chapter 03

The next morning, Shen Lingzhu sat silently at the dining table. She had been forced to attend the scheduled party for the weekend, which she did not want at all. She wasn't prepared yet; she hadn't found a plan to escape from this family.

She knew very well that she couldn't simply run away. This world was too advanced, and they would find her in seconds. Also, according to the laws of this world, she was still considered a minor until she turned twenty.

She knew that she would need more time to understand this new world and slowly plan her escape from this family. But the party was something she couldn't avoid, and she had to attend.

While she was eating, her older sister, Ling Xuan, entered the room with a sarcastic smile on her face, watching Shen Lingzhu closely. This had become a familiar scene for her, as Ling Xuan always found joy in humiliating her.

Ling Xuan sat at the table, smiling mockingly:

"You're going to the party, aren't you?" She said in a low voice, full of challenge. "What do you think you'll do there? I don't think anyone will even take you; maybe some old man will like your dirty face."

Shen Lingzhu did not respond to her; it was better not to pay her any attention. But Ling Xuan didn't stop at words. The original owner of the body didn't know why her sister hated her, but Shen Lingzhu wasn't blind. She could clearly see the jealousy hidden in Ling Xuan's eyes.

The thing was, it didn't make sense. What could this girl possibly be jealous of? She had always been better than her sister in every way.

Shen Lingzhu wasn't curious enough to ask, and she didn't care either.

She finished her breakfast and left the dining room. As she descended the stairs, she suddenly felt danger. Her survival instinct had always been sensitive to any life-threatening situation. But she was too slow.

Ling Xuan had pushed her down the stairs.

Shen Lingzhu fell to the ground, but no one noticed. Not the servants in the hallway nor the family just a few steps away. Everyone was busy with their own matters, and not a single eye glanced at the assault she had just endured.

Shen Lingzhu didn't show any reaction. She quietly got up, feeling the anger burning inside her. The flames of resentment engulfed her heart; she even felt her body burning. She felt deeply upset and pitied what that little girl had to endure under this large and lavish roof, surrounded by her family.

After confirming that Shen Lingzhu was in a miserable state, Ling Xuan dusted off her hands in satisfaction and left.

Shen Lingzhu stood there, her immense anger rising in her chest like a volcano about to erupt.

Suddenly, she felt something familiar enveloping her heart and mind. She quickly headed to her room and stood before the mirror, gazing at her face for several long seconds. As soon as she entered the room, she focused on this feeling and tried to intensify it. There was an unfamiliar power flowing within her body. She felt something, a hidden energy that had always been part of her, but now she felt it more than ever. This power glowed and boiled, as though it could sense its wielder's angry mood.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on that energy. In her mind, she tried to imagine a flame above her palm.

Suddenly, a brilliant blaze erupted from her hands. In the next moment, she felt something burning in her palm. She opened her eyes to see a bright flame igniting in her hand.

"Is this possible?" she whispered to herself in astonishment.

This fire was different. It was brighter than anything she had ever felt before, even more powerful than it had been in her old world. Yes, her power had come with her.

Shen Lingzhu was elated by this thought, unable to suppress the charming smile on her face. Thinking about her other ability, she extended her other hand toward the small table in front of her and focused on her ice power. She suddenly found herself controlling the energy of ice, and snow began to form at her fingertips slowly, gathering into snowflakes and spreading across the table's surface, leaving behind a frozen spot that quietly shimmered.

Shen Lingzhu smiled with joy.

"This is good; at least I will have a hidden card to defend myself."

Even if this world seemed peaceful, it was far from it, with the Zerigs and various fierce monsters in the galaxy. Even though the guards and army were responsible for protecting civilians, it wouldn't hurt to have her own power to protect herself from any emergencies.

Shen Lingzhu was in a state of euphoria, feeling as if she had regained something she thought she had lost—the power that had once defined her, the power that had given her hope and helped her survive those terrifying days. Now, she had something that could help her, something she could use and trust in this dark world.

Hours passed, and Shen Lingzhu began to immerse herself in her inner world. She practiced her energy control enthusiastically, trying to focus on her dual powers—ice and fire—carefully transferring the energy within her body's vessels.

In the end times, the best way to enhance and strengthen abilities was by absorbing a zombie nucleus. But there was another method, which was meditation and circulating energy through the body, very similar to how martial artists controlled energy with their breathing at the Dantian.

She felt her body adjusting to these powers faster than she expected. Every hour that passed made her stronger and stronger. She was happy—no, elated. Everything seemed within her reach now. She spent hours in endless attempts, every minute making her feel stronger and more powerful than before, even feeling that her energy had become purer and more abundant than ever.

Time passed quickly, and Shen Lingzhu didn't realize how tired she was until dawn. She sat on the bed, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to finally sleep after a long day of training.

When Shen Lingzhu opened her eyes the next day, she was surprised by something unexpected. There was a small bird, red in color, bright and beautiful, resting in her lap. It looked like a puffed-up red ball, breathing calmly next to her face. It was very small and covered in soft feathers, its eyes closed in deep sleep.

The bird was so cute that Shen Lingzhu felt a strange sensation. She couldn't quite pinpoint what this feeling was. Was it joy? Or just a warm feeling of a different kind? It felt as though there was an invisible connection between her and this small bird.

Shen Lingzhu tried to move her hand carefully to touch the bird. It seemed that the bird sensed her proximity and suddenly opened its eyes. Its eyes were golden and gleaming. Then, it flew quickly toward her face, bringing with it innocence, vitality, and love that was unmistakable.

It approached her face and began to hug her, covering her face with its wings in a quick motion. It chirped with joy, and the sound it made was a sweet, happy melody. Shen Lingzhu smiled, and despite her astonishment, she felt a deep sense of belonging to this bird.

"Hello, little bird, how did you get here?" Shen Lingzhu said as she stroked its soft, warm feathers.

It didn't seem like she had opened the window last night.

Suddenly, Shen Lingzhu felt thoughts that didn't seem to be her own, repeating that it was her spiritual companion.

"Spiritual companion?" she said skeptically, then looked at the bird that was rubbing her hands lovingly.

Wait, did you just respond to me? Did you enter my mind?

After the bird nodded as if it understood what she was saying, it shared its thoughts with her again. 

But this time, Shen Lingzhu was shocked. Of course, she had to be shocked—because the bird said that she was a rare-grade 3S spiritual guide, and it was the legendary Phoenix bird, a companion that hadn't existed for centuries.

"Are you sure you're a Phoenix and not a chicken?" Shen Lingzhu thought to herself.

Then she felt a light tap on her hand. It seemed that spiritual companion animals had a strong connection with their host, as the poor bird knew exactly what she was thinking and got angry.

Shen Lingzhu laughed and held the bird to her face, then began to kiss it lovingly.

"Alright, alright, you're a powerful and beautiful Phoenix. I'm sorry."

It seemed the bird liked this praise, as its feathers rose toward the sky, as if saying, "Of course, that's natural."

After realizing that she was a guide, Shen Lingzhu opened her smart mind and searched for useful information on the matter.

For now, she would hide her powers and the fact that she was a guide. She wasn't stupid enough to make herself a pawn in the hands of this dog-like family.

She preferred to live a normal life away from these matters. But what she found ruined her plan. It was said that the guards and guides could sense each other, and her obnoxious sister, who was also a guide, was in this house.

How would she conceal her power now?

It seemed the bird could feel her dilemma.

It reached out to her spiritually, telling her not to worry. As long as she remained in this small form, her type as a guide would go unnoticed.

Finally, Shen Lingzhu sighed and relaxed a bit.

After knowing she wouldn't be noticed, she let the bird climb onto her shoulder and left her room. She was very hungry and hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday.

It wasn't yet breakfast time, so she went to the kitchen and took some food from the servants. Although the original had been bullied and ignored by the family, it seemed the servants did nothing more than utter a few words and insults. This was a good thing; at least they wouldn't starve her to death. She didn't like the feeling of hunger. At the end of the world, she had to endure, but here, in this new world, she would eat every day until she was full. With this thought, Shen Lingzhu smiled happily.

After eating, she found that there was nothing to do. She was going to try to leave the house to see this new world. Even though she had seen the original's memories, they were just fleeting images, and she didn't feel them herself.

But suddenly, a large robot entered, and it seemed to be holding a beautiful white dress. Shen Lingzhu was confused.

"What is it?" she asked the robot.

In this era, nobles employed only human servants for the sake of showing off and adding a luxurious and sophisticated touch to their homes. Almost everything could be done by household robots.

The robot said in a harsh mechanical voice, "The master has requested that you wear this and prepare to go to the party by evening."

Shen Lingzhu had completely forgotten about the party. Today was the weekend. She looked at the beautiful backless dress, and her brow furrowed with anger.

This cheap father couldn't find a more modest dress. This dress was backless, completely bare from the back. He must be trying to draw attention to "his goods" in every possible way.

The original had a well-sculpted body, a jade-like white face, beautiful and delicate, with cherry-red lips and large, double-lidded eyes that captivated anyone who looked at her. After putting on the dress, with a little decoration and light makeup, anyone who looked at

his beauty would feel a desire to possess her.

Shen Lingzhu sighed, feeling that this party was going to be very, very bad.