"...Mm."
The little girl's small body regained consciousness in an unfamiliar place. She startled and quickly sat up, only to discover she was lying on a bed with a wonderfully soft, thick mattress. And it was incredibly warm. The little girl remembered having strange dreams when she passed out, but couldn't recall the details clearly.
She swept her gaze around. This place looked like a spacious hall filled with equipment and strange objects. But her instinct made the little girl not dare move to touch anything.
"You're awake?"
The voice full of charm and authority that she had heard in her dream rang out again, making her turn sharply to look. Before her was the most beautiful young woman the little girl had ever seen in her life. Even actresses or models in advertisements couldn't compare to even a fraction of this young woman.
And she was filled with a strange authority that made her feel like kneeling down.
"...Wh-who are you, big sister?"
The little girl asked stammering. Her small hands clutched her shoulder. When she remembered she had a wound in the middle of her back, she flinched, but when she reached back to touch it, she found those wounds were gone. But faint traces remained that still hurt a little when touched.
"I treated you."
Realizing what the young woman before her said was true, the little girl quickly scrambled down from the bed. Before getting down, she turned to look at the white bed with fear that she had dirtied it, then was surprised that it wasn't dirty at all.
"Th-thank you so much!"
She bowed her head until it almost touched the floor. Her adorable manner made even the cold Bai Fanxian unable to help revealing a faint smile.
This little girl's personality reminded her of her close little companion from back then.
That time, she had also picked up Hui'er from outside. She too had no parents to raise her but lived the most honest life until even she felt affection.
This time would probably be like that time.
"Benefactor big sister... what's your name?" The little girl looked up and asked timidly. Because she hadn't bathed or cut her hair in so long, her hair hung down covering her face until it was hard to see clearly.
"Why?" Bai Fanxian asked with interest.
The little girl who heard the question looked left and right awkwardly. She examined her own body—there was only the half-eaten lump of bread in her pants pocket.
"I... right now I don't have anything, but wait until I grow up, I'll repay benefactor big sister!"
When she said this sentence, her eyes showed fierce determination. But it was also because of this sentence that Bai Fanxian was surprised.
Even her words were similar?
"...Bai Fanxian."
"Benefactor Big Sister Bai!" The little girl quickly memorized the name of the young woman who saved her life in the deepest part of her mind. She tried to stare at Bai Fanxian's face so she wouldn't forget when she grew up.
She promised herself that when she grew up, she would try to earn lots of money and repay the life-saving grace.
Seeing her gaze, Bai Fanxian raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"How will you repay me?"
"Ah... um, I'll find work, and earn lots of money..." The little girl answered stammering. After all, she was just a 7-year-old child. Her thoughts were still full of innocence and naivety.
Bai Fanxian looked at the little girl before her who was thinking of ways to repay her with affection. Seeing the little girl starting to not know how to answer, she stopped this little teasing for now.
"Then would you like to stay and serve me here?"
Bai Fanxian asked in a warm tone. She bent down and used her exquisite hand to gently stroke the little girl's head, while also brushing away the hair that fell covering the little girl's face so her face could be seen clearly.
The little girl was still stunned by the question from earlier.
She was completely unaware of the hand and sweet fragrance now touching her head.
Before this, she had tried to find work, but because of her age, no place wanted to take on the burden. She had been living alone and isolated for so long she wasn't sure anymore.
But now someone was telling her she could stay.
And it was the benefactor who saved her life.
The little girl's tears flowed out until her face was soaked. She sobbed and cried with joy. Her mouth kept repeating words of thanks.
"Thank you, Benefactor Big Sister Bai... thank you, Benefactor Big Sister Bai..."
Bai Fanxian looked at the little girl's tear-filled face with mixed feelings. She stood up and asked the little girl:
"What's your name?"
"Hui'er... Mother called me Hui'er." Though full of tears, the little girl quickly answered promptly. Bai Fanxian who heard that answer trembled.
Even the name was the same?
It must be fate.
The young woman closed her eyes. In her mind, she thought of the image of that little girl with an innocent face but full of determination, and could only sigh.
"...Go bathe first."
.
.
.
While Hui'er was bathing in the large tub set up in the corner of the room, Bai Fanxian suddenly walked around surveying the room. She dug out everything she could remember. Many of her records including various pills were all brought out.
"...That's right."
The young woman walked straight to the work desk. There, besides many documents and books, there was also a flip-lid clock that worked with ancient mechanisms placed there.
She reached out to pick it up. Part of her thought of an unexpected possibility. Her final elixir concoction had brought her to a world she didn't know.
Or another hypothesis.
Bai Fanxian gently opened the clock lid. This clock was made by her companion specifically for her to use in this room. So she wouldn't work or cultivate until she lost track of time. She would reset it every time she entered this room to check how much time had passed.
But when her gaze glanced at the clock face, her eyes had to widen.
10,000 years 03 hours 24 minutes 19 seconds
An impossible time number appeared on the clock face.
Initially, her companion had only made the numbers go up to 6 digits as a joke with personal humor. Because a stopwatch like this could never run for one hundred thousand years.
But ten thousand years had happened.
And it had happened to her!
Bai Fanxian gathered her composure. With the loftiness of her power level, there was no way her mind would be weak. Thinking of all the possibilities that would occur if ten thousand years had passed, her body couldn't help but tremble.
The palace she established.
Companions or acquaintances.
Or even her close little companion, Hui'er.
Everything was gone.
No matter how strong a cultivator's power was, living for ten thousand years was impossible. Even in historical records, the person with the highest power only lived 300 years.
"...You've all departed."
The young woman murmured softly, thinking of the past.
No matter how strong her mind was, even though she was called the "Alchemy Empress," the only one of her era.
But when she knew that everything she was attached to had died with time, she couldn't help but feel sad.
"...Benefactor Big Sister Bai?"
Little Hui'er, who had finished bathing, turned to see her benefactor big sister holding a clock in her hand showing a sorrowful expression and quickly ran over to check.
The little girl even forgot about clothes. But those old, torn clothes were the only set she had left.
Bai Fanxian, who was lost in thought, was called back to her senses by Hui'er's small voice. She turned to look at the little girl who was frowning with worry for her, and couldn't help but smile faintly at the corner of her mouth.
That's right.
Even a little girl who was only 7 years old had such determination in life.
Then how could I, who am 25 years old... no, ten thousand and 25 years old, show such
weakness?
Very well then. After ten thousand years have passed, how has this world changed?
I shall see with my own eyes!