Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: CELESTIAL DIAMOND EARRINGS PART 2

The ethereal notes of the guzheng filled the air, and Li Hua began to move. She started with a simple spin, channeling spiritual energy into the earrings as she turned—only to vanish mid-pirouette and materialize three steps away, nearly losing her balance. Through her ungraceful recovery, she could hear Little Firefly’s barely contained laughter, his light bobbing erratically with each giggle.

Her next attempt at a graceful leap resulted in her flickering like a broken light between two points, each landing more awkward than the last. When she tried to incorporate a flowing arm movement, she accidentally transported herself sideways, stumbling over her own feet—which had Little Firefly practically rolling in the air, his golden light dimming and brightening with each wheeze of spiritual laughter.

Golden afterimages trailed her movements like echo paintings in the air, beautiful but chaotic. One moment she would execute a perfect traditional dance step, disappearing in a shower of light—only to reappear facing the wrong direction, her trained grace temporarily forgotten as she flailed her arms for balance. Each movement drained her spiritual essence faster than she expected, leaving her breathing hard after just a few attempts, her five-year-old body struggling to maintain both the dance and the constant flow of power.

But as she continued, something clicked. The earrings weren’t tools to be commanded in specific directions; they were extensions of herself, responding to her intentions rather than just her physical movements. When she stopped trying to control every aspect of the transportation and instead let the artifacts work with her natural flow, the movement became more intuitive. Even Little Firefly’s laughter subsided as he noticed the change in her movements.

Still, the constant drain on her spiritual essence was a concern. She could feel her reserves depleting with each leap through space and maintaining that steady stream of power was more challenging than she’d anticipated. She would need to learn to better regulate her energy output—perhaps use it in shorter bursts rather than a continuous flow.

Like learning to drive a high-performance vehicle, she needed to master both the power and the precision. Too much spiritual essence wasted energy; too little broke the connection. There was a sweet spot, a perfect harmony between user and artifact that she would need to find through practice.

Li Hua paused, catching her breath as she reviewed what she’d learned. The celestial diamonds weren’t just transportation devices—they were dancing partners in a performance where reality itself was the stage. Now she just needed to build up her stamina and fine-tune her control.

“Master, towards the end there you were getting better at utilizing the earrings’ spiritual power,” Little Firefly observed, his light still occasionally flickering with suppressed amusement from her earlier attempts. “Your movements became more fluid, more natural.”

Li Hua nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. The training had taken more out of her than she’d expected—her four-year-old body’s spiritual reserves weren’t as deep as she would have liked. “Time for a break,” she said, stretching her tired muscles. “Let’s organize what you’ve brought from storage. First, I want to see exactly what we have to work with.”

Inside their new home, the kitchen gleamed with untouched perfection, marred only by the pile of supplies Little Firefly had deposited in the center of the room. Li Hua surveyed the assortment of fruits, dried herbs, and various other sustenance items with a critical eye. The kitchen’s thoughtful design pleased her—every bottom cabinet featured smooth-gliding drawers for easy access, while the upper cabinets showcased adjustable shelving, exactly the kind of practical layout she would have chosen herself.

She began methodically placing all the herbs, dried herbs, and fruits onto the island for sorting. Then she tackled the heavier items—lugging the 100-pound bags of rice, millet, soybeans, and both white and wheat flour to the spacious pantry that stretched behind the appliances and dining room. Though Little Firefly had provided standard kitchen appliances, she noted with satisfaction that there was no refrigerator. In this timeless space where food never spoils, such modern conveniences would have been purely decorative—a waste of space better used for storage.

With the kitchen organized to her satisfaction, Li Hua felt the weight of her earlier training session settling into her muscles. A hot bath would be perfect to soothe her tired body. She headed straight for her bedroom where the roll of silk and cotton fabric sat waiting. With precise movements, she cut a generous portion of cotton to serve as a bath towel.

The bathroom’s modern fixtures beckoned invitingly, the deep soaking tub and rainfall shower promising sweet relief for her aching muscles. After her awkward dance practice with the celestial diamonds, a long soak was exactly what she needed.

As she turned the polished chrome handles, steaming water cascaded into the tub, filling the air with warmth and humidity. Li Hua touched her celestial diamond earrings absently, wondering if she should remove them for bathing. Little Firefly hadn’t mentioned any specific care instructions, but something told her these weren’t ordinary jewelry that needed protection from water. Besides, after witnessing their remarkable properties during training, she felt oddly reluctant to part with them, even briefly.

Steam rose from the jade tub as Li Hua sank deeper into the hot water, letting out a contented sigh. For the first time since arriving in this world, she could truly relax without maintaining the facade of a child during bath time. No need to splash playfully or endure motherly scrubbing—just blessed solitude and the therapeutic embrace of perfectly heated water.

The bathroom’s elegant design reminded her of her previous life’s luxuries, yet somehow felt more intimate, more personal. Ethereal light filtered through the crystalline windows, casting prismatic patterns across the water’s surface. Her celestial diamond earrings caught these dancing rays, sending tiny starbursts across the marble walls.

As she soaked, memories of her past life’s evening rituals surfaced—long baths in her mansion’s master suite after particularly challenging missions or grueling board meetings. But those moments had always carried an edge of tension, her instincts never fully at rest. Here, in this sanctuary within her inner space, she could finally lower her guard completely.

The hot water seemed to seep into her very core, soothing both physical and spiritual fatigue from her training. Her tired muscles gradually relaxed, releasing the strain of her earlier attempts to master the celestial diamonds’ power. Even her meridians felt refreshed, the channels of spiritual energy flowing more smoothly with each passing moment.

When the water finally began to cool, Li Hua reluctantly rose and wrapped herself in the soft cotton sheet. After carefully drying herself and donning her clothes, she stepped out of her room to find Little Firefly hovering by the door, his golden light dimmed to a gentle glow.

“Master… are you heading out already?” His voice carried a hint of loneliness that tugged at her heart.

“Yes,” Li Hua replied softly, reaching out to cradle his luminous form in her hands. “I wish I could take you with me.”

She felt Little Firefly’s light pulse with momentary joy at the thought, before fading slightly as reality settled back in.

“I wish you could too,” he whispered, his glow flickering like a candle in a gentle breeze.

“I’m sorry,” Li Hua said, her voice growing thoughtful. “But you know what, Little Firefly? In this world of cultivation and spirits, I believe it might be possible for us to be together outside of this space one day.”

“Do you truly believe that?” Little Firefly’s light brightened with hope.

“Yes.” Li Hua smiled at his innocent enthusiasm, her heart warming at how such a simple possibility could bring him such joy.

“Then I’ll believe it too.” He said his spirits lifted.

“Little Firefly, can you cultivate?”

“I’ve tried master, but I can’t seem to cultivate like you do,” he responded thoughtfully. “The only powers I have are what the space itself allows me to have. As you know, I can materialize anything from your storage, and when we added this home, I could will the space to create it for you.” His light flickered contemplatively before continuing, “It’s interesting—whenever you unlock new functions or upgrades in the space, the knowledge simply appears in my thoughts, as if I’ve always known how to use them.”

“Is that how you found you could create the home?”