"What's going on, host? Why has your fortune decreased again?"
"These past days have required constant surveillance blocking, tracking movents, and covering your tracks everywhere. Do you know how much energy I've consud just during this period?"
"Weren't you certain it would improve imdiately? Why has your fortune decreased instead of increased!"
In the West Courtyard, ignoring its host's clearly confused and even pained expression, a chanical voice within the consciousness sea continued shouting its dissatisfaction, the sharp noise piercing directly through the eardrums. Upon closer listening, compared to before, this voice now sounded significantly sluggish, even carrying faintly discernible static...
"Host......"
Unfortunately, before the words could fully form, within the consciousness sea, the entire data entity was tightly bound by nurous glowing talismans. It watched helplessly as its dwindling energy was gradually stripped away, until finally, even its core data structure began showing signs of disruption.
The system: "???"
No, damn that old monk!
Damn bald donkey, he was actually playing dumb to catch the tiger all along...
That cunning monk indeed—it shouldn't have let its guard down. Should have kept more backup energy.
In the final second before consciousness faded, the system continued cursing vehently. Unfortunately, with its energy stripped and programs severely disrupted, it could no longer form any coherent words.
After a sharp headache, Yang Yuan belatedly realized sothing was wrong: "......"
System? System?
After multiple failed attempts to summon the familiar chanical voice, Second Miss Yang finally panicked. As if rembering sothing, she stumbled almost frantically to her dressing table without regard for anything else.
Damn bald donkey, so you were playing dumb to catch the tiger all along...
What was originally less than seven points of beauty now added ten points of terror.
Though the mirror showed the sa person, with features largely unchanged from before, that earlier transcendent, fairy-like ethereal quality had completely vanished without trace...
Even the skin tone had...
Realizing this, sudden overwhelming fear instantly consud Yang Yuan. She gripped the only thing she could hold onto—the table—so tightly that she didn't even notice when her fingernails broke from the pressure...
In the empty consciousness sea, she repeatedly called out for the once-familiar voice:
"System, system, you can't, you mustn't abandon ..."
"Didn't I tell you before? The palace is already on high alert—any unusual activity among capital nobility would be imdiately detected. Especially with Master Wuxiang's talismans in play, without , you'll never find another suitable candidate..."
"I told you this is only temporary! Once I marry into the Duke of Cheng'en's household, once I......"
Yet no matter how many tis she called, the consciousness sea remained utterly silent.
At this mont, no matter how unwilling she was to admit it, that "monstrous entity" that had resided in her mind—which once brought her imnse joy, then later imnse fear and even disgust—had indeed abandoned her completely.
Right when she had lost almost everything.
Ti passed minute by minute.
After what felt like an eternity, Yang Yuan finally rose trembling and went to her writing desk, slowly picking up her familiar writing brush.
Monts later, though the characters on the pristine jade-like rice paper remained as elegant as always, the mind that once overflowed with literary inspiration now felt completely empty...
Discarding the countless attempted poems, Yang Yuan took a deep breath and imdiately tried painting and calligraphy. Unfortunately, the results remained equally disappointing.
Staring fixedly at the newly created painting, the brushstrokes unchanged, the technique still skilled, yet that captivating spiritual energy and artistic conception had completely vanished...
So this was the eternal chasm between genius and diocrity.
Monts later, sharp, mournful sobs suddenly echoed through the sealed room...
anwhile, watching an entire system completely vanish before its eyes—not even data fragnts remaining—a certain system in the consciousness sea unconsciously gulped.
After a long while, it cautiously glanced sideways at its host, who was leisurely arranging flowers.
"Um, host, those talismans were quite impressive just now... but they almost seed specifically designed for systems like these...
Hahaha, host is truly amazing, developing counterasures so quickly, hahaha..."
Well, a certain teacup dog really couldn't force the laughter now. Especially under its host's expression that clearly said "what nonsense are you talking about."
Perfect. No need to wonder—these talismans were definitely researched and prepared in advance. If nothing else, its host excelled at preparing for rainy days, sothing it understood better than anyone:
"Then... host, if you had preparations ready, why wait until now?"
Naturally to maximize energy depletion from the opponent. After all, this era with sparse spiritual energy inherently suppressed talisman effectiveness. Without sufficient certainty, one might easily fail despite advantage.
As she spoke, An Ning looked down, arranging the increasingly vibrant flower branches in her hands:
"Considering this person's various thods recently, without being able to absorb external fortune, where do you think the system's energy for such large-scale operations ca from?"
Of course, this smooth success also owed much to her nominal father's decisiveness. By stripping away her official family status, he directly sent her social standing rock bottom.
So-called fortune simply consists of luck and circumstance.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
The system was no exception—wanting to borrow Yang Yuan to absorb others' fortune inevitably created connections. Now that her fortune had hit bottom, An Ning didn't believe that system remained unaffected.
The facts proved her speculation correct.
Thinking about how that system had barely any resistance left under the talismans, An Ning couldn't help but click her tongue.
Ah, today's Eighteen Scholars callia was truly exceptionally beautiful! Such mood-lifting delight!
Within the consciousness sea, the system unconsciously shivered.
Having finally resolved that strange little entity, An Ning remained in quite good spirits over the following days. Perhaps from eliminating a major threat, her ntal state relaxed sowhat, and for the first ti since transmigrating a year ago, this body's stagnant cultivation finally showed slight progress...
Just, barely reaching Qi Refinent first layer...
Well then. Wrapping herself tightly in her heavy cloak, An Ning comforted herself: though Foundation Establishnt or even late-stage Qi Refinent might be hopeless in this lifeti, with effort, she could still hope to make this body comfortable regardless of season.
After all, one shouldn't compromise their own comfort!
At night, sowhat frustrated, she collected all the depleted spirit stones and lay back on her comfortable bed, soon falling into pleasant dreams...
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