Chapter 1

Qingyun got out of bed and put away the funeral supplies she had used the night before. She moved quickly, but her expression was too calm, as if tears had nothing to do with her and she showed no pain at all for the death of a loved one.

There was a pot of thin millet porridge cooking in the pot, so thin you could see your reflection in it. She glanced at it, slung her small basket over her shoulder, pushed open the door, and went out to forage for wild vegetables in the mountains. The sky was still the same yellowish-brown as always, with rolling yellow sand and a gust of wind that could even make your eyelids sting.

"Isn't this Miss Qing?"

"She's no longer a young lady; she's now the daughter of a disgraced official. If she doesn't do it herself, does she expect servants to bring her food to her mouth as usual?"

"Tomorrow is the day of exile, isn't it?..."

The sarcastic remarks buzzed like flies, but Qingyun ignored them, focusing instead on turning over the soil, picking up even the smallest bits of wild vegetables. She didn't care because she wasn't actually this "Miss Qing" at all.

Although she shared the same name as this girl, her soul was that of a genuine modern person. In her previous life, she was a forest ranger who died in a wildfire. When she opened her eyes again, she had become this down-on-her-luck young lady.

It makes me so angry just thinking about it! This place is a fictional place with an ancient dynasty, a vast desert, and not even enough food to fill our stomachs.

[Host, don't worry! Even if you perish in the desert, you can use points to extend your life!]

Suddenly, an electronic voice rang in my mind, its tone as light and cheerful as an advertisement.

Qingyun sneered inwardly, [So I signed a slave contract? I'm supposed to be resurrected even after death to help you achieve results in the Oasis?!]

If I hadn't been inexplicably dragged into this AI idiot, none of this would have happened! Forced to be bound to this tree-planting system.

And their mission is singular: to save this country from being swallowed by the desert and realize their company's core philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

Qingyun herself had only one feeling: one day she would turn the system into a physical entity and give the other party a good spanking.

She gritted her teeth, thinking, "Can planting trees in ancient times compare to modern, mature industrialization? How long will it take me?"

The wild vegetables along the edge of the wasteland have been mostly dug up. They're called wild vegetables, but they're really just some tough, hard-to-crack weeds.

The heat was unbearable. Qingyun raised his hand to wipe his face, the rough hemp sleeves of his clothes were really uncomfortable.

She was wearing a drab gray linen dress that clung to her skin like sandpaper.

Apart from a few helpers who came to bury her original father, she now has to rely on herself for everything, seemingly because he only has Qingyun as his daughter and no other brothers or sisters.

Qingyun washed the wild vegetables, chopped them up casually, and threw them into the pot. After eating, she lay down fully clothed. The quilt on her bed smelled musty and was damp and sticky, making her uncomfortable. She simply threw it aside and didn't even glance at it.

Before dawn, the sounds of horses' hooves and shouts could already be heard outside.

When the soldiers arrived to escort them on their way, these people were not afraid that Qingyun would run away. Every household and every neighbor had a guarantor. If a new face appeared, they could find out immediately.

Although Qingyun was tired, he dared not complain. He could only get up silently, let the shackles be put on him, and follow behind the carriage procession. Before leaving, he looked back at the dilapidated little house.

No matter how simple it was, it was still a place where she briefly caught her breath in this strange world after her rebirth.

The exile procession moved slowly, the chains clanging against each other, the shackles heavy and numbing, and the straw sandals chafing their feet. They could bear it for the first few days, but later blisters formed on their feet, and every step felt like stepping on hot nails. Moreover, they were not well fed and could not keep up with their physical strength.

Unable to bear it any longer, Qingyun gritted her teeth and asked in her mind, "System, do you have any pain relief items? Even ointment will do."

The system's tone remained as light and cheerful as before, which Qingyun saw as a smug and obnoxious manner: "[I'm so sorry, dear, you don't have enough points to redeem at the moment~]"

Qingyun then asked how many points were needed, and it turned out she needed a thousand points. Since she didn't have any at the moment, she would have to repay double the amount later. [Is this loan sharking?! What kind of rule is this?!]

A surge of inexplicable anger welled up within her. How many points did she get for planting trees? One point per tree! One point!

There was a set walking distance every day, and you couldn't go even a kilometer less; you had to rest at a designated rest stop along the way.

She gritted her teeth and redeemed it anyway. Qingyun was afraid that if it got infected, she might lose her leg. Fortunately, the team took a short break, so she had time to apply medicine. She found an inconspicuous corner to treat her wound. Luckily, the system had a conscience and knew to provide gauze. After all, even if she tied it to her foot, no one would suspect anything. At most, they would think she couldn't stand it and wrapped it with her clothes.

