Chapter 189: Failed Once

Pan Yun acted immediately.

After finishing her laundry task on time, she left class precisely on schedule and sprinted to the Laundry Bureau, stealthily retrieving two large wooden tubs before racing back to Phoenix Perch Courtyard.

Pan Yun wiped the tubs dry, let them air out, then pulled out her brush and ink for drawing arrays. She calmed her mind and began painting the array onto the wood.

She channeled her primordial energy into the brush tip, communed with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and drew it into the array. As her brush moved, the primordial energy entwined with the spiritual energy, dragging it into the array and sealing it within the lines.

Pan Yun shifted her body slightly, extending the lines slowly along the tub's surface. When she completed the final stroke, she lifted her brush—light flashed—and the array was complete. The entire tub now looked different, shimmering with radiant hues.

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly as she admired her work, glancing around the courtyard. Seeing no one nearby, she sighed in regret and said to Pan Xiaohei: "Only you can share my joy. Don't you think this tub is extraordinary?"

The black cat lay in the cool shade, lifted its head, glanced once, and meowed: "Uglier than every tub I've ever seen. Definitely extraordinary—extraordinarily ugly."

Pan Yun frowned. "It's shimmering and radiant! Where's the ugliness?"

Zhang Weiyi pushed open the door and stepped in, pausing at the sight of the person crouched in the courtyard's center.

Deng Ziyu and Xue Hua stepped past him into the courtyard, nodded to Pan Yun in greeting, then froze as their eyes fell on the wooden tub in her hands.

Xue Hua: "What an ugly tub. Where did you get it, junior sister?"

Pan Yun: …

Deng Ziyu studied her expression, understood something, and tugged Xue Hua's sleeve. "It's not that bad. Isn't junior sister planning to paint on it? To… help identify it?"

Pan Yun said flatly: "This is an array."

Pan Xiaohei crouched nearby, silently laughing.

Pan Yun glared at it, mentally commanding it to shut its annoying eyes.

Zhang Weiyi and the others studied it carefully but couldn't identify the array. They humbly asked: "Junior sister, has this array succeeded? What function does it serve?"

Pan Yun: "It works for washing clothes."

Zhang Weiyi and the others stared blankly. "Washing clothes? You need an array for that? Three or four garments—just scrub them by hand, isn't that enough?"

Pan Yun sighed. "That's for you. For someone who has to wash mountains of clothes, a fully automatic—or even semi-automatic—washing machine is vital. Don't you know your hands get ruined from too much washing?"

Zhang Weiyi: "Those punished like you are rare."

"Wrong!" Pan Yun said. "Those punished like me are rare—but the laundry maids, the women and girls responsible for washing entire households' clothes? There are many. If I make this, it could benefit half the world."

"People like you, who only wash their own clothes, are the minority."

Zhang Weiyi and the others were stunned. They had never considered this.

Xue Hua grew curious, stepped closer, and examined the array closely. "If you draw this, the tub will wash clothes by itself?"

Pan Yun: "Just add a power talisman, and it'll be nearly there."

The three gathered around, curious, but since they lacked array expertise and had never heard of this particular design, they offered no practical advice.

Not even Miao Zhen and Miao He could help.

Miao Zhen and Miao He were on duty today, so they returned only after finishing their cleaning. Upon seeing Pan Yun's ugly tub, they winced—but quickly ignored the strange lines on its surface, eyes bright with excitement. "Little Master, will this tub wash clothes by itself?"

Pan Yun said: "I'll meditate tonight, draw a power talisman, and stick it on tomorrow."

The power talisman wasn't difficult for Pan Yun. She carefully stored the tub in her room, slept beside it, and felt twice as happy just knowing it was there.

Sigh. She'd been too long without drawing arrays—her hand was rusty. Otherwise, she could've painted two tubs in one go today.

Pan Yun closed her eyes, hugged her quilt, and slept soundly. At noon the next day, as soon as class ended, she sprinted back to Phoenix Perch Courtyard, grabbed the array-painted tub, and raced toward the Laundry Bureau.

Manager Zhang frowned at her. "Did you paint that ugly mess on this tub?"

Pan Yun: "It's just not pretty. Can't call it ugly."

"After washing, clean it thoroughly. If you deface my tubs again, your punishment doubles."

Pan Yun:!!!

Hmph. Once I build this washing machine, no matter how many times they punish me, I won't care.

Manager Zhang had too many duties to watch them daily. After assigning today's tasks, he left. Pan Yun and Miao Zhen and Miao He silently picked up full tubs of clothes, carried them to the river, and stared intently at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun rolled up her sleeves. "I'll try it."

She stuffed clothes into the large tub—then stopped. Too many. She pulled them out. Only five per tub. A relaxed full load. Manager Zhang crammed thirty or forty into one tub, squeezing them like a sack.

