Chapter 7: Good Heavens

"Huh? Where did it go?"

Ying Shu looked at Su Xining in bewilderment. "Did you take it back?"

Su Xining was equally confused. "No, I didn't."

"Then why did it disappear?"

Su Xining recalled the scene from just a moment ago. "Did you store it in your spatial dimension?"

Ying Shu looked down at herself. "Spatial dimension? I don't have one."

"Perhaps you just awakened it and didn't realize it. Try closing your eyes and feeling around. See if there is a glowing area around you; that is your space."

Ying Shu followed her instructions, closing her eyes to focus. To her surprise, she saw a glowing area, and the box that had vanished earlier was inside it. "I see the box you gave me, but how do I take it out?"

After Su Xining explained the method, she asked, "What did you see when you were unconscious earlier?"

Ying Shu replied, "I appeared in a space where all the flowers, trees, and plants were in full bloom."

Su Xining said, "You might also have wood-elemental abilities; otherwise, your wounds wouldn't have healed so quickly."

Ying Shu asked curiously, "Wood-elemental abilities can heal wounds?"

"They can, but generally only for superficial wounds. For example, if your hand is cut by a knife, you can use wood-elemental powers to heal it. However, it wouldn't work for a gunshot wound because it’s too deep; you could only heal the surface, but you wouldn't be able to restore it completely. Besides that, wood-elemental abilities can accelerate the growth of plants. The higher your level, the faster they grow. You can also communicate with various plants. The way to level up is to use your abilities frequently. Aside from these two, did you awaken any other powers?"

"I don't know."

Ying Shu shook her head. Then, as if remembering something, she jumped up suddenly, anxious. "My mission failed, how do I go back?"

Su Xining was puzzled. "Can't you go back whenever you want?"

"No."

Su Xining: "..."

Ying Shu paced back and forth anxiously until she saw the items on her bike.

"Right, here are the instant noodles and hot water I brought. Please check them."

She put the water down and moved the three boxes of instant noodles in front of Su Xining.

"..."

Su Xining took the three boxes.

[Ding—]

[The portal will close in one minute. Employee, please prepare for your return.]

Ying Shu said happily, "I can go back now."

Su Xining hurriedly put down the boxes and recited her daughter's description, age, and address.

Ying Shu added her as a friend, promising to have her send the address once she returned.

A minute later, Ying Shu vanished from before Su Xining's eyes. When she reappeared, she was back in Ginkgo Alley.

[Ding—]

[Congratulations on receiving a five-star review. However, as you completed the mission overtime, you only receive 300 merit points and 300 credit points. Would the employee like to perform a draw for an upgrade?]

"Upgrade? Upgrade what?"

Ying Shu opened her personal profile.

[Name: Ying Shu]
[Age: 22]
[Merit: 1000]
[Credits: 300]
[Level: 1]
[Skills: Eye of Truth (Upgradeable), Wood Element, Spatial Element, Mental Element]

"Huh, why do I have a Mental Element skill? Did I gain it in the disaster world? I gained three skills in total? Wow, the Eye of Truth can be upgraded; it should become even more powerful now, right?"

Ying Shu clicked upgrade, and 1,000 merit points were immediately deducted.

"So, merit points are used to upgrade skills."

[Ding—]

[Congratulations, Eye of Truth has been upgraded to Level 2. It has successfully evolved into the Eye of Clairvoyance.]

Eye of Clairvoyance?

Does that mean she can see through walls to the other side?

Ying Shu tried using the method Su Xining had taught her to activate the Eye of Clairvoyance and see what people on the other side of the wall were doing.

Focusing her mind further, she could even see the skeletons and internal organs of the people on the other side.

"Oh my goodness, this skill is amazing."

Ying Shu didn't want to pry into other people's privacy, so she quickly withdrew her gaze and rode her bike out of Ginkgo Alley.

"Look at that little girl in the magenta vest; her clothes are scorched, and she won't even change them. Her family must be very poor."

"Her electric bike looks like it's about to melt. How pitiful."

"Her shoes are melting, too."

Voices drifted into Ying Shu's ears, as if someone were speaking right beside her. But when she turned her head, she didn't see a soul.

Even if there were people around, they were on the sidewalk, several meters away, and couldn't possibly be whispering in her ear.

Wait, someone mentioned a magenta vest. Could they be talking about her?

The uniform for the 'Flash Legs' delivery service was that exact color.

She looked down and saw not only the magenta vest but also the scorched clothes and the shoes and bike that were on the verge of melting.

In other words, the voices from earlier were talking about her?

Ying Shu felt very depressed. "Oh... I have to replace the bike. That's another huge expense."

Fortunately, the bike was still running, otherwise, she would have to walk.

This time, she decided to buy a larger electric bike to make carrying things more convenient.

If Ginkgo Alley wasn't so narrow, she would have liked to buy a car for her errands.

Ying Shu went home first, then took five gold bars to the pawnshop.

As soon as she walked in, she saw the words 'Real' and 'Fake' floating all over the shop, almost making her dizzy.

She walked to the counter to observe carefully, guessing that the items labeled 'Real' were genuine and those labeled 'Fake' were counterfeits.

"Uncle Qian, why are more than half of the items in your display case fakes?"

"Shh, shh, shh—"

Qian Qian hurriedly pulled her into the reception room. "My dear girl, are you trying to ruin my business and put me out of work? If not, please keep your mouth shut."

Ying Shu looked especially innocent. "I was just worried you didn't know they were fakes."

Qian Qian grumbled, "I work in this trade and make a living from it; do you think I don't know what's real and what's fake? I display those imitations to fool people who don't know any better. If they heard what you said, I'd be out of business."

Ying Shu let out a dry laugh. "I'm here to pawn these five gold bars. Uncle Qian, give me a price."

Qian Qian followed his usual routine, confirming they were real and weighing the gold. "Each bar is 500 grams. I'll take them at 600 yuan per gram. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal, of course we do."

Ying Shu had checked the gold price before coming, which was roughly between 650 and 700 per gram.

Her gold bars were obtained through unconventional means, so as long as she could sell them, she didn't mind letting Qian Qian make a profit.

"Leave the gold bars here, and I'll transfer the money to you in a few days."

"Ah? A few days? Can't you pay me right away?"

Ying Shu didn't have a single cent on her and was in urgent need of money.

"I gave you all my savings yesterday; it's hard to come up with that much cash on the spot. You'll have to wait until I sell these items to someone else before I can pay you."

Qian Qian glared at her. "By the way, why are you in such a hurry for money? You didn't spend all the money from yesterday already, did you?"

Ying Shu lied to him, "You know my family's situation. To treat my grandfather and my siblings' illnesses, I've borrowed quite a bit of debt. I don't need to tell you how high the interest is. With the compound interest, all the money from yesterday went to paying off debts. Uncle Qian, just give me a few thousand for now, so we don't go hungry."

"I'll try my best to sell the goods within three days."

Qian Qian didn't doubt her words. He sighed and transferred five thousand yuan to her.

Ying Shu left the pawnshop happily. As she neared her house, she heard sounds of panic and anger coming from the alley across the street.