"Money."
Bai Shengyi dipped the broken tip of the brush into the ink and wrote this simple character on the Xuan paper. However, the character remained just a character, with no other changes.
Bai Shengyi looked at the Reincarnation Brush suspiciously. "I wrote it, but I don't see any changes."
"What's your current rank? Do you expect me to conjure money for you!" the Reincarnation Brush exclaimed with displeasure.
"I can only be strong if you are strong. For example, if you hadn't advanced, I wouldn't even be able to communicate with you! My master, please be more realistic!"
Bai Shengyi felt as though the Reincarnation Brush was about to cry, so she quickly tried to placate it. "Okay, okay, don't be angry. I'll change it right away."
She quickly deleted the character and wrote "困" (kùn - to trap). Then, a miracle happened: the ink lines instantly evaporated like smoke and mist, swirling to form a cage-like object!
With a thought, Bai Shengyi pointed at a vase in the room and said, "Go." The object instantly enveloped the vase, binding it tightly like ropes.
"This..." Bai Shengyi was ecstatic! Could this brush materialize things?
Bai Shengyi's spirits immediately lifted, and she couldn't help but continue writing various characters on the Xuan paper: chase, lucky, rich, become beautiful, advance again...
She wrote whatever came to her mind. After filling the entire paper, she discovered that only the "困" character from the beginning had undergone such a transformation.
The Reincarnation Brush, having witnessed such shameless behavior, said irritably, "Humans, don't be too greedy. With your current strength, you can only manifest one word. You chose '困' at the start, so you can only use this ability now."
"Why didn't you say so earlier!" Bai Shengyi pinched the tip of the brush and couldn't resist twirling it. Such an important piece of information, and it hadn't even reminded her!
The Reincarnation Brush's consciousness couldn't operate independently yet, and it was spun around until it was dizzy. It wailed, "You never gave me a chance to speak!" Being this master's brush was too difficult.
"Stop spinning, stop spinning, master!" The Reincarnation Brush couldn't stand it any longer and raised its voice.
Bai Shengyi now noticed a problem: this brush's consciousness was a bit too active. Its grumpy demeanor was completely at odds with its ancient and beautiful brush body.
"I can stop spinning, but you have to tell me, who exactly are you?"
Bai Shengyi had calmed down by now. After a moment of thought, she realized the Reincarnation Brush's peculiarity.
According to the memories she had, weapons were divided into five grades: Sacred Artifacts, and Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. Each grade was further divided into upper, middle, and lower. Only Sacred Artifacts could develop self-awareness. The Reincarnation Brush, however, only looked like a mid-grade Yellow tier spiritual artifact, which was contradictory.
Could this be a hidden Sacred Artifact?
But the highest grade weapon on the Divine Revelation Continent so far was only mid-grade Heaven tier, belonging to a Golden Core cultivator at the Divine Revelation Academy...
Bai Shengyi pondered, twirling the brush even faster.
The Reincarnation Brush was already completely exasperated by its master and obediently replied, "I am just a brush that can turn some of the things I write into reality, that is, to manifest them. However, how much I can manifest and to what extent depends on your strength."
"Actually, I can't remember many things. But I only woke up because I formed a contract with you. I just didn't expect my new master to be so, so, so weak!"
The Reincarnation Brush strongly expressed its dissatisfaction with Bai Shengyi's strength.
Because Bai Shengyi's cultivation was low, she couldn't provide the vast amount of spiritual energy it needed during the contract. Instead, it had its own stored spiritual energy plundered, causing it to fall into a deep sleep right after awakening, only to wake up now.
"You're so weak, and you need my spiritual energy to nourish you. I don't know when I'll be able to recover..." The Reincarnation Brush sighed deeply, filled with worry for the future.
Bai Shengyi also recalled the scene of channeling Qi into her body back then. She hadn't realized she had benefited from the Reincarnation Brush. She rubbed her nose and promised, "Don't worry, I'll cultivate diligently, so you can become powerful sooner too! Or is there anything else now that can help you recover?"
"Unless you can find the Nine Divine Fires..."
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Bai Shengyi had never heard of it. Besides, "Aren't you a wood attribute spiritual artifact? Why do you need fire?"
"Divine artifact! I am a divine artifact!" The Reincarnation Brush jumped up and down furiously. "Master, please have more knowledge. Have you ever seen me being so..."
"Clang!"
The Reincarnation Brush suddenly fell silent, as if it had lost its soul, and fell straight onto the Xuan paper.
"Hey! Don't play dead! What's wrong with you?" Bai Shengyi reached out and nudged the Reincarnation Brush, then twirled it again. But the Reincarnation Brush showed no reaction, just like before, as if it were an ordinary brush.
Bai Shengyi frowned. Just as she was about to investigate further, she heard footsteps outside.
She quickly put away the Reincarnation Brush and yanked the door open, only to see Bai Murong, who was about to push the door open.
"What are you doing?" Bai Shengyi asked coldly.
Bai Murong didn't seem embarrassed at all. She casually withdrew her hand and smiled softly, "Shengyi, we're entering the palace soon. Sister was just asking if you're ready?"
Bai Shengyi was slightly taken aback. She had actually spent a day and a night in the room with the Reincarnation Brush!
"Wait for me for a moment."
Bai Murong watched as Bai Shengyi slammed the door shut with a "bang," leaving her out in the cold!
A hint of gloom flashed in her eyes. When Bai Murong looked up, she was back to her caring older sister persona. She suggested into the room, "I heard Consort De likes young ladies to be elegant and dignified. Shengyi, why don't you change into something more simple and clean?"
Bai Shengyi pushed the door open, smiling at her, "Is that so? Then this outfit of mine is just perfect."
Bai Murong looked at Bai Shengyi's attire and suddenly felt suffocated.
Bai Shengyi had indeed changed into a simple and clean outfit.
The clear and elegant light blue fabric shimmered under the sunlight, like rippling water.
It was actually Misty Sea Gauze!
This fabric, produced in the Golden Sparrow Kingdom, was not only rare in the Great Ning Dynasty but also extremely expensive, costing ten mid-grade spirit stones per bolt. More importantly, Misty Sea Gauze was elusive; even with spirit stones, it wasn't always possible to buy.
Over the years, despite her best efforts, she had only managed to obtain one bolt, which she kept treasured at the bottom of her chest. She hadn't expected Bai Shengyi to wear it so carelessly!
Bai Murong suddenly felt consumed by jealousy. She stared intently at the dazzling and dreamlike clothes under the sun, pretending indifference as she asked, "Shengyi, how do you have clothes made of Misty Sea Gauze?"
To make Bai Shengyi's outfit, at least three bolts of fabric would have been needed. Her grandfather didn't give Bai Shengyi any pocket money or cultivation resources, so where did Bai Shengyi get the spirit stones to buy the fabric?
Bai Shengyi naturally didn't miss the palpable sourness emanating from Bai Murong.
However, the more sour Bai Murong became, the more casually Bai Shengyi smiled, flicking her fingernails. "I can't remember. Perhaps mother bought it?"
Bai Murong forced a smile. "Mother actually bought clothes for you privately!"
How could mother be so biased? She was also her mother's daughter, so why wouldn't she buy clothes for her?
She was clearly much more outstanding than Bai Shengyi, and she was also very considerate to the couple.