As they say, her charms were deeply hidden. With each sway, she exuded a tantalizing allure. Despite her immature scent, it was enough to stir the heart. The girl's name was Qiu Yinger, and she was also a disciple of the Wonderous Palace.
"Junior Brother Wen, you have not yet recovered. Why not go inside to rest?" Qiu Yinger's smile was warm, seemingly filled with concern.
[Deep in Qiu Yinger's eyes was complete indifference, her gaze towards you as if looking at a dog, don't flatter yourself.]
Wen Zhixing was speechless. How could he not be aware of this? The girl before him was delicate and pleasing to the eye, but he knew very well what kind of place Wonderous Palace was. This place was full of viperous women! He dared not take it lightly in the slightest.
"I pay my respects to Senior Sister Qiu."
Lowering his stance, Wen Zhixing was just about to perform a courtesy when his legs gave way, almost causing him to fall to the ground. But in the end, he managed to steady himself. He forced a smile onto his face and spoke somewhat unnaturally, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. My body is recovering very well."
Yinger watched Wen Zhixing's gaunt and weakened appearance without the slightest intention of offering a helping hand. A hint of disgust flashed in the depths of her eyes, but her mouth still feigned concern as she asked, "Junior Brother Wen, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Wen Zhixing waved his hands hastily, wanting to say more, but then a transparent, colorless panel popped up before his eyes.
[Fortune Fragment detected. Would you like to spend a month's life-span to randomly acquire it?]
Fortune Fragment?
Wen Zhixing was stunned. His body became restless for no apparent reason.
Above Qiu Yinger's head appeared halos of different colors. Most of them were gray, a few were white, and amongst them were hints of deep blue and radiant purple.
[Fortune levels: Gray, White, Blue, Purple, Gold!]
[The higher the grade of the fragment, the higher the probability of obtaining high-quality fortune!]
[You may only draw a Fortune Fragment once per day.]
[The higher your cultivation, the more times you can draw.]
So this is a Fortune Fragment... to spend life-span to acquire it...
His eyes flickered, and he felt a slight excitement inside.
The so-called Fortune Fragments, could they be the fortunes of others?
"Junior Brother Wen, I have come today to bring you some elixirs for your recovery and a cultivation skill," Qiu Yinger remained oblivious to all this, glancing at him once before speaking of her own accord. "Previously, your body was too weak to benefit from these, but now you can just barely take them."
With a flip of her jade hands, a green jade bottle and a creamy jade slip appeared in her palm.
Elixirs, cultivation skill...
Wen Zhixing came back to his senses and immediately sensed a trap. People from Wonderous Palace were never so kind-hearted. A chill went through his heart, but his face showed a look of surprise as he said, "Senior Sister, how could I deserve such generosity from you?"
"If I tell you to take it, then take it." Qiu Yinger's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment. "You saved the palace master's life; she will not treat you unfairly."
"This... Thank you, Senior Sister." Wen Zhixing no longer declined and gratefully bowed to receive them.
"Alright, Junior Brother Wen, you should rest well. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb your rest any further," Qiu Yinger said, her eyelids lowered as she looked at the foolishly happy Wen Zhixing with a barely noticeable sneer. Immediately, she twisted her long legs and turned to leave.
"Farewell, Senior Sister."
Wen Zhixing once again paid his respects dutifully.
Qiu Yinger walked a few steps, then turned her head for one last look. Seeing that his bowed head never lifted, she finally nodded in satisfaction.
Actually, she knew Wen Zhixing would not be so easily dealt with. But, what of it? As long as Wen Zhixing started taking the elixirs and practicing the cultivation skill, there would be no escape for him in the future.
A moment later, Wen Zhixing slowly raised his head, his expression returning to normal.
Both parties knew the other was just playing a part, but neither would call the other out. Qiu Yinger surely did not come with good intentions this time; there must be something wrong with the elixirs and the cultivation skill. He had to hurry and save himself!
I can afford to spend a month's life-span.
Wen Zhixing's gaze flickered, a decisive look in his eye.
[Commencing the random acquisition of a Fortune Fragment.]