"This girl didn't crack her skull and die, did she? She's been lying here for two hours and still hasn't woken up. Should we call a doctor to take a look?"
As consciousness slowly returned, Xi Qingyue heard a woman's voice speaking.
"What's there to look at? What nonsense are you spouting? She just bumped her head, that's all. She'll be fine after a good sleep. It's not like she's the only one—she sold her little sister, didn't she? Why get so worked up over it? A three-year-old kid, what use is she sticking around? Just a burden, plain and simple."
"What if she starts causing trouble again when she wakes up? She was like a madwoman back then. Once she realizes Er Ya's gone, she'll definitely kick up a fuss. We already took five silver taels for selling her—there's no way we can get her back."
A man let out a displeased snort. "Her parents are gone, leaving just the two girls for us to deal with. We've got our own kid to raise—we can't afford to feed too many mouths. If she acts up, we'll sell her off too."
Hearing the man and woman talking outside the door, Xi Qingyue's mind gradually cleared, and she snapped open her sharp eyes.
What followed was sheer astonishment—she was alive again?
Hadn't she died alongside the zombies? Where was this place?
She lifted her head and glanced around, but before she could examine the room's furnishings, a sudden dizziness struck her, followed by a piercing headache.
Fragments of memories cascaded into her mind like stars falling from a vast sky, the intense pain making her clutch her head, unable to move for a long while.
After a moment, Xi Qingyue wiped the thin sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and sorted through the newly received memories in her mind.
The original owner of this body was also named Xi Qingyue, only eight years old. Her father had gone missing three years ago while buying supplies in town.
Her mother had struggled to raise two children while also caring for her mother-in-law, who had passed away from illness six months earlier.
Three days ago, her mother had gone up the mountain to pick mushrooms but was bitten by a venomous snake. She died from the poison because treatment came too late.
The original owner also had a three-year-old sister, who had been born after their father disappeared and had never seen what he looked like.
Soon after their mother's death, their uncle and aunt had gotten ideas. They figured a three-year-old was too young to work and would be a burden to raise, so they decided to sell her.
Today, when the slave trader came to take the sister away, the original owner fought desperately to stop it. But after two days of starvation, she had no strength. In the scuffle, she was pushed to the ground, hit her head, and died.
Thinking of that little three-year-old in her memories—the sister the original owner had fought to protect with her life—Xi Qingyue sighed softly. Even in death, she hadn't been able to stop it; in the end, the girl was still sold.
"You can rest assured," she murmured, almost to herself. "Since I've taken your body to live another life, I'll find your sister and take good care of her as repayment."
"Thank you." An extremely faint voice sounded in her ear, like an auditory illusion. She felt a lightness all over, as if some invisible shackle had suddenly vanished.
A flicker of surprise passed through Xi Qingyue's eyes. That must be the lingering obsession of the original owner.
If that was the case, she'd better set out to rescue the girl as soon as possible.
Leaning weakly on the bed frame, she sat up. Taking in the simple mud-brick house, she actually felt it wasn't so bad—at least no more fighting zombies.
She slowly stood, but her legs gave way, and she collapsed back onto the bed. Having eaten little and gone hungry for too long, her body had no strength at all.
Frowning, Xi Qingyue looked down at her frail form. In this state, she could barely make it out of the village, let alone rescue anyone.
"If only my space and abilities were still here," she thought to herself. "Even just the space would let me fill my stomach first."
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she vanished from the room.
The next moment, Xi Qingyue stood within a space that was incredibly familiar to her.
Gazing at the lush green grass and the clear spring before her, she froze for a second, then a joyful smile spread across her face.
This space was something she had acquired by accident before the apocalypse began. While peeling an apple, she had cut her finger, and the blood dripped onto the bracelet on her wrist. To her surprise, the bracelet contained a strange space—one that could continuously upgrade.
The space had multiple zones: one for storing food and keeping it fresh; a planting area where crops could grow rapidly; and a pasture where livestock like chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep could run freely on the grass.
Within the space, there was a spiritual well over a meter wide, with clear, sweet water that never ran dry no matter how much was taken.