The hardest part of exile is not being in the wilderness, but the arduous journey and torment. Countless people die of illness along the way. If there are family members accompanying and taking care of them, they can look after each other. However, if they are orphans, they are helpless and cannot escape their fate.

In recent days, several officers and soldiers have been subtly probing and hinting at Qingyun's situation. When she remained silent, they stopped trying to hide their intentions and their attitude became increasingly threatening.

The soldier who coerced Qingyun had a pointed face and a lewd demeanor. In particular, his eyes often lingered on Qingyun, scrutinizing him as if peeling off his skin and bones.

These days, Qingyun deliberately dressed herself up as if she were disheveled and emaciated, not wanting to be remembered. After all, the original owner of this body was indeed quite beautiful, with a gentle and quiet appearance, delicate and spirited, like a lady from a noble family, definitely a beauty.

She had originally intended to patiently coax him, but she didn't expect that he was determined to sleep with her. Qingyun immediately made a decision, and with a fierce determination, she kicked the man's genitals hard when he was off guard, letting him taste the feeling of having his balls smashed. Then, she immediately ran out of sight in the blink of an eye.

Luckily, she had managed to coax the idiot into removing the shackles, just in case something unexpected happened and she could escape in time. She was in such a hurry just now that she realized her throat was burning.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her scalp, and her hair was violently pulled. Before she could react, she was yanked back, and with a flash of cold light, a dagger was already at her neck.

"Do not make any further rash moves," the newcomer said in a deep voice, his tone as cold as iron and as icy as ice.

Qingyun felt a chill run down his spine. Seeing the imposing aura of the opponent, he realized that this was no ordinary pawn. Looking back, he realized that the main force of pursuers had not yet caught up. He forced himself to calm down and quickly put on a pleading expression, his eyes filled with tears and a look of bitterness.

Her words were sincere and heartfelt, and the man was slightly taken aback, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes. But the next second, he threw her violently in front of the carriage, where dozens of large swords stood guard.

"The man has been captured." The man lifted the carriage curtain and whispered the news inside.

Qingyun stared at the man with resentment, her gaze almost piercing him. She hadn't expected this guy to be so ruthless. The soldiers around the carriage were rubbing their fists together, especially the junior officer whose scrotum she had kicked open; they wished they could beat her to death to vent their anger.

The soldiers pressed her head into the mud and made her kneel in front of the carriage. The force was so great that it was as if they were using it on cattle or horses. Qingyun's forehead touched the ground, and she could only lower her head and obey.

"You shameless slut! You think you'd dare run away?!"

Although she felt aggrieved and indignant, she could only grit her teeth and endure it. She didn't want to die; she had underestimated the world and thought things were too simple. She regretted her recklessness earlier.

"The Lord summons you to the carriage to speak." The tall man's tone was calm, yet brooked no argument.

The carriage was dark and gloomy, with only a sliver of light filtering through the edge of the curtains. A faint, sweet fragrance filled the air, making one feel dizzy and suffocated. Qingyun forced himself to stay awake.

She was covered in sweat, dirty and sticky, and the smell made her almost nauseous.

Why did this man suddenly tell her to get in the carriage? He could have replied outside, but instead he made her kneel in this stuffy space. He didn't say a word, but he had an innate authority that pressed down on her like a mountain. She wanted to peek up, but as soon as her eyes moved, a chill ran down her spine, and she immediately lowered her head even further, kneeling obediently, even unconsciously slowing her breathing.

After a long pause, the person finally spoke, withdrawing their scrutinizing gaze. Their voice was clear, cold, and slow, like snow covering green branches, "Why do you want to run away?"

Qingyun was startled; it was a woman's voice. Although he couldn't see her face, her words were powerful and her aura was imposing.

Cold sweat rolled down her forehead, soaking the brocade carpet beneath her feet. She gritted her teeth and replied, "If I don't escape, I will be defiled."

The man repeated, with a half-smile, "Me?"

Qingyun was startled, realizing her earlier disrespectful words. She immediately prostrated herself and kowtowed, "This servant misspoke! It is this servant's fault! If I don't run away, these servants will all harbor evil intentions and try to take advantage of me openly and secretly. This servant has integrity and is of pure character. Even if I am convicted and exiled, I will uphold my reputation and not let anyone defile me! I have no choice but to take this risk. I beg you, Your Excellency, to have mercy on me and spare my life!"

The man remained silent for a moment, as if carefully considering the truth or falsehood in her words.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, but his voice was devoid of emotion: "Raise your head."

Qingyun looked up, her face still wet with tears. Before she could even see the person's face clearly, a slap suddenly landed, a crisp "smack" echoing in the air. Half of her face burned with pain, and she was knocked to the side by the blow.

