After a brief moment of shock, caution quickly overcame her momentary surprise.
She lightened her steps and slowly walked forward, as if afraid of disturbing something.
The surface of the hibernation pod was smooth as a mirror, reflecting her image mixed with surprise and suspicion.
Through the observation window on top, she could vaguely see a figure lying inside.
(Who is it? Why are they in my room?)
Fu Hua's brows furrowed tightly.
Just minutes ago, she had been secretly glad that she had only changed clothes, and now this "surprise" was delivered right to her door, blocking her room.
Fu Hua did not act rashly.
She first cautiously walked around the hibernation pod, inspecting the outer shell, but found no identification or explanatory text.
She tried to use her authority as a Flame-Chaser data entity in this space to connect to the pod, but the feedback was vague, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.
Finally, her gaze returned to the girl inside the pod.
The person looked completely harmless, even somewhat fragile.
(I can't just let her keep sleeping like this... or keep this thing in the middle of the room forever.)
After hesitating for a moment, Fu Hua reached out, her fingertips tracing an area on the side of the hibernation pod that looked like a basic control panel.
The layout logic of these control interfaces was similar to the Flame-Chasers equipment she remembered.
She tried inputting a few general unlock commands according to the sequence stored in her memory.
"Dee—Buzz—"
A faint electronic sound rang out, and the indicator light on the side of the hibernation pod changed from a rhythmic, flickering cyan-blue to a soft, solid green.
Immediately after, the pod cover emitted a series of faint pressure release sounds, and then silently slid open to both sides along the central axis.
Slightly cold air rushed into the pod.
The girl lying inside had her long eyelashes flutter a few times, and then she opened her eyes with some effort.
They were clear, brown eyes, filled with the confusion of just waking up.
She seemed to take a moment to focus her vision, blinking blankly, and subconsciously turned her neck to survey the completely unfamiliar room around her.
Then, her gaze fell upon Fu Hua, who was standing beside the hibernation pod, slightly leaning in and observing her with a look of inquiry.
Their eyes met.
Deeper confusion first flashed in the girl's eyes, but then, as if a memory switch had suddenly been flipped, the confusion was rapidly replaced by shock.
Her lips parted slightly, and a title, slightly hoarse from disuse but perfectly clear, escaped her mouth:
"Gra—Grand Master?!"
Fu Hua: "...?"
Grand Master?
Who?
Are you talking to me?
Fu Hua was completely stunned, the sentence she was preparing to ask about the girl's identity stuck in her throat.
She was certain she had never taken a disciple, let alone a grand-disciple.
But the look in the girl's eyes... it was clearly the gaze of someone who recognized an acquaintance.
It didn't look like she was faking it or mistaking her for someone else.
That look was as if she had seen a figure she thought only existed in legends or portraits appear alive before her eyes.
(She recognizes "me"? No...)
In a flash of lightning, Fu Hua thought of a possibility.
(Does she recognize the me outside?)
A thought flashed through Fu Hua's mind like lightning: the outside world, the "Current Era".
The "Grand Master" this girl spoke of most likely referred to her other self!
As the separated Flame-Chaser data entity carrying the Previous Era's Remembrance, Fu Hua knew her main body was active in the Current Era, but the specific details were not shared.
She only knew that her main body seemed to have experienced a lot and changed a lot.
Could it be... that her main body truly left behind a legacy over the long years?
Was this girl before her the main body's... grand-disciple?
This realization caused ripples in Fu Hua's heart.
Curiosity, vigilance, a trace of inexplicable responsibility, and a desire to investigate everything her "outside" self had experienced, were interwoven.
The girl looked at Fu Hua, then at the completely unfamiliar room around her, and the cold "coffin" beneath her, and the confusion on her young face deepened.
"Grand Master? Where is this...? Why am I here? I remember I was in..."
The girl before her had slightly recovered from her initial shock and seemed to want to struggle into a sitting position, but her body, weakened by long-term hibernation, was clearly still powerless, making her movements clumsy.
Fu Hua quickly collected her scattered thoughts.
Regardless of who this girl was or her relationship with the main body, she was clearly in a helpless state right now.
The priority was to get her out of the hibernation pod and settled.
"Miss..."
Fu Hua chose a safe address, keeping her tone as calm as possible. "Please come out first. This is... my room. You seem to have been teleported here somehow."
She extended her hand, signaling that Li Sushang could use her help to get out of the hibernation pod.
Li Sushang looked at the hand Fu Hua extended, then at Fu Hua's face, which was almost identical to the portrait in her memory—though the temperament seemed colder and more solemn—and after a moment of hesitation, she took Fu Hua's hand.
The hand she grasped was cool and steady.
With Fu Hua's gentle assistance, Li Sushang clumsily climbed out of the hibernation pod, staggering slightly when her feet touched the floor, clearly indicating her body hadn't fully recovered.
She was only wearing the thin hibernation suit, looking slender and helpless.
"I... My name is Li Sushang."
After steadying herself, the girl spoke softly, still looking at Fu Hua with confusion. "Grand Master, do you... not remember me? Or is this... your Grand Master's... Immortal Cave? Why is the style so peculiar? What are these shiny panels?"
Listening to her archaic language, Fu Hua became even more certain that the girl was not from the modern era.
Doubts piled up in her mind, but she showed nothing on her face.
"This is a long story."
Fu Hua said briefly, her gaze sweeping over Li Sushang's thin attire. "What you need now is rest and adaptation. Over there,"
She pointed to the small washroom attached to the room. "You can wash up there. There are spare clothes in the wardrobe; you can pick something that fits and change into it first. Afterward, we can talk slowly."
Li Sushang looked in the direction Fu Hua pointed, and seeing the clean, bright small space, a hint of curiosity appeared on her face.
"Washing up... changing clothes?"
She glanced at herself, her face flushing slightly. "Thank you, Grand Master. It's just... I have never seen these objects, Sushang doesn't know how to use them..."
Fu Hua sighed inwardly.
(Just as I thought.)
She led Li Sushang to the washroom entrance and briefly demonstrated how to use the faucet, towel rack, and light switch, her movements concise and clear.
She opened the wardrobe, which, as was typical of the System Space's "thoroughness," contained many clothes of different styles, though mostly simple or featuring Eastern elements.
Fu Hua selected a few dresses that seemed the right size, predominantly blue and white, with elegant patterns reminiscent of blue-and-white porcelain, and handed them to Li Sushang.
"Put these on first. If you need anything else, call me."
After speaking, Fu Hua retreated from the washroom and thoughtfully closed the door.
Standing in the center of the room, Fu Hua looked at the still-open hibernation pod, her brows deeply furrowed.
(Li Sushang... Grand Master...)
(Suddenly sent here...)
(Is this a deliberate arrangement by the Black Herta?)
(The main body's grand-disciple... what does this mean?)
Countless questions swirled in her mind.
She walked to a corner of the room where there was a simple communication interface connected to the system.
She needed to contact the system, or... directly question the person behind the scenes.
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