Drink this water, and her body never got sick. Strangely, every time a new natural disaster struck, she would awaken a new ability.
Later, in the apocalypse, she gained wind, water, earth, and wood abilities one after another. As her abilities grew stronger, the space also expanded step by step—she wasn't sure if there was a connection between the two.
Over three years in the apocalypse, she used her space and abilities to kill zombies and withstand disasters while stockpiling supplies. She took everything that could fit into the space, since what wasn't saved would otherwise be destroyed by zombies or the extreme cold and heat of the wasteland.
Looking at the luxury villa and the supply warehouse nearby, she was filled with delight. Was fate giving her a chance to retire peacefully here?
But then her smile faded. She seemed only able to see the static zone of the space—just one warehouse, with the rest obscured by a thin mist. The livestock, crops, and everything else were invisible. Did that mean they would only appear as her abilities upgraded, just like before?
Checking her abilities, she found they were still there but weak, no stronger than when she'd first awakened them.
Still, she wasn't disappointed. This was already a great help—having both her abilities and one warehouse was more than she needed.
"Anyway, there are no zombies here. I'll just level up slowly over time."
By the spiritual well, she picked up a large teacup left nearby and drank two cups. She felt her body instantly revive, full of energy.
"This spiritual spring water is amazing," she sighed with emotion.
With a thought, a box of chocolate appeared in her hand. She tore open the package and ate her fill.
Once full and energized, she left the Space immediately. It was time to get down to business.
She slowly opened the door to find a man and a woman sitting in the yard, both around twenty-something years old. They were, of course, the original owner's uncle and aunt.
"You're awake—good. Listen, Da Ya, it's not that your uncle's heartless. Your sister's just three—she can't help around the house. Selling her gets us some money for the family. The weather's dry, harvests are bad. One less mouth means everyone else can get by a little easier."
At her uncle's words, Xi Qingyue let out a cold laugh. "Why not sell your son? Or sell yourself?"
"You insolent brat! How dare you speak to me like that? I'm your uncle! With your parents gone, what I say goes. I sell whoever I want. If you don't behave, I'll sell you too." Xi Erniu said it with utter self-assurance.
The moment he finished, Xi Qingyue's expression shifted. She shot forward like a gust of wind, her small body leaping up as she threw a punch straight at Xi Erniu's face.
Xi Erniu saw stars from the blow, a few of his teeth knocked out and spat out mixed with blood as he fell backward to the ground.
"Ah..."
Cheng Dingxiang, seeing her man knocked down, shrieked and nearly popped her eyes out. She grabbed a broom nearby and charged at Xi Qingyue. "You murderous wretch, you dare hit people? I'll fight you to the death!"
Xi Qingyue dodged nimbly, then kicked out, sending her opponent flying backward, spitting blood and collapsing unconscious.
She glanced at her hands and feet with satisfaction. This body's strength was extraordinary—naturally born with immense power, which was precisely why she had been starved for two days. They knew they couldn't beat her otherwise.
She stomped one foot on Xi Erniu's chest and demanded fiercely, "Tell me, where was my little sister sold?"
Xi Erniu, both furious and in pain, gritted his teeth. "I don't know. The flesh trader didn't say."
"Oh? Is that so?" Xi Qingyue stepped on his knee. A crack sounded, followed by a scream like a pig being butchered.
"Are you going to talk or not? Where was she sold? If you won't say, you don't get to live." With that, she reached for his throat.
Just then, a child of about seven ran in from outside—Xi Erniu's son, back from playing.
Seeing the scene before him, he screamed in terror and rage. "Da Ya, you dare hit my parents! I'm going to tell the village head! You're unfilial and wicked, you'll get caned!"
Xi Qingyue flashed him a smile, then, before he could run off, grabbed him with one hand and knocked him out with a palm strike.
Holding Xi You by the scruff of his neck, she grinned at Xi Erniu. "Tell me where my sister was sold, and give me the silver you took from the sale. Otherwise, I'll knock you out and sell your son myself—to a place you'll never find him. Try me if you don't believe it."