Pan Yun poured water into the tub, rubbed in a bit of pig pancreas soap, wiped her greasy hands on a garment, then pulled out the power talisman and slapped it onto the tub. She formed the hand seal, channeled primordial energy into it—the talisman's runes glowed, merging seamlessly with the array on the tub's surface.

Two breaths later, the tub jolted violently. Miao Zhen and Miao He stumbled back two steps. Even Pan Yun, prepared as she was, jumped.

The tub shook violently. Under Pan Yun's gleaming gaze, it rattled, then—CRACK! split open. The clothes inside, spinning at high speed, shot upward and scattered everywhere. Water and clothes drenched her head and face.

Miao Zhen and Miao He wiped water from their faces, shook their soaked clothes, and said: "Little Master, class starts in an hour."

Pan Yun, expressionless, pulled off her wet clothes, stared at the shattered tub, and said: "I forgot. Wood isn't strong enough. Needs iron—or alloy."

Miao Zhen: "Just to make a washing thing? It's like forging a magical sword. Little Master, if this is for yourself, you don't need to spend money or energy on it. Only a month and a half—blink, and it's over."

"If you say it's for the half of the world suffering from laundry, even less reason. Iron and alloy are expensive. Ordinary families can't afford them. Even wealthy households won't spend so much just for a woman's laundry. Besides—they have servants."

!. Read

Miao Zhen asked: "Would an iron or alloy washing machine cost less than hiring a laundry worker—or buying a servant?"

Pan Yun paused, then said: "You're right. But I'm still going to build it. Whether they use it is their problem. Whether it exists is ours. Once it's made, the world has a choice."

"Besides," Pan Yun's face darkened, teeth clenched. "It's ignited my competitive spirit. A simple washing machine? How could I possibly fail?"

In her past life, such things filled every street. The technology was mature. She refused to believe she couldn't replicate it—she just wasn't trained in it, so there'd be twists.

But once you understand the principle, and you have the power to generate motion—how could it fail?

Pan Yun clenched her fists. "I will build it!"

Miao Zhen and Miao He exchanged a glance and stopped urging.

Though Pan Yun was full of ambition, she still had to complete her punishment. She silently gathered the scattered clothes, dried her garments and hair with primordial energy, and began scrubbing by hand.

Miao Zhen and Miao He silently dried their own clothes too, then found a flat stone and began washing.

After scrubbing for a long while, Pan Yun paused as she tossed clothes into the water. She had an idea. She hurled seven or eight garments into the water at once, stepped in, and moved her palms fluidly across the surface, forming a Taiji.

The primordial energy drew in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, causing it to flow along the Taiji, making the water slowly churn. Soon, a vortex formed. The clothes spun rapidly within it. Before her, a clear Taiji emerged—the garments twisted, struggling to escape the vortex, only to be pulled back.

Miao Zhen and Miao He stared, dumbfounded. This vortex was strong enough to swallow a person—washing a few garments was effortless.

Pan Yun judged it sufficient. She lightly slapped the vortex's surface with her right hand. The clothes flew out one by one. She didn't reach to catch them—instead, she raised a finger. The garments twisted in midair like braids, squeezing out all the water.

Pan Yun waved her hand. The clothes landed in the tub with a series of sharp slaps.

Pan Yun beamed at Miao Zhen and Miao He.

Miao Zhen and Miao He glanced at their own clothes, then tossed five or six into the water at once, imitating Pan Yun's method.

They'd watched closely—the clothes that flew out were spotless, all stains gone. The method worked.

Pan Yun's speed far outpaced theirs. Each time, she tossed in seven or eight garments, finishing in half a minute.

That's one garment per minute. My heavens—she wouldn't need to rush today.

After four rounds, Miao Zhen and Miao He couldn't keep up. They slumped beside the stone, scrubbing by hand.

Miao Zhen: "Our cultivation is nowhere near Little Master's. This method isn't suitable for us."

Miao He: "Is it worth spending so much primordial energy and internal power just to wash clothes?"

Pan Yun had nearly finished her share. She squeezed the clothes dry with primordial energy and tossed them into the tub. "Fools, haven't you noticed? This improves your control over primordial energy. And after using it, your dantian recovers faster."

Miao Zhen and Miao He froze, forgetting their fatigue. They stepped into the water, tossed in a few garments, and felt it for themselves.

Pan Yun let them discover it on their own. She began helping Miao Zhen wash clothes, controlling the vortex while thinking: This is the effect I wanted—but the tub clearly can't achieve it. How, then, should I build it?

I just got home. I'm exhausted. Taking a day off today. I'll make up the chapters tomorrow. Sorry, readers.

(End of Chapter)