"Daughter of a disgraced official, of lowly birth, remember your place." In the enormous shadow, the woman sat quietly on her high seat, her face hidden in the shadows, yet she exuded a chilling aura that commanded respect without anger. "Qingyun, when did you become so arrogant and ignorant?"

Upon hearing this, Qingyun's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart skipped a beat.

She...knows the original owner?

Enemy? Or...? Qingyun covered her slapped face, straightened up in a disheveled state, and replied with her head bowed, "Yes, this servant understands."

The woman's gaze lingered on Qingyun's bandaged feet. After a long pause, she said calmly, "Is there nothing you need to explain to me?"

Qingyun's heart pounded. She didn't understand what these words meant, but she felt that there was danger hidden in the question. She racked her brains but couldn't figure it out.

The carriage fell silent again, with only the low thud of wheels rolling over gravel. Seeing that she didn't speak, the woman said coldly, "Fool, if you have nothing to say, kneel here for a day and think about your mistakes."

Qingyun mumbled a reply from the ground.

Her mind was frantically screaming for the system to check this person's identity, only to find out that this was Princess Song Chaoyun of the current dynasty. Most importantly, she and the original owner were mortal enemies. The two of them often argued fiercely over their different ideas about lyrics and poetry. No wonder Song Chaoyun made her kneel as punishment every day.

Her heart clenched when she heard that. [It means the princess should stay in the palace and enjoy her life!]

Although Qingyun had to kneel half and walk half the way, her foot injury had improved a lot. Even though her knee was swollen, no soldiers dared to covet her anymore. They all felt that Song Chaoyun had given some orders. In fact, they could tell that the girl was not a bad person at heart.

After the officers and soldiers escorted all the people to the local government, checked their identities and crimes, and assigned them their places, the exile ended. Qingyun was assigned to a designated village, while some others were incorporated into the army to do hard labor.

Looking at the large dormitory-style bed, Qingyun had a headache. She hadn't taken a shower in the past ten days or so, and everyone's body smelled foul. She didn't bother contacting the system, fearing that this artificial intelligence would ask for an exorbitant price again, so she simply lay down to sleep covered in sweat and dust.

[A small task has been initiated. Host, you need to complete the planting of 500 saplings within one week.]

Qingyun: "?"

Startled awake, Qingyun, who hadn't even closed her eyes long, was immediately taken aback by the system's voice, drawing stares from those around her. Her face darkened, and she thought to herself, "What?! Don't go too far..."

System: [Completing the task will reward you with a treasure chest, which may contain random items or talents.]

Only then did the system begin to introduce Qingyun to her cheat ability. In addition to being able to obtain an unlimited number of saplings and seeds, any sapling planted by Qingyun would be automatically empowered to survive its vulnerable period and would also receive modern pesticides to further improve its survival rate.

As the voice in his mind spoke of electronic panels, a holographic panel suddenly appeared in front of Qingyun.

System: [The panel guides you on where to plant saplings with different desertification control effects, and provides various desertification control knowledge for your reference. Subsequent functions will need to be unlocked gradually by you, the host.]

Upon hearing this, Qingyun seemed to ponder for a moment before asking, "[Could it unlock a tractor? Or a tiller?]"

The system refused without hesitation: "No, darling."

The next day, Qingyun, still half asleep, followed the group and received the food distributed by the overseer. It was actually just a flatbread, blackened and with a faint, almost imperceptible stench. It was hard and so dry it could choke you, even worse than what she had eaten during her exile.

Moreover, the path beneath her feet was a muddy dirt track, mixed with gravel and dry grass. For some reason, the entire ground was black, and her feet were covered in mud. When the wind blew, she could smell animal feces in the air.

She really had no appetite in this environment.

They didn't finish their food until they left the village. The surrounding area was all sand dunes, and the wind made the sand stick to their eyes. Qingyun looked at the sand jujube in his hand. This plant had a well-developed root system and a strong ability to fix sand, so it was indeed suitable for the surrounding environment.

There is also the red willow, a tree that is tolerant of salinity and sandstorms and can form a shrub belt to block sand.

It seems that the people here are not just haphazardly trying to control desertification without any clear purpose.

[Host, you can use the panel to view the tree's attributes.]

Qingyun sneered. Did they really think she was just a freeloader who didn't know these things?

The men dug the holes, and the women carried the saplings in to plant them. The foreman was an older, middle-aged man with a shifty, unpleasant appearance. He merely scolded them, saying that the saplings were precious and they had to be careful, and that anyone who didn't work properly would be whipped.

After saying this, he went to a nearby pavilion to drink tea with some